A LIVE LOOK AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN WASHINGTON.
A WASHINGTON A-LIST DINNER PARTY
MAY BE GIVING THE CLEAREST
SIGNAL YET THAT ESTABLISHMENT
REPUBLICANS ARE NO LONGER AFRAID
OF DONALD TRUMP.
THE GRID IRON DINNER IS A
CENTURY-OLD GATHERING OF
POLITICIANS, JOURNALISTS AND
ELITES WHERE SPEAKERS TAKE TURNS
ROASTING EACH OTHER, SIMILAR TO
THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS
DINNER.
AND AT THE DINNER NEW
HAMPSHIRE'S REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR,
CHRIS SUNUNU, TOOK ON FORMER
PRESIDENT TRUMP USING PROFANITY.
SUNUNU CALLED THE FORMER
PRESIDENT CRAZY, TO LAUGHTER AND
APPLAUSE, AND NOTABLY, NO
BOOING.
QUOTE, I DON'T THINK HE'S SO
CRAZY THAT YOU COULD PUT HIM IN
A MENTAL INSTITUTION, BUT I
THINK IF HE WERE IN ONE HE AIN'T
GETTING OUT.
MEANWHILE, DONALD TRUMP OVER THE
WEEKEND TRAVELED TO MICHIGAN,
HIS LATEST ON A STRING OF
RALLIES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
HE IS NOT ONLY PROMOTING HIS OWN
POTENTIAL 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RUN,
HE'S ALSO TAKING ON A NUMBER OF
REPUBLICAN INCUMBENTS RUNNING
FOR REELECTION THIS YEAR WHO HE
SEES AS OPPOSITION TO HIS OWN
POWER.
NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT VAUGHN
HILLYARD JOINS US WITH MORE ON
TRUMP'S REPUBLICAN TARGETS.
YOU WERE THERE.
>> YES.
>> HOW DID IT GO?
>> THIS IS A STRING OF RALLIES
HE IS HOLDING NOW.
ONE WEEK AGO HE WAS IN GEORGIA.
HE WAS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
>> HOW IS THE TURNOUT?
>> IT SUGGESTS -- I MEAN WE ARE
TALKING MORE THAN 10,000 PEOPLE.
>> OBJECTION.
THERE
OKAY.
THERE YOU GO.
>> TO SUGGEST HIS INFLUENCE HAS
DIMINISHED IN THE PARTY WOULD BE
WILLFUL IGNORANCE.
ONE WEEK AGO HE WAS IN GEORGIA,
TWO WEEKS AGO IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
WHY THESE STATES?
THERE'S RACES HE IS INTERESTED
IN.
IN SOUTH CAROLINA TRYING TO TAKE
DOWN RICE.
GEORGIA, BRAD RAFFENSPERGER,
BRIAN KEMP.
MICHIGAN, PETE UPTON.
THESE ARE THE GOP INCUMBENTS
TRUMP HAS BACKED PRIMARY
CHALLENGERS AGAINST HERE.
WHY IS THIS SIGNIFICANT?
HE'S PUTTING HIS OWN POLITICAL
CAPITAL ON THE LINE LIKE WE HAVE
NEVER SEEN HIM WILLFULLY DO.
THE ONLY TWO TIMES HE HAS DONE
THIS PRIOR WAS IN 2018 IN THE
MARK SANFORD RACE AND IN THE
CHRIS COBACK RACE IN WHICH HE
BACKED PRIMARY CHALLENGERS.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
OVER THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS I
THINK WE WILL GET A GOOD TASTE
HOW POTENT HIS INFLUENCE IS.
>> BY THE WAY, BY THE WAY THOSE
TWO THAT YOU MENTIONED, THEY
LOST.
>> IN THE GENERAL ELECTION?
>> IN THE GENERAL ELECTION.
>> YOU'RE RIGHT.
WHICH IS EXACTLY THE ARGUMENT
FRED UPTON IN MICHIGAN MAKES
HERE.
HE GOES, I HAVE BEEN
REPRESENTING MY DISTRICT MORE
THAN 30 YEARS.
YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF LOSING
THE WITH ME HERE.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE PART OF AN
INTERVIEW.
BECAUSE WE SAT DOWN LAST WEEK
WITH TOM RICE AND SAID I VOTED
WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP 94% OF THE
TIME BUT ULTIMATELY HE VOTED FOR
IM
IMPEACHMENT.
I THINK WE'VE GOT PART OF AN
INTERVIEW WITH UPTON AND WITH
RICE.
>> >> IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING
TO DO WITH REPUBLICAN IDEALS.
IT IS TRUMP DEMANDS ABSOLUTE
LOYALTY.
THAT IS WHAT HE'S ABOUT.
DONALD TRUMP'S POLICIES, I
BELIEVE, LIFTED AMERICAN
FAMILIES.
I THINK HE WAS A CONSEQUENTIAL
PRESIDENT.
BUT IF HE ATTACKS A
CONSTITUTION, IF HE'S WRONG, I'M
GOING TO -- GOING TO VOTE
AGAINST IT AND I'M GOING TO
FIGHT THAT.
>> HE SEES YOU AS AN OPPOSITION
FORCE WITHIN THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
>> TRUMP IS DRIVEN BY A FEW
THINGS.
HE'S DRIVEN BY RECOGNITION.
HE WANTS TO BE RECOGNIZED.
HE'S DRIVEN BY POWER AND
REVENGE.
OF ANYBODY I'VE EVER MET, HE'S
THE MOST SPITEFUL, VENGEFUL
PERSON I'VE EVER MET.
>> ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT A
CONSOLIDATION THE POWER?
>> THE WAY OUR CONSTITUTION WAS
DESIGNED IS TO PREVENT POWER
FROM BEING CONSOLIDATED.
>> MY MESSAGE IS, I'M NOT A
RUBBER STAMP.
IF YOU WANT THAT, YOU GOT THE
WRONG GUY.
NOBODY HAS PRODUCED ANY EVIDENCE
AT ALL THAT IN FACT THE ELECTION
WAS FRAUDULENT, AND OVERTURNED
WHAT OTHER WISE WAS AN ELECTION
THAT WAS CERTIFIED BY LITERALLY
EVERY SINGLE COUNTY CLERK
WHETHER THEY BE REPUBLICAN OR
DEMOCRAT.
>> DOES YOUR ABILITY TO WIN THE
GENERAL ELECTION MATTER AS MUCH
TO TRUMP AS YOUR LOYALTY TO HIM.
>> PROBABLY DOESN'T.
PROBABLY DOESN'T MEAN MUCH TO
HIM.
BUT HE'S A LITTLE BIT ON A
SCORCHED EARTH PATH.
>> IF YOU WIP THIS RACE, WHAT
MESSAGE IS SENT TO THE FORMER
PRESIDENT.
>> THAT HE'S NOT AS STRONG AS HE
MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS.
>> YOU ARE RIGHT.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME TRUMP'S
REALLY PUT IT OUT ON THE LINE.
I MEAN HE'S -- I ALWAYS REMEMBER
WHEN HE'D SAY SOMETHING AND GET
A SPATTERING OF BOOS FROM THE
CROWD.
HE WOULD IMMEDIATELY BACK UP.
BUT HERE HE'S GOING AFTER
PEOPLE.
FOR INSTANCE, BRIAN KEMP.
HE'S DOING EXTRAORDINARILY WELL
RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW IT IS STILL EARLY.
BUT YOU LOOK AT LIZ CHENEY, LIZ
IS NOT CONCERNED.
SHE'S JUST NOT CONCERNED.
SHE KNOWS IT IS TOUGH AND TIGHT.
BUT HE'S TAKING -- LOOK AT FRED
UPTON.
I SERVED WITH FRED.
HE KNOWS HOW TO WIN ELECTIONS.
>> AND NEXT MAY IS THAT GEORGIA
PRIMARY.
THERE IS ANOTHER ONE, WEST
VIRGINIA NEXT MONTH.
WE MAY BE HAVING THE
CONVERSATION THAT TRUMP IS
THROWING UP L'S AND IF HE CAN'T
BACK 500 OVER THE NEXT FOUR
MONTHS, MIKE PENCE, RON DeSANTIS
AGAIN TO STAND UP AND LIKE JONI
ERNST.
>> ALL OF TRUMPS A POWER HAS
BEEN ABOUT POWER AND FEAR.
THE TRUMP BASE WILL TURN AGAINST
YOU AND YOU'LL GET PRIMARY, THIS
IS WHAT EVERY ESTABLISHMENT
REPUBLICAN SAID FOR FOUR YEARS,
IN PRIVATE, I CAN'T GO AGAINST
TRUMP, HIS PEOPLE ARE TOO LOYAL
AND I'LL GET PRIMARIED AND I'LL
LOSE.
AND IF HE GETS TO GEORGIA, HE
GOES DOWN THERE AND TRIES TO GET
KEMP OUT THERE.
FAILS ON THAT.
AS IT LOOKS LIKE, THERE IS STILL
SOME TIME.
BUT PURDUE A LONG SHOT IN THAT
RACE AT THIS POINT.
AND HERSCHEL WALKER, NOW THE
PARTY DOWN THERE IS GOING, THE
GUY HAS THIS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
HISTORY.
WE HAVE TO GET HIM OUT OF THERE.
TRUMP COULD FALL ON HIS FACE ON
TWO BIG FRONTS ON THE STATES
THAT MATTERS MOST TO HIM AND IF
THAT GET PUNCTURED, THE ABILITY
TO BE A KING-MAKER WITHIN THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THIS GET
PUNCTURED, I DON'T THINK THIS IS
A MESSAGE OF WHO RUNS AGAINST
HIM, IT IS THE WIZARD OF OZ.
HE IS NO LONGER THE MAN BEHIND
THE CURTAIN.
HE IS PAPER TIGER AND THAT COULD
BREAK HIS POWER OVER THE PARTY
AND YOU COULD SEE IT THIS YEAR.
>> AND VAUGHN, YOU MENTIONED
HE'S SPENDING HIS POLITICAL
CAPITAL.
IF HE SPENDING THE ENORMOUS SUMS
OF MONEY THAT HE RAISED SINCE HE
LEFT THE PRESIDENCY ON ANY OF
THE CANDIDATES.
>> THERE IS $110 MILLION HE HAS
IN THE BANK HERE.
HE DIDN'T SPEND IT ON MONTH BROO
AND HE PULLS THE ENDORSEMENT
BECAUSE THERE COULD BE A LOSS IN
THE STANDINGS FOR HIM THERE.
KERRY LAKE, THERE IS ANOTHER
CANDIDATE WHO IS SPENDING
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, THE
QUESTION IS AT WHAT POINT DOES
TRUMP TRY TO INVEST IN SOME OF
THE RACES BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT POWER AND INFLUENCE.
IF HIS INFLUENCE WANES, WHAT
HAPPENS TO THAT.
>> WHEN WILL HE START TO SPEND
MONEY ON SOMEONE ELSE'S BEHALF.
THE QUESTION ANSWERS ITSELF.
>> ZERO.
SO BEFORE YOU GO, SARAH PALIN,
AGAIN.
>> YES, I TALKED TO A LONG TIME
AIDE AND FRIEND THE HERS OVER
THE WEEKEND.
SHE'S JUMPING INTO THE FACE TO
PHIL DONE YOUNG'S SEAT HERE BUT
SHE'S ONE OF 51 CANDIDATES.
SHE IS ALSO LOOKING TO RUN FOR A
FULL TERM.
BUT, LOOK, SHE WAS ENDORSED BY
DONALD TRUMP JUST LAST FLIGHT IN
A LOT OF WAYS THAT ADVISER WAS
TELLING ME, LOOK, SARAH PALIN
WAS DONALD TRUMP BEFORE DONALD
TRUMP.
ESSENTIALLY HE CO-OPTED THE TEA
PARTY TO TURN IT INTO THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY.
>> WE HAVE TO TAKE THIS SHOW TO
ANCHORAGE.
THE TOP FOUR VOTE GETTERS THEN
COMPETE IN A SPECIAL OPEN
GENERAL ELECTION IN AUGUST TO
FILL THE DON YOUNG SEAT.
ON THAT SAME DAY IS THE OTHER
OPEN PRIMARY FOR THE GENERAL
ELECTION.
IT IS LIKE THE -- IT IS ONE OF
THE GREAT GO ROEDYOS IN THE -- R
THE PARTY.
>> WE'LL SEND MIKE TO JUNEAU.
>> AND YOU TALK ABOUT SARAH
PALIN WAS TRUMP BEFORE, IT IS
VERY INTERESTING, SARAH PALIN IN
2010 COULD GO NO WRONG.
NICKI
NIKKI HALEY WAS IN FOURTH PLACE.
AND MIKA AND I DID A DEBATE DOWN
THERE.
SHE WAS IN FOURTH PLACE.
SARAH PALIN COMES IN AND
ENDORSES HER AND SHE WINS AND
THAT IS A STORY.
TWO YEARS LATER, IT WAS GONE.
AND THAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH
THESE TYPE OF FIGURES.
THEY'RE HOT UNTIL THE SECOND
THEY'RE NOT.
AND THEN, MAN, THE PARTY MOVES
ON RUTHLESSLY.
>> I WANT MIKA'S PSYCHOLOGICAL
INSIGHT ON THIS.
HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK SARAH
PALIN IS GETTING INTO THIS, THE
FACT THAT SHE'S ANNOYED BY THE
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE AND THE
LAUREN BOB ERTS AND THOSE SPAWN