ED: THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE IS CNN’S JOHN KING.
JANET: WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOME INSIDE GOSSIP.
FOR MOST OF THE REPUBLICANS IN D.C. OFF-CAMERA RELIEVED THAT DONALD TRUMP IS LEAVING OR ARE THEY TRULY ANGRY THAT HE LOST?
>> IT’S A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
POWER IS IMPORTANT POLITICS.
HAVING THE WHITE HOUSE ALLOWS YOU TO GET APPOINTMENTS DONE AND HAVE EXECUTIVE ACTION BUT LET’S BE HONEST, DONALD TRUMP WAS NOT WELCOME IN THE REPUBLICAN FOUR YEARS AGO.
IT WAS A HOSTILE TAKEOVER AND THEY DIDN’T LIKE IT AND THEY DIDN’T WANT HIM BUT HE TOOK CONTROL OF THE PARTY.
HE HAS IT UNDER HIS THUMB.
HE GOT 75 MILLION VOTES.
HE LOST, IN MOST STATES HE, HE GOT MORE VOTES THAN THE REPUBLICAN RUNNING FOR SENATE.
YES, PRIVATELY, THEY HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATED WITH THIS PRESIDENT FROM DAY ONE.
HE IS NOT A CONSERVATIVE IF YOU LOOK THROUGH REPUBLICAN PRINCIPLES.
EVEN IF YOU ARE A CHARLIE BAKER OR LARRY HOGAN REPUBLICAN, HE IS NOT THAT KIND OF. DIE.
-- THAT KIND OF GUY.
THEY ARE HAPPY TO SEEM GO BUT THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE.
AS A BIG DIVIDE IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
WILL HE BE ABLE TO RUN THIS SHADOW PRESIDENCY AND KEEP CONTROL OF THE PARTY?
HE HAS RAISED THEM A LOT OF MONEY AND IS KEEPING HIS LOYALISTS IN THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE.
HE HAS SOME INFRASTRUCTURE TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE PARTY, CAN HE DO IT WITHOUT THE POWER OF THE PRESIDENCY?
I THINK THAT’S AN OPEN QUESTION.
AS HE LEAVES, HE IS INCREDIBLY POWERFUL AND HE WILL LEAVE OPEN THE PROSPECT OF RUNNING AGAIN AND WILL HOLD THAT OVER THE REPUBLICANS.
I’M FASCINATED TO WATCH IN LATE JANUARY/EARLY FEBRUARY WHEN JOE BIDEN STARTS HIS FIRST INITIATIVES, DOES PRESIDENT TRUMP LAY BACK OR IS HE PUSHING REPUBLICANS TO CHALLENGE BIDEN
AND THAT’S WHEN THE TENSIONS WILL BLOW UP.
YOU ARE SEEING SOME REPUBLICAN STEP OUT AND PLUMING THE FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY.
MANY REPUBLICANS STAY IN THE SHADOWS BECAUSE THEY FEAR HIM.
ED: MANY OF U IN MASSACHUSETTS HE KATHERINE CLARK’S ASSIGNMENT AS A STEPPING STONE TO NANCY PELOSI’S POSITION.
ARE WE WRONG?
>> YOU’RE ACTUALLY RIGHT, SHE WOULD BE A CONTENDER.
THE DEMOCRATS ARE GOING THROUGH -- WE HAVE A 78-YEAR-OLD, THE OLDEST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY AND JOE BIDEN BUT JUST BENEATH THAT, NANCY PELOSI WILL BE BACK AS SPEAKER.
SHE IS ABOUT THE SAME AGES JOE BIDEN BUT BELOW THAT, THERE IS THIS IDEOLOGICAL AND GENERATIONAL FESTERING WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY JUST WAITING FOR THAT MOMENT TO COME,
WAITING FOR THAT MOMENT TO COME.
WOULD IT THE CONGRESSWOMAN CLARK?
THERE ARE A LOT OF DEMOCRATS WHO SAY WE NEED AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN SPEAKER.
THERE WOULD BE IMPETUS TO TRY TO KEEP A WOMAN SPEAKER.
SHE IS A RISING STAR IN THE PARTY AND SHE HAS GREAT STRAT -- STATURE AND RESPECT AMONG HER COLLEAGUES AS TO HOW SHE CONDUCTS HER SELF AND IT WILL BE MORE THAN A FOOD FIGHT WHEN
NANCY PELOSI STEPS ASIDE.
WE ASSUME THAT WILL BE A GENERATIONAL CHANGING OF THE GUARD.
WE ASSUME SHE WILL STEP ASIDE WITH STENY HOYER AND THERE IS THE YOUNGER CHARGE.
IT WILL BE FASCINATING TO WATCH.
ED: ARE WE HAPPY THAT ALEX CORA IS BACK MANAGING THE RED SOX?
>> I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THAT.
JUST THE IDEA THAT THE LESSON TO YOUR KIDS IS THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW THE RULES.
I HOPE HE HAS REMORSE AND I WISH THE RED SOX WELL BUT FORGIVENESS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF LIFE.
I HOPE IT WORKS OUT BUT I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SKEPTICISM.
ED: IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
>> MY PLEASURE.
ED: JOHN KING, CNN IS WHERE YOU SEE HIM AND DORCHESTER IS WHERE HE GREW UP.
THE SUNDAY ROUNDTABLE IS NEXT.
IT’S NOT A CIVIL DISAGREEMENT, WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT THE PARTISAN DIVIDE ON IMMIGRATION N