>> MARK MEREDITH WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
THANKS, MARK.
GRIFF: THANKS.
JOINING US IS TENNESSEE
REPUBLICAN AND MEMBER OF SENATE
JUDICIARY AND ARMED SERVICES
COMMITTEE, MARSHA BLACKBURN.
ON SATURDAY YOU HEARD MARK
MEREDITH’S REPORT THERE.
I WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION TO
THE PRESIDENT SAYING THAT
FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SHOULD
BE DENIED CLASSIFIED BRIEFINGS.
>> MORE OF THE DOUBLE STANDARD,
DOUBLE SPEAK HYPOCRISY THAT IS
COMING FROM THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION AND, GRIFF, THIS
IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WILL
REMIND PEOPLE WHY THEY DID NOT
WANT MORE OF OBAMA-BIDEN IN
ELECTING HILLARY CLINTON, WHY
NE THEY ELECTED PRESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP.
AND THEY SAY, SHOULD JOHN
BRENNAN, SHOULD JAMES COMEY,
SHOULD OTHERS STOP RECEIVE
ACCESS TO CLASSIFIED
INFORMATION?
SHOULD FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA
STOP RECEIVING THESE BRIEFINGS,
SECURITY BRIEFINGS?
BUT YOU KNOW, THEY’VE GOT A
DOUBLE STANDARD AND THEY’RE
DOUBLING DOWN ON THEIR DOUBLE
STANDARD.
>> SO THE BRIEFINGS.
I WANT TO TURN TO THE ISSUE
THAT FOR MILLIONS OF STUDENTS
AND PARENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
IT HAS BECOME A BOILING POINT
AND THAT IS THE REOPENINGS YOU
SEE IN CHICAGO, IN PHILLY,
ELSEWHERE, SCHOOLS NOT
REOPENING BECAUSE OF THE
TEACHERS UNIONS.
NOW, AT THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS
BRIEFING JEN PSAKI WAS ASKED
WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD USE
THE PRESIDENT’S BULLY PULPIT TO
PUSH SCHOOLS TO REOPEN.
HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED, WATCH.
>> THE PRESIDENT IS ABSOLUTE
COMMIT TODAY REOPENING SCHOOLS.
THEY WANT THEM NOT JUST TO
REOPEN, BUT TO STAY OPEN AND HE
WANTS TO DO THAT IN A SAFE WAY
AND WE’RE GOING TO RELY ON
C.D.C. GUIDANCE, WHICH AGAIN IS
NOT OFFICIALLY OUT YET, TO
DETERMINE THE BEST WAY TO DO
IT.
>> SENATOR, YOUR REACTION?
>> WELL, THERE AGAIN, DOUBLE
STANDARD.
THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ONE
OPINION.
C.D.C. HAD ALREADY SAID THAT
CHILDREN COULD GO BACK TO
SCHOOL TAKING THE PROPER
MITIGATION STRATEGIES, GETTING
THOSE IN PLACE.
AND THAT IS YOUR PPE, MAKING
CERTAIN YOU’RE USING MASKS, YOU
HAVE DIVIDERS AND EVERY--
THE TEACHERS ARE ON THE LIST
FOR GETTING VACCINATIONS.
HERE IS THE DEAL, IT SEEMS THAT
THE LEFT IS CONCERNED ABOUT
COVID IN THE CLASSROOM.
THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT
COVID AT THE BORDER CROSSINGS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE PEDIATRICIANS
WHO ARE SAYING GET KIDS BACK IN
SCHOOL.
LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH
MENTAL HEALTH, WITH TEEN
PREGNANCY, WITH TEEN SUICIDES.
YOU NEED TO GET THESE CHILDREN
BACK IN THE CLASSROOM.
I WILL TELL YOU THIS, GRIFF, IF
I WERE LORI LIGHTFOOT I WOULD
FIRE EVERY ONE OF THESE
TEACHERS THAT WILL NOT GO BACK
TO SCHOOL IN CHICAGO AND WILL
NOT GO BACK TO TEACH THESE
CHILDREN.
GRIFF: WHY WON’T LORI
LIGHTFOOT LEAN ON THE TEACHERS
TO REOPEN.
>> IT’S AMAZING TO ME, CONGRESS
APPROPRIATED 110 BILLION
DOLLARS TO HELP GET CHILDREN
BACK IN SCHOOL.
IN TENNESSEE MOST OF THE
CLASSROOMS ARE OPEN.
OUR COUNTY MAYORS, OUR SCHOOL
BOARDS, OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS, OUR
TEACHERS, OUR PARENTS, THEY’RE
ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE
CERTAIN THAT CHILDREN GET BACK
TO A NORMAL LIFETIME, A NORMAL
SCHOOL DAY, BUT YOU’RE NOT
SEEING IT IN THESE BIG CITIES.
AND THAT’S WHY PEOPLE ARE
GETTING OUT OF THEM AS FAST AS
THEY CAN.
GRIFF: SO, WITH THE COVID
RELIEF PACKAGE, WHICH IS MOVING
RIGHT DOWN THE PATH TO GETTING
PASSED WITH RECONCILIATION, ARE
YOU CALLING FOR A CONTINGENTY
IN THAT FINAL PIECE OF
LEGISLATION, TO GET THAT MONEY
YOU HAVE TO REOPEN?
>> YES, WE HAVE SAID AND I HAD
AN AMENDMENT THAT WE FILED THAT
SAID YOU CAN’T GET THESE
FEDERAL DOLLARS IN YOU ARE NOT
GOING TO HAVE CHILDREN BACK IN
THOSE CLASSROOMS.
IF YOU’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE
THOSE TEACHERS IN PERSON BACK
IN THOSE CLASSROOMS.
THIS IS DESPICABLE THAT THESE
UNIONS KEEP MOVING THE GOAL
POST.
THEY ARE SAYING, WE’RE NOT
GOING TO GO BACK UNTIL YOU DO
THIS, THAT OR THE OTHER AND
GRIFF, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO
WITH THE EDUCATION OR THE
SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN IN THE
CLASSROOM.
AND WE KNOW THESE CHILDREN ARE
LEARNING VIRTUALLY NOTHING WHEN
THEY ARE NOT IN THE CLASSROOM.
WE KNOW THEIR NUTRITION IS
FAILING.
WE KNOW THERE ARE MENTAL HEALTH
ISSUES.
AS I SAID, SUICIDE IS UP.
PEDIATRICIANS ARE SAYING GET
THEM BACK IN THE CLASSROOM.
GRIFF: SENATOR, WE’VE JUST GOT
A FEW SECONDS LEFT.
I WANT YOUR PREVIEW.
WE HAVE AN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
COMING.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN?
>> IN MY OPINION IT’S AN
UNCONSTITUTIONAL IMPEACHMENT.
I THINK THE DEMOCRATS ARE NOW
WANTING TO GET THIS OVER AS
QUICKLY AS THEY CAN BECAUSE
THEY’VE REALIZED IF THEY OPEN
THIS PANDORA’S BOX OF A DOUBLE
STANDARD AGAIN, AND THEY ARE
GOING TO TRY TO IMPEACH A
PRIVATE CITIZEN, FORMER
PRESIDENT, THEN YOU CAN GO BACK
THROUGH OBAMA, CLINTON, CARTER,
YOU CAN GO TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS
LIKE CLINTON AND COMEY AND
STRZOK AND PAGE AND YOU CAN
PULL THEM UP FOR IMPEACHMENT,
AND THEY’RE BEGINNING TO
REALIZE THEY MAY HAVE OPENED A
DOOR THEY DID NOT WANT TO OPEN.