NO, NO.
I’LL DO THE THREE, ANY AMOUNT
THEY WANT.
>> TONIGHT IT’S THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN THAT WANTS TO ADD A
DEBATE TO THE SCHEDULE, AXIOS
EXCLUSIVELY REPORTING, THIS IS A
GOOD WEEK FOR THEM, HE WANTS ONE
NOW IN EARLY SEPTEMBER AHEAD OF
EARLY VOTING.
TRUMP ATTORNEY RUDY GIULIANI,
WE’RE LOOKING INTO HIM, OUR
CAMPAIGN AGAIN REQUESTS THE
COMMISSION MODERNIZE ITS LINEUP
TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL CAN
EARLIER DEBATE IN SEPTEMBER,
BRINGING THE TOTAL TO FOUR.
OUR GUESTS, EUGENE ROBINSON AND
MICHAEL STEELE.
COUPLE OF THINGS HERE, PRESIDENT
MAY FEEL LIKE HE’S THE ONE GOING TO GO INTO THE DEBATES LIKE HIS
TO GO INTO THE DEBATES LIKE HIS
FAVORITE CARTOON CHARACTER,
YOSEMITE SAM WITH GUNS BLAZING.
BUT THERE’S AXIOM IN POLITICS,
IF YOU’RE ASKING FOR MORE
DEBATES YOU’RE LOSING.
>> THE WAY YOU PRONOUNCED
THAT -- BUT I DIGRESS.
SIDE THAT’S ASKING FOR MORE
DEBATES IS LOSING IS THE
UNIVERSAL TRUTH OF POLITICS.
SIDE THAT WANTS TO ADD DEBATES
IS BEHIND AND LOSING.
THIS IS A CLEAR SIGN THAT THE
PRESIDENT’S SIDE BELIEVES IT IS
LOSING THIS ELECTION AND
THEREFORE WANTS AS MANY DEBATES
AS IT CAN POSSIBLY GET.
AND THE JOE BIDEN SIDE, I WILL
CONFIDENTLY PREDICT, WILL BE
VERY COY AND VERY RELUCTANT
AND -- WON’T WANT AN ADDITIONAL
DEBATE.
AND MIGHT BE COY ABOUT THE
DEBATES ALREADY SCHEDULED
BECAUSE THEY’RE AHEAD.
>> MICHAEL, THE TOPIC OF
COGNITIVE TESTING CAME UP AGAIN
TODAY.
>> AGAIN!
>> MAYBE THE THREE OF US SHOULD
TAKE ONE.
BUT JOE BIDEN WAS ASKED -- I
KNOW, IT IS WEDNESDAY.
JOE BIDEN WAS ASKED ABOUT THE
TOPIC TODAY, GOING TO PLAY HIS
ANSWER AND WE’LL DISCUSS.
>> NO, I HAVEN’T TAKEN THE TEST.
WHY THE HELL WOULD I TAKE A
TEST.
COME ON, MAN, THAT’S LIKE
SAYING, BEFORE YOU GET IN THIS
PROGRAM, TAKE A TEST YOU’RE
TAKING COCAINE OR NOT, WHAT DO
YOU THINK, ARE YOU A JUNKIE?
I AM VERY WILLING TO LET THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC JUDGE MY
PHYSICAL AS WELL AS MY MENTAL
FITNESS, AND TO -- YOU KNOW, TO MAKE A JUDGMENT ABOUT WHO I AM.
MAKE A JUDGMENT ABOUT WHO I AM.
>> SO, FIRST PART OF THAT, STAR
STARSKY AND HUTCH CALLED, WANTED
THEIR DIALOGUE BACK.
DID HE PROVE OR DISPROVE THE
NEED TO TAKE THE TEST THAT
FAMOUSLY RESULTED IN THE
PRESIDENT’S LIST OF WHATEVER IT
IS, CAMERA, BIRD, DOG, PERSON.
>> NO, THINK THIS WHOLE THING IS
SILLY.
DONALD TRUMP IS ALL ABOUT
SETTING TRAPS.
THE AND YOU KNOW, THE PRESS OVER
THE LAST THREE YEARS HAVE FOUND
THEMSELVES BE GULLIBLE,
POLITICAL LEADERSHIP ON BOTH
SIDES HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES BE
GULLIBLE.
NEXT STEP IS THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN
AND JOE BIDEN HIMSELF.
TRAPS SET TO GO INTO RABBIT
HOLES AND WIND YOUR WAY INTO
CRAZY.
ON THE DEBATE POINT, WHY WOULD
JOE BIDEN DEBATE CRAZY?
THAT’S JUST STANDING THERE
LISTENING TO -- REPLAY THE ’16
DEBATES, ASK YOURSELF, WOULD YOU
DEBATE THAT?
AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS
SITUATION, WHERE DONALD TRUMP IS
CLAIMING HE HAS MORE MENTAL
STABILITY THAN JOE BIDEN, THE
TRAP IS TO THROW THIS THING OUT
HERE, GET PEOPLE TO START ASKING
JOE BIDEN ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE
THE TEST.
JOE, DO YOUR THING, DON’T WORRY
ABOUT NO TEST, YOU’LL BE OKAY.
>> DON’T WORRY.
>> THANK YOU.
GO AHEAD.
>> I HAVE TO POINT OUT ONE
THING.
PERSON, WOMAN, MAN, CAMERA, TV.
THERE.
BEER.
>> YOU’RE A BETTER MAN, PERSON,
WOMAN, CAMERA OR TV THAN I AM.
EUGENE ROBINSON AND WEARING THE