1 00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: Senator going to be with you in person this week. 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: For everyone listening, we do one of our shows a week, 3 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:09,120 Speaker 1: usually on video, so you can watch this on YouTube 4 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: or on x or on Facebook. Make sure you follow 5 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: us there, make sure you foll us on YouTube, and 6 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: you can watch this episode as well. I want to 7 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,799 Speaker 1: get in first into the big news. As we got 8 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: here to film this, Ron DeSantis not only did he 9 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: drop out, but he's endorsed Donald Trump for president. Your 10 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: initial reaction to that is that the right decision, the 11 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: right time to do it early on. 12 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 2: Well, listen, it is big news. I will say, it's 13 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 2: not surprising you. And I talked about this in our 14 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 2: pod last week. As you know last week, I endorsed 15 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 2: Donald Trump immediately following the Iowa caucus. And the reason 16 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 2: I did that is the results of the Iowa caucus 17 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,279 Speaker 2: were clear. They were decisive. And what I said that 18 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 2: next day is this primary is over, Donald Trump will 19 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 2: be the Republican nominee. I thought that was clear from 20 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 2: the results of Iowa. DeSantis. It was clear that DeSantis 21 00:00:58,000 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 2: was going to drop out. We didn't know that it 22 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 2: would necess be on Sunday, but we knew it would 23 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 2: be soon. He did not have a path going forward. 24 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 2: He did not have a path to victory. He recognized 25 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 2: that once you don't have a path to victory, I 26 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,119 Speaker 2: think the right thing to do is to drop out. 27 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 3: That's what he did. 28 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,759 Speaker 2: At this point, it is a two person race between 29 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,320 Speaker 2: Trump and Nicky Haley, and we've got the New Hampshire 30 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 2: primary coming up right now. As I said, I think 31 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 2: this primary is over, but New Hampshire might represent a speedbump. 32 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 2: New Hampshire over history has at times been contrary. Haley 33 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 2: and Donald Trump are polling basically neck and neck in 34 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 2: New Hampshire. I think it is entirely possible we see 35 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 2: a close outcome in New Hampshire. I don't think it 36 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 2: is impossible that Nicky Haley wins New Hampshire. She's within 37 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: two points of him right now. But whether it is close, 38 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 2: or whether Haley wins New Hampshire, or whether Trump wins 39 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 2: New Hampshire, I don't think it makes the Hill of 40 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 2: Beans of difference. If Trump win, the race is over 41 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 2: that instant. If Haley wins, the race is over shortly thereafter, 42 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:11,519 Speaker 2: because after New Hampshire the race moves on to South Carolina. 43 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 2: Nikki Haley is a former governor of South Carolina. But 44 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 2: Trump has a dominating lead in South Carolina. Trump is 45 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 2: going to win South Carolina by double digits. 46 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: And that hurts her more, you think, because it is 47 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: her home state. It's kind of like what Al Gore 48 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: loss Tennessee, for example. If you lose your home state, 49 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: it's not gonna go well for. 50 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 2: You well, and especially in a primary. Remember Gore lost 51 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 2: Tennessee in the general election, so there was nothing to 52 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 2: happen after that. In this instance, losing your home state 53 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,679 Speaker 2: in a primary is crushing. You need to be able 54 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 2: to win your home state. I don't see any way 55 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 2: that Nicky Haley is going to win South Carolina. And 56 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 2: right after South Carolina are the Super Primary, the Super 57 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 2: Tuesday states that are predominantly Southern states. In all of those, 58 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,799 Speaker 2: Trump has a big, big lead. What we've got plan 59 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:07,239 Speaker 2: out right now is Nicky Hayley has become the moderate 60 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 2: establishment candidate. So anyone typically in a Republican presidential primary, 61 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 2: about thirty percent of the voters self identified self identify 62 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 2: as establishment moderates. That means seventy percent do not. At 63 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 2: this point, Nicky is clearly owning the establishment moderate lane 64 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 2: and part of the reason why it is possible that 65 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 2: she wins in New Hampshire is New Hampshire's estate that 66 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 2: has a lot of independence. Now, independence in New Hampshire 67 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 2: can vote in either primary. They can show up on 68 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 2: primary day and say I want to vote Democrat or 69 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 2: I want to vote Republican, and so they can choose 70 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 2: that day, and so independence can really influence the outcome 71 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 2: of the New Hampshire primary. This weekend, the Boston Globe 72 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 2: had a big editorial urging independence, do not vote in 73 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 2: the Democrat primary, show up vote in the Republican primary. 74 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 4: Operation chaos. 75 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 2: Basically, well, no, no, but it's very specific, and vote 76 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 2: for Nicki Haley beat Donald Trump is what the Boston Globe, 77 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 2: and the Boston Globe says. We don't like Nicki Haley, yeah, 78 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 2: but we hate Donald Trump. And so particularly if you 79 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 2: see a bunch of Independents showing up in order to 80 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 2: defeat Trump. That could happen in one state, but beyond that, 81 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,799 Speaker 2: I don't see any any path going forward for Haley 82 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 2: or anyone to beat Trump. 83 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:30,039 Speaker 1: Let's talk about the Sanders for a moment, dropping out 84 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: and what happens his voters in New Hampshire there are 85 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: some that might be frustrated their guys out. 86 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 4: Does a majority of them. 87 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: Go historically to the underdog there because you're mad that 88 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: you had your guy dropped out because the guy who's 89 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,919 Speaker 1: in the lead aka Donald Trump. Talk about the psychological 90 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,279 Speaker 1: aspect of voters and what happens historically there. 91 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 2: So I have not seen the polling in New Hampshire 92 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 2: of who Desantus's people lists their second choice, and that's 93 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 2: among more sophisticated polling. You at people, all right, your 94 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:05,119 Speaker 2: first choices is Ben Ferguson, Who's your second choice? Mickey Mouse? Okay, 95 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 2: so you write those down. My supposition, so Dessantus was 96 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 2: about six percent in New Hampshire. He was not gonna 97 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 2: do well in New Hampshire. That's part of the reason 98 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 2: Ron didn't have a path. He was gonna get crushed 99 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 2: in New Hampshire. Then he was gonna go to South 100 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 2: Carolina and get crushed in South Carolina, and then he 101 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 2: was gonna go on to the Super Tuesday states and 102 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,679 Speaker 2: get crushed, including getting crushed in his home state of Florida. 103 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 2: And so they're just as you looked at the calendar 104 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 2: and said, well, what state can he win? There wasn't 105 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 2: an answer to that, which is why why this decision 106 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 2: was made. You know, in terms of where the roughly 107 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 2: six percent in New Hampshire voters go that we're going 108 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 2: to vote for him, my guess is that more of 109 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 2: them go to Trump than go to Hayley. I don't 110 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 2: know that, But you've got kind of twin factors. If 111 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 2: you're just making up positions on one factor. Look DeSantis 112 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:07,720 Speaker 2: as a candidate based on his record, there's much more 113 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 2: of an ideological overlap with Trump. DeSantis was running as 114 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 2: a pretty trumpy candidate. It was basically sure Trump without 115 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 2: the baggage was to the extent there was a Dessatus 116 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:19,480 Speaker 2: message that was it. 117 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:20,919 Speaker 4: You and I talked about this. 118 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: If you put them on stage and you went through 119 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: one hundred concerned issues there and said raizor hand, if 120 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: you agree with this or disagreed, they would probably have 121 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 1: matched up about ninety nine out of. 122 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:32,159 Speaker 2: One hundred, and so the voters who were with DeSantis 123 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 2: tend to agree with Trump on the issues Down the line. However, 124 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 2: some of the voters with DeSantis are people who just 125 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 2: didn't like Trump and decided DeSantis was the strongest alternative. 126 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 2: So if you're a voter who doesn't like Trump, presumably 127 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 2: you go to Nicki Haley. If you're a voter who 128 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 2: is ideologically aligned and stylistically aligned with Trump and Dessantis, 129 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,479 Speaker 2: you presumably go to Trump. My guess is of the 130 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,159 Speaker 2: six percent, four percent goes to Trump and two goes 131 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 2: to Haley. That's that's that's just pulling out of the air. 132 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 2: But notionally, those would be the reasons that that would happen. 133 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 1: All right, let's go back to your victory for a second. 134 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: That was a life changing moment politically for you. Can 135 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: we talk strategy just for a second there? What was 136 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,679 Speaker 1: your strategy and remind people what the issues were during 137 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: that election with Donald Trump? It was I mean, that 138 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: was a that was a just bloodbath. There was a 139 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: lot of punches that were being swung. There was a 140 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: lot of negative media and I'm talking about media stories 141 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: and accusations and absurd things that I could have never 142 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 1: imagined when it hit in that race and all of 143 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: a sudden, it was all there and you came out 144 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 1: with that victory. When did you think you were going 145 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: to win? 146 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 2: That? 147 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 4: Was there a day or two before? When you thought 148 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 4: we have the edge? 149 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 2: Was it a week before, so on the weekend, all 150 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 2: of the public polling showed Trump was going to win Iowa, 151 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 2: and all the public polling was wrong. I can tell 152 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 2: you my polling on the campaign showed we were going 153 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 2: to win Iowa, and my polling, I think, was one 154 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 2: point off. And that was consistent throughout the twenty sixteen campaign. 155 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 2: Our internal polls were almost exactly where our numbers were, 156 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 2: and so we knew where we were. We ran a 157 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 2: very very data driven campaign. Listen, twenty sixteen was a 158 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 2: race where there were seventeen Republican candidates. It was a 159 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 2: very crowded field, and those seventeen candidates, it was a 160 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 2: very strong field. 161 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: The level of debate then was at a level that 162 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: I don't think we've had in a long time in politics. 163 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:32,600 Speaker 1: And that's one of the things that I loved about 164 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: that campaign was you did have a lot of brilliant 165 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 1: minds on stage. I kind of missed that there was 166 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: a level of debate that I thought was good for 167 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: the country on issues. 168 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 4: Did you enjoy that? 169 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 2: Loved every second of every minute of every day. It 170 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 2: was incredible, It was breathtaking, It was all consuming. It 171 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 2: was most fun I've ever had in my life. 172 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 4: Can I ask an insight baseball question there? 173 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: Rubio, if he would have dropped out before South Carolina, 174 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: what did y'all's polling show? 175 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 2: Then Trump would have still won South Carolina, but it 176 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 2: would have been would have been much closer. And and 177 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,679 Speaker 2: Rubio later on, Rubio state in the race for a 178 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 2: long time and cuts support away from me. And and 179 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:24,719 Speaker 2: so you know, if you fast forward Super Tuesday and 180 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 2: before the Florida primary, we polled at the time, what 181 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 2: happened if Rubio and I ran together as a ticket? 182 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:36,119 Speaker 2: One ended up happening. I ended up winning twelve states? 183 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 3: Uh? 184 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 2: Trump won at the time, it was something like twenty 185 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:43,679 Speaker 2: three states, and no other candidate won more than a 186 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:48,480 Speaker 2: single state. So Kasik won Ohio, Rubio one Minnesota, and 187 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 2: Trump and I won every other state. Uh. We did 188 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 2: poll at the time right before Florida, what happens if 189 00:09:55,160 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 2: Rubio drops out and if Rubio joins me? And our 190 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:05,840 Speaker 2: poll numbers showed that my support jumped double digits. Wow, 191 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 2: And I think it would have changed the outcome If 192 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 2: Marco had done that. I think it is quite likely 193 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 2: the outcome would have changed. But he didn't. And so 194 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 2: what ended up happening is even though I won twelve states, 195 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:23,680 Speaker 2: at the end of the day, Trump had too big 196 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 2: a lead and it essentially took too long for the 197 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 2: rest of the field to consolidate. That Rubia stuck around 198 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 2: a long time, Casik stuck around a long time. They 199 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 2: couldn't win anywhere, but they could suck votes away from me, 200 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 2: and they did, and that they're sticking around played a 201 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 2: pivotal part in Trump's winning the nomination in sixteen. 202 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: For ten years, Patriot Mobile has been America's only Christian 203 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: conservative wireless provider. And when I say only, I mean it, 204 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 1: they are the only one. 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I think in politics people to 252 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 1: understand how hard is not when you're running president. I 253 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:15,080 Speaker 1: think on just you, your family, your friends, your supporters, 254 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,599 Speaker 1: the people that are writing checks. It is one of 255 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:22,440 Speaker 1: the worst moments watching a candidate half decide how to 256 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: drop out, when to drop out, where to do it, 257 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 1: being good stewards of their supporters and their dollars that 258 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:32,560 Speaker 1: you're continuingly asking them to give. When you were looking 259 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 1: at the idea of dropping out, how did that go down? 260 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 1: Did you talk to a larger group of people. First, 261 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:41,439 Speaker 1: did you talk to donors, and then a smaller group, 262 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 1: did you talk to your campaign staff? And then did 263 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:45,679 Speaker 1: you talk to your family? What was that cycle? How 264 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 1: did that look like to make that decision, Because obviously 265 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,400 Speaker 1: DeSantis had to deal with that, and now there's a 266 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: lot of people calling for Nicki Haley to get out. 267 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: I don't think she's going to get out anytime soon, 268 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: and so what does that decision look like when you 269 00:13:58,320 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 1: were having to go through it. 270 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 2: Well, listen, almost everyone drops out for the same reason 271 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 2: they go broke. What drives you out of a campaign 272 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 2: is when you're no longer able to raise the money 273 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 2: to keep the lights on, when you're no longer able 274 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 2: to raise the money to run any ads, when you're 275 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:13,960 Speaker 2: no longer able to raise the money to pay your 276 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 2: campaign staff, when you're no longer able to raise the 277 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,320 Speaker 2: money to fly to the next campaign event. That's what 278 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 2: drives people out. It's also a reason a lot of 279 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 2: campaigns are terrible at budgeting, and they blow a lot 280 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 2: of money fast and early, and they go broke. And 281 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 2: so you have a lot of candidates who drop out 282 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 2: before a single voter's cast, to drop out before Iowa happens, 283 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 2: and so marshaling the money. One of the reasons DeSantis 284 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 2: I'm not surprised that he dropped out is he was 285 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 2: going broke and nobody would write him a check. At 286 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 2: this point, when he's gotten crushed in Iowa and there's 287 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 2: not a state coming up that he had any prayer 288 00:14:56,240 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 2: of winning, it becomes impossible to raise money. Both large 289 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 2: money you're calling donors and ask him to max out 290 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 2: and no one to write a check. Then if they 291 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 2: don't think you can win, your money disappears. But little donors, 292 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 2: people giving five dollars or ten dollars, they don't do 293 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 2: that either. If they don't believe you have a chance 294 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 2: at victory, that dynamic is inevitably the case you also haven't. 295 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 2: And look, it's worth underscoring believing you can win. If 296 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 2: your supporters believe you can win, it becomes a self 297 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 2: fulfilling prophecy. So for example, we came out of the 298 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 2: first three states I want Iowa, Trump won New Hampshire 299 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 2: and South Carolina. We then went forward. We had had 300 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 2: Super Tuesday. I ended up on Super Tuesday. Trump won 301 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 2: seven states. I won three, So I won Oklahoma, Maine, 302 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 2: and Texas and Texas was a big deal a lot 303 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 2: of delegates. I want a big double digit victory in Texas. 304 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: Other win Texas than three or four other smaller states 305 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 1: in the same day. 306 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 2: Yes, but winning Oklahoma and that's the day Rubio one 307 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 2: Minnesota that so that was his one victory. But winning 308 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 2: those three states is what made it at that point 309 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 2: a two man race, as I established myself as the 310 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 2: principal alternative to Trump at this point if you fast 311 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:28,600 Speaker 2: forward from there. So there was a three week period 312 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 2: in March and April when I won five consecutive primaries 313 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 2: by double digits. I won Utah, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Wisconsin, 314 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 2: all three of those played. All five of those played 315 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 2: out over three consecutive weeks, and I won all of 316 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 2: them by double digits, big crushing victories. Normally, when that happens, 317 00:16:55,960 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 2: there's a narrative of the parties uniting, coming together. Whether 318 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:04,359 Speaker 2: you're winning, you're uniting different factions of the party. Wisconsin, 319 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 2: for example, was that it was an enormous victory. You 320 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 2: look at Wisconsin, Wisconsin. The knock that the media tried 321 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 2: to do on me was the same knock they did 322 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 2: on Hackabe and centaorum, which is he's an evangelical niche 323 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:21,720 Speaker 2: candidate that just just appeals in small circles. I never 324 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 2: thought that was a very very accurate characterization. Yes, I 325 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 2: am a Christian, and that is a big part of 326 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 2: who I am, but I'm a very different person than 327 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 2: Mike Cockabe or rec Centaurum. Wisconsin is one of the 328 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 2: least evangelical states in the country. Wisconsin is a purple state. 329 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:47,119 Speaker 2: Wisconsin is a blue collar state. Wisconsin is a union state. 330 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 2: Wisconsin is a working class state. And so under conventional narratives, 331 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:54,439 Speaker 2: I should have gotten crushed in Wisconsin. I ended up 332 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:58,679 Speaker 2: winning decisively in Wisconsin. I won very conservatives, I won 333 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 2: somewhat conservatives. I want women, I won men, I won 334 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:04,680 Speaker 2: young people, I won Reagan Democrats. It was a thirteen 335 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 2: point victory in Wisconsin. 336 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 4: What was the issue there that made that difference. 337 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 2: I campaigned on my record that I had a strong, 338 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 2: proven record of fighting for conservative principles, fighting for jobs, 339 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 2: fighting for the Constitution, and that proven record resonated. What 340 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:30,239 Speaker 2: happened subsequently, however, is the next week was the New 341 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 2: York Primary. Now the New York primary is Donald Trump's 342 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:39,920 Speaker 2: home state. The New York primary also is a difficult primary. 343 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:43,159 Speaker 2: For one thing, New York has a curious way of 344 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:45,760 Speaker 2: doing primaries, and that they have a different party, the 345 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 2: Conservative Party, so that many of the more conservative New 346 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 2: York voters are not actually in the Republican Party, they're 347 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:57,679 Speaker 2: in the Conservative Party. And listen, one would expect Trump 348 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 2: to win his home state. He did, won New York decisively. 349 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 2: New York is also where most of the national and 350 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 2: corporate media is headquartered. 351 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 4: So they loved it. 352 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:10,399 Speaker 2: And so for the media, they obsessed on that, and 353 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:15,200 Speaker 2: what ended up happening. We saw a forty eight hour 354 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 2: time period where the relentless media coverage was the race 355 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 2: is over. Trump is won, he can't be beaten, he 356 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 2: can't be beaten, he can't be beaten. Despite we just 357 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 2: had five double digit victories in a row in a 358 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:33,360 Speaker 2: row consecutively. The media just flooded the zone with the 359 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:37,120 Speaker 2: message the race is over, and we saw our numbers plummet. 360 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 2: So the next week was Pennsylvania before the New York primary. 361 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 2: Trump and I were tied in Pennsylvania. After the New 362 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,159 Speaker 2: York primary, when the media hammered the races over, the 363 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 2: race is over, we dropped double digits. Our people gave up. 364 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,199 Speaker 2: They said, you just can't win. That effect, and so 365 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 2: I can tell you for DeSantis. Once your people believe 366 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 2: you can't win, they don't show up. Yeah, they don't work, 367 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:05,200 Speaker 2: they don't make phone calls, they don't give money. 368 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:06,680 Speaker 1: They get yard signs, they don't do all the things 369 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:08,200 Speaker 1: that a campaign desperately needs. 370 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 2: It just takes. So coming out of Wisconsin, the polling 371 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 2: in California, I was leading Trump significantly in California. Interesting 372 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 2: until the media just broke our back with the races, 373 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,239 Speaker 2: over the races, over the races, over Trump has one, 374 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:28,399 Speaker 2: Trump is one, Trump is one, and the media made 375 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 2: that a self fulfilling prophecy. And so we saw my 376 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:41,920 Speaker 2: last primary was Indiana and Indiana the relentless media coverage 377 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 2: and it actually it was quantified. Trump got three billion 378 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 2: dollars in free media that cycle. 379 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: And so my campaign, by the way, I think you 380 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: should say that again because I think people forget this 381 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 1: read billion with a B, and so people understand how 382 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: we do this in the political world when're running campaign, 383 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:04,880 Speaker 1: there's earned media, there's there's there's free media, and there's 384 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 1: news cycles. He just played to some people's advantage. Donald 385 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 1: Trump just sucked the free media out of the every room. 386 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 2: And there was no precedent for it. So in twenty sixteen, 387 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:20,919 Speaker 2: my campaign raised ninety two million dollars. It was the 388 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 2: most money any Republican had ever raised in the history 389 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 2: of presidential primaries, more than George W. Bush or John 390 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 2: McCain or Mitt Romney. And that came from one point 391 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 2: six million contributions all over the country. Ninety two million 392 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 2: dollars is a crap ton of money, yeah, unless you 393 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 2: have three billion dollars dollars on the other end. And 394 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 2: it actually was quantified. The last thirty days of the campaign. 395 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:50,200 Speaker 2: Donald Trump got five hundred million dollars in free media. 396 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:52,400 Speaker 2: This is during the primary, the last thirty days, five 397 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:56,120 Speaker 2: hundred million dollars. Wow, over ninety percent of it was positive. 398 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 2: Basically the last thirty days, the media just said it's over. 399 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,400 Speaker 2: It's over. It's over, it's over. And the floor collapsed 400 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:05,919 Speaker 2: on all of our numbers. Our people gave up. The 401 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 2: media convinced them it was over. And once they convinced 402 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 2: them it was over, it was so Dessantus is in 403 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 2: the same place. His people had abandoned hope and at 404 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 2: that point, he had no choice and so I suspended 405 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,679 Speaker 2: the campaign May third. I still remember it, well, we 406 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 2: did a rally. 407 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 4: What got you to that decision? 408 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:28,719 Speaker 2: Though? 409 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: I understand that the money drying up, but explain that 410 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: the sphere around you and how many meetings did it 411 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 1: take to get to the decision. 412 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 2: So look, I had a core team, a senior leadership 413 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 2: team on the campaign, and these are very trusted advisors 414 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 2: and it's about ten people, and we spent so the 415 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:57,359 Speaker 2: night before Indiana, we spent several hours going through the 416 00:22:57,480 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 2: data and going through numbers. I told you we were 417 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 2: in Hensley data driven. I don't think there has ever 418 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:05,639 Speaker 2: been a candidate and a campaign that was as data 419 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:09,639 Speaker 2: driven as we were. And we knew the results in 420 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:13,920 Speaker 2: virtually every state before they happened, and consistently our results 421 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:16,679 Speaker 2: were within one or two points of the outcome. So 422 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:20,919 Speaker 2: as we were sitting down the night before, we had 423 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,160 Speaker 2: a long, extensive meeting and we go through the numbers. 424 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 2: We go through the numbers and the subsequent states, and 425 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:30,320 Speaker 2: as I'm looking at it, there wasn't a state we 426 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 2: had a path to win. 427 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:37,439 Speaker 1: So is that just crushing to you personally? I mean, 428 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:40,359 Speaker 1: you're still in a campaign, you're still fighting center. I mean, 429 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:44,159 Speaker 1: so the media played a pivotal role in it. So, 430 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:49,919 Speaker 1: for example, the night of the New York primary, I 431 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:54,040 Speaker 1: gave a speech in Constitution Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was 432 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: coming up the next week. 433 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:55,440 Speaker 4: I remember that. 434 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 2: It was a brand new speech, so it was not 435 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,240 Speaker 2: my stump speech. It was a speech I'd never given before. 436 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:03,920 Speaker 2: It was it wasn't terribly long. It was like twelve 437 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:08,359 Speaker 2: thirteen minutes, so it was not a long stemwinder. The 438 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 2: media cut it off, they didn't ear it, they just 439 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:13,680 Speaker 2: went away. Now, mind you, there are only two of us, 440 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,400 Speaker 2: Trump and me. There were four people on planet Earth, 441 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 2: one of the four of whom was going to be 442 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,879 Speaker 2: the next president. Trump and me, Hillary and Bernie those 443 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:25,119 Speaker 2: were the four percentiate's remaining. And the media said, no, 444 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:27,880 Speaker 2: we're not even going to cover your speech. Mind you, 445 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:31,959 Speaker 2: They would do things like CNN had one press conference 446 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 2: where they literally had the camera live on an empty 447 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:39,440 Speaker 2: podium waiting for Trump to speak, and they had the 448 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:41,840 Speaker 2: camera pointed at the air there's this plane. I mean, 449 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 2: it was. It was breath taking coverage that just drowned 450 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 2: everything out. And so as we're sitting there we looked 451 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:56,239 Speaker 2: at the upcoming states, and when our numbers collapsed, our 452 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:59,440 Speaker 2: numbers collapsed everywhere. So I'm sitting there with my data guys, 453 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:03,360 Speaker 2: and I'm like, well, okay, what's the path to victory? 454 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:06,240 Speaker 2: I mentioned why Desantus suspended he did have a path 455 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:09,560 Speaker 2: to victory. As I looked at it, I could not 456 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,440 Speaker 2: see any path to victory. Now, I also knew my 457 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 2: numbers in Indiana. I knew that we were going to 458 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 2: lose the next day. I knew we were going to 459 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 2: lose by double digits. Now did I hold out hope 460 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 2: for a miracle, sure, yeah, but our data was rock solid. 461 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:29,920 Speaker 2: And it's interesting there's some people in politics who hire 462 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 2: staffers who just blow smoke at them, tell them what 463 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:35,439 Speaker 2: they want to hear. I don't understand that. I think 464 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 2: that's idiotic. I hire a team that they will tell 465 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:40,639 Speaker 2: me when I've screwed up, they'll tell me when the 466 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 2: polling's bad, like they're brutally honest. I think that makes 467 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,880 Speaker 2: you much more effective. But I knew that night, Okay, 468 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:50,760 Speaker 2: the next day, we're going to get clobbered Indiana. And 469 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 2: if we get clobbered in Indiana, we go on in 470 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 2: the state's coming up. We don't have any path. And 471 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:57,600 Speaker 2: I mentioned everyone drops out when they go broke. I'm 472 00:25:57,640 --> 00:25:59,520 Speaker 2: one of the few people for whom that was not 473 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 2: the case. I wasn't broke. We had several million dollars 474 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:03,080 Speaker 2: still in the back. 475 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 4: You could have kept going. 476 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 2: I had the money to keep going. Now, we couldn't 477 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 2: do big. 478 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,119 Speaker 4: Advis yeah, but you could run in a campaign. 479 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 1: You could get to the next state, you could set 480 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:16,879 Speaker 1: up shop, you could do the you could do the events. 481 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 2: So when I suspended on May third, Trump was astonished, 482 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 2: did not expect me to do that. And as I said, 483 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 2: the reason I did is we looked at the polling 484 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:30,440 Speaker 2: numbers and there was no credible path to come back 485 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 2: and win. And once there wasn't a path to win, 486 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 2: I wasn't interested in running and being a spoiler. Listen. 487 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 2: I wanted to beat Hillary Clinton. Yeah, and so I 488 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:42,600 Speaker 2: didn't want to stick around just for the heck of it. 489 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 2: Once there wasn't a path forward, and so I had 490 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:49,360 Speaker 2: a speech prepared that night, and we had We're in Indiana, 491 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 2: and we had several hundred of our strongest supporters that 492 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 2: were there, and well, actually, let me tell you something 493 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 2: about that morning. So the morning of the Indiana primary, 494 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,879 Speaker 2: I fly out to this event to do this speech. 495 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:08,719 Speaker 2: And by the way, in Indiana, I was campaigning with 496 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:11,800 Speaker 2: Mike Pence, Yeah, who was the governor of Indiana, who 497 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:12,720 Speaker 2: had just endorsed me. 498 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 1: It was a big endorsement, and a lot of people 499 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 1: thought that could maybe change those numbers you were talking about. 500 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:21,640 Speaker 2: Except we didn't because Pence's numbers were terrible in Indiana. 501 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:25,639 Speaker 2: He actually was underwater. His unfavorables were higher than his favorables, 502 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:30,480 Speaker 2: and so we had we actually there were very limited 503 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:33,120 Speaker 2: places in Indiana we could take Pence because most counties 504 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,320 Speaker 2: we went to it was not helpful. We picked a 505 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 2: couple of counties where it was. But this is what 506 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 2: I mean by being data driven. We say, Okay, if 507 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:44,200 Speaker 2: we're going to campaign with someone, let's do it somewhere 508 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 2: where it helps and not hurts, and down to those 509 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:50,400 Speaker 2: day to day decisions. But the morning of the primary, 510 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 2: we flew I forget what time. We flew to a 511 00:27:52,680 --> 00:28:00,560 Speaker 2: speech that morning, and as we were driving by, there 512 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:04,520 Speaker 2: was an elementary school on the corner, and the school 513 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 2: knew that a presidential candidate was coming, and so they'd 514 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,320 Speaker 2: let all the kids go out into the like the 515 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 2: yard to like to see the presidential candidate. And I 516 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:18,880 Speaker 2: told the guy driving the truck, I said, pull over, 517 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:22,399 Speaker 2: I want to go go talk to the kids. And 518 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 2: so I went and talked to the kids, and I 519 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 2: ended up just kind of walking right into the group 520 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 2: of kids, and I was surrounded by hundreds of fifth graders, 521 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 2: maybe younger, but they seemed about fifth graders. And they 522 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 2: were cheering and screaming at the top of their lungs. 523 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 2: And I've never had that happen, by the way, that 524 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 2: this is the only day in politics that I've ever 525 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 2: had this experience. And they're literally jumping up and down 526 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 2: around me and cheering. And I got to say that 527 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 2: was emotional because I knew that morning that, barring a miracle, 528 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 2: I was dropping out that evening. So so that was 529 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:07,600 Speaker 2: a hard day. That whole day was a hard day. 530 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 2: And I will tell you, look, I don't don't like 531 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:16,720 Speaker 2: wearing faith on my sleeve, but ben I genuinely feel 532 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 2: like that morning was God just giving me a hug. Yeah, 533 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 2: Like I will tell you, to be surrounded by several 534 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 2: hundred screaming fifth graders, just just cheering, I was grateful, 535 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 2: like Okay, I needed this. I needed that, and it's 536 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 2: still to this day it I'm getting choked up. I 537 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 2: mean it was. It was a morning that was just 538 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 2: like wow. So that night we have the rally. I 539 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 2: have my prepared remarks and I'm giving my remarks, and 540 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 2: they have me suspending the campaign. As I get to 541 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 2: I say, I've always said I will stay in this 542 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 2: as long as there is a path to victory. Ahead 543 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:59,959 Speaker 2: looking at the results, I don't see a path to victory, 544 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 2: and therefore I am tonight suspending my campaign for president. 545 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:09,440 Speaker 2: When that happened, there was a woman in the crowd 546 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:15,280 Speaker 2: who let out a whale and it felt like she 547 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 2: had been struck. And I gotta say, it struck me 548 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 2: like a knife, like that whale hurt. And I made 549 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:26,600 Speaker 2: it through the speech, and I'll tell you it was 550 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 2: not easy to make it through the speech. And then 551 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:34,320 Speaker 2: I went backstage. There was a big curtain that separated 552 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 2: the backstage and I went backstage, and I'll tell you, 553 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 2: I was just weeping. They just tears were streaming down 554 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 2: my face. And to this day, I'm embarrassed because I 555 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 2: couldn't go out there and thank those supporters, and I 556 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:53,960 Speaker 2: desperately wanted. There were hundreds of people who had flown 557 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 2: from state to state and knocked on doors and made 558 00:30:56,720 --> 00:30:59,440 Speaker 2: phone calls that poured their hearts into them, and I 559 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:01,840 Speaker 2: wanted with all my might to go out there and 560 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 2: hug every one of them and say thank you, thank 561 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:08,440 Speaker 2: you for fighting for our country. And I just I 562 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:12,240 Speaker 2: couldn't stop weeping. And the problem was there were about 563 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:15,600 Speaker 2: two hundred TV cameras out there, and from my perspective, 564 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:17,960 Speaker 2: when I thought that night, I said, I'll be damned 565 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 2: if I'm going to let the media turn lion ted 566 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 2: into cry and ted that just no, no, they do 567 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,120 Speaker 2: not get to see this. It's none of their damn business. 568 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:33,200 Speaker 2: And I could so I couldn't come out. And Heidi 569 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:35,440 Speaker 2: was there, and it was one of Look, any good 570 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 2: marriage is really a partnership, and Heidi is my best friend. 571 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 2: That night, Heidi went out and spent. 572 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 4: Probably two hours saying thank you. 573 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:49,120 Speaker 2: Saying thank you, and hugging every person there and they're 574 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 2: all crying too, like it. It was a painful night, 575 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:55,680 Speaker 2: but Heidi had the strength to do what on that 576 00:31:55,800 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 2: night I did not. That's a hard thing, like a 577 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 2: presidential campaign is so all consuming it consumes sixteen to 578 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 2: eighteen hours a day, seven days a week. It that listen, 579 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 2: I feel for Ron and Casey. 580 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:20,480 Speaker 1: Right now, it's twenty twenty four and a lot of 581 00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:23,040 Speaker 1: us are trying to get our finances in order. 582 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:25,640 Speaker 3: There is some great news for homeowners. 583 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 1: Interest rates have dropped and are now in the fives, 584 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 1: a lot lower than they were last year. And if 585 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:33,800 Speaker 1: you've been buried in high interest credit card debt, now's 586 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 1: the time to break free. American Financing can help you 587 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 1: access to cash in your home to pay off your 588 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: high interest debt. Last year, there's salary based mortgage consultants 589 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:48,240 Speaker 1: help customers save an average of eight hundred and fifty 590 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:50,600 Speaker 1: four dollars a month. That's like giving yourself a ten 591 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 1: thousand dollar raise. What a way to start the new year. 592 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 1: And if you start today, you may be able to 593 00:32:56,640 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 1: delay two mortgage payments. Call American Finding Today eight and 594 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:06,480 Speaker 1: eight six seven five forty ninety that's eight and eight 595 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 1: six seven five forty ninety or online at American Financing 596 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:18,280 Speaker 1: dot net MLS eighteen twenty three thirty four MLS Consumer 597 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 1: Access dot org APR for rates in the five start 598 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 1: at six point four zero six percent for well qualified 599 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 1: borrowers call eight eight eight six seven five forty ninety 600 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:34,400 Speaker 1: for details about credit costs and terms. I think anyone 601 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 1: that runs for president that's a serious candidate and drops out. 602 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 1: People have asked me, what's it like on a president's 603 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:42,920 Speaker 1: campaign when it's over, Mike, it's like a funeral. 604 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:44,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, if you're a true. 605 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 1: Believer in the campaign, in the candidate, you're giving it, 606 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:50,800 Speaker 1: you're all you're a staffer, you want your guy to win, 607 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:51,400 Speaker 1: and it's over. 608 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 4: It's like a funeral. 609 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:56,360 Speaker 2: It and I spend a lot of time after Like 610 00:33:56,560 --> 00:34:00,920 Speaker 2: our team, I still think the team willsembled. And I'm 611 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 2: not impartial, but I think the team we assembled is 612 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:09,320 Speaker 2: the best campaign team certainly that I've ever seen. And 613 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:12,080 Speaker 2: they were like family. And so I went and assembled 614 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:15,440 Speaker 2: the entire team. Our headquarters was here in Houston, and 615 00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:17,320 Speaker 2: I thanked all the staff that this is like A 616 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:19,600 Speaker 2: day or two later, I thanked everyone and brought them 617 00:34:19,640 --> 00:34:22,040 Speaker 2: in and just just talked about reflected on what the 618 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:25,760 Speaker 2: campaign meant and what they'd accomplished. And when we started, 619 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:28,279 Speaker 2: nobody thought I had a prayer. Nobody thought we could 620 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:30,240 Speaker 2: win a single state, and we came with an inches 621 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:32,920 Speaker 2: of winning the whole thing. And I will tell you 622 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:38,480 Speaker 2: we had so Our campaign office was like an entire 623 00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:41,279 Speaker 2: floor of cubicles here in Houston, not far from where 624 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:43,399 Speaker 2: we are right now, very close, very close to where 625 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:47,440 Speaker 2: we are right now. And as everyone you know, went home, 626 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:52,680 Speaker 2: I remember walking through that campaign office and just all 627 00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:56,480 Speaker 2: the empty cubicles and you know the song from Le 628 00:34:56,640 --> 00:35:00,600 Speaker 2: Miz empty chairs and empty table. 629 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:02,759 Speaker 4: Yeah, that was. 630 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:08,840 Speaker 2: The song I kept hearing in my mind. In fact, 631 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:12,120 Speaker 2: I'm sure Ron and Case you're feeling the same thing. 632 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:18,280 Speaker 2: And it's it is a hard thing because everyone pours 633 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:20,920 Speaker 2: themselves into it. You know, years ago someone told me 634 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:24,960 Speaker 2: there's a reason that both politics and war used the 635 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,879 Speaker 2: word campaign because it's all consuming. There is nothing else 636 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:30,960 Speaker 2: in life like when you are on a campaign. It 637 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:34,000 Speaker 2: is one hundred percent of your will and your heart 638 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:39,799 Speaker 2: and your mind and your soul and everything. And and 639 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:41,959 Speaker 2: you know, you do feel like you've let people down. 640 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:47,319 Speaker 2: You know, you're getting people their uprooting their lives, they're 641 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:50,799 Speaker 2: moving their families, they're giving sacrificially. They believe in you. 642 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:55,720 Speaker 2: And look at this point, I've won elections, I've lost elections. 643 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:58,799 Speaker 2: Winning is much better. Yeah, those nights are a lot better. 644 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:06,000 Speaker 2: But the reality here, I think this outcome was ordained 645 00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:10,040 Speaker 2: the night of the Iowa Caucuses, when Trump won a 646 00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:15,280 Speaker 2: dominating victory, it was clear to Santus had no oxygen. 647 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 2: And Haley, as I mentioned, she will likely be competitive 648 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:23,359 Speaker 2: in New Hampshire, but I see no path for her 649 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:26,840 Speaker 2: beyond that, and so now we are going to test. Look, 650 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:29,920 Speaker 2: there are some big donors in the Republican Party that 651 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:32,799 Speaker 2: are never Trumpers, that who do not like Trump and 652 00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:37,240 Speaker 2: are writing millions of dollars to try to change the outcome. 653 00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:41,120 Speaker 2: I don't think the money can do it at this point. 654 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:44,480 Speaker 2: You know, they've got enough money in New Hampshire they 655 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:46,719 Speaker 2: could practically send a masseuse to give everyone a back 656 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:49,880 Speaker 2: rub and a foot rub on the way to the polls. 657 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:53,400 Speaker 2: But as you get on to South Carolina, I think 658 00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:56,080 Speaker 2: Trump's lead weight is way too large for Haley to 659 00:36:56,080 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 2: have a chance, And from there I don't think there's 660 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:01,800 Speaker 2: any path. 661 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:06,000 Speaker 1: Beyond final question your advice to Nikki Haley. If you 662 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:09,360 Speaker 1: don't have that pathway that you just described, what's the 663 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:10,640 Speaker 1: point of staying in now? 664 00:37:10,719 --> 00:37:13,720 Speaker 2: Look, you know, I actually try to refrain from giving 665 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:16,040 Speaker 2: advice to other candidates that everyone's got to follow their 666 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:17,399 Speaker 2: own heart and do what they. 667 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:18,680 Speaker 4: Think is right in their own timeline. 668 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:24,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, it's you know, calling on people to 669 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:26,120 Speaker 2: get out. I don't think. 670 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:28,120 Speaker 4: Let it play out. 671 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:30,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, it will play out. It's going to play out naturally. 672 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:34,680 Speaker 2: It's going to play out naturally, and pretty quickly, I think. 673 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:39,040 Speaker 2: And so you know, I recognize the decision to suspend 674 00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 2: a campaign is not easy. And look, depending on when 675 00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:48,640 Speaker 2: it occurs, it can often mean. So in twenty sixteen, 676 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:53,560 Speaker 2: you know, a bunch of the candidates suspended early, long 677 00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:57,480 Speaker 2: before Iowa, and so I ended up of my opponents, 678 00:37:57,560 --> 00:37:59,960 Speaker 2: five of my opponents ended up endorsing me in that race. 679 00:38:00,239 --> 00:38:02,560 Speaker 2: And and so so I got endorsed by Rick Perry 680 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:09,319 Speaker 2: and Carly Fiorina and Scott Walker uh and and Jeb 681 00:38:09,360 --> 00:38:14,120 Speaker 2: Bush and Lindsay Graham all backed me. And you know, 682 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:16,280 Speaker 2: you go out and campaign. So you know, Rick Perry, 683 00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:19,520 Speaker 2: you know, went and campaigned with me, and in Iowa, 684 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:21,520 Speaker 2: you know, and and knew you know, I remember being 685 00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:24,759 Speaker 2: in Barnes there and and look, Rick Perry was was 686 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:27,760 Speaker 2: my governor, someone who I knew and respected. He's older 687 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:31,280 Speaker 2: than I am. So it was a little surreal having 688 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:33,919 Speaker 2: having someone like Rick Perry come and campaign and say 689 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:37,120 Speaker 2: go go vote for Ted. Uh. You know Lindsay Graham, 690 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:43,040 Speaker 2: my colleague, you know, he had famously said that if 691 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:46,560 Speaker 2: you killed me on the floor of the Senate and 692 00:38:46,719 --> 00:38:49,560 Speaker 2: the jury were other senators, you couldn't find a jury 693 00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:53,520 Speaker 2: to convict me, to convict the murderer. And so when 694 00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:57,480 Speaker 2: Lindsay endorsed me, you know, I jumped on on, you know, 695 00:38:57,680 --> 00:38:59,440 Speaker 2: and he helped raise the money for me, and I 696 00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:01,959 Speaker 2: remember saying and saying at the time, I said, Wow, 697 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:03,759 Speaker 2: this is the first time in my life I've ever 698 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:06,920 Speaker 2: been endorsed by someone who's publicly called for my murder. 699 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:11,000 Speaker 2: You know, politics can be a strange and Lindsay and 700 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:14,279 Speaker 2: I have become friends since then. But it was you 701 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:19,200 Speaker 2: get interesting Carly Ferina, who I thought was a terrific 702 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:24,839 Speaker 2: candidate that cycle. You'll recall I announced that if I'd won, 703 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:30,279 Speaker 2: she would have been my VP. Yeah, that was an 704 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:33,520 Speaker 2: unusual step to do it early, but frankly, I was 705 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:37,880 Speaker 2: trying to break through the narrative, the wall of the 706 00:39:37,920 --> 00:39:40,000 Speaker 2: three billion dollars of free media, and I was trying 707 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:45,160 Speaker 2: to find something that actually would be heard by the voters, 708 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:49,440 Speaker 2: but the corporate media had no interest in anything being heard. Frankly, 709 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:53,200 Speaker 2: I think most of the media wanted Trump to be 710 00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:55,440 Speaker 2: the nominee because they wanted Hillary to win. 711 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:58,120 Speaker 1: And they thought that that was what all of them 712 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:00,440 Speaker 1: are saying was give us Trump, he's the easiest to 713 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:03,239 Speaker 1: be it, and Hillary Quinton will become the president units 714 00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:05,279 Speaker 1: It's America and will break that glass ceiling of that 715 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:06,120 Speaker 1: beautiful building. 716 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:09,719 Speaker 2: I think that was a very deliberate strategy, and I 717 00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:12,840 Speaker 2: will say for all those bastards that kind of backfire. 718 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:15,319 Speaker 2: They got four years of Donald Trump as president. They 719 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:18,080 Speaker 2: may be about to get four more years of Donald 720 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 2: Trump as president. And it's you know, the self declared 721 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:25,920 Speaker 2: media overlords that there is an old saying, be careful 722 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:26,239 Speaker 2: what you. 723 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:28,759 Speaker 4: Wish for, no doubt about it. I love these conversations. 724 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:29,719 Speaker 4: I love that we get to do this. 725 00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:32,600 Speaker 1: Thanks for pulling back the curtain on sixteen and explaining 726 00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:35,600 Speaker 1: it from a candidate's perspective, because, as you mentioned, what 727 00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:38,320 Speaker 1: people go through when they have to drop out, especially 728 00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:42,239 Speaker 1: DeSantis right now, it's tough. It can take months to 729 00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:45,360 Speaker 1: come out from that fog of war afterwards, because all 730 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:46,759 Speaker 1: of a sudden you go from nine to nothing to 731 00:40:46,880 --> 00:40:50,000 Speaker 1: it's all over, as you mentioned, And how long does 732 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:51,280 Speaker 1: it take to get out of that fog. 733 00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:52,720 Speaker 4: I think it depends on the candidate. 734 00:40:52,719 --> 00:40:55,680 Speaker 2: It depends a lot. Look, everyone has a period where 735 00:40:55,680 --> 00:41:00,759 Speaker 2: you just kind of morning, I assume wrong, we'll do this, 736 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:04,560 Speaker 2: but but just about everyone goes and go somewhere on vacation. 737 00:41:04,719 --> 00:41:07,000 Speaker 2: And my advice when I talk to a candidate after 738 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:09,719 Speaker 2: they've lost, and this is true. I've talked to lots 739 00:41:09,719 --> 00:41:11,480 Speaker 2: of candidates who are running for Senate in the House, 740 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:13,960 Speaker 2: and some win, some lose. But for the ones that lose, 741 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:18,520 Speaker 2: I say, go somewhere, unplug, get off email, get off 742 00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:21,960 Speaker 2: your phone, get off Twitter. Just just go sit by 743 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:26,560 Speaker 2: the beach with a pinacolada and and just recharge. Recharge, 744 00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:30,560 Speaker 2: be with your family, hug your kids, just just get 745 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:33,000 Speaker 2: away for a while, and and look, the world gets 746 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:38,520 Speaker 2: a lot quieter. You know. In a presidential campaign, it's deafening. 747 00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:43,040 Speaker 2: And then when you suspend it, it's like, Okay, I'm 748 00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:47,200 Speaker 2: out of this crazy game at least for now. And 749 00:41:47,239 --> 00:41:49,280 Speaker 2: then to come out of the funk list in every 750 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:55,239 Speaker 2: presidential candidate that loses, I think, without exception, goes into 751 00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:57,799 Speaker 2: a funk. I mean you have a bit of depression 752 00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:01,560 Speaker 2: and grieving, yeah, And the key to kind of I 753 00:42:01,640 --> 00:42:03,319 Speaker 2: was no exception to that. I had a period where 754 00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:06,680 Speaker 2: I was just kind of in a funk. Yeah. And 755 00:42:06,719 --> 00:42:08,560 Speaker 2: I think the key to coming out of it is 756 00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:11,319 Speaker 2: finding something to lean in that you love, that you 757 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:13,960 Speaker 2: engage in and you know, listen, I have a day 758 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:17,320 Speaker 2: job of representing thirty million Texans, which I love doing 759 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:21,080 Speaker 2: and pour all of my heart, mind and soul into it, 760 00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:24,600 Speaker 2: and that became go. And then when Trump became president, 761 00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:27,520 Speaker 2: you had everybody to work with, and I rolled up 762 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:29,560 Speaker 2: my sleeves and said, I am going to lead the 763 00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:31,640 Speaker 2: fight in the Senate for us to deliver on our 764 00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:34,719 Speaker 2: promises we got. We have work to do. And so 765 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:38,640 Speaker 2: pouring yourself into the fight and into the work is 766 00:42:38,719 --> 00:42:41,040 Speaker 2: I think a really important part of coming out of it. 767 00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:44,960 Speaker 2: And some candidates do that more quickly than others. It 768 00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:46,320 Speaker 2: varies person by person. 769 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:49,040 Speaker 1: It's fun. I love the conversation. Don't forget me do 770 00:42:49,080 --> 00:42:51,279 Speaker 1: this show Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Make sure that you 771 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:55,359 Speaker 1: hit that subscribe download button, especially if you're listening on 772 00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:58,440 Speaker 1: Apple right now, you have to check that box and 773 00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:01,520 Speaker 1: make sure that you are following the show. They've changed 774 00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:03,440 Speaker 1: it up for the new year and how it works, 775 00:43:03,480 --> 00:43:06,399 Speaker 1: so make sure you're still getting those automatic downloads as 776 00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:08,000 Speaker 1: we do the show three days a week, plus a 777 00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:11,080 Speaker 1: week in review on Saturdays for what you may have 778 00:43:11,120 --> 00:43:13,520 Speaker 1: missed during the week, and we'll see you back here 779 00:43:13,719 --> 00:43:14,400 Speaker 1: on Wednesday.