WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP
PRESIDENT TRUMP FROM UNRAVELING
OUR DEMOCRACY, INCLUDING A RUN
FOR PRESIDENT HERSELF IF
NECESSARY.
JOINING US NOW, ADAM KINZINGER
AND KASIE HUNT.
REPRESENTATIVE KINZINGER, YOU
STAND WITH LIZ CHENEY.
WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS GOING?
I’M AT A LOSS OF WORDS AS TO HOW
TO COMPREHEND THE MANY
REPUBLICANS WHO TURN THEIR BACK
ON HER, WHO VOTED HER OUT, AND
ARE DOING IT FOR LIES AGAINST
THE TRUTH.
I THINK THIS IS A NEW LEVEL THAT
WE’RE AT, BUT PERHAPS YOU COULD
PUT IT INTO WORDS BETTER THAN
ME.
>> NO, I MEAN, I THINK -- I’M
ABOUT AS SPEECHLESS AS YOU ARE.
THE FIRST THING TO KEEP IN MIND
IS WE DON’T KNOW HOW MANY
MEMBERS VOTED AGAINST HER
BECAUSE KEVIN McCARTHY DID HIS
LITTLE VOICE VOTE UNITY CRAP,
YOU KNOW, TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE
IT WAS UNANIMOUS BECAUSE I
HONESTLY THINK SHE MAY HAVE BEEN
RETAINED OR AT LEAST IT WOULD
HAVE BEEN CLOSE AND HE CAN NOW
GO OUT AND SAY WE’RE UNIFIED AND
WE’RE PAST CHENEY.
LOOK, KEVIN WENT TO MAR-A-LAGO A
COUPLE WEEKS AFTER JANUARY 6th
AND HE PUT THESE PADDLES ON
DONALD TRUMP, RESURRECTED HIM TO
LIFE.
NOW CHENEY HAS BEEN CONSISTENT.
SHE SAID THE SAME THING THAT
KEVIN McCARTHY SAID IN JANUARY.
SHE’S JUST BEEN CONSISTENT.
AND THEN TO WATCH YESTERDAY,
SOME OF THE -- I DIDN’T EVEN
KNOW CONGRESSMAN CLYDE WAS A
CONGRESSMAN.
THIS PARTY IS SICK AND THIS
PARTY NEEDS HELP AND IF WE’RE
NOT WILLING TO STAND UP AND PUT
IT ALL ON THE LINE FOR THAT,
THIS PARTY KNOT GOING TO BE
AROUND IN THE FUTURE.
>> SO THE WASHINGTON POST
REPORTED THAT THE REPUBLICAN
LEADERS WITHHELD POLLING DATA
FROM YOU AND OTHER REPUBLICAN
MEMBERS AT A RETREAT THAT SHOWED
TRUMP’S UNFAVORBILITY RATINGS
WERE A SHOCKING 15 POINTS UNDER
WATER IN CORE DISTRICTS AND THE
PARTY, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY NEED
TO RETAKE THE HOUSE.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THE NRCC
CARING MORE ABOUT COVERING FOR
AN EX PRESIDENT THAN HELPING
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS GET
RE-ELECTED?
I MEAN, THIS IS LIKE A SICKNESS
THAT RUNS DEEP.
AND THE ONLY THING THAT EXPLAINS
SOMETHING LIKE THIS, FROM MY
POINT OF VIEW, IS READING LIKE
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT’S BOOK ABOUT
FASCISM OR READING BOOKS ABOUT
CULTS.
>> YEAH.
IT’S LIKE SOMETHING YOU WOULD
SEE OUT OF NORTH KOREA.
DON’T MAKE THE DEAR LEADER MAD.
THAT’S WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.
LOOK, IF YOU’RE PAYING THE NRCC
DUES TO THE COMMITTEE, THEY NEED
TO TELL YOU EVERYTHING THEY
HAVE, INCLUDING THE BAD NUMBERS.
THESE ARE DECISIONS THAT MEMBERS
HAVE TO MAKE.
AND INSTEAD, WE ARE SO SCARED TO
DEATH OF DONALD TRUMP.
BY THE WAY, DONALD TRUMP JUST
MADE LIZ CHENEY EVEN MORE OF A
NATIONAL FIGURE THAN SHE EVER
WAS.
SHE’S BRAVE.
I’VE ALWAYS ADMIRED HER.
BUT HE MADE HER THE LEADER OF
THAT AND I THINK HE’S BASICALLY
CREATED SOMETHING THAT HE SHOULD
BE VERY AFRAID OF, WHICH IS
SOMEBODY THAT IS GOING TO TELL
THE TRUTH.
NEXT TO DONALD TRUMP, WHICH
SOMEBODY TELLS THE TRUTH, IT’S
PRETTY OBVIOUS.
SO, LOOK, WE’RE AT A BAD PLACE
IN THIS PARTY, NO DAUTOUBT ABOUT
THAT.
BUT THIS PARTY AND PEOPLE IN
THIS COUNTRY DEMAND THE TRUTH.
MIGHT BE SMALL AT FIRST, BUT
MAYBE MIGHTY IN THE LONG RUN.
>> THAT’S A LONELY TABLE RIGHT
NOW, BUT MAYBE YOU’LL ADD SOME
MEMBERS.
I’M CURIOUS TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR
SITUATION.
WHAT WE HEAR OVER AND OVER AGAIN
IS A LOT OF REPUBLICANS ARE
SAYING THINGS PUBLICLY THEY
DON’T BELIEVE BECAUSE THEY KNOW
IT’S WHAT VOTERS WANT TO HEAR.
WE LOOK AT YOUR DISTRICT.
DONALD TRUMP WON THERE IN 2020,
THAT DISTRICT, BY ABOUT 15
POINTS.
YOU’VE BEEN VERY PUBLICLY
CRITICAL AND WERE VERY PUBLICLY
CRITICAL OF DONALD TRUMP.
YOU WON BY 30 POINTS IN YOUR
DISTRICT.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO SOME OF THOSE
MEMBERS WHO SAY, BOY, I CAN’T
CRITICIZE DONALD TRUMP AT ALL OR
I’M GOING TO LOSE MY SEAT?
>> YEAH.
THAT’S TRUE.
THE ONLY ONE I THINK THAT HAS
NOT OUTPERFORMED DONALD TRUMP IN
THEIR DISTRICT WAS MATT GATES
AND PEOPLE LIKE THAT, HONESTLY,
GOT THE SAME NUMBER AT DONALD
TRUMP.
IF YOU LOOK AT ANY OTHER MEMBER
OF CONGRESS, THEY USUALLY BEAT
TRUMP BY TWO OR THREE AND PEOPLE
LIKE ME WON -- EVEN BEAT HIM BY
A FAR BIGGER MARGIN.
I THINK THE LESS AMOUNT OF THAT
IS PEOPLE STILL VOTE FOR YOU IF
THEY BELIEVE YOU BELIEVE WHAT
YOU’RE SAYING.
I MEAN, YOU CAN DISAGREE WITH ME
ALL DAY LONG, BUT I THINK
THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT
STILL VOTE FOR ME BECAUSE THEY
KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING IS WHAT I
BELIEVE.
AND IF YOU’RE OUT THERE JUST
TRYING TO TOE THE PARTY LINE AND
PRETENDING JANUARY 6th WAS A
WHOLE DECADE AGO SO WHY ARE WE
STILL TALKING ABOUT IT AND
IGNORING MICHAEL FINNE’S
INTERVIEW WHO I’VE BECOME GOOD
FRIENDS WITH.
BY THE WAY, HE TRIED TO CALL AND
MEET WITH THE MINORITY LEADER,
KEVIN McCARTHY.
HE WAS HUNG UP ON.
McCARTHY HAS NEVER WATCHED HIS
INTERVIEW AS FAR AS I KNOW AND
GOING AROUND DEFENDING PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
I DON’T GET IT, BUT, LOOK, THE
BOTTOM LINE, I’M AT PEACE DOING
THE RIGHT THING AND THAT’S A
GOOD PLACE TO BE.
>> YOU MENTIONED OFFICER FANONE.
KRN GOT NEW BODY CAM FOOTAGE IN
OF DISGUSTING, APPALLING AND A
NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE FOR HIM.
HE WAS ON THE GROUND PLEADING
FOR HIS LIFE WHILE HE’S BEING
BEATEN.
YOU SEE ONE OF THE ATTACKERS
HERE SAYING I GOT ONE, TALKING
ABOUT A POLICE OFFICER.
SOMEONE STEPPED IN AND
ULTIMATELY SAVED HIS LIFE AS HE
BEGGED FOR IT.
AS HE TALKED ABOUT HIS KIDS AND
SAID, PLEASE, I HAVE KIDS AND
SAID LATER HE THOUGHT ABOUT HIS
FOUR DAUGHTERS AND HOW THEY WERE
GOING TO GO ON WITHOUT HIM.
BUT AS YOU LISTENED TO THOSE
CONGRESSMEN YESTERDAY IN THE
OUTSIGHT COMMITTEE SAYING THESE
WERE JUST TOURISTS, THEY WERE
PEACEFUL PROTESTERS, THEY WERE A
BUNCH OF MISFITS WANDERING
AROUND THE CAPITOL, WHAT DO YOU
DO WITH THAT?
THESE PEOPLE WERE THERE.
THEY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
SO NOW THEY’RE JUST SPOUTING A
CONSPIRACY THEORY.
THEY’RE TRUTHERS ABOUT THAT DAY.
THEY’RE LYING ABOUT THAT DAY.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH MEMBERS LIKE
THAT?
>> YOU KNOW, THE SAD NEWS IS,
THEY CAN GO ON WHATEVER MEDIA
OUTLET AND SAY THAT AND NOT BE
QUESTIONED.
SO THAT’S WHAT THEY’LL DO.
THEY’LL GO TO THEIR MEDIA CORNER
THAT WON’T QUESTION THEM THAT
WANTS TO ECHO THAT CONVERSATION.
SAME REASON KEVIN McCARTHY ONLY
DOES ONE TV STATION AT ALL
BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT TO TAKE
THE TOUGH QUESTIONS.
SO I GUESS ALL YOU CAN DO IS
KEEP CALLING THAT OUT AS
LUDICROUS.
WE SOMETIMES ASSUME THAT
EVERYBODY JUST KNOWS, BUT KEEP
IN MIND, IF YOU’RE A BASE
REPUBLICAN VOTER AND EVERY ONE
OF THE PEOPLE YOU TRUST IS
SAYING JANUARY 6th DIDN’T HAPPEN
AND THE ELECTION WAS STOLEN, WE
CAN’T REALLY BLAME THEM FOR
BELIEVING THAT.
YES, SHE SHOULDN’T BELIEVE IT,
BUT WHEN ALL THEIR LEADERS ARE
LYING TO THEM, OF COURSE THERE’S
GOING TO BE MANY THAT BELIEVE
IT.
THAT’S WHY SADLY THERE’S ONLY A
FEW OF US, BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP
TELLING THE TRUTH.
I’VE KNOWN MIKE FINONE.
WHEN HE WATCH HIM SCREAMING IN
THAT VIDEO, THAT IS NOT THE
TYPICAL MIKE FINONE WHO IS A
TOUGH DUDE.
TO SEE HIM AT THAT LEVEL IS TO
SEE HIM AFRAID FOR HIS LIFE.
ALL THOSE THOUGHTS GO THROUGH
YOUR HEAD VERY QUICKLY,
INCLUDING I’M GOING TO DIE AND
ALL THAT STUFF.
IT’S TERRIBLE TO SEE.
BUT HE’S BEEN A HERO TO SPEAK UP
ABOUT IT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
KASIE HUNT IS HERE WITH A
QUESTION FOR YOU.
>> CONGRESSMAN, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
LIZ CHENEY TALKED TO OUR
COLLEAGUE, SAVANNAH GUTHRIE.
WE SHOWED A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ONE COMMENT
THAT SHE MADE.
SHE TALKED ABOUT THE JANUARY 6th
COMMISSION, WHICH YOU STILL
HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO FIND
BYSTART SAN AGREEMENT ON.
CHENEY SAYS I’VE BEEN VERY
PUBLIC ABOUT THE COMMISSION AND
SAYING IT NEEDS TO LOOK ONLY AT
JANUARY 6th AND THE EVENTS
LEADING UP TO IT.
AND SHE SAYS THAT INTENSE NARROW
FOCUS THREATENS PEOPLE IN MY
PARTY WHO MAY HAVE BEEN PLAYING
A ROLE THAT THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN PLAYING.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT
SHE’S TALKING ABOUT THERE?
WHO HAS THREATENED AND
PARTICULARLY WHAT WAS KEVIN
McCARTHY’S ROLE AND ANY OF YOUR
CONCERNS ABOUT IT?
>> I THINK ALL THAT STUFF IS IN
QUESTION.
SO WITH KEVIN, WE KNOW AT ONE
POINT THAT HE CLAIMS TO HAVE
TALKED TO THE PRESIDENT AND
YELLED AT HIM.
AND THEN LATER, OF COURSE, HE
WA DEFENSIVE AND SAID, WELL,
THE PRESIDENT PUT OUT A VIDEO.
I THINK THERE’S SOME REAL
QUESTIONS THERE.
KEVIN RECENTLY SAID THAT WHEN HE
TALKED TO THE PRESIDENT, THE
PRESIDENT HAD NO CLUE THAT THIS
WAS HAPPENING AND THEN DID THE
VIDEO.
WELL, LET’S THINK ABOUT THIS.
SUPPOSEDLY HE HAD CALLED A
SENATOR AND TOLD HIM TO CONTINUE
OBJECTING.
THAT SENATOR TOLD HIM WHAT WAS
GOING ON, THAT VICE PRESIDENT
CHENEY WAS BEING HIDDEN.
AND SO YOU LOOK AT ALL THAT AND
YOU GO, SOMETHING DOESN’T MAKE
SENSE.
PLUS, THAT’S GOING TO FIND OUT
WHO WAS TALKING TO THESE GROUPS
PRIOR.
WHAT COORDINATION HAD HAPPENED?
I AGREE WITH LIZ, IF WE WANT TO
START BRINGING, YOU KNOW, BLM
INTO THIS AND START BRINGING
ANTE IF A, ALL WE’RE DOING IS
TRYING TO HAVE FALSE EQUIVALENCY
TO WHAT HAPPENS ON JANUARY 6th.
I WAS AGAINST THE RIOTS THIS
SUMMER, RIGHT?
BUT THAT DIDN’T THREATEN
DEMOCRACY.
JANUARY 6th, YOU HAD THE NUMBER
2, 233 AND 4 PERSON IN LINE OF T
PRESIDENCY ALL WITHIN STRIKING
DISTANCE OF A MOB.
I THINK WHAT LED UP TO THERE,
WHO COORDINATED WITH WHO, AND IF
SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WERE
INVOLVED IN THAT, THEY SHOULD
HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT BEFORE
THEY BECAME INVOLVED IN AN
INSURRECTION.
>> MICHAEL.
>> MIKA AND I HAVE A DISCUSSION
EARLIER AND AT THE CORE OF IT
WAS FRUSTRATION AND ANGST ABOUT
WHERE WE ARE AS A NATION AND WHY
OUR PARTY IS PLAYING THE ROLE IT
IS PLAYING RIGHT NOW.
COULD YOU SPEAK TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR FRUSTRATION
IN WATCHING THIS ONCE PROUD
PARTY SINK AS LOW AS IT HAS AND
TO ENGAGE IN THE LEVEL OF
FASCISM, WHITE NATIONALISM AND
THE KIND OF PURGING THAT WE JUST
WITNESSED YESTERDAY WITH LIZ
CHENEY?
BECAUSE I THINK THAT’S A REAL --
THAT’S A REAL DRUM BEAT FOR A
LOT OF AMERICANS RIGHT NOW.
THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND.
AND YOU TOUCHED A LITTLE BIT ON
YOUR OWN PERSONAL FEELINGS AND
LOOKING AROUND AND SEEING
MEMBERS AND SAYING, IS THIS GUY
ON OUR TEAM OR WHAT?
SO HOW DO WE PROCESS WHAT WE SEE
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITH THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY?
>> WELL, LOOK, THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
ARE JUST -- IT’S JUST A BIG
GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT MAKE
DECISIONS.
THAT’S IT.
THERE’S NO MASSIVE KIND OF
BEHIND SMOKE FILLED ROOMS
PARTYING MACHINERY.
AND RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE ARE
INTIMIDATED BY DONALD TRUMP.
YEAH.
AND THAT’S JUST -- WE HAVE TO
RECOGNIZE THAT.
BUT IF YOU ARE A ONCE PROUD
REPUBLICAN OR YOU’RE SOMEBODY
THAT’S CONCERNED ABOUT THIS, YOU
HAVE A ROLE TO BE INVOLVED IN
BRINGING THE NARRATIVE OF
POLITICS BACK.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN’T BE THE FIRST
GENERATION THAT LEAVES OUR KIDS
A COUNTRY WORSE OFF THAN THE
ONES WE INHERITED OR A POLITICAL
SYSTEM WORTH OFF.
WE CAN TAKE BACK THIS POWER.
SO VOTE IN PRIMARIES.
I KNOW PRIMARIES STINK SOMETIMES
AND WE SHOULD REFORM THE WHOLE
SYSTEM, BUT FOR NOW, VOTE IN A
PRIMARY, RIGHT?
MAKE SURE THE RIGHT PEOPLE THAT
ARE GOING TO REPRESENT YOU GET
THROUGH.
YOU KNOW, I STARTED THE WHOLE
COUNTRY MOVEMENT AND I’LL MAKE A
PLUG, COUNTRY1ST.COM, AND THAT’S
ALL ABOUT TAKING THE NARRATIVE
AND PUTTING THE COUNTRY BEFORE
THE PARTY.
IF ENOUGH PEOPLE DO THAT, WE’LL
TAKE THIS BACK.
SO I’M OPTIMISTIC LONG-TERM, BUT
ON THE SHORT-TERM, PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO HAVE TO GET TICKED OFF
ENOUGH TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AND THAT DOESN’T MEAN LOOKING AT