>> Martha: TONIGHT THERE IS
A GROWING LIST OF THE
CANDIDATES EMERGING OF THE
POSSIBLE CONTENDERS TO BE THE
NEXT PERSON TO BE THE CHIEF OF
STAFF AT THE WHITE HOUSE AFTER
THE UNEXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT
THIS WEEKEND FROM THE FRONT
RUNNER NICK AYRES, THE CURRENT
CHIEF OF STAFF TO VICE
PRESIDENT PENCE HE WILL BE
LEAVING THE WHITE HOUSE AT THE
END OF THE YEAR.
SO THE LIST INCLUDES A WIDE
RANGE OF PLAYERS INCLUDING
U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
ROBERT LIGHTHIZER, TREASURY
SECRETARY STEVEN MNUCHIN.
BOTH OF THEM ARE PRETTY BUSY
WITH CHINA AND TRADE DEALS
GOING ON.
YOU HAVE CHRIS CHRISTIE THE
FORMER GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY
ALSO ON THE LIST.
MY NEXT GUEST, NORTH CAROLINA
CONGRESSMAN MARK MEADOWS.
HE JOINS US NOW AND CHAIRMAN
OF THE HOUSE FREE DOM --
FREEDOM CAUCUSES.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
>> THANK YOU, MARTHA.
>> YOU SAID IT WOULD BE AN
HONOR TO SERVE AS CHIEF OF
STAFF.
DO YOU WANT THE JOB?
>> IT’S NOT BEEN ANYTHING I
HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR.
MY LIFE CHANGED IN THE LAST 24
HOURS WHEN NICK AYRES DECIDED
NOT TO DO IT.
THERE WAS A STORY OUT THERE I
WAS ON A LIST.
I CAN SAY THIS.
THIS IS THE PRESIDENT’S
DECISION.
IT IS WELL WHERE HE PICKED
FROM A LOT OF WELL QUALIFIED
CANDIDATES AS YOU MENTIONED.
AT THE END OF THE DAY IS WHO
IS GOING TO SERVE HIM BEST AND
SERVE THE COUNTRY BEST.
RIGHT NOW I HAVE A GREAT JOB
REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE OF
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.
I WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
YET, AT THE SAME TIME THERE
NEEDS TO BE SOMEONE TO SUPPORT
THE PRESIDENT TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE INDEED MAKE AMERICA
GREAT AGAIN.
>> Martha: SO IT SOUNDS LIKE
IF YOU WERE OFFERED OFFERED THEJ
IF YOU WERE OFFERED OFFERED THEB
YOU WOULD SAY YES.
>> THERE IS A WHOLE LOT.
YOU DON’T ANSWER A QUESTION
BEFORE IT’S ASKED.
I CAN SAY THIS.
BECAUSE THIS IS AN HONOR, I’M
FAVORABLY INCLINED TO AT LEAST
HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
I GENERALLY DON’T TALK ABOUT
MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
SINCE NICK AYRES STEPPED DOWN
I HAVE NOT HAD A CONVERSATION
WITH THE PRESIDENT ABOUT THE
POTENTIAL.
IS BEEN MORE REPORT -- IT HAS
BEEN MORE REPORTING THAN
ANYTHING.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE HE HAS A
GOOD PARTNER TO MAKE SURE THAT
THE WHITE HOUSE WORKS WELL AND
WORKS ON BEHALF OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
>> Martha: DO YOU THINK JOHN
KELLY WAS NOT A GOOD PARTNER
AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IS
MISSING?
WHAT IS NEEDED IN THE JOB
RATTERLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT
IT’S YOU?
>> I CAN TELL YOU I WAS A FAN
OF JOHN KELLY.
HE HAS NOT ONLY SERVED OUR
COUNTRY WOMEN AS CHIEF OF
STAFF BUT SERVED OUR COUNTRY
IN HIS PREVIOUS CAREER.
I GNAW HIM IN THE PREVIOUS
CAREER AS A -- I KNEW HIM AS A
PREVIOUS CAREER AS A
THREE-STAR GENERAL.
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH
HIS ABILITIES OR INABILITIES
AS MUCH AS TRYING TO MAKE SURE
THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS SOMEONE
TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE CHIEF
OF STAFF JOB.
HISTORICALLY, THIS PRESIDENT
OR ANY OTHER PRESIDENT.
THE TENURE OF THE CHIEF OF
STAFF HAS NOT BEEN A LONG
FOUR-YEAR, FIVE-YEAR PROCESS.
IT’S A DEMANDING JOB.
KEEPS YOU ON CALL 24/7.
AS THE PRESIDENT LOOKS TO MAKE
A CHANGE, I THINK WHAT YOU
WILL SEE IS HE IS THOUGHTFUL
ABOUT IT.
AND ULTIMATELY MAKE THE RIGHT
DECISION.
WHETHER IT’S ME OR ANYBODY
ELSE.
>> Martha: I WANT TO MOVE
ON.
BUT ONE LAST QUESTION ON THAT.
WHAT WOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE
THING THE PERSON IN THE JOB
KNEADS TO DO ON DAY ONE --
NEEDS TO DO ON DAY ONE?
>> MAKE SURE YOU EMPOWER THE
STAFF THERE, ALLOW THE
PRESIDENT TO NOT ONLY INITIATE
THE THINGS HE THINGS ARE
IMPORTANT.
BUT PRIORITIZE THOSE WITH
CONGRESS.
SO, WHOMEVER IS CHOSEN FOR THE
JOB, IF THEY EMPOWER THE
CURRENT STAFF AND MAKING SURE
THAT THEY ACTUALLY ACT ON
BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
I THINK IT WILL BE CHIEF OF
STAFF THAT SERVES THE
PRESIDENT AND THE COUNTRY
WELL.
>> Martha: YOU HAVE NOT
DISCUSSED AND YOU DON’T HAVE A
MEETING SET UP TO TALK ABOUT
IT?
>> I DON’T.
GOOD FOLLOWUP QUESTION BUT I
DON’T.
>> Martha: WITH REGARD TO
THE INVESTIGATION, WHICH
DOESN’T GET A LOT OF ATTENTION
INTO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION,
THE D.O.J. DESIGNATED JOHN
HUBER TO LOOK INTO THIS.
THEY HAVE 6,000 PAGES OF
EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE GONE
THROUGH.
THE FOUNDATION RAISED $2.5
BILLION AND THEY ARE LOOKING
INTO THE POTENTIAL
INPROPRIETIES.
WHAT IS NEXT ON THE
INVESTIGATION?
>> I THINK FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE THEY WANT TO BRING
CLOSURE.
NOT JUST SOUND BITES HERE OR
THERE.
WE HAVE A HEARING THIS WEEK
NOT ONLY COVERING OVER SOME OF
THE 6,000 PAYMENTS YOU ARE
TALKING ABOUT BUT HEARING
DIRECTLY FROM THREE WHISTLE
BLOWERS THAT HAVE SPENT THE
MAJORITY OF THE LAST TWO YEARS
INVESTIGATING THIS.
SOME OF THE ALLEGATIONS THEY
MAKE ARE QUIET EXPLOSIVE,
MARTHA.
AS WE LOOK AT THE
CONTRIBUTIONS.
EVERYBODY IS FOCUSED ON THE
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE CLINTON
FOUNDATION AND WHAT HAS
HAPPENED IN THE LAST YEAR.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW,
IT HAS A VERY STRONG RISE.
THE MINUTE SHE WAS SELECTED AS
SECRETARY OF STATE IT --
SECRETARY OF STATE.
I DIPPED DOWN WHEN SHE WAS NO
LONGER AND ROSE AGAIN WHEN SHE
RAN FOR PRESIDENT.
THERE ARE ALL KIND OF
ALLEGATIONS OF THE PAY TO PLAY
AND THAT KIND OF THING.
WE JUST WANT THE TRUTH TO BE
REVEALED.
>> Martha: DO THE
WHISTLE-BLOWERS HAVE EVIDENCE
THERE WAS A QUID PRO QUO OF A
DONATION IN RETURN FOR SOME
ACTIVITY AS SECRETARY OF
STATE?
>> THEY DO.
THEY HAVE MADE ALLEGATIONS
THERE.
AGAIN, I WANT TO STRESS, THEY
ARE ALLEGATIONS.
SO WE ARE HOPING TO GET TO THE
BOTTOM OF THAT.
THEY HAVE TURNED OVER THE
DOCUMENTS NOT ONLY TO THE
F.B.I. BUT TO THE I.R.S.
I HAVE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE
THAT THERE IS AN ONGOING
INVESTIGATION WITH THE F.B.I.
EVEN THOUGH THE D.O.J. IS NOT
INDEPENDENTLY CONFIRMING THAT.
BUT BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS
THEY HAVE HAD AND OTHERS IT
SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS A REAL
INVESTIGATION GOING ON TO
HOPEFULLY PROVIDE REAL FRUIT.
>> Martha: WE WILL WATCH FOR
THAT HEARING BECAUSE IT HAS
BEEN GOING ON A WHILE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WONDER IF
THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION
THERE.
WE’LL SEE WHAT YOU FIND OUT
NEXT WEEK.