WEBVTT - History Wont Remember This Fondly: Sarah Westwood Talks to A&G

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<v Speaker 1>Front page headline, Ron de Santis is the future of

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<v Speaker 1>the Republican Party, as Jonah Goldberg set up on CNN,

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<v Speaker 1>representing the Republican side of things, he is the head

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<v Speaker 1>of the Republican Party now, Ron de Santis, I think

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<v Speaker 1>that might be a little premature. There's a there's a

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<v Speaker 1>there's an orange man from New York who has actually

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<v Speaker 1>from Florida who has a say in that. Also, if

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<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna go with the more negative spin though, I

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<v Speaker 1>was just watching a little Fox News coverage in the

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<v Speaker 1>lunch room and their hosts saying, We've got the worst

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<v Speaker 1>inflation in forty years, We've got the worst crime in

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<v Speaker 1>forty years, we have the worst border ever, and the

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<v Speaker 1>Republicans couldn't get over this is this is a referendum

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<v Speaker 1>on the Republican Party. The Fox host said, Let's chat

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<v Speaker 1>about this and more with Sarah Westwood, an investigative reporter

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<v Speaker 1>for the Washington Examiner previously the White House reporter for CNN. Sarah, welcome,

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<v Speaker 1>how are you. I'm great, Thanks for having me. We

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<v Speaker 1>will give you free reign over our radio show. What

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<v Speaker 1>are your takeaways? What are your impressions from last night?

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<v Speaker 1>But to a lot of pressure, but thank you. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>I think Republicans had raised expectations to an unrealistic level

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<v Speaker 1>before the election, and I think some of the choices

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<v Speaker 1>that the Republican campaign are made in the run up

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<v Speaker 1>to the election are going to be second guests. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>if you look at, for example, the Superpack connected to

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<v Speaker 1>House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, that group Congressional Leadership Fund

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<v Speaker 1>was spending millions of dollars in districts that ultimately didn't

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<v Speaker 1>even come close. In districts in Oregon, in Washington State,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, big reaches for Republicans and not shoring up

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<v Speaker 1>the winnable districts that ended up being very close, but

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<v Speaker 1>many of them broke for Democrats. So I think there

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<v Speaker 1>was sort of an irrational optimism among Republicans because the

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<v Speaker 1>landscapes looked so bad for Democrats. But in the end,

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<v Speaker 1>Joe Biden was not the polarizing figure that Donald Trump was,

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<v Speaker 1>and so even dissatisfied voters went into the poll box

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<v Speaker 1>and at the ballot box and didn't necessarily cast a

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<v Speaker 1>vote purely against Joe Biden. So his unpopularity wasn't the

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<v Speaker 1>type of drag that I think a lot of analysts expected,

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<v Speaker 1>and of course we we answered the question of can

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<v Speaker 1>you be a doctor who sells fake dial the diet pills,

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<v Speaker 1>moved to a different state and try to become a

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<v Speaker 1>U S Senator? So that question has finally been answered. Uh,

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<v Speaker 1>the age old question can you be a quack doctor

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<v Speaker 1>from a different state and become a senator? He lost

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<v Speaker 1>to a stroke victim, good Laurel and a guy who's

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<v Speaker 1>never held a real job. If you wanted to look

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<v Speaker 1>at the Federmentaz race, Sarah or a number of different

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<v Speaker 1>races around the country, what about the Republican senatorial candidates.

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<v Speaker 1>So there's you know, got a lot of talk about

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<v Speaker 1>candidate quality, and I think that the Pennsylvania race is

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<v Speaker 1>a perfect example. Dr Oz didn't have a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>credibility on the issues that pattered the most to voters

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<v Speaker 1>this cycle. Right, they cared about inflation, they cared about crime,

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<v Speaker 1>and Dr Oz was television doctor, so he wasn't able

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<v Speaker 1>to speak to the issues most important to voters. And

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<v Speaker 1>that's sort of the same problem that you know, herschel

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<v Speaker 1>Walker and Georgia had. Sure, he had celebrity, he had charisma,

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<v Speaker 1>but what credibility did he really have to be talking

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<v Speaker 1>about keeping the street safe and keeping inflation down. Democrats

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<v Speaker 1>have a lot of message discipline in both of those races,

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<v Speaker 1>even though John Cutterman was an exceptionally weak candidate and

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<v Speaker 1>he was beatable, and and so was Rafael Warnock in Georgia,

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<v Speaker 1>and you know, you can go down the line down

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<v Speaker 1>through house races. There were a number of other UH

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<v Speaker 1>races that were winnable for Republicans, like in Virginia, the

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<v Speaker 1>race in Northern Virginia Gainst Abigail span Burger and Yes

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<v Speaker 1>Lea Vega, Yes Lea Vega had a big controversy saying

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<v Speaker 1>something kind of like if you remember taught aken then

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<v Speaker 1>the Missouri Center race said about women's bodies can't get

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<v Speaker 1>pregnant if they're raped. You know, candidates that weren't vetted,

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<v Speaker 1>it weren't ready for prime time. We're put up in

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<v Speaker 1>these key races, and Republicans sort of thought that that

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<v Speaker 1>would be overlooked because of concerns about the economy, and

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<v Speaker 1>it wasn't. Okay, I have another essay type question for you,

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<v Speaker 1>but before we get there, let's let's not leap past

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<v Speaker 1>the headlines. It looks correct me if I'm wrong, Like,

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<v Speaker 1>the Republicans will take the House of Representatives. How likely

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<v Speaker 1>is that that? And by how many seats do you think?

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<v Speaker 1>Right now? It does look that way, but it just

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<v Speaker 1>looks to be like a handful at this point, and

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<v Speaker 1>the races outstanding are really really close, So that doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>exactly give Republicans a big mandate, And you know, it

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<v Speaker 1>makes it so that any vacancies that occur in the

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<v Speaker 1>House are going to be big marquee events over the

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<v Speaker 1>next two years, right, So that's going to be instructful

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<v Speaker 1>for Washington. In the Senate, you know, there's still an

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<v Speaker 1>outside chance that Republicans can take the Senate. The Republicans

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<v Speaker 1>are looking really good in Nevada with Adam lack Salt

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<v Speaker 1>running a out of Catherine Cortez Bass, so that will

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<v Speaker 1>be a pick up opportunity that would essentially cancel out

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<v Speaker 1>the Settlement win and control of the Senate could come

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<v Speaker 1>down once again to Georgia runoff, which I believe would

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<v Speaker 1>be December six, So just a few more weeks until

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<v Speaker 1>we've learned the outcome. So all is not lost for Republicans,

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<v Speaker 1>but you know, conceptually, politically, it was a bad night

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<v Speaker 1>and even if they pull out very narrow majorities, this

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<v Speaker 1>won't be considered a good mid term. History won't remember

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<v Speaker 1>definitely was not a good mid term for the Republicans.

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<v Speaker 1>But if you're going to pick out, the best thing,

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<v Speaker 1>which I already mentioned earlier, is the Republicans have a

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<v Speaker 1>new rock star. I mean, he was a rock star

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<v Speaker 1>before last night, but now he's an ultra super rock

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<v Speaker 1>star in Ron Santas. And let me let me throw

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<v Speaker 1>this in as well, Sarah, the email to the Armstrong

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<v Speaker 1>and Getty show has been running astonishingly toward Trump has

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<v Speaker 1>to go practically universally, which was as surprising to me

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<v Speaker 1>and Jack as any buddy. Um, you feel free to,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, throw that into your answer. What about the

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<v Speaker 1>santiss rise, Yeah, I mean I think that's the other

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<v Speaker 1>huge element of this, of what these results tell us

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<v Speaker 1>is that Donald Trump, I think was a drag on

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<v Speaker 1>a number of candidates who didn't have brands independent of him, right,

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<v Speaker 1>and or candidates who were associated very very closely with him.

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<v Speaker 1>For Republican candidates who were not, who were seen as

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<v Speaker 1>independent of him, they did very well. Rondo Santis is

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<v Speaker 1>a great example of that. I mean, he ran up

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<v Speaker 1>historic margins in his state sort of solidified his position

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<v Speaker 1>as the hat of the party. I think that Trump's

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<v Speaker 1>negative of facts on the party's prospects has been something

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<v Speaker 1>that's sort of been whispered about with more frequency and

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<v Speaker 1>Republican circles, and I wonder if this result will let

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<v Speaker 1>people start saying it out loud, because at this point,

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<v Speaker 1>what cost will Republicans have for kiding that Trump stepped

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<v Speaker 1>off the stage? I mean, before there was a fear

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<v Speaker 1>that voters would punish any Republican who said that out loud.

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<v Speaker 1>This election is clear evidence, but that's not the case.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't think that Republicans will be punished if they

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<v Speaker 1>start to say it's time for a new leader to emerge.

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<v Speaker 1>So maybe some of that fear of speaking out against

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<v Speaker 1>Trump will be removed from electric Republicans and they can start,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, moving the party in a direction away from him.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean keep in mind that, you know, the Christmas,

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<v Speaker 1>after the midterm elections, once we get through the holidays,

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<v Speaker 1>basically the presidential race will start, and so it's time

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<v Speaker 1>to start having the conversations now well, right, and including

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<v Speaker 1>on the other side, where a lot of the belief

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<v Speaker 1>was if the Republicans have a giant knight. That gives

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of Democrats the power to say, look, Joe Biden,

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<v Speaker 1>you gotta go. You're a drag on the party. But

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<v Speaker 1>you can't make that argument now, So where's that leave us?

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<v Speaker 1>That could ultimately end up if there's if there's a

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<v Speaker 1>very outside overlying for Republicans, this gives Joe Biden the

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<v Speaker 1>justification to stay a top his ticket. He can argue

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<v Speaker 1>that he saved his party from a historic beating in

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<v Speaker 1>the mid terms when the history suggested he would his

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<v Speaker 1>party would endure, and with his brilliant shuffling leadership across

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<v Speaker 1>the country exactly something he can claim. And then Republicans, conversely,

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<v Speaker 1>can look at these results and and take away from

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<v Speaker 1>it that it's time to push Trump off the off

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<v Speaker 1>the stage and usher a new leadership. And if race

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<v Speaker 1>could boil down to someone like Rhnda Santis running against

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<v Speaker 1>someone like Joe Biden, that could put Republicans in a

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<v Speaker 1>position to take a historic amount the palette. I think

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<v Speaker 1>you've nailed it. The headline flip was yesterday it was

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<v Speaker 1>looking like Trump's gonna announce He's gonna be tough to beat,

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<v Speaker 1>and the Republican and the Democrats are gonna push out Biden.

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<v Speaker 1>It might have flipped overnight. Biden is going to be

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<v Speaker 1>the nominee. Trump's gonna get pushed out alright, two points

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<v Speaker 1>number one. God gets a vote on whether Joe Biden

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<v Speaker 1>is going to run again, as does his brain. There's

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<v Speaker 1>no freaking way it happens. I'll bet you my house, Sarah.

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<v Speaker 1>I tell you what you put, what, what do you

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<v Speaker 1>have of value? Anything you get a nice ballpoint pen,

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<v Speaker 1>you bet that pen against my house. I'll take that action.

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<v Speaker 1>Joe Biden does not run again. Uh. Secondly, it's if

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<v Speaker 1>you will accept that premise. It is wide open on

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<v Speaker 1>the Democratic side because Kamala Harris doesn't have a snowball's

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<v Speaker 1>chance in hell. So that's gonna be a knife fight. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I I think that's definitely right. Um, it's hard to

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<v Speaker 1>see though, who the natural successor is. I mean, the

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<v Speaker 1>thing that benefits Republicans is that they have a clear

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<v Speaker 1>natural successor to Trump, and that's round the santis and

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<v Speaker 1>there's near unanimity about that in the Republican Party. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't think if Trump doesn't run that that will be

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<v Speaker 1>a particularly close Republican primary. Because he's so popular. Meanwhile,

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<v Speaker 1>the Democrats would have a blood baths on their hands

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<v Speaker 1>if Joe Biden decides not to run because there are

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<v Speaker 1>so many candidates U weaker candidates in a more wide

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<v Speaker 1>open field. So I think in either scenario, if Joe

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<v Speaker 1>Biden runs again, obviously Rhonda Santas that would be a

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<v Speaker 1>favorite given the dynamics in the country right now, if

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<v Speaker 1>the economy doesn't improve dramatically. Um. But if Joe Biden

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<v Speaker 1>did not run, I think Rhonda santa is having all

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<v Speaker 1>that time as the heir to the throne of the

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<v Speaker 1>Republican nomination while Democrats kill each other to see who

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<v Speaker 1>emerges successful, and a Democratic primary always involves tacking to

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<v Speaker 1>the left. Um, he would have an advantage in that

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<v Speaker 1>scenario as well. Boy, that excites me, and my new

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<v Speaker 1>pan excites me. I'm gonna write polies with that pen.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going to sign checks right, personal letters. I can't wait.

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<v Speaker 1>I think people too casually use the term blood path.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, that's a horrific notion. She means it metaphorically,

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<v Speaker 1>and it made me excited. Sarah Westwood, investigative reporter of

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<v Speaker 1>The Washington Examiner. Sarah, you are absolutely terrific. It's great

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<v Speaker 1>to talk. Thanks don't thank for having me