HOWIE: THE MEDIA HAVE TURNED
TUESDAY’S TWO SENATE RUNOFFS IN
GEORGIA INTO A NATIONAL ELECTION
FOR THE OBVIOUS REASON THAT IF
THE REPUBLICAN INCUMBENTS LOSE
BOTH RACES THE DEMOCRATS WILL
TAKE CONTROL OF THE UNITED
STATES SENATE.
LET’S BRING IN HILL WATCHER,
MIKE EMANUEL.
HE’LL BE ANCHORING SPECIAL
COVERAGE TODAY AS THE 117th
CONGRESS IS SWORN IN AND MIKE,
THE PRESS HAS BEEN POUNCING ON
THE FACT THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
TWEETED THAT THE GEORGIA HE’LL
ELECTION, NOT JUST HIS OWN, BUT
THE SENATE RACES ARE ILLEGAL AND
INVALID EVEN AS HE’LL CAMPAIGN
FOR THE CANDIDATES, KELLY
LOEFFLER, ON FOX NEWS SUNDAY
TODAY, WOULDN’T SAY WHETHER SHE
AGREES WITH THE FRAUD CHARGES.
>> I THINK IT’S MAKING
REPUBLICANS NERVOUS ABOUT
TURNOUT ON TUESDAY WITH THIS
CRITICAL RUNOFF RACES IN THE
STATE OF GEORGIA, WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT SAYING, YOU
KNOW, THAT BASICALLY THE
SYSTEM’S BROKEN, THAT THE SYSTEM
WAS RIGGED AND ALSO GOING
TOMORROW TO GEORGIA TO TRY TURN
OUT THE VOTE AND SO THERE ARE A
LOT OF FRUSTRATED REPUBLICANS
ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, A LOT OF
THEM IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA.
IF THEY ARE CONVINCED THAT
SOMEHOW THE 2020 ELECTION WAS
UNFAIR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP,
WHAT’S THE INCENTIVE FOR GETTING
OUT.
SO I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE,
MAJORITY OF LEADER MITCH
McCONNELL’S OFFICE ARE ANXIOUS
RIGHT NOW AND REPUBLICANS ON THE
GROUND IN GEORGIA TRYING TO
DRIVE THIS ACROSS THE FINISH
LINE WORRY THE MIXED MESSAGING
MAY HURT TURNOUT AND HURT THEM
IN THE CRITICAL RUNOFF RACES.
HOWIE: AS THE FOCUS ON
INCONSISTENCIES BY REPUBLICAN
SENATORS, KELLY LOEFFLER AND
DAVID PERDUE, HURTING THEM?
I’M THINKING FOR EXAMPLE THAT
NEITHER ONE OF THEM WAS IN FAVOR
OF $2,000 STIMULUS CHECKS.
IN FACT, SENATOR PERDUE DIDN’T
WANT ANY DIRECT STIMULUS
PAYMENTS AT ALL.
THEY BOTH OBTAINED -- ABSTAINED
FROM THE THEE VETO OVERRIDE.
>> THE PRESIDENT’S ACTIONS PUT
THEM IN AN AWKWARD SPOT.
ARE YOU WITH THE TROOPS OR ARE
YOU WITH WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
AND THEY WANT TO BE BOTH.
IN GEORGIA, THERE’S A TREMENDOUS
MILITARY POLL LAYINGS POPULATION
POPULATION.
YOU DON’T WANT TO AIL NET THE
FAMILIES.
YOU NEED -- ALIENATE THE
FAMILIES.
THEY WERE IN A TOUGH SPOT.
KELLY LOEFFLER ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT THAT TODAY.
SHE WAS CANDID THAT SHE WAS IN A
TOUGH SPOT AND SO BOTTOM LINE,
SHE TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, PLEASE
BOTH BASES.
THE TRUMP SUPPORTERS AND ALSO
THE MILITARY FOLKS.
HOWIE: THREAD THAT NEEDLE.
THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION
REPORTED THAT DEMOCRAT RAPHAEL
WARNOCK IS RUNNING AGAINST
SENATOR LOEFFLER, THAT HIS
EX-WIFE ACCUSED HIM OR RUNNING
OVER HER FOOT.
THERE WAS POLICE BODY CAM
FOOTAGE SHOWING WARNER DENYING
THIS AND SHE SAYING HE’S A GREAT
ACTOR AND THEN THE POLICE FOUND
NO INJURY AND NO CHARGES WERE
FILED.
THIS KEEPS GETTING BROUGHT UP.
DOES IT DESERVE A LOT OF MEDIA
ATTENTION?
>> IT’S INTERESTING.
I’VE COVERED CAMPAIGNS GOING
BACK TO BUSH V GORE 2000 AND YOU
KNOW REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS,
THEY ALWAYS TRY TO FIGURE OUT
LIKE WHAT IN THEIR CANDIDATE’S
BACKGROUND COULD BE POTENTIAL
BOMBS THAT COULD COME OUT OF AT
THE LAST MINUTE THAT COULD
JEOPARDIZE THE CANDIDACY AND I
WOULD THINK PERHAPS ALLEGED
ASSAULT OF YOUR WIFE WITH YOUR
VEHICLE WOULD BE A BIG ONE AND
KUDOS TO THE ATLANTA JOURNAL
CONSTITUTION FOR AT LEAST
CHECKING OUT THE STORY, DOING
SOME REPORTING ON IT.
IT’S NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR WHAT THE
IMPACT HAS BEEN.
I’VE SAMPLED A LOT OF THE
COVERAGE.
I HAVEN’T SEEN IT ALL.
BUT PART OF THE POSTMORTEM MAY
BE WHY DID YOU VOTE FOR HIM AND
WHY DIDN’T YOU VOTE FOR HIM AND
DID SOME OF THE ISSUES AFFECT
THE FINAL VOTE.
HOWIE: FINALLY, MIKE, WITH
SENATOR CRUZ, SENATOR HOLLY
LEADING THE EFFORT TO CREATE A
COMMISSION TO EXAMINE THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE RESULTS AND
PERHAPS OVERTURN THE ELECTION,
OTHER REPUBLICAN SENATORS LIKE
MITT ROMNEY AND OTHERS OF, PAT
TOOMEY, STRONGLY OPPOSING THAT.
IS IT AS ACCRY ACRIMONIOUS BEHIN
SCENES?
>> YOU’RE SEEING REPUBLICAN
SENATORS TRYING TO DISTINGUISH
THEMSELVES.
THIS IS A SITUATION THAT
MAJORITY LEADER MITCH
McCONNELL TRIES TO AVOID EVERY
CHANCE POSSIBLE, ONE REASON
PERHAPS HE DIDN’T PUT THE $2,000
STIMULUS CHECKS ON THE FLOOR.
CERTAINLY, SOME WANTED TO VOTE
FOR THEM BUT HE DOES EVERYTHING
POSSIBLE TO AVOID DIVIDING HIS
CONFERENCE.
THIS IS DIVIDING HIS CONFERENCE
AND SO SOMETHING THAT’S MAKES
THE MAJORITY LEADER VERY
UNCOMFORTABLE STARTING THIS
117th CONGRESS TODAY.
HOWIE: THAT WILL BE THE STORY