A CLAIM THAT TRUMP IS MAKING ABOUT SAVING FLORIDA GOVERNOR
RON DeSANTIS' CAMPAIGN IN 2018 TALKING ABOUT SENDING IN FEDERAL
AGENTS AFTER THAT ELECTION WAS CONDUCTED.
WE HAVE PAULA REED LIVE IN WASHINGTON.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN BETWEEN TRUMP GOING AFTER
DeSANTIS WHEN IT COMES TO MANY POINTS BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CLAIM
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2018 AND THE ROLE HE PLAYED AS PRESIDENT
SPECIFICALLY? >> GOOD MORNING.
AS WE KNOW FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP HE CONTINUES TO ATTACK
DeSANTIS IN THE WAKE OF THE GOP'S POOR MIDTERM PERFORMANCE
AND SUGGESTIONS THAT THE FLORIDA GOVERNOR SHOULD BE THE ONE TO
LEAD THE PARTY HEADED INTO 2024. IN A LENGTHY SOCIAL MEDIA
POSTLAST NIGHT TRUMP CLAIMED THAT HE LEVERAGED FEDERAL
LAWSUIT TO STOP DeSANTIS FROM LOSING HIS 2018 RACE FOR
GOVERNOR. TRUMP WROTE WHEN VOTES WERE
BEING STOLEN IN BROWARD COUNTY AND RON WAS GOING DOWN 10,000
VOTES A DAY, ALONG WITH NOW SENATOR RICK SCOTT I SENT IN THE
FBI AND THE U.S. ATTORNEYS AND THE BALLOT THEFT IMMEDIATELY
ENDED JUST PRIOR TO RUNNING OUT OF VOTES NECESSARY TO WIN.
I STOPPED THE ELECTION FROM BEING STOLEN.
THIS IS THE LATEST ITERATION OF A CLAIM TRUMP MADE MANY TIMES
BEFORE ABOUT ELECTIONS BEING STOLEN EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF
ANY EVIDENCE. I WANT TO PROVIDE CONTEXT FOR
THE 2018 RACE. IN NOVEMBER 2018 GOVERNOR RICK
SCOTT, THE NOMINEE FOR SENATE. ACCUSED TWO OF THE STATE'S
LARGEST COUNTIES OF FRAUD. TRUMP TWEETED IN P, DON'T WORRY
FLORIDA I'M SENDING IN BETTER LAWYERS TO EXPOSE THE FRAUD.
NOW SCOTT CALLED ON THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT TO
INVESTIGATE. THEY DID.
AND THAT 18-MONTH INVESTIGATION FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD
FRAUD. AS FOR TRUMP'S CLAIM THAT HE
SENT IN FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS?
WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE CURRENT JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND
FBI, AS WELL AS MULTIPLE OFFICIALS AT THE TRUMP JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT IN 2018, BUT SO FAR THERE'S NOTHING WE HAVE SEEN TO
INDICATE THAT FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP DID ATTEMPT TO LEVERAGE
FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO HELP REPUBLICANS IN 2018.
KAITLAN. >> PAULA, THANKS FOR THAT FACT
CHECK. JOINING ME IS FRANCIS ROONEY A
FORMER REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN. GOOD TO SEE YOU, CONGRESSMAN.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. FIRST, WHAT DO YOU TAKE AS THE
MESSAGE FROM THE ELECTION SO FAR?
IS THERE ONE RESOUNDING MESSAGE FOR YOU?
>> YEAH, THE OVERRIDING MESSAGE TO ME IS THAT TRUMP IS ONCE
AGAIN A BIG LOSER WHO CAUSED A LOT OF TROUBLE FOR THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY. RECRUITED BAD CANDIDATES,
PERPETUATES THIS STOLEN ELECTION MANTRA.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S GETTING ANYBODY ANYWHERE.
>> WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HEARING MORE AND MORE FROM
REPUBLICANS, IN JUST THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.
YOU GOT THE REPUBLICAN LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA
WHO IS NOW SAYING, A VERY SIMILAR MESSAGE, IS THAT THE
MESSAGE FROM VOTERS IS IT'S TIME TO MOVE AWAY FROM DONALD TRUMP.
AND ALSO THE SAME TAKEAWAY AS RETIRING REPUBLICAN SENATOR PAT
TOOMEY. AS YOU KNOW, DEMOCRAT JOHN
FETTERMAN JUST PICKED UP HIS SEAT, NOW A DEMOCRATIC SEAT IN
PENNSYLVANIA. LET'S PLAY WHAT PAT TOOMEY SAID.
>> I THINK MY PARTY NEEDS TO FACE THE FACE THE FACT THAT IF
FEALTY TO DONALD TRUMP IS THE PRIMARY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING
CANDIDATES, WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO DO REALLY WELL.
>> YOU JUST SAID THAT AS WELL. AND YOU HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT
FOR SOME TIME, I WILL NOTE, CONGRESSMAN.
WELL, WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK THIS MIDTERM HAS THEN, ON THE
MOVEMENT AWAY FROM TRUMP, IF THAT MOVEMENT IS REAL?
>> WELL, WE SAW TIM GRIFFITH COME OUT A COUPLE DAYS AGO, ONE
OF THE LARGEST REPUBLICAN DONORS, I'VE WORKED WITH HIM
BEFORE, HE SAID IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON FROM TRUMP.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE PEOPLE TAKE THAT KIND OF
POSITION. WHAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY
INTERESTING HOW MANY OF THESE PS
PSYCHOFAN CANDIDATES CONTINUE TO GO TO TRUMP.
>> DO YOU THINK IT DIMINISHES -- THAT'S THE QUESTION, DO YOU
THINK IT DIMINISHES? WHAT ARE YOU SEEING IN YOUR
CRYSTAL BALL WITH THAT? >> WELL, I THINK THIS ELECTION
SHOWS THAT THIS MAGA GROUP IS A VERY DEDICATED GROUP, BUT IT'S
NOT A MAJORITY. AND IT TAKES MODERATE
REPUBLICANS, JUST AS IT TAKES MODERATE DEMOCRATS TO WIN AND
THAT WAS GEORGE BUSH'S AND RONALD REAGAN'S POINTS, AND THEY
ALL LOST BECAUSE OF BEHAVIOR. WHAT SENATOR SPECTER SAID IS
ABSOLUTELY TRUE. >> SENATOR TOOMEY.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE IN THE ATTACKS BY DONALD TRUMP OVER RON
DeSANTIS JUST OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS NOW?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT ACTUALLY HELPS ROCK.
ANYBODY THAT KNOWS DONALD TRUMP, ANYBODY THAT'S READ BILL BARR'S
BOOK FOR TALKED TO THE OTHER CHIEFS OF STAFF OR OTHER PEOPLE
WHO HAVE HEARD HIS RANTS AND RAVINGS AND PROFANITIES AND
THINGS IN THE WHITE HOUSE CAN CONTEST TO THE FACT THAT HIS
BEHAVIORS ARE ALWAYS BRUTISH AND IMMATURE.
I THINK THAT RON IS A STATESMAN ABOUT IT.
AND THE MORE HE STAYS THAT WAY THE BETTER HE'S GOING TO LOOK.
>> SOMEWHAT OF A BLUEPRINT FOR OTHER REPUBLICANS.
FINALLY, I DO WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT KEVIN McCARTHY.
AND THE CHALLENGE AND STRUGGLE THAT HE'S UP AGAINST RIGHT NOW.
HE HAS MEMBERS OF PRO-TRUMP FREEDOM CAUCUS ARE NOW PLAYING
HARD BALL FOR THEIR SUPPORT FOR HIM AS SPEAKER.
BEYOND THAT, CONGRESSMAN, CONSIDERING HOW SLIM THE
MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE MIGHT BE, THAT STRUGGLE IS GOING TO EXTEND
RIGHT INTO LEGISLATING. I MEAN, HOW TOUGH OF A ROAD DO
YOU THINK McCARTHY AND A SLIM REPUBLICAN MAJORITY HAVE?
>> I THINK KEVIN WILL BE HARD TO BEAT.
NOW, WHEN YOU GET INTO LEGISLATING, IT'S GOING TO BE
HARD TO KEEP THE CORRAL FULL OF MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS BECAUSE
EVERYBODY IS GOING TO GO THEIR WAYS ON CERTAIN ISSUES THAT ARE
HOT BUTTONS TO THEM. HE DID A GOOD JOB, THE LAST TWO
YEARS I WAS IN CONGRESS, ON WORKING ON SOME OF THE FREEDOM
CAUCUS MEMBERS. HE'S VERY CAREFUL.
I KNOW HE PUT JIM JORDAN WHEN I WAS ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE IN
CHARGE OF THE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE WHICH IS
SOMETHING HE WANTED. SO HE'S GOT A FEW ALLIES IN THE
FREEDOM CAUCUS NOW. >> I WAS JUST THINKING, YOU MISS
IT? NOW YOU THAT SEE WHAT THE
MAKE-UP MAY LOOK? DO YOU MISS YOUR TIME AT
CONGRESS? >> OH, NO, THE REASON I RAN --
YOU DON'T BECOME A NEW CAREER, A POLITICIAN AT 67 YEARS OLD.
I RAN TO GET THAT MONEY TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT IN
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. AND WE'D GONE SO LONG WITHOUT
GETTING ANY APPROPRIATIONS TO SAFER THE EVERGLADES AND FIX OUR
BEACHES AND REED NOURISH OUR ESTUARIES, ONCE I ACCOMPLISHED.
I FIGURED IT WAS SOMTIME TO MOV ON.
>> IT'S GOO TO HAVE YOU ON,