Speaker 1: Now from our nation's capital. This is Bloomberg sound On.
Speaker 1: We have a laural obligation to do everything we can
Speaker 1: to prevent an unnecessary cloth flow. It is the US
Speaker 1: that's threatening peace and stability in the Taiwan straight. Taiwan
Speaker 1: is part of China's territory. Professional delegations have gone to
Speaker 1: Taiwan for decades and they will continue to Bloomberg sound
Speaker 1: on politics, policy and perspective from DC's top names. Florida
Speaker 1: is the state where woke goes to die, and we
Speaker 1: don't say to Senator One is where you hit Scaracap.
Speaker 1: Bloomberg Sound On with Joe Matthew on Bloomberg Radio. China
Speaker 1: resumes military drills around Taiwan after another US delegation to
Speaker 1: the island. Welcome to the fastest hour in politics, as
Speaker 1: tensions rise across the region. Will be joined by a
Speaker 1: member of that delegation. Just back. Democratic Congressman John Garamendi
Speaker 1: serves on the House Services Committee. Later, electoral politics on
Speaker 1: this primary eve. Florida Governor Ronda Santis running unopposed in
Speaker 1: tomorrow's primary, but he's raising more money than Donald Trump.
Speaker 1: Will talk about why and his impacts in these elections
Speaker 1: with Republican strategist Adam Goodman. Analysis from our panel. The
Speaker 1: signature panel in place. Jeanie Schanzano and Rick Davis are
Speaker 1: Bloomberg Politics contributors. The delegations just keep coming in Taiwan.
Speaker 1: It's been a busy airport lately. After Nancy Pelosi's, of course,
Speaker 1: much heralded visit, this time an American governor shows up,
Speaker 1: Eric Holcomb of Indiana, arriving in Taipei for what he
Speaker 1: calls an economic development trip, something that would not typically
Speaker 1: make any news. And by the way, it's the second
Speaker 1: time he's gone no, it didn't make news the first time.
Speaker 1: That follows The latest congressional delegation just last week included
Speaker 1: our next guest. As a matter of fact, Congressman John Garamendi.
Speaker 1: It was led by Senator Ed Markey, the Democrat of Massachusetts.
Speaker 1: Here's markis, as the group met with Taiwan's president side
Speaker 1: at this moment of uncertainty, we must do everything we
Speaker 1: can to maintain peace and stability for Taiwan. We have
Speaker 1: a moral obligation to do everything we can to prevent
Speaker 1: an unnecessary conflict, and Taiwan has demonstrated incredible restraint and
Speaker 1: discretion during challenging times. The reaction from China, guess what
Speaker 1: more drills? China's Eastern Theater Command says immediately after its
Speaker 1: organizing war patrols and combat drills in the sen air
Speaker 1: space around Taiwan. It's it's Senior Colonel Shi Yi, calling
Speaker 1: it a stern deterrent to the US and Taiwan playing
Speaker 1: political tricks. The message back from the State Department, get
Speaker 1: used to it, Here's spokesman Ned Price. Some ten or
Speaker 1: more congressional delegations have visited Taiwan uh this year alone.
Speaker 1: Members of Congress visiting thai one is entirely in line
Speaker 1: with our one, our longstanding one China policy. Congressman John Garamendi,
Speaker 1: as I mentioned, was one of the members of that
Speaker 1: last delegation that they were just talking about, the Democrat
Speaker 1: from California on the House Armed Services Committee, and he
Speaker 1: joins US now Congress mcgarremandy, welcome back. We saw images
Speaker 1: and video video of you on this trip. It was
Speaker 1: relatively small group. But what's the point here, following the
Speaker 1: trip that Nancy Pelosi took in all of the drama
Speaker 1: that surrounded it, is this about frequency? Now? Like Ned
Speaker 1: Price is saying, We're just gonna keep showing up and
Speaker 1: showing up until it's not a story. Well, I think
Speaker 1: it's extremely important that we do show up, and think
Speaker 1: it's extremely important that we maintain an open huh and
Speaker 1: consistent policy with Taiwan. Uh. What China has tried to
Speaker 1: do periodically is to establish a new normal. They would
Speaker 1: surely like to see all of this going and forward
Speaker 1: being a new normal in which they are surrounding Taiwan
Speaker 1: with a fleet of ships and missiles and so on. Uh,
Speaker 1: that's not likely to happen. But what we have is
Speaker 1: some seventy years now of a relationship with Taiwan. We
Speaker 1: recognize that it is part of China, but nonetheless it
Speaker 1: is a very robust democracy and an extremely important international
Speaker 1: trading partner with the United States. When you see the
Speaker 1: reaction as we have yet again from Beijing, more drills
Speaker 1: and encircling the island in a way that we haven't seen,
Speaker 1: uh kind of you know, you talk about a new normal,
Speaker 1: they've definitely ratcheted up the levels of of of tension
Speaker 1: in the region. Here. Following Pelosi's trip and following your trip,
Speaker 1: at what point do you worry that that that is
Speaker 1: the new normal, that it's already been exposed here. Well,
Speaker 1: that's why we have to continue to visit. That's why
Speaker 1: investal allegations need to be there. That's why we need
Speaker 1: to maintain a relationship with them. Do you not take
Speaker 1: China at its word that they that they will respond,
Speaker 1: that they will respond with severe consequences. I do not
Speaker 1: believe China is interested in a war that they're not
Speaker 1: likely to be able to win. UH. Taiwan is fully
Speaker 1: determined to protect its democracy and to not be become
Speaker 1: another Hong Kong. We saw what happened in Hong Kong,
Speaker 1: one country, two systems, well until UH Beijing decided there'd
Speaker 1: be one system and they just simply shut down all
Speaker 1: all civil liberties in Hong Kong. And Taiwan is not
Speaker 1: about to have that happen to them. They are prepared
Speaker 1: to defend their democracy. At some point in the future,
Speaker 1: there may very well be an opportunity for Taiwan to
Speaker 1: rejoin mainland China. That's certainly not the case. Now we
Speaker 1: have what amounts to an authority jerry and dictatorship in China.
Speaker 1: They've already shown that they're perfectly willing to shut down
Speaker 1: any dissent, whether it is in the Southwest or or
Speaker 1: in Hong Kong, and Taiwan wants no part of that.
Speaker 1: And frankly, Taiwan is an important, very very important part
Speaker 1: of the world economy. We saw you meet with Taiwan's president,
Speaker 1: as I mentioned, along with members of the delegation. Congressman,
Speaker 1: what's what's the conversation when the reporters leave the room
Speaker 1: and you get down to what to whatever extent you
Speaker 1: get into serious conversation here as a member of the
Speaker 1: House Armed Services Committee, is there is there an ask
Speaker 1: for a commitment to help defend Taiwan or is there
Speaker 1: an ask for more weapons? What do they want? Are
Speaker 1: they want more weapons? American policy is quite clear. We're
Speaker 1: not going to stand troops onto the onto the island.
Speaker 1: That's not going to happen. However, we have for the
Speaker 1: last having a hard time hearing your Congress when I
Speaker 1: don't know what happened to your Sorry not at all
Speaker 1: to try to do better right now, very good. America
Speaker 1: has provided Taiwan with weapons for fifty years or more,
Speaker 1: and we're going to continue to do so. The United States.
Speaker 1: It's not going to be putting troops on the island
Speaker 1: to defend Taiwan. That's up to the Taiwan needs to do.
Speaker 1: So what we have here is a sexual student in
Speaker 1: which the United States and you asked what what did
Speaker 1: the president asked? They asked for the weapons. There's a
Speaker 1: whole series of weapons that have and requested. They're being
Speaker 1: worked through and they should be delivered very very soon.
Speaker 1: Is that a deterrent for China or is that to
Speaker 1: help Taiwan and protect itself from the inevitable. It is
Speaker 1: a deterrent, and the United States remains of deterrent. We're
Speaker 1: not about to move out of the South China Sea,
Speaker 1: nor are we going to allow China to close the
Speaker 1: Taiwan Straight I would expect that in the United States,
Speaker 1: maybe we'll do what it's done periodically, and that is
Speaker 1: to run uh uh destroyers d dgs through the Taiwan
Speaker 1: Straits as we have periodically. We we believe that that
Speaker 1: is an open see subject to the will of the
Speaker 1: individual nations that want to travel through it, and I'm
Speaker 1: sure that we will continue to do that. We're not
Speaker 1: going to just turn our back on Taiwan either with
Speaker 1: the with not providing military weapons Toime on could consider itself,
Speaker 1: and this is sometimes discussed as a porcupine. China thinks
Speaker 1: that they can swallow this porcupine. They may find it
Speaker 1: to be a very, very difficult and an unpleasant experience.
Speaker 1: Well they can ask Russia about that too. I suppose, Congressman,
Speaker 1: they're they're watching this take place. Of course, at the
Speaker 1: very same time. Here, it's difficult to tell where this goes.
Speaker 1: I'm hearing you speak very sternly about this, and I'm
Speaker 1: hearing China say they don't even believe in the Median
Speaker 1: line anymore. At what point, Congressman Garamendi, is the time
Speaker 1: for the US to take a new look at china
Speaker 1: One policy, the One China policy, and maybe what our
Speaker 1: position is on this. Well, it's it has been clear
Speaker 1: for at least four to five decades that a declaration
Speaker 1: of independent independence by Taiwan is a red line for China,
Speaker 1: and I would suspect that they would cross that red
Speaker 1: line and there would be a bloody, difficult battle all
Speaker 1: the way along. But we're not there. UH. To the
Speaker 1: American policy as understands, one China also understands that Taiwan
Speaker 1: UH does not want to become another Hong Kong that
Speaker 1: they want that they value their democracy and trying to
Speaker 1: read value that democracy to And so I think what
Speaker 1: we're going to find here is that things will settle
Speaker 1: down UH and that the new normal ought to be
Speaker 1: the old normal. We don't want to have China close
Speaker 1: the Taiwan straits, nor do we want Chinese to believe
Speaker 1: they can encircle UH Taiwan. And what would be at
Speaker 1: least a demonstration of a blockade and could easily turn
Speaker 1: into a blockade. It sounds like a lot more lawmakers
Speaker 1: are planning to go to Taiwan, will be further delegations,
Speaker 1: and I know even Kevin McCarthy said if he becomes
Speaker 1: Speaker he wants to lead a bipartisan delegation as one
Speaker 1: of his first moves. Would you join the Republican UH
Speaker 1: leader on a trip like that? I do want to
Speaker 1: know that there was a Republican in this codel that
Speaker 1: you were on as well. Indeed, are we into the
Speaker 1: bipartisan delegation? We also well, first of all, McCarthy is
Speaker 1: not going to become the not going to become speaker.
Speaker 1: If he wants to go as a minority of VITA,
Speaker 1: he can certainly do that. And if he were gonna
Speaker 1: invite me have known him for years, AH and his
Speaker 1: company would always be appreciated. But he's not going to
Speaker 1: be speaker. I believe that the Democrats we now have
Speaker 1: the wind that our back with the legislation that has
Speaker 1: been passed, the infrastructure, the Inflation Reduction Act, the healthcare
Speaker 1: cost savings that are that are going to be there
Speaker 1: for seniors and for well for everybody. Uh, and we're
Speaker 1: going to move very very aggressively on the green economy.
Speaker 1: So you think you're going to keep the house? Those
Speaker 1: what you're saying, Democrats keep the House. I think we've
Speaker 1: got a really good shot at take in the House,
Speaker 1: and the analysis has been really something over the last
Speaker 1: couple of days. On this Congressman, I want to thank
Speaker 1: you for joining us. John Garamendi, Democrat from California, fresh
Speaker 1: off the Code Alta Taiwan. We're gonna get into that more,
Speaker 1: by the way, the sort of shifting landscape as we
Speaker 1: had the mid terms later on this hour, but we
Speaker 1: want to assemble the panel first on this. Do we
Speaker 1: overwhelm China with more codeell's than they can keep track of?
Speaker 1: And what does this mean? About Joe Biden's meeting coming
Speaker 1: up with President she Rick Davis, Jeanie Sanzano with us
Speaker 1: with international politics to start us off. We turned domestic
Speaker 1: later on on this primary Eve and I'm glad you're here.
Speaker 1: It's great to be back. I'm Joe Matthew and Washington.
Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg. You're listening to Bloomberg. You sound on
Speaker 1: with Joe Matthew on Bloomberg Radio. So everybody's going to
Speaker 1: Taiwan now, Members of Congress, governors. I suspect anyone who
Speaker 1: wants to be perceived as a presidential contender gotta show
Speaker 1: up in Taipei. Starting to think we bring this broadcast
Speaker 1: just to talk to them all. That's where they're all going.
Speaker 1: Let's assemble our panel Bloomberg Politics contributors Rick Davis and
Speaker 1: Jeanie Schanzano. I missed you both. Rick. Does this strategy
Speaker 1: lull Beijing into complacency, which seems to be the State
Speaker 1: Department's thought on this, or does it inflame tensions until
Speaker 1: we simply have no relationship any longer with Beijing? You know,
Speaker 1: I don't think it does either one of those things.
Speaker 1: First of all, definitely doesn't lull them into complacency. They
Speaker 1: are not going to be compliant in any way, shape
Speaker 1: or form. We lost the fight of trying to bring
Speaker 1: China into the liberal democracies of the world, and now
Speaker 1: they are charting their own path. They want to bring
Speaker 1: liberal democracies under their wing. And so it's a competition.
Speaker 1: It's not a matter of sort of placating China anymore.
Speaker 1: And I think that the focus that this administration is
Speaker 1: starting to have, and it's the right for Congress to
Speaker 1: do it too, is Hey, let's focus on Taiwan. It's
Speaker 1: a thriving democracy, it's a key component to our national security.
Speaker 1: It supplies us with the majority of the chips that
Speaker 1: have been so important to our development and and and
Speaker 1: on their own, they have proven their ability to function
Speaker 1: as a as a thriving economy in a very tough neighborhood.
Speaker 1: So let's open up the spicket. And and these trips
Speaker 1: are not unusual. They're just now getting irritating China. That's
Speaker 1: because of China's change in focus, not ours. What do
Speaker 1: you make of the conversation with Congressman Garamendi about this genie, Uh,
Speaker 1: it's almost just about showing up here. I mean that's
Speaker 1: really what we're talking about, right, I know that Taipei
Speaker 1: wants weapons. They're making that ask too. In this case,
Speaker 1: you know, it's appropriate. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has
Speaker 1: represented their House Arms Services between Marki and Garamendi. But
Speaker 1: but what else are we doing? I mean, there's gonna
Speaker 1: be a lot of delegations. We heard ten of them, uh,
Speaker 1: coming from the State Department here. Kevin McCarthy can't wait
Speaker 1: to get on an airplane. Does this at some point
Speaker 1: start to backfire? Or is it exactly what we should
Speaker 1: be doing. I'm gonna stop packing for my trip with
Speaker 1: SODAN to Taiwan so we can chat. Yeah, you know,
Speaker 1: I think that one thing we have to be clear
Speaker 1: on is that we talk a lot about this as
Speaker 1: you know, being precipitated by these visits, but it's really
Speaker 1: much bigger than that, and it's driven by much larger factors.
Speaker 1: There's been a steady erosion in relations for several years,
Speaker 1: and some scholars describe us as in the early stages
Speaker 1: of the Fourth Taiwan Straight Crisis from nineteen fifty four
Speaker 1: and now about two thousand and eighteen, perhaps during the
Speaker 1: Trump administration into the Biden administration and that's really where
Speaker 1: we are. And I think the very scary part of
Speaker 1: this for for all of us is the fact that
Speaker 1: tensions are so wratcheted up that there is a possibility
Speaker 1: for miscalculations and mistakes which can be deadly and escalating.
Speaker 1: And that's something we really have to be careful. That's
Speaker 1: not to say people should not visit, but that is
Speaker 1: to say Beijing, certainly, Washington, Taypei have to be very
Speaker 1: very careful about responses, understanding that mistakes happen when they
Speaker 1: are using the military exercises that they're using, and that's
Speaker 1: a real danger. New joint exercises, the biggest since Rick,
Speaker 1: between the US and South Korea just beginning them. Uh
Speaker 1: today all Chief Freedom Shield. This is an annual event
Speaker 1: and you've probably seen video of it. It's airplanes and
Speaker 1: tanks and warships and infantry uh and they're they're popping
Speaker 1: off weapons and making a big show of it. UH.
Speaker 1: Kind of a renewal though, because this the Trump administration
Speaker 1: pulled back from some of this stuff. Rick. Is this
Speaker 1: all about China or should we be talking about North
Speaker 1: Korea as well? I think definitely, Uh, we want to
Speaker 1: be talking about North Korea. Like, these guys have been
Speaker 1: really haunting Japan and South Korea for some time. Uh,
Speaker 1: they've been launching missile missiles into the region, UH with
Speaker 1: abandoned And I think this is one of the hottest
Speaker 1: spots in the world right, I mean, North Korea has
Speaker 1: threatened military action over and over again. And so we
Speaker 1: cannot drop our attention to this most important area if
Speaker 1: it has some residual impact on China. So be it.
Speaker 1: China knows that we have these permanent bases in South
Speaker 1: Korea and in Japan, and and and I think again,
Speaker 1: the focus on helping our allies and partners in the region,
Speaker 1: Japan and South Korea in this instance, to build their militaries,
Speaker 1: make them more modern and increase their readiness is only
Speaker 1: because the neighborhood China and North Korea have gotten more
Speaker 1: aggressive over time. We are reacting to their aggression, not
Speaker 1: the other way around. What do we need to be
Speaker 1: doing militarily though, And I'll ask you both this as
Speaker 1: we continue to write checks, you know, billions of sending
Speaker 1: billions and hundreds of billions. I guess at some point
Speaker 1: in weapons to Ukraine, we're six months into this thing.
Speaker 1: On Wednesday, and there is a massive looming threat taking
Speaker 1: place in Asia. Rick, do you see them when you
Speaker 1: consider the access between Russia and China the same or
Speaker 1: or decisions, Some hard decisions will need to be made
Speaker 1: when it comes to deploying resources. Well, I think it's
Speaker 1: good news that we're six months in and there's still
Speaker 1: a shooting war in the Ukraine, right, I mean, like
Speaker 1: all the people who thought they knew what was going
Speaker 1: to happen would have given up Ukraine in three days.
Speaker 1: And so the fact that the Ukrainians are teaching us
Speaker 1: what resistance means is a very good example that I
Speaker 1: think is being seen in Beijing. You would think that
Speaker 1: they would look at that example and say, Wow, all
Speaker 1: the Russians had to do was cross a land border.
Speaker 1: Look At what kind of problems we would have, you know,
Speaker 1: having to go across sounds like you, I think they're
Speaker 1: connected optically as the White House look at it that way, Jeannie,
Speaker 1: I think they may, but but I would also caution
Speaker 1: China is historically going to take their time, and I
Speaker 1: think the danger here is that they learn how to
Speaker 1: shore themselves up to those kind of economic sanctions the
Speaker 1: world put on Russia. And that's a real danger for
Speaker 1: the West if that happens. Great conversation with Rick and Jeannie.
Speaker 1: They're here all our will reassemble the panel a bit
Speaker 1: later as we turn to electoral politics. On a primary eve,
Speaker 1: New York and Florida vote tomorrow, well ahead of the
Speaker 1: Sunshine stated conversation with ad Goodman coming up on the
Speaker 1: fastest hour in politics. This is Bloomberg. Rhonda Santis is
Speaker 1: unopposed in tomorrow's Republican primary. It's primary day in Florida,
Speaker 1: so he hit the road in advance of the voting.
Speaker 1: Heading over the weekend is Friday to Pennsylvania to stump
Speaker 1: for Doug Mastriano. Remember that's the Republican nominee there, the
Speaker 1: election denier, who is in a pretty interesting race as
Speaker 1: a matter of fact. And this follows De Santis visiting
Speaker 1: Ohio on behalf of j D Vance, the De Santis
Speaker 1: National Tour. As he speaks, yes, of course it's in
Speaker 1: favor of the Canada, but he's very much speaking like
Speaker 1: a national candidate. Listen to governor to Santis in Pennsylvania.
Speaker 1: That shows you what they think of you. That is
Speaker 1: insulting our intelligence that you're calling at the inflation Reduction Act.
Speaker 1: What are they doing? Obviously they're not doing anything to
Speaker 1: to stop inflation. They're spending a lot more money that
Speaker 1: we don't have, taking aim at Democrats, of course, in
Speaker 1: what was seen as a win for the Biden administration
Speaker 1: Congressional Democrats, the i r A. The Inflation Reduction Act.
Speaker 1: That's not really something that well, look, maybe it would be,
Speaker 1: but not the headline of a local political rally. Right.
Speaker 1: Adam Goodman is with us to talk about the de
Speaker 1: Santists effect and the Desantist tour and where this is
Speaker 1: all going with us here on sound On Back with
Speaker 1: us in fact, Republican strategist columnist Edward R. Murrow, Senior
Speaker 1: Fellow at Tufts Universities Fletcher School, Adam, this is the
Speaker 1: man who is widely seen as the alternative to Donald Trump.
Speaker 1: The polling has borne this out. He's raising more money
Speaker 1: than Trump, though. These numbers that I mentioned are pretty incredible.
Speaker 1: A hundred and forty two million dollars from the start
Speaker 1: of twenty one through August five of this year, Ken Griffin,
Speaker 1: Paul Tutor Jones on there that tops the hundred and
Speaker 1: thirty six million that Donald Trump collected. Is it time
Speaker 1: to pass the baton. Well, I can tell you it
Speaker 1: was a tough day on the markets, but it's not
Speaker 1: been a tough day for the stock of the Santis
Speaker 1: for the better part of the last two years. He's
Speaker 1: got a he's got a message, Joe, and and the
Speaker 1: messages the Florida's story. You know what, It's been successful
Speaker 1: because hundreds of thousands of people have come to move
Speaker 1: into Florida as permanent residents, you know, because they were
Speaker 1: able to get through the pandemic with the economy down,
Speaker 1: they're fairly strong. You had the sense of freedom that
Speaker 1: comes from low taxes, uh and fewer roles, and that
Speaker 1: it is playing well all not just in Florida, Joe,
Speaker 1: but all over America. And think of it this way.
Speaker 1: There's so much going on right now that we people
Speaker 1: feel really kind of down about. We're looking for something
Speaker 1: to feel good about. And I think this kind of
Speaker 1: story kind of stands out for that reason. And he
Speaker 1: is taking that far and wide. And I know said Pennsylvania,
Speaker 1: in Ohio whatever, I thought, those are parts of Florida.
Speaker 1: Uh he I think you find, Joe that people want
Speaker 1: to hear this and that makes him a legitimate contender. Uh,
Speaker 1: will passed obviously his re election in twenty two. You
Speaker 1: can't talk about Rhonda Santis without talking about Donald Trump. Uh.
Speaker 1: Listen to what Liz Cheney said about him over the weekend.
Speaker 1: She was asked about him by John Carl on ABC
Speaker 1: News about specifically the idea of a Rhonda Santis presidential campaign. Here,
Speaker 1: she is de Santis is somebody who is right now
Speaker 1: campaigning for election deniers. Uh, And I think that is
Speaker 1: something that that I think people have got to have
Speaker 1: real pause about. You know, either you fundamentally believe in
Speaker 1: and will support our constitutional structure, you don't. If he's
Speaker 1: going national Adam Goodman, does he need to start distancing
Speaker 1: himself from the the election denial label or does he
Speaker 1: lean into it? I mean he was, he was on
Speaker 1: stage shaking hands with with Doug Mastriano just three days ago. Well,
Speaker 1: I think you can you can always make the case
Speaker 1: in politics that you're brought down and what they call
Speaker 1: guilt by association, so piece of state with anyone who's
Speaker 1: considered one that deniers, you're going to hear that kind
Speaker 1: of refrain. Why not just clean the record though, and
Speaker 1: not deal with any of that. Rhonda Santis could apparently
Speaker 1: stand on his own without being involved. Uh. It's a
Speaker 1: very good point, Joe, because what really got him going,
Speaker 1: beyond the fact that Florida, by almost every measure, has
Speaker 1: done very well over the last two and a half years,
Speaker 1: we really got him going was giving a sense of
Speaker 1: empowerment back to people. When he went after the situation
Speaker 1: where they were talking about teaching sex aid to kids
Speaker 1: in kindergarten. Will give you the shorthand on it. Uh,
Speaker 1: that really gave parents a sense of empowerment when he said,
Speaker 1: I stand with you. You saw a little bit of
Speaker 1: that with young can actually in ya last year, and
Speaker 1: I think you're seeing it here. America is looking for
Speaker 1: a message and a messenger that feels good. And I
Speaker 1: can tell you as long as U Rhn de Santis
Speaker 1: leans into using your words, leans into the message of
Speaker 1: what's happened in Florida over the last two and a
Speaker 1: half years under his tutelage, Uh, so much the better
Speaker 1: for him. And in terms of the money. In terms
Speaker 1: of the money, Joe, also, the money you talked about
Speaker 1: up front is big dollar money. And of course, so
Speaker 1: does he need those five dollar contributions to be a
Speaker 1: real deal. Presidential. I think he does. But if he
Speaker 1: were to be pursuing that now nationally small donors nationally,
Speaker 1: he would justly be accused of running for national of course,
Speaker 1: reaffirming his own that would have been a bad mistake.
Speaker 1: He has resisted it to this point. I think it's
Speaker 1: served him very well. For better or worse, you see
Speaker 1: it's worse. I want to ask you though about the
Speaker 1: Democratic primary quickly. Here Charlie Christ's Nikki Freed. This is
Speaker 1: said to be closer than than some polls are showing
Speaker 1: you've got establishment kind of versus. I'm not sure what
Speaker 1: we call Nikki Freed. What's gonna happen tomorrow? I think
Speaker 1: Charlie Chris is gonna win. Probably decided. You had one
Speaker 1: poll that came out showing Nikki ahead a couple of
Speaker 1: days ago, but it was probably group that mis called
Speaker 1: the presidential and sixteen and twenty also it's called the
Speaker 1: Goodnatural in eighteen in Florida. Neither have the stuff to
Speaker 1: beat run to Santis though, right, that's you know, the
Speaker 1: frustrating thing. I know I speak for everyone who's been
Speaker 1: in a campaign where you feel, even if you win
Speaker 1: the first round, winning the second looks and feels herculean,
Speaker 1: if not not impossible. That is what it is facing
Speaker 1: the Democratic nominee unfortunately, whether it be Charlie Chris or
Speaker 1: Nicky Freed, Adam Goodman. Great to have you back. Republican strategist,
Speaker 1: columnists and Murrow fellow at Tufts University's Fletcher School. This
Speaker 1: Jamie had more to say about that. By the way,
Speaker 1: not just run to Santis, but other so called election
Speaker 1: deniers and her plans for them will reassemble the panel next,
Speaker 1: this is Bloomberg. This is Bloomberg sound on on Bloomberg Radio.
Speaker 1: So by this time tomorrow people will be lining up
Speaker 1: to vote on their way home from work or well,
Speaker 1: on the case of New York, on their way to Fork.
Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us on the fastest hour in politics,
Speaker 1: Bloomberg Radio. I'm Joe, Matthew and Washington with our signature
Speaker 1: panel Bloomberg Politics contributors Jeanie Chanzano and Rick Davis. Jennie,
Speaker 1: I'm fascinated by Democrats. Love affair with Liz Cheney, someone
Speaker 1: who represents what most liberals stand against. Just name the
Speaker 1: issue with one exception, of course, that's election Donald Trump.
Speaker 1: And it looks like Liz Cheney, who lost her primary
Speaker 1: of course just last week, will be there this fall
Speaker 1: for some Democrats. As she described on ABC this week
Speaker 1: when asked about this new political organization that she's launching,
Speaker 1: Listen to Liz Cheney, I'm going to be very focused
Speaker 1: on working to ensure that we do everything we can
Speaker 1: UM not to elect election deniers, and I'm going to
Speaker 1: work against those people. I'm going to work to support
Speaker 1: their opponents. I think it matters that much. Working to
Speaker 1: support their opponents, Genie. That means she's going to be
Speaker 1: on stage with Democrats. She could be you know, this
Speaker 1: great task, as she calls it, is to ensure that
Speaker 1: Trump Trump is UM and election deniers more broadly, don't
Speaker 1: continue their stranglehold on the Republican Party. And so to
Speaker 1: do that, she's willing, as she's shown, not only to
Speaker 1: lose her own seat, but to work across the aisle
Speaker 1: to work with Democrats and people who have a similar
Speaker 1: distaste for you know, these election deniers. The challenge for
Speaker 1: Liz Cheney, of course, is she not only lost in Wyoming,
Speaker 1: she lost huge and Donald Trump has shown throughout this
Speaker 1: primary season he does have a stranglehold on the Republican Party,
Speaker 1: and this is a boon for Democrats in this election
Speaker 1: cycle and what's otherwise a bad election year for them,
Speaker 1: That in the road decision, But it is very, very
Speaker 1: a problematic for Republicans, as we've heard from Mitch McConnell,
Speaker 1: who want to win the general election and take back
Speaker 1: the Senate in the House. So it's a complicated mess.
Speaker 1: But I think Liz Cheney is willing to blow up
Speaker 1: the Republican Party costs them wins to what she sees
Speaker 1: as the longer term of saving the party. Well, to
Speaker 1: what extent are you taking this seriously? Rick? Obviously Jennie
Speaker 1: just mapped it out. This was not, you know, a
Speaker 1: near miss for Liz Cheney, who was essentially evicted from
Speaker 1: the Republican caucus in the House now lost her job
Speaker 1: in Wyoming, where her family name has been pretty meaningful
Speaker 1: in Republican politics. Why should we be paying attention, Well,
Speaker 1: it's we should pay attention because one, we're in a
Speaker 1: divided Senate, We're in a very close House of representatives,
Speaker 1: and this election, more so than any is sort of
Speaker 1: focused on building a democracy versus tearing it down. So
Speaker 1: uh Arizona a microcosum right election deniers won the nomination
Speaker 1: all endorsed by Donald Trump for governor, for Senate, and
Speaker 1: for or Secretary of State. Liz Cheney wants to make
Speaker 1: sure none of those Republicans serve in office, that they
Speaker 1: don't get to win in the general election. And so
Speaker 1: her campaign is really on democracy promotion, not on promoting
Speaker 1: anyone partisan party. And and I think that that she
Speaker 1: that is shared with a lot of people. I mean,
Speaker 1: Adam Kinsinger, one of her partners on the on the committee,
Speaker 1: is also out there doing exactly the same thing. He's
Speaker 1: formed a committee Country First, and it's going out there
Speaker 1: and trying to help people who are trying to defeat
Speaker 1: election to niners, even if you agree on nothing on
Speaker 1: the policy side. Though Liz Cheney stands next to a
Speaker 1: Democrat on stage, and that that does not come across
Speaker 1: as disingenuous devoters. I don't think she's going to be
Speaker 1: standing on podys. I think she's going to be talking
Speaker 1: about Republicans who she knows best, right, and so she's
Speaker 1: going to carry the negative message on why these people
Speaker 1: and their efforts to try and tear down the institutions
Speaker 1: of our democracy is bad for our country. She doesn't
Speaker 1: necessarily have to say great thing is about the Democrats running.
Speaker 1: She did say, though, she would work for those candidates
Speaker 1: who are running against deniers, So I presume that would
Speaker 1: have to be a Democrat at some point. Uh, Mitch McConnell.
Speaker 1: To your point, Genie made made reference to the issue
Speaker 1: here just last week. He said it again today in Kentucky, UH,
Speaker 1: talking about candidate quality and essentially all but gave the
Speaker 1: Senate to Democrats, or at least to keep the Senate.
Speaker 1: Here's what he said. There's probably a greater likelihood in
Speaker 1: the House than the Senate. Races are just different there statewide. Uh.
Speaker 1: Candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome.
Speaker 1: Hashtag candidate quality. And we've talked about this before. Everyone
Speaker 1: points to the same candidates, Genie, Right, it's Dr Roz,
Speaker 1: it's herschel Walker, it's J. D. Vance. You could keep going.
Speaker 1: Those seemed to be the big three. Candidate quality if
Speaker 1: if we can use that term here with with a
Speaker 1: straight face, appears to be the issue here in deciding
Speaker 1: the balance of hour in the Senate. Herschel Walker is
Speaker 1: really though quite an example here, UH, as as he
Speaker 1: vised for UH, this Senate seat in Georgia. Uh, he's
Speaker 1: been in the midst of this argument over debates. Listen
Speaker 1: to herschel Walker talking to Raphael Warnock, the current senator
Speaker 1: from Georgia, and we're not gonna hide. I'm gonna have
Speaker 1: like Senator one not And what I would say to
Speaker 1: Senator one not is where you at, scaredy cat? Where
Speaker 1: are you at, scaredy cat? Uh. It turns out that
Speaker 1: the local I believe it's live eleven has been has
Speaker 1: invited both herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock uh to a
Speaker 1: a debate and and herschel Walker has not responded. Warnock
Speaker 1: is on board. He was asked herschel Walker was asked
Speaker 1: about this, what the problem is with this debate and
Speaker 1: why he's not going to be taking part here. He is, Oh,
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna respond in a vein that it calls.
Speaker 1: You know, that's not a debate, and you know that
Speaker 1: when you got for that, that has contribute to his
Speaker 1: campaign and his end his room to own a two
Speaker 1: people gonna see it on Sunday night. I think NFL
Speaker 1: football like, yeah, I don't give you an opportunity to
Speaker 1: be statewide so everybody can see what it is see
Speaker 1: the contrast between the two of us. I don't know
Speaker 1: how you can't ask me anything better. So from what
Speaker 1: I from what we understand here, there would not be
Speaker 1: to be supporters of both allowed in the hall. And
Speaker 1: it's not on a Sunday night's on a Thursday, as
Speaker 1: a matter of fact, when you know presumably they're not
Speaker 1: going to be watching uh NFL games. I don't need
Speaker 1: to keep going on too much further with this because
Speaker 1: every day it seems to be Rick Davis something like
Speaker 1: this with herschel Walker. Um. Candidate quality is that what
Speaker 1: this election is going to go down to for Republicans?
Speaker 1: You know, look, I mean herschel Walker has no previous
Speaker 1: experience in any kind of public office. That he's a
Speaker 1: first timer. Sure, he's a great name and a super
Speaker 1: football player, but the jury is out on whether or
Speaker 1: not he has the capacity to be a great politician
Speaker 1: and maybe even elected official. If I were his campaign
Speaker 1: manage or his consultant, I would not allow him to
Speaker 1: debate anybody, not even kids. I mean, would you not
Speaker 1: also be pointing to candidate quality on the Democratic side?
Speaker 1: You know, look, I think that that if you're an incumbent,
Speaker 1: candidate quality doesn't matter, right, I mean, you're only worried
Speaker 1: about just mean nationwide. How come, Genie, Candidate quality isn't
Speaker 1: isn't an issue for Democrats who are running for a
Speaker 1: lot of these same seats. Well, because the Democrats have
Speaker 1: managed to get candidates, um not you know, holy, but
Speaker 1: many candidates who are actually making a go of it
Speaker 1: in some really tough races. So let's look at Ohio.
Speaker 1: That should be a Republican seat. It's a Republican seat now.
Speaker 1: Their candidates should win in an off year election or
Speaker 1: a mid term election. And yet they've got Tim Ryan.
Speaker 1: He's running a pretty strong campaign. Flip over to Pennsylvania.
Speaker 1: Look at Fetterman. Sure, Oz is problematic, but Fetterman, he's
Speaker 1: been out and he's back on the campaign trade now,
Speaker 1: even from his hospital room, he is a pretty good candidate.
Speaker 1: So they have done their part. And you know, Mitch
Speaker 1: McConnell i seldom say this, but he's a hundred percent
Speaker 1: right on this. Candidate quality matters an awful lot, and
Speaker 1: Republicans have a big math problem because they are not
Speaker 1: only to forget trying to pick up one, they're trying
Speaker 1: to hold what they have. He doesn't want to be
Speaker 1: dealing with the likes of Ron Johnson, who is an
Speaker 1: incumbent and is not a good candidate for Wisconsin right now.
Speaker 1: So it's a problem for Republicans. Well, neither of you
Speaker 1: have even mentioned Crew today yet I wasn't here with
Speaker 1: you last week to talk about it. But I guess
Speaker 1: when you start to back away from this Rick, there
Speaker 1: there is clearly an evolving narrative that says, Okay, it
Speaker 1: looks like Democrats just may well keep the Senate, they
Speaker 1: could even add a seat. Uh. And and Republicans in
Speaker 1: the House need to start dialing back expectations. Do you
Speaker 1: agree with that? Uh? To some degree. I I do
Speaker 1: think we're sort of shielding the real argument. And it's
Speaker 1: not about candidate quality. Obviously that happens all the time.
Speaker 1: But being the old man on the block, I remember
Speaker 1: waking up the day after the election in night with
Speaker 1: Reagan's sweeping victory and electing a Republican Senate with people
Speaker 1: who are completely unqualified to be United States senators. Chick
Speaker 1: Hacked was one of the names that come to mind.
Speaker 1: Voted the dumbest senator in the Senate, and and and
Speaker 1: they served six years one term, and then almost all
Speaker 1: of them lost reelection and and so that was they
Speaker 1: got elected, not because they were great candidates or they
Speaker 1: were good campaigner, but there was a red sweep that year.
Speaker 1: This would have been a red sweep year. But I
Speaker 1: think the underpinning of this has been lost. That Biden
Speaker 1: administration has gained a lot of momentum. If they can
Speaker 1: hold it till November, they're gonna ameliorate the sweep and
Speaker 1: all of a sudden, bad candidates matter. And and in
Speaker 1: the case of Dr Oz and his crew to days,
Speaker 1: if he doesn't sharpen his his efforts, he's not going
Speaker 1: to have the win at his back like he thought
Speaker 1: he was going to have. Uh and uh and And
Speaker 1: believe me, red tide makes everybody look like a good
Speaker 1: candidate and a great elected official and and without it,
Speaker 1: they just look like bad politicians. Rising tide lifts all boats.
Speaker 1: Genie crudete a side. Let's say the Senate stays Democratic,
Speaker 1: House goes Republican. Can Joe Biden get anything done? Very
Speaker 1: very difficult. You know, I'm never optimistic about this. And
Speaker 1: it's even tougher. And yeah, it's gonna be even tougher though,
Speaker 1: because now you have divided government. You couple that with
Speaker 1: the number of investigations that we will see from the
Speaker 1: Republican side in the House. You know, Kevin McCarthy if
Speaker 1: he is a speaker, and I know your guest said
Speaker 1: he won't be, but if he was, he'll be rinning
Speaker 1: some of those. So it'll be tough for Biden. He's
Speaker 1: done a lot this year, but next year, if it flips,
Speaker 1: will be tough. Yeah, we won't count on too many
Speaker 1: Democrats to understand the future for Kevin McCarthy. Great to
Speaker 1: talk with both Rick and Genne. Great to see you
Speaker 1: again as well. Thanks for joining us on the fastest
Speaker 1: hour in politics. If you showed up late, subscribe to
Speaker 1: the podcast and I'll meet you on primary day tomorrow
Speaker 1: on sound on This is Bloomberg.