WEBVTT - Ashley Davis Talks Year End US Politics

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio News.

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<v Speaker 2>Thanks for being with us on the Monday edition of

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<v Speaker 2>Balance of Power, as we had the voice of Ashley Davis,

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<v Speaker 2>the Republican strategist of course you've heard from many times

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<v Speaker 2>on this program, with a slightly different take on things

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<v Speaker 2>today as we consider the legacy of a democratic president.

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<v Speaker 2>She's of course founding partner West Front Strategies. Great to

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<v Speaker 2>see Ashley. I hope you're having a great holiday season,

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<v Speaker 2>and we'll get to Jimmy Carter. I just wonder your

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<v Speaker 2>thoughts on what's going on in the house here. Did

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<v Speaker 2>Mike Johnson just close the deal? Is he a maid man?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, first of all, Happy New Year, and I wish

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<v Speaker 1>I was with you in person. I'm in cold weather

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<v Speaker 1>right now. But I actually think it helps him a lot. Obviously,

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<v Speaker 1>the President elect understands that if he wants to get

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<v Speaker 1>his agenda done, or actually get anything done in the

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<v Speaker 1>first hundred days of his administration, that we have to

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<v Speaker 1>have a house in place right away. And Speaker Johnson

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<v Speaker 1>is the one would do the best job in regards

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<v Speaker 1>to not having chaos of an election. And I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>how many times was did it take for McCarthy to

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<v Speaker 1>get the first time eleven or thirteen, I forget the

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<v Speaker 1>number right now. But the only other name is Stephanie

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<v Speaker 1>was saying, names do pop up. The only other name

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<v Speaker 1>that I think would kind of appease some of these

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<v Speaker 1>conservatives on the right, which there aren't that many, but

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<v Speaker 1>you don't need that many to upend his speakership is

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<v Speaker 1>Jim Jordan, and he has said several times that he

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<v Speaker 1>is not going to run against Speaker Johnson. So I

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<v Speaker 1>do think that President Trump coming out today was a

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<v Speaker 1>huge win for them, but I also think it's self

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<v Speaker 1>serving because it's not going to help President Trump to

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<v Speaker 1>have chaos going into his new administration.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, Mike Lawler agrees with you. The Republican from New

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<v Speaker 2>York was on ABC this week asked about this very matter, Ashley.

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<v Speaker 2>Here's what he said.

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<v Speaker 3>Mike Johnson inherited a disaster when Matt Gats and several

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<v Speaker 3>of my cop He's teamed up with two hundred and

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<v Speaker 3>eight Democrats to remove Kevin McCarthy, which will go down

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<v Speaker 3>as the single stupidest thing I've ever seen in politics.

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<v Speaker 3>With that said, removing Mike Johnson would equally be as

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<v Speaker 3>stupid that's.

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<v Speaker 2>Quite a statement, I have to admit, Ashley. Do you

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<v Speaker 2>agree with it.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I would probably not use as extreme words. But

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<v Speaker 1>it wasn't smart and it's not going to be smart again.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, and if you look at this, this is

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<v Speaker 1>like Chip Roy this, I'll be interesting to hear what

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<v Speaker 1>Congoerson Fleischmann says to you. You said he's coming up

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<v Speaker 1>next because he's obviously considered a conservative member, but not

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<v Speaker 1>a destructionist, so I'm assuming he thinks it's a good idea.

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<v Speaker 1>Moving forward to Speaker Johnson, thing in place.

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<v Speaker 2>Not a destructionist. Fascinating use of that word, Ashley. I

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<v Speaker 2>want to ask you about the big debate that's broken

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<v Speaker 2>out over immigration here, and I'm not referring to border security.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm referring to actual legal immigration. People who watch this

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<v Speaker 2>program know that you have a long history in the

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<v Speaker 2>national security space and helped to bring about the Department

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<v Speaker 2>of Homeland Security, and this idea of H one B

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<v Speaker 2>visas suddenly being extremely controversial as a component of this

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<v Speaker 2>border issue is really interesting. Elon Musk, of course, suggesting

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<v Speaker 2>that we lift the cap on these H one b's

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<v Speaker 2>bring in foreign based talent to help us, particularly in

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<v Speaker 2>high tech. But that runs counter to what a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of the MAGA world thinks ought to be happening when

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<v Speaker 2>it comes to the border in America. First, how do

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<v Speaker 2>you square this from where you're.

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<v Speaker 1>Sitting, Yeah, I think that this is totally getting combined

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<v Speaker 1>into one conversation that really shouldn't be because the visas

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<v Speaker 1>that elon and the vaguer speaking about the HB one,

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<v Speaker 1>they're actually legal visas that are sponsored by companies and

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<v Speaker 1>corporations to bring talent in and the mega side of

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<v Speaker 1>the party, that and many others not just MAGA that

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<v Speaker 1>are concerned about border security, in my mind, are people

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<v Speaker 1>that are coming over here illegally. So I really think

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<v Speaker 1>it's important to split the topic up because one does

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<v Speaker 1>not have anything to do with the other one. You

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<v Speaker 1>have sixty five thousand available HB one visas every year

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<v Speaker 1>to apply to and you get a three year That

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<v Speaker 1>visa last three years, and you have actually one more

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<v Speaker 1>chance to extend it another three years. But otherwise, it's

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<v Speaker 1>not that people are coming across the border illegally, staying

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<v Speaker 1>here and not being able to be found. Obviously, the

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<v Speaker 1>ones that commit crimes that are here as well. So

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<v Speaker 1>it's a different program. So I agree with Elon and

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<v Speaker 1>the Vike on this, and I guess the president duly.

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<v Speaker 2>Noted duly noted. But now that Elon Musk and the

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<v Speaker 2>Veke Ramaswami have kicked the nest on this, we have

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<v Speaker 2>an active debate going on over work visas, whether they're

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<v Speaker 2>skilled or not. And Donald Trump was talking about dreamers

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<v Speaker 2>in the only he's done since being elected is something

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<v Speaker 2>that he would work with Democrats on. So it sounds

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<v Speaker 2>to me actually like just shutting down the border is

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<v Speaker 2>not enough. Is the answer not comprehensive immigration reform.

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<v Speaker 1>I think the comprehensive immigration reform, I mean, in two

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<v Speaker 1>thousand and seven was the closest that that ever was

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<v Speaker 1>becoming true to reality when when Senator Kennedy then President

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<v Speaker 1>Bush almost did strike a deal. I think that a

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<v Speaker 1>win for President Trump is in this first year right away,

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<v Speaker 1>which is why I think reconciliation will happen. I think

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<v Speaker 1>there's two buckets that will happen. Per or earlier conversation

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<v Speaker 1>with Stephanie. I think they'll do border first, along with energy.

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<v Speaker 1>But the reason why is if you get the million

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<v Speaker 1>illegal immigrants that are in this country out of the

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<v Speaker 1>country the first year that have committed a crime or

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<v Speaker 1>have completely exhausted the appeal process. That's a million people

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<v Speaker 1>that can go out right away, which is a huge

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<v Speaker 1>win for Trump. So if he does that, then works

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<v Speaker 1>slowly over the next three years trying to find and

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<v Speaker 1>round up all these other people that have come over

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<v Speaker 1>here illegally. I think that's going to be phase two.

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<v Speaker 1>But if you deal with h B one visas, or

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<v Speaker 1>if you deal with Dreamers, I mean, that's a whole

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<v Speaker 1>that's in my mind is stage three, four five. You've

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<v Speaker 1>got to get rid of these top ones first and

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<v Speaker 1>second that have committed crimes in this country.

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<v Speaker 2>Rick Davis's ears are burning after I said comprehensive immigration reform.

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<v Speaker 2>As we spend time with Ashley Davis, I haven't asked

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<v Speaker 2>you about Jimmy Carter. Ashley, what do you make of

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<v Speaker 2>the constant comparisons, by the way, not just today, but

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<v Speaker 2>for the balance of Joe Biden's administration being compared to

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<v Speaker 2>Jimmy Carter. Is that fair?

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<v Speaker 1>Now? I think listen, and I said this before in

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<v Speaker 1>my show President Bush. My boss used to always say,

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<v Speaker 1>let history make this decision on what I've done. And

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<v Speaker 1>I think that Jimmy Carter will go down in history

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<v Speaker 1>as do and even today yesterday when he passed away,

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<v Speaker 1>there's many people that believe in many things that he did.

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<v Speaker 1>I think during the campaign, when people were criticizing President Biden,

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<v Speaker 1>they were giving him, obviously an insult saying that President

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<v Speaker 1>Carter never did anything to this country. What you said

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<v Speaker 1>earlier in what Stephanie said in regards to President Trump

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<v Speaker 1>giving his condolences, being part of this club is a

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<v Speaker 1>very lonely club, and I think that there are many

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<v Speaker 1>country that do respect this. You see that the funeral

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<v Speaker 1>will be on January ninth, Obviously the stock market will

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<v Speaker 1>be closed. Does that mean you get off on the ninth,

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<v Speaker 1>Joe Market.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think so. We're going to call you to join.

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<v Speaker 1>Us, actually, but I think that it was more of

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<v Speaker 1>an insult to President Biden than it was, to go

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<v Speaker 1>back to your question, than it actually was about Jimmy Carter.

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<v Speaker 1>He'll go down in the history of maybe making some mistakes,

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<v Speaker 1>but also doing some good things.

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<v Speaker 2>Huh. Do you think that Trump's statement about Jimmy Carter

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<v Speaker 2>was more of an insult to Joe Biden? Is that

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<v Speaker 2>what you're saying.

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<v Speaker 1>During the campaign when he was being when he was

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<v Speaker 1>being compared to Jimmy Carr. The statement that he made

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<v Speaker 1>yesterday I thought was very appropriate.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, so what's the lesson here? And you know, I

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<v Speaker 2>always save the easy question for last when we're out

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<v Speaker 2>of time, Ashley, But I keep hearing from people, Democrats

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<v Speaker 2>and Republicans who say, you know what, the lasting impression

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<v Speaker 2>is that he had dignity, that people trusted his word,

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<v Speaker 2>that he was a nice guy. What am I supposed

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<v Speaker 2>to take from that in this age in Washington?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I mean, obviously there's lots of criticism, but I'm

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<v Speaker 1>reading this book right now actually talking about all the

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<v Speaker 1>various presidents that have gone down and saying there was

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<v Speaker 1>an integrity or there wasn't they weren't patriotic enough. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>how many people hated run Ronald Reagan that now the

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<v Speaker 1>entire Republican Party runs on being Ronald Reagan? Asked, So

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<v Speaker 1>I think again, this to me goes back on time.

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<v Speaker 1>Heals a lot of wounds and a lot of memories

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<v Speaker 1>are short.

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<v Speaker 2>How true? Joining us live from the Matter Horn Ashley

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<v Speaker 2>Davis founding partner West Front Strategies. It's great to see you, Ashley.

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<v Speaker 2>Happy new year. We'll see you in twenty twenty five

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<v Speaker 2>because we're going to have a lot to talk about