THAT RATE IS SIMILAR TO THE HIGH
OF THE PANDEMIC.
>> Neil: THANKS, JACQUI.
WE’RE WAITING WHAT THE
PRESIDENT’S IDEAS ARE FOR
DEALING WITH THE SUPPLY CHAIN
DISRUPTIONS.
THEY’RE CONFIDENT THAT THERE
WILL BE GOODS ON SHELVES AND
STOCKS APLENTY BY THE HOLIDAY
SEASON.
IS THAT DOABLE?
LET’S GO TO TULSI GABBARD,
FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.
VERY GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> NICE TO SEE YOU, NEIL.
>> Neil: WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF
WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE, THE
INFLATION ISSUE THAT IS NOT
STOPPING, THE SUPPLY CHAIN
DISRUPTION.
THE PRESIDENT APPEARS FLAT
FOOTED HERE.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT?
>> YOU MENTIONED THEIR ANSWER TO
THIS CRISIS THAT EVERY DAY
AMERICANS ARE FACING ACROSS THE
COUNTRY IS TO PASS THIS MASSIVE
MULTI-TRILLION DOLLAR BILL.
THIS BILL WILL ONLY MAKE IT
WORSE.
THE GOVERNMENT IS TOO POWERFUL,
TOO BLOATED.
WHAT THIS BILL WILL DO IS MAKE
INFLATION WORSE.
IT’S GOING TO INCREASE THE
NATIONAL DEBT AND MAKE THINGS
HARDER FOR THE SMALL BUSINESSES.
ULTIMATELY IT’S GOING TO MAKE
PEOPLE MORE DEPENDENT ON A
GOVERNMENT THAT ALREADY IS
ENCROACHING TOO MUCH IN ALMOST
EVERY PART OF OUR LIVES.
SO I THINK IT’S MORE IMPORTANT
TO START TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE
ACTUALLY SOLVE THE REAL PROBLEM
HERE RATHER THAN THE DIRECTION
THAT THEY’RE TAKING WITH HEY,
LET’S JUST THROW MORE MONEY AT
IT AND THINK THAT GOVERNMENT IS
GOING TO BE THE ANSWER TO
EVERYTHING WHEN WE KNOW FOR A
FACT THAT IT’S NOT.
>> Neil: YOU KNOW, THERE’S -- I
DON’T KNOW IF BATTLE IS A FAIR
WORD BUT THIS BATTLE, IF YOU
WILL, OR DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN
PROGRESSIVES IN YOUR PARTY AND
THOSE MORE MODERATE, I WOULD PUT
YOU IN THE LATTER CAMP THAT ARE
WORRIED THIS IS GOING TO CREATE
MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES.
BUT PROGRESSIVES ARE STILL
PUSHING FOR PACKAGE CLOSER TO $2
TRILLION.
THEY’RE STILL PUSHING FOR THIS,
THEY THINK THEY HAVE THE VOTES
TO PULL IT OFF.
LET’S SAY THEY DO.
WHAT IS YOUR WORRY?
>> THOSE NUMBERS ARE ALMOST
MEANINGLESS.
THE NUMBERS HAVE SHIFTED.
IS IT ONE TRILLION, TWO, THREE,
SEVEN?
LOOK AT THEM TRYING TO
MANIPULATE THE LANGUAGE IN THE
BILLS TO COVER THE FACT THAT WE
DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH THIS IS
GOING TO COST.
WE DON’T KNOW STILL AS WE SIT
HERE TODAY WHAT IS ACTUALLY
GOING TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS
BILL.
THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY HAVE PUT
FORWARD IN THIS FRAME WORK IS SO
VAGUE THAT ULTIMATELY WHAT WILL
HAPPEN SO YOU’LL END UP WITH A
BUNCH OF BUREAUCRATS THAT ARE
UNACCOUNTABLE TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE MAKING DECISIONS HOW THE
TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE BEING
SPENT.
THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM
THAT WE’VE SEEN WITH ALL OF
THESE IDEAS THAT THEY’RE PUTTING
FORWARD.
UNACCOUNTABLE BUREAUCRATS BEING
EMPOWERED TO PUT THEIR NOSES IN
OUR EVERYDAY LIVES.
TAXPAYERS, WE END UP PAYING THEM
FOR TALKING AWAY OUR AUTONOMY
AND MICROMANAGING US.
>> Neil: CLOSE TO ALL DEMOCRATS
AND THIS IS BEFORE WHAT
TRANSPIRED IN VIRGINIA AND
NEW JERSEY, THE CLOSER THAN
EXPECTED CONTEST THERE, DIDN’T
THINK THAT JOE BIDEN WOULD BE
THEIR IDEAL PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE
IN 2024.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
>> I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
IT’S CLEAR AS WE SAW IN
VIRGINIA, IS A POSITIVE SIGN
THAT THEY’RE REJECTING THE KIND
OF DIVISIVENESS, RACIALIZATION
OF EVERYTHING IN THIS COUNTRY,
THE FOMENTING OF ANGER AND
HATRED THAT WE’RE SEEING COMING
FROM SO MANY OF MY FELLOW
DEMOCRATS.
THEY’RE STANDING UP AND SAYING,
HEY, WE WANT TO CHOOSE AN
OPTIMISTIC FUTURE, A HOPEFUL
FUTURE, A FUTURE WHERE WE CAN
LIVE UP TO THAT DREAM OF MARTIN
LUTHER KING ABOUT JUDGING EACH
OTHER BY OUR CHARACTER, NOT BY
THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN.
RESPECTING EACH OTHER AS FELLOW
AMERICANS AND DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS ACTUALLY COMING
TOGETHER TO WORK TOWARDS A
SHARED GOAL, A SHARED OBJECTIVE
OF DOING WHAT IS BEST FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE AND OUR COUNTRY.
THAT’S THE DIRECTION THAT WE
NEED TO HEAD IN AND I THINK THE
VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S ELECTION WAS
A POSITIVE INDICATION OF VOTERS
TAKING A STAND AND LETTING THEIR
VOICES BEING HEARD THROUGH THE
BALLOT BOX.
>> Neil: WE’LL BE GOING TO THE
PRESIDENT SHORTLY SPEAKING ON
THIS SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION,
CONGRESS WOMAN.
BUT JAMES CARVILLE SAYS THE
PROBLEM WASN’T LIKE A RIGHT OR
LEFT ISSUE, BUT THIS INCREASING
LECTURING ON THE PART OF THE
DEMOCRATS, THIS WOKISM THAT HE
SAYS IS HURTING THE PARTY,
DAMAGE, ITS MESSAGE AND DOING
MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THAT?
>> IT’S TRUE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE
IN POSITIONS OF POWER WHO
ARROGANTLY BELIEVE THAT THEY’RE
NOT ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE
AND WHO TREAT US LIKE WE’RE
STUPID, LIKE THEY KNOW BETTER,
THEY KNOW BEST WHAT IS GOOD FOR
US MORE THAN WE KNOW OURSELVES
AND ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS BLINDLY
FOLLOW ALONG AND LONG, IT’S NO
WONDER THAT PEOPLE ARE REJECTING
THAT.
IF THERE’S NO RESPECT FOR US AS
INDIVIDUALS, AS AMERICANS COMING
FROM OUR LEADERSHIP, THEN HOW
CAN THEY EXPECT THAT WE, THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, SHOULD OFFER
ANY RESPECT OR TRUST TOWARDS
THEM AND WHAT THEY’RE -- THAN
THEIR AGENDA.
THEIR AGENDA BEING ONE THAT IS
MORE ABOUT SERVING THEIR OWN
SELFISH INTERESTS, MORE POWER,
YOU KNOW, THEIR POLITICAL
INTERESTS THAN WHERE IT SHOULD
BE DIRECTED, WHICH IS EXACTLY ON
ADDRESSING THESE CHALLENGES AND
FRUSTRATIONS THAT THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE ARE FACING ACROSS OUR
COUNTRY.
>> Neil: IS THIS THE SAME JOE
BIDEN WHO IS PRESIDENT TODAY
THAT YOU WERE RUNNING AGAINST AS
A CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT?
>> YOU KNOW, I’VE ASKED JOE
BIDEN A FRIEND FOR MANY YEARS.
I’VE BEEN DISHEARTENED TO SEE
THE DIRECTION THAT HE’S TAKEN IN
THIS ADMINISTRATION THAT IS
UNDERMINING THE FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES OF OUR COUNTRY.
IT’S TEARING OUR COUNTRY APART
RATHER THAN WORKING TO BRING US
TOGETHER, TO FIND OUR WAY
FORWARD AND HAVE RESPECTFUL
DIALOGUE EVEN AS WE MAY HAVE
DISAGREEMENTS OR DIFFERENCES ON
DIFFERENT ISSUES, BUT COME
TOGETHER AS AMERICANS, TREATING
EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT AND I
THINK THAT’S -- IT’S SOMETHING
THAT MAKES ME SAD, TO BE QUITE
HONEST.
>> Neil: TULSI GABBARD, THANKS