Speaker 1: There was a delightful confrontation on Fox News yesterday between Fox News anchor
Harris Faulkner and Democratic, but very right leaning Senator Joe Manchin. Now,
the thing going on with Joe Manchin is absolutely beautiful.
Joe Manchin is a guy that is not a particular friend to the Democratic Party on many important
issues. But every once in a while, Joe Manchin is a Democrat, and he will vote with the Democratic
majority. And in this particular case, Joe Manchin announced that he's supporting the Inflation
Reduction Act. The Inflation Reduction Act does a whole bunch of different things. It doesn't change
the level of taxation on income tax for Americans. But right wingers have been flipping out,
number one, because they claim, oh, it's going to increase taxes on everybody. And number two,
they're flipping out on Joe Manchin because they started to think, sorry, I punched my
mike. They started to think Manchin is a friend of Republicans, and to some degree he is. But it's
not always the case. And all of a sudden they are hammering Joe Manchin. This interview was
absolutely hilarious. Harris Faulkner increasingly incensed with Joe Manchin. Let's look at some of
the moments from this interview. Speaker 5: We got to know
the bottom line on taxes. Speaker 4: Let me tell you the
bottom line on that, HARRIS. You don't have the bottom line. The Joint Committee on Taxation.
That opinion was only written by my friends on the Republican side. It was not done by the whole
joint committee. So that is unfair to. So let's be accurate what we're doing here. The bottom line
is how any world can you be raising taxes when all we're saying is the wealthiest corporations
in America, 55 of them pay zero to help this great country of ours to defend ourselves.
Speaker 5: How does this change that? Because that's that minimum, minimum, 15%.
Speaker 4: Right? Minimum of 15%. The tax rate was at 35% before 27. Right. Then it went to
21%. That was a tremendous savings. But that's not good enough, I guess. All we're saying is,
at 15% minimum, everyone in West Virginia I know and most people around the country
pay a 21% corporate or greater. So why can't the greatest billion dollars of revenue a year? Why
can't I pay at least 15% for this great country? Speaker 1: You now understand they're talking
about a 15% minimum tax on corporations, but Republicans are pretending that this
is an increase to personal income taxes. Speaker 5: It's not trying to also say,
because this is this is the part that counts. I mean,
people look at their corporations and they know they've got great tax accountants. Heck,
they have complete departments trying to come up with ways to to find loopholes
and to keep more chance to hire people as well. I mean, let's not forget that, too.
But $400,000 was supposed to be the cutoff. And I'm reading and I am reading, Senator. It is by.
Speaker 4: Any taxes who's paying any taxes that doesn't have a corporation
that has revenue of over $1,000,000,000 a year.
Not one person. Not one person. Here's you're assuming, because they'll pass
that on the companies that were paying zero. Speaker 5: No, no, no. Like asking a different
question than you're answering. I'm saying Americans $400,000 and below now are going to
be taxed. Their taxes are going to go up. Speaker 4: That's a. Nope. That
is a pure outright lie. Speaker 1: Now, good. I'm not a fan of
Manchin. You guys know, I don't see these people as black and white. I don't get shocked all of a
sudden when Manchin says something reasonable or then all of a sudden he's voting with Republicans.
We know who he is. He's a very right leaning Democrat. But here he's doing a very good job.
Speaker 5: Taxes are not going to go up. Speaker 4: Not at all. And you know one
thing. How about the people they're going to be saving as far as on their Medicare? $288 billion
who are paying a higher price than they should, aren't they? They didn't even assume that in the
revaluation. They didn't talk about any of that. How about if gasoline prices go down because
we're producing more oil to make more gas. Speaker 5: Those are going to fluctuate.
Speaker 1: Okay. So Harris Faulkner starts getting agitated to different
degrees and then eventually Manchin just has to tell her that she's telling lies.
Speaker 5: I'm saying Americans $400,000 and below now are going to be taxed,
that taxes are going to grow. Speaker 4: That's a
lie. That is a pure, outright lie. Speaker 5: So their taxes are not going to go up?
Speaker 4: Not at all. And you know one thing. How about the people they're going to be saving
as far as on their Medicare, too? Yeah. Speaker 1: So repeating that, it is just
flat out a lie. Then she pulls up a segment of Manchin speaking to Chuck Todd and then tries
to hammer him on that. And she increasingly desperate. During this conversation, I have.
Speaker 4: An idea. Speaker 5: That was a dodgeball.
Speaker 4: That's not a dodgeball that I'm not getting involved in the political. This is not
a political piece of legislation. This is an American legislation. We need energy. We need
to pay down debt. We need to accelerate our our permitting process so we can build things that we.
Speaker 5: Are going to need some help. Speaker 4: Who I am not going to make a statement.
Speaker 5: On the rating is like as low as Congress is. Well, I mean, we all agree that when
you get into the thirties, no one's that popular. Speaker 4: We're going to do something good
to help our country and so forth. Speaker 5: Served. Are you kidding?
Services like you are. That's what we do. Speaker 1: Her father served and service is in
the Bible. That's her reaction when Manchin says, Harris, you sound mad. We're going to do something
good. And she goes. My father served and it's in the Bible. How is that even an answer? I know how
it's an answer because there's a contingent and a lot of them watch Fox News where they believe
if you are a veteran, then of course, you always necessarily want everything that's
best for the country is no guarantee of that. And if you're a Christian, you always necessarily want
everything that's best for the country. But there's no guarantee of that either.
Speaker 5: Serve our fellow man and woman. Speaker 4: That's exactly what I'm doing.
Speaker 5: Don't exactly have a personal because it's not. I'm simply asking that you've got a
president who can't really help anybody on the campaign trail with the numbers he's
rocking right now. Well, let's say something like that. It doesn't sound supportive of
your own party. And I'm asking you say this. Speaker 4: I'm working with what I have here
in the majority party that we have as a Democratic Party. I'm working with a president who's accepted
the proposal I've put forward and negotiated, which is a balanced energy policy that's wonderful
for our country. I know people who don't like the president or don't like Democrats might
be upset. This is not about whether you like the president or whether you like Democrats, do you?
Speaker 1: So as you can see, Harris Faulkner is just desperate to attack whatever and whoever she
can. But the truth is, on this particular bill, Manchin is correct. The bill's been scored. It
looks like it will reduce inflation. This is what the Republicans claim to want to do. And
they just can't accept that. They just can't accept that. Here's just one more quick clip.
Speaker 4: That's a lie. That is a pure, outright lie.
Speaker 5: So their taxes are not going to go up? Speaker 4: Not at all. And you know one
thing. How about the people that are going. Speaker 1: To be you know what? We already played
this clip, so we're going to skip it. All right. So bottom line, depending on your perspective,
there are people who now are angry with Joe Manchin and then there are people who now are
thrilled with Joe Manchin. The reality is that there's sort of like a grab your popcorn element
to this of, wow, what who's going to flip out on Manchin next? And now it's FOX anchor Harris
Faulkner, who's very triggered. I don't care about that so much as this is another reminder.
Sometimes these are just people. They're not all good. They're not all bad. Manchin is
a guy that is way to my right. But every once in a while, and it could be for self-centered
reasons we don't yet fully understand. I mean, it sounds like there's going to be
some more domestic oil production. Manchin likes that. You know, we it's potentially
just from his selfishness and what's in it for me attitude that he's supporting this bill,
but he's supporting a bill that's going to do some good things and it's going to it's believed that
it will lower inflation and now Republicans are just absolutely flipping out on him. Let's take
a more measured approach. This is a guy who is to the right of me and many in the audience,
but he's doing the right thing now, and that's something we can all be happy about.