ONE TOP STRATEGIST TELLING "THE
HILL," QUOTE: OUR HOUSE IS ON
FIRE, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THEY’RE
DOING NOTHING TO PUT THE FIRE
OUT.
THEY’RE JUST WATCHING IT WITH
THE REST OF US.
AGAIN, THAT’S A DEMOCRAT SAYING
THAT.
JOINING ME NOW IS FORMER
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH SENIOR
ADVISER AND A FOX BUSINESS
CONTRIBUTOR, KARL ROVE.
KARL, GREAT TO SEE YOU, THANK
YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> YOU BET.
DAVID: I’M JUST WONDERING, WHAT
DO YOU THINK DEMOCRATS ARE GOING
TO DO WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN
BEFORE THE NEXT DEMOCRATIC
CONVENTION?
>> WELL, I DON’T THINK HE’S
GOING TO BE A CANDIDATE IN 2024.
HE WOULD BE -- HE’S HER THE
OLDEST PERSON EVER ELECTED
PRESIDENT.
IN FACT, HE’S THE OLDEST PERSON
EVER TO BE PRESIDENT.
HE WAS OLDER BY A COUPLE OF
YEARS THE DAY HE WAS SWORN IN
THAN THE PREVIOUS OLDEST
PRESIDENT, RONALD REAGAN, WHEN
HE LEFT OFFICE.
SO I’VE SAID FOR MORE THAN A
YEAR I THINK IT’S UNLIKELY HE’S
GOING TO BE THE CANDIDATE.
BUT EVEN BEFORE WE GET TO 2024,
WE’RE GOING THROUGH A PROCESS.
LES GOING TO BE A COLUMN
TOMORROW IN THE WALL STREET
JOURNAL, I’VE READ IT.
IT’S VERY --
DAVID: I THINK I KNOW WHO WROTE
IT.
>> YEAH, I THINK I DID A HELL OF
A JOB ON IT.
WHAT WE’RE SEEING RIGHT NOW
PLAYING OUT IS THE NATURAL END
OF THE STRATEGY THAT THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN PURSUING
POLITICALLY FOR OVER A YEAR.
YOU KNOW, THE FIVE STAGES OF
GRIEF?
WELL, I THINK THERE ARE SIX
STAGES OF THE WHITE HOUSE -- OF
THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE STRATEGY.
THE FIRST IS DENIAL.
WHEN THEY HAVE BAD NEWS, THEY
DESCRIBE IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT
IT DOESN’T MATCH REALITY.
KABUL, WE ALL SAW THAT DISASTER.
AND HEN WE SAW THE PRESIDENT GO
ON TELEVISION AND SAY IT WAS AN
EXTRAORDINARY THE SUCCESS.
DAVID: RIGHT.
IT WAS HORRIBLE.
>> IN FEBRUARY HE TALKED ABOUT
JANUARY JOBS NUMBER AND SAYS
HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE.
WE HAD LESS -- WE HAD NEARLY 3
MILLION FEWER PEOPLE WORKING AT
THE END OF JANUARY THAN WE HAD
WORKING BEFORE THE PANDEMIC
BEGAN, AND HE SAYS HAS BEEN A
HISTORIC SUCCESS.
AND SO THE START IS DENIAL.
BUT AFTER A WHILE EVEN THEY
FIGURE OUT THEY CAN’T KEEP DOING
IT, SO THEY START BLAMING
SOMEBODY.
INFLATION HAS BEEN HIGH, SO WHAT
DO HAY DO?
STARTING IN ABOUT APRIL THEY
SAY, WELL, IT’S PUTIN’S PRICE
HIKE.
IT’S PUTIN’S RESPONSIBILITY.
DAVID: RIGHT.
>> FOR GASOLINE PRICES.
A MONTH LATER IT’S HIS
RESPONSIBILITY FOR FOOD PRICES
AS WELL.
BUT THAT DOESN’T WORK.
SO THEY CHANGE THE SUBJECT.
IN MAY IT’S NOW SUDDENLY
ABORTION IS ALL ABOUT -- THE
SUPREME COURT HAS ACTED, WE’VE
GOT TO MAKE THE ELECTION ALL
ABOUT ABORTION.
AND YOU KEEP GOING BLAME TRUMP,
THAT’S THE NEXT THING.
AND IF THEN WE’RE GOING TO DO
SOMETHING, TRY ANYTHING, THROW
IT AT THE WALL.
YOU KNOW, STUDENT DEBT RELIEF,
MAYBE I’M GOING TO SIGN A BILL
THAT INVESTIGATES GLOBAL
SHIPPING PRICES, YOU KNOW, JUST
ON AND ON.
BUT WHERE IT ENDS UP IS ABANDON
SHIP, AND WE’RE IN THE ABANDON
SHIP --
DAVID: WELL, AND THAT’S WHAT’S
HAPPENING, RIGHT, THAT’S WHAT’S
HAPPENING.
ALL THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO
DO THAT, BUT HOW DO THEY
SPECIFICALLY DO IT?
HOW DO THEY CONVINCE BIDEN NOT
TO RUN?
WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS BY
WHICH THEY DO THAT?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, RIGHT NOW
THEY’RE NOT THINKING THAT LONG.
THEY’RE THINKING NOVEMBER.
THEY’RE ABANDONING SHIP NOW
BECAUSE THEY’RE TRYING TO SAVE
THEMSELVES.
THEY’RE TRYING TO SAY HE’S
FAILING, AND SOME CANDIDATES ARE
GOING TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES
FROM HIM.
AND OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAYING HE’S
FAILING IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET HIM
TO MOVE DRAMATICALLY TO THE LEFT
AND USE HIS EXECUTIVE POWERS TO
DO THINGS THAT HE CANNOT LEGALLY
DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY’VE GOT A BIG
LAUNDRY LIST OF THOSE THINGS,
YOU KNOW?
EXECUTIVE ORDERS TO, FOR
EXAMPLE, ESTABLISH ABORTION
CLINICS ON FEDERAL LAND.
I MEAN, TALK ABOUT WEIRD THINGS.
BUT WHAT WE’RE SEEING PLAY OUT
IS THE RESULT OF THE WHITE HOUSE
NOT HAVING A CLEAR PATTERN OF,
PICTURE OF WHAT THEY NEEDED TO
DO AND HAVING BUILT UP
EXPECTATIONS IN THE CAMPAIGN
THEY WERE GOING TO BE A NORMAL
DEMOCRAT AND HEN CAME IN AND DID
BUILD BACK BETTER AND THEN --
DAVID: WE MOW IT’S NOT WORKING
BUT, AGAIN, I JUST WANT AN IDEA
OF HOW THEY’RE GOING TO TRY TO
CHANGE THINGS AND WHAT THEY
REPLACE BIDEN WITH, BECAUSE
LET’S FACE IT,ST THE POLICIES.
IT’S NOT BIDEN THAT’S SCREWING
EVERYTHING UP, IT’S THE POLICIES
THAT HE’S BEEN SORT OF FORMATTED
TO PUT IN PLACE.
THAT’S WHAT’S SCREWING UP OUR
ECONOMY, THAT’S WHAT’S CAUSING
INFLATION.
THAT’S WHAT’S CAUSING ALL THE
PROBLEMS FROM ENERGY TO THE
BORDER TO AFGHANISTAN, ETC.
IT’S THE POLICIES.
AND I DON’T SEE ANYBODY THAT
THEY HAVE IN THE WINGS WAITING
THAT WOULD CHANGE THOSE
POLICIES.
>> NO.
THEY’RE GOING TO SORT OF ASSUME
CHANGING THE PERSONALITY GIVES
THEM A CHANCE TO DISTANCE
THEMSELVES FROM BIDEN.
BUT YOU’RE RIGHT, THAT’S EXACTLY
WHY IT’S NOT GOING TO WORK THIS
YEAR IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS
BECAUSE THEY CAN DISTANCE
THEMSELVES ALL THEY LIKE, BUT
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO IN AND
SAY I GET TO SEND A MESSAGE TO
JOE BIDEN THAT I DON’T LIKE WHAT
HE’S DOING AND I DON’T
APPRECIATE HIS QUALITY OF
LEADERSHIP.
I’M VOTING REPUBLICAN.
AND THE SAME THING IS GOING TO
HAPPEN IN 2024.
THEN THEY’RE GOING TO BEGIN
LOOKING AT BIDEN VERSUS THE
POTENTIAL REPUBLICAN OPPONENTS.
BUT I THINK A LOT OF DEMOCRATS
BY THENS ARE GOING TO SAY, LOOK,
GOOD MAN, BUT HE’S NOT UP TO IT,
AND WE’VE GOT TO FIND SOMEBODY
NEW.
AND IS WHETHER THAT’S ORGANIC
BUILDING UP FROM THE BOTTOM AND
THERE ARE A LOT OF AMBITIOUS
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BECOME
PRESIDENT ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE
WHO MIGHT JUMP ON TOP OF THAT,
OR WHETHER IT COMES FROM THE TOP
DOWN AND SAY, PRESIDENT, YOU
KNOW, WE APPRECIATE IT, YOU’RE A
GOOD MAN --
DAVID: BUT WHO’S, KARL, GETTING
BACK TO BASICS, YOU AND I MOW
IT’S THE POLICIES THAT THAT
MAKES THE DIFFERENCE, YOU KNOW?
A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN’T LIKE
TRUMP, BUT THEY LOVED HIS
POLICIES, AND BECAUSE HIS
POLICIES WORKED AND THAT’S WHY
THEY VOTED FOR TRUMP.
I CAN’T THINK OF ANYBODY WAITING
IN THE WINGS FROM THE DEMOCRAT
SIDE WHO’S GOING TO CHANGE A
SINGLE POLICY PUSHED BY BIDEN,
CAN YOU?
>> WELL, IN REALITY, NO.
BUT THEY’RE GOING TO SURE AS
HECK SOUND LIKE IT.
HEIR GOING TO SAY LOOK WHAT I
DID AS THE GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS
OR LOOK AT WHAT I’VE BEEN TRYING
TO DO IN THE UNITED STATES
SENATE THAT WAS BLOCKED BY THE
INCOMPETENCE OF THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION?
THAT’S GOING TO BE THE
FUNDAMENTAL MESSAGE.
YEAH, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS
MOVING TO THE LEFT, AND THE
QUESTION IS, IS THERE GOING TO
BE THE ANYBODY IF POP UP AND SAY
I’M A NORMAL DEMOCRAT, AND I’M
MOVING IT BACK TO THE CENTER --
DAVID: WELL, THERE IS, THERE IS,
THERE IS.
THERE’S ONE PERSON THAT DOES IT,
AND LARRY KUDLOW SAYS HE SHOULD
RUN FOR PRESIDENT ON THE
DEMOCRATIC SIDE, AND THAT’S JOE
MANCHIN.
I MEAN, WILL THERE BE A TIME AT
WHICH AFTER A DEVASTATING LOSS
IN THE MIDTERMS THAT THEY WILL
SNAP AND SAY WE NEED SOMEBODY
LIKE THAT?
MAYBE NOT HIM PARTICULARLY, BUT
SOMEBODY MT. MIDDLE?
TRULY IN THE MIDDLE?
>> WELL, LOOK, THE BIGGER THE
DEFEAT, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS
THEY’LL WAKE UP, YEAH.
RATHER THAN HAVING, YOU KNOW, AB
AOC TYPE -- AN AOC, BERNIE
SANDERS TYPE CANDIDATE,
ELIZABETH WARREN STYLE
CANDIDATE, WE WANT SOMEBODY
WHO’S MORE LIKE THE FORMER
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF, AND
MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS, MITCH
LANDRIEU, WHO’S IN THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION.
I DOUBT IT’S GOING TO BE JOE
MANCHIN.
I JUST THINK THE AN ANIMOSITY
TOWARD HIM AMONG NATIONAL
DEMOCRATS IS TOO BIG.
YEAH, IS THERE A LIKELIHOOD FOR
A MORE CENTRIST DEMOCRAT?
YEAH.
BUT IT REQUIRES A VERY BIG
DEFEAT THIS FALL -- THE.
DAVID: WELL, AMERICANS ARE NOT
GOING TO FALL FOR THIS POLICY
ANY LONGER.
I MEAN, IT’S CLEAR THE -- IN ALL