REBUILDING OUR MILITARY.
MELISSA: JOINING US NOW, ARI
FLEISCHER FORMER WHITE HOUSE
PRESS SECRETARY.
HE IS ALSO A FOX NEWS
CONTRIBUTOR.
LET ME ASK YOU BEFORE WE GET TO
SOME OF THE MONEY ANGLES BEHIND
US, WHEN YOU HEAR THE PRESIDENT
SAY THAT, HAVING BEEN IN THE
WHITE HOUSE YOURSELF, IS HE
UNDER MORE ATTACK THAN HE HAS
EVER BEEN BEFORE AND I DON'T
KNOW, DOES HE BRING IT ON
HIMSELF?
>> YES TO BOTH.
HE BRINGS IT ON TO HIMSELF,
AFTER HE ANNOUNCED CAMPAIGN, HE
WAS SO DIFFERENT, THE OUTSIDER,
THAT IS THE ACT TRACTION TO
MANY, THAT MADE MANY PEOPLE
INSIDE OF THE BELTWAY.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS REFLECTIVE
PART OF HIS NEWS CONFERENCE.
HE HAS PUT UP WITH SO MUCH,
INCLUDING EFFORTS TO REJECT HIS
ELECTION IN THE ELECTORAL
COLLEGE, BOYCOTTS OF
INAUGURATION, ALL BEFORE HE TOOK
OFFICE, NOT TO MENTION THE LEAK
OF PHONY DOSSIER.
MELISSA: SO LOOKING AT IT FROM A
HIGHER LEVEL HOW IT MAY IMPACT
THE ECONOMY, MARKETS, EVERYTHING
ELSE GOING FORWARD, ONE THING
INTERESTING TO LOOK AT IS THE
MONEY HAUL FOR THE REPUBLICANS
AT THIS TIME.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT AT THIS TIME,
RAISING $25 MILLION, DO YOU
THINK SOME OF THAT HAD TO DO
WITH THE IMPEACHMENT PUSH, DO
YOU THINK.
>> BEING OF COURSE IT DOES.
I KNOW PEOPLE IN THE GRASSROOTS
LOVE DONALD TRUMP.
I HEARD THIS PEOPLE IN THE RNC
THAT HE BRINGS MORE SMALL
DONATIONS THAN EVER BEFORE.
TRUMP HAS TURNED THAT AROUND AND
REALLY TURNED IT INTO A
GRASSROOTS JUGGERNAUT.
AND A LOT OF IT IS MONEY
REPUBLICANS NEVER GOT BEFORE.
MELISSA: THERE WAS A FANTASTIC
POINT YOU MADE, I THINK IT WAS A
COUPLE MONTHS BACK THAT WE'VE
REALLY SEE COME TO FRUITION.
MONEY IN POLITICS HAS CHANGED
DRAMATICALLY.
IN THE JOE BIDEN DAYS OF OLD, IT
WAS ABOUT THE REALLY BIG
INFLUENTIAL DONOR.
IT WAS ABOUT THE VERY BIG, YOU
KNOW, LOBBYISTS, WHOEVER IT WAS
GOING TO BE.
NOW IN THE DIGITAL AGE I GUESS
IT HAS BECOME ABOUT THAT SMALL
INDIVIDUAL PERSON BECAUSE THEY
DON'T MAX OUT.
THEY CAN GIVE AND GIVE AND GIVE,
RIGHT?
>> EXACTLY RIGHT.
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THIS
FRANKLY IS WHEN JOHN McCAIN IN
INFANCY OF WEBSITES, ET CETERA,
BEAT GEORGE BUSH IN THE
NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY.
HE GOT FLOODED WITH GRASSROOTS
DONATIONS, McCAIN DID, HELPED
GIVE HIM MONEY TO GO ON TO
SOUTH CAROLINA, MICHIGAN,
ET CETERA, UNTIL HE ULTIMATELY
LOST THE PRIMARY TO GEORGE BUSH.
THAT IS WHAT HOWARD DEAN AND
BERNIE SANDERS TAPPED INTO.
IN THE OLD DAYS YOU WOULD MAX
OUT WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
RICH PEOPLE.
NOW YOU MINIMIZE OUT ON MILLIONS
OF LOW INCOME PEOPLE.
MELISSA: WHAT IS INTERESTING IS,
AS YOU SEE THE PRESIDENT GO
AROUND AND DO THESE RALLIES, AND
YOU SEE MORE OF THEM HAPPEN ON
THE BACK OF IMPEACHMENT, THESE
THINGS THAT ENERGIZE PEOPLE, HE
DOES A RALLY.
ALL THE PEOPLE FILE IN, WAIT IN
LINE, THEY'RE HANDING OVER
EMAIL, THEIR PERSONAL
INFORMATION THAT THEY HAVE GONE
OUT AND SPENT THE TIME TO GO SEE
HIM IN PERSON THAT IS THE
TREASURE TROVE FOR THE CAMPAIGN
IN 2020, YES.
>> IT IS MORE THAN A TREASURE
TROVE.
IT'S A ROAD MAP TO VICTORY IF
YOU LISTEN TO THE CAMPAIGN.
THE PEOPLE WHO DONATE WILL MORE
LIKELY PEOPLE THAT VOLUNTEER.
THEY'RE TRYING TO GET A MASSIVE
GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION OF
VOLUNTEERS AND FUN RAISERS,
DONATE, PEOPLE WHO DONATE TO
TOUCH THEIR NEIGHBORS, TOUCH
THEIR FRIENDS.
THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING VERY
UNUSUAL IN POLITICS, MAKING THIS
A BOTTOM UP CAMPAIGN.
I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT,
MELISSA IT WORKS IN THE OTHER
DIRECTION AS WELL.
THERE ARE TENS OF MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE WHO CAN'T STAND THE
PRESIDENT.
THEY'RE ENERGIZED.
TURNOUT IN 2018 WAS MASSIVE, WAY
OUT OF PROPORTION TO PREVIOUS MY
TERM ELECTIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO SEE
RECORD-BREAKING TURNOUT IN 2020
FROM BOTH ENERGIZED SIDES.