Let's talk now
about the presidential race.
We are 72 hours
from the first Republican
presidential debate.
It's going to be missing
the front runner, Donald Trump,
the former president.
He is facing federal charges
over his efforts
to overturn the election.
And you did vote to convict him
in his impeachment trial
after January six.
You said quote, because he is guilty.
The former attorney general,
Bill Barr, says that the charges
that have been brought against him
are quote unquote, responsible.
Do you agree
Well, I'm not an attorney.
There's 91 charges, I think.
I think the charge that seems most likely
I mean, seems almost a slam dunk
is the one related
to mishandling of classified documents.
So
so I can't comment on the rest of them
because apparently you have
to prove statements state of mind.
You'll have attorneys after me
that will can comment on that.
But there's at least one,
which is the mishandling of the federal
documents, which is
seems again, a very strong case.
They have a tape recording of them.
Speaking of it.
If that is proven,
then we may have a
candidate for president
who has been convicted of a crime.
I think Joe Biden needs to be replaced,
but I don't think Americans will vote
for someone who's been convicted.
So I'm just very sorry about
how all of this is playing out.
But do you think that Donald Trump
should drop out of the race
I think so.
But obviously, that's up to him.
I mean, you're just asking me my opinion.
But but he will lose to Joe Biden.
If you look at the current polls,
I'm a Republican.
I think any Republican on that stage
in Milwaukee
will do a better job than Joe Biden.
And so one of them to win
if former President Trump ends up
getting the nomination
but cannot win a general,
that means, well,
four more years of policies
which have led to very high inflation,
to a loss of purchasing power
for the average American equivalent
to $10,000 and to many other things,
which I think have been deleterious
to our country's future.
So if Donald Trump does ultimately win
the Republican nomination,
will you vote for Joe
Biden or the Democrat over the
Republican on the ticket?
I'm going to vote for a Republican.
But my threshold issue for any person
who wants to be the leader of our country
is will
you take care of the issues before us?
Both Biden and Trump
both have the same policy
on Social Security, for example,
which is to do nothing.
Unfortunately, Social Security
is going insolvent
in eight to nine years,
which means that somebody watching this
who's getting Social Security
is going to get a 24% cut.
Both former President
Trump, President Biden
are basically basically
saying you're going to get a 24% cut
because I'm not going to do anything
Now, my threshold issue,
if you want to be
a leader of our country, is to lead.
And right now,
we need someone who will lead
on that issue,
who on the debate stage,
on Wednesday night,
the other Republican alternatives
to Donald Trump,
do you think could be a leader
on this issue that you
raised Social Security
Well, at least some of
them are talking about it.
Frankly,
I have a different approach than they,
but at least they're talking about it.
The first thing is to acknowledge
that there is an issue now.
Now, the reason I hesitate on that
is that the program I put forward
and again,
had seven Republicans and seven
Democratic senators
supporting was to create a fund
separate from Social Security,
no Social Security dollars
to invest in the U.S.
economy and allow it to grow over time.
You do that.
You can take care of 70% of the shortfall
and you can make sure that there's
no cuts for people
currently receiving social.
We also put in work incentives.
We repealed weapon GPIO
and we also put in poverty
alleviation provisions.
President Biden could have endorsed it.
Instead, he's decided to be political
and make this an issue.
It should be an issue,
but it should be an issue of fixing it.
And so far, he's
not come up with a credible plan.
All right. So one last question for you.
Just sticking with the debate stage
coming up on Wednesday,
we know that the former president,
Donald Trump, is planning
not to be there.
Was it a mistake?
And do you think
the debate's going to matter
Well, I think the debate matters.
Governor Hutchinson, who's a great guy,
just pointed out that some legal scholars
think that he'll be disqualified
based on the 14th Amendment.
I'm not sure that's true,
but I'm not an attorney,
which means that the people you see
on that stage,
one of them
quite likely
will be the presidential nominee.
And I think any of them
would be better than Joe Biden.
So if you're concerned
about the future of our country,
watch that debate,
find your candidate,
support that candidate.