>>> JUST DAYS UNTIL THE RST
REPUBLICAN DEBAT GOVERNOR RON
DeSANTIS CAMPAIGN HAVING TO
EXPLAIN A STRATEGY MEMO LIKE
DOCUMENTS FROM HIS SUPER PAC.
SOURCES TELL CNN THE MEMO
STIRRED CONFUSION AND ANGER FROM
FUND-RAISERS AND DONORS AS FIRST
REPORTED BY "THE NEW YORK
TIMES."
THE SUPER PAC URGING DeSANTIS AT
THE DEBATE TO, QUOTE, HAMMER
VIVEK RAMASWAMY AND DEFEND
DONALD TRUMP IN RESPONSE TO A
CHRIS CHRISTIE ATTACK.
>> THIS MEMO ALSO HAS, QUOTE, A
SPECIFIC SUGGESTION FOR AN
ATTACK LINE ACCUSING MR.
CHRISTIE OF APPEALING MAINLY TO
DEMOCRATS.
QUOTE, TRUMP ISN'T HERE SO LEAVE
HIM ALONE.
HE'S TOO WEAK TO DEFEND HIMSELF
HERE. I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO JOIN
FORCES WITH SOMEONE WHO ON THIS
STAGE WHO IS AUDITIONS FOR A
SHOW ON MSNBC.
THE RESPONSE SAYS THIS IS NOT A
CAMPAIGN MEMO.
WE ARE NOT AWARE OF IT.
WE WEREN'T AWARE IT HAVE PRIOR
TO THE ARTICLE.
WITH US NOW IS CHRIS CHRISTIE,
NOT IN AN AUDITION OR A SHOW ON
MSNBC.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE,
GOVERNOR.
WOULD YOU LIKE -- YOU'RE IN
MIAMI. WE'LL GET TO WHY IN A MOMENT.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND TO
THIS FROM DeSANTIS' HACK?
>> FIRST OFF, I WOULD LIKE TO
RESPOND TO WHAT THE CAMPAIGN
SAID. IT'S NOT A CAMPAIGN MEMO.
THERE IS NO DeSANTIS CAMPAIGN.
THE ENTIRE DeSANTIS CAMPAIGN IS
BEING RUN BY THE NEVER BACK DOWN
SUPER PAC.
THEY'VE GOTTEN ALL THE PEOPLE AT
THE CAMPAIGN FIRED THAT THEY
DIDN'T LIKE.
AND NOW THEY'RE WRITING STRATEGY
MEMOS AND PUTTING THEM ON THE
INTERNET WHERE EVERYBODY CAN SEE
THEM.
LOOK, THIS JUST SHOWS YOU IT'S
NOT EASY TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT,
EVERYBODY.
AND IF YOU CAN'T RUN FOR
PRESIDENT IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T
CREATE EMBARRASSING PROCESS
STORIES MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK,
YOU CERTAINLY CAN'T RUN THE
WHITE HOUSE AND RUN THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT OR BE TRUSTED TO SIT
ACROSS FROM PRESIDENT XI OR
VLADIMIR PUTIN OR KIM JONG-UN.
IT'S AN INDICATION OF SOMETHING
MUCH, MUCH BIGGER IN TERMS OF
PROBLEMS WITH GOVERNOR DeSANTIS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'LL SHOW UP
WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW IT'S
GOING TO GO.
YOU CALLED TRUMP A COWARD FOR
NOT GOING.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ON THE
DEBATE STAGE IF HE'S NOT THERE?
ARE YOU GOING TO SAY THAT TO RON
DeSANTIS?
WILL YOUR ATTACKS BE AGAINST TIM
SCOTT AND DeSANTIS WHO STOOD BY
TRUMP IN ALL OF THESE
INDICTMENTS?
>> POPPY, I HAVE A VERY SIMPLE
DEBATE STRATEGY.
I'LL LISTEN TO THE QUESTIONS,
ANSWER THEM DIRECTLY AND
HONESTLY, AND IF SOMEONE UP
THERE SAYS SOMETHING I BELIEVE
IS DISHONEST, CALL THEM OUT ON
IT.
THAT'S IT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE
COMPLICATED STRATEGY THAN THAT.
I DON'T AND I DOESN'T THINK YOU
NEED ONE.
I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT
TO SEE WHAT'S YOUR PLAN FOR THE
FUTURE, ARE YOU STRONG ENOUGH TO
BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THEM, AND
ARE YOU WILLING TO PUT YOURSELF
IN FRONT OF THEM AND ANSWER
WHATEVER QUESTIONS COME FROM TWO
I THINK THEY GOOD, CREDIBLE
INTERVIEWERS.
BRET BAIER AND MARTHA.
ALL OF THESE PEOPLE GOING
THROUGH STRATEGY STUFF AND
COMING UP WITH CANNED LINES AND
ALL THE REST OF IT, IT DOESN'T
WORK ALL THAT WELL.
>> YEAH, YOU POINTED THAT OUT --
>> YOU CALLED MARCO RUBIO THAT.
>> COVERING YOUR CAMPAIGN AT THE
TIME, TO THAT POINT, THOUGH,
YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AROUND AND
SAYING THAT'S MY BIGGEST PROBLEM
IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
THAT INDIVIDUAL IS THE BIGGEST
HURDLE I HAVE TO BECOME THE
CLEAR KIND OF CONTRAST TO DONALD
TRUMP HERE.
YOU'RE NOT THINKING THROUGH ANY
OF THAT.
JUST GOING IN AND RESPONDING?
>> THAT'S RIGHT, PHIL.
AND, BY THE WAY, MY BIGGEST
PROBLEM AND WHAT I'M FOCUSED ON
AS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FOR THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY FOR DEFEATING
JOE BIDEN AND THAT'S DONALD J.
TRUMP.
BY THE TIME WE GET TO THAT STAGE
WEDNESDAY NIGHT, GUYS, HE IS
MORE LIKELY THAN NOT GOING TO BE
OUT ON BAIL IN FOUR DIFFERENT
JURISDICTIONS.
THINK ABOUT THAT.
OUT ON BAIL.
I MEAN, THE FIRST QUESTION MAYBE
SHOULD BE FROM BRET BAIER,
DONALD TRUMP, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO
US WHAT THE RESTRICTIONS THAT
WERE PLACED ON YOU BY ALL FOUR
DIFFERENT COURTS ARE AS A
CONDITION OF YOUR RELEASE FROM
CUSTODY?
IMAGINE THAT WE HAVE A
FRONT-RUNNER WHO HAS TO ANSWER
THOSE TYPE OF QUESTIONS.
I'M FOCUSED ON THAT BECAUSE I'M
NOT FOCUSED ON ANY ONE
PARTICULAR PERSON EXCEPT FOR THE
PERSON WHO IS AHEAD OF ME AND IN
NEW HAMPSHIRE, NOW THAT I'VE
PASSED DONALD TRUMP, OR RATHER
RON DeSANTIS, MY NEXT JOB IS TO
PASS DONALD TRUMP THERE.
THAT'S WHAT I AM FOCUSED ON,
PHIL, IS DONALD TRUMP.
>> WERE YOU SURPRISED GIVEN YOU
KNOW THE FORMER PRESIDENT AND
HIS PENCHANT FOR TAKING ADVICE
OR NOT TAKING ADVICE, THAT HE
CANCELED THAT MONDAY PRESS
CONFERENCE HE SET UP BECAUSE OF
HIS LAWYERS?
>> NO, I'M NOT SURPRISED BY IT
BECAUSE WHAT HE NOW KNOWS IS,
HE'S FACING JAIL TIME.
AND HE CAN'T MAKE HIS SITUATION
MUCH WORSE AND EXPECT HIS
LAWYERS TO BE ABLE TO DO
ANYTHING TO HELP HIM.
WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE DONE, PHIL,
IS LISTEN TO HIS LAWYERS BACK IN
THE WHITE HOUSE BETWEEN NOVEMBER
OF 2020 AND JANUARY 20th OF 2021
WHEN THEY TOLD HIM, IF YOU
CONTINUE WITH THIS ELECTION
INTERFERENCE ACTIVITY, YOU ARE
GOING TO SPEND THE REST OF YOUR
LIFE DEALING WITH THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM.
BILL BARR SAID THAT YESTERDAY
THAT THAT'S WHAT HE WAS TOLD NOT
ONLY BY BILL BARR, HIS ATTORNEY
GENERAL AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, BUT HE WAS
TOLD THAT BY HIS WHITE HOUSE
COUNSEL AS WELL, PAT CIPOLLONE.
MAYBE HE WOULDN'T BE UNDER
INDICTMENT IN FOUR JURISDICTIONS
TODAY, AND HE WOULDN'T BE
PUTTING THE COUNTRY THROUGH
THIS.
HE'S NOT DOING THIS FOR US.
HE IS DOING THIS BECAUSE HE
CAN'T HELP HIMSELF, AND I THINK
THE FIRST SMART DECISION HE'S
MADE IN THIS REGARD IN A LONG
TIME WAS CANCELING THAT
RIDICULOUS PRESS CONFERENCE
MONDAY WHERE HE WAS GOING TO
UNVEIL EVIDENCE TO US HE'S
APPARENTLY BEEN HIDING FROM THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR NEARLY THREE
YEARS.
I DON'T THINK SO.
I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
ANOTHER JUNIOR SHOW OF "THE
APPRENTICE" WE WOULD HAVE BEEN
WATCHING ON TELEVISION.
>> RESPONDING TO THE DeSANTIS
CAMPAIGN ATTACK ON YOU,
AUDITIONING AS AN MSNBC SHOW,
THERE'SING THERE POLLING.
QUINNIPIAC SAYS 32% OF DEMOCRATS
HAVE A FAVORABLE VIEW OF YOU
VERSUS 17% OF REPUBLICANS, AND
YOU'RE THE MOST FAVORED
REPUBLICAN IN ANOTHER POLL AMONG
DEMOCRATIC VOTERS.
THAT'S GREAT FOR GENERAL BUT IS
IT OUT OF STEP WITH WHERE THE
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY ELECTORATE
IS?
>> LOOK, POPPY, I HAD NO
QUESTION ABOUT THE FACT THAT
WHEN YOU WANT TO TELL THE TRUTH
ABOUT DONALD TRUMP THAT IN THE
BEGINNING THERE ARE GOING TO BE
PEOPLE WHO WILL REACT
UNFAVORABLY TO THAT.
AND I GET THAT.
BUT OVER TIME WHAT PEOPLE NEED
TO UNDERSTAND IS I'M THE ONLY
ONE TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT
DONALD TRUMP.
AND WHAT THAT SHOWS YOU IS, AND
THEY DIDN'T BREAK OUT THE
NUMBERS AMONG INDEPENDENTS,
WHICH ARE EVEN BETTER THAN THE
NUMBERS YOU SHOWED FOR ME.
THAT'S WHAT REPUBLICANS ARE
GOING TO HAVE TO DO TO WIN THE
PRESIDENCY IN NOVEMBER.
LET ME SAY THIS, POPPY, I'M
ABOUT BEATING JOE BIDEN.
I DON'T WANT JOE BIDEN OR KAMALA
HARRIS BACK IN OFFICE.
I THINK THEY'VE BEEN A DISASTER.
WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO CAN
BEAT THEM.
DONALD TRUMP CANNOT BEAT THEM.
I'M THE PERSON, BY THE WAY, WHEN
I RAN FOR RE-ELECTION IN NEW
JERSEY, I WON WITH 61% OF THE
VOTE IN ONE OF THE BLUEST STATES
IN AMERICA, AND DID SO BY
WINNING 51% OF THE HISPANIC
VOTE, 29% OF THE AFRICAN
AMERICAN VOTE, AND OVER 70% OF
THE INDEPENDENT VOTE.
AND THAT'S THE KIND OF FORMULA
YOU'RE GOING TO NEED FOR THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY TO GO BACK TO
WINNING A MAJORITY OF THE
POPULAR VOTE AND THE ELECTORAL
VOTE IN NOVEMBER OF 2024, AND
THAT'S WHAT THOSE NUMBERS TELL
ME. >> YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT,
THOUGH, IN THE SENSE OF WHAT I'M
INTERESTED IN EXPLORING HERE,
YOU MENTIONED BILL BARR EARLIER
AND HOW SHARPLY HE'S TURNED
AGAINST THE FORMER PRESIDENT
BECAUSE OF WHAT'S TRANSPIRED AND
YOU MENTIONED THAT IT WAS GOING
TO BE HARD EARLY IN A REPUBLICAN
PRIMARY GIVEN HOW PEOPLE VIEW
TRUMP WITH REPUBLICANS.
BILL BARR, EVEN YESTERDAY,
SAYING WOULD NOT COMMIT TO NOT
VOTING FOR THE FORMER PRESIDENT
AGAIN. I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO THIS.
>> I'VE ALREADY EXPLAINED THAT
IF I THOUGHT THAT ONE OF TWO
PEOPLE IS GOING TO END UP AS THE
PRESIDENT THAT I WOULDN'T THROW
MY VOTE AWAY.
I WOULD TRY TO MAKE A DECISION
WHO WOULD DO THE LEAST DAMAGE TO
THE COUNTRY.
BUT IF THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS I
WOULD CONSIDER --
>> WOULD YOU JUST NOT VOTE FOR
PRESIDENT?
>> IF ONE OF TWO PEOPLE WILL
MAKE THE TICKET I WOULD HAVE TO
MAKE THE BITTER CHOICE.
>> IT'S CON SECHABLE BILL BARR
COULD VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP?
>> WELL, AS I SAID, I'LL JUMP
OFF THAT BRIDGE WHEN I GET TO
IT.
>> OTHER THAN YOU I'M NOT SURE
ANYBODY ELSE THAT HIGH LEVEL OF
REPUBLICAN OFFICIAL HAS BEEN SO
VISCERAL IN THEIR CRITICISM AND
COLORFUL TO SOME DEGREE, OF THE
FORMER PRESIDENT.
ISN'T THAT THE PROBLEM, THAT YOU
HAVE REPUBLICANS WHO SAY
EXPLICITLY HE'S TERRIBLE FOR THE
COUNTRY.
HE SHOULD NEVER BE PRESIDENT
AGAIN. AND THEN THEM GET ASKED, WILL
YOU VOTE FOR HIM AGAIN?
AND WON'T COMMIT ONE WAY OR THE
OTHER.
IF YOU CAN'T BREAK THROUGH THAT,
THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR CANDIDATES
LIKE YOURSELF, ISN'T IT?
>> I DON'T THINK SO, PHIL.
LISTEN, I THINK BILL BARR MADE
IT VERY CLEAR HE'S NOT
SUPPORTING DONALD TRUMP IN THE
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FOR
PRESIDENT.
>> BUT HE'S ONE OF THOSE THAT
SHOULD BE THE EASIEST TO GET TO
SAY EXPLICITLY, YOU HAVE TO GET
PEOPLE TO SAY I'M NOT GOING TO
VOTE FOR HIM, PERIOD, IN ORDER
TO SHIFT THE PRIMARY ELECTORATE
TO SOME DEGREE.
>> NO.
NO, PHIL.
STEP ONE TO GET THEM TO VOTE FOR
YOU IN THE PRIMARY.
THAT'S STEP ONE.
BILL BARR MADE IS CLEAR HE'S NOT
VOTING FOR DONALD TRUMP IN THE
PRIMARY AND HE CAN HE CAN EXPEC
SOMEONE ELSE TO BE THE NOMINEE.
I BET HE'LL VOTE FOR ME.
HE'LL HAVE TO ANSWER THAT
QUESTION HIMSELF WHEN HE GOES
INTO A VOTING BOOTH.
IN THE END, WHAT I SAY TO YOU IS
THAT JOB ONE IS TO GET
REPUBLICANS TO COME TO THE SAME
CONCLUSION BILL BARR HAS COME
TO, WHICH IS DONALD TRUMP IS BAD
FOR THE PARTY BECAUSE HE CAN'T
BEAT JOE BIDEN, AND BAD FOR THE
COUNTRY BAECAUSE OF THINGS HE HS
DONE WHILE PRESIDENT AND MOST
PARTICULARLY IN THE POST
PRESIDENCY PERIOD.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT
WORRIED ABOUT THE GENERAL
ELECTION AT THE MOMENT AND WHAT
PEOPLE I CAN PERSUADE TO VOTE
FOR ME THEN.
I WILL GET THEM TO VOTE FOR ME
NOW SO WE NEVER HAVE TO CONFRONT
THE BRIDGE BILL BARR SAID HE WAS
PREPARED TO JUMP OFF.
I'LL GIVE HIM A BREAK.
I'LL BE THE CANDIDATE FOR
PRESIDENT, AND THEN HE WON'T
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT JUMPING OFF
ANY BRIDGE.
TOO BRIGHT A LEGAL MIND TO HAVE
HIM COMMIT SUICIDE.