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TODD: WELCOME
GRIFF: WELCOME BACK.
NANCY PELOSI AND THE
DEMOCRATS SEEM CONFIDENT
THEY WILL RETAKE CONGRESS IN
2018.
>> I THINK EVERY POLL NOW IS
DOUBLE DIGIT THAT PEOPLE
WOULD VOTE FOR DEMOCRAT OVER
REPUBLICAN AS, SHALL WE SAY,
INCLINED TO SUPPORT
DEMOCRATS.
GRIFF: NOT SO FAST, NANCY.
A RECENT 2018 GENERIC BALLOT
HAS VOTERS PREFERRING THE
G.O.P. OVER DEMOCRATS 39% TO
8%.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR
2018?
HERE TO BREAK IT DOWN IS
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, JOHN, TELL
ME, THE DEMS THOUGHT THEY
HAD THE ADVANTAGE, NOW THIS
POLL CHANGES THINGS.
>> THE PRESIDENT'S
LEADERSHIP.
WHAT'S GOING ON IS 40% OF
THE AMERICANS THINK THE
COUNTRY IS HEADED IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION.
UNDER OBAMA WE HIT THAT
NUMBER IN THE LAST TERM.
THE PRESIDENT NUMBER'S GOING
UP HIS APPROVAL NUMBERS IN
THE 040S.
AMERICANS THINK THE ECONOMY
IS GOING TO GET BETTER
56-32.
THAT'S THANKS TO PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
THE BAD PART THAT'S HOLDING
US DOWN IS IN OUR LATEST
POLL IN FEBRUARY, WE HAD
MCLAUGHLIN ONLINE.COM THE
G.O.P. APPROVAL RATINGS ONLY
37%.
IT'S 58 DISAPPROVE.
WE GOT TO GET CONGRESS TO
VOTE.
WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS THE
DEMOCRATS ARE BEING EXPOSED.
THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT'S STATE OF THE
UNION, WHICH, IF YOU WATCHED
IT, OUT OF THE 46 MILLION
PEOPLE THAT WATCHED IT, 75%
APPROVED.
BUT YOU HAD DEMOCRATS
SITTING ON THEIR HANDS,
COULDN'T EVEN CLAP FOR
POLICEMEN, MARINES.
THEY BASICALLY WALKED OUT ON
THE PRESIDENT.
AND THEY WERE EXPOSED.
THEY WERE EXPOSED IN THE
NOW WE HAVE GOT TO GET
REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP IN THE
HOUSE AND SENATE TO MAKE
THEM VOTES ON THINGS LIKE
WORK FAIR.
EVEN ON TERM LIMITS.
MAKE THEM VOTE ON THE THINGS
THAT THE PRESIDENT IS
PROPOSING.
GRIFF: YOU SAY THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS REALLY
BEEN THE FACTOR, IT'S
CHANGED THE ADVANTAGE OVER
TO THE REPUBLICANS.
LET ME ASK YOU, MITCH
MCCONNELL, LEADER OF THE
SENATE, SAYING THAT HE
EXPECTS THE REPUBLICANS TO
LOSE SEATS, THE "NEW YORK
TIMES" HEADLINE WANTS YOU TO
BELIEVE THAT THEY COULD EVEN
LOSE THE SENATE.
>> WE SHOULDN'T, BECAUSE I
TELL YOU WHAT, AND SENATOR
MCCONNELL WHEN HE RAN SENATE
CAMPAIGN WAS VERY GOOD AT
THIS.
WHEN WE GAINED SEATS.
I WILL TELL YOU WHAT, WE
ONLY HAVE 8 SEATS UP OUT OF
THE 34.
THE DEMOCRATS ARE ON THE
LINE AND 10 OF THE DEMOCRATS
ARE RUNNING IN SEATS IN THE
SENATE.
THAT DONALD TRUMP CARRIED
THOSE STATES.
FOUR OF THOSE STATES WERE
CARRIED DOUBLE DIGITS.
SO WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO
GAIN SEATS LIKE NORTH
DAKOTA.
MISSOURI, INDIANA, WEST
VIRGINIA.
WE'RE GOING TO PUT THE
DEMOCRATS.
WE HAVE GOT TO PUT THEM ON
DEFENSE.
WE HAVE GOT TO GO AFTER THEM
AND MAKE THEM VOTE.
SENATOR MCCONNELL HAS TO
MAKE THOSE SENATORS VOTE ON
POPULAR ISSUES SO THE VOTERS
CAN SEE WHAT THEIR CHOICE IS
IN NOVEMBER.
WE SHOULD NOT LOSE SEATS IN
THE SENATE.
THE HOUSE WILL BE TOUGHER TO
HOLD, BUT WE SHOULD BE ABLE
TO HOLD THE HOUSE, TOO.
GRIFF: JOHN, LET'S TALK VERY
QUICKLY BECAUSE WE ARE
ALMOST OUT OF TIME.
INDEPENDENTS IN THE LATEST
POLL 25% G.O.P.
26 DEMOCRAT.
49% UNDECIDED.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE
INDEPENDENTS WHERE THEY ARE
RIGHT NOW.
AND IS PELOSI A FACTOR THAT
COUNTS AGAINST THE DEMOCRATS
IN THE INDEPENDENT COLUMN?
>> WELL, THERE IS TWO
THINGS.
ONE IS THE MID TERMS WE GET
A LOWER TURNOUT.
YOU ONLY GET BETWEEN 80 AND
90 PEOPLE COME OUT.
DEMOCRATS SEEM MORE FIRED
UP.
WE HAVE TO GET THE TRUMP
VOTERS.
WHEN I WAS PART OF THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN, PRESIDENT TRUMP --
WE GOT 9 MILLION MORE VOTERS
IN 2016 THAN 2012.
HE WAS THE REASON HE BROUGHT
THEM OUT.
WE HAVE TO GET THE TRUMP
VOTERS BACK OUT.
THE SECOND THING IS THE
INDEPENDENTS, WE HAVE GOT TO
TURN THEM AROUND.
WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT
SENATOR MCCONNELL AND LEADER
RYAN GET THE DEMOCRATS TO
VOTE ON THINGS THAT
INDEPENDENTS AGREE WITH YOU
US ON.
GRIFF: YOU WERE A POLSTER
FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP.
WHERE IS HE?
>> WHERE IS HE?
GRIFF: WHERE IS HE ON THIS?
>> HE IS PUSHING HIS AGENDA
ON INFRASTRUCTURE.
HE'S PUSHING HIS AGENDA ON
IMMIGRATION.
THOSE ARE MAJORITY POPULAR
THINGS.
THE HOUSE AND SENATE NEED TO
VOTE ON IT.
GRIFF: SILENT TRUMP VOTERS
IN 2016, GOING TO SEE THEM
IN 2018?
>> IF THEY GET A CHOICE TO
SEE THEIR VOTES MATTER TO
GET THOSE PASSED THEY WILL