WEBVTT - DEBATE DEBACLE: It's Time for Biden to Step Aside... but What's Next for Democrats?

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<v Speaker 1>All of this unpleasantness could have been dealt with. Joe

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<v Speaker 1>Biden could be leading the country, uniting the country as

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<v Speaker 1>a one term president. He would have been beloved. He

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<v Speaker 1>could have ushered in generational change. But no, he made

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<v Speaker 1>a different choice. If Donald Trump becomes the president of

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<v Speaker 1>the United States, we will have a crisis in this

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<v Speaker 1>country that is acute, that is real, and is as

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<v Speaker 1>deep as the one this country faced on the edge

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<v Speaker 1>of civil war, which Donald Trump talks about and stokes

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<v Speaker 1>all the time. It is Friday, June twenty eighth, the

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<v Speaker 1>morning after the historic CNN debate between the two presidents,

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<v Speaker 1>Donald Trump and Joe Biden. One hundred and thirty days

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<v Speaker 1>remained until the election, until the last polls close. Fifty

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<v Speaker 1>two days remain until the opening of the Democratic National Convention,

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<v Speaker 1>and there Democrats must make a decision, followed by a

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<v Speaker 1>decision that President Biden must make. This is the warning.

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<v Speaker 1>President Biden's entire legacy is on the line. He should

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<v Speaker 1>understand this. If he loses to Donald Trump, the only

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<v Speaker 1>thing he will be remembered for is his ego, the

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<v Speaker 1>brittle ego of an elderly man who couldn't get enough.

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<v Speaker 1>That is all there will be, and incredibly, there will

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<v Speaker 1>be two presidents Trump and Biden back to back, who

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<v Speaker 1>never have a library. The legacy is singular. Trump is

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<v Speaker 1>the man who desecrated his oath, who attacked the country,

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<v Speaker 1>and Joe Biden will be remembered as the man who

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<v Speaker 1>let him do it, the man who could not make

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<v Speaker 1>an argument about American democracy on the edge of the

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<v Speaker 1>country celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth year of

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<v Speaker 1>its independence. Let's understand something from the debate. A president

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<v Speaker 1>swears an oath. It's the only one written in the

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<v Speaker 1>Constitution to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the

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<v Speaker 1>United States. Let's look at Donald Trump's answer to the

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<v Speaker 1>question he finally got. Note the time mark about how

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<v Speaker 1>deep into the debate it was before this question was asked.

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<v Speaker 2>Can Trump? The question was, will you accept the results

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<v Speaker 2>of the election regardless of who wins? Yes or no? Please,

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<v Speaker 2>if it's a fair and legal and good election, absolutely

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<v Speaker 2>I would have much rather accepted these But the fraud

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<v Speaker 2>and everything else was ridiculous. That if you want, we'll

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<v Speaker 2>have a news conference on it in a week, or

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<v Speaker 2>we'll have another one of these in a week. But

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<v Speaker 2>I will absolutely, There's nothing I'd rather do. It would

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<v Speaker 2>be much easier for me to do that, then I'm

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<v Speaker 2>running again.

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<v Speaker 1>Trump's answer is insanity. It's incoherent, and like all of

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<v Speaker 1>his answers, it's built on a foundation of Donald Trump

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<v Speaker 1>lied with a bandon last night. He lied more than

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<v Speaker 1>any presidential candidate has ever lied in any debate. And

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<v Speaker 1>he held all the previous records from his three debates

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<v Speaker 1>against Secretary Clinton and from his three debates against President Biden.

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<v Speaker 1>But this debate, the seventh debate, the debate that he

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<v Speaker 1>lied the most in, was the debate where finally he

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<v Speaker 1>was able to steam roll his opponent.

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<v Speaker 2>But when he talks about a convicted fella and his

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<v Speaker 2>son is a convicted heelen at a very high level.

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<v Speaker 2>His son is convicted, going to be convicted, probably numerous

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<v Speaker 2>other times, should have been convicted before, but his Justice

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<v Speaker 2>apartment let the statue limitations laps on the most important things.

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<v Speaker 2>But he could be a convicted fella as soon as

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<v Speaker 2>he gets out of office. Joe could be a convicted

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<v Speaker 2>fellow with all of the things that he's done. He's

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<v Speaker 2>done horrible things.

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<v Speaker 1>There's a simple truth. Joe Biden does not have the

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<v Speaker 1>capacity to speak coherently, to form arguments, to push back

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<v Speaker 1>against the worst cause and the worst set of ideas

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<v Speaker 1>since the Confederacy, since fascism. Donald Trump and his agents

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<v Speaker 1>have a nine hundred page, detailed playbook to disassemble the

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<v Speaker 1>workings of the American civil service and to tear apart

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<v Speaker 1>the infrastructure that supports and sustains our democracy. It is

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<v Speaker 1>a blueprint for the seizure of power, and then, according

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<v Speaker 1>to Trump, it will be the mechanism by which political

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<v Speaker 1>retribution is delivered. President Biden was unable to make a

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<v Speaker 1>single effective argument. Joe Biden and the Democrats say they

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<v Speaker 1>intend to win the election on abortion. They don't have

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<v Speaker 1>a prayer of winning the election on abortion because the

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<v Speaker 1>President can't speak coherently about it. It was his chance

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<v Speaker 1>to score point, like the January sixth issue, like a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of issues that were brought up, but he cannot

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<v Speaker 1>do it. The decline of Joe Biden between his debates

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<v Speaker 1>four years ago with Trump and this debate tonight is shocking.

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<v Speaker 1>And the truth is the White House staff and a

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<v Speaker 1>great deal of media has gas lit the country telling

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<v Speaker 1>the American people over and over and over again that

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<v Speaker 1>Joe Biden, despite the cuts that they saw on the

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<v Speaker 1>news clips, despite the social media clips, was up for

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<v Speaker 1>the job. Last night, in one of the largest television

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<v Speaker 1>audiences in history, President Biden ended the debate. He demonstrated

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<v Speaker 1>he's not up for the job. There will be no

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<v Speaker 1>second debate, audience that convenes, no opportunity for recovery. This

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<v Speaker 1>is it. When Barack Obama had a bad debate, people

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<v Speaker 1>didn't think it was because Barack Obama wasn't capable. People

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<v Speaker 1>thought it was because Barack Obama didn't prepare. George Bush

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<v Speaker 1>had a bad first debate. Ronald Reagan had a bad

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<v Speaker 1>first debate. But no president has ever had a debate

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<v Speaker 1>so definitional as the one we just witnessed. And so

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<v Speaker 1>what happens now, Well, the Democratic Party and its leadership

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<v Speaker 1>has foisted this on the country. A small group of

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<v Speaker 1>White House advisors did everything they could and successfully shut

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<v Speaker 1>down primary competitions. There was no primary, there was no

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<v Speaker 1>test for Biden. So when he faced his first tests,

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<v Speaker 1>like many of us predicted, hoped, prayed would have happened,

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<v Speaker 1>it happened. He collapsed and what was seen cannot be unseen.

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<v Speaker 1>Gavin Newsom went on television and immolated his credibility last

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<v Speaker 1>night when he talked about that Joe Biden was fine.

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<v Speaker 2>Was your reaction to what we saw on screen? Well,

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<v Speaker 2>on a substance, he won the debate.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm old school.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm old fashioned. That's what matters to me.

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<v Speaker 1>He's not, and Gavin Newsom should understand if he has

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<v Speaker 1>higher political ambitions to stop it. Stop gaslighting, Stop lying

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<v Speaker 1>to the American people about the conditions they can clearly see.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm a Gavin Newsom fan. And the fact that Joe

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<v Speaker 1>Biden has put him in the position to act as

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<v Speaker 1>his personal Sean Spicer telling the American people that A

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<v Speaker 1>is bigger than B when in fact it's a lot smaller.

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<v Speaker 1>It's reprehensible and it won't work. All that it will

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<v Speaker 1>do is destroy the credibility of the next generation of Democrats.

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<v Speaker 1>The Democratic Party is one of the most important institutions

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<v Speaker 1>for the preservation of human freedom and dignity in world history.

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<v Speaker 1>Joe Biden is unable to perform at a moment of

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<v Speaker 1>crisis the duties that are required to lead the party.

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<v Speaker 1>He can't make an argument about the great issues of

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<v Speaker 1>the day. He did not talk for a second about

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<v Speaker 1>the future. Every answer when Trump attacked him, ends with

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<v Speaker 1>Biden declaring, this moment is the best that it's ever

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<v Speaker 1>been and he has a thirty eight percent approval rate.

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<v Speaker 1>If Donald Trump wins this election, it will be a

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<v Speaker 1>catastrophe for America and the world, and it must not happen.

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<v Speaker 1>Something must be said. This country is bigger than Joe Biden.

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<v Speaker 1>This country is bigger than doctor Jill Biden's ambitions to

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<v Speaker 1>live in the White House for four more years. This

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<v Speaker 1>country is a project through the centuries, not the months,

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<v Speaker 1>not the decades, not the years. The White House staff

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<v Speaker 1>that has foisted this on the country should be hanging

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<v Speaker 1>their heads in shame today. The MSNBC hosts that have

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<v Speaker 1>foisted this on the country, who looked away, who gas

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<v Speaker 1>lit their audience, who told them that everything was fine,

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<v Speaker 1>who knew that in the green room all of the

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<v Speaker 1>Democratic Congressmen say one thing, but on the camera something else.

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<v Speaker 1>The split screen that played throughout this debate will become

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<v Speaker 1>poisonous over these next days as it's cut up, as

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<v Speaker 1>it's distributed. And there's one takeaway from the debate, and

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<v Speaker 1>it's that the president is feeble, unwell, unable to lead

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<v Speaker 1>because That's the takeaway. Nobody saw the real danger, the lying,

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<v Speaker 1>the menace, the go yourself look on Trump's face, the

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<v Speaker 1>purse lips, the sense that he knows that he's winning,

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<v Speaker 1>that he's coming back, and he's going to get even

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<v Speaker 1>the worst part of this tragedy is the irresponsibility of

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<v Speaker 1>the Biden team in cheerleading Donald Trump for four years.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you know what the Biden legacy is? It's simple.

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<v Speaker 1>Extremism is worse today than it has ever been in America.

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<v Speaker 1>And it got worse on Joe Biden's watch because he

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<v Speaker 1>didn't assault it from day one. He stoked it. Because

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<v Speaker 1>Trump's comeback was the rationale for his ability to break

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<v Speaker 1>his promise and run for re election. And now here

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<v Speaker 1>we are, the panic we are seeing is just beginning.

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<v Speaker 1>It is epic and it is like an avalanche. It

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<v Speaker 1>will roll downhill and it will take out everything in

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<v Speaker 1>its path. It cannot be stopped. What is it that

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<v Speaker 1>the White House staff intends to tell the Democratic members

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<v Speaker 1>of Congress who will lose their seat, the state legislatures

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<v Speaker 1>that will flip to Maggi extremists, all because Joe Biden

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<v Speaker 1>won't let go. Well, if those members of Congress treasure.

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<v Speaker 1>They're elected positions. They're going to urge their leadership to

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<v Speaker 1>go on down to the White House. Hakeem Jefferies is

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<v Speaker 1>going to have to do with Howard Baker once did

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<v Speaker 1>all of this unpleasantness have been dealt with. Joe Biden

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<v Speaker 1>could be leading the country, uniting the country as a

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<v Speaker 1>one term president, he would have been beloved. He could

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<v Speaker 1>have ushered in generational change. But no, he made a

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<v Speaker 1>different choice. And now all the bullshit, all the talk,

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<v Speaker 1>all of it has faded away to nothingness. And all

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<v Speaker 1>that is left is what the American people saw for

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<v Speaker 1>ninety minutes, And what they saw was an American tragedy,

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<v Speaker 1>a catastrophe. Two old men lying about their golf scores,

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<v Speaker 1>two old men with their personal animus spewing forth. I've

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<v Speaker 1>been involved in American politics for a long time. I

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<v Speaker 1>can't think of a night that was more pathetic. Remember this,

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<v Speaker 1>when you hear people lying to you that it's going

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<v Speaker 1>to be okay, it's not. If Donald Trump becomes the

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<v Speaker 1>president of the United States, we will have a crisis

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<v Speaker 1>in this country that is acute, that is real, and

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<v Speaker 1>is as deep as the one this country faced on

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<v Speaker 1>the edge of civil war, which Donald Trump talks about

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<v Speaker 1>and stokes all the time. Donald Trump is a tomato can.

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<v Speaker 1>There's never been an easier candidate to laugh out, to mock,

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<v Speaker 1>to humiliate, any steamrolled Joe Biden. Joe Biden didn't land

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<v Speaker 1>a single punch on Trump, not one, not even close.

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<v Speaker 1>He couldn't make a single argument against the biggest easiest

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<v Speaker 1>target ever. But do you know who could? Gretchen Whitmer could, Joshapiro, could,

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<v Speaker 1>Wes Moore could? The Democratic Party faces an emergency, but

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<v Speaker 1>it can get out of it. What it requires is humility, reality,

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<v Speaker 1>and understanding from the Biden clan that their time is up.

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<v Speaker 1>It's time right now to pass the torch. And if

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<v Speaker 1>they don't on election night, when Donald Trump is announced

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<v Speaker 1>on CNN and on Fox and ON and ABC and

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<v Speaker 1>NBC and CBS is the president elector of the United States,

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<v Speaker 1>it will not be Donald Trump's achievement. It will be

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<v Speaker 1>Joe Biden's failure, his neglect. Fascism rose in the nineteen

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<v Speaker 1>thirties not because it was strong, not because it was popular,

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<v Speaker 1>but because democracy was weak. And what everyone saw last

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<v Speaker 1>night was an enfeebled, weak American president. Chaos is good

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<v Speaker 1>for Trump. He feeds off of it. Last night was

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<v Speaker 1>Donald Trump's best night politically ever, including the night he

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<v Speaker 1>surprised the world and beat Secretary Clinton. He has never

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<v Speaker 1>wanted a debate, he has never had a commanding victory

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<v Speaker 1>until he got on the stage for ninety minutes with

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<v Speaker 1>President Biden, who just can't do it anymore. He now faild.

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<v Speaker 1>This is a choice his ego or the country, and

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<v Speaker 1>if he needs help with that choice, then the leaders

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<v Speaker 1>of the Democratic Party need to march on up to

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<v Speaker 1>the White House and help him with it. This is

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<v Speaker 1>the warning, and we are out of time. I'm Steve Schmidt.

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<v Speaker 1>This is the warning, and I invite you to join.

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<v Speaker 1>Subscribe on our substack, on our YouTube channel, follow us.

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to the community.