1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: My name is Nigel. Jason Himmer right over there with 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: a very special guest on the hotline. 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 2: Kirsten Pells is the r NC National Press Secretary. She 4 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 2: takes time out of her busy schedule to join us. Kirsten, 5 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Hammer and Nigel Show. And you know, 6 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 2: sometimes I think we get so in the weeds about politics. 7 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 2: We focus on one issue specifically more than others. This 8 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 2: is a midterm year big picture here, right, Let's try 9 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,559 Speaker 2: to focus above just one issue here. How do you 10 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 2: get people to go out and vote? That seems like 11 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 2: it's been a big problem in midterms lately, getting the 12 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:45,919 Speaker 2: Republicans out to vote. How do you do that? 13 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 3: Thank you for having me. It's a great question, and 14 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 3: it's something that we think about all day every day 15 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 3: over here. And to your point about getting the base 16 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 3: out to vote, getting our voters out. They care a lot, 17 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 3: obviously about what the administration has been doing for them 18 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 3: on the economy, on the border, on healthcare, on all 19 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 3: of these things that impacts their everyday lives. But the 20 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 3: number one thing is in letting the voters know what 21 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 3: the stakes are in this midterm cycle. And so the 22 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,839 Speaker 3: biggest thing that I have been trying to press on people. 23 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 3: Is how we know this will go if Democrats regain 24 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 3: control of Congress. If we look at what happened last 25 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 3: time Democrats had control of Congress while Trump was in office. 26 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:34,119 Speaker 3: We had NonStop impeachments, we had and sham investigations and 27 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 3: press conferences full of Democrats grandstanding and yelling, and it 28 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 3: was non stop chaos and obstruction. Nothing got done. All 29 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 3: of the gains that we have made as a country 30 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 3: on the economy and on immigration, on our border security, 31 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 3: all of these things that will be stymied if Democrats 32 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 3: get into office and they start all of their radical, 33 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 3: far left chaos again. And so I think making sure 34 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 3: that we actually make sure that voters know Trump is 35 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,639 Speaker 3: on the ballot because we need a full four years 36 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 3: of his agenda, and the full four years will be 37 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 3: cut short if Democrats regain power, and we've seen how 38 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 3: that goes. So I think that's the biggest method that 39 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 3: we're trying to drive right now to really impress upon 40 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 3: people how important. 41 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: It is Trump is on the ballot. That is an 42 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: interesting way of looking at it. Even though he's not 43 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 1: he is now. There are certain states like the state 44 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: of Indiana, Kirsten that decided not to do redistricting. The 45 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: weak squish Republicans that that lead our state just decided 46 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: not to do it. How big a deal is that 47 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: going to be in the midterms? I mean a seat here, 48 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: a seat there. We have different states that are you know, 49 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: some Democrats, some Republicans. What do you see in the 50 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: future for the midterms when we're talking about redistricting. 51 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 3: Well, when you look at redistricting, it's definitely going to 52 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 3: change the map. I know it has reshaped things. Seats 53 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 3: in Virginia, she pets in California. We're still seeing how 54 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 3: this is going to be shaking out. Of course, we 55 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 3: wish it had gone differently in Indiana and those Republicans 56 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 3: had listened to their voter base and and created fair maps, 57 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 3: because remember Democrats have been gerrymandering these districts for years 58 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:23,239 Speaker 3: and years in places like Illinois, for example, where it's 59 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 3: just a it's an utter disaster and Republicans have no representation, 60 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 3: and so US as a party, we've been trying to 61 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 3: actually make fair maps, make the representation fair. In in 62 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 3: response to and in in backlash to all of the 63 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 3: Democrats that have been doing this over the years with 64 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 3: no repercussions, and so I think that's something that we've 65 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 3: been trying to do. We definitely don't want to rely 66 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 3: on redistricting in order to win. It's going to be, 67 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 3: you know, a tool that we have. We're going to 68 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 3: fight for fair maps, for fair representation for Republicans, fighting 69 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,080 Speaker 3: back against Democrats, trying to bring the system as as 70 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 3: much as possible in these states. When it doesn't go 71 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 3: our way, we have to keep fighting. And that's why 72 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 3: it's more important than ever to really drive out our 73 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 3: base and let voters know that, you know, while this 74 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 3: is one tool we have, we really still have to 75 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 3: get out and vote that that is the primary way 76 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 3: that we're going to win these midterms. 77 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 2: Kirsten Pell's is our guest, our NC National Press Secretary. Kirsten, 78 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 2: you mentioned something earlier in our conversation that I thought 79 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 2: was interesting, getting the messaging out about what's really important 80 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 2: in this election. Do you find that it's difficult to 81 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 2: do that when it feels like seventy five to eighty 82 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:43,359 Speaker 2: percent of the national news media on television, and I 83 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 2: count the late night talk shows as part of that group, 84 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 2: are very left leaning and can basically just pop off 85 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 2: at the mouth, throw every lie out there, and there's 86 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 2: nobody there to fact check them. 87 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 3: Well, absolutely it does. And I've been working in politics 88 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 3: for you know, some time now, and I know what 89 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,360 Speaker 3: it is to push back against the mainstream media narratives, 90 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:07,840 Speaker 3: how hard it is to fight back at time when 91 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:11,159 Speaker 3: they all they do is skew the narrative. And one 92 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:15,280 Speaker 3: example that I've seen is and Democrats are are aided 93 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 3: by this, Like they the Democrats, they push a narrative 94 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 3: and that mainstream media will just get out there and 95 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 3: help them do it. And for example, when you look 96 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 3: at voter ID seventy one I fondly pulled seventy one 97 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 3: percent of Democrats actually are in support of voter ID, 98 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 3: it's over eighty percent. And you look at other polls 99 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 3: nationally as well. And when you hear these these these 100 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 3: narratives in the media, they talk about, oh, you know Republicans, 101 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 3: you know, they want have these strict laws to repress 102 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 3: the vote. And it's like, well, if you look at 103 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 3: the actual polling data, that voters actually want secure elections, 104 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 3: they want voter IDs, we want to make it easy 105 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 3: to vote and harder to That is the actual correct 106 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 3: narrative here you see the mainstream media and Democrats coming 107 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 3: out and bashing Republicans and parroting all of these lies, 108 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 3: and so it is difficult. But the good thing is 109 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 3: that we have facts on our side. We have the 110 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 3: American people on our side. The vast majority of the 111 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 3: American people support our policy. They support secure elections like 112 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 3: foot ID, they support a secure border, they support supporting 113 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 3: criminal legal aliens, they support lowering taxes, and so I 114 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 3: think the reason they have to cheat is because they 115 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 3: know the American people are not on their side. 116 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 2: And Kirsten, last thing here before we let you go. 117 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 2: Nigel brought up a good point earlier here in Indiana, 118 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,919 Speaker 2: we have some very weak Republican leaders. Say what you 119 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 2: want about the left. Maybe they're lunatics, maybe they're not, 120 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 2: but they seem like, for the most part, they're in 121 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 2: sync together when they want to impeach President Trump, that's 122 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 2: what they're going to do. I don't see that with 123 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 2: the Republican Party. I still feel like there's a lot 124 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 2: of just establishments wish out there that don't want to 125 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 2: play ball with what most of this country voted for. 126 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 2: Is that a concern? 127 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 3: Well, here's what I will say, I think the President's policies, 128 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 3: like I said earlier, are broadly popular with the American people. 129 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 3: If the candidates across the country run on those policies 130 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 3: that the president is delivering, they will be successful. And 131 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 3: they might have their own way of doing that of 132 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 3: messaging in their states, and that's okay. But the main 133 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 3: thing is that the reason that President Trump develops this 134 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 3: winning coalition is because he was able to speak to 135 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 3: the heart of the issues, and he was able to 136 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 3: speak to voters and hear their concerns. And so if Republicans, 137 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 3: regardless of what states they're in or what they may 138 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 3: think of the president, he's getting the job done and 139 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 3: his policies are popular for a reason. I agree with 140 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 3: you about the Democrats wanting to impeach Trump, but I 141 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 3: will say a lot of them are going to have 142 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 3: very messy primaries as these radical leftists try to take 143 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 3: root in their party as well. So I think they'll'll 144 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 3: be some infighting for sure on their side. 145 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 2: One more thing, real quick. I know I promised you 146 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 2: one more thing a second ago. But last thing here, 147 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 2: how's the money look. How's the fundraising looking? 148 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 3: Well, it's very good. I don't know, if you've seen 149 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:15,559 Speaker 3: the headlines, we have almost one hundred million cash on hand. 150 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 3: The Democrats are way down, way below us. I can't 151 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 3: remember the exact number, but I mean they actually I 152 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 3: think have more debt than they do cash on hand 153 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 3: the DNC at least. And so we have very strong donations. 154 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 3: More than fifty percent of our donations are from small 155 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 3: dollar donors, and our grassroots support is just huge and 156 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 3: there's a reason for that. But we have to keep 157 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 3: going because the Democrats will have a flood of money 158 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 3: coming from these left wing dark money groups in the 159 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 3: midterms and they're going to be had. They'll have all 160 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 3: kinds of outside groups that are going to start fund 161 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 3: or anything, and so we really need all this money 162 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:56,440 Speaker 3: to build our war chest for the cycles that we 163 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 3: can make sure that we have really targeted to achieve 164 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 3: the convestments in these candidates and turn out the vote 165 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:02,559 Speaker 3: and make sure we win. 166 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 2: Kirsten bells our n C National Press Secretary. Kirsten, thank 167 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 2: you so much for your time for joining us here 168 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 2: in Indy. We hope to have you back. 169 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 3: Thank you for having me