WITH HIS TAKE ON AMBASSADOR BILL >>> JOINING US NOW FROM
WASHINGTON, D.C. WITH A LOOK AT
"AXIOS" AND POLITICAL REPORTER
FOR "AXIOS," ALEXIA McCANN NON.
WHAT IS THE ONE BIG THING FOR
TODAY?
TODAY? >> GOOD MORNING TO YOU GUYS, AND
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT HOW
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS SPENDING GOBS
OF MONEY ON DIGITAL ADs AT A
NATIONAL SCALE.
NATIONAL SCALE. WHEN YOU DRILL DOWN AND LOOK AT
THE LOCAL STATE BY STATE
BREAKDOWN THERE’S A TOTALLY
DIFFERENT STORY BEING TOLD.
THERE’S A MAJOR OUTSIDE
DEMOCRATIC GROUP THAT IS
OUTSPENDING PRESIDENT TRUMP ON
DIGITAL ADs ON FACEBOOK IN THE
KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES OF
FLORIDA, MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN,
AND PENNSYLVANIA, AND THAT
MATTERS BECAUSE WHILE
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ACROSS
THE BOARD HAVE SO FAR SPEND
$61 MILLION ON DIGITAL ADs
THAT’S AT A NATIONAL SCALE AND
THE STATE BY STATE BREAKDOWN WE
HAVE ON A CHART AT "AXIOS"
MATTERS.
MATTERS. THAT’S WHERE THIS ELECTION WILL
BE DECIDED IN KEY BATTLEGROUND
STATES.
STATES. >> TALK TO US ABOUT HOW THE
PRESIDENT’S AGGRESSIVE SPENDING
PUSH ONLINE IS RESHAPING THE
GROUND GAME FOR DEMOCRATS IN
SOME OF THESE BATTLEGROUND
STATES?
STATES? >> I THINK AGGRESSIVE IS A
REALLY GOOD USE OF A WORD FOR
THIS BECAUSE PRESIDENT TRUMP IS
BOTH BEING AGGRESSIVE AND
CREATIVE IN THE WAY THAT HE IS
MAKING THIS ONLINE AD PUSH
ACROSS FACEBOOK, GOOGLE AND
YOUTUBE.
YOUTUBE. HE’S REALLY USING SOME OF THESE
MORE INCENDIARY TOPICS, MOST
RECENTLY ON IMPEACHMENT AS WE
ALL KNOW ON FACEBOOK TO TRY TO
RAISE MONEY, BUT THAT DOESN’T
REALLY CHANGE THINGS FOR THE
GROUND GAME FOR DEMOCRATS ON THE
GROUND.
GROUND. IT MIGHT CHANGE THINGS FOR HOW
THEY’RE ADVERTISING.
THEY’RE ADVERTISING. SO FAR WE’RE SEEING DEMOCRATS
LIKE THE PRIORITIES USA GROUP
FOCUS ON KITCHEN TABLE ISSUES
LIKE THE ECONOMY OR HEALTH CARE
BUT WE’VE ALSO SEEN FOLKS LIKE
ELIZABETH WARREN COME OUT WITH
AN AD CRITICIZING MARK
ZUCKERBERG ON FACEBOOK.
>> LET ME GET YOUR THOUGHTS
QUICKLY ON THE 2020 FIELD ON THE
DEMOCRATIC SIDE SINCE THE
DEBATES IN OHIO LAST WEEK.
WHICH CANDIDATE HAS BEEN ABLE TO
GARNER ENOUGH ATTENTION TO STAND
OUT OF THE CROWD, DO YOU THINK?
>> YOU KNOW, I WAS IN
WESTERVILLE, OHIO, FOR THE
DEBATES AND WHEN YOU’RE ON THE
GROUND FOR THESE THINGS, IT
FEELS LIKE IT’S THE CENTER OF
THE UNIVERSE AND LIKE EVERYONE
IS PAYING ATTENTION AND WILL BE
FOR DAYS TO COME, BUT WE AT
"AXIOS" GOT EXCLUSIVE DATA THAT
SHOWED THAT ACTUALLY A LOT OF
THE DEBATE TOPICS DIDN’T
BREAKTHROUGH THE ONLINE NOISE.
THE STORIES WITH THE MOST
ENGAGEMENT ONLINE LAST WEEK
ACCORDING TO THIS DATA HAD TO DO
WITH TULSI GABBARD AND HER FEUD
WITH HILLARY CLINTON, AOC
ENDORSING BERNIE SANDERS AND
WARREN TAKING ON THE BILLIONAIRE
BILLIONAIRES
BILLIONAIRES BILLIONAIRES.
BILLIONAIRES. WHILE TULSI GABBARD AND
ELIZABETH WARREN ARE RUNNING FOR
PRESIDENT, THAT ENGAGEMENT AND
ONLINE ATTENTION WASN’T
NECESSARILY TIED TO THE DEBATES.
>> I WANT TO TOUCH ON THE
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY, HOUSE INTEL
CHAIR ADAM SCHIFF TAKING ON A
VERY PROMINENT ROLE AMIDST THE
TRUMP IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
WHY IS THAT SO SIGNIFICANT?
>> IF WE THINK BACK TO PRESIDENT
BILL CLINTON’S IMPEACHMENT
TRIAL, KEN STARR, THE
INDEPENDENT SPECIAL COUNSEL AND
INVESTIGATOR WAS SORT OF THE
FACE OF THAT INQUIRY AND TRIAL.
DEMOCRATS HAVEN’T RULED OUT THE
FACT OF HAVING AN OUTSIDE
SPECIAL COUNSEL COME TO OVERSEE
THIS PROCESS BUT THEY HAVEN’T
HAD ONE YET AND THAT HAS MADE
CHAIRMAN ADAM SCHIFF THE SORT OF
DE FACTO FACE OF PRESIDENT
TRUMP’S IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
HE SORT OF HAS THIS DUAL HAT
ROLE THAT HE’S ASSUMING WHERE
HE’S OBVIOUSLY A KEY COMMITTEE
CHAIRMAN, BUT HE’S ALSO TAKING
THE ROLE AND ASSUMING THE ROLE
OF THE CHIEF INVESTIGATOR, AND I
THINK THAT DEMOCRATS ARE REALLY
DRAWN TO HIS INTELLIGENCE
BACKGROUND, AND THAT’S SORT OF
WHY THEY’RE USING HIM TO SORT OF
BE THAT DE FACTO OVERSIGHT
LEADER FOR THIS INVESTIGATION.
>> ALL RIGHT, ALEXIA McCAMMOND
LIVE IN D.C.