MARTHA.
>> PETER DOOCY AT THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HUTCHESON, FORMER REPUBLICAN OF
ARKANSAS AND JONATHAN KOTT,
ASSISTANT TO JOE MANCHIN ARE
HERE THIS MORNING.
JONATHAN, I WANT TO GET YOUR
REACTION TO MORE OF THESE
COMMENTS THAT SURFACED IN THE
PIECE THIS MORNING THAT PETER
REFERENCED ABOUT HOW THE
PRESIDENT FEELS ABOUT HIS VICE
PRESIDENT, KAMALA HARRIS AND AT
LEAST ACCORDING TO THIS
REPORTING, IT SAYS THESE FORMER
OFFICIALS SAY THAT BIDEN THINKS
THAT HARRIS COULDN’T BEAT TRUMP
IF SHE WERE THE DEMOCRAT NOMINEE
IN 2024.
SHE ISN’T SOMEBODY WHO TAKES
ANYTHING OFF HIS PLATE AND THAT
SHE IS TOO TENTATIVE AND
HESITANT WHEN IT COMES TO
ENGAGING ON MAJOR ISSUES.
THOSE ARE STRONG SENTIMENTS,
JONATHAN.
>> SURE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE PEOPLE
PUT THEIR NAMES TO THAT INSTEAD
OF GIVING BLIND QUOTES.
THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT
HAVE DONE SOME HISTORIC THINGS.
SO WE FACED THINGS, THE
PANDEMIC, ECONOMIC COLLAPSE.
HE BROUGHT US OUT OF THOSE
THINGS.
IT WAS THE BIDEN/HARRIS TEAM
THAT DID IT LIKE THE OBAMA/BIDEN
TEAM THAT DID IT IN 2008 AND
2012.
THEY HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO WORK
TOGETHER AND WHAT SHE CAN TAKE
OFF HIS PLATE, WHAT HE DOESN’T
WANT TO TAKE ON.
KEEP IN MIND THIS IS A PRESIDENT
WHO HAS TAKEN ON SOME OF THE
MOST HISTORIC CHALLENGES WE’VE
HAD IN OUR COUNTRY AND HE BEAT
THEM AND HELPED US COME OUT OF
THEM STRONGER.
I THINK THE TWO OF THEM ARE
COMPLETELY FINE AND GETTING
READY TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION AND
I EXPECT THEY WIN LIKE THEY DID
IN 2020 BECAUSE I THINK DONALD
TRUMP WILL BE RUNNING AGAINST
HIM.
>> IT IS INTERESTING.
A LOT OF THIS SENTIMENT
SURFACING OUT THERE ON BOTH
SIDES OF THE AISLE WHEN MAYBE
SOME PEOPLE IN THE PARTY ARE
SORT OF HANKERING FOR A CHANGE
OR WANT TO GET A MESSAGE OUT
THERE.
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THESE
COMMENTS SURFACING NOW?
WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS
POLITICALLY IN THE BACK ROOMS OF
YOUR -- OF THE OTHER PARTY?
>> ACTUALLY I THINK WHAT THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WE
DO NOT WANT TO HAVE A REPEAT OF
THE BIDEN/TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
THAT’S NOT SOMETHING THAT
INTRIGUES THEM.
THEY DON’T SEE THAT MOVING OUR
COUNTRY FORWARD.
IN REFERENCE TO PRESIDENT BIDEN,
I THINK HIS NUMBERS ARE STARTING
TO GET LOCKED IN.
THESE ARE VERY, VERY LOW
NUMBERS.
BUT WHENEVER YOU TALK ABOUT THE
PRINCIPLE PROBLEM THAT AMERICANS
FACE RIGHT NOW IS SIMPLY THE
ECONOMY AND THE INFLATION THAT
IS INSPIRED BY THIS
ADMINISTRATION EXCESSIVE
SPENDSING HAS LED TO HIGH
INTEREST RATES.
THE AMERICAN CONSUMER AND
FAMILIES GETTING HIT BY HIGH
PRICES AND HIGH INTEREST RATES
THAT IMPACT THEM AND NOW WE SEE
IT IMPACTING IN TERMS OF OUR
BANKS AND SURE HE TOOK QUICK
ACTION.
IT ALL STARTS WITH THAT
INFLATIONARY PRESSURE FROM
EXCESSIVE SPENDING AND HE IS
BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE AS A
PRESIDENT SHOULD.
HIS NUMBERS REFLECT THAT.
OF COURSE, THEN YOU HAVE THE
CHALLENGES ABROAD, THE WEAKNESS
THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN.
I THINK THIS ILLUSTRATES THAT
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SAYING
LET’S HAVE A CHANGE IN
LEADERSHIP AND I CERTAINLY HOPE
THAT’S NOT GOING TO BE
REFLECTIVE OF A BIDEN/TRUMP
CONTEST IN 2024.
>> LET’S PULL UP THIS POLL.
IT IS A BRAND-NEW ONE THAT CAME
OUT THIS MORNING.
THESE POLLS ARE REALLY SHOCKING
WHEN YOU DIG INTO THIS "WALL
STREET JOURNAL" DATA WHICH I
THINK SHOWS A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF
PESSIMISM ABOUT THE FUTURE IN
THIS COUNTRY.
IT IS STUNNING, REALLY.
78% THINK THAT THE COUNTRY IS
GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND
YOU CAN COMPARE THAT TO WHEN
THIS PRESIDENT WAS INAUGURATED
IT WAS AT 49%.
ALMOST A 30% JUMP IN PEOPLE WHO
FEEL WE’RE HEADED IN THE WRONG
DIRECTION, PEOPLE DON’T THINK
COLLEGE EDUCATION IS WORTH IT.
THEY THINK THEIR KIDS WON’T BE
AS WELL OFF AS THEY ARE.
JONATHAN, WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE
COUNTRY?
>> I THINK WE FACED A LOT OF
CHALLENGES.
COVID HIT THE COUNTRY AND THE
WORLD HARD.
INFLATION IS A GLOBAL PHENOMENON
AND YOU SAY INFLATION RATES
HIGHER IN A LOT OF EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES.
THE PRESIDENT IS STEPPING UP TO
MEET ALL THESE CHALLENGES.
I THINK THERE WILL BE --
>> WHY ARE THE NUMBERS GOING IN
THE WRONG DIRECTION?
>> WE KEEP GETTING CHALLENGE
AFTER CHALLENGE.
ECONOMY WAS LOOKING BETTER.
WE HAD THE BANK COLLAPSE.
WE HAVE HAD THESE THINGS THAT
KEEP POPPING UP.
THE PRESIDENT IS MEETING ALL OF
THESE CHALLENGES.
>> YOU CAN SAY THAT BUT WE ALSO
HAVE SEEN PEOPLE ATTACKED IN
SYRIA THIS MORNING BY AN IRANIAN
DRONE.
THERE IS A QUESTION ABOUT HOW
STRONG WE ARE AS A NATION.
WHAT WE ARE PROJECTING AND HOW
GOOD A JOB WE ARE DOING AT
RUNNING THE COUNTRY.
THE FEDERAL RESERVE AND THESE
BANKS.
THESE THINGS DON’T JUST HAPPEN.
THEY HAPPEN BECAUSE OF POLICY.
>> THE PRESIDENT HAS UNITED THE
WORLD TO DEFEND UKRAINE AGAINST
RUSSIA.
THAT’S SOMETHING HE HAS DONE.
THAT’S SHOWING OUR STRENGTH
AROUND THE WORLD AND SHOWING
CHINA THEY DON’T HAVE THE
ABILITY TO INVADE TAIWAN.
THAT’S SHOWING THEM WHAT WILL
HAPPEN IF THEY TRY DOING THAT
AND YES, I AGREE WITH ELIZABETH
WARREN.
THE FED SHOULD HAVE STEPPED IN
SOONER AND DONE SOMETHING ON THE
BANKS.
AS THESE PROBLEMS ARISE THE
PRESIDENT STEPS UP TO THE
CHALLENGE.
>> LET’S GET IN THIS ONE OTHER
PIECE.
PRESIDENT BIDEN WE’VE SEEN SOME
BIZARRE MOMENTS QUESTIONABLE IN
TERMS OF THE THINGS THAT COME
OUT OF HIS MOUTH TO BE PERFECTLY
FRANK AND WE’VE SEEN THREE OF
THEM JUST OVER THE PAST TWO
DAYS.
WATCH THIS.
>> President Biden: WE LIKE
BABIES.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
IT.
IT IS OKAY.
IT’S ALL RIGHT.
[APPLAUSE]
MATTER OF FACT I LIKE BABIES
BETTER THAN PEOPLE.
PUTS MESSAGE ON MY MIRROR WHEN
I’M SHAVING TO MAKE SURE I SEE
THEM.
ONE THAT WAS PUT IN ABOUT A YEAR
AGO WAS STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME
LOVE YOU.
>> GOVERNOR HUTCHESON YOU WHAT I
DO THINK ABOUT THESE GAFFES?
>> I DON’T KNOW WHETHER THEY ARE
BAD JOKES OR MISINFORMATION OR
WHAT.
BUT IT OBVIOUSLY IS CONCERNING
WHENEVER YOU SEE A PRESIDENT
DOESN’T ARTICULATE AS CLEARLY AS
SHOULD BE AND PROVIDES AN
INSPIRING MESSAGE.
WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES IN OUR
SPEECH BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO
CLEARLY COMMUNICATE POLICY AND
DIRECTION AND WE DON’T SEE THAT
IN THIS PRESIDENT.
AND WHILE YOU HAVE PALACE
INTRIGUE AND WHILE YOU CAN HAVE
WORRY ABOUT HIS ABILITY TO
COMMUNICATE, THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGE IS THE POLICY, WHETHER
IT’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN HIGHER
EDUCATION THAT NOBODY IS HAPPY
WITH, OR THE CONCERN WITH THE
ECONOMY, OR THE CONCERN WITH
WEAKNESS ABROAD.
THAT IS THE OVERARCHING CONCERN.
THESE OTHER THINGS ARE MORE
HUMOROUS AND DISCONCERTING IN A
SMALLER WAY.
>> ARE THEY DISCONCERTING TO
YOU, JONATHAN, OR DO YOU
MAINTAIN FULL CONFIDENCE IN THIS
PRESIDENT AND WANT HIM TO RUN
AGAIN?
>> FULL CONFIDENCE.
I LIKE BABIES MORE THAN ADULTS.
I LIKE DOGS MORE THAN PEOPLE.
>> HE SAID MORE THAN HUMANS.
>> HE WAS SAYING I LIKE BABIES
MORE THAN DOGS.
I HOPE ONE DAY TO HAVE A
MARRIAGE THAT SEEMS AS HAPPY AND
LOVING AS HE HAS WITH THE FIRST
LADY AND HE MISSPOKE.
HE WANTS TO KEEP GUNS OUT OF THE
HANDS OF DOMESTIC ACTIVITIES.
I WOULD RATHER HAVE A PRESIDENT
THAT MISSPEAKS ON THAT AND
DOESN’T TRY TO STOP THE GUNS
GETTING INTO THEIR HANDS.
HE MISSPOKE.
I THINK IT’S FINE.
HIS RECORD IS ONE HE SHOULD BE
PROUD TO RUN ON AND I HOPE HE IS
ANNOUNCING LATER.
HE SHOULDN’T FOCUS ON
CAMPAIGNING RIGHT NOW.
HIS RECORD IS SOMETHING HE CAN
STAND ON.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM SUPPORTING HIM
FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS.