1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: What a pleasure this is to chat with Brett Bear. 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: Brett is the anchor and executive director of Special Report 3 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: with Brett Baer, the best Damn newscast on the TV, 4 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: cable or broadcast. Brett is also co moderating the first 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: Republican debate of the cycle with the fabulous Martha McCallum. 6 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 2: Brett, how are you, sir, Hey, how are you warning? 7 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 2: We're pretty good. 8 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: So let's get the big orange elephan in the corner 9 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:24,240 Speaker 1: of the room out of the way. Trump has announced 10 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: he's skipping the debate in favor of an online interview. 11 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: What do you think that says about his relationship with 12 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: the Republican Party at this point? 13 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 2: Well, I don't know if I can divine what he 14 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 2: thinks about the you know, the Republican Party or the relationship. 15 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,200 Speaker 2: I do think that there's probably disappointment at the RANC 16 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 2: that he's not showing up. We were prepared either way, 17 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,840 Speaker 2: and really this is about, you know, all of these 18 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 2: candidates getting a moment to introduce themselves and also to 19 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 2: talk about substance. You know, it's a lot of time 20 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 2: that now is the time that people start to focus 21 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 2: in a presidential year, the kids back in school, you're 22 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 2: done with summer vacation, and this is the first big event. 23 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 2: And you know, if you look at poles, some sixty 24 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 2: three percent say that they'll they probably or definitely are 25 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 2: open to voting for somebody else besides the former president. 26 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:20,680 Speaker 2: So you know, whether it's his relationship, eventually, he's probably 27 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 2: gonna have to get on more of these stages. 28 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, I would like to point out that that first 29 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 3: question was under protest from me. I didn't want to 30 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 3: mention Trump at all because it's driving me crazy when 31 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 3: I watched the Sunday talk shows that every candidate, many 32 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:34,479 Speaker 3: of whom I don't know at all, they don't get 33 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 3: to talk about anything except for Trump, I mean, on 34 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 3: face ination meet the presidenty of these shows, not the 35 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,399 Speaker 3: same one Fox Sunday, but the other show. So I 36 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 3: look forward to some policy discussions other than that, for instance, 37 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 3: And I know you know this because you interviewed Chris 38 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 3: Christy a couple of weeks ago, and Chris Christie was 39 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 3: the most pro Ukraine person maybe of anybody outside of 40 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 3: President Zelinsky that I've heard, calling it a proxy war 41 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 3: against China and everything like that. Know where Ramaswami is 42 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 3: on that, and he's the flavor of the month, So 43 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 3: I mean there's a great conflict there. Can you can 44 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 3: you poke them with sticks and get them going with 45 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 3: that that conversation. 46 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, one hundred percent. And there's a number of those 47 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 2: issues where the stage is split in these different candidates 48 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 2: how they look at things. And this is not just 49 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 2: a Q and A. You know, a debate is a debate, 50 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 2: and so we're going to try to foster some of 51 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 2: that back and forth between candidates and we'll let it 52 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 2: free flow for a little while. We're going to try 53 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: to keep him in the guardrails. But you know, we've 54 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 2: done this kind of thing before and had some success. 55 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 2: So we've been structuring questions like that so that viewers 56 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 2: at home really get a sense of the different sides 57 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 2: of the Republican Party on the same issue. 58 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: We've observed on the show many times that this is 59 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: kind of a strange time politically in that the party 60 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: doesn't set the platform and then choose a candidate to 61 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: reflect the platform. Often the candidate declares what the platform is. 62 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: So I think these debates have elevated him importance. We 63 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: might hear what the Republican platform is likely to be 64 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: Wednesday night. 65 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 2: Yes, one hundred percent. And I mean you look at 66 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 2: controversial issues like Ukraine, as you mentioned, you look about 67 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 2: you look at abortion, which Republicans have been you know, 68 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 2: politically on the backside of as far as these referendums 69 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 2: around the country, and they haven't really talked with one 70 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 2: voice about how they're going to address that issue. And 71 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 2: there's a few others and which these individual candidates have thoughts. 72 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 2: And you're right, if they become the nominee, by the way, 73 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 2: on the same stage that we'll be doing the debate 74 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 2: on in July next year, they'll they'll take the party nomination. 75 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 2: If they become the nominee, they'd essentially become the party platform. 76 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 3: I know you've done this a bunch of times. How 77 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 3: do you decide how closely to stick to the rules, 78 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 3: because I always feel like a lot of candidates are 79 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 3: rewarded for breaking the rules. You know, you're not supposed 80 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 3: to jump in or whatever, but you jump in with 81 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 3: your zinger in the crowd roars and it becomes the 82 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 3: clip of the night. 83 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, we're going to listen. It's it's you have to 84 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 2: see the moment and kind of feel the room. You 85 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 2: are trying to keep them to time. You're trying to 86 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 2: keep them by the rules. But there'll be certain times 87 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 2: when you're trying to foster that interaction you've got. You know, 88 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 2: we'll find out this morning eight or nine people on stage, 89 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 2: and that's you know, a lot of folks. It's spending 90 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 2: a lot of plates to make sure it's equitable. 91 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 1: You know, one thing that's always driven us crazy about debates, 92 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 1: especially on some of the other networks, is every single 93 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,479 Speaker 1: question is from a progressive point of view. Instead of 94 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 1: asking why is it important to reinstall fiscal sanity in Washington, 95 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 1: d C? They'll say, why do you want to starve 96 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: old people? We're looking forward to hearing questions from a 97 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: more conservative point of view. Are you conscious of that 98 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 1: as you prepare? Does that just kind of come naturally? 99 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 2: I mean, it's a little bit of osmosis. After being 100 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 2: at talks for twenty six years, sure, and I get 101 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 2: the other side. You know, there's always another side to 102 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 2: the mainstream media's portrayal of some issue, and largely we're 103 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 2: we're doing that every day. But right you're gonna hear 104 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 2: questions that come from both angles, and definitely things that 105 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 2: conservatives you know, want to hear if you ask Republicans 106 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 2: in a separate poll what's most important to them, you're 107 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 2: going to see and hear the buckets of questions that 108 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 2: deal with those topics. 109 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:32,799 Speaker 3: How are they going to be lined up on the stage? 110 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 3: I are you gonna have since Trump's not there? Are 111 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:37,040 Speaker 3: you going to have destantus in the middle and then 112 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:39,599 Speaker 3: like Ramaswami next to him and poor Asa Hutchinson down 113 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 3: by the exit? Or how's that going to work? 114 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 2: Yeah? Basically it's the top percentage. She gets closest to 115 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 2: the middle, and then you go out from there. Uh 116 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 2: and yeah, I mean the stage is really great. It's 117 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 2: set up fantastic. It's you know, where the Milwaukee Bucks play. 118 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 2: It's a great impressive facility. And you know Fox, our 119 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 2: team does a really good job. So you'll be able 120 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 2: to see it and hear it. That will look good. 121 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 2: The question is how the candidates do, and that's up 122 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 2: to them. 123 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 1: Well, and we're really looking forward to seeing it. But 124 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: just one more question about debates in general. We're both 125 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,279 Speaker 1: anti audience. Well, we think it's a distraction people yelling 126 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 1: how about just let the ideas stand up for themselves. 127 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 1: But we're we're probably going to tiny minority, I guess, 128 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 1: because there's always an audience. Why is that, do you think? 129 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 2: Well, I think it's a big event. The RNC is 130 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 2: in charge of this operation. So they bring in people 131 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 2: from around the country, all of their big donors, all 132 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 2: their big rigs, and they want to pack the stands 133 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 2: and show them a good time, etcetera, etcetera. So it's 134 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 2: an opportunity for them. We're not running that part of 135 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 2: the show, but I can tell you this that we're 136 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 2: not going to let the audience, you know, get out 137 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 2: of control. You know, I give a little speech before 138 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 2: we start. The more time that we have to stop 139 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 2: or audience applause or interaction, the left time you're going 140 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 2: to hear from these can of it's on the issues 141 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 2: that you want to hear about. Sometimes that works. Sometimes 142 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 2: you got to stop and remind them, but we'll keep 143 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:08,600 Speaker 2: it going. 144 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's worth mentioning all the time. You know, as 145 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 3: a moderator, moderators get beat up bad. I mean, you 146 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 3: know jankless task Yeah, no kidding, I mean I wouldn't 147 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 3: want to read Twitter that night if I were you. 148 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 2: No, that's right. If I can get out of this 149 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 2: with Martha and I unscathed and not the focus. 150 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: Right, We'll be a good thing, right, that's the goal, Brett. 151 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: We are a big big fans of yours. Keep doing 152 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 1: a terrific job. You've got a great team there at 153 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 1: Special Report. And I hope this isn't our last chat. 154 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: Good luck on Wednesday night. 155 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 2: Well love it, Thanks, I appreciate it.