Prevagen. Healthier Brain. Better Life.
Better Life. >>> DONALD TRUMP’S TAKEOVER OF
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS NOW
NEARLY ABSOLUTE.
NEARLY ABSOLUTE. RETIREMENTS AMONG ESTABLISHMENT
HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE SURGED IN
THE LAST TEN DAYS AND THE LATEST
HAS STUNNED ALL OF WASHINGTON.
CONGRESSMAN WILL HURD, THE ONLY
BLACK REPUBLICAN IN THE HOUSE,
FORMER CIA OFFICER AND AT 41
YEARS OLD, SOMEONE WHO ONLY A
FEW YEARS AGO WAS TOUTED AS THE
FUTURE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
BUT NOW HE HAS ANNOUNCED HE’S
LEAVING CONGRESS ALL TOGETHER.
AND HURD JOINS A GROWING LIST OF
REPUBLICANS EXITING THE CAPITAL.
SIX IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
HE REPRESENTS A SWING DISTRICT
IN TEXAS.
IN TEXAS. IT’S A PLACE HILLARY CLINTON
ACTUALLY WON AGAINST DONALD
TRUMP IN 2016.
AND HE BARELY WON RE-ELECTION
AGAINST THAT BLUE WAVE OF 2018.
HIS SEAT MAY BE VERY HARD FOR
REPUBLICANS TO HANG ON TO NOW.
AS LONG AS WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
NUMBERS, YOU CAN THINK ABOUT
THIS, THERE ARE CURRENTLY 250
REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE AND
SENATE COMBINED AND AS OF
EARLIER THIS WEEK, ONLY FIVE OF
THEM REPRESENT STATES OR
DISTRICTS THAT DONALD TRUMP DID
NOT CARRY.
NOT CARRY. AND WITH HURD LEAVING THAT
NUMBER WILL DROP TO FOUR,
MEANING VIRTUALLY EVERY SINGLE
REPUBLICAN ON CAPITOL HILL COMES
FROM TRUMP COUNTRY, AND ALMOST
NONE FROM OUTSIDE OF IT.
JOINING US AT THE TABLE,
REVEREND AL SHARPTON, HOST OF
"POLITICSNATION" HERE ON MSNBC
AND PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL
ACTION NETWORK.
ACTION NETWORK. DAVID JOLLY, THIS PARTICULAR
RETIREMENT -- I KNOW NOT
EVERYBODY KNOWS WILL HURD’S NAME
BUT CERTAINLY IN WASHINGTON,
THIS PARTICULAR RETIREMENT HAS
SET OFF A LEVEL OF DRAMA IN THE
REACTION THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN
WITH THE OTHERS.
>> HIGHLY RESPECTED, WELL LIKED,
WELL QUALIFIED.
WELL QUALIFIED. IF DONALD TRUMP WAS LOOKING FOR
A TEXAS CONGRESSMAN TO NOMINATE
FOR DNI, THERE’S YOUR MAN, WILL
HURD.
HURD. THE SENATE WOULD APPROVE HIM.
DOUBTFULLY
DOUBTFULLY DOUBTFULLY HE WOULD DO THAT.
WE ARE SEEING THIS REQUIREMENT
BECAUSE THE PERSONAL THOUGHT OF
RE-ELECTION IS DAUNTING DAY BY
DAY.
DAY. THE LIKELIHOOD OF REPUBLICANS
CAPTURING THE HOUSE AND HAVING
THE MAJORITY.
THE MAJORITY. REPUBLICANS ARE NOT EVEN CON
TINGEING ON CAPTURING THE HOUSE
NEXT NOVEMBER.
NEXT NOVEMBER. AND DONALD TRUMP PLANS TO MAKE
IT WORSE ON THESE INCUMBENTS.
EVERY TIME HE PROJECTS THIS
WHITE POPULOUS GRIEVANCE
POLITICS THAT WORKS WITH THE
CONSTITUENCY THE PRESIDENT
THINKS HE NEEDS TO WIN, AS HE
DID WITH BALTIMORE, HE ENDANGERS
CONGRESSMEN LIKE WILL HURD AND
OTHERS WHO WE SAW LOSE A PIVOTAL
SEAT IN THE 2018 ELECTION.
DONALD TRUMP IS MAKING IT
HARDER, NOT BETTER.
THE DIRTY LITTLE SECRET, RYAN
MAY OR MAY NOT AGREE WITH THIS,
THE LIFE OF A BACK BENCHER IN A
MINORITY IN CONGRESS, IT IS A
PRIVILEGE TO SERVE YOUR
CONSTITUENTS IN CONGRESS BUT
IT’S A MISERABLE EXPERIENCE.
YOU HAVE VERY LITTLE LEVERAGE TO
ACCOMPLISH THINGS LEGISLATIVELY
BUT YOU HAVE ALL OF THE DEMANDS
AND REQUIREMENTS TO BE A DITIFUL
SOLDIER.
SOLDIER. YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK OUT
AGAINST DONALD TRUMP.
MANY SLEEP IN YOUR OFFICE.
IN THE TRUMP ENVIRONMENT WHERE
YOU’RE LOOKING AT THE PROSPECT
OF LOSING YOUR SEAT ANYWAY, IF
YOU’RE A DECENT MAN LIKE WILL
HURD WHO WAS TRAPPED BETWEEN
SPEAKING HIS MIND AND REALITY OF
TRUMP WORLD, MAYBE YOU GO HOME
AND SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY
AND PURSUE OTHER ENDEAVORS.
>> WHEN THEY HAD THAT RESOLUTION
ON THE FLOOR A COUPLE WEEKS AGO
TO CONDEMN TRUMP’S COMMENTS,
HURD WAS ONLY ONE OF FOUR TO
VOTE FOR THAT.
RYAN, YOU’RE FROM WHERE THE BLUE
WAVE HIT THE HARDEST, I THINK,
THE SUBURBS OF PHILADELPHIA.
YOU REPRESENTED A DISTRICT.
YOU WON AS A REPUBLICAN IN 2016,
EVEN AS HILLARY CLINTON BEAT
DONALD TRUMP AND THAT DISTRICT
GOT CARVED UP BY A LAST-MINUTE
SORT OF REDRAWING OF THE MAP AND
YOU DIDN’T RUN LAST YEAR BUT YOU
WERE FACING THE EXACT KIND OF
DILEMMA THAT DAVID JOLLY IS
DESCRIBING HERE.
DESCRIBING HERE. WHAT IS THAT LIKE FOR REPUBLICAN
MEMBERS TO DEAL WITH?
DOES IT LEAD THEM TO SAY IT’S
WORTH IT NOW?
>> NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU SPEAK
OUT AGAINST THE PRESIDENT ON ANY
PARTICULAR TWEET OR POLICY, IT
BECOMES EXTREMELY DIFFICULT IN
THIS VERY NATIONALIZED,
POLARIZED ENVIRONMENT TO GET ANY
CREDIT FROM THOSE WHO DON’T
SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT.
BUT YOU DO GET GRIEF FROM THOSE
WHO DO SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT.
SO JUST AS PRESIDENT TRUMP
REALLY HAD CLAIRE McCASKILL AND
OTHERS TWISTING IN THE WIND IN
VERY TRUMP STATES, IF YOU ARE A
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD DISTRICT
MEMBER OF CONGRESS, IT IS
JUST -- YOU’RE BETWEEN A ROCK
AND A HARD PLACE AND GOING IN,
IN 2020 -- HERE’S THE
COUNTERNARRATIVE IN TERMS OF WHY
REPUBLICANS CAN WIN BACK THE
HOUSE AND PUSHBACK AND THAT IS
THIS, THERE ARE 3 IS DEMOCRATS
IN TRUMP-HELD CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICTS.
DISTRICTS. SO THE MORE THAT IT BECOMES
NATIONALIZED IN 2020 AND THE
MORE THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS
REPUBLICANS TWISTING IN THE WIND
WITH SOME OF THIS CULTURE STUFF
THAT HE DOES, HE’S GOING TO HAVE
DXS TWISTING IN THE WIND TOO.
THAT WOULD BE THE PUSHBACK THAT
REPUBLICANS WOULD GIVE.
WILL IS A LOSS.
WILL IS AN EXCELLENT
REPRESENTATIVE.
REPRESENTATIVE. OF THE SIX HAD YOU UP THERE
RETIRING, THE TWO THAT WILL BE
COMPETITIVE SEATS ARE THE HURD
SEAT AND OLSEN SEAT.
THE OTHER FOUR RETIRING ARE
GREAT MEMBERS BUT THOSE WERE
SAFE REPUBLICAN SEATS.
THE REAL CONCERN FOR REPUBLICANS
IS RATHER THAN GETTING A GOOD,
SOLID GOVERNING REPUBLICAN, YOU
END UP WITH A FREEDOM CAUCUS
CANDIDATE VERSUS SORT OF MIDDLE
OF THE ROAD CANDIDATE AND YOU
HAVE DYNAMICS WITHIN THE
REPUBLICAN CONGRESS THAT MAKES
IT DIFFICULT FOR LEADERSHIP TO
GET THINGS DONE.
>> AND BOTH IN TEXAS, A STATE
DEMOCRATS WILL BE TARGETING HARD
IN 2020.
IN 2020. REV, HE WAS THE ONLY BLACK
REPRESENTATIVE IN THE HOUSE, BUT
ONE OF THE REPUBLICANS WILL HURD
WAS TOUTED AS THE FUTURE OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY, AT LEAST AMONG
SOME REPUBLICANS A COUPLE OF
YEARS AGO WAS THE IDEA IS THERE
A WAY TO THIS PARTY TO EXPAND IS
APPEAL TO AFRICAN-AMERICANS?
IS THERE A WAY FOR THIS PARTY TO
CULTIVATE AND SHOWCASE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN LEADERS AND NOW
WITH HIS DEPARTURE, NONE LEFT IN
THE HOUSE.
THE HOUSE. >> I THINK THE REAL PROBLEM WITH
THAT IS WHEN YOU ARE IN
POST-TRUMP WORLD, WHICH
HOPEFULLY IS SOONER THAN LATER
BUT WHEN HE’S NO LONGER THERE
AND YOU TRY TO REBUILD THE
PARTY, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO
SHOW YOU CAN BRING IN PEOPLE OF
COLOR AND WOMEN AND OTHERS.
I THINK WILL HURD WOULD HAVE
BEEN IN A GREAT POSITION BY THEN
HAVING STAYED TO BE PART OF THAT
APPEAL.
APPEAL. I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS GROWING UP
IN 1968, I WAS JUST A KID JUST
STARTING IN ACTIVISM.
I MIGHT HAVE BEEN 14, 15.
I REMEMBER THE LEADING GUY IN
THE SENATE WAS A REPUBLICAN
NAMED ED BROOK.
JACKIE ROBINSON WAS A
REPUBLICAN.
REPUBLICAN. THE CHURCH I GREW UP IN, THE
BISHOP WAS REPUBLICAN.
BUT I STARTED GOING DEMOCRATIC
IN THE ’60s AROUND THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
RIGHTS MOVEMENT. THERE’S THE POSSIBILITY OF
BROADENING THAT AS THEY REBUILD
THE PARTY TRUMP DESTROYED BUT I
THINK THAT WILL HURD WOULD HAVE
BEEN A LIKELY PERSON, AS WELL AS
GOT TO BE PART OF THAT APPROACH.
THE QUESTION IS, AND I THINK
THAT’S WHAT WILL HURD HAD TO
DEAL WITH, WILL HE SURVIVE
TRUMP, WHERE TRUMP IS MAJORING
IN POLARIZING AND TRYING TO
DIVIDE.
DIVIDE. I THINK IT’S INTERESTING WHAT
JOLLY RAISED, IF TRUMP WANTS TO
SHOW CRITICS, APPOINT WILL HURD
TO THE SEAT THAT IS AVAILABLE.
HE WAS IN THE CIA.
HE HAS THE BACKGROUND.
I DARE TRUMP TO DO IT.
IT WOULD PROVE ALL OF US WRONG.
>> HE LAID DOWN A MARKER.
LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS THERE.
IT’S INTERESTING THOUGH,
LISTENING TO BOTH OF YOU
DESCRIBE THE SORT OF PRESSURES
PUT UPON YOU AS A REPUBLICAN
TRYING TO SURVIVE IN THE AGE OF
TRUMP, I THINK WE HAVE ANOTHER
VERY VIVID ILLUSTRATION OF THIS
TODAY.
TODAY. THE PRESIDENT THIS MORNING, YOU
PROBABLY SAW THIS.
THIS IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES THIS MORNING,
TWEETED REALLY BAD NEWS.
THE BALTIMORE HOUSE OF ELIJAH
CUMMINGS IS ROBBED.
THIS IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES TWEETING ABOUT IT.
NAKIE HALEY, WHO SERVED IN THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, U.S.
AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED
NATIONS, LEFT BY ALL ACCOUNTS ON
GOOD TERMS, LARGELY REFRAINED
FROM CRITICIZING HIM, FORMER
GOVERNOR OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
SHE TWEETS FOUR WORDS, THIS IS
SO UNNECESSARY ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT BRAGGING ABOUT A
CONGRESSMAN’S HOUSE BEING
ROBBED.
ROBBED. KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO
THE PRESIDENT RESPONDS, THIS IS
SO UNNECESSARY.
SO UNNECESSARY. AND TRUMP AND CAPITAL PENCE
2020, MAYBE TRYING TO SEND A
COUPLE MESSAGES.
COUPLE MESSAGES. >> MIGHT BE A RACE AGAINST PENCE
AND HALEY ON THE REPUBLICAN
SIDE.
SIDE. BUT I’M TRYING TO THINK, EVERY
MODERN PRESIDENT THAT I HAVE
SEEN AS ENDURED SOME FORM OF
CRITICISM FROM THEIR OWN PARTY.
SOMETIMES THEY GROUCH ABOUT IT
IN PRIVATE BUT THEY RECOGNIZE
THEY HAVE TO TAKE IT.
THIS SEEMS LIKE A CLEAR
ILLUSTRATION, HERE’S A FORMER
ADMINISTRATION MEMBER WHO
DOESN’T THINK THE PRESIDENT
SHOULD GO ON TWITTER AND
SARCASTICALLY TALK ABOUT A
CONGRESSMAN’S HOUSE BEING ROBBED
AND SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISER
GOES AFTER HER FOR IT.
>> SURE.
>> SURE. BUT IN TERMS OF THE NAKIE HALEY
TWEET FROM TODAY, NIKKI HALEY
TWEET IS SMALL POTATOES.
IT DOESN’T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO
WITH POLICY.
WITH POLICY. NIKKI HALEY FROM THE TIME SHE
WAS IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
HAS REALLY WANTED TO HAVE IT
BOTH WAYS.
BOTH WAYS. SHE SAID DURING HER TIME SERVING
ON TEAM TRUMP THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP’S SEXUAL ASSAULT ACCUSERS
DESERVE TO BE HEARD.
BUT THEN DIDN’T DO ANYTHING
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. JUST SAID THAT BECAUSE IT WOULD
BE GOOD PR, WALKED AWAY AND KEPT
ON BEING ALL INTO TRUMP AT THE
TIME.
TIME. SO I DON’T THINK THE FORMER
AMBASSADOR HAS ANY CREDIBILITY
ON THIS ISSUE WHATSOEVER.
BACK TO WILL HURD FOR A MOMENT,
I WAS SPEAKING TO A SOURCE
RECENTLY WHO HAD SPOKEN TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP WITHIN THE PAST
FEW WEEKS OR SO ABOUT
REPRESENTATIVES SUCH AS WILL
HURD, AND HE DESCRIBED PRESIDENT
TRUMP IN THIS PRIVATE
CONVERSATION, DESCRIBED HURD AS
A MEMBER OF THE COLLECTIVE
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN WHO,
QUOTE, NOBODY THAT MATTERS IS
HOW HE DESCRIBED HIM, IN TERMS
OF HIS VOTE AND SUPPORT FOR THE
TRUMP AGENDA.
TRUMP AGENDA. IN A WEIRD WAY, PRESIDENT TRUMP
IS 10 0% RIGHT WHEN HE UTTERED
THAT BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT
SOMEONE THE WHITE HOUSE EVER
LEANED ON WHEN THEY NEEDED TO
FOR A LEGISLATION OR FOR HIS
VOTE.
VOTE. AND WILLIAM HURD SAW THE WRITING
ON THE WALL THAT IN DONALD
TRUMP’S REPUBLICAN PARTY, IF YOU
ARE NOT MAGA DIEHARD OR LOYALIST
OR BIG THE WALL TEN FEET HIGHER,
WHICH WILLIAM HURD ABSOLUTELY
WASN’T, THERE ISN’T SPACE FOR
YOU IN THIS ERA’S GOP SO HE’S
GETTING OUT.
GETTING OUT. >> PAUL, IT RAISES THE QUESTION,
IF FOLKS LIKE HURD WHO WERE
TOUTED AS FUTURE OF THE PARTY
ARE WALKING AWAY IN THE AGE OF
TRUMP, AFTER TRUMP, WHAT IS THE
FUTURE OF THE PARTY?
IS IT A TRUMP-LIKE CHARACTER?
>> I THINK THAT’S THE QUESTION.
KEVIN McCARTHY, THE REPUBLICAN
LEADER NOW, LOVED WILL HURD, WAS
DEDICATED TO HIM, CAMPAIGNED FOR
HIM THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AND
FALL OF 2018.
JAKE SHERMAN OF POLITICO HAS
LEFTOVER STUFF FROM THE BOOK HE
AND ANNA PALMER DID WHERE THERE
ARE STORIES HE WOULD GO OUT OF
HIS WAY TO HELP HURD.
THIS IS AN EMOTIONAL GUT PUNCH
TO THAT REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP
TEAM.
TEAM. WHAT COMES NEXT?
I DON’T THINK WE KNOW RIGHT NOW.
LIZ CHENEY IS POSSIBLY THE NEXT
RISING STAR OF THE PARTY.
SHE’S THE NUMBER THREE PERSON IN
LEADERSHIP.
LEADERSHIP. THEY DESPERATELY NEED WOMEN,
STRONG WOMEN.
STRONG WOMEN. AFTER THAT, I DON’T KNOW.
>> THEY HAD ANOTHER
RETIREMENT --
RETIREMENT -- >> AND SHE MIGHT RUN FOR SENATE.
SHE MIGHT LEAVE THE HOUSE ALSO.
>> CAN WE GO TO THE NIKKI HALEY
THING?
THING? THIS IS THE GARBAGE LEVEL THAT
NOW PLAYS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
I SAT IN THE ROOM GOING INTO
2016 WHEN MARCO RUBIO WAS THE
LAST BEST GUY THAT WAS GOING TO
BEAT DONALD TRUMP AND NIKKI
HALEY SAID THE SAME THINGS ABOUT
DONALD TRUMP LINDSEY GRAHAM USED
TO SAY, WHAT A TERRIBLE, AWFUL
PERSON HE WAS.
NIKKI HALEY HOLDS HER NOSE AND
SAYS I CAN WORK FOR THIS GUY.
I CAN SUPPORT THE GUY.
SHE LEAVES AND THIS IS A MAJOR
INDICATION HOW THEY WILL BEHAVE
WHEN TRUMP’S GONE.
THEY ARE GOING TO PRETEND THIS
WASN’T ABOUT THEM, AND THEY
DIDN’T ENABLE IT.
BUT THEY DID.
THIS IS WHY PEOPLE LIKE ME LEFT
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY BECAUSE
THEY CAN NEVER TRUST PEOPLE LIKE
NIKKI HALEY AGAIN.
>> SHE ADDED THE EMOJI, THE
FROWN.
FROWN. >> AND THIS IS HOW POLITICS IS
NOW.
NOW. >> AND REPUBLICANS WILL RACE TO