WEAPONIZE GOVERNMENT. GO AFTER THEIR NUMBER ONE
OPPONENT.
>> WENDY, YOUR REACTION?
>> IT IS AN INTERESTING REACTION.
IT SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE REPUBLICAN TALKING POINTS.
THESE INVESTIGATIONS STARTED LONG BEFORE BIDEN KNEW HE WOULD
BE FACING TRUMP IN AN ELECTION. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW BIDEN YET IS
FACING TRUMP. THIS WILL BE SOME LEGAL BRAIN
GYMNASTICS THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE DOING.
AND THEY ARE NOT. THIS IS AN INDEPENDENT SPECIAL
COUNSEL WHO CAME TO THESE CONCLUSIONS BASED ON THE
EVIDENCE. HOW SPEAKER MCCARTHY'S NOTION
THAT IT IS HELPING HIM POLITICALLY IS TRUE.
WHETHER THAT IS GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY OR NOT IS UP FOR DEBATE.
JOE: I DON'T KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT HE
SPEAKS FOR REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE.
WE HEARD FROM STEVE SCALISE WITH THE SLIGHTLY WATERED DOWN
VERSION OF THAT. RESONATING ON THE CAMPAIGN
TRAIL AS WE WOULD ALL EXPECT. FROM FLORIDA GOVERNOR,
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE RON DESANTIS.
TALKING TO CNN'S JAKE TAPPER. TAKE A LOOK AT HIS REACTION,
THE WAY HE HANDLED THIS.
>> I DON'T THINK IT SERVES US GOOD TO HAVE A PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION FOCUSED ON WHAT HAPPENED FOUR YEARS AGO IN
JANUARY. I WANT TO FOCUS ON LOOKING
FORWARD, I DO NOT WANT TO SEE HIM, I HOPE HE DOES NOT GET
CHARGED, I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY. JOE:
NOT EVERYBODY IS GIVING THE MOST FULL THROATED REACTION.
THEY KIND OF DANCE AROUND IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE HOPE IT DOES
NOT LEAD TO CHARGES. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD, WHO ON
THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL WILL SEIZE ON THIS?
>> THERE IS A POLITICAL INCENTIVE.
FLORIDA GOVERNOR DESANTIS, PRIMARY AND ELECTION
STANDPOINT, IF HE WON THE NOMINATION, HE SHOULD NOT BE
TALKING ABOUT JANUARY SIXTH. NOT A FAN OF OVERFLOWING THE
NUMBER DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES. THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS STILL FAR AND AWAY, THE LEADING CANDIDATE.
HE AND THE OTHER CANDIDATES ARE TRYING TO APPEAL TO TRUMP
SUPPORTERS AND TRYING TO PEEL OFF OF TRUMP'S SUPPORT IN THE
PROCESS WITHOUT BEING DONALD TRUMP.
I THINK YOU ARE SEEING THAT ON DISPLAY HERE. ANNMARIE:
THE FIRST QUESTION RON DESANTIS HAD AN ANSWER TO.
IT BEGS THE QUESTION, IS THERE A REASON WHY TRUMP DECIDED TO
ALERT THE WORLD ON TRUTH SOCIAL TODAY WHEN HE KNEW ABOUT THIS
SUNDAY EVENING? IS HE TRYING TO CONTINUE TO
DOMINATE EVERY MOMENT, SUCK ALL OF THE OXYGEN OUT?
>> IT WOULD BE EXACTLY IN TRUMP'S PLAYBOOK TO DO THAT.
WE DON'T KNOW THAT IS WHAT HE DID.
BUT ALL OF THE EVIDENCE SEEMS TO POINT TO IT.
THIS WAS GOING TO BE RON DESANTIS' RESET.
HIS FIRST BIG INTERVIEW WITH A NONCONSERVATIVE MEDIA OUTLET.
AND HE WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS.
THE FIRST QUESTION IS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.
THEY EVEN BROKE UP THE INTERVIEW INTO SEGMENTS BECAUSE
THERE WAS SO MUCH NEWS GOING ON ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.
IF I WERE DONALD TRUMP, I WANTED TO UPSTAGE RON DESANTIS,
AND IT WORKS WELL.
>> YOU SAW THE IMAGE OF HIS STATEMENT EARLIER, DERANGED
JACK SMITH, HE CALLED HIM. HE'S REFERRED TO HIM AS A THUG.
QUESTIONED THE ORIGIN OF HIS NAME TALKING ABOUT JACK SMITH.
WHAT H WAS HIS NAME BEFORE THAT? HE CALLED OUT HIS WIFE FOR
BEING A TRUMP AIDE OR. TO WHAT EXTENT DOES THAT --
TRUMP SUPPORTER. WHAT EXTENT DOES THAT BEHAVIOR
-- >> AFTER SMITH'S OFFICE BROUGHT CHARGES IN THE FIRST
PLACE, THIS IS VERY TYPICAL OF TRUMP'S LEGAL STRATEGY, TO
ATTACK THE PROSECUTORS. ATTACK PEOPLE WHO ARE ATTACKING
HIM RATHER THAN DEFENDING HIM.
>> DOES IT MATTER AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT ATTACKING THE JUDGE?
>> IT IS UP TO THE JUDGE. THE KEY QUESTION AT THIS POINT
IS -- I THINK WE ARE SOMEWHAT SEEING A POTENTIAL DEFENSE THE
TRUMP TEAM COULD PUT FORWARD WHEN THIS EVENTUALLY GETS TO
TRIAL. WHETHER IT HAPPENS BEFORE THE
2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS ANOTHER QUESTION ENTIRELY.
ANNMARIE: AND HE CONTINUES TO FUND RAISE
OFF OF THIS?
>> OF COURSE, IT IS AN EASY WAY TO PUT OFF FUNDRAISING AND SAY
THE LIBERAL PROSECUTORS ARE ATTACKING ME DESPITE THE FACT
-- IT IS AN INDEPENDENT PROSECUTOR SEPARATE FROM THE
NORMAL CHAIN OF COMMAND AT THE DOJ. ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK
GARLAND IS STILL SEEN WIDELY AS A REASONABLE ARBITER OF THE LAW.
SOMEBODY THAT REPUBLICANS WANTED TO PUT ON THE SUPREME
COURT AT ONE POINT. NOT JUST A BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
APPOINTING FOR THE TOP OF THE DOJ.
I EXPECT TO SEE A LOT MORE FROM TRUMP'S TEAM OVER THE COMING
WEEKS, MONTHS, AND YEARS.