>> Neil: HE CANNOT LET GO.
THANKS VERY MUCH.
REPUBLICANS THAT LARGELY IGNORE
THIS THING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
FOLKS LIKE SENATOR ISAKSON, DO
THEY DO SO AT THEIR OWN PERIL?
FRANCHESCA CHAMBERS IS WITH US.
JOHN SUMMERS AND REPUBLICAN
STRATEGIST, MATT BRANARD.
LARGELY SILENCE OUT OF
REPUBLICANS WHEN THEY HEAR THIS.
MAYBE SAYING WE'RE USED TO, WE
MOVE ON FROM THIS.
WHAT IS THE DEAL?
>> WELL IT'S NOT JUST THAT,
NEIL.
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
LINDSEY GRAHAM SAYS HE WANTS TO
REMAIN IN A POSITION TO ADVISE
THE PRESIDENT.
IF HE'S ON HIS BAD SIDE, HE
WOULDN'T HAVE HIM OVER.
>> Neil: IS IT WORTH THAT MUCH
THAT YOU WOULD SURRENDER A
DECADE LONG FRIENDSHIP TO STAY
IN GOOD RELATIONS WITH A GUY
HOUSE BASHING YOUR DEAREST
FRIEND?
>> WELL, AGAIN, DONALD TRUMP
HAVE THE ONE IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
JOHN McCAIN IS NO LONGER AROUND
TO DEFEND HIMSELF.
HE HAS MEGAN McCAIN DEFENDING
HIM AS YOU POINTED OUT EARLIER.
AS FAR AS FOREIGN POLICY GOES
AND SHAPING THAT, DONALD TRUMP
IS THE ONE SITTING IN THE CHAIR.
HE'S THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.
SO LINDSEY GRAHAM HAS SAID
REPEATEDLY THAT HE FEELS THE
ABILITY TO ADVISE THE PRESIDENT
ON FOREIGN POLICY, WHICH SO MANY
TIMES HE'S SAID THAT HE
DISAGREED WITH HIM ON SOME OF
THOSE ISSUES, STEER HIM IN WHAT
GRAHAM STEERS HIM IN THE RIGHT
TRACK HAS OUTWEIGHED THAT
CONSIDERATION.
>> I KNOW YOU'RE A FORMER TRUMP
CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR.
JUST SEEMS WEIRD.
>> I HAVE TO PUSH BACK AGAINST
THIS NARRATIVE THAT THIS IS
BASHING OR FEUD.
THESE ARE CONCRETE PUBLIC POLICY
CRITIQUES, POSITIONS THAT WERE
TAKEN, ACTIONS THAT WERE TAKEN
INVOLVING THE MUELLER
INVESTIGATION.
THIS IS NOT UNDERHANDED OR DIRTY
OR CRUDE.
THESE ARE PUBLIC VOTES THAT HE
TOOK.
THE RECORD IS OPEN FOR
CRITICISM.
I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING, MAYBE
WE CAN RECONSIDER CRITICIZING A
POLITICIANS PUBLIC RECORD WHEN
THE LEFT LAYING OFF OF RONALD
REAGAN.
THAT NEVER ENDED.
>> Neil: JOHN McCAIN DIDN'T HIDE
THE FACT THAT HE PASSED ALONG
THAT DOSSIER EARLY ON, NOT
KNOWING ITS ORIGINS OR CARING
WHETHER IT WAS DONALD TRUMP OR
ANYONE ELSE.
JUST SAYING AS A PATRIOT THAT IT
WAS A BIG ENOUGH CONCERN TO PASS
IT ALONG.
AFTER THE FACT, HE VILLIFIED FOR
THAT.
I CAN SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING
ABOUT VOTES ON THIS MATTER --
>> IT'S NOT --
>> Neil: DID YOU HEAR THAT JOHN
McCAIN GOING INTO THAT NIGHT WAS
GOING TO VOTED FOR IT?
NO ONE I TALKED TO, FOLLOWED
THAT CLOSELY --
>> HE CAMPAIGNED AGAINST IT AS A
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, A SENATE
CANDIDATE.
HE RAISED MONEY ON THE PROMISE
OF FIGHTING TO REPEAL --
>> Neil: BUT THAT WAS NOT THE
MEANS TO DO IT.
THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT JOHN
McCAIN ALREADY TOLD HIM THAT HE
WAS GOING TO VOTE FOR IT.
NO ONE I TALKED TO WHO WAS
INVOLVED IN THAT SAID THAT WAS
THE CASE.
>> WHO CARES WHAT DOES THAT HAVE
TO DO WITH CRITICIZING HIS
POSITION --
>> Neil: THE PRESIDENT MIGHT
HAVE LIED ABOUT IT.
DOES THAT BOTHER YOU?
>> LIED THAT THE FACT THAT HE
REPEATEDLY OPPOSED OCTOBER --
>> Neil: NO.
YOU'RE OBFUSCATING THE CLEAR
FACT HERE.
HE SAID JOHN McCAIN WAS GOING TO
VOTE FOR THAT MEASURE AND HOURS
LATER VOTED AGAINST IT.
DO YOU HAVE PROOF --
>> DO YOU HAVE PROOF THAT HE
DIDN'T SAY IT?
I DON'T.
THE POINT OF ANGER IS THE
BETRAYAL AND THE ISSUE THAT HE
CAMPAIGNED SO HARD AGAINST AND
VOTED TO PRESERVE OB.
THAT IS A FAIR --
>> AND TALKING ABOUT THE
DISCOURSE HERE NOW.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE RIGHT OR
LEFT TO FIND THAT MAYBE YOU CAN
BE JUSTIFIED IN MAKING THESE
REMARKS OR THINKING THEM.
AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES, THEY DEMEAN YOU.
ANY OPINION, MY OPINION ONLY.
I THINK THEY DEMEAN YOU.
>> I DON'T THINK YOU GET A PASS
ON CRITICISM OF YOUR PUBLIC
RECORD BECAUSE YOU'RE NO LONGER
WITH US.
>> Neil: I DON'T KNOW, TO YOU.
I UNDERSTAND YOUR ALLEGIANCE TO
THE PRESIDENT.
BUT JOHN, I'M WONDERING ABOUT
THE DISCOURSE AND THE DEBATE
THIS SETS FORWARD.
ARE YOU WEAR ABOUT THAT?
>> I AGREE WITH YOU.
I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE FBI
REPORT.
THIS CAN'T BE LEFT UNCHECKED.
WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS MAD ABOUT,
HE'S MAD AT JOHN McCAIN DOING
EXACTLY WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE
DONE.
WHICH IS TURN THAT OVER TO THE
FBI.
CONTRAST THAT TO WHAT THE
PRESIDENT DID AND TRY TO USE
THAT INFORMATION, CREATE AN OPEN
LINE OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE
RUSSIANS THAT MEDDLED IN OUR
ELECTION.
IN TERMS OF WHAT IT'S DOING WITH
DISCOURSE, THIS FALLS WAY BELOW
THE LEVEL OF THE OFFICE.
WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
ATTACKING JOHN McCAIN.
AGAIN, SURE, I GUESS YOU'RE FREE
TO CRITICIZE.
BUT TO WHAT END?
WHAT IS HE AT ALL HOPING TO GET
OUT OF THIS?
A VERY SOLID REPUBLICAN BASE
THAT ACTUALLY LIKES JOHN McCAIN.
SO HE'S NOT DOING -- HE'S NOT
DOING HIMSELF ANY FAVORS BY
GOING AFTER HIM.
HE'S NOT DOING ANY FAVORS BY
NAME CALLING KELLYANNE CONWAY'S
HUSBAND ON TWITTER.
ALL OF THESE FALL BELOW THE
LEVEL OF THE OFFICE.
HE HAS TOO MUCH EXECUTIVE TIME
ON HIS HANDS WHEN THERE'S --
>> Neil: AND HE HAS A GOOD
COMMIT STORY TO TELL.
I THINK HE STEPS ON THAT
MESSAGE.
THIS IS MY OPINION.
I AM WONDERING ABOUT THE MUTED
RESPONSE HE GETS FROM
REPUBLICANS THAT MAYBE DON'T
WANT TO TRIGGER A TRITTER WAR SO
THEY CHUCK IT UP AND TAKE IT
REALIZING THAT HE'S THE LEADER
OF THE PARTY, THE LEADER OF THE
COUNTRY.
I GET THAT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I CAN CAN'T OF RESPECT THAT.
BUT THERE IS A LINE THAT NOW AND
THEN THEY CAN CROSS OR TEST,
CAN'T THEY?
>> TO JOHN'S POINT EARLIER
BEFORE WE CAME ON, THIS CAME UP
UNPROVOKED TODAY WHEN THE
PRESIDENT WAS AT THAT PLANT
SPEAKING ABOUT HIS ECONOMIC
MESSAGE ABOUT HOW HE SAID HE
SAVED THE PLANT THAT WAS ON
TRACK TO CLOSE.
HOW HE THINKS IN 2020 HE WILL
HAVE AN EASY TIME GETTING
RE-ELECTED.
HOW WOULD YOU DEBATE THE FACT
THAT YOU LOWERED UNEMPLOYMENT
FOR WOMEN, MINORITIES.
SO TO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING,
THAT'S WHAT HE WAS TALKING
ABOUT, SWITCHED TO JOHN McCAIN.
HE DID COME BACK TO THAT MESSAGE
AND TALKED ABOUT THE ECONOMY.
NOR THE PRESIDENT'S ANGER OVER
JOHN McCAIN, I REMEMBER BEING IN
THE ROSE GARDEN ON THE DAY THAT
CAME CAME CAME BACK FROM ARIZONA
AND CAME BACK FROM THE OBAMACARE
VOTE.
THE WHITE HOUSE DELAYEDED AN
EVENT IN THE ROSE GARDEN SO JOHN
McCAIN COULD SPEAK ON THE FLOOR.
SO THEY DID AT LEAST HAVE A
SENSE THAT THEY THOUGHT HIS
COMMENTS WERE GOING TO BE
SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR THEM.
HE'S DISAPPOINTED THAT THAT --
>> Neil: I GET THAT, HIS