HERE FOR THE CAUCUSES, THIS IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE ONE OF
THE STOPS ON YOUR LIST.
>> THANK YOU, KASIE HUNT,
GARRETT HAIR
GARRETT HAAKE AS WELL.
LET ME BRING IN CHUCK TODD. LETS START WITH THE NEWS OF THE
MORNING, THIS IDEA THAT THE
PRESIDENT WANTS TO RESCIND WITH
THE STROKE OF A PEN BIRTHRIGHT
CITIZENSHIP, THE NEWS THAT HE
WANTS TO SEND SOME 5,200 TROOPS
TO THE BORDER.
ARE THOSE SERIOUS POLICY MOVES,
OR IS THIS ABOUT JUST RILING UP
THE BASE? >> ITS HARD NOT TO LOOK AT IT
THROUGH A PRISM OF THE ELECTION.
ITS HARD TO TAKE THE BIRTHRIGHT
CITIZENSHIP PROPOSAL AS A
SERIOUS PROPOSAL WHEN HE TALKS
ABOUT IT AS AN EXECUTIVE ORDER
WHEN IT JUST CANT BE DONE.
THATS NOT THE WAY TO DO IT.
THIS IS A CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT.
AMENDMENT.
IF HE WERE SERIOUS ABOUT IT HE
WOULD HAVE UNVEILED THE CAMPAIGN
TO GET IT PASSED IN 35 PLUS STATE LEGISLATURES AND ALL THE
THINGS YOU NEED TO DO TO GET A
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PASSED.
IT IS WHAT IT IS.
THIS IS THE LAST WEEK OF THE
CAMPAIGN AND FOR THREE WEEKS NOW HE HAS DESPERATELY TRIED TO GETW
HE HAS DESPERATELY TRIED TO GET IMMIGRATION AS THE FRONT PAGE
STORY.
STORY.
WHEN OTHER THINGS GET IN THE WAY HES COMPLAINED ABOUT IT AS HEWAY
HES COMPLAINED ABOUT IT AS HE DID DURING THE PIPE BOMBS.
YOU DO FEEL AS IF FIRST HE
TRIED -- ILL SEND TROOPS TO THE
BORDER.
OH, THAT HASNT GOTTEN ON THE FRONT PAGE.SNT GOTTEN ON THE
FRONT PAGE.
NOW I WANT TO TRY BIRTHRIGHT
CITIZENSHIP.
I THINK HES DESPERATELY LOOKING FOR A REACTION ON THE LEFT TONG
FOR A REACTION ON THE LEFT TO FIRE UP THE RIGHT ON
IMMIGRATION.
IMMIGRATION.
WELL SEE IF IT WORKS.
THIS FEELS LIKE THROWING MUD AT THE WALL.S LIKE THROWING MUD AT
THE WALL. >> WORD THAT THE SENIOR SENATOR
FROM SOUTH CAROLINA SAYS HES GOING TO BE INTRODUCINGS HES
GOING TO BE INTRODUCING LEGISLATION ALONG THE SAME LINES
AS THE PROPOSED EXECUTIVE ORDER.
IT SEEMS AS IF THEY ARE AT LEAST
SERIOUS.
SERIOUS.
>> THEY WANT TO CREATE A
PERCEPTION OF A STRATEGY HERE. THERE IS NO CONSTITUTIONALERE.
THERE IS NO CONSTITUTIONAL METHOD TO THE EXECUTIVE ORDER.
IT IS A RUSE.
IT IS NOT -- IF HE WERE SERIOUS,
HE WOULD, AGAIN, PROPOSE A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.A
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. IT TOOK LINDSEY GRAHAM TO TRY TO
MAKE IT SEEM MORE SERIOUS. >>> LETS TALK ABOUT BETOS.
>>> LETS TALK ABOUT BETO OROURKE IN TEXAS.
THIS IS TO ME AT LEAST THE MOST FASCINATING RACE SO FAR.HE MOST
FASCINATING RACE SO FAR. HERES A GUY WHO HAS RAISED REAL
BARREL LOADS OF MONEY, A LOT OF
THAT MONEY COMING FROM ENCLAVES
IN AND AROUND NEW YORK CITY AND
OTHER MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS. HES RAISED A TON OF MONEY,REAS.
HES RAISED A TON OF MONEY, HASNT LED IN A SINGLE POLL, TO
MY KNOWLEDGE, AND RIGHT NOW IT
LOOKS LIKE HES STILL OUTSIDE
THE MARGIN.
DOES BETO OROURKE HAVE A SHOT?
>> HERES THE THING.
I THINK ONE OF THE MISTAKES MANY
REPORTERS MAKE IS THEY GET BEEN
THERE, DONE THAT DISEASE, WHICH
IS YOU GO, WELL, DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE CANT WIN IN TEXAS.
I THINK YOU LOOK -- SO YOU HAVE
TO AS A REPORTER LOOK AT THE
METRICS ON THE GROUND.
THAT SAID, IT DOES FEEL LIKE HE
MAY COME UP SHORT FOR THIS
REASON.
WHEN I WENT DOWN THERE, THERES CLEARLY NOT ENOUGH EFFORT THATS
BEEN MADE TO REGISTER THE
UNREGISTERED LATINO POPULATION THATS DOWN THERE.NO POPULATION
THATS DOWN THERE.
THE RESOURCES THAT WAS NECESSARY
TO PUT INTO THAT HAVENT BEEN
PUT INTO THAT.
I TALK TO SOME WHO WISH THERE
HAD BEEN MORE EFFORT AND WORRY
THAT THIS IS A RACE THAT MAY BE
DECIDED BY LESS THAN FIVE
POINTS.
IF YOU DECIDE BY LESS THAN FIVE
POINTS YOU SAY WHERE DID THEY
COME UP SHORT?
WHERE THEY MAY COME UP SHORT IS MOTIVATING LATINO VOTERS TO THE
POLLS AND GETTING A REGISTRATION
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN.
THAT SAID, I WANTED TO REMIND
PEOPLE IN 1994, THAT BIG WAVE YEAR, MAURY KWAECUOMO WAS SOMEBO
THAT EVERYBODY THOUGHT THERES
NO WAY HE COULD LOSE.
IT WILL BE CLOSE.
BUT HE LOST, TOOMENT. ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND, ON
WAVE ELECTIONS AND I THINK THE
GROUND IS SHIFTING UNDER OUR
FEET WITH THE INCIDENTS OVER THE LAST 96 HOURS AND THETS OVER THE
LAST 96 HOURS AND THE
PRESIDENTS RESPONSE TO THEM,
DONT RULE ANYTHING OUT.
THERE MAY BE A ONE IN TEN
CHANCE, BUT THATS A HIGH
PROBABILITY WHEN YOU CONSIDER
WHERE THINGS STAND IN THE STATE
OF TEXAS.
>> YOU THINK THAT THE
PRESIDENTS PERFORMANCE OVER THE
LAST FEW DAYS IS GOING TO
GALVANIZE VOTERS?
>> LOOK, YOU FEEL THE SHIFTING. ITS NOT ME THINKING THIS.FTING.
ITS NOT ME THINKING THIS.
IVE TALKED TO POLLSTERS ON THE
GROUND WHO ARE THE ONES DAILY
NIGHTLY TRACKING.
WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A MOVE.
THE QUESTION IS WHAT DOES THAT
FULLY LOOK LIKE?
IT LOOKS LIKE ITS A MOVE
TOWARDS THE DEMOCRATS. YOU SEE SOME NEW PUBLIC POLLING
THAT INDICATES THAT, BUT OVER
THE WEEKEND THIS DID NOT POLL
WELL AT ALL ON THE RIGHT.
THE REACTION TO IT, THE QUESTION IS IS THAT SOMETHING THATSESTION
IS IS THAT SOMETHING THATS SUSTAINED, THE PRESIDENT STEADY
THE REPUBLICAN BASE A LITTLE BIT TODAY WHEN HE GOES TO LITTLE BIT
TODAY WHEN HE GOES TO PITTSBURGH.
PITTSBURGH.
HIS BEHAVIOR AND PERFORMANCE
TODAY MATTER A LOT TO REPUBLICANS WHO ARE ON THE
BALLOT.
BALLOT.
>> THE PRESIDENTS APPROVAL DOWN FOUR POINTS.DENTS APPROVAL DOWN
FOUR POINTS.
HES AT 40% RIGHT NOW ASDOWN. DISAPPROVAL UP AN EQUAL AMOUNT.
HIS NET DISAPPROVAL HAS GONE
FROM SIX POINTS TO 14 POINTS, SAFE TO SAY THE PRESIDENTS A,
SAFE TO SAY THE PRESIDENTS A SIGNIFICANT DRAG ON MANY OF
THESE RACES? >> I THINK HE IS.
WHAT IS INTERESTING HERE IS THIS
DECISION BY THE PRESIDENT TO
INSERT HIMSELF EVEN MORE SO INTO
THESE RACES INTO THIS FINAL
STRETCH.
IVE NOTICED SOME REPORTERS ARE
SAYING ITS JUST LIKE WHAT HE
DID IN 16.
NO, ITS NOT.
ITS THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
AT 16 AT THIS POINT IN TIME,
KELLYANNE CONWAY SOMEHOW WRESTLED HIS TWITTER FEED AWAY
FROM HIM, KEPT HIM FROM GOING
OFF THE CUFF.
HE WAS THE MOST ON MESSAGE HE EVER WAS IN THE LAST WEEK OF THE
CAMPAIGN
CAMPAIGN CAMPAIGN, NOT CAUSING
CONTROVERSY, NOT TWEETING STUFF
THAT WOULD SORT OF RILE PEOPLE
UP LEFT, RIGHT, AND CENTER. HE IS CLOSING AS IF THIS IS A
PRIMARY CAMPAIGN, NOT A GENERAL
ELECTION CAMPAIGN. >> IF THIS PRESIDENT IS FORCED
TO WORK WITH A DEMOCRATIC HOUSE
AND/OR SENATE, WHAT DOES THAT
LOOK LIKE FROM A LEGISLATIVE
STANDPOINT?
IS IT EVEN MORE GRIDLOCK THAN WE
HAVE NOW, OR WOULD THE PRESIDENT THEN PERHAPS MOVE BACK TO SOMENT
THEN PERHAPS MOVE BACK TO SOME SEMBLANCE OF A CENTER?
>> I THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHAT
THAT LOOKS LIKE.
IF ITS A REPUBLICAN SENATE AND
A DEMOCRATIC HOUSE AND PRESIDENT TRUMP?CRATIC HOUSE AND PRESIDENT
TRUMP?
I THINK ITS HEAVY ON GRIDLOCK.
IF SOMEHOW DEMOCRATS WRESTLE CONTROL OF THE SENATE, THEN I
THINK THERE IS GOING TO BE A
BURDEN ON DEMOCRATS TO DO SOME
GOVERN
GOVERNING, INFRASTRUCTURE IS
SOMEPLACE THEY CAN GO TO, MAYBE
ITS EVEN CUTTING A DEAL ON
IMMIGRATION.
I DO THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHAT
DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?
IF ITS ONE, ONE, AND ONE WHERE
YOU SORT OF HAVE THE PRESIDENT,
A REPUBLICAN SENATOR AND A
DEMOCRATIC HOUSE, I THINK THATS
A RECIPE FOR NOTHING GETTING
DONE AND POSITIONING FOR 2020.
BUT IF ONE PARTY HAS THEM BOTH, THE HOUSE AND SENATE, I THINKH,
THE HOUSE AND SENATE, I THINK THE BURDEN ON DEMOCRATS WOULD BE
TO FIND WAYS TO DO SOMETHING
WITH THIS PRESIDENT.
>> WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR COME ELECTION NIGHT? LOOKING FOR COME
ELECTION NIGHT? SEVEN DAYS AWAY.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR? >> I THINK THE MOST INTERESTING
THING IS THE VOTER THAT HELD
THEIR NOSE, THE REPUBLICAN VOTER
THAT DIDNT LIKE DONALD TRUMP
BUT HELD THEIR NOSE AND VOTED FOR HIM BECAUSE THEY FELT AS IF
THIS WAS THE ALTERNATIVE, THEY
COULDNT LIVE WITH THE
ALTERNATIVE, THIS VOTER THIS
TIME WILL -- DONALD TRUMPS
STILL PRESIDENT REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS ON ELECTION DAY.
WHAT DOES THAT REPUBLICAN WHO
DOESNT LIKE HIS TONE, WHO DOESNT LIKE HIS STYLE BUT IS
HAPPY WITH TAX CUTS, IS HAPPY
WITH SOME OF THIS STUFF, DO THEY
WANT TO SEND A MESSAGE?
ITS A FREE MESSAGE FOR THOSE VOTERS THIS TIME.E FOR THOSE
VOTERS THIS TIME.
IT WAS NOT A FREE MESSAGE TWO
YEARSING A.
YEARS AGO.
THIS TIME ITS DONALD TRUMP WITH
A REPUBLICAN CONGRESS OR DONALD
TRUMP WITH A DEMOCRATIC OR SPLIT
CONGRESS.
THAT IS A DANGER IF YOURE A
REPUBLICAN.
THOSE LAST MINUTE REPUBLICAN
VOTERS WHO DONT LIKE THE
PRESIDENT, THEY MAY NOT FEEL AS
IF ITS A LIFE OR DEATH TYPE OF
VOTE FOR THEM THIS TIME, ASK
THEY FEEL ITS A FREE VOTE TO