>> I SAT DOWN WITH REPUBLICANS
TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THE PARTY IS TODAY.
>> OBVIOUSLY, WE WON THE WHITE HOUSE WHICH WAS A MAJOR VICTORY
IN 2016.
AND A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY DRIVEN BY A
STRONG AND DYNAMIC INDIVIDUAL AND PRESIDENT TRUMP.
WE CONTROL BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS.
AND MAJORITY OF SUPREME COURT.
WE CONTROL THE MOST GOVERNORSHIPS AS WELL AS THE
STATE LEGISLATURES.
HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS, WE HAVE GOVERNOR BAKER.
BUT WE NEED TO DO A LOT BETTER AT THE STATE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL.
>> YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN POLITICS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
THE WAY THAT THE PARTY IS RIGHT NOW, WOULD YOU SAY THAT IT IS
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AS YOU'VE KNOWN IT FOR YEARS OR IS THE
PARTY DIFFERENT?
>> THE PARTY'S ALWAYS EVOLVING.
YOU HAVE THE CORE VALUES THAT ARE NOT GOING AWAY.
>> HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE THEM?
>> THE FAMILY TRADITION.
WE TRY TO LIVE OUR LIFE ON FAITH, FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
IF THE FIRST THREE ARE IN ORDER, THE FAMILY TRADITION.
FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE.
YOU WANT EVERY DOLLAR ACCOUNTED FOR.
OVERALL IN MASSACHUSETTS, THE PEOPLE ARE SEEING THAT.
NO LONGER I'M A JFK DEMOCRAT, I'M VOTING DEMOCRAT.
THEY ARE LOOKING AT POCKETBOOK AND SAYING WE'RE ACTUALLY MAKING
MONEY NOW ESPECIALLY SINCE TRUMP COME INTO OFFICE.
AND WITH THAT, I HAVE BUSINESS OWNERS COMING TO ME AND SAYING I
CAN TAKE CARE OF MY EMPLOYEES NOW.
I WANT TO HELP THEM.
THE BUSINESS OWNERS ARE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THE HEALTHCARE
CRISIS.
THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S ABOUT WE THE PEOPLE.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT.
>> I THINK THERE IS A CLEAR DIVIDE WITHIN THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY RIGHT NOW.
THOSE WHO SUPPORT PRESIDENT TRUMP.
SEE WHAT HE'S DOING AND AGREE WITH IT AS I THINK YOU'VE
INDICATED YOU DO AND THOSE WHO DON'T.
WHAT CAN YOU SAY OR WHAT HAVE YOU RECOGNIZED ABOUT THAT
DIVISION?
THOSE WHO SUPPORT PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THOSE WHO DON'T BUT
STILL IDENTIFY AS REPUBLICANS?
>> WELL, I MEAN, CERTAINLY, I WAS A DELEGATE AT THE LAST
NATIONAL CONVENTION.
AND I'VE NEVER SEEN THE PARTY SO UNITED BEHIND PRESIDENT TRUMP.
>> THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE -- THERE WAS A REPUBLICAN WHO
WAS ON NPR EARLIER THIS WEEK.
>> AND STEVE SCMITT IS ON MS NBC IS TO BE THE CONTRARY
REPUBLICAN.
>> FOR A LONG TIME, HE WAS IN STEP WHETHER IT WAS JOHN McCAIN
OR GEORGE W. BUSH.
SO WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ABOUT HE SAYS THAT HE'S STILL A
REPUBLICAN?
HE WANTS TO BELIEVE IN THOSE THREE Fs YOU POINT OUT.
CLEARLY, SOMETHING IS DIFFERENT FOR HIM AND OTHER REPUBLICANS.
>> KEEP IN MIND, IT'S EASY TO PLACE BLAME.
IT'S TOUGHER TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, HE'S A BUSINESS
OWNER.
HE'S VERY SUCCESSFUL.
IT'S NOT POLITICS AS USUAL.
HE SEES A PROBLEM, HE'S GOING AFTER IT.
IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT HE IRRITATES THE REPUBLICANS OR THE
DEMOCRATS.
IT'S THE FACT THAT HE CAME IN AND HE'S LOOKING TO HELP TAKE
CARE OF THE PEOPLE.
THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE.
THAT'S BEEN ON THE TABLE FOR DECADES.
AND IT'S EASY TO BLAME THE MAN ON THE TOP.
WE'RE JOKING.
YOU USUALLY HAVE A TARGET ON YOU AND GET BLAMED FOR EVERYTHING.
BUT LOOK AT CONGRESS.
CONGRESS BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE HAVE HAD DECADES TO FIX THIS
PROBLEM AND HAVE THEY?
NO.
THEY POINT FINGERS AND BLAME AT EACH OTHER.
>> TO YOUR POINT, PRESIDENT TRUMP RIGHT NOW IS CLEARLY
POINTING THE FINGER AT DEMOCRATS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS ISSUE OF
IMMIGRATION AND SEPARATING CHILDREN FROM THEIR PARENTS AT
THE BORDER.
PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID IT'S THE DEMOCRAT'S PROBLEM.
>> HE CREATED THE LAW.
AND NUMBER TWO, IT'S LIKE THEM TAKING THE FAKE PHOTOS OF KIDS
IN CAGES AND TURNS OUT THE PHOTOS WERE FROM 2014 DURING THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND THEN IT'S THE FAKE NEWS THAT TRIES TO
PIN THAT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP.
WHAT IS GOING ON THERE, IT'S ALL A STUNT THAT THEY ARE BASICALLY
TAKING PHOTOS MANIPULATIVE LOUISIANA SPEAKING IN ORDER TO
JIN UP THIS NOTION.
WHEN, IN FACT, THE PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO SAY NO, I'M NOT JUST
GOING TO LET YOU RUN ACROSS THE BORDER AND SAY I'M HERE FOR
ASYLUM.
IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY.
WE NEED TO ENFORCE THE LAWS AND WE NEED A COMPREHENSIVE
IMMIGRATION POLICY THAT WE NEED CONGRESS TO ADOPT AND WE NEED
THE BOTH PARTIES TO GET TOGETHER TO FINALLY SOLVE IT.
WHAT YOU HAVE NOW IS MIDTERM FINGER POINTING.
>> YOU TOUCHED ON SOMETHING EXACTLY THAT I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT AND TALKED ABOUT IT WITH DEMOCRATS ON THE POINT OF
DIV DIVISIVENESS OF DEMOCRATS OR
REPUBLICANS.
HOW DO YOU THINK THE PARTIES CAN COME TOGETHER TO AFFECT SOME
CHANGE?
>> I WISH THEY WOULD GET RID OF THE TOP FIVE DEMOCRATS AND TOP
FIVE REPUBLICANS.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD DO?
>> THAT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF THE EGO OUT OF IT.
AND A LOT OF THE OLD-STYLE POLITICS.
AGAIN, WE CAN'T GET ON TERM LIMITS.
BUT YOU'D HAVE FRESH BLOOD IN THERE.
PEOPLE THAT WANT TO GET THINGS DONE, HOPEFULLY.
AGAIN, WE GO BACK TO PRESIDENT TRUMP.
HE WAS A FRESH BASE COMING IN.
HE HAD NO ALLIANCES TO REPUBLICANS OR DEMOCRATS.
I THINK CHARLES CALLED HIM A PRAGMATIC.
HE SEES A PROBLEM AND WANTS TO GET IT DONE.
WE NEED CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS THAT AREN'T WORRIED ABOUT
STUFFING THEIR CAUCUS AND LET'S SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
IT CAN BE DONE.
>> YOU TWO ARE REPUBLICANS HERE IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
TEND TO TREND BLUE.
>> REALLY?
>> I KNOW, SHOCKING; RIGHT?
WHAT IS THAT LIKE BEING IN THE POLITICAL MINORITY.
>> I SEE A LOT OF REPUBLICANS IN MASSACHUSETTS DELVE SUPPORTERS.
THEY ARE WORKING TO GET THE JOB DONE.
BUT TO AVOID THE FIGHT AND TO AINVOICE THE GRANDSTANDING FROM
DIFFERENT POLITICAL PARTIES, THEY DON'T PUBLICIZE THE FACT.
>> YOU THINK THERE ARE MORE REPUBLICANS LIVING IN THIS
REGION THAT MAYBE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT?
>> MORE CITIZENS IN MASSACHUSETTS WITH CONSERVATIVE
VALUES.
AND FAMILY VALUES THAT DON'T HAVE TO STAND IN FRONT OF A
CAMERA OR DON'T HAVE TO GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND BLAME EVERYBODY
ELSE, THE OTHER SIDE, IF YOU WILL, FOR ALL THE PROBLEMS IN
AMERICA.
THEY JUST WANT THE PROBLEMS SOLVED.
>> HAVE YOU SEEN CHANGES AND SINCE PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN
ELECTED, ARE MORE PEOPLE COMING OUT?
I KNOW YOU HAVE LOTS OF GET OUT THE VOTE EFFORTS AND TRYING TO
RECRUIT PEOPLE TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HERE IN WESTERN MASS.
ARE YOU SEEING MORE PEOPLE WILLING TO COME OUT AND HAVE A
CHAT ABOUT THIS?
>> I KNOW IN 2016, WE HAD AN UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF PEOPLE
COME TO THE CAUCUS TO ELECT THE DELEGATES TO THE REPUBLICAN
NATIONAL CONVENTION.
AND I WOULD SAY ALSO PRESIDENT TRUMP DID GET A THIRD OF THE
VOTE IN MASSACHUSETTS CONSIDERING HE NEVER CAMPAIGNED
IN THE STATE.
AND THE STATES ARE BASICALLY WRITTEN OFF WHETHER IT'S RED OR
BLUE.
IT'S LIKE THE DEMOCRATS DON'T GO TO ALABAMA.
YOU ARE IN THESE SITUATIONS.
UNLESS YOU ARE IN THE BATTLEGROUND STATES WHERE THESE
THINGS GET CLOSE, THAT'S STILL AN EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE AMOUNT
OF THE VOTE HE RECEIVED.
>> IT'S A BROAD ISSUE.
APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.