DAVID: COULD FELLOW REPUBLICANS
"THE HILL" NEWSPAPER RELEASING A
POTENTIAL LIST OF CONTENDERS.
WE HAVE SENATOR JEFF FLAKE, BEN
SASSE, TED CRUZ, AND GOVERNOR
SUZANNA MARTINEZ AND JOHN
KASICH.
HERE SO REACT, KARL ROVE, FORMER
SENIOR ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT GW
BUSH AND ALSO A FOX NEWS
CONTRIBUTOR.
KARL, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU.
>> SAME TO YOU.
DAVID: I THINK YOU NEED TO GET
DONALD TRUMP IN 2020 WHILE HE IS
PRESIDENT, IN PRIMARY FIGHT YOU
WOULD NEED REAL STAR POWER.
THOSE ARE WORTHY CONTENDERS IN
SOME WAYS BUT I DON'T SEE THE
STAR POWER, DO YOU?
>> THIS IS ONE OF THE STORIES
THAT GETS WRITTEN BETWEEN
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S WHERE
A, NOBODY IS PAYING ATTENTION
AND B, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO
TALK ABOUT BECAUSE ALL THE
POLICYMAKERS AND POLITICOS ARE
SPENDING TIME IN HOLIDAYS.
WHO WROTE THIS?
WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?
THE IDEA WE'RE NOW MAKING UP
LIST THREE YEARS BEFORE THE NEXT
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HAS TO WHO
MIGHT CHALLENGE DONALD TRUMP AS
HE HAS JUST GOTTEN COME DOWN
AFTER A BIG VICTORY IN THE U.S.
SENATE WITH THE PASSAGE OF A TAX
BILL SEEMS TO BE KIND OF THING
IT IS NOT JUST TAXES.
WE PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF BOTH
HIS DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN
ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FIRST YEAR
AND IT IS IMPRESSIVE LIST.
EVEN TRUMP HATERS WOULD BE
IMPRESSED BY SOME OF THIS.
DOMESTICALLY HAS GOT TAX CUTS,
DEREGULATION, EXTRAORDINARY.
ELIMINATING 22 REGULATIONS FOR
EVERYONE NEW REGULATION.
NEAL GORSUCH ON SUPREME COURT.
DOZENS OF FEDERAL JUDGES.
STANDING UP FOR LOCAL LAW
MERIT-BASED SYSTEM.
FOREIGN POLICY ACHIEVEMENTS
SURPRISE A LOT OF PEOPLE.
DEPRIVING ISIS 98% OF THEIR
TERRITORY.
GETTING NATO TO STEP UP TO ITS
COMMITMENTS.
STRIKING SYRIAN AIR FORCE IN
GETTING ARAB NATIONS TOGETHER TO
FIGHT TERRORISM.
MOVING OUR EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM
AND PUTTING U.N. ON NOTICE ABOUT
CORRUPTION.
THAT IS IMPRESSIVE LIST, IS IT
NOT.
>> I WOULD ADD A COUPLE THINGS,
NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY IS
SURPRISINGLY GOOD DOCUMENT.
WE'RE IN OUR THIRD QUARTER OF 3%
PLUS GROWTH.
GOOD JOBS, SMALL BUSINESS AT
RECORD HIGHS.
APPREHENSIONS AT THE BORDER DOWN
IN LARGE MEASURE BECAUSE A LOT
OF FEWER PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO
COME INTO THE UNITED STATES
KNOWING THAT IF THEY GET HERE
THEY'RE GOING TO BE RETURNED.
SO DEFENSE OF THE CULTURE OF
LIFE BY SOME HIS EXECUTIVE
ACTIONS.
YOU WERE KIND OF RELUCTANT AT
TRUMP IN THE BEGINNING.
ARE YOU SURPRISED AT ALL OF
THESE ACHIEVEMENTS?
>> YEAH, I AM.
I THINK PART OF IT GOES TO THE
PRESIDENT.
NEIL: PARTICULARY ON THE FOREIGN
SIDE.
PART GOES TO REPUBLICANS IN
CONGRESS, PARTICULARLY ON TAX
REFORM WHERE THEY WORKED HARD AT
IT.
YES, THIS IS A STRONG FIRST
YEAR.
NOW HE IS STILL LOW IN THE POLLS
LOT OF THIS GOOD HAS BEEN
OBSCURED BY UNNECESSARY
CONTROVERSIES, BY MISTAKES, BY
PERSONAL DEMEANOR, RATHER THAN
GETTING UP IN THE MORNING TO
PICKING A FIGHT WITH MERYL
STREEP OVER WHETHER SHE IS A
GOOD ACTRESS OR WHAT.
BUT, THIS, IF THE PRESIDENT
CONTINUES ON THIS PATH THEN IT
HIM IN 2020 INSIDE THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY.
DAVID: YOU MENTIONED THESE
THINGS AS A MISTAKE.
IS IT CONCEIVEABLE, I'M THROWING
THIS OUT THERE, IS IT
CONCEIVABLE THAT TRUMP GOT INTO
TWEET WARS YOU SAID WAS
DISTRACTION, ACHIEVEMENTS?
IF HE FOCUSED ON ALL
ACHIEVEMENTS THE ESTABLISHMENT
WOULD HAVE STOPPED HIM FROM
DOING IT?
>> NO, NOT AT ALL.
HIS ACHIEVEMENTS, THESE POLICIES
ARE MORE POPULAR THAN HE IS.
HE ENDS THE YEAR THE MOST
UNPOPULAR FIRST YEAR PRESIDENT
ELECTED FIRST YEAR PRESIDENT IN
MODERN HISTORY, DESPITE THE FACT
THAT THESE THINGS LIKE A TAX CUT
OR IMMIGRATION OR STRONG DEFENSE
OR STANDING UP FOR AMERICA.
THESE THINGS ARE FAR MORE
POPULAR THAN HE IS.
I THINK HIS PERSONAL BEHAVIOR
HAS TENDED TO DISTRACT FROM THE
SUCCESS OF HIS ADMINISTRATION.
DAVID: OKAY.
>> IN GETTING, FOR EXAMPLE AS
YOU SAID IN THE BIG LONG LAUNDRY
LIST.
THERE ARE MORE, ENERGY POLICY.
BIG CHANGES IN ENERGY.
DAVID: ABSOLUTELY.
>> I'M WRITING MY COLUMN FOR
NEXT WEEK IN THE
"WALL STREET JOURNAL" WHICH I'M
GOING TO FORECAST WE'LL BE ONLY
MAJOR INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRY IN
THE WORLD THAT WILL GROW ITS
ECONOMY DRAMATICALLY NEXT YEAR