pressure on his brain.
>>> In the meantime, some top
contenders in the GOP
presidential race are on the
move.
Former president Donald Trump
will travel to east palestine
Ohio, yes, east palestine, Ohio
on Wednesday to meet with
community members in the wake of
that toxic train derailment
earlier this month.
This as Ron Desantis heads to
New York to speak at a pro law
enforcement rally.
Trump lashed out at his
potential rival, announcing in a
1:00 A.M. Truth social rant, he
will no longer call Desantis
"Meatball Ron," a reference to
him being Italian, I suppose,
saying Jeb Bush is his hero, his
beaches was closed for a long
time.
His testing for the China virus
can't work out and loyalty
skills are weak.
Joining us to unpack that is
former trump administration
official Gavin Smith and Paul
begala.
Paul, you know, reading the
truth socials, just sort of
feels like, you know, I don't
want to read the tweets any
more.
Help us unpack what's going on
between trump and Ron Desantis.
It does indicate he's worried
about the governor from Florida.
There's no other way around it,
right?
>> Yeah.
It sounds like it.
I heard your comment about
president Carter.
One of my old friends in Georgia
always used to say a hit dog
will holler, meaning Mr. Trump
is barking because he's hit.
He's worried and scared of
governor Desantis.
I think trump is the betting
favorite, but it's not my
favorite.
But he's scared and that's why
he's doing it.
>> Gavin, what do you think
about trump is going to be going
to east palestine, Ohio.
I can't imagine it would be the
last thing in that folks need is
the trump circus rolling into
town, and you worked in that
campaign, worked in that
administration, so you know what
that is all about.
What do you make of all that?
>> I think you said it best.
At the end of the day, Donald
Trump is his own worst enemy.
Nikki Haley has been getting a
lot of slack for not taking him
on.
But why should she?
Donald Trump is going to do
himself in.
At the end of the day, Donald
Trump, you know, in fact,
somewhat I would say to you,
Jim, the other day I was talking
to a grassroots person in south
Carolina.
They told me we love 90% of the
policies from the trump
administration.
But we hate 90% of what he says.
Why do you want that rolling
into town when it comes to
Donald Trump?
>> Paul, your sense of it, trump
is going to try to make a
campaign event out of what is
going on in east palestine?
It boggles the mind.
>> Of course, I think it's a
good thing to shine a light on
what's happening to those folks
there.
>> For sure.
>> I don't know enough about it.
So that could be a very good
thing.
If Mr. Trump was capable of
turning the spotlight off
himself and put it on those
families, that are in a lot of
pain and fear, I worry he can't.
And this is based on many years
of observing him.
He's not good in empathy.
The way that other presidents,
bush or Clinton or others were.
And he's not good at shifting
the spotlight off of him.
So I think this is a high risk
event for Mr. Trump.
This is a time when everybody
should be focusing on that
community and their needs, and I
think he tends perhaps to want
all the attention for himself.
>> Yeah.
How is that going to work if he
goes to east palestine where all
these folks are in so much pain,
and he's going through his
grievances about the election
and everything else.
It doesn't sound like it will
land well.
Gavin, you were talking about
South Carolina and Nikki Haley
announced she's running.
When you look at the latest
polls, and I probably should hit
myself talking about polls this
early, but the polls are really
show thing is already shaping up
for a Desantis versus trump
race.
I know you talked with some of
the Nikki Haley folks.
Does she really think she can
emerge from this field and be
perhaps that person who is going
one on one with trump as this
process grinds on?
>> Yeah.
You know, Jim, I have a couple
of things to say.
I'm sitting across from my
office.
And in my office there is a
replica of a sign that used to
hang on the sign of governor
Nikki Haley's office, which
says, can't is not an option.
I truly believe that is her
mantra.
If she didn't believe she could
be president, she wouldn't run.
When we talk about polls, what
we should be talking about is
there is an ap poll that says
six out of ten Republicans say
it's a bad thing that Donald
Trump would be at the top of the
tick net 2024.
That's a bad number for Donald
Trump.
You know, another thing related
to a poll is when we look back
at 2016, what do the polls tell
us?
Donald Trump would never be
president.
Jeb Bush was the front runner.
Scott walker was a strong
contender.
So I think it's a little early
to look at polls.
And I think she has what it
takes to be the GOP
front-runner.
>> Paul, let me ask you this,
this is a development that
happened over the weekend that
deserves more attention.
The Michigan Republican party
chose former secretary of state
candidate Christina caramo, I
hope I'm saying her name
correctly, to be the new state
party chair, a trump loyalist
who made the claim about the
existence of demons and calling
abortion a satanic practice, and
is an election denier.
That's not small potatoes,
that's a large political party.
What does that say about the
state of the Republican party
right now?
>> In some places it's going
through a crackup.
It makes no sense for Michigan
Republicans to double down on
election denying.
For the first time since 1982,
40 years the Democrats control
the governorship, the attorney
general, secretary of state, the
house, senate, state board of
education and the supreme court.
This hasn't happened in decades
in Michigan.
It's a razor's edge state, a
state Donald Trump carried by
10,000 votes in 2016 and lost by
150,000 to Joe Biden.
So in the wake of that, why has
Michigan gone so hard against
the Republicans?
Some of it is Democrats are
doing a good job.
Governor Whitmer is fantastic.
But there is also a revulsion to
extremism in the eyes of
Michigan voters.
It's where they need to not be.
I guess as a Democrat I would be
happy.
But as a professional, it's
malpractice to double down on
what just cost you the
statehouse, state senate,
attorney generalship, the
governorship, the supreme court
and the school board.
Other than that, they've been on
a win streak in Michigan.
>> Yeah.