WEBVTT - Debra J. Saunders Talks to Armstrong & Getty

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<v Speaker 1>So here's an interesting coink heat ink. We were just

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<v Speaker 1>talking about the messaging by the White House and how

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<v Speaker 1>it is that you've got these headlines going around time magazine.

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<v Speaker 1>Trump gave Americans a massive tax cut. Few are noticing.

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<v Speaker 1>The New York Times face it, you probably got a

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<v Speaker 1>giant tax cut, um and the realization that the vast

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<v Speaker 1>majority of people got tax cuts, but the vast majority

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<v Speaker 1>of people think they didn't. Write would how how does

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<v Speaker 1>the how does the White House not fix that messaging?

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<v Speaker 1>Earlier I would put out that both of those outlets

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<v Speaker 1>are distinctly left leaning, and and it's got to be

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<v Speaker 1>so clear a case, uh, for them to say something

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<v Speaker 1>like that that it's a hell of a clear case.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not like one of the subtleties of immigration or

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<v Speaker 1>something that this will encourage immigration. Well some believe it will.

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<v Speaker 1>Just know it's it's just black and white. And they,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, had to come out as strongly as they did.

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<v Speaker 1>I think that's really notable, uh, to discuss that, and

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<v Speaker 1>and in similar topics. Please welcome back to the show.

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<v Speaker 1>Deborah J. Saunders, the White House correspondent for the Las

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<v Speaker 1>Vegas Review Journal. Deborah, how are you? I'm great. How

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<v Speaker 1>are you doing? We're fining dandy? Really? Um So, let's

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<v Speaker 1>let's talk about White House messaging. I don't know if

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<v Speaker 1>you want to get all editorialists um as as we've been,

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<v Speaker 1>I think Donald J. Is enormously talented at certain aspects

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<v Speaker 1>of men of messaging. But in general, the White House

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<v Speaker 1>shop has done not a great job. And let me

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<v Speaker 1>hit you with a couple of numbers real quick to

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<v Speaker 1>make the point. For people who make between fifty and

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<v Speaker 1>seventy five thousand dollars a year, that's kind of like

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<v Speaker 1>right in the wheelhouse. For a lot of the country,

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<v Speaker 1>eighty two percent got a tax cut. Only forty one

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<v Speaker 1>think they got a tax cut. Half for people making

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<v Speaker 1>seventy five thousand to a hundred thousand, almost of those

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<v Speaker 1>people got a tax cut. Only forty scent of people

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<v Speaker 1>think they got a tax cuts. Astonishing. It is astonishing.

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<v Speaker 1>And why would that be. Well, you know that Donald

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<v Speaker 1>Trump told people that they get tax cuts. But he's

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<v Speaker 1>not always the most credible person, right So, even though

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<v Speaker 1>he has sent this message out and even though they

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<v Speaker 1>were really clear about it, I think people tend to

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<v Speaker 1>be skeptical about many things that he says. For certain reasons. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>Another thing is that the number of Democrats kept saying

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<v Speaker 1>that it was just a tax cut for the very rich.

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<v Speaker 1>And it was a tax cut for the very rich.

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<v Speaker 1>It was just a tax cut for practically everybody though,

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<v Speaker 1>so uh and so there were think tanks that were

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<v Speaker 1>sort of sending out misinformation, if you will, about the

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<v Speaker 1>early versions of it, and uh. And a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>people don't know what they pay for taxes. They changed

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<v Speaker 1>the withholding tables, so you're not getting a bigger refund

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<v Speaker 1>than you would have gotten before because you're paying less

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<v Speaker 1>every week, and so people are clueless about it. And

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<v Speaker 1>it's just this sort of uh. And it was great

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<v Speaker 1>to say. The New York Times run a story about it,

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<v Speaker 1>and Donald Trump, when he was in Minnesota yesterday, actually

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<v Speaker 1>read the headline face it you probably got a tax cut,

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<v Speaker 1>And you know, he would joked about how these people

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<v Speaker 1>are going to get fired, but they were reporting on

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<v Speaker 1>something that's true and people don't know. But but I

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<v Speaker 1>think it would help that Trump and I understand what

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<v Speaker 1>you're saying that a lot of people don't don't believe him,

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<v Speaker 1>but a lot of people do. I mean, he's got

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<v Speaker 1>around fifty approval writing, you would think he could get

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<v Speaker 1>those numbers up a little higher on that they think

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<v Speaker 1>they got a tax cut stuff. If I were him,

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<v Speaker 1>might tweet out that New York Times article every day

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<v Speaker 1>this week. Yeah, I mean, and it would probably get

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<v Speaker 1>lost in an avalanche of other tweets. I mean, well,

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<v Speaker 1>if he would stop tweeting about if he would stop

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<v Speaker 1>tweeting about how the firefighters ought to take on the

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<v Speaker 1>Notre Dame Cathedral, I mean, stay out of that issue.

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<v Speaker 1>But he tass this way of exaggerating. So when he

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<v Speaker 1>says this, I think a lot of people are like,

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<v Speaker 1>uh huh is there. He's just not the most credible,

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<v Speaker 1>credible salesperson. Even so he actually has to turn to

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<v Speaker 1>The New York Times to prove that what he's been

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<v Speaker 1>saying about the tax cut is true. That would be

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<v Speaker 1>an unfortunate aspect of his proclivity for hyperbole. Yeah, that's true.

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<v Speaker 1>That's true. It's a little boy cried wolfish. Yeah. Deborah J. Saunders,

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<v Speaker 1>White House correspondent for the Las Vegas Review Journalist Online. So, Deborah,

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<v Speaker 1>who is the messaging guru in the White House? Is

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<v Speaker 1>there one? It's Donald Trump? Right? I mean, how many

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<v Speaker 1>briefings have we had this year. I think too, the

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<v Speaker 1>Press Secretary of Sarah Sanders is not really the face

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<v Speaker 1>of the administration for the press corps anymore. It's Donald Trump.

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<v Speaker 1>Donald Trump in pool sprays, sitting in the Oval Office,

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<v Speaker 1>having reporters shot questions to him, walking to Marine One,

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<v Speaker 1>making stray comments during rallies and roundtables. That that's where

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<v Speaker 1>the message all comes from. And it can be garbled

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<v Speaker 1>at times. And uh, I mean we just don't have

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<v Speaker 1>Uh it's there are no public events scheduled today in

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<v Speaker 1>the White House. Um. And when you know, and when

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<v Speaker 1>we do have contact with the White House, and we

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<v Speaker 1>are I mean we asked questions of the Press Office

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<v Speaker 1>all the time. We frequently get answers, not always. I

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<v Speaker 1>mean we know that they are not the highest step

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<v Speaker 1>place in the world. Um. But I Trump wants to

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<v Speaker 1>be the person who says everything. Okay, fine, But if

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<v Speaker 1>I'm if I'm Donald Trump, the day after Tax Day

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<v Speaker 1>or yesterday would have been even better. I'm hammering these

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<v Speaker 1>numbers from the New York Times all day, day long

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<v Speaker 1>until people are sick of it. And they can't they

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<v Speaker 1>can't ignore it in their news coverage. I Mean, here's

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<v Speaker 1>another one for people who make more than a thousand

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<v Speaker 1>dollars a year, households that make more than a hundred

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<v Speaker 1>thousand dollars a year, which is the case for a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of people in uh and and a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>the cities were on in eighty nine point five percent

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<v Speaker 1>of them got a tax cut. Only feel like they

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<v Speaker 1>think they got a tax again consistently half that's amazing.

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<v Speaker 1>Even a lot of people feel that because of the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that state and local taxes are are not deductible

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<v Speaker 1>as they had been before, that that means that they

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<v Speaker 1>got a tax hike. But it's not necessarily true because

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<v Speaker 1>the rates were lowered all these other things happened. So

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<v Speaker 1>there are a lot of people who may think they're

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<v Speaker 1>paying higher taxes and they're just long, and they really

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<v Speaker 1>ought to be paying attention, and they have to be

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<v Speaker 1>looking at their pay stumps, and they ought to have

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<v Speaker 1>a better idea of what they're paying that they don't. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>that's true. And and griping is more common in terms

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<v Speaker 1>of conversation than than shouting hallelujah. It's just the way

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<v Speaker 1>human beings are made. The number that came out of

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<v Speaker 1>Bernie's taxes yesterday, his his twenty six effective tax rate.

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<v Speaker 1>Everybody should know their number that maybe I'd like to

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<v Speaker 1>pass a law or the I R. S. Has to

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<v Speaker 1>put that out. I don't have the slightest idea what

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<v Speaker 1>mine is. I don't. I don't either. Everybody ought to

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<v Speaker 1>know their number, and that would help a lot. Did

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<v Speaker 1>my number go? Yeah, I've forgotten it changes because I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>obviously you pay a certain percentage on the on the

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<v Speaker 1>first let's say your income, and then and then it

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<v Speaker 1>goes up, so there isn't one exact number. Also, another

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<v Speaker 1>wonderful thing about our tax system, right right, our bizarro

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<v Speaker 1>tax system. Well, you know, just one final thought on

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<v Speaker 1>the White House messaging thing, you know, the the seat

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<v Speaker 1>of the pants not slick practiced politico speak, um aspect

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<v Speaker 1>of it is really appealing to a lot of people,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's it's a substantial part of what got Trump elected,

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<v Speaker 1>I think. But in the kind of music I really

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<v Speaker 1>like and I like to play. Uh, there's a phrase

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<v Speaker 1>ragged but right um, And I just sometimes I think

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<v Speaker 1>the White House messaging is is mostly ragged. Uh. Deborah J. Saunders,

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<v Speaker 1>White House correspondent, Las Vegas Review Journal. It's always great

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<v Speaker 1>to talk, Debrah go get him. Thank you all right,

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<v Speaker 1>see you later. Uh. Yeah, there's a law I would pass.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it could change taxes overnight. Maybe if if

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<v Speaker 1>everybody knew their number for the year, their effective tax rate.

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<v Speaker 1>Do the average of all your taxes you're paid. However,

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<v Speaker 1>they came up with Bernie's number from yesterday, do that

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<v Speaker 1>for everyone, and uh and know what it is. We

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<v Speaker 1>should know that, like our cholesterol or our blood pressure

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<v Speaker 1>or weight. Right, I think we gotta come up with

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<v Speaker 1>five numbers. You gotta know five numbers. That's several of

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<v Speaker 1>them right there. Oh. I like I know my height.

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<v Speaker 1>I've known that for quite sometimes probably truck and you're

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<v Speaker 1>going under underpasses. You don't need to know your height.

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<v Speaker 1>That's that's dumb. Bad number. Blood pressure, that's a big one.

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<v Speaker 1>It's amazing how often I have to write down my height. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>no kidding. It comes up a lot. That is interesting. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, if I committed a crime, am I in

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<v Speaker 1>a lineup? Is the cops looking for who cares? And

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<v Speaker 1>my five nine and my five eleven? Who cares?