PRESIDENT WAS ASKED ABOUT THE DISCUSSION OF BRINGING RUSSIA
INTO THE G8.
APPARENTLY THE PRESIDENT SAID
THEY HAD A BIT OF ADISAGREEMENT
ON THAT AND LET IT GO.
JOINING ME NOW, FORMER GOVERNOR
BILL WELD AND DAVID McINTOSH,
THE PRESIDENT OF THE
CONSERVATIVE CLUB FOR GROWTH,
WHICH SPENT MONEY OPPOSING
CANDIDATE DONALD TRUMP IN 2016
BUT NOW PLANS TO SUPPORT HIM FOR
RE-ELECTION.
RE-ELECTION. I WANT TO WELCOME BOTH OF YOU.
CONGRESSMAN, I WANT TO START
WITH YOU BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT
YOU SAID ABOUT NOT SUPPORTING
CANDIDATE TRUMP BACK IN 2016.
YOU SAID, THIS YEAR IS
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. THIS IS WHEN YOU WERE SUPPORTING
TED CRUZ.
TED CRUZ. BECAUSE THERE’S A VAST GULF
BETWEEN THE TWO LEADING
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES ON MATTERS
OF ECONOMIC LIBERTY.
THEIR RECORDS MAKE CLEAR THAT
TED CRUZ IS A CONSISTENT
CONSERVATIVE WHO WILL FIGHT TO
SHRINK THE FEDERAL FOOTPRINT,
WHILE DONALD TRUMP WILL SEEM TO
REMAKE GOVERNMENT IN HIS DESIRED
IMAGE.
IMAGE. SOME WILL READ THAT AND SAY, YOU
WERE PRETTY PRESCIENT.
THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT DONALD TRUMP
HAS DONE.
HAS DONE. >> AND CHUCK, WE WERE SUPPORTING
TED CRUZ THEN, AND IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE CAMPAIGN, YOU MIX IT UP.
BUT WHAT WE BASE OUR CURRENT
POSITION ON IS THE RESULTS.
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS GOVERNED AS
A FREE-MARKET CONSERVATIVE,
CUTTING TAXES, TRYING TO GET RID
OF OBAMACARE, DEREGULATING OIL
AND ENERGY INDUSTRY,
DEREGULATING THE INTERNET.
AND IT’S WORKING.
THE ECONOMY IS STILL AT 2.5%, 3%
GROWTH.
GROWTH. THAT’S A REVERSAL FROM HIS
PREDECESSOR.
PREDECESSOR. UNEMPLOYMENT, THE LOWEST RATE
EVER.
EVER. AND YOU SEE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE
ENTERING THE WORKPLACE AND
GETTING HIGHER PAYING JOBS.
>> I WANT TO FOLLOW UP WITH
SOMETHING YOU SAID.
YOU SAID HE’S GOVERNED AS A FREE
MARKET CONSERVATIVE.
MARKET CONSERVATIVE. I’M LIFTING THIS DIRECTLY FROM
YOUR WEBSITE.
YOUR WEBSITE. THE COSTS OF PROTECTIONISM ARE
LARGELY BORNE NOT BY SOME
FOREIGN COUNTRY, BUT BY AMERICAN
BUSINESSES, TAXPAYERS, AND
CONSUMERS.
CONSUMERS. CLUB FOR GROWTH’S ANALYSIS OF
WHAT, FOR INSTANCE, TARIFFS ON
THE STEEL INDUSTRY WOULD DO.
HOW CAN YOU SAY HE’S GOVERNED AS
FREE-MARKET CONSERVATIVE WHEN
HE’S BEEN ISSUING TARIFFS LEFT
AND RIGHT?
AND RIGHT? >> AND THE TRADE IS A DIFFICULT
ISSUE.
ISSUE. YOU’RE RIGHT.
YOU’RE RIGHT. >> YOUR BOARD IS STRUGGLING WITH
THIS?
THIS? >> THE TARIFFS ARE A TAX ON THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AMERICAN PEOPLE. THEY’RE A PROBLEM.
I THINK YOU’VE GOT TO STEP BACK
AND, IN FACT, WHAT’S GOING ON AT
THE G7, THIS IS EXPLAINED.
SAME THING.
SAME THING. IT’S THE ART OF THE DEAL.
WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT PRESIDENT
TRUMP’S VISION ON TRADE IS HIS
GOAL OF ZERO-ZERO TARIFFS.
WE SUPPORT THAT STRONGLY.
I KIND OF HAVE COME TO RECOGNIZE
THESE TARIFFS ARE HIS WAY OF
FORCING THE CHINESE TO COME TO
THE TABLE.
THE TABLE. THEY’RE COSTLY, AND WE WANT THEM
TO GO AWAY, BUT HE’S USING THEM
TO GET TO THAT ULTIMATE GOAL OF
ZERO-ZERO TARIFFS.
ZERO-ZERO TARIFFS. >> GOVERNOR WELD, YOU’VE BEEN
THOUGHT OF AS A VERY MODERATE
REPUBLICAN, BUT WHERE YOU ALIGN
WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OVER
THE LAST COUPLE DECADES ALWAYS
WAS ON FISCAL ISSUES.
YOU JUST HEARD CONGRESSMAN
McINTOSH MAKE A CASE THAT THE
PRESIDENT IS GOVERNING LIKE A
FREE-MARKET CONSERVATIVE.
FREE-MARKET CONSERVATIVE. IS HE GOVERNING LIKE A
FREE-MARKET CONSERVATIVE IN YOUR
MIND?
MIND? >> NO, HE’S NOT A SMALL
GOVERNMENT GUY AT ALL.
WE’RE SMENDINGPENDING MORE ON IN
ON THE DEFICIT NOW THAN WE ARE
ON NATIONAL DEFENSE.
INTEREST ON THE DEBT IS THE
FOURTH LARGEST ITEM IN THE
FEDERAL BUDGET.
FEDERAL BUDGET. THEY’RE SPENDING MONEY IN
WASHINGTON LIKE DRUNKEN SAILORS.
A TRILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
MR. TRUMP’S LAST BUDGET,
ADMITTEDLY A MULTIYEAR BUDGET,
BUT IT ADDED $9 TRILLION TO THE
DEFICIT.
DEFICIT. THREE DAYS AGO, IT WENT UP
ANOTHER $800 BILLION.
THAT’S ALMOST ANOTHER TRILLION
DOLLARS.
DOLLARS. YOU CAN’T KEEP DOING THAT
INDEFINITELY.
INDEFINITELY. EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN THE UNITED
STATES, EVERY GOVERNOR IN THE
UNITED STATES, AS MR. McINTOSH
KNOWS, HAS TO BALANCE THE BUDGET
BY CONSTITUTION OR BY NECESSITY.
MY MOTTO WHEN I WAS IN OFFICE IS
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS
GOVERNMENT MONEY.
GOVERNMENT MONEY. THERE’S ONLY TAXPAYER MONEY.
THEY’VE FORGOTTEN THAT IN
WASHINGTON, LED BY THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. THEY THINK IT’S THEIR MONEY AND
IT’S NOT.
IT’S NOT. >> GOVERNOR, LET ME PLAY DEVIL’S
ADVOCATE ABOUT THE DEBT.
THERE HAVE BEEN FOLKS LIKE
YOURSELF AND OTHERS WHO HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT IF THIS
DEBT KEEPS INCREASING, IT’S
GOING TO BE A DRAG ON THE
ECONOMY.
ECONOMY. IT HASN’T BEEN A DRAG ON THE
ECONOMY YET.
ECONOMY YET. WHY?
WHY? >> WELL, IT’S GOING TO BE A DRAG
NOT JUST ON THE ECONOMY BUT ON
OUR NATIONAL SECURITY BECAUSE
WE’RE EFFECTIVELY RELYING ON
OTHER COUNTRIES TO BUY OUR
TREASURY BILLS TO, YOU KNOW, GET
US OUT OF THIS TERRIBLE DEFICIT
POSITION WE’RE IN OR TO
FORESTALL THE UNITED STATES
GOING INTO BANKRUPTCY.
THAT’S ECONOMICS 101.
SO IT’S JUST VERY MUCH AGAINST
THE ECONOMIC INTERESTS OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE TO KEEP GOING IN
THIS DIRECTION.
THIS DIRECTION. EVERYBODY WHO THINKS ABOUT IT
KNOWS IT.
KNOWS IT. FURTHERMORE, IN MY VIEW, IT NO
LONGER MATTERS WHAT THE
PRESIDENT SAYS.
PRESIDENT SAYS. THAT MAY BE HIS FIRST THOUGHT OF
THE MOMENT OR HIS FIRST RAMBLE
OR FIRST RAVING.
YOU CAN BE SURE THERE WILL BE A
SECOND THOUGHT, A THIRD THOUGHT,
AND A FOURTH THOUGHT, ALL OF
WHICH ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT
FROM THE FIRST THOUGHT.
>> CONGRESSMAN McINTOSH, I
REMEMBER DURING THE OBAMA YEARS
A LOT OF CONSERVATIVES
CRITICIZED THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE ALL THESE
BIG IDEAS YOU GUYS ARE TALKING
ABOUT, IT’S CREATING INSTABILITY
IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
HOW IS WHAT THE PRESIDENT’S
DOING NOT -- I MEAN, IT’S CLEAR
THE REASON FOR THE SLOWDOWN IS
THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS
SUDDENLY NERVOUS BECAUSE THEY
DON’T KNOW HOW THIS TRADE WAR IS
GOING TO TURN OUT.
ISN’T THIS CREATING INSTABILITY?
>> AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE
KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THIS IS
READING DONALD TRUMP’S BOOK "THE
ART OF THE DEAL."
YES, THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE.
YOU GET THE, I WANT TO BE YOUR
FRIEND, I WANT TO WORK WITH YOU
DONALD TRUMP WHEN HE’S TRYING TO
PUSH TOWARDS A DEAL.
WHEN THE DEAL BREAKS APART, YOU
GET THE DONALD TRUMP I’M GOING
TO IMPOSE TARIFFS.
>> WHAT DEAL HAS HE GOTTEN
THOUGH?
THOUGH? THIS ART OF THE DEAL THING GETS
THROWN OUT A LOT.
WHERE HAS THIS ACTUALLY WORKED?
HE DOESN’T HAVE AN
INFRASTRUCTURE DEAL.
INFRASTRUCTURE DEAL. HE DIDN’T GET NO HEALTH CARE.
HE DOESN’T HAVE A DEAL WITH
CHINA.
CHINA. >> IT WORKED ON REPLACING NAFTA.
THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL.
THE ONLY THING BLOCKING THAT IS
NANCY PELOSI AND THE DEMOCRATS
IN THE HOUSE.
>> IT’S LITERALLY NAFTA 2.0.
IT DIDN’T CHANGE THAT MUCH.
>> IT’S A BETTER DEAL FOR THE
U.S. IN THE PRESIDENT’S EYES,
AND IT’S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THE
ART OF THE DEAL WORKED.
I THINK THE KEY THING FOR DONALD
TRUMP IS TO SHOW THAT HE’S GOT A
VISION FOR THE SECOND TERM AND
TO CONTINUE WITH ANOTHER ROUND
OF TAX CUTS.
HE’S DECIDING WHICH WAY HE WANTS
TO GO ON THAT.
WE’RE GOING TO URGE ONE THAT IS
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, TO GIVE
THEM THE SAME TAX BREAK THE
CORPORATE GUYS GOT.
>> GOVERNOR WELD, YOU’RE
OBVIOUSLY CHALLENGING THE
PRESIDENT IN A PRIMARY.
YOU DON’T THINK HE DESERVES
RENOMINATION.
RENOMINATION. IF YOU DON’T GET THE NOMINATION,
DOES HE DERERVE RE-SERVE RE-ELEC
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
LET ME JUST SAY, I THINK THE
PRESIDENT DOES HAVE A VISION FOR
THE SECOND TERM.
IT’S WHAT STEVE BANNON SAYS.
IF PRESIDENT TRUMP IS
RE-ELECTED, YOU’RE GOING TO SEE
FOUR YEARS OF UNADULTERATED,
UNREQUITED PAYBACK.
UNREQUITED PAYBACK. MR. TRUMP IS GOING TO PAY BACK
ALL HIS ENEMIES.
PAYBACK FOR WHAT?
IT’S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HIS
EXTREME MALIGNANT NARCISSISM.
HE’S ONLY HAPPY WHEN OTHER
PEOPLE ARE LOSING.
IT’S NOT ENOUGH FOR HIM TO WIN.
HE MAKES SURE HIS VENDORS GET
PAID FIVE AND TEN CENTS ON THE
DOLLAR WHILE HE AND HIS RICH
BANKER FRIENDS WALK OFF WITH
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
THAT’S HIS REPUTATION IN NEW
YORK AND NEW JERSEY.
>> GOVERNOR, YOU’RE THE FIRST
REPUBLICAN TO JUMP IN.
OTHER REPUBLICANS ARE THINKING
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. ANY OF THESE OTHER REPUBLICANS
WOULD CONVINCE YOU TO GET OUT
AND SUPPORT THEM?
>> NOT ME TO GET OUT, BUT I’M
THRILLED ABOUT JOE WALSH AND
MARK SANFORD GETTING IN.
THAT’S TERRIFIC.
THAT’S TERRIFIC. IT’S GOING TO BE A MORE ROBUST
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. WHO KNOWS, THE NETWORKS MIGHT
EVEN COVER REPUBLICAN PRIMARY
DEBATES.
DEBATES. THEY CAN ILL AFFORD TO SAY THEY
ONLY COVER DEMOCRATS.
I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO BOTH
THOSE FELLOWS GETTING IN.
I HOPE MORE AS WELL.
IT CAN ONLY CONTRIBUTE TO MORE
ROBUST DIALOGUE.
ROBUST DIALOGUE. THAT’LL BE GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY.
WE NEED TO ASSEMBLE RATIONAL
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. SURE, A CRAZED PRESIDENT MAKES
THE STOCK MARKET GO DOWN, BUT
THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE HAVE TO
LIKE IT.
LIKE IT. >> ALL RIGHT.
WELL, GOVERNOR WELD, CONGRESSMAN