2300 DANCERS WERE PERFORMING --
200 DANCERS WERE PERFORMING,
SOME AS YOUNG AS 5 YEARS OLD.
AISHAH: SO HOUSE MINORITY LEADER
KEVIN McCARTHY AIMING TO ACHE
NANCY PELOSI’S SPOT AS HOUSE
SPEAKER AS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
GEARS UP TO SEIZE CONTROL FROM
THE DEMOCRATS IN JANUARY, JUST A
BUT SHORT WEEKS AWAY.
FOR MORE ON THIS, LET’S BRING IN
OUR POLITICAL PANEL.
JOINING US NOW IS FORMER
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR AMY
KLOBUCHAR’S 2020 PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGN, FORMER HILLARY CLINTON
SPOKESMAN AND DEMOCRATIC
STRATEGIST TIM HOGAN AND FORMER
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR
TEXAS SENATOR TED CRUZ AND
FORMER PRESS COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR FOR TRUMP’S 2020
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN ERIN
PERINI.
THANKS FOR JOINING US ON YOUR
SATURDAY, WE APPRECIATE IT.
OKAY, SO LET’S DIVE INTO THE
POLITICS AND WHAT THIS BALANCE
OF POWER IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
ERIN, WANT TO START WITH YOU
BECAUSE IT’S LOOKING TO BE A
LITTLE BIT OF A DIVIDED GOP
AGENDA HERE.
SOME WANT INVESTIGATIONS, SOME
WANT TO LEGISLATE AND ACTUALLY
FIX AMERICANS’ LIVES.
SO IS IT SMART TO FOCUS SO MUCH
ON INVESTIGATIONS RIGHT OFF THE
BATSOME CAN THEY DO BOTH?
>> THEY WILL DO BOTH, AND IT
WON’T BE INVESTIGATORY ONLY.
THEY RAN ON THE COMMITMENT TO
AMERICA.
THEY PUT OUT A POLICY PLATFORM
THAT TALKS ABOUT THE ECONOMY,
THAT TALKS ABOUT THE BORDER,
THAT TALKS ABOUT THE BORDER
CRISIS AND THE DRUG OVERDOSE
CRISIS IN THIS COUNTRY.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT
REPUBLICANS WHEN I WORK9 --
WORKED IN THE HOUSE FOR KEVIN,
WERE ABLE TO HELP WITH.
I REMEMBER PASSING LEGISLATION.
WE PASSED TAX CUTS, WE WERE ABLE
TO BOOST THE ECONOMY.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WITH
OVERSIGHT -- AND THERE SHOULD BE
OVERSIGHT, THAT IS A
CONGRESSIONAL DUTY AND
OBLIGATION -- OF THE
ADMINISTRATION.
THESE THINGS TOGETHER WILL MAKE
AMERICA BETTER BECAUSE YOU NEED
THE LEGISLATION, BUT YOU NEED
THE OVERSIGHT TO HOLD ELECTED
OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE.
AISHAH: WILL ARE DEMOCRATS
PREPARED?
>> YES, AND I THINK YOU SAW IT
IN A DRAMA-FREE SESSION WITH
HOUSE LEADERSHIP, AND I THINK
WHAT’S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT FOR
REPUBLICANS IS THEY HAVE EXACTLY
THAT CHOICE, ARE THEY GOING TO
LEGISLATE OR DO OVERSIGHT, AND
IS IT GOING TO BE HUNTER BIDEN’S
LAPTOP?
THEY HAVE OF A HISTORICALLY SLIM
MAJORITY.
THE PROPOSAL THAT THEY MADE TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DURING THE
ELECTION DIDN’T REALLY RALLY A
RESULT IN A LOT.
THEY HAVE IN-FIGHTING, HAWLEY
CALLING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
HAVING A FUNERAL, TAKING SHOTS
AT McCONNELL --
AISHAH: THERE’S A LITTLE BIT OF
SOUL SEARCHING GOING ON IN THE
PARTY.
>> LOOK, I THINK THE BOX THAT
DEMOCRATS PUT REPUBLICANS ON,
PROPOSING PLANS TO CUT SOCIAL
SECURITY AND MEDICARE, RICK
SCOTT WITH A DIFFERENT PROPOSAL
THAN MITCH McCONNELL, A MESS
ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE.
I DON’T THINK THEY KNOW WHAT
THEY’RE GOING TO DO.
AISHAH: BIG NEWS THIS WEEK WITH
SPEAKER PELOSI, OBVIOUSLY,
ANNOUNCING SHE IS NOT GOING TO
SEEK LEADERSHIP.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> I WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION
TO DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP IN THE
NEXT CONGRESS.
FOR ME, THE HOUR’S COME FOR A
NEW GENERATION TO LEAD THE
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS THAT I SO
DEEPLY RESPECT.
>> ONE-PARTY DEMOCRAT RULE IN
WASHINGTON IS FINISHED.
WE HAVE FIRED NANCY PELOSI.
AISHAH: TIM, CAN THIS YOUNGER
GENERATION TAKE, PICK UP THE
GAVEL AND SORT OF FILL IN THESE
REALLY BIG SHOES?
>> I THINK SO.
AND I THINK NANCY PELOSI
WOULDN’T MAKE THAT DECISION
WITHOUT HAVING THAT FAITH OF WE
ARE HAVING A SUCCESSION THAT IS,
YOU KNOW, NOT AS DRAMATIC AS
WHAT YOU’RE SEEING ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE.
I MEAN, SHE HAS ACCOMPLISHED A
LOT OVER HER CAREER.
SHE IS A AN EXPERT LEGISLATOR
BUT AN EXPERT POLITICIAN AS
WELL.
SHE KNOWS THAT HAKIM JEFFRIES
AND OTHER DEMOCRATIC LEADERS CAN
BUILD THAT COALITION, AND I ALSO
DON’T THINK SHE’S ENTIRELY GOING
AWAY.
I STILL THINK SHE HAS A ROLE TO
PLAY.
AISHAH: REALLY QUICKLY AND HEN I
WANT TO MOVE MOVE ON, BUT DO YOU
THINK McCARTHY HAS THE VOTES
HERE?
>> YOU HEAR THE MATT GAETZS OF
THE WORLD SAYING, NO, NO, NO,
WHO ARE THEY GOING TO PUT UP?
THERE IS NO PAUL RYAN.
AND LET’S REMEMBER, THESE ARE
THE SAME CLOWNS THAT UNANIMOUSLY
VOTED FOR KEVIN BEFORE.
NOW HEIR SAYING THEY WOULDN’T
WHEN THEY VOTED FOR HIM LAST
TIME.
KEVIN HAS WORKED HIS TAIL OFF.
HE HAS RECRUITED, FUNDRAISED, HE
HAS MADE THIS A CONFERENCE WITH
A MISSION.
THERE IS NOBODY BETTER SUITED,
AND I AM SO EXCITED.
AISHAH: I THINK IT’S A LITTLE
BIT OF WHEELING AND DEALING ON
CAPITOL HILL, RIGHT?
>> ALWAYS.
AISHAH: I’VE GOT TO MOVE ON TO
FTX BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN
INSANE, AND A LOT OF CALLS FOR
OVERSIGHT.
TIM, I’M E -- I’VE GOT TO ASK
YOU BECAUSE WE’VE GOT DEMOCRATS
IN A REALLY TOUGH SPOT, SOME
THAT TOOK SOME OF THIS MONEY SIT
ON THESE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEES,
AND THEY SAY THEY CAN DO THE JOB
OF OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATE.
CAN THEY OR SHOULD THEY RECUSE
THEMSELVES?
>> I MEAN, AN UNDERCOVERED PART
OF THIS STORY IS THAT TO CO-CEO,
RYAN SALEM, DONATED $20 MILLION
TO REPUBLICANS --
AISHAH: BUT THE MAJORITY OF MISS
>> NO, FOR SAM BANKMAN-FRIED,
THAT’S CORRECT, BUT THE CO-CEO
GAVE $20 MILLION.
[INAUDIBLE CONVERSATIONS]
MY POINT IS THIS IS A PROBLEM
FOR BOTH SIDES ON OVERSIGHT.
AND THEY NEED TO TAKE IT
SERIOUSLY.
THE DOJ IS INVESTIGATING, THE
SEC IS INVESTIGATING.
BUT IT’S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO
BE DONE IN A BIPARTISAN WAY, AND
I DON’T THINK IT CAN BE
WEAPONIZED BY EITHER PARTY.
AISHAH: AND I WANT TO ASK YOU,
ERIN, ABOUT IN THIS TRUMP
INVESTIGATION NOW.
HE’S FACING A SPECIAL COUNSEL.
WHAT ARE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS
OF THIS?
BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY, MERRICK
GARLAND ADMITS THAT THE WHOLE
HIM ANNOUNCING HIS CANDIDACY FOR
2024 HAD TO DO WITH IT.
>> YEAH.
THERE IS A REAL CONCERN
ESPECIALLY IN THE TRUMP BASE
ABOUT THE POLITICIZATION AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
WE SAW SAW THE THEM WEAPONIZED
AGAINST PARENTS, CALLING THEM
TERRORISTS, THERE IS A REAL
CONCERN.
AND ON ON THE MAR-A-LAGO, THE
DRIPS AND LEAKS, THAT A CAUSED
REAL ISSUES AGAIN WITH THE TRUMP
AIDES THINKING THEY ARE BEING
WEAPONIZED AGAINST THE SITTING
PRESIDENT, FORMER PRESIDENT’S
POLITICAL RIVAL, RIGHT?
THIS IS A CONCERN.
SO THE SPECIAL COUNSEL’S
DIFFERENT FROM AN INDEPENDENT
DOUBLE BECAUSE THEY ARE STILL
UNDER THE -- COUNSEL BECAUSE
THEY ARE STILL UNDER THE PURVIEW
OF MERRICK GARLAND.
BECAUSE THERE’S STILL THAT THE
LEVEL OF CONNECTION WITH GARLAND
AND THIS INVESTIGATION, YOU WILL
CONTINUE TO SEE THE TRUMP BASE
RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
AISHAH: I CAN TELL YOU BOTH ARE