1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: When four friends from Washington, DC's most elite prep school 2 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: are hacked, they're thrust into a global conspiracy that threatens 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: to expose DC's most influential families. Meet the Daughters of 4 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: d C. Listen to Daughters of d C on the 5 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts, 6 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: The Armstrong and Getty Show. But let's be frank and 7 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 1: national nightmares upon us. The basic rules of our democracy 8 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: a under attack from the president. We begin tonight with 9 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: a series of admissions by the President that all but 10 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: assures his impeachment in the House of Representatives, all but 11 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: insurance his impeachment. We're living in a national nightmare upon 12 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: us that's not very measured by sleepy eyes. Chuck Todd 13 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 1: trying to figure out so that So that's Chuck Todd 14 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:51,639 Speaker 1: to meet the press, trying to figure out the currents here. 15 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: So you got britt Hume of Fox here, senior political 16 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: analyst of Fox. He's their top guy who tweeted, as 17 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: I've written before, Adam Schiff is a reckless partisan who 18 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: is only credible to other reckless partisans. But for the 19 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: President of the United States States to say he could 20 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: meet in treason is despicable, It's insanity. Trying to figure 21 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: out where we are with all this stuff is difficult, yes, yes, 22 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: and the currents EBB and flow. Who better to discuss 23 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: that with than David Drucker, the senior political correspondent for 24 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: the Washington Examiner. Speaking of top guys, David joins us. Now, Hello, David, 25 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: how are you? I'm good to be here. Good, we're 26 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: we're we're imported here. I don't I don't know what 27 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: introm's supposed to use. I'm all confused. Well, do you 28 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: believe a nationale whereas upon us never mind, don't answer that. 29 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: We're employing what we call the impeachometer, and each unit 30 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: of it is a Nixon and we are day to 31 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: day trying to decide whether the impeechometer has moved closer 32 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: to the president being removed from officer further away. It's 33 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: a lot like the nuclear clock, right, it's impeachment, right, 34 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: exactly So, given the EBB and flow of news stories 35 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: and counter stories, So what do you make of all 36 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: this today? Well, you know, I think that we're in 37 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: a period and I think this will continue for probably 38 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: for some time. But who knows where there are a 39 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: number of facts that are coming out will come out 40 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 1: that you know, will appear problematic for the President and 41 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: give Democrats um reaffirm the Democrats belief that the impeachment 42 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: inquiry was was the right course of action. I think, 43 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: you know, the I think Republicans and the President will 44 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: simply take a different view of those same facts. And 45 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: I think there are Republicans on Capitol Hill that will 46 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: not necessarily agree with the President, but I don't think 47 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: many of them will break with him unless we end 48 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: up with a set of a set of information that 49 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: is particularly obvious and damning and not a matter of debate. Yeah, 50 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,360 Speaker 1: you know, in that In that regard, it's going to 51 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: be similar to the Russia investigation, where there was a 52 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: lot of smoke, but there was never quite fire, at 53 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: least as the partisan looked at it. Yeah, the partisans, 54 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 1: because I'm still waiting to see the first and I 55 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: haven't yet either partisan pundit that that I follow, or 56 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 1: person in my real life change their position on supporting 57 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: Trump or not. I still haven't had one person yet, 58 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: and I would think that that would have to happen 59 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: before impeachment really gets going, because so far it's still 60 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: it's people that they were on board for impeaching him 61 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: over Russia UM or supporting him over Russia, and they're 62 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: in the same camp now. So I still haven't seen 63 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: one person changed sides. Maybe you have, No, I haven't, 64 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: And I mean I think that would be telling in 65 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: terms of things turning against the president on Capitol Hill. 66 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: I do believe at this point that he is very 67 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: likely to be impeached and very very unlikely to be removed, 68 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: so and and and I say that because if you 69 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: look at the the information that Democrats are citing and 70 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: referring to as um making impeachment the right course of action, 71 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: at least the inquiry, I don't see what they're going 72 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: to find out that is going to cause them to say, yeah, 73 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: all this information is true and exists, but now that 74 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: we know more about the context of it, you know, 75 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: it's all it's not impeachable. I just do not see 76 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: that happening. And I do not see the Democratic base 77 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: being okay with that. But I don't even see them 78 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: being okay with it. So I really think we're on 79 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: course or impeachment UM. But at by the same token, 80 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: you know, Republicans, whether this was strategic or not set 81 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: the bar for legitimizing the impeachment inquiry and possibly entertaining 82 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 1: impeachment as a quid pro quo in which he, you know, 83 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 1: said to the to Ukraine, you can have this if 84 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: you give me that. And Republicans are insisting that is 85 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 1: in no way the case. And so unless there's something 86 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,799 Speaker 1: that is just completely obvious that that is the case, 87 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: even if Democrats say in the fact they think that 88 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: might be the case, then I don't really see them moving. 89 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: And in part it's because I'm not sure that Republican 90 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: voters are going to move now. If they do move, 91 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: that I think would produce a different reaction among Republicans 92 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: on the hill. You know, we know they're afraid to 93 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: cross Trump. They don't want to get tweeted at problems 94 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 1: and Republican primaries, but they don't want to cross their 95 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: own voters. That's the bigger deal. As long as their 96 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 1: voters are with Trump, there's very little motivation for them 97 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,039 Speaker 1: to move, no matter what they think. Privately, for folks 98 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,159 Speaker 1: just tuning in, we're talking to David Drucker with the 99 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: Washington and Examineries, their senior political correspondent. The big headline 100 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 1: today impeachment wise, is that a couple of diplomatcy you've 101 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 1: never heard of are exchanging texts in which one was saying, 102 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: this is crazy. It looks like a quid pro quo. Um. 103 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: You know, if they investigate Biden will do these things 104 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: for them, And the other guy says, it ain't that. 105 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: Why are you saying that? Stop saying that? Um. And 106 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: there are a number of instances where diplomats feel like, Okay, 107 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: maybe it is a quid pro quote. But I'm always 108 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 1: hesitant when the Democrats on a committee unleash um excerpts 109 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: of something. I know they're carefully selected. And can we 110 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: expect a Republican counter release today of texts? Well, I 111 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 1: don't know, because I don't know what was withheld or 112 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 1: not withheld, But I think that if such information was 113 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: with hell, I'm sure it will be released. I think 114 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: your question gets to the larger issue of voters and 115 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 1: Americans trying to figure out what's true and what's not, 116 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: what to believe and what not to believe, what the 117 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 1: context of things are. And I mean, I think it's 118 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: incumbent upon Democrats as they make the political case for 119 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 1: impeachment and impeachment is a political process of politics is 120 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: not unimportant here. They're going to have to make the 121 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: case that the information proves the president acted improperly. At 122 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,679 Speaker 1: the very least, I think acting improperly would be enough 123 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: of a case. By the way, um, if they're able 124 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: to make it for Independence and Swing voters, two start 125 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: to agree that impeachment and possibly removal is warranted. And 126 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: I think that if you want to understand the long 127 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: term political ramifications of this visa, you just watch Swing 128 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: voters and Independence. A lot of them don't like Trump. 129 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: They've been very suspicious about impeachment as the proper course 130 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: of action. Will those numbers change. We've seen some indications 131 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: that those numbers are changing, But you're gonna have to 132 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: see how this plays out over time. The president is 133 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: going to continue to make an alternate case. He has 134 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: a big megaphone. Sometimes the Democrats don't know how to 135 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: do anything that's politically smart because for some reason, and 136 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: it's contects both parties. If you're a member of the 137 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: House of Representatives, you're just clueless as to how to 138 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: communicate to people who don't agree with you, and you 139 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: think that stunts are actually a good idea Yeah, Adams 140 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: Shifford doing himself no favors in terms of getting people 141 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: on board. Finally, I think Nancy Pelosi. Nancy Pelosi is 142 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: the most effective spokesman they have for this. She needs 143 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: a deputy that's almost as good as her. Yeah, I 144 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: would say that's absolutely correct. Hey, a final question, David, 145 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: is Rudy Giuliani the loosest cannon in the history of 146 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: American politics? I mean honestly, that is, he may be 147 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 1: more entertaining than the president. I mean honestly, and and 148 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 1: by the way, Republicans are concerned about him because he 149 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: is he's he's his own boss. He says what he 150 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: wants when he wants. And I think if he, if 151 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: the President were able to put him in a box somewhere, 152 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: they feel a love better. Out of time with David Drucker, 153 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 1: senior political correspondent for The Washington CAAMA will have a 154 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: link to find his latest pieces easily. David, Thanks, Milian, 155 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: good to talk to you anytime.