.
. WELCOME
. WELCOME BACK TO FLASH POINT THIS WEEK THE NORTH CAROLINA
GOP VOTING TO CENSURE LONGTIME
REPUBLICAN SENATOR RICHARD
BURR.
NOT ONLY THAT, THE ORANGE
COUNTY REPUBLICANS BANNED HIM
FROM THEIR HEADQUARTERS.
WHY BURR HADN'T SUDDENLY BECOME
A DEMOCRAT.
HE STARTED ALIGNING HIMSELF
WITH LIBERALS AND SAID HE WAS
JUST PUNISHED BECAUSE HE VOTED
TO CONVICT FORMER PRESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP FOR INCITING A
RIOT AT THE US CAPITOL.
SENATOR BYRD CALLED IT A SAD
DAY FOR REPUBLICANS.
JOINING ME NOW, CHAIRMAN OF THE
NORTH REPUBLICAN PARTY MICHAEL
WHATELY.
MICHAEL, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
YEAH, HAPPY TO BE ON WITH
YOU THIS MORNING.
ALL RIGHT.
SO LISTEN, WE KNOW DONALD TRUMP
IS VERY, VERY POPULAR WITH THE
BASE OF YOUR PARTY.
WE KNOW THAT AND PERHAPS THE
MOST POPULAR PRESIDENT WITH
REPUBLICAN REPUBLICAN BASE
VOTERS IN A GENERATION.
BUT WHAT PRECEDENT DOES IT SET
FOR YOUR PARTY HERE?
WHAT'S THE TAKEAWAY?
WHAT'S THE MESSAGE TO OTHER
REPUBLICANS?
DISAGREEMENT IS OK BUT NOT IF
IT'S WITH DONALD TRUMP.
WHAT IS THE MESSAGE?
NO, LOOK, I THINK THAT WHAT WE
WHAT WE SAW AND WHAT WE HEARD
FROM ACROSS THE STATE FOLLOWING
THE VOTE THAT RICHARD BURT TOOK
ON SATURDAY WAS WAS UNIVERSAL
DISAPPOINTMENT.
I SPOKE OVER THE WEEKEND WITH
OVER 100 DIFFERENT PARTY
LEADERS, OFFICIALS, ACTIVISTS
FROM ONE END OF THE STATE TO
THE OTHER WHO WERE VERY
DISAPPOINTED THAT THE SENATOR
AFTER SAYING THAT THE ENTIRE
PROCEEDING WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
VOTED TO CONVICT THE PRESIDENT
IN THAT IN THAT IMPEACHMENT
PROCEEDING AND SO I FELT IT WAS
IMPORTANT THE REST OF THE
CENTRAL COMMITTEE FELT THAT IT
WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO PUT OUT
A STATEMENT SAYING THAT WE WERE
DISAPPOINTED WITH THAT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME SENATOR
BURR HAS BEEN A LEADER IN OUR
PARTY FOR OVER 25 YEARS.
HE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A LEADER
WITHIN OUR PARTY AND WE EXPECT
THAT YOU KNOW, NOW THAT THE
SENATE HAS VOTED TO ACQUIT, WE
HOPE THAT THE LEADERSHIP, THE
REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATIC
LEADERSHIP IN WASHINGTON AND
FRANKLY IN RALEIGH WILL GET ON
WITH THE BUSINESS OF THE PEOPLE
IN NORTH CAROLINA RIGHT NOW WE
NEED TO PUT KIDS BACK IN
SCHOOL.
WE NEED TO PUT PARENTS BACK TO
WORK AND WE NEED TO PUT OUR
ECONOMY BACK ON TRACK JUST TO
GO OVER HERE FOR FOLKS AT HOME
MIGHT NOT KNOW HE WAS THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
HE'S CONSIDERED A FOREIGN
POLICY HAWK.
PERFECT FOR THE NRA.
HE'S AGAINST FINANCIAL
REGULATIONS.
I'M ASSUMING YOU DON'T TAKE TOO
MANY ISSUES WITH HIS
CONSERVATIVE CREDENTIALS BUT
HE'S BANNED FROM ONE OF YOUR
PARTY HEADQUARTERS.
YEAH, LOOK, I WILL SAY THIS I
THINK FROM THE STATE PARTY'S
PERSPECTIVE OUR VIEW WAS THAT
SENATOR BURR AGAIN HAS BEEN A
LEADER IN THE PARTY FOR OVER 25
YEARS.
WE TOOK EXCEPTION WITH THIS ONE
PARTICULAR VOTE.
WE TAILORED OUR RESPONSE TO
THIS ONE PARTICULAR VOTE.
I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE WE
NEED TO BE AS A PARTY IS TO SAY
WE DISAGREE WITH YOU HERE AND
WE UNDERSTAND HE'S GOING TO
CONTINUE TO BE A LEADER IN THE
PARTY GOING FORWARD WITH US
UNTIL HE STEPS DOWN AND WE HOPE
WE'LL CONTINUE TO STAY ACTIVE
WITH THE PARTY EVEN ONCE HE
DOES STEP DOWN.
BUT THIS THIS PARTICULAR VOTE
THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE IS
SOMETHING WHERE WE HAVE SEEN
FROM ONE END OF THE STATE TO
THE OTHER AND FRANKLY ALL
ACROSS THE COUNTRY REPUBLICANS
ARE VERY CONCERNED AND
DISAPPOINTED WITH THE VOTES
THAT WERE TAKEN.
BUT BUT TO THAT POINT, WHAT DO
YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WITHIN YOUR
OWN PARTY WHO I'VE SPOKEN WITH
AS WELL AS DEMOCRATS?
OF COURSE, BUT SAY YOU GUYS GOT
TO BE STOPPED.
THIS GOT TO STOP BEING SCARED
OF OUR BASE?
LOOK, I THINK AS A PARTY RIGHT
NOW WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE
FACT THAT WE'VE GOT TO GET THE
GOVERNMENT BACK FOCUSED ON
DEALING WITH THE PANDEMIC,
DEALING WITH THE ECONOMY,
DEALING WITH OUR KIDS, NOT
BEING ABLE TO GET INTO SCHOOL
RIGHT NOW.
WE NEED TO PUT OUR KIDS IN
SCHOOL, PUT OUR PARENTS BACK TO
WORK AND PUT THE ECONOMY BACK
ON TRACK.
THE THING IS HERE AND I'LL MOVE
ON AFTER THIS BUT YOU HAD YOUR
PARTY LEADERSHIP ON THE
NATIONAL LEVEL AS WELL AS
SENATOR TILLIS SAY PRESIDENT
TRUMP WAS RESPONSIBLE.
SO IS YOUR ARGUMENT A NUANCE
ARGUMENT, THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN SAYING SOMEONE IS
RESPONSIBLE AND SAYING SOME WAS
GUILTY BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SOME
KIDS WATCH FROM HOME AND I WANT
TO KNOW WHAT THE MESSAGE IS THE
KIDS OUT THERE THAT IT'S OK TO
BE RESPONSIBLE BUT IT'S NOT OK
TO BE GUILTY FOR SOMETHING.
EXPLAIN THE NUANCE THERE, THE
NUANCES THAT SENATOR BYRD VOTED
AND SAID THAT THIS WAS AN
UNCONSTITUTIONAL PROCEEDING.
WE AGREE THAT IT WAS AN
UNCONSTITUTIONAL PROCEEDING AND
WE WERE DISAPPOINT WITH THAT
PARTICULAR VOTE.
RIGHT NOW THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
IN NORTH CAROLINA PEOPLE ARE
FAR MORE FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE
THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO GO TO
WORK, THAT THEIR KIDS ARE ABLE
TO GO TO SCHOOL AND THOSE ARE
THE ISSUES THAT WE NEED THE
GOVERNMENT TO BE FOCUSING ON.
WE DON'T NEED DEMOCRATIC
LEADERSHIP IN WASHINGTON
CONTINUING THESE DIVISIVE AND
PARTIZAN WITCH PROCEEDINGS THIS
WEEK WE'RE TALKING NORTH
CAROLINA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE
BOB ORR TWEETED OUT QUOTE JUST
MADE IT OFFICIAL AFTER 45 YEARS
AS A REGISTERED REPUBLICAN, I'M
NOW UNAFFILIATED.
IT'S A TREND WE'VE SEEN THIS
ELECTION A FRIEND OF THE SHOW,
DR. MICHAEL BITZER, WHO
COULDN'T JOIN US FOR THIS
TAPING TWEETED OUT THESE
NUMBERS HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA.
ABOUT TWENTY THOUSAND FORMER
REGISTERED REPUBLICANS HAVE
SWITCHED THEIR AFFILIATION
SINCE THE NOVEMBER GENERAL
ELECTION.
YOUR REACTION?
WE'VE ALSO SEEN ONE HUNDRED AND
FORTY THOUSAND DEMOCRATS WHO
HAVE LEFT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
AND SWITCHED TO UNAFFILIATED.
THIS IS PART OF A NATURAL CYCLE
I DON'T BELIEVE IN.
I DON'T I DON'T KNOW.
JUST REAL QUICK I WANT TO
CORRECT IT.
I DON'T THINK IN THE SAME TIME
THERE HAVE BEEN DEMOCRATS HAVE
SWITCHED BUT NOT NEAR IN THE
NUMBERS OF REPUBLICANS.
I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR I WILL
BE CLEAR THAT SINCE THE
ELECTION ONE HUNDRED FORTY
THOUSAND DEMOCRATS HAVE LEFT
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THAT
WE'RE SEEING A NATURAL JUST
JUST TO BE CLEAR AGAIN, I'M
SORRY I HATE INTERRUPTING
YOU BUT BUT IN NORTH CAROLINA
THAT'S THE CLAIM YOU'RE MAKING.
YES.
I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GET
THAT INFORMATION OVER TO
YOU KNOW, AND WE DO APPRECIATE
IT TO THE BIGGER POINT THERE.
ARE YOU WORRIED THE PARTY AND
THE DIRECTION IT'S GOING OR ARE
YOU MORE CONFIDENT THAN I AM
MORE CONFIDENT THAN EVER THAT
AS A PARTY THE REPUBLICANS ARE
UNITED AROUND A NORTH CAROLINA
FIRST AGENDA OF PUTTING OUR
KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL, PUTTING
OUR PARENTS BACK TO WORK AND
MAKING SURE WE GET THE ECONOMY
BACK ON TRACK.
WE HAD ALMOST EIGHTY TWO
PERCENT TURNOUT IN THE
REPUBLICAN VOTERS IN THE 2020
ELECTION CYCLE.
WE WON 15 OUT OF 19 STATEWIDE
RACES HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA
INCLUDING RETURNING SENATOR
TILLIS BACK TO THE SENATE AND
CARRYING THE STATE FOR DONALD
TRUMP.
WE WERE EIGHT FOR EIGHT ON OUR
JUDICIAL SEATS INCLUDING FIVE
ON THE COURT OF APPEALS AND
THREE AT THE SUPREME COURT.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAD HERE IN
NORTH CAROLINA A FANTASTIC
ELECTION CYCLE.
BUT WE NEED TO GROW THE PARTY.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE
HAVING MORE PEOPLE COME TO THE
PARTY AND WE GOT TO TAKE ALL OF
THE EXCITEMENT, ENTHUSIASM THAT
DONALD TRUMP BROUGHT TO THE
PARTY OVER THE COURSE OF THE
LAST ELECTION CYCLE AND MAKE
SURE THAT WE KEEP THAT AND THAT
WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE GOOD
SUCCESSFUL CYCLES AND BUILD ON
WHAT