1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: So here's an interesting coink heat ink. We were just 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: talking about the messaging by the White House and how 3 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,120 Speaker 1: it is that you've got these headlines going around time magazine. 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: Trump gave Americans a massive tax cut. Few are noticing. 5 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 1: The New York Times face it, you probably got a 6 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: giant tax cut, um and the realization that the vast 7 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: majority of people got tax cuts, but the vast majority 8 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: of people think they didn't. Write would how how does 9 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 1: the how does the White House not fix that messaging? 10 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: Earlier I would put out that both of those outlets 11 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: are distinctly left leaning, and and it's got to be 12 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,240 Speaker 1: so clear a case, uh, for them to say something 13 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: like that that it's a hell of a clear case. 14 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: It's not like one of the subtleties of immigration or 15 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,480 Speaker 1: something that this will encourage immigration. Well some believe it will. 16 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: Just know it's it's just black and white. And they, 17 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: you know, had to come out as strongly as they did. 18 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: I think that's really notable, uh, to discuss that, and 19 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: and in similar topics. Please welcome back to the show. 20 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: Deborah J. Saunders, the White House correspondent for the Las 21 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: Vegas Review Journal. Deborah, how are you? I'm great. How 22 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: are you doing? We're fining dandy? Really? Um So, let's 23 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: let's talk about White House messaging. I don't know if 24 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: you want to get all editorialists um as as we've been, 25 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: I think Donald J. Is enormously talented at certain aspects 26 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: of men of messaging. But in general, the White House 27 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 1: shop has done not a great job. And let me 28 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: hit you with a couple of numbers real quick to 29 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,319 Speaker 1: make the point. For people who make between fifty and 30 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: seventy five thousand dollars a year, that's kind of like 31 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:37,559 Speaker 1: right in the wheelhouse. For a lot of the country, 32 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: eighty two percent got a tax cut. Only forty one 33 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: think they got a tax cut. Half for people making 34 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: seventy five thousand to a hundred thousand, almost of those 35 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: people got a tax cut. Only forty scent of people 36 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: think they got a tax cuts. Astonishing. It is astonishing. 37 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: And why would that be. Well, you know that Donald 38 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: Trump told people that they get tax cuts. But he's 39 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:08,359 Speaker 1: not always the most credible person, right So, even though 40 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: he has sent this message out and even though they 41 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: were really clear about it, I think people tend to 42 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: be skeptical about many things that he says. For certain reasons. Um. 43 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: Another thing is that the number of Democrats kept saying 44 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: that it was just a tax cut for the very rich. 45 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: And it was a tax cut for the very rich. 46 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: It was just a tax cut for practically everybody though, 47 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: so uh and so there were think tanks that were 48 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: sort of sending out misinformation, if you will, about the 49 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: early versions of it, and uh. And a lot of 50 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: people don't know what they pay for taxes. They changed 51 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 1: the withholding tables, so you're not getting a bigger refund 52 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: than you would have gotten before because you're paying less 53 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: every week, and so people are clueless about it. And 54 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: it's just this sort of uh. And it was great 55 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: to say. The New York Times run a story about it, 56 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,959 Speaker 1: and Donald Trump, when he was in Minnesota yesterday, actually 57 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: read the headline face it you probably got a tax cut, 58 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:06,239 Speaker 1: And you know, he would joked about how these people 59 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: are going to get fired, but they were reporting on 60 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: something that's true and people don't know. But but I 61 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,239 Speaker 1: think it would help that Trump and I understand what 62 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: you're saying that a lot of people don't don't believe him, 63 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: but a lot of people do. I mean, he's got 64 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 1: around fifty approval writing, you would think he could get 65 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:24,799 Speaker 1: those numbers up a little higher on that they think 66 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: they got a tax cut stuff. If I were him, 67 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: might tweet out that New York Times article every day 68 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: this week. Yeah, I mean, and it would probably get 69 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: lost in an avalanche of other tweets. I mean, well, 70 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: if he would stop tweeting about if he would stop 71 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: tweeting about how the firefighters ought to take on the 72 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: Notre Dame Cathedral, I mean, stay out of that issue. 73 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: But he tass this way of exaggerating. So when he 74 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: says this, I think a lot of people are like, 75 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: uh huh is there. He's just not the most credible, 76 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: credible salesperson. Even so he actually has to turn to 77 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: The New York Times to prove that what he's been 78 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: saying about the tax cut is true. That would be 79 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: an unfortunate aspect of his proclivity for hyperbole. Yeah, that's true. 80 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: That's true. It's a little boy cried wolfish. Yeah. Deborah J. Saunders, 81 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,160 Speaker 1: White House correspondent for the Las Vegas Review Journalist Online. So, Deborah, 82 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: who is the messaging guru in the White House? Is 83 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:24,360 Speaker 1: there one? It's Donald Trump? Right? I mean, how many 84 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,480 Speaker 1: briefings have we had this year. I think too, the 85 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,720 Speaker 1: Press Secretary of Sarah Sanders is not really the face 86 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: of the administration for the press corps anymore. It's Donald Trump. 87 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: Donald Trump in pool sprays, sitting in the Oval Office, 88 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 1: having reporters shot questions to him, walking to Marine One, 89 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: making stray comments during rallies and roundtables. That that's where 90 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: the message all comes from. And it can be garbled 91 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: at times. And uh, I mean we just don't have 92 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: Uh it's there are no public events scheduled today in 93 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 1: the White House. Um. And when you know, and when 94 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: we do have contact with the White House, and we 95 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 1: are I mean we asked questions of the Press Office 96 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: all the time. We frequently get answers, not always. I 97 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:15,040 Speaker 1: mean we know that they are not the highest step 98 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: place in the world. Um. But I Trump wants to 99 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: be the person who says everything. Okay, fine, But if 100 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 1: I'm if I'm Donald Trump, the day after Tax Day 101 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: or yesterday would have been even better. I'm hammering these 102 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: numbers from the New York Times all day, day long 103 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: until people are sick of it. And they can't they 104 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: can't ignore it in their news coverage. I Mean, here's 105 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: another one for people who make more than a thousand 106 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:39,559 Speaker 1: dollars a year, households that make more than a hundred 107 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,280 Speaker 1: thousand dollars a year, which is the case for a 108 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: lot of people in uh and and a lot of 109 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: the cities were on in eighty nine point five percent 110 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 1: of them got a tax cut. Only feel like they 111 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: think they got a tax again consistently half that's amazing. 112 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: Even a lot of people feel that because of the 113 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,280 Speaker 1: fact that state and local taxes are are not deductible 114 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 1: as they had been before, that that means that they 115 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 1: got a tax hike. But it's not necessarily true because 116 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: the rates were lowered all these other things happened. So 117 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,039 Speaker 1: there are a lot of people who may think they're 118 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 1: paying higher taxes and they're just long, and they really 119 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 1: ought to be paying attention, and they have to be 120 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: looking at their pay stumps, and they ought to have 121 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:24,040 Speaker 1: a better idea of what they're paying that they don't. Yeah, 122 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 1: that's true. And and griping is more common in terms 123 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: of conversation than than shouting hallelujah. It's just the way 124 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: human beings are made. The number that came out of 125 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: Bernie's taxes yesterday, his his twenty six effective tax rate. 126 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: Everybody should know their number that maybe I'd like to 127 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 1: pass a law or the I R. S. Has to 128 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:47,280 Speaker 1: put that out. I don't have the slightest idea what 129 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: mine is. I don't. I don't either. Everybody ought to 130 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 1: know their number, and that would help a lot. Did 131 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:57,479 Speaker 1: my number go? Yeah, I've forgotten it changes because I mean, 132 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: obviously you pay a certain percentage on the on the 133 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: first let's say your income, and then and then it 134 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: goes up, so there isn't one exact number. Also, another 135 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: wonderful thing about our tax system, right right, our bizarro 136 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: tax system. Well, you know, just one final thought on 137 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: the White House messaging thing, you know, the the seat 138 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: of the pants not slick practiced politico speak, um aspect 139 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,119 Speaker 1: of it is really appealing to a lot of people, 140 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: and it's it's a substantial part of what got Trump elected, 141 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: I think. But in the kind of music I really 142 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: like and I like to play. Uh, there's a phrase 143 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: ragged but right um, And I just sometimes I think 144 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: the White House messaging is is mostly ragged. Uh. Deborah J. Saunders, 145 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: White House correspondent, Las Vegas Review Journal. It's always great 146 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: to talk, Debrah go get him. Thank you all right, 147 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: see you later. Uh. Yeah, there's a law I would pass. 148 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: I think it could change taxes overnight. Maybe if if 149 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: everybody knew their number for the year, their effective tax rate. 150 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: Do the average of all your taxes you're paid. However, 151 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 1: they came up with Bernie's number from yesterday, do that 152 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 1: for everyone, and uh and know what it is. We 153 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 1: should know that, like our cholesterol or our blood pressure 154 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: or weight. Right, I think we gotta come up with 155 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: five numbers. You gotta know five numbers. That's several of 156 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: them right there. Oh. I like I know my height. 157 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: I've known that for quite sometimes probably truck and you're 158 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: going under underpasses. You don't need to know your height. 159 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:36,199 Speaker 1: That's that's dumb. Bad number. Blood pressure, that's a big one. 160 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: It's amazing how often I have to write down my height. Yeah, 161 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: no kidding. It comes up a lot. That is interesting. Yeah, 162 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:47,559 Speaker 1: I mean, if I committed a crime, am I in 163 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,679 Speaker 1: a lineup? Is the cops looking for who cares? And 164 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:55,239 Speaker 1: my five nine and my five eleven? Who cares?