TOP STORY WITH TOM LLAMAS,
WEEKDAYS AT 7:00 ON NBC NEWS
NOW.
>>> WELCOME BACK.
WE HAVE SOME 2024 ELECTION NEWS
TO GET TO.
SENATOR JON TESTER ANNOUNCED
TODAY THAT HE WILL BE SEEKING
RE-ELECTION.
HE WAS FIRST ELECTED IN 2006,
AND SURVIVE MULTIPLE ELECTIONS
IN A REPUBLICAN STATE.
THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR DEMOCRATS,
WHO DID NOT HAVE A PLAN B IF
TESTER SAID NO.
WE HAVE A GREAT PANEL. JOINING
ME NOW IS EUGENE DANIELS,
SENIOR ADVISER AT THE STRATEGIC VICTORY FUND, STEPHANIE
VICTORY FUND, STEPHANIE
SCHRIOCK, BUT THE TESTER NEWS --
MORE LIKE A SENSE OF RELIEF TO
DEMOCRATS.
>> YOU HEAR A COLLECTIVE SIDE
THROUGHOUT WASHINGTON, D.C. AND
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN B OR A PLAN C
>> IT'S GOING TO BE A ROUGH
MOUNTAIN FOR DEMOCRATS IN 2024,
SO THEY ARE TRYING TO HOLD ONTO
INCUMBENTS AS MUCH AS THEY CAN
IN THE STATES LIKE MONTANA,
WEST VIRGINIA, THESE REPUBLICAN
LEANING STATES.
>> YOU MANAGE THAT 2006 RACE.
>> I DID.
AND, I TALKED TO THE BIG MAN
TODAY.
HE IS DOING GOOD.
>> YOU CONVINCED ME A WHILE AGO
THAT HE WAS MORE LIKELY TO RUN,
THAT HE IS TOO COMPETITIVE TO
WALK AWAY.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
HE ALSO LOVES HIS STATE.
>> THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN SENATOR MANCHIN AND
SENATOR TESTER IS, SENATOR
MANCHIN WILL GO OUT OF HIS WAY
TO MAKE SURE HE CRITICIZES THE
DEMOCRATS.
TESTER DOESN'T DO THAT.
DO YOU THINK HE NEEDS TO DO
THAT? >> TESTER NEEDS TO BE TESTER.
>> TESTER NEEDS TO BE TESTER.
THAT IS ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE.
IT HASN'T CHANGED ONE BIT.
THE GUY IS THE SAME GUY AS HE
WAS THEN.
HE IS THE GUY WE ALL GREW UP
WITHIN MONTANA.
HE IS POPULAR.
EVERYBODY LIKES HIM.
HE SAYS IT LIKE IT IS.
HE GETS ALONG WITH EVERYBODY,
TRIES TO WORK WITH EVERYBODY.
HE LOVES MONTANA AND MONTANA
LOVES HIM.
THE DEMOCRATS ARE RELIEVED.
MONTANA IS RELIEVED HE IS
RUNNING AGAIN.
>> WHY DO YOU THINK REPUBLICANS
HAVE STRUGGLED TO DEFEAT HIM IN
THE PAST?
>> WELL, HE HAS A LIBERAL VOTING RECORD.
VOTING RECORD.
IN 2018, WE HEARD -- THE BEST
DEMOCRATIC YEAR OF OUR LIVES,
HE GETS 50%, ON THE DOT.
>> IT WAS THE FIRST TIME HE HAD
EVER GOTTEN TO 50%.
>> THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN
THIS TIME. MITCH McCONNELL'S PACK SPENT 2
MITCH McCONNELL'S PACK SPENT 2
1. REPUBLICANS HAVE TO HAVE --
I DON'T THINK McCONNELL MAKES
THAT MISTAKE AGAIN.
>> I WANT TO PIVOT TO
PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS.
I WANT TO PLAY THIS FROM MIKE
PENCE TODAY.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE 2022
ELECTION CYCLE, IT IS AN
AFFIRMATION THAT ELECTIONS ARE
ABOUT THE FUTURE.
OUR CANDIDATES THAT WERE
FOCUSED ON THE PAST,
PARTICULARLY, ON RELITIGATING
THE LAST ELECTION, DID NOT DO
WELL, INCLUDING IN AREAS WE
SHOULD'VE DONE WELL IN.
I HAVE SAID I THINK WE WILL
HAVE BETTER CHOICES.
I THINK WE ARE GOING TO HAVE
BETTER CHOICES.
>> WELL, THAT WAS NOT THE CLIP
I MEANT TO PLAY.
THE CLIP I MEANT TO PLAY WAS
HIM DECIDING THAT HE IS NOT
AFRAID OF TOUCHING MEDICARE AND
SOCIAL SECURITY, AND SAYING,
THESE NEED TO BE REFORMED.
>> WELL, I THINK VICE PRESIDENT
PENCE IS LOOKING FOR HIS LANE.
HE IS IN A CROWDED FIELD, AND
HE IS LOOKING FOR A SLICKER
PART OF THE TRACK.
HE IS TRYING TO REVIVE THE RYAN
WING OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
AND, I DON'T THINK IT WILL WORK.
I THINK REALIGNMENT HAS MOVED
PAST THAT.
>> THERE IS NOT A VOTING
ELECTORATE FOR THIS?
>> I DON'T THINK THERE IS A
VOTING ELECTORATE, BECAUSE THEY
SENSE THE POLITICAL
IMPOSSIBILITY OF IT. VOTERS HAVE BECOME PRAGMATIC.
VOTERS HAVE BECOME PRAGMATIC.
THAT IS WHY DEMOCRATS -- THEY
ARE PRAGMATIC.
I DON'T THINK THERE WILL BE A
MARKET FOR IT.
>> IT HAS BEEN INTERESTING TO
WATCH PENCE.
HE IS LIKE, I'M GOING TO RUN
THE RACE I WANT TO RUN.
HE IS ALSO NOT SHYING AWAY FROM
BEING INVOLVED IN THE
ADMINISTRATION THAT OVERTURNED
ROE V. WADE.
HE IS EMBRACING IT MORE THAN
DONALD TRUMP IS.
>> HE IS GOING TO HAVE TO DO
THINKS HE IS COMPLETELY
UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IF HE WANTS
ANY CHANCE.
>> WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?
>> PEOPLE WHO LOOK AT, TALK
ABOUT THE OLD BRACES, NOT
LOOKING FORWARD.
THEY ARE SAYING, NO.
YOU HAVE TO SAY, THE GUY THAT I
WORKED WITH, I LIKE WHAT WE DID
IN THOSE FOUR YEARS, BUT NOW WE
ARE LOOKING FORWARD.
THAT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING HE IS
UNCOMFORTABLE DOING.
IF HE IS GOING TO POP OUT, A
LOT OF THESE FOLKS, NIKKI
HALEY, ANYONE WHO WORKED UNDER
DONALD TRUMP, THEY HAVE TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO REINSTATE
THEMSELVES, OTHER THAN PICKING
ENTITLEMENT REFORM.
THEY HAVE TO GO RIGHT AT DONALD
TRUMP.
>> OF HIS, YOU WOULD LOVE TO
SEE MIKE PENCE AS THE
REPUBLICAN NOMINEE, BECAUSE IT
WOULD GIVE DEMOCRATS TWO EASY
ISSUES, RIGHT?
>> YES, IT WOULD.
EVEN THOUGH YOU SEE DONALD
TRUMP IN THE POLLS, ALL THESE
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO JUMP IN,
AND HERE WE GO AGAIN.
WE HAVE BEEN TO THIS RODEO.
DONALD TRUMP SWINGS HARD, AND
YOU HAVE TO SWING BACK.
I'M JUST NOT SEEING THESE
REPUBLICANS WILLING TO SWING
BACK AT HIM.
I DON'T SEE IT.
THEN, WE WILL END UP WITH
WINNER TAKE ALL RACES THROUGH
THE PRIMARY SEASON.
YOU WILL SEE TRUMP IN THE LEAD
REALLY QUICKLY.
>> I WAS MILDLY SURPRISED TO SEE
-- I THOUGHT IT WAS A BIT RISKY
FOR TRUMP TO GO TO EAST
PALESTINE.
THAT JUST SEEMED LIKE A RISKY
THING.
>> IT IS A PART OF THE COUNTRY,
AND A DEMOGRAPHIC THAT IS KEY
TO HIS COALITION.
HE IS GOING THERE FOR BRAND
PROTECTION.
>> THAT I GET.
>> HE IS A RIVERBOAT GAMBLER IN
POLITICS.
HE HAS LIVED THERE A LOT OF
GAMBLES THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT.
TO YOUR POINT, THE FACT ABOUT
WINNER TAKE ALL, THAT IS DONALD
TRUMP'S BEST STRATEGY RIGHT NOW.
HOPING THAT THE REPUBLICAN
PRIMARY GIVES A LOT OF ITS
DELEGATES TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE A
PLURALITY NOWHERE CLOSE TO 50.
HOWEVER, I DO THINK THAT A LOT
OF REPUBLICANS, YOU WILL SEE A
LOT OF REPUBLICANS WITH DONALD
TRUMP BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT HE
WAS GOING TO WIN, NOW NOT BE
WITH DONALD TRUMP BECAUSE THEY
DON'T THINK YOU CAN WIN.
>> THE SAME PRAGMATISM THAT
TOOK THEM THERE WILL TAKE THEM
AWAY.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS, WHEN I
TALK TO REPUBLICAN STRATEGISTS
THAT HOPE DONALD TRUMP IS NOT
THE NOMINEE, EVERY REPUBLICAN
KNOWS AND HAS NOT LEARNED THE
LESSON OF, ONE ON ONE WITH
DONALD TRUMP IS BAD.
BECAUSE, YOU HAVE HIS 34 TO 40%
THAT IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE
EVERY TIME THEY GO TO ONE OF
THE STATES.
ALL OF THESE REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATES AND STRATEGISTS
THINK THAT THEY SHOULD BE THE
PERSON, BUT THEY END UP WITH AN
EIGHT OR NINE PERSON TEAM ON
STAGE.
THAT IS ROUGHER.
>> JOE MANCHIN DOESN'T PUT AWAY
THIS IDEA THAT HE MIGHT RUN FOR
PRESIDENT ON THE UNITY TICKET,
INDEPENDENT, WHATEVER YOU WANT
TO CALL IT.
I THINK, I AM GUESSING THERE IS
DEEP SKEPTICISM THAT IN A
POLARIZED CLIMATE, ANYBODY CAN
SPLIT THE MIDDLE.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT
FLIRTATION?
>> I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR HIS
POLITICS.
>> YOU THINK IT IS A PRIMARY
STRATEGY?
>> HOW DO I HOLD THE SEAT IN
WEST VIRGINIA?
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO MAKE
SURE I DON'T LOOK ALIGNED WITH
THE PARTY.
TALK ABOUT MONTANA BEING
REPUBLICAN, WEST VIRGINIA IS A
WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL OF
REPUBLICAN.
I WOULD THINK OF IT MORE AS A
GENERAL CHANCE TO SURVIVE IN
WEST VIRGINIA.
>> I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY, HOW
CAN HE RUN FOR PRESIDENT WHEN
HE, BASICALLY, IS THE AUTHOR OF
THE PRESIDENTS SIGNATURE
LEGISLATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS?
>> IT IS ALL THEATER, AND JOE