>>> NOW WE TURN TO MY INTERVIEW WITH FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN
MANAGER COREY LEWANDOWSKI,
AUTHOR OF THE NEW BOOK "TRUMP’S
ENEMIES: HOW THE DEEP STATE IS
UNDERMINING THE PRESIDENCY."
THANKS FOR COMING ON "THE BEAT."
>> THANK YOU.
>> "THE GUARDIAN" REPORTING A
PAUL MANAFORT MEETING WITH
JULIAN ADO YOU THINKSSANGE, HE’S
DO YOU BELIEVE HIM?
>> I HAVE DIFFICULTY BELIEVING
ANYTHING MANAFORT SAYS.
I THINK THERE’S HIGH PROBABILITY
PAUL WILL NEVER BE RELEASED FROM
A FEDERAL PENITENTIARY.
CONVICTED BY A JURY OF HIS
PEERS, HE’S PLED TO A SERIES OF
OTHER CRIMES, ALL OF WHICH TOOK
PLACE PRIOR TO HIM COMING TO THE
TRUMP ORGANIZATION.
TRUMP ORGANIZATION. >> LET’S TURN FROM LAW TO
POLITICS.
POLITICS. YOU RAN A CAMPAIGN FOR A WHILE
THAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A MAJOR
UNDERDOG OPERATION.
UNDERDOG OPERATION. IT WENT FARTHER IN THE PRIMARIES
THAN PEOPLE EXPECTED.
BUT NOW WE’RE LOOKING AT A
NATION THAT HAS JUST REJECTED
TRUMPISM AND OVERWHELMINGLY
VOTED FOR DEMOCRATS.
I’M SURE YOU’VE SEEN THE BLUE
WAVE NUMBERS.
WAVE NUMBERS. 39 SEATS NOW.
THIS IS THE LARGEST GAIN WE’VE
EVER SEEN IN THE PERCENTAGE
MARGIN.
MARGIN. WHY DO YOU THINK VOTERS
OVERWHELMINGLY PICKED THE
DEMOCRATS AND REJECTED TRUMPISM?
>> I THINK THERE’S A COUPLE
THINGS YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT.
I THINK THE STRUCTURE OF THE
WHITE HOUSE, TO GET THE
PRESIDENT PREPARED FOR HIS
MIDTERMS, WASN’T IN PLACE THE
WAY I ADVOCATED.
WHEN YOU LOOK, THE PRESIDENT
PICKED UP SEATS IN THE U.S.
SENATE, ALMOST UNHEARD OF FOR A
REPUBLICAN, ONLY EIGHT TIMES IN
100 YEARS, HE’S PICKED UP SEATS
ARE IF YOU LOOK AT RACES WHERE
THE PRESIDENT HAD THE MOST OF
HIS TIME INVESTED, WHETHER THAT
WAS THE FLORIDA SENATE RACE, THE
FLORIDA GOVERNORS RACE,
MISSOURI --
MISSOURI -- >> COREY, YOU COULD TALK ABOUT
THE SENATE.
THE SENATE. BUT YOU’RE NOT ANSWERING THE
QUESTION.
QUESTION. THE QUESTION IS, LET’S LOOK AT
THE MARGIN.
THE MARGIN. >> HERE’S WHERE WE ARE IN THE
HOUSE --
HOUSE -- >> 2018, THE MARGIN NATIONALLY
FOR THE HOUSE, THE NATIONAL
RACE, 8%.
RACE, 8%. WHICH IS HUGE.
IT’S THE LARGEST EVER RECORDED.
AND IT’S LARGER THAN THE 2016
CAMPAIGN WHEN ACTUALLY TRUMP, AS
YOU CAN SEE RIGHT HERE, TRAILED
BY 2% AND SQUEAKED IT OUT IN THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
ELECTORAL COLLEGE. IF YOU’RE IN DENIAL ABOUT THAT
BLUE WAVE, HOW DO YOU EVEN FIGHT
IT?
IT? >> LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I THINK
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. THERE WERE TEN RACES IN THE
COUNTRY THAT DEMOCRATS WON BY
LESS THAN 1,000 VOTES.
THOSE ARE PLACES WHERE BY AND
LARGE THE CANDIDATES WHO WERE
RUNNING RAN AWAY FROM DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. IF THEY HAD RUN TOWARDS DONALD
TRUMP, THEY VERY WELL COULD HAVE
BEEN RE-ELECTED.
BEEN RE-ELECTED. >> YOU LOOK AT -- THIS IS
INTERESTING.
INTERESTING. BECAUSE I THINK YOU’RE WRONG.
AND I THINK WHAT YOU’RE SAYING
MAKES NO SENSE.
BUT IT’S INTERESTING TO GET YOU
ON THE RECORD.
YOU LOOK AT THAT 8% MARGIN.
THE LARGEST EVER.
YOU THINK THEY WEREN’T TRUMPY
ENOUGH?
ENOUGH? >> HERE’S WHAT I THINK.
THE REPUBLICANS HAD A HISTORIC
NUMBER OF RETIREMENTS.
43 RETIREMENTS.
43 RETIREMENTS. AND MANY OF THOSE IN SEATS THAT
CANDIDLY HILLARY CLINTON CARRIED
TWO YEARS AGO.
EIGHT SEATS SPECIFICALLY THAT
SHE CARRIED THAT REPUBLICANS
WON, AND THEN THOSE REPUBLICANS
HAD RETIREMENTS.
HAD RETIREMENTS. WHERE THEY WERE ON THE DEFENSE.
SO ON A WHOLE, YES, THE
DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER THE HOUSE.
BUT DO I THINK THAT THIS IS A
DEFINITIVE THAT DONALD TRUMP
CANNOT GET RE-ELECTED?
OF COURSE NOT.
BECAUSE THE HISTORICAL PRECEDENT
TELLS US --
>> I DIDN’T SAY HE COULDN’T GET
RE-ELECTED, I SAID THEY LOST BY
A HISTORIC MARGIN AND THE SPIN
ABOUT THE SENATE DOESN’T SAY
THAT.
THAT. I READ YOUR BOOK.
YOU INTERVIEW PRESIDENT TRUMP.
YOU ASK HIM POINT BLANK, WHAT’S
YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT?
HE SAYS, AS PRESIDENT THUS FAR,
THE ECONOMY.
THE ECONOMY. >> YES.
>> YES. >> A LOT OF THAT AS YOU KNOW IS
INHERITED.
INHERITED. BUT HE’S A STEWARD.
HE DID RUN, THOUGH, ON LOWERING
THE DEFICIT AND DEBT.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> WE’RE GOING TO CREATE A
DYNAMIC ECONOMY AGAIN.
WE’RE GOING TO BRING THE JOBS
BACK FROM CHINA, FROM MEXICO,
FROM --
FROM -- >> YOU STILL OWE THEM MONEY.
>> WE OWE THEM MONEY BUT --
>> HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE
DEBT DOWN?
DEBT DOWN? >> BECAUSE THE COUNTRY IS GOING
TO START GROWING.
>> EVEN IF YOU GIN THE ECONOMY
UP, HOW DOES THAT PAY DOWN $21
TRILLION?
TRILLION? >> DRILL WORK, BILL.
>> THE DEBT IS STILL ON THE
BOOKS.
BOOKS. >> THAT’S WHAT HE PROMISED.
WE’RE TWO YEARS IN AFTER A
REPUBLICAN CONGRESS.
REPUBLICAN CONGRESS. IS THE DEFICIT GROWING OR
SHRINKING?
SHRINKING? >> NO, WE HAVE A HIGHER DEBT
TODAY THAN WE DID WHEN HE TOOK
OVER OFFICE.
OVER OFFICE. THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE
WE’RE GROWING OUR WAY OUT OF THE
RECESSION THAT WE WERE IN.
WE’VE HAD 4.5 MILLION NEW JOBS
CREATED IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS
OF THE ADMINISTRATION --
>> I WANT TO HOLD YOU ON THE
DEFICIT BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT HE
RAN ON.
RAN ON. THAT’S WHAT PAUL RYAN AND OTHER
REPUBLICANS -- TAKE A LOOK.
LET’S SHOW THE ECONOMIC FACT.
BARACK OBAMA LEAVES WITH A $587
BILLION DEFICIT THAT WAS
DECREASING.
DECREASING. DONALD TRUMP AND THE REPUBLICANS
COME IN, IT JUMPED TO $782
BILLION.
BILLION. NOW THEY’VE LOST CONTROL OF THE
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. IS IT WRONG TO RUN ON SOMETHING
AND THEN DO THE OPPOSITE?
>> LOOK, IF THAT’S THE CASE, NO
POLITICIAN WOULD EVER RUN FOR
OFFICE.
OFFICE. WE SEE THIS FROM POLITICAL PARTY
TO POLITICAL PARTY, REGARDLESS.
THEY SAY ONE THING, THEY GET
INTO WASHINGTON, D.C., THEY DO
SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT. >> NOW YOU SOUND LIKE THEM
BECAUSE YOU’RE BLAMING OTHER
PEOPLE --
PEOPLE -- >> I DON’T BLAME EVERYBODY.
>> I’M ASKING YOU, YOU RAN THE
2016 CAMPAIGN --
>> I AGREE WITH YOU.
>> YOU TOLD PEOPLE IN THESE
OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY,
WE’RE GOING TO HELP YOU, WE’RE
GOING TO SHRINK THE DEFICIT, AND
YOU’RE GROWING IT.
>> WE ALSO SAID WE’RE GOING TO
CREATE NEW JOBS.
WE’RE GOING TO BRING BACK OUR
MANUFACTURING BASE.
MANUFACTURING BASE. WE’RE GOING TO INCREASE OUR GDP
FROM WHAT WAS 1.2%, 1.3%, TO
3.5%.
3.5%. THAT’S WHERE WE ARE.
THE OTHER THING THIS PRESIDENT
DID IS REFUNDED THE MILITARY TO
THE LEVELS THAT HAD BEEN
DECIMATED IN THE PREVIOUS EIGHT
YEARS UNDER OBAMA AND GAVE THE
MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM THE
FIRST PAY RAISE IN A DECADE.
>> CAN I ASK YOU SOMETHING?
>> WE NEED TO DO A BETTER --
>> DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU CHANGE
THE TOPIC FROM THE ECONOMY TO
THE MILITARY THAT MAKES IT LOOK
LIKE THE ECONOMY IS WEAK?
I SEE WHAT YOU’RE DOING,
CHANGING THE TOPIC.
>> I’M SAYING WE’RE SPENDING
MONEY, BUT HERE’S WHAT WE’RE
SPENDING MONEY ON.
TO PUT OUR MILITARY, THE
GREATEST MILITARY EVER KNOWN TO
MAN, BACK ON THE PATH THAT IT
NEEDS TO BE.
YOU CAN’T DO THAT AND NOT SPEND
MONEY.
MONEY. LOOK, RONALD REAGAN, HE NOT ONLY
CUT TAXES, HE INCREASED OUR
MILITARY SPENDING.
MILITARY SPENDING. THIS PRESIDENT HAS PASSED A
HISTORIC TAX CUT TO GIVE MORE
PEOPLE THEIR MONEY, BUT ALSO
WE’VE INCREASED OUR DEFICIT --
>> COREY, YOU KNOW YOU’RE ON
"THE BEAT," YOU KNOW I KEEP IT
REAL.
REAL. YOU’RE UNDER ASOUNDING SWAMPY.
>> UNDER THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION OUR NATIONAL
DEFICIT DOUBLED IN THOSE EIGHT
YEARS.
YEARS. THAT’S A FACT.
>> I JUST SHOWED YOU THE DEFICIT
GOING DOWN UNDER OBAMA AND UP
UNDER TRUMP.
UNDER TRUMP. IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE
MILITARY AND HISTORY, WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT YOUR GUY.
YOU’RE HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE
DEFENDING YOUR GUY ON THE
ECONOMY.
ECONOMY. >> I’M NOT.
WE’VE CREATED 4.5 MILLION NEW
JOBS.
JOBS. IT’S THE LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT
RATE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND
HISPANIC
HISPANIC HISPANIC-AMERICANS EVER
HISPANIC-AMERICANS EVER RECORDED.
RECORDED. >> I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. I WANT TO ASK YOU ANOTHER ITEM
THAT I KNOW YOU DON’T WANT TO
TALK ABOUT.
TALK ABOUT. >> GO AHEAD.
>> I’M GOING TO ASK YOU, OKAY?
>> SURE.
>> SURE. >> "THE NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTS
THAT JOHN KELLY GRABS YOU BY
YOUR COLLAR, TRIED TO PUSH YOU
AGAINST THE WALL, SECRET SERVICE
GOT INVOLVED, IT SAYS, QUOTE,
MR. LEWANDOWSKI DID NOT GET
PHYSICAL IN RESPONSE.
DID JOHN KELLY PUT HIS HANDS ON
YOU?
YOU? >> LET ME SAY THIS.
WHAT "THE NEW YORK TIMES" IS
REPORTING IS NOT COMPLETELY
ACCURATE.
ACCURATE. I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT
THAT.
THAT. JOHN AND I HAVE HAD SOME VERY
CANDID CONVERSATIONS, VERY
HEATED CONVERSATIONS.
HEATED CONVERSATIONS. JUST LIKE I’M SURE HE HAS HAD
WITH THE PRESIDENT AND OTHER
PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN
REPORTED --
REPORTED -- >> COREY, I’M NOT ASKING YOU
ABOUT CANDID.
ABOUT CANDID. I’M NOT ASKING ABOUT
CONVERSATIONS.
CONVERSATIONS. I’M NOT ASKING YOU ABOUT HEATED.
ALL OF WHICH IS FAIR GAME.
DID THE CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE
UNITED STATES PUT HIS HANDS ON
YOU?
YOU? >> I DON’T WANT TO GET INTO WHAT
JOHN MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE DONE
BECAUSE I DON’T THINK IT HELPS
ANYBODY --
ANYBODY -- >> I THINK IT HELPS.
I’M GOING TO PUSH YOU ON THIS
AND LET YOU RESPOND.
I KNOW THAT YOU AND THE
PRESIDENT ARE BIG KANYE FANS.
>> THAT’S TRUE.
>> I’M GOING TO LET YOU FINISH.
BUT THIS MAN IS PAID BY THE U.S.
TAXPAYER.
TAXPAYER. THIS MAN IS CHIEF OF STAFF TO
THE PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT. HE DEALS WITH A GREAT RANGE OF
IMPORTANT MATTERS.
IMPORTANT MATTERS. IF HE IS GETTING PHYSICAL,
POTENTIALLY MISDEMEANOR OR
CRIMINAL, IN THE WHITE HOUSE,
THAT IS THE PEOPLE’S BUSINESS,
IS IT NOT?
DID HE PUT HIS HANDED ON YOU?
>> I’LL TELL YOU THIS, JOHN AND
I HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE
EACH OF US HAVE OUR STRENGTHS
AND WEAKNESSES.
AND WEAKNESSES. HE HAS A DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT
STYLE THAN I DO.
I CAN TELL YOU MY GOAL IS TO
SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT.
MY GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO
SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT --
>> IF HE DIDN’T PUT HIS HANDS ON
YOU, DON’T YOU OWE TO IT CLEAR
HIS NAME?
HIS NAME? >> I’LL LET JOHN COMMENT ON
ANYTHING HE WANTS AND REFER IT
BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE IF THEY
WANT TO MAKE A STATEMENT ON
ANYTHING THAT JOHN MAY OR MAY
NOT HAVE DONE.
>> COREY, YOU ARE A SOMEWHAT
CONTROVERSIAL PERSON, YOU’VE
BEEN --
BEEN -- >> IS THAT TRUE?
>> I THINK SO.