WEBVTT - A Make or Break Moment for the Trump Administration.  Debra J. Saunders talks to Armstrong & Getty

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<v Speaker 1>The overall tax plan I think works for war because

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<v Speaker 1>and here's why, you've got to look at it in

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<v Speaker 1>context of our economics war China. You can't separate at

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<v Speaker 1>the terrorists and what he's doing on the three oh ones,

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<v Speaker 1>what he's doing on trying to stop intellectual property theft

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<v Speaker 1>and appropriation from the taxes. The taxes principally were to

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<v Speaker 1>make our companies competitive with Germany, Germany and China. The

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<v Speaker 1>the the personal tax rates, which I didn't totally agree with, right,

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<v Speaker 1>because it's more of the trickle down, uh, is something

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<v Speaker 1>that had to be used to get this thing past.

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<v Speaker 1>So that's Steve bann in a while back explaining that

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<v Speaker 1>the Trump tax cut was meant to offset the pain

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<v Speaker 1>there's gonna come with the Tarraf war. Right. I actually

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<v Speaker 1>heard somebody use that um argument against Trump on one

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<v Speaker 1>of the Sunday talk shows. Look all the games that

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<v Speaker 1>they made here in Pennsylvania with the tax cut, they're

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<v Speaker 1>losing it all through the Terraf. Well, that was supposed

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<v Speaker 1>to be an offset. Now, if that was the point,

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<v Speaker 1>Steve Bannon's on some show talking about it, I haven't

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<v Speaker 1>heard Trump explain that to anybody. No, No, why don't

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<v Speaker 1>we usher in the fabulous Debra J. Saunders, White House

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<v Speaker 1>correspondent from the Las Vegas Review Journal, currently at their

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<v Speaker 1>DC bureau, I believe to discuss this and more. Hey, Debra,

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<v Speaker 1>how are you hard to believe that Steve Bannon is

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<v Speaker 1>no longer with this administration? Isn't it? Well? I tell

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<v Speaker 1>you what, the complete lack of reporting on that angle

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<v Speaker 1>and this is one of the most poorly reported stories

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<v Speaker 1>I remember in recent years, as everybody is just looking

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<v Speaker 1>at it purely through the lens of do I like

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<v Speaker 1>Trump or dislike Trump? Um, this is a really big, interesting,

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<v Speaker 1>important negotiation. There in the middle of this is you know,

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<v Speaker 1>everything the Trump presidency hangs on this because, as you know,

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<v Speaker 1>because we know that, let's go ahead, say China, China,

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<v Speaker 1>Trump that the big issue for him. It was that

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<v Speaker 1>he was going to take on China and that he

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<v Speaker 1>was going to he was going to do what he

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<v Speaker 1>could to get China to have fair trade practices, and

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<v Speaker 1>and and and now we're in the middle of it,

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<v Speaker 1>and one of two things is going to happen. Trump's

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<v Speaker 1>gonna win or he's not. If Trump wins, it's a

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<v Speaker 1>big game for the US economy. It hurts China, and

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<v Speaker 1>I think we'll have it. We'll have a great economy

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<v Speaker 1>through and his chances of being reelected are certainly, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>better than even right. If he loses and we have

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<v Speaker 1>a and this is a prolonged trade war, it's going

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<v Speaker 1>to hurt the U s economy. It's going to hurt

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<v Speaker 1>him among his base, which has really stood behind him

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<v Speaker 1>up till now, and and and maybe for a while.

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<v Speaker 1>We just don't know how long. Uh, and uh. He's

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<v Speaker 1>not going to come across as the great dealmaker that

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<v Speaker 1>he said he was, and it will be ugly. Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>I want to point something out, partly for our listeners

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<v Speaker 1>and partly for you, Deborah. We talked about this. I

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<v Speaker 1>think it was last hour. We got a great note

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<v Speaker 1>from an eminent thinker and um well as somebody knows

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<v Speaker 1>about Chinese American trade and has lived and worked in

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<v Speaker 1>China for forty years. He says, in China, there's a

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<v Speaker 1>significant and growing body of academics, business people, and policymakers

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<v Speaker 1>who agree that most of what the US is demanding

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<v Speaker 1>of China is in China's long term interest. So while

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<v Speaker 1>in the short term I think it would be more

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<v Speaker 1>beneficial for the US than China. There are plenty of

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<v Speaker 1>Chinese who think we need to sign this deal and

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<v Speaker 1>continue our move to economic modernity. So I just thought

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<v Speaker 1>that was worth noting. But as usual, I found that

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<v Speaker 1>Trump administration's messaging on this a bit haphazard. Yeah, it's

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<v Speaker 1>always interesting that Trump is both uh, maybe the greatest

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<v Speaker 1>political communicator of my lifetime and the worst at the

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<v Speaker 1>same time. I mean, sometimes he communicates thoughts and feelings

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<v Speaker 1>to crowds in a way that nobody can and everybody's cheering,

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<v Speaker 1>and then on stuff like this, I feel like he

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<v Speaker 1>counts on pundits on Fox News to explain his policies

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<v Speaker 1>to people because he doesn't, really I haven't hurt him

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<v Speaker 1>go out there and make the argument to farmers. Look,

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<v Speaker 1>it's gonna hurt for a while, I realized this, But

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<v Speaker 1>this is what's gonna be like for you in the future.

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<v Speaker 1>Why doesn't he do that? He does it on Twitter.

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<v Speaker 1>He's been doing tweets saying yes, trying to count on

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<v Speaker 1>all farmers to read his his tweets. I guess they

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<v Speaker 1>get up early, melts the cows and read his tweets. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>but I mean there are he he said, Um, this

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<v Speaker 1>is going Um, this is going to hurt China that

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<v Speaker 1>if you don't want to pay tariffs and you shouldn't

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<v Speaker 1>be manufacturing in China, you can move to another low

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<v Speaker 1>cost country to manufacturer, like Vietnam. And yes, farmers are

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<v Speaker 1>going to be hurt in the long one, that's gonna

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<v Speaker 1>help you. We've got this fifteen billion dollar fund that

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<v Speaker 1>we can give to farmers that will help you as

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<v Speaker 1>a pain somewhat. I know manufacturers are going to be hurt,

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<v Speaker 1>but in the end it will be in their interests.

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<v Speaker 1>He's been saying all that on Twitter. Well, listen, you

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<v Speaker 1>got to go to the White House and tell him

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<v Speaker 1>to hire Joe Getty as their new communications director. Because

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<v Speaker 1>if I were in charge, I would be out there.

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<v Speaker 1>I would have the President, I would have all of

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<v Speaker 1>his UH spokespeople saying all we want is for China

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<v Speaker 1>to follow the rules they agreed to when they joined

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<v Speaker 1>the World Trade Organization. We've been letting them slide now

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<v Speaker 1>for damn near a couple of decades, and they're ripping

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<v Speaker 1>us off. We don't want him to rip us off anymore.

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<v Speaker 1>It kind of reminds me of the NATO thing. Look,

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't decide this, this was decided by others a

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<v Speaker 1>long time ago. I'm just trying to enforce the rules. Actually,

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<v Speaker 1>it fits in with immigration to I'm enforcing the rules,

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<v Speaker 1>the laws that other people passed, whether it's the World

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<v Speaker 1>Trade Organization, our own Congress, or whoever, other people were

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<v Speaker 1>letting it slide. That's kind of interesting. You're right, Um,

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<v Speaker 1>you would know more about this because you're you're so

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<v Speaker 1>close to Trump and follow him everything like that. I

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<v Speaker 1>can't imagine him personally backing down just because he's the

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<v Speaker 1>kind of the kind of guy he is. I can

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<v Speaker 1>see him taking this to the end. But well, the

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<v Speaker 1>Republican Party cave on him at some point. Well, I

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<v Speaker 1>mean these are trade negotiations. I mean the party has

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<v Speaker 1>stuck with him amazingly, and when you think about what

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<v Speaker 1>a free trade party, the Republican Party has been the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that he has this much support and that basically, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>even even free trade senators are trying to give him

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<v Speaker 1>a pass on this. I think because of the point

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<v Speaker 1>you made, everybody knows it's in our interest to have

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<v Speaker 1>this work. That if Trump can get the concessions he's

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<v Speaker 1>looking for, it's good for the U. S. Economy and

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<v Speaker 1>the country comes out stronger. Um, I'm sorry, my mind

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<v Speaker 1>wandered for a second. His personality. Can you see him

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<v Speaker 1>backing down? Well, you know, he did back down on

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<v Speaker 1>the budget, and so we've seen that before where when

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<v Speaker 1>there was a government shutdown, he did back down once.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't see him doing that on this one, except

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<v Speaker 1>you know, if you get here's the thing. He likes

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<v Speaker 1>this personal relationship that he has with she, and these

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<v Speaker 1>personal relationships mean a lot to him. Um. I guess

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<v Speaker 1>my only question would be if the Chinese can convince

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<v Speaker 1>him that the deal that China wants is Trump winning,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe something like that happens. Um. Otherwise, this is his

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<v Speaker 1>signature issue. This is the thing that he really wants

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<v Speaker 1>to win. But if China is just going to be

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<v Speaker 1>intransigent in the US economy continues to get pummeled and

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<v Speaker 1>it's already started at some point in time, a reasonable

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<v Speaker 1>person would cry uncle. And then the question is, then

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<v Speaker 1>why did you get us into this problem? And that's

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<v Speaker 1>and that's the thing. I can't imagine the situation that

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<v Speaker 1>Donald Trump cannot want to be in. Deborah J. Saunders,

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<v Speaker 1>white House correspondent for the Las Vegas Review Journal, on

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<v Speaker 1>the line talking about the trade negotiation that's going on.

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<v Speaker 1>What do your sources say, Uh, Deborah about speaking of

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<v Speaker 1>mind wandering? Um, what was it gonna ask? Because it

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<v Speaker 1>is important China trade something you just said it was?

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<v Speaker 1>I got distracted. I'm looking at AOC's Twitter page and

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<v Speaker 1>oh man, she's something. Oh what I hear is that

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<v Speaker 1>all of the material issues have been decided and they're

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<v Speaker 1>just hung up on enforcement mechanisms. Is that what you're hearing? Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean what Trump's saying is we agreed on everything

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<v Speaker 1>and then they took it all back. Oh yeah, that's

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<v Speaker 1>what they're saying. We we we agreed, We're not five there,

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<v Speaker 1>and then chining To just said no and this is

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<v Speaker 1>and this is a negotiating tactic and that then so

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<v Speaker 1>we're supposed to give up the concessions we won. Mm hmm. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I guess we'll We'll find out in time. But I

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<v Speaker 1>still think a deal will be struck and I think

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<v Speaker 1>it will be enormously positive. Um, but but we shall see.

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<v Speaker 1>You're you're talking about a totalitarian regime. And if there's

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<v Speaker 1>one thing, totalitarians who are good at their jobs know

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<v Speaker 1>that if they give a little, they might lose everything

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<v Speaker 1>because when it comes to control, you know there's only

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<v Speaker 1>you know, there's control, and then there's not control. Debra J. Saunders,

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<v Speaker 1>White House correspondent, Vegas Review Journal. Thanks a million, deb

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you. We will talk to you soon. I had

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<v Speaker 1>never thought of about that before until I started rambling

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<v Speaker 1>on there. But there are three issues there where Trump

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<v Speaker 1>could have done could still do a better job of arguing. Look,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm just enforcing the rules that already existed. The NATO

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<v Speaker 1>countries agreed to paying this much, they weren't. I'm gonna

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<v Speaker 1>make them pay how much they agreed to NATO. He

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<v Speaker 1>wants to t Barnado. Our immigration laws are this, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>going to enforce them. If you don't like them, change

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<v Speaker 1>the laws and the w t O the way they've

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<v Speaker 1>set up everything. China is supposed to do this, they aren't.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm saying we need to enforce it, right, Yeah, well

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<v Speaker 1>devent all these things, these new hard lines, so we'll

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<v Speaker 1>want to go through a little pain to enforce it.

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<v Speaker 1>Which none of his predecessors were Republican or Democrat. Pretty

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<v Speaker 1>interesting worth noting