STEVE: ONLY DOUBLE.
BRIAN: MERCEDES SCHLAPP
KNOWS ALL ABOUT WHAT IT'S
LIKE TO HAVE 24 PEOPLE RUN
FOR THE WHITE HOUSE BECAUSE
YOUR HUSBAND RUNS CPAC.
THIS MORNING THE PRESIDENT
TWEETED OUT JUST ABOUT
MACRON AND.
SO BLOW BACK FROM HIS TRIP
OVERSEAS.
HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE
FROM THE INSIDER PERSPECTIVE
HOW THAT WENT?
>> WELL, IT WAS CLEARLY A
SUCCESSFUL TRIP.
THE PRESIDENT ALONG WITH
MACRON HAD A PRODUCTIVE
MEETING.
THEY SPOKE ABOUT TRADE.
THEY SPOKE ABOUT NATO.
AS WE KNOW, THE PRESIDENT
HAS TALKED ABOUT MANY TIMES
THE IMPORTANCE OF SHARING
THE BURDEN OF PAYING FOR
NATO.
AND THE U.S. HAS ALWAYS PAID
MORE THAN THESE OTHER
NATIONS.
AND SO HE HAS SENT A STRONG
MESSAGE TO OUR EUROPEAN
ALLIES AND WE HAVE SEEN SOME
CHANGES AND SOME POSITIVE
SHIFTS COMING FROM OUR
ALLIES TO PAY MORE TO NATO.
WE NEED THEIR SUPPORT.
STEVE: WE DO.
MERCEDES, LET'S TALK A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S
HAPPENING HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES DOWN IN FLORIDA.
AWFUL EYES ARE ON THE
COUNTING, THE RECOUNTING.
DOES THE WHITE HOUSE HAVE
CONFIDENCE THAT WHAT IS
HAPPENING DOWN SOUTH IS
FAIR?
>> WELL, WE HAVE CONFIDENCE
THAT RICK SCOTT WILL BE THE
NEXT FLORIDA SENATOR.
HE IS LEADING NOW BY 12,000
VOTES.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A
HARD GAP TO CLOSE.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE
ALREADY SEEN WITH THE
BROWARD COUNTY SUPERVISORS
THAT THERE HAVE BEEN VOTING
IRREGULARITIES FOR NEARLY
TWO DECADES.
SO, AGAIN, THEY HAVE MISSED
THAT COURT DEADLINE AND I
THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET TO
A POINT WHERE WE ARE GOING
TO SEE RICK SCOTT COMING
OVER TO WASHINGTON TO BE THE
NEXT FLORIDA SENATOR.
BRIAN: TODAY?
>> THIS IS A PROCESS.
THEY HAVE TO FINISH UP THE
PROCESS.
BUT I THINK THERE HAS BEEN A
LOT OF CRITICISM WITH HOW
BROWARD COUNTY HAS HANDLED
THESE BALLOTS.
AND IT'S, LOOK, I REMEMBER
THE DAYS.
MY HUSBAND WAS DOWN THERE.
I WAS DOWN THERE IN FLORIDA
DURING THE BUSH V. GORE
RECOUNT.
THAT WAS A LOT CLOSER.
THIS IS 12,000 VOTES WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT.
THAT'S A BIG GAP TO CLOSE.
AINSLEY: WHOSE
RESPONSIBILITY IS IT NOW TO
FIX WHAT'S GOING ON DOWN
THERE?
IT'S SHOCKING THAT 65
COUNTIES CAN GET IT RIGHT
AND THESE TWO COUNTIES
CONTINUOUSLY GET IT WRONG?
>> NO KIDDING.
THAT IS A STATE FUNCTION
THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THE
SECRETARY OF STATE WHO WOULD
HANDLE THAT IN THESE STATES.
STEVE: ONE OF THE THINGS THE
PRESIDENT TWEETED OUT
YESTERDAY, I THINK IT WAS
SOMETHING ABOUT FRAUD OR,
YOU KNOW, SUSPICIOUS BALLOTS
SHOWING UP.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY EVIDENCE
OF THAT?
>> YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK
THIS IS PRIMARILY A STATE
RESPONSIBILITY.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES
PROVIDE SUPPORT I KNOW
THROUGH THE SECRETARY OF
HOMELAND SECURITY THEY SPEND
A LOT OF TIME WORKING ON
ELECTION SECURITY MAKING
SURE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE
WOULD BE SAFE SO THERE
WOULDN'T BE ANY OUTSIDE
MEDDLING.
THERE IS ALWAYS CONCERN
ABOUT VOTER FRAUD.
SO I THINK THE KEY IS
OBVIOUSLY THAT IN
CONJUNCTION WITH STATE
WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO MAKE SURE THIS
DOESN'T HAPPEN.
WE ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP AN
EYE ON IT BECAUSE ONE THE
GREATEST RIGHTS THAT WE HAVE
AND PRIVILEGES IS THAT OF
VOTING.
WE NEED TO ENSURE VOTER
INTEGRITY AT THE STATE LOCAL
AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
BRIAN: LOOK AT THE WIN BY
KYRSTEN SINEMA IN ARIZONA TO
GRAB A SEAT FROM REPUBLICANS
AS LEGITIMATE?
>> YES.
I MEAN, I THINK AT THIS
POINT WHAT WE ARE SEE
SOMETHING THAT, AGAIN, THERE
IS A HUGE GAP THERE IN TERMS
OF SENATE ELECT SINEMA
BASICALLY GAINING GROUND AND
REALLY MAKING SURE THAT GAP
HAD WIDENED.
SO AT THIS POINT IT LOOKS
LIKE ARIZONA, SHE SEEMS TO
HAVE WON THAT RACE.
AND, AGAIN, ONE OF THE
THINGS PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
TALKED ABOUT IS BIPARTISAN
AND WORKING WITH DEMOCRATS.
STEVE: ALL RIGHT.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE
MR. WHITAKER, THE ACTING AG
COULD FACE A COURT CHALLENGE
TODAY BECAUSE HE WAS
APPOINTED ILLEGALLY.
THE WHITE HOUSE STANDS
BEHIND HIM 100 PERCENT,
RIGHT?
>> NO QUESTION.
THE PRESIDENT AND DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE LEADERSHIP
WHITAKER, MATT WHITAKER HE
HAS A FULL AND LEGAL
AUTHORITY UNDER THE VACANCY
REFORM ACT OF 1998 WHERE IF
IT'S SOMEONE THAT'S BEEN A
SENIOR OFFICIAL AS WELL AS
HAS BEEN THERE FOR MORE THAN
90 DAYS COULD SERVE AS