>>> MY PART’S GOT TO GET OUT OF THE DEFENSIVE CROUCH THAT HAS US
THINKING THAT WE’RE IN THE
MINORITY ON THESE ISSUES.
AMERICA IS WITH US IN DEMANDING
COMMON SENSE GUN SAFETY.
>> WELCOME BACK.
ISN’T HE GOOD.
ANYWAY, THAT’S BUTTIGIEG.
MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG IN IOWA
CALLING FOR NEW GUN CONTROL
LEGISLATION.
LEGISLATION. THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES SHOWED
UNITY IN THE WAKE OF THE
MASSACRES IN EL PASO AND DAYTON
IN DEMANDING THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP AND THE CONGRESS ENACT NEW
GUN LAWS.
GUN LAWS. 16 CANDIDATES PARTICIPATED IN A
FORUM IN DES MOINES SPONSORED BY
EVERY TOWN FOR GUN SAFETY.
>> MY FRIENDS ON THE DEBATE
STAGE HAVE GREAT IDEAS WHICH I
SUPPORT.
SUPPORT. WE DO NOT LACK FOR GREAT IDEAS.
WHAT WE LACK IS THE UNITED
STATES CONGRESS TO HAVE THE
COURAGE TO ACT.
>> IF McCONNELL WANTS TO VOTE
AGAINST GUN SAFETY LEGISLATION,
LET HIM VOTE AGAINST IT.
BUT RECONVENE THE UNITED STATES
SENATE.
SENATE. >> IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT PASSING
FOUR PIECES OF LEGISLATION OVER
THEIR CHANGING TWO REGULAR
LAEGSSLAEGS --
LAEGSSLAEGS -- REGULATIONS OVER HERE.
IT’S ABOUT REDUCING DEATHS FROM
GUN VIOLENCE.
GUN VIOLENCE. >> THEY SHOULD BE EXPOSED.
THEY SHOULD BE EXPOSED FOR WHAT
THEY REFUSE TO DO BECAUSE
THEY’RE BEING INTIMIDATED BY THE
NRA.
NRA. >> FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE
BIDEN THERE FOLLOWED UP ON HIS
APPEARANCE IN IOWA WITH AN OP-ED
IN THE "NEW YORK TIMES" ON
SUNDAY.
SUNDAY. BIDEN PROMISED TO BAN ASSAULT
WEAPONS IF ELECTED WRITING, IF
WE CANNOT RISE TO MEET THIS
MOMENT, IT WON’T JUST BE A
POLITICAL AFFAIR, IT WILL BE A
MORAL ONE, WE ACCEPT THE NEXT
INEVITABLE TRAGEDY.
INEVITABLE TRAGEDY. POLITICO REPORTS THE UNIFIED
RESPONSE SENDS A CLEAR SIGNAL
THAT GUN CONTROL IS FRONT AND
CENTER FOR DEMOCRATS IN THE RACE
TO BEAT TRUMP, WRITING DEMOCRATS
THIS YEAR MORE SO THAN THE LAST
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HAVE BEEN
VOID ON GUN CONTROL, AND BY A
GROUND SWELL OF YOUTH ACTIVISM
FOLLOWING THE SCHOOL SHOOTING IN
PARKLAND, FLORIDA.
PARKLAND, FLORIDA. I’M JOINED BY ROBERT ACOSTA,
ADRIAN EL ROD, FORMER SENIOR ADD
VIRER TO -- ADVISER TO HILLARY
CLINTON.
CLINTON. I GUESS MY QUESTION IS THIS
MOMENT DIFFERENT GIVEN ALL THE
COMING TOGETHER ISSUES OF THE
SUPREMACY ARGUMENT, THE MASS
KIMMING, THE SHOOTING --
KILLING, THE SHOOTING OF
CHILDREN, ALL THIS IN THE LAST
COUPLE OF YEARS, IS THIS GOING
TO CHANGE THE FIGHT LINES
BETWEEN THE NRA AND GUN CONTROL
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. >> HERE’S WHY I THINK IT’S
DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF ALL THE
REASONS YOU MENTIONED AND IF
YOU’RE AT MITCH McCONNELL,
LOOKING AT THE POLLS, THE
SUBURBAN VOTERS THAT YOU NEED TO
GET ELECTED, THOSE VOTERS WANT
TO SEE BACKGROUND CHECKS.
THEY WANT TO SEE GUN LAWS
STRENGTHENED.
STRENGTHENED. I THINK IN THAT CONTEXT, IT DOES
MATTER.
MATTER. YOU’VE ALSO GOT A COURSE OF 20
PLUS DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES RIGHT NOW TALKING
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. >> ANSWER THE QUESTION, READY.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> CARTOON QUESTION.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. >> MITCH McCONNELL, IS HE ELMER
FUDD OR IS HE BUGS BUNNY.
BUGS BUNNY WAS BRILLIANT.
IS HE SMART?
DOES HE HAVE A CALCULATION HERE,
AND IF SO, IS IT TIME TO GIVE ON
THE RED FLAG AT LEAST?
>> DEMOCRATS DON’T THINK THE RED
FLAG LAWS GO FAR ENOUGH.
>> DO YOU THINK HE’LL GO THAT
FAR?
FAR? >> WEBUT WILL HE GO THAT FAR.
WILL HE GIVE SOMETHING FOR ONCE.
>> I THINK HE MIGHT TRY TO.
>> IS IT TIME FOR MITCH TO GIVE
SOMETHING, THROW A BONE TO THE
GUN CONTROL PEOPLE?
>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT COULD
BACK THIS.
BACK THIS. >> I’M ASKING ABOUT MITCH.
>> 90% APPROVAL RATING WITH THE
PARTY, IF THE PRESIDENT SAYS I’M
BEHIND THIS, THAT GIVES THE
GREEN LIGHT TO THE MAJORITY
LEADER TO SAY YES TO INCREASING
BACKGROUND CHECKS, YES TO
CLOSING THE GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE.
I’M A GUN OWNER, I THINK I’M
OKAY WITH THAT, YES TO RED FLAG
LAWS, AGAIN, I’M A GUN OWNER, I
SHOOT REGULARLY, I HAVE FRIENDS
WHO ARE NRA MEMBERS, THEY
SUPPORT COMMON SENSE MEASURES
AND I THINK TO ADRIAN’S POINT
ABOUT SUBURBAN WOMEN IN
PARTICULAR, I THINK SOME OF
THOSE POSITIONS WOULD BE SOUND
ENOUGH FOR THEM TO STICK WITH
THE PARTY.
THE PARTY. >> IS IT TIME FOR HIM TO GIVE AN
INCH, AND McCONNELL.
>> DEPEND WHAT YOU MEAN BY AN
INCH.
INCH. >> BASED ON MY REPORTING RED
FLAG LAW IS DEAD ON ARRIVAL.
YOU HAVE A MEMBER OF THE
LEADERSHIP SAYING HE HAS DUE
PROCESS, AND SENATOR BEN SASSE
UP FOR REELECTION.
BEING CHAMPIONED BY SENATOR
GRAHAM, TALKING TO PRESIDENT
TRUMP ON THE GOFRLLF COURSE ABOU
IT.
IT. THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN IF YOU
WANT GUN CONTROL BASED ON MY
CONVERSATIONS WITH TOP
REPUBLICANS, TOOMEY MANCHIN, IT
HAS TO BE REVIVED.
>> IT DOESN’T THREATEN THE NRA
MUCH BUT IT DOES WIDEN THE
BACKGROUND CHECK LAW, RIGHT?
>> IT DOES.
>> IT INCLUDES GUN SHOWS.
>> LISTEN TO RUSH LIMBAUGH’S
SOMEHOW ON FRIDAY.
THEY KNOW THEY’RE DEALING WITH A
PRESIDENT WHO’S NOT IDEOLOGICAL
AT THE CORE AND MAY BE LOOKING
FOR A WIN AS THE TRADE DEAL
STALLS WITH CHINA.
IF HE STARTING LOOKING FOR A
BACKGROUND CHECK, YOU HAVE
PEOPLE BEYOND THE NRA BOOSTING
THE GUN RIGHTS ACTIVISM, TELLING
THE WHITE HOUSE DON’T MOVE AN
INCH, WE’RE NOT GOING TO GIVE
ANYTHING, AND McCONNELL’S PLAY
I’M TOLD IS TO LET IT PETER OUT,
TALK ABOUT BACKGROUND CHECKS AND
LET IT PETER OUT.
>> HERE’S THE BIGGEST QUESTION,
YOU’RE A DEMOCRAT, BUT I THINK I
HAVE TO START WITH YOU.
WHAT’S TRUMP MORE AFRAID OF,
BEING TOO OPPOSITION TO THE GUN
CONTROL PEOPLE AND THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE THAT HE LOOKS LIKE HE’S
PRO GUN AND PRO DEATH OR MORE
AFRAID OF RUSH LIMBAUGH CALLING
HIM A TRAITOR?
>> I THINK IT’S A TOSS UP.
LOOK, HE’S MORE FEARFUL ABOUT
LOSING FACE.
LOSING FACE. >> ALREADY CALLING HIM A
TRAITOR.
TRAITOR. >> AND I THINK THAT DONALD TRUMP
IN THE BACK OF HIS MIND KNOWS IF
HE TRIES TO CONCEDE ON
BACKGROUND CHECKS AND GOES
FORWARD TWON THAT, EVEN IF 75% O
NRA SUPPORTS BACKGROUND CHECKS.
HIS BASE.
HIS BASE. >> IS HE MORE AFRAID OF HIS
BASE, RUSH LIMBAUGH OR THE
MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
>> RUSH LIMBAUGH AND HIS BASE.
>> IF THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO
STAND BEHIND SOME FORM OF A
MEASURED REFORM, HE CERTAINLY
CAN BASED UPON HIS APPROVAL IN
THE PARTY.
THE PARTY. HE COULD.
HE COULD. I THINK HE COULD.
I THINK MORE VOTERS WOULD STAND
WITH THE PRESIDENT.
>> ROBERT, YOUR QUESTION.
>> HE SAYS HE WOULD BECOMEUCKLE.
>> WHAT’S THE GREATEST
ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS YOU GET
OUT THE VOTE, IT’S THE NRA.
AS I LOOK AT THE SUBURBAN
PROBLEM, THEY SAY WE NEED OUR
BASE IN 2020.
IT’S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT.
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS TO LEAN IN
AND GIVE HIS POLITICAL CAPITAL
TO TOOMEY MANCHIN OR IT WON’T GO
ANYWHERE.
ANYWHERE. >> WITH RESPECT TO ROBERT, I
DON’T SEE HOW THAT’S TRUE.
I WORKED ON BEGINNING RICH’S
CAMPAIGN, ROMNEY’S CAMPAIGN, AND
BEN CARSON’S CAMPAIGN, AND I DO
NOT BELIEVE THE NOTION THAT THE
NRA HAS MORE CLOUT THAN THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY.
REPUBLICAN PARTY. >> THE NRA HAS A STRONG GROUND
GAME.
GAME. THEY HAVE MEMBERS --
>> THE NRA DOESN’T HAVE A GET
OUT THE VOTE MECHANISM.
>> HE’S GOT FIVE WEEKS TO PLAY
WITH HIS THING UNTIL THE 9th OF
SEPTEMBER, I THINK HE WOULD LIKE
TO NOT DO ANYTHING.
IF HE DOES TOOMEY MANCHIN THAT
MIGHT SQUEAK BY IN PENNSYLVANIA,
IT RAISES THE QUESTION OF THE
TRUE GUN PEOPLE.
I GOT A BROTHER ONE OF THESE
GUYS, I KNOW THEM, AND THEY’RE
UNFORGIVING AND ALWAYS LIKING
FOR TRAITORS AND IF THEY SEE
TRUMP FOR A TRAITOR, BYE BYE
PENNSYLVANIA.
PENNSYLVANIA. >> HOUSE DEMOCRAT, THEY WANT TO
DEAL WITH THE PRESIDENT THEY’RE
CALLING A WHITE SUPREMACIST, A
LOT OF DEMOCRATS ARE PRESSURING
THE LEADERSHIP SAYING DON’T WORK
WITH THIS PRESIDENT ON THE GUN
DEAL.
DEAL. IT’S NOT GOING TO COME OUT IN
OUR DIRECTION.
OUR DIRECTION. >> THE DEMOCRATS WANTS ISSUE
TOO.
TOO. >> THEY WANT REFORM, BUT THEY
DON’T WANT TO HAVE A WATERED
DOWN DEAL.
DOWN DEAL. >> NOBODY WANTS SOMETHING JUST
LIKE THE CALLING OUT THE ONE
PERSON WHO SHOULDN’T BE GETTING
A GUN.
A GUN. >> THE POLICY NEEDS TO BE
PROPORTIONATE.
PROPORTIONATE. I HAVE HEARD GUN ACTIVISTS ON
THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE BAN ALL