MARIA: GOOD MORNING.
IT’S SUNDAY, APRIL 21.
TIME TO GO ON THE RECORD.
HE’S TAKEN THE PLUNGE BEFORE.
THAT WAS IN 1996, IT WAS INTO THE CHARLES RIVER.
IN 2019, IT’S THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL RACE.
CAN BILL WELD SERIOSLY CHALLENGE PRESIDENT TRUMP?
THE CANDIDATE IS WITH US TODAY.
>> AS HE SAID FROM THE BEGINNING , THERE WAS IN FACT NO COLLUSION.
MARIA: THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAYS THE MUELLER REPORT PUTS THEM IN THE CLEAR.
BUT IS IT REALLY GAME OVER?
AND, JOE BIDEN, RALLYING WITH STOP AND SHOP STRIKERS.
THE POLITICS BEHIND THE PICKET LINE ANNOUNCER: FROM WCVB NEWCENTER , THE INSIDE WORLD FROM WASHINGTON TO BEACON HILL, TODAY’S NEWSMAKERS ARE GOING ON
THE RECORD.
HAPPY EASTER TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE.
GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO "ON THE RECORD." I’M MARIA STEPHANOS, IN FOR ED HARDING THIS WEEK.
NEWSCENTER 5 POLITICAL REPORTER JANET WU ALSO WITH ME.
AS IS OUR GUEST, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BILL WELD LET’S GO TO THE RESUME.
HE WAS GOVERNOR WELD HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS FROM 1991 TO 1997.
A UNITED STATES ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL IN THE CRIMINAL DIVISION FROM 1986 TO 1988.
AND THE U.S. ATTORNEY FOR MASSACHUSETTS FROM 1981 TO 1986.
HE IS A GRADUATE OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY AND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, OXFORD.
JANET: LIBERTARIAN NOMINEE FOR VICE PRESIDENT ALSO PART OF THAT RESUME, BUT LET’S START WITH THE MUELLER REPORT.
AT LEAST THE REDACTED VERSION RELEASED THIS WEEK.
ATTORNEY GENERAL WILLIAM BARR GIVES PRESIDENT TRUMP A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH, CLAIMING THE REPORT SAYS NO COLLUSION, NO OBSTRUCTION.
ROBERT MUELLER LEFT OPEN THE POSSIBILITY OF CHARGING TRUMP AFTER HE LEAVES OFFICE.
COULDN’T YOU SEE THAT HAPPENING AND SHOULD IT HAPPEN?
BILL: IT IS IN THE CONSTITUTION AND IT SAYS THAT THE PRESIDENT IS LIABLE FOR PROSECUTION AFTER HE LEAVES THE WHITE HOUSE.
THERE IS NO ARGUMENT.
I COULD SEE IT.
I WAS HORRIFIED READING THE REPORT YESTERDAY.
IT IS TWO VOLUMES.
THE ENTIRE SECOND BUYING IS ABOUT THE EVIDENCE OF TRUMP OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE ARE TRYING TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE.
IT IS ALL IN THERE.
TELLING PEOPLE TO LIE, SUPPORTING PERJURY.
REWARDING BAD CONDUCT AND PRETENDING TO COOPERATE WITH ROBERT MUELLER AND DANGLING PARDONS AGAINST PEOPLE.
TELLING PEOPLE TO LIE AND HIS OWN CANCEL -- COUNSEL TO LIE.
I CAN ALMOST HEAR HIM SAYING, SO WHAT, YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOING THROUGH HIS HEAD.
JANET: WERE YOU DECIDED THAT HE DIDN’T GO FURTHER AND LEAVE IT TO CONGRESS?
BILL HE’S JUST AS WELL OFF THAT IT WASN’T ME WHO WAS APPOINTED SPECIAL COUNSEL.
THERE’S MORE THAN ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO CONVICT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE.
WHAT MY OLD FRIEND, BOB, HUNG HIS HAT ON FORGIVING THE MULLIKEN, OF BALTIMORE I KNOW HE UNDERSTAND, IS OF SCARE LEGAL OPINION IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WHICH IS A LAWYER AND
ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO IS DESCRIBED AS COUNSEL TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT.
THERE YOU HAVE THE ROLE THAT BILL BARR SEEMS TO HAVE STEPPED IN AS AN ADVISOR AND PROTECTOR OF THE POLITICAL SKIRTS OF THE PRESIDENT.
THAT IS RIGHT OUT THERE IN THE OPEN.
I WOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT OPINION FROM 2000 WITH A GRAIN OF SALT’S AND GONE AHEAD AND MADE THE FORMAL PROSECUTIVE DECISION THAT BOB SET OF FRONT YOU WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE.
MARIA: YOU CALLED HIM YOUR GOOD FRIEND, BUT YOU WERE ACTUALLY HIS BOSS.
BILL: I WAS TECHNICALLY HIS BOSS BUT HE KNOW MUCH MORE ABOUT CRIMINAL LAW THAN I DID.
IT WAS MY SECOND YEAR.
MARIA: HE HAS BEEN INVITED TO SPEAK BEFORE CONGRESS, NOT ORDERED.
YOU KNOW HIM, DO THINK WE WILL ANYTHING FROM HIM?
BILL: HE SPENT A LOT OF TIME -- 22 MONTHS AVOIDING THE LIMELIGHT.
ONE THING ROBERT MUELLER IS NOT IS A HOT DOG.
HE DOES NOT HAVE A POLITICAL BONE IN HIS BODY AND HE IS NOT A HOT DOG AND NEVER TALKS TO HEAR THE SOUND OF HIS OWN VOICE.
I’M NOT SURE HE WOULD WANT TO APPEAR IN WHAT WHEN DEGENERATE.
MARIA: YOU WOULD DO IT?
BILL IN A HEARTBEAT.
I WAS ON STAGE FOR EIGHT YEARS.
JANET: COULD YOU SEE HIM SPEAKING OR TESTIFYING PRIVATELY . BILL: THAT IS MY HUNCH.
JANET: COULD YOU IMAGINE OF GIVING AN INTERVIEW AND TELLING WHAT HE THOUGHT?
BILL: ON OR OFF THE RECORD.
JANE PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID HE IS NOT TAKING YOU SERIOUSLY.
WHY SHOULD ANY REPUBLICA FEBRUARY 15 AND EVERYONE I TALK TO HAS RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT’S PERFORMANCE IN OFFICE.
THAT IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
I REALIZE THE REPUBLICAN STATE AND TOWN COMMITTEES ARE LINED UP SOLIDLY BEHIND THE PRESIDENT.
THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE THE MOST OF THAT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, PARTICULARLY IN CROSSOVER STATES LIKE MASSACHUSETTS AND NEW HAMPSHIRE THAT PERMIT UNENROLLED VOTERS TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARY, IT WILL NOT BE THE ELECTORATE
CONSISTING OF MEMBERS OF THE REPUBLICAN STATE COMMITTEE.
THAT IS THE HEART OF THE PRESIDENT STRENGTH, A COMING FROM WASHINGTON DOWN TO STAY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
JANET: YOU JUST RE-REGISTERED AS A REPUBLICAN THREE MONTHS AGO.
HOW DO YOU CONVINCE REPUBLICANS YOU’RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE AGAI AND DO SOMETHING ELSE?
BILL: I AM FROM THE LIBERTY AND OF THE REPUBLICAN SPECTRUM.
WHEN I WAS WORKING THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IN WASHINGTON, HALF OF US WERE MOVEMENT CONSERVATIVES AND THE OTHER HALF WERE LIBERTARIANS.
WE WOULD MAKE JOKES ABOUT IT AND THEN GO OUT AND GET THE BOSSES WORKED ON WHO WE THOUGHT OF RESIDENT REAGAN.
MARIA: YOU HAVE ACCUSED THE PRESIDENT OF LEAVING THE NATION AND I’M QUOTING YOU IN GRAVE PERIL AND YOU’VE SAID HIS PRIORITIES ARE SKEWED TOWARD PROMOTION OF HIMSELF.
BUT HIS APPROVAL RATINGS WITH REPUBLICAN VOTERS ARE OFF TH IT DOES NOT APPEAR THEY ARE LOOKING FOR ANYBODY NEW, JUST LIKE JANET SAID.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BREAK THROUGH?
BILL: MAYBE IT IS THE STOCK MARKET.
I MET A LOSS TO UNDERSTAND IT.
IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, YOU HAVE TO WIN THE VOTES, AND HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO WHAT HE WANTS TO DO, WHICH IS PARACHUTE IN AND GIVE TO RALLIES.
MARIA: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
BILL: TO BE AN ECONOMIC CONSERVATIVE THE WAY I WAS.
HE HAS NOT VETOED ANY DOLLAR OF SPENDING.
I WANT TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF WHAT IS COMING.
WE ARE GOING TO LOSE 50% OF JOBS IN THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE I AND IF YOU ARE A LONG-HAUL TRUCKER, THAT WILL BE GONE AS SOON AS AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES COME IN AND
WE HAVE TO PLAN AHEAD AND GIVE THEM THE SKILL SET THEY NEED TO GET THE REPLACEMENT JOB.
JANET: WAS HIS TAX-CUT A GOOD IDEA?
BILL: I NEVER MET A TAX CUT I DIDN’T LIKE.
MARIA: ARE YOU READY FOR A QUIZ?
BILL I WANT TO GO 0-5 AND MAKE YOU LOOK SPARK -- SMART.
MARI IN THE 20TH CENTURY THERE WERE 4 ONE-TERM PRESIDENTS, GEORGE H.W. BUSH AND JIMMY CARTER THE MOST RECENT.
NAME ONE OR BOTH OF THE OTHER TWO.
BILL HARRY TRUMAN.
MARIA: HERBERT HOOVER AND WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT.
MARI YOU ARE CHALLENGING AN INCUMBENT PRESIDENT FOR THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION, THAT HAPPENED IN 1992 WHEN PAT BUCHANAN CHALLENGED GEORGE H.W.
BUSH, AND IN 1976 WHEN RONALD REGAN TOOK ON GERALD FORD.
WHO CHALLENGED RICHARD NIXON F THE NOMINATION IN 1972?
HINT, HE WAS A CONGRESSMAN FROM CALIFORNIA BILL: HE IS A GREAT GUY, PETE MCCLOSKEY.
I WANTED TO VOTE IN THE NORTH END BUT I PULL THE LEVER FOR MCCLOSKEY AND IT DIDN’T COME DOWN AND I ASKED THEM TO FIX IT.
THE WOMAN COMES OVER AND REACHES UP AND THE GOOD LORD AS MY WITNESS TAKES THE NIXON LEVER AND IT JAMS IN THE SAME PLACE.
SHE SAID, HOWARD, YOU BETTER GET OVER HERE.
THIS MACHINE IS BROKEN.