WEBVTT - How Biden Must Make Donald Trump "The Weak Candidate"

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<v Speaker 1>We have arrived at a terrible moment in American politics.

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<v Speaker 1>There are two hundred and sixty six days until America decides.

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<v Speaker 1>It is February thirteenth, Valentine's Day Eve, and this is

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<v Speaker 1>my warning. John Berman is CNN's superb morning anchor, and

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<v Speaker 1>he asked a question of CNN analysts Bacary Sellers, who's

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<v Speaker 1>a very smart guy.

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<v Speaker 2>Here's the question, Pacary, if this campaign becomes Trump versus Biden,

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<v Speaker 2>and if it devolves into something like old versus dangerous.

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<v Speaker 2>If Democrats say Donald Trump is dangerous, Republicans say Joe

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<v Speaker 2>Biden is old, is that a race that Democrats would

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<v Speaker 2>be confident about.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's talk about the question for a minute before we

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<v Speaker 1>get into Bacary Seller's answer. The question is completely logical.

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<v Speaker 1>In fact, if you look at the race and you

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<v Speaker 1>read all of the news coverage about it. What John

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<v Speaker 1>Berman has asked is exactly where most of DC's conventional

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<v Speaker 1>wisdom lays, which is, the race will be a choice

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<v Speaker 1>for the American people between a candidate they think is

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<v Speaker 1>too old and one they worry about is too dangerous.

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<v Speaker 1>That's the race old versus dangerous. Except that's not what

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<v Speaker 1>the race will be about. The thing about presidential politics

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<v Speaker 1>is most times you don't get from point A to

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<v Speaker 1>B in a straight line. You have to tack to

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<v Speaker 1>get there. You have to move on the obliques, on

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<v Speaker 1>the angles. And so when you look at an issue

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<v Speaker 1>like this old versus dangerous, there's a higher face card

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<v Speaker 1>that develops out of that contrast that is not a

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<v Speaker 1>good one for the Democrats. And that is what we

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<v Speaker 1>must talk about today, lest we go over the cliff

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<v Speaker 1>like political lemmings. Here's the important thing to understand. How

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<v Speaker 1>is it that Donald Trump came to power? And what

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<v Speaker 1>was it that Republicans believed about Barack Obama's presidency in

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<v Speaker 1>twenty fifteen when Trump came down the escalator at Trump Tower.

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<v Speaker 1>What millions and millions of Republicans believed across the country.

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<v Speaker 1>Was it that Barack Obama had failed? They believed he succeeded.

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<v Speaker 1>Barack Obama had set out to transform America, and they

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<v Speaker 1>believed he did exactly that and he wrecked it. But

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<v Speaker 1>they believed he didn't do it alone. They believed he

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<v Speaker 1>did it with the help of a complicit, effeckless, corrupt,

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<v Speaker 1>accommodationist Republican in Congress. This is why the Republican establishment

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<v Speaker 1>is hated so much by the Republican base. Now, let's

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<v Speaker 1>go back to that twenty fifteen election, and specifically to

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<v Speaker 1>the Jet Bush campaign. What Jet Bush believed looking in

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<v Speaker 1>the mirror was that after eight years of progressive politics

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<v Speaker 1>and Barack Obama, what the Republican Party wanted was a smart, capable,

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<v Speaker 1>accomplished conservative governor. That's not what they wanted. What they

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<v Speaker 1>wanted was strength to offset the weakness that they felt

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<v Speaker 1>was endemic to the Republican establishment. And the strength and

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<v Speaker 1>the toughness that they looked for was the phony toughness

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<v Speaker 1>of Donald Trump, who was able to climb in the

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<v Speaker 1>race because he emasculated Jet Bush. He defenestrated him, He

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<v Speaker 1>made him look weak, He made all of them look weak,

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<v Speaker 1>Little Marco attacking Ted Cruz's father and wife and then

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<v Speaker 1>watching Ted Cruz genuflect to him at each instance. Trump

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<v Speaker 1>feeds on weakness, and Trump's strength has been the image

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<v Speaker 1>within his base that he is the strong leader. His

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<v Speaker 1>campaign is a classical authoritarian strong man campaign. Now, let

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<v Speaker 1>me be clear, Donald Trump is completely, utterly and absolutely dangerous.

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<v Speaker 1>He is unhinged. He is an accused criminal. There is

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<v Speaker 1>no comparison whatsoever between the characters of President Biden and

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<v Speaker 1>Donald Trump. But elections aren't fair, and so the contrast

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<v Speaker 1>that has come to be is one between decrepitude and

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<v Speaker 1>sinility and strength and vigor, the strong man versus the

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<v Speaker 1>one who can't communicate strength versus weakness. And here's the

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<v Speaker 1>problem for Democrats, and thus here's the problem for America.

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<v Speaker 1>There has never, ever, ever been a presidential election where

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<v Speaker 1>the candidate defined as weak and infirmed or disabled in

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<v Speaker 1>any way has ever won. The candidate perceived as weak

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<v Speaker 1>always and I mean always loses the presidential race in

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<v Speaker 1>American politics. The race that must be run against Donald

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<v Speaker 1>Trump buyers that Trump be defined as crazy, unhinged, but

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<v Speaker 1>also weak and also dangerous. He must be all of

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<v Speaker 1>those things. He must be attacked from a position of strength.

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<v Speaker 1>And this is what is so worrying about this moment

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<v Speaker 1>in time. A year ago, as Jonathan Martin of Politico reports,

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<v Speaker 1>Democrats talked all the time about how worried they were

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<v Speaker 1>about Biden. And what emerged from that is the dumbest

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<v Speaker 1>and I mean fucking dumbest piece of conventional wisdom. Maybe ever.

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<v Speaker 1>It was the idea that if in Washington, the obvious

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<v Speaker 1>was talked about truthfully, directly and with candor. It would

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<v Speaker 1>somehow help Donald Trump, as if the American people hadn't

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<v Speaker 1>made the judgment on their own. Eighty six percent of

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<v Speaker 1>the country doesn't want the rematch between President Biden and

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<v Speaker 1>Donald Trump. Yet the political establishment, which includes the media,

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<v Speaker 1>is foisting it on them, jamming it down their throats.

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<v Speaker 1>And so what the media gets wrong about this is

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<v Speaker 1>what Macary Sellers gets wrong about it. There's nobody in

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<v Speaker 1>the country who thinks Joe Biden, because of his age,

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<v Speaker 1>is the wisest man in a nation of three hundred

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<v Speaker 1>and forty million people. This is delusional. Joe Biden is

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<v Speaker 1>not to most accomplished grandpa quote unquote in American history.

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<v Speaker 1>He's not, and that's not what the campaign should be

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<v Speaker 1>built on. Or this is a smart guy, but this

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<v Speaker 1>isn't real and where this leads is too disaster. Let's

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<v Speaker 1>watch his answer.

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<v Speaker 2>But Gary, if this campaign becomes Trump versus Biden, and

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<v Speaker 2>if it devolves into something like old versus dangerous, if

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<v Speaker 2>Democrats say Donald Trump is dangerous, Republicans say Joe Biden

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<v Speaker 2>is old, is that a race that Democrats would be

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<v Speaker 2>confident about man.

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<v Speaker 3>That was the weakest if I've ever heard you use

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<v Speaker 3>John There's no there's no need for the words. If

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<v Speaker 3>this is this is Joe Biden versus Donald Trump, point

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<v Speaker 3>blank period. So yes, I think the Democrats, I mean

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<v Speaker 3>we we are proverbial bedwinners. Right, So anytime somebody says

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<v Speaker 3>something harsh about about the president, or he mistakes the

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<v Speaker 3>president of Egypt for representing Mexico, we just we just

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<v Speaker 3>wring our hands.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, we go clutch our pearls.

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<v Speaker 3>We just go absolutely nuts. Look, our candidate is the

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<v Speaker 3>president of the United States. He's old, he's eighty, But

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<v Speaker 3>this eighty year old man has accomplished more than any

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<v Speaker 3>other grandfather in the history of the United States of America. Like,

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<v Speaker 3>he's actually performed the task. Well, he's gotten bipartisan legislation through.

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<v Speaker 3>And the alternative is someone who's dangerous. I mean, let's

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<v Speaker 3>embrace what it is. I don't know why the White

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<v Speaker 3>House is afraid of it. Embrace it. He's old, but look,

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<v Speaker 3>he's better than the alternative. And that alternative is somebody

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<v Speaker 3>dangerous who has ninety one felony accounts, who owe by

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<v Speaker 3>the way, who wants to talk about other people's families.

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<v Speaker 3>But he has five kids by three baby mamas. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>let's actually have this discussion on the merits, and I

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<v Speaker 3>believe we would win that election.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going to be clear and tell you how Joe

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<v Speaker 1>Biden wins. The fight must be brought to Donald Trump.

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<v Speaker 1>The last thought the American people have walking into the

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<v Speaker 1>voting both must be of Donald Trump. Yet Trump has

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<v Speaker 1>reinvigorated his extremist movement. It's better organized, better funded, and

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<v Speaker 1>better led than it has ever been. It has never

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<v Speaker 1>posed more danger than it poses today. Donald Trump is

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<v Speaker 1>ahead in the polls. Donald Trump is raising money handover fist,

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<v Speaker 1>and Donald Trump is certain to be the Republican nominee.

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<v Speaker 1>President Biden didn't appear on the Super Bowl. President of

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<v Speaker 1>Biden doesn't appear in public very often. President Biden must

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<v Speaker 1>be at the front of his campaign, and he must

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<v Speaker 1>take the fight to the mag of movement. He must

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<v Speaker 1>scorn Trump. He must mock him, He must diminish him,

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<v Speaker 1>he must dismiss him, he must laugh at him, and

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<v Speaker 1>he must lead the country in rebuking him. Presidential campaign

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<v Speaker 1>or not. Entitlements earned because you did what you said

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<v Speaker 1>you were going to do to get the job. Reelection

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<v Speaker 1>is not a thank you cookie. The thank you the

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<v Speaker 1>president gets his Air Force one and Marine one in

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<v Speaker 1>Camp David in the White House and all the great

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<v Speaker 1>shit that goes along with the job. Presidential elections are

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<v Speaker 1>about the future, about what's next, and Donald Trump is

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<v Speaker 1>attacking the pillars of global society and of America's way

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<v Speaker 1>of life. He's assaulting the foundation. When the UN was formed,

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<v Speaker 1>it was from the ashes of a war that killed

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<v Speaker 1>almost one hundred million people. Our grandparents or great grandparents

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<v Speaker 1>had the wisdom, judgment, the rectitude to build out of

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<v Speaker 1>their imaginations. Enduring institutions, though not perfect, because they're run

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<v Speaker 1>by people, have kept the peace and prevented World War three.

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<v Speaker 1>And this is what Donald Trump is assaulting. This is

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<v Speaker 1>what Donald Trump is trying to dismantle, and the result

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<v Speaker 1>of it will be hundreds and hundreds of thousands of

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<v Speaker 1>dead young Americans. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were

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<v Speaker 1>terrible in their endurance and their cost in blood and treasure,

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<v Speaker 1>but the casualties in those wars were not in the

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<v Speaker 1>hundreds of thousands or in the millions. Because that's what

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<v Speaker 1>the casualty numbers will be in a global war. And

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<v Speaker 1>anybody who tells you that America won't be part of

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<v Speaker 1>a global war in the third decade of the twenty

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<v Speaker 1>first century, that Donald Trump could keep us out, as

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<v Speaker 1>Vladimir Putin, that his invitation rampaged across Europe, is crazy

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<v Speaker 1>and they're lying to you. We have arrived at a

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<v Speaker 1>terrible moment in American politics. We have arrived at a

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<v Speaker 1>desperate and dangerous hour. And it's the job of the

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<v Speaker 1>Biden campaign to tell the American people how it's going

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<v Speaker 1>to end, how we're going to get out of it,

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<v Speaker 1>how we're going to move on. And thus far the

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<v Speaker 1>campaign is not measuring up because Donald Trump is on

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<v Speaker 1>track to be the forty seventh president of the United States,

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<v Speaker 1>and that, my friends, is a national catastrophe. The only

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<v Speaker 1>thing about it is we have a lot of time

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<v Speaker 1>to still do something about it, so we shut Thank

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<v Speaker 1>you for listening to my political commentary. If you like

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<v Speaker 1>what you heard today, please also consider subscribing to The

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<v Speaker 1>Warning Daily newsletter on substack. Our democracy hangs in the balance.

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<v Speaker 1>The twenty twenty four presidential election is the most consequential

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<v Speaker 1>in America's history. It's not hyperbole. It's a fact. That

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<v Speaker 1>is why the mission of the Warning with Steve Schmidt

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<v Speaker 1>is to help readers orient to the currents that are

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<v Speaker 1>shaping our times and the unseen forces driving politics that

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<v Speaker 1>are very rarely discussed on cable news. Please sign up

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<v Speaker 1>at Steve Schmidt st e ve, E, S, C, H, M, I,

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<v Speaker 1>d T dot substack dot com again Steve Schmidt dot

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<v Speaker 1>substack dot com, or at the link in the show

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<v Speaker 1>notes section below. Thank you to each and every one

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<v Speaker 1>of you for listening and watching