NEIL?
>> Neil: THANKS, CHAD.
SO WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE, IF
ANYTHING, BEFORE THE MID-TERMS?
SENATOR JOHN BARRASSO JOINING US
FROM THE BEAUTIFUL STATE OF
WYOMING.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK.
>> GREAT TO BE WITH YOU, NEIL.
THANK YOU.
>> Neil: BETWEEN YOUR PARTY AND
THE DEMOCRATS, DO YOU EXPECT ANY
LEGISLATIVE ACTION BEFORE THE
MID-TERMS?
WHEN YOU FACTOR IN VACATIONS AND
DEPARTURES AND NOW COVID AND ALL
THE REST, THAT ANYTHING CAN GET
DONE?
>> THERE’S SOME BIPARTISAN
THINGS THAT COULD AND SHOULD GET
DONE, NEIL, BUT RIGHT NOW THE
BIG PROBLEM IS THAT THE AGENDA
OF THE DEMOCRATS IS NOT THE
AGENDA OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THE ONE, TWO, THREE AGENDA ITEMS
IS INFLATION, INFLATION AND
INFLATION.
THE DEMOCRATS ON THE OTHER HAND
WANT TO DO MORE GOVERNMENT
SPENDING.
THEY WANT TO RAISE TAXES AND
ATTACK AMERICAN ENERGY.
SO THEY NEED A 50/50 VOTE,
THERE’S NOT A REPUBLICAN THAT
WILL SUPPORT THEM.
THAT’S THE ISSUE WITH 40%
INFLATION.
THE NEW ECONOMIC NUMBERS WILL
COME OUT THURSDAY.
WE KNOW THAT CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
HAS DROPPED AGAIN.
WHAT IS THE PRESIDENT TALKING
ABOUT?
A CLIMATE EMERGENCY.
THAT’S WHY 2/3s OF AMERICANS
THINK THIS ADMINISTRATION AND
ALL OF THESE DEMOCRATS ARE
COMPLETELY OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE
NEEDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
>> SENATOR, IF THAT GDP DATA
COMES OUT AND MILDLY POSITIVE,
THAT DOESN’T MEET THE SORT OF
CLASSIC DEFINITION OF A
RECESSION, TWO CONTRACTING
QUARTERS IN A ROW.
WOULD YOU THINK AND YOUR
COLLEAGUES THINK THEN THAT WE’RE
NOT IN A RECESSION IF WE GET
DATA LIKE THAT?
>> 2/3s OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
SAY WE’RE IN A RECESSION BECAUSE
THEY KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING IN
THEIR OWN PERSONAL LIVES.
WHEN PEOPLE CAN’T AFFORD A FULL
TANK OF GASOLINE, CAN’T AFFORD
TO BUY A FULL WEEK’S WORTH OF
GROCERIES AND AT THE END OF THE
MONTH DON’T HAVE MONEY LEFT OVER
TO PAY THEIR BILLS, THAT CLEARLY
IS A RECESSION.
NOW, I’M NOT SURPRISED THE
ADMINISTRATION IS TRYING TO
CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF A
RECISION.
THEY CHANGE GENDER, BORDER
PATROL AND BORDER SECURITY LIKE
LAW AND ORDER.
THEY CHANGE THE DEFINITIONS OF
ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO THIS IS A PARTY -- THAT’S A
PARTY THAT IS NOT UNWILLING TO
CHANGE DEFINITIONS.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE KNOW THAT
THEY’RE IN PAIN, THE COUNTRY IS
HEADING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION
AND THE PRESIDENT AND THE
DEMOCRATS ARE DOING NOTHING TO
HELP SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS.
>> Neil: SENATOR, WE’RE
WATCHING -- PRESIDENT TRUMP IS
BACK IN WASHINGTON FOR THE FIRST
TIME SINCE LEAVING THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HE’S GIVING EVERY SIGNAL, YOU
MIGHT KNOW BETTER THAN I, SIR,
THAT HE’S RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT
AGAIN.
IT COMES AT A TIME WHEN A LOT OF
OTHER REPUBLICANS ARE
ENTERTAINING RUNNING WHETHER HE
DOES OR NOT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
IS THIS POTENTIALLY GOING TO BE
A CROWDED FIELD?
>> WELL, THAT COULD BE IN 2024.
MY FOCUS IS THE NEXT ELECTION,
2022.
MY KEY DATE IS COMING UP
NOVEMBER 8 WHEN WE’RE TRYING TO
TAKE BACK THE HOUSE AND THE
SENATE AND DOING EVERYTHING WE
CAN TO SHOW THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
THAT WE’RE COMMITTED TO DEALING
WITH THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY’RE
FACING, WHICH IS INFLATION, THE
COST OF GOODS, THE COST OF GAS,
THE COST OF GROCERIES BUT
UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY, DO
WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO HELP GET
THE PRICES DOWN.
SO THAT’S THE FOCUS THAT I HAVE.
>> Neil: I HEAR YOU, SENATOR.
THIS IS ALSO THE YEAR THAT LIZ
CHENEY IS IN THE FIGHT OF HER
LIFE TO KEEP HER WYOMING
CONGRESSIONAL SEAT.
IN A NOVEL STRATEGY HERE, SHE’S
TRYING TO GET DEMOCRATS TO VOTE
IN A PRIMARY TO GIVE HER A SHOT
IN A RACE THAT SHE TRAILS HER
OPPONENT BY 20 TO 30 POINTS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT AND DO
YOU THINK SHE COULD SUCCEED
DOING THAT?
>> I THINK THAT’S THE WRONG
STRATEGY FOR WYOMING.
EVEN THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WYOMING SAID
THERE’S NOT ENOUGH DEMOCRATS
THAT COULD DO THAT.
IN WYOMING, POLITICS IS VERY
PERSONAL.
IT’S FACE TO FACE, TOWN TO TOWN.
I WAS ALL OVER THE STATE THIS
PAST WEEKEND FOR FRONTIER DAYS
CHEYENNE.
I DIDN’T SEE LIZ CHENEY AT ANY
OF THE EVENTS I’VE BEEN AT IN
WYOMING.
PEOPLE EXPECT TO SEE, VISIT WITH
AND TALK DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE
THAT WANT TO REPRESENT THEM.
>> Martha: BOTTOM LINE, WHAT IS
HURTING HER IS HER POSITION ON
THE FORMER PRESIDENT, RIGHT?
>> WELL, SHE AND I HAVE VERY
DIFFERENT POSITIONS ABOUT
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
SHE VOTED FOR IMPEACHMENT.
I VOTED AGAINST.
SHE VOTED FOR AND ALL IN ON THIS
PARTISAN JANUARY 6th COMMISSION.
I WAS OPPOSED TO IT.
>> Neil: SO SHE HAS HINTED AND
TELEGRAPHED AS OF A NUMBER OF
OTHER FOLKS ON THAT COMMITTEE,
SIR, THAT THERE MIGHT BE ROOM
FOR CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST THE
FORMER PRESIDENT.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?
>> SHE’LL HAVE TO SPEAK FOR
HERSELF.
I HAVEN’T BEEN WATCHING THE
HEARINGS.
>> Neil: YOU’VE NOT WATCHED ANY
OF THEM?
>> VERY LITTLE.
OCCASIONALLY CAPTIONS OF WHAT
YOU MAY PLAY OR REPORTERS AT
NIGHT.
I’VE NOT BEEN FOLLOWING.
>> Neil: SOME OF YOUR COLLEAGUES
THAT HAVE BEEN EMBARRASSED BY
WHAT COMES UP, YOU DON’T SHARE
THAT?
>> Neil: I WAS THERE JANUARY 6.
I KNOW WHAT I SAW AND
EXPERIENCED.
I VOTED AGAINST THE COMMISSION.
I THOUGHT IT WAS PARTISAN.
THAT’S CLEARLY WHAT THE
DEMOCRATS WANT TO DO.
THEY WANT TO KEEP THAT FOREFRONT
ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE ELECTION
IN NOVEMBER.
THEY WANT THAT TO BE THE ISSUE
RATHER THAN THE PAIN THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING
RIGHT NOW WITH 40-YEAR HIGH
INFLATION.
>> Neil: THEIR ENOUGH.
YOU SAID YOU WERE THERE JANUARY
6 AND WHAT WENT ON.
IT’S BEEN CALLED AN
INSURRECTION.
YOU THINK THAT THAT WAS AN AWFUL
THING THAT HAPPENED THAT DAY
THAT WARRANTS AN INVESTIGATION
TO HOW IT HAPPENED THAT DAY?
AFTER ALL THIS TIME.
>> I THINK IT WAS A HORRIBLE DAY
FOR THE COUNTRY.
THE SENATE DID A BIPARTISAN
INVESTIGATION.
CAME OUT WITH A BIPARTISAN
REPORT ON WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
DONE MUCH BETTER AND WHERE THERE
WERE FAILURES IN THAT DAY.
>> Neil: ANY FAILURES ON THE
PART OF THE PRESIDENT THAT DAY?
>> THEY’RE FOCUSING ON HOW TO
PROTECT THE CAPITOL, PROTECT THE
PERSONNEL HERE AND I AGREE WITH
THE FINDINGS OF THE BIPARTISAN
SENATE COMMITTEE.
>> Neil: I’M SORRY SIR.
I WASN’T CLEAR.
ANY AS YOU THINK ON THE PART OF
DONALD TRUMP THAT HE BEARS SOME
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT DAY?
>> I WISH THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD
ACTED SOONER TO STOP ACTIVITIES
AND CALLED PEOPLE OFF.
THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN.