>> Bret: BRYAN LLENAS LIVE IN
HARRISBURG, P&A.
LET’S BRING IN FORMER COUNSELOR
TO PRESIDENT TRUMP KELLYANNE
CONWAY SHE IS THE AUTHOR OF THE
NEW BOOK HERE’S THE DEAL.
GREAT BOOK.
>> THANK YOU, BRET.
>> Bret: THERE IS A LOT IN THIS
BOOK ABOUT YOUR TIME IN THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BUT ALSO A
LOT OF OTHER THINGS ABOUT
POLITICS AND YOUR PREVIOUS
HISTORY.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT JUST
LAST NIGHT AND WHAT YOU HAVE
SEEN SO FAR IN THE PRIMARIES.
IS THERE A THEME DEVELOPING HERE
ON EITHER SIDE?
CAN YOU PAINT A PICTURE FOR THE
MIDTERMS FOR WHERE WE STAND?
>> THERE IS, BRET.
I THINK PAST IS PROLOGUE IN
TERMS OF THE 2022 MIDTERMS.
THIS IS PRETTY TYPICAL FOR THE
PARTY IN POWER IN THE FIRST
MIDTERM.
WE KNOW THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON
SUFFERED 52 SEAT LOSS IN 1994.
PRESIDENT OBAMA FAMOUSLY
REFERRED TO HIS 63 SEAT LOSS IN
THE HOUSE IN 2010 AS A, QUOTE,
SHELLACKING.
ONE WOULD THINK THAT PRESIDENT
BIDEN WOULD ENDORSE SOMETHING
SIMILAR.
WE SEE EARLY TWININGS OF THAT.
TWO MAJOR THINGS COMING OUT OF
THE PRIMARY NUMBER ONE RECORD
ENTHUSIASTIC TURNOUT IN THESE
REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES.
PEOPLE ARE ENERGIZED THEY ARE
GOING TO THE BALLOT BOX.
VERY UPSET WHAT THEY SEE WITH
RESPECT TO INFLATION, ENERGY,
IMMIGRATION, PUTIN, UKRAINE AND
THE WHOLE SUNDRY LIST OF
PROBLEMS IN COUNTRY THAT DIDN’T
EXIST BEFORE A SHORT TIME AGO.
NUMBER TWO WHAT YOU SEE IN THESE
RACES IS WHERE PRESIDENT TRUMP
HAS ENDORSED A CANDIDATE, THAT
CANDIDATE IS SURROUNDED BY
NON-ENDORSED CANDIDATES ALSO
RUNNING AS AMERICA FIRST
CANDIDATES.
THEY WANT TO SOMEHOW HUGH
CLOSELY TO THE POLICY
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
YOU ARE SEEING THIS IN VERY
CROWDED PRIMARIES IN
PENNSYLVANIA WHICH YOU JUST
REPORTED ON, IN OHIO, IN NORTH
CAROLINA AND THE LIST GOES ON
AND ON.
I THINK ON THE OTHER SIDE, BRET,
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS A
FASCINATING CASE STUDY SO FAR IN
THESE PRIMARIES.
THEY DON’T HAVE THE RECORD
TURNOUT THAT THE REPUBLICANS
HAVE IN SOME OF THESE STATES;
HOWEVER, THERE IS A LITTLE BIT O
SCHISM GOING ON.
YOU HAVE SOME MORE TRADITIONAL
MODERATE DEMOCRATS RUNNING SOME
WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN’S
ENDORSEMENT.
AND THEY ARE GOING UP AGAINST
THESE BERNIE SANDERS OR
ELIZABETH WARREN OR AOC OR ALL
OF THE ABOVE ENDORSED
CANDIDATES.
AND IN SOME CASES, THE MORE
RADICAL CANDIDATES ARE WINNING.
SO, I THINK YOU ARE SEEING BOTH
PARTIES PAYING VERY CLOSE
ATTENTION TO THESE PRIMARIES AND
WE ARE GOING TO SEE, I BELIEVE,
A MONSTER YEAR FOR THE
REPUBLICANS IN THE FALL.
I THINK THE ISSUES SET RIGHT NOW
DOES NOT FAVOR PRESIDENT BIDEN.
HE DOESN’T SEEM TO HAVE ANY KIND
OF COURSE CORRECTION THAT YOU
WOULD SEE FROM A PRESIDENT WHOSE
NUMBERS ARE UNDER WATER.
>> Bret: WE WERE JUST TALKING TO
GOVERNOR KEMP DOWN IN GEORGIA.
OBVIOUSLY THOSE RESULTS SEEM
THAT GEORGIA WAS READY TO MOVE
ON FROM 2020.
IN THIS BOOK YOU SAY YOU WERE
ONE OF THE ONLY ADVISERS TO TELL
PRESIDENT TRUMP AT THE TIME THAT
HE HAD ESSENTIALLY LOST AND TO
ACCEPT IT.
YOU WRITE IN POLITICS 101.
YOU DON’T TELL THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO THEM.
THEY TELL YOU.
ON SOME DAYS IT SEEMED THE
CAMPAIGN VIEWED THE COVID
PANDEMIC THE SAME WAY THEY
VIEWED HILLARY OR COMEY OR BIG
TECH.
JUST ANOTHER POLITICAL ENEMY
STANDING BETWEEN TRUMP AND
RE-ELECTION.
YOU ARE PRETTY TOUGH ON JARED
KUSHNER IN THIS BOOK.
REPEATEDLY REFERRED TO AS DE
FACTO CHIEF OF STAFF.
SHADY DOUGH SECRETARY OF STATE
THE REAL 2020 CAMPAIGN MANAGER.
JARED HAD HIGH TAILED IT NOT
MIDDLE EAST AS SOON AS THE
CAMPAIGN LOST MIDWEST AND THE
ELECTION VICTORY WHO HE IS SO
CONFIDENTLY PREDICTED NOT
MATERIALIZED.
KIND OF STRAIGHT TALK.
>> IT’S STRAIGHT TALK.
I DON’T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY AND
IT’S ALL FACT-CHECKED AND TRUE.
I’M HEART BROKEN THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP DIDN’T WIN A SECOND TERM
THERE WAS LOOT OF UNFINISHED
BUSINESS AND UNRAVELING OF
POLICIES THAT HE PUT FORTH.
THAT’S WHY HE IS SERIOUSLY
MOTIVATED TO RUN AGAIN, BRET.
THE 2020 CAMPAIGN HAD A CERTAIN
DIFFERENT TENOR TONE.
2016 UNDERDOGGED UNDER ESTIMATED
UNDER FUNDED AND UNDER STAFFED
THAT’S A DONALD TRUMP WAY TO BE
TO TURN ON THE HEAD I KNOW IF
YOU WILL OR WON’T WIN RATHER
THAN WHAT DOO WHAT WE DID FOCUS
ON ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE WHICH
IS HOW DO YOU OR DON’T WIN.
I BELIEVE IN 2020 THEY PROVED
THE OLD ADAGE TO BE TRUE THE
FASTEST WAY TO MAKE A SMALL
FORTUNE IS TO HAVE A VERY LARGE
ONE AND WASTE MOST OF IT.
$1.4 BILLION AND NOT MUCH OF IT
LEFT FOR ADS IN THE SWING STATES
LATE IN THE GAME.
YOU KNOW, COVID CHANGED THE WAY
PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS ABLE TO
CAMPAIGN.
HE IS A RALLY GUY.
HE LIKES TO GO AND CONNECT WITH
THE VOTERS AND ALLOWED PRESIDENT
BIDEN TO SORT OF HIDE A LITTLE
BIT FROM THE VOTERS.
THAT BENEFITED HIM.
BUT I THINK TO RUN ON POLICY IS
THE CAUTIONARY TALE HERE TO MAKE
SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE
ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE AND HOW THEY
AFFECT THEIR DAILY LIVES.
>> Bret: LET ME FINISH WITH THIS
YOU TOLD PRESIDENT TRUMP
ELECTIONS ARE ABOUT THE FUTURE
AND NOT THE PAST.
YOU TALK ABOUT THE JOB
DESCRIPTION GOING FORWARD IN
2024.
AND IT’S NOT THE WHO BUT THE
WHAT.
AND THE STRENGTH IN THE G.O.P.
YOU WRITE FOR THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY LIES ITS POLICIES AND ITS
PEOPLE.
AND ITS PEOPLE.
VOTERS APPLAUD G.O.P.’S
COMMITMENT TO FISCAL ISSUES,
NATIONAL SECURITY AND SOCIAL
ISSUES.
SO THAT’S THE TICKET?
>> THAT’S THE TICKET.
AND CERTAINLY, WHEN I SAY
ELECTIONS ARE ABOUT THE FUTURE
NOT THE PAST.
LET ME SAY ONE THING ABOUT THE
PAST HERE.
WE HAVE MANY VOTERS RIGHT NOW
SAYING MY LIFE IS MUCH BETTER
NOT THAT LONG AGO AND I WANT IT
BACK.
AND SO IN THAT REGARD THEY ARE
LOOKING BEHIND THEM TO LOOK
FORWARD A LITTLE BIT.
HOW DO WE GET THAT ENERGY
INDEPENDENCE?
HOW DO WE GET THE $2 GAS?
HOW DO WE GET BORDER SECURITY?
HOW DO WE GET PUTIN OUT OF
UKRAINE AND PUTIN SALIVATING AS
NUCLEAR THREAT TO ISRAEL AND THE
LIST GOES ON AND ON.
IN TERMS PEOPLE WANT A FIGHTER.
THE QUESTION IS ARE YOU FIGHTING
FOUR YOURSELF OR FIGHTING FOR
THEM.
VOTERS APPRECIATE PEOPLE
FIGHTING FOR THEM.
THAT WAS THE MAGIC OF TRUMP 2016
AND I WOULD SAY HIS PRESIDENCY,
BRET, WHICH IS PEOPLE FELT HE
WAS DELIVERING FOR THE FORGOTTEN
MAN WOMAN AND CHILD TO THE
EXTENT HE WANTS TO DO THAT HE
SHOULD DO IT GET BRET IS THERE A
TRUMP CANDIDATE 2024.
>> HE WOULD LIKE.
TO SAY HE SEES A UNDONE
BUSINESS.
PEOPLE ARE HURTING AND THEY ARE
VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THE
DIRECTION THIS WHITE HOUSE IS
TAKING US INTO AS A NATION
POLICIES THAT EFFECT THEM EVERY
SINGLE DAY.
I THINK THOSE TWO THINGS
PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN STAND UP AND
SAY I HAD A BETTER ECONOMY.
MORE BORDER SECURITY, PUTIN,
CHINA KIM JONG UN ALL CONTAINED
IN A WAY THEY ARE NOT NOW.
AND NUMBER TWO, I WANT A REMATCH
WITH BIDEN BECAUSE CAN I GO TO
HIM TOE TO TOE.
WHOEVER RUNS, IF PRESIDENT TRUMP
SAYS HE IS NOT RUNNING, WHICH I
BELIEVE HE WOULD LIKE, TO
WHOEVER RUNS IS GOING TO HAVE TO
PICK UP THAT AMERICA FIRST
MANTEL BECAUSE THOSE POLICY
PRESCRIPTIONS ARE VERY POPULAR
YOU SEE THE OPPOSITE OF THAT NOW
IN THIS CURRENT WHITE HOUSE.
VOTERS DON’T ASK WHO CAN WIN.
VOTERS ASK WHO CAN LEAD.
THE PUNDITS AND MEDIA WE
SOMETIMES ASK WHO CAN WIN?
WHO CAN WIN?
>> Bret: THAT WAS MY NEXT
QUESTION.
>> VOTERS WANT SOMEONE TO LEAD.
>> Bret: WHO CAN WIN.
>> THE PERSON WHO CAN WIN IS THE
ONE WHO CONNECTS WITH THE PEOPLE
AND CONVINCINGLY TALKS ABOUT
POLICY EVERY SINGLE DAY.
NOT PERSONAL GRIEVANCES.
NOT JUST THE PAST BUT THE FUTURE
AND THE POLICY PRESCRIPTIONS
THAT EVERYBODY WANTS.
AND, LOOK, I THINK SO LONG AS
THE BIDEN-HARRIS WHITE HOUSE
DOES NOT DO WHAT PRESIDENT
CLINTON AND OBAMA AND SOME OTHER
LEADERS HAVE DONE WHICH YOU KNOW
WHAT?
THIS HAS NOT BEEN A GREAT TIME
FOR THE HOME TEAM.
WE ARE GOING TO DO A COURSE
CORRECTION.
WE ARE GOING TO ADMIT SOME
MISTAKES AND ADMIT THAT PEOPLE
ARE HURTING AND COME OUT WITH
SOLUTIONS.
VERY REACTIONARY.
THEY TALK ABOUT GUN CONTROL
AFTER A TRAGIC UNSPEAKABLE
SCHOOL SHOOTING.
THEY TALK ABOUT ABORTION AFTER
THE ROE LEAK.
THEY TALK ABOUT PUTIN AFTER HE
INVADES UKRAINE.
VERY REACTIONARY WHITE HOUSE.
THAT’S NO WAY.
I THINK THAT PLUS FIGHT AND
UNRAVELING THE TRUMP POLICIES NO
WAY TO RUN A COUNTRY.