1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: When you're ready to ride Metro, we want you to 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: know we're ready for you. Here are just a few 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:08,399 Speaker 1: of the people at Metro to tell you how we're 4 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:11,320 Speaker 1: doing our part to keep writers safe. We're cleaning like 5 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: novel before you found half sound of sound of statist, 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: no mask, no Metro need one. We have a few 7 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: extras at Metro. We're doing our part to keep the 8 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: DC area moving. Find out more at Well nota dot 9 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: com slash doing our part. Deborah J. Saunders is the 10 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: White House correspondent for the Las Vegas Review Journal and 11 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: joins us. Hello, Debor, how are you? How are you 12 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: doing good? We're just talking about the Nancy saying impeachment 13 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: not a good idea, and various people are reacting and 14 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: all we're trying to figure out all so earlier, what 15 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: percentage of it was cold hearted political calculation and what 16 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: part of it was being a good American realizing we 17 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: shouldn't just impeach you know, Willie Nelly. All of it 18 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: was cold political calculators. That's what Joe say man Man 19 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: did that land with with with with a with a 20 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: with a bang in in the DC world last night. 21 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: Or we're not people were talking about why did she 22 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: do this, which sort of surprises me because it seems 23 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: pretty clear. For one thing, there's no way that the 24 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: Senate is going to convict Donald Trump if he's impeached. 25 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: That's right, that's right, exactly so. And we've seen this 26 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: movie before with Bill Clinton, and we know what it did. 27 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 1: It was not the most helpful thing for the Republicans. 28 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: They had to walk around with it for a long time. 29 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: So Nancy Pelosi sees the writing on the wall. She 30 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 1: knows that she's got some people who really want impeachment 31 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:39,119 Speaker 1: and she's not going to do too much to rain 32 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: them in. But she's given cover for moderates and she's 33 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: told them, yeah, you know, not a good idea. And 34 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: everyone knows him. Every Democrat knows that the going after 35 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: Donald Trump to impeach him is a mistake. They may 36 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: be doing overplaying the investigation card. I think they are. 37 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: So I think it's a really savvy thing for her 38 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: to say she's a smart. Look at she She didn't 39 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: get where she is and stay where she is by 40 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: being an air head. She's a very smart political operator, 41 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 1: right right, Yeah, I suppose we could talk about the 42 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 1: whole um over investigating thing. And if they found out 43 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 1: if Trump passed passed some bad checks, you know how 44 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: American reacts. I don't think it's gonna be that, but 45 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:23,959 Speaker 1: it's gonna be the over inflating the value of his 46 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: properties to borrow and then you know, then lying about misleading, 47 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 1: making statements that aren't accurate about the value for taxes. 48 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: I could yeah, or I could definitely see him getting 49 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: some oddly inflated rents from Russian oligarchs in the nineties, 50 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,519 Speaker 1: that sort of thing. But how does America care? I 51 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: don't know. Oh, he was a New York real estate developer. 52 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: He has problems in his past. I don't think there's 53 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: any question. I think people had a good idea about 54 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: that during the elections. I don't so. I think you 55 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: have to find something new that people didn't know that 56 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: has the material effect on how he governs it or 57 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: how he got there, and that just hasn't happened. So 58 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: we can touch on the budget really quickly. It's a 59 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: political document, right, It's an expression of our priorities. The 60 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: budget the White House just put out. Yes it is. 61 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: I mean, it's I don't even know why they worked 62 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: so hard on it. I don't know why either. I 63 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:21,519 Speaker 1: think every year when every president puts these out and 64 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 1: gets way too much attention in the in the belt 65 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 1: Way crowd. But why is that, Debra? I mean I 66 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 1: I recently asked someone about that who was in a 67 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: position to know, and it was in the off the 68 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: record session. But I mean it just so let me 69 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: just say, that's something I keep trying to figure out. 70 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: And I guess I guess they're donors like it is. 71 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: That's not an answer I got. That's my what I 72 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: surmise from an answer that I got off the record, 73 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: fair enough. So it's sort of like me announcing once 74 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: a year, you know, if I can do anything I want, 75 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: I would eat all all vegetables and fruits, and I 76 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: would run thirty miles a week, and I get a 77 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: gym membership, and I'd start going to church. Very admirable, 78 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: can you Fancia? And then then nothing ever happens, super okay, 79 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: fair enough. So it's it's like a campaign speech in effect, 80 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: the issuing of the budget. This these are our priorities. 81 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: But they're not even pretending that they care about the 82 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,280 Speaker 1: depthicit anymore. I mean, they're gonna you know that the 83 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:18,279 Speaker 1: Trump campaign that you can get rid of it in 84 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: eight years, first two budgets, ten years now at fifteen, 85 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 1: so even the charade is wearing thin. What what amount 86 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: of time there in the White House do they spend 87 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: dealing with the impeachment investigations all that sort of sort 88 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: of stuff versus trying to accomplish some of the things 89 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: you want to accomplish as president. Well, you know, I 90 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: think that the question here is how much does Trump 91 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 1: spend thinking about it? Because there's a whole room full 92 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: of lawyers who are supposed to handle that, and one 93 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: would like to think that with that happening, that uh, 94 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: the O. M D people can just deal with the 95 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: budget and you know, all the other departments can work 96 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:58,239 Speaker 1: that way. But we but we have as a president 97 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: who just can't let it go. And that's the problem. 98 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: He'd be watched less TV because the cable news channels, 99 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: you know, are not a reflection of what's actually going 100 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: on in the world. Yeah, right, I mean it to 101 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: Donald Trump. Try you've got better access than us. Debra J. Saunders, 102 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: White House correspondent for the Las Vegas Review Journal. On 103 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: the line, you mentioned in your little notes that there's 104 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: a briefing health or there's going to be what happened. 105 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: There was a briefing yesterday, the first since January. It's 106 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: pretty exciting. Um, I mean there, as you know, there 107 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: used to be a daily briefing. Then it sort of 108 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 1: whittled down during the mid terms, and uh, the government 109 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: shutdown and basically we get them I don't know once 110 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: every month or two. So, um, it's I got a 111 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: question in yes, what was your question? I'll pretend to 112 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,840 Speaker 1: be Sarah Sanders and answered, you can say I can't 113 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: hear you because I have laryngitis and it was worse yesterday. 114 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: She speak up. Well. I asked her why they put 115 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: funding for to realize in the Yucca Mountain in the 116 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: skinny budget or this they don't call it a skinny 117 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: budget this year, but why they put it in and 118 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: what's the thinking was? That's the nuclear storage facility in Nevada, 119 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: in Nevada. That's where I'm sorry, Thank you for explaining that. 120 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 1: And that's a big that's a big question for the 121 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: readers of my paper because here and here's I mean, 122 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: so a lot of people think of this as a 123 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 1: very parochial issue. Um, and that, but what bothers me 124 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 1: about This issue is that Donald Trump has never really 125 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: gone on the record and said what he really thinks. 126 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: During the campaign in he said, I'll let you know, 127 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 1: I'm gonna really look into and all that, you know, 128 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: never did then we see it in his budget, right, 129 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,359 Speaker 1: And then he was campaigning and I'll go Nevada for 130 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 1: Senator Dean Heller who did not win re election the 131 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: Republican and he said, you know, I'm rethinking this whole 132 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:53,239 Speaker 1: duck a Mountain saying, and now it's back in the budget. 133 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: So to me, it's it's not just an issue about 134 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: Yucca Mountain, is also an issue about the Trump White 135 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: House what it's thinking. M M. Interesting, And he thoughts 136 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: on the Tucker Carlson mess, we're gonna be talking about 137 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: that a little bit later on. Well, so Tucker Carlson 138 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: is somebody Donald Trump loves to watch on table TV. 139 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: And Tucker has irritated not just the left, but he's 140 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: also irritated a lot of sort of the people who 141 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: think through, the big thinkers on the right, the never trumpers. 142 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: And so you've got two different groups who are really 143 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 1: just ready to pounce on him, and they want they 144 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: want him to go. But I don't you know. I 145 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: conna tell you, the third most watched show on all 146 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: of cable news, so he'd probably bringing in some revenue. 147 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: And you know, some of the stuff he said ten 148 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: years ago I find offensive, But you know, but you 149 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: know what else I find offensive trolling through somebody's record 150 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: for what they said ten years ago. And it didn't 151 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: make a big stink ten years ago when he said it. 152 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: And he worked for MSNBC at the time exactly, which 153 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: is extra delicious, that's right. So then it was okay, 154 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: But now they're going to go after it. I mean, 155 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: it just looks that's the kind of opportunism that I 156 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: think leaves a lot of people cold. Well, and I 157 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: tell you what, my favorite analysis, And I wish I 158 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 1: could remember who said this, because I like to give 159 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: people credit. But the idea that, well, it doesn't matter 160 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: that it was ten twelve years ago. Well if that 161 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: were the case, then if they caught the governor of 162 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: Virginia in black face today, he would still be the 163 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: governor tomorrow because ten years ago matters there, twenty years 164 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: ago matters the same as right now. No, it doesn't, 165 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:31,119 Speaker 1: It just doesn't. So there is no statute of limitation onwards. 166 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: That's what they're that's what that's what, That's what these 167 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: folks are saying. And we just know, we just know 168 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: that there it's just so devoid of any principle that 169 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: they don't really mean it. And you're absolutely right. If 170 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 1: you look at Virginia, if you look at the governor, 171 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: and you look at the attorney general and all of 172 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 1: this stuff, you can just see that that women and 173 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: black face and certain kinds of words are just issues 174 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:54,320 Speaker 1: that they used to throw at you, and they don't 175 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: really mean it. White House, correspondent in Las Vegas Review Journal. 176 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: Thanks Devra, good to talk to. Thank you, Thank you. 177 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: When you're ready to ride Metro, we want you to 178 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 1: know we're ready for you. Here are just a few 179 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 1: of the people at Metro to tell you how we're 180 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: doing our part to keep riders safe. We're cleaning like 181 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 1: never before. Half to the great clean. You've found hand 182 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:21,680 Speaker 1: sund of signs of statist no mask, no Metro need one. 183 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: We have a few extras at Metro. We're doing our 184 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: part to keep the DC area moving. Find out more 185 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 1: at well mata dot com. Slash doing our part