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<v Speaker 1>Big picture. What were your takeaways from the president in

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<v Speaker 1>that conversation.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I think the biggest takeaway Willie to me

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<v Speaker 2>and Jim just alluded to this is that he thinks

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<v Speaker 2>Republican voters are angry and doesn't quite get it. He

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<v Speaker 2>said they're not angry at him, which I think is

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<v Speaker 2>not I think demonstrably not true based on his approval ratings.

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<v Speaker 2>But they think they're angry at congressional Republicans, who of

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<v Speaker 2>course are up for reelection this fall. And I think

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<v Speaker 2>that's an incredibly difficult dynamic for the president. And he

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<v Speaker 2>conceded gas prices could very well go up if he

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<v Speaker 2>hits a run again. What we didn't talk about, because

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<v Speaker 2>it just broke about twenty minutes ago, is that Lisa Murkowski,

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<v Speaker 2>the Republican that he one of the Republicans that he

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<v Speaker 2>has been extraordinarily critical of, and was extraordinarily critical of

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<v Speaker 2>her in our interview. He said she's going to vote

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<v Speaker 2>against rather, she's going to vote against Todd Bland for

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<v Speaker 2>attorney general. He said, she's terrible, and I asked him,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, point playing. I mean, his entire agenda. Willie

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<v Speaker 2>has been hamstrung by the several senators who he has

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<v Speaker 2>either endorsed against or tried to defeat, and he has

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<v Speaker 2>no remorse at all about that, and I thought that

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<v Speaker 2>was a very interesting insight into his psyche.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, Murkowski announcing about fifteen minutes ago that she's going

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<v Speaker 3>to be a no on the Blanch nomination, citing everything

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<v Speaker 3>from his anti abortion stances to the Epstein matter to

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<v Speaker 3>the Trump immunity deal. That makes Bill Cassidy a very

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<v Speaker 3>important person today on Capitol Hill because if they lose him,

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<v Speaker 3>then the Blanche nomination is lost. Perhaps why we haven't

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<v Speaker 3>seen that vote scheduled yet, but we'll see what the

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<v Speaker 3>day brings. Jake, to pivot back to your interview with

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<v Speaker 3>the President, you asked him about voter turnout for Republicans

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<v Speaker 3>in the midterms, and I want to play what he

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<v Speaker 3>told you.

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<v Speaker 4>If I don't run, will those people go out and vote?

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<v Speaker 4>And that's the one thing I can I'm going to

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<v Speaker 4>ask him to. But I'm just watching guys like you,

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<v Speaker 4>and you're very talented people. The question is will they

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<v Speaker 4>vote because a lot of them are very angry at Republicans.

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<v Speaker 4>To be honest with you, I don't know. I mean,

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<v Speaker 4>they're angry Republicans, but they're not why they're not angry

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<v Speaker 4>at me, but they are angry at Republicans.

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<v Speaker 3>So he was never going to say, well, they're angry

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<v Speaker 3>at me and Republicans, right, So that was never on

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<v Speaker 3>the table. But I do think it's an interesting thing

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<v Speaker 3>that he's talking to you about there, And I wonder

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<v Speaker 3>if he connects the discontent with Republicans to other members

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<v Speaker 3>of Congress. Maybe not the folks that we're talking about,

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<v Speaker 3>the Lisa Murkowski's, the Susan Collins who have bucked him

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<v Speaker 3>or been thorns in his side at various turns, but

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<v Speaker 3>I wonder. And you tried repeatedly to get him to

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<v Speaker 3>talk about Thun. You describe the relationship in the newsletter

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<v Speaker 3>this morning as complex, but when he's mad, he says

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<v Speaker 3>so when he attaches names to it, And I was

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<v Speaker 3>struck by the fact that he didn't do that with

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<v Speaker 3>Thune necessarily.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Yeah, I think he understands Ali that Soon holds

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<v Speaker 2>the key to his legislative fortunes. As you know, I

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<v Speaker 2>think that Thune, if he slags him too much, I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>Thune could really strike back and has so far. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>it's just a very interesting dynamic that all these people

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<v Speaker 2>who he has spoken up against and he has been

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<v Speaker 2>critical of hold the keys to his entire legislative agenda

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<v Speaker 2>to the extent he cares. It's not entirely clear to

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<v Speaker 2>me because on an issue like Blanch, he could have

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<v Speaker 2>Todd Blanch stay in as acting Attorney General for as

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<v Speaker 2>long as he wants, and Joe Biden did that with

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<v Speaker 2>Lisa Sue during his administration and as Labor Secretary when

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<v Speaker 2>she couldn't get confirmed. But he wants Blanche confirmed on

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<v Speaker 2>the first point ally, And I think I think you

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<v Speaker 2>know this better than probably anybody. I mean, Republicans who

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<v Speaker 2>vote for Trump in presidential elections who have are not

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<v Speaker 2>guaranteed to come out and vote for Republicans for Congress.

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<v Speaker 2>That is the story of this Republican party going back

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<v Speaker 2>to twenty sixteen. And I think that is one of

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<v Speaker 2>the things that really is challenging for Trump. And he

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<v Speaker 2>kind of says, listen, I could ask him to go vote,

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<v Speaker 2>doesn't mean they're going to And for Republicans to hear that,

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<v Speaker 2>I think is a quite difficult thing. And I asked him,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, if MAGA Inc. Which is the super pac

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<v Speaker 2>that has four hundred million dollars in the bank. Whether

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<v Speaker 2>it's going to spend for congressional Republicans, Trump said yes,

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<v Speaker 2>but he said I could spend it on anything I want,

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<v Speaker 2>which is technically true within limits. He could spend it

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<v Speaker 2>on other political matters and political travel and things like that.

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<v Speaker 2>But Republicans are probably watching this and they've heard all

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<v Speaker 2>of this from the President before with a sense of fear,

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<v Speaker 2>because if you can't count on that Trump coalition, and

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<v Speaker 2>combine that with the fact that a midterm is really

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<v Speaker 2>tough for the party in power, it spells trouble.

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<v Speaker 1>Jake, I thought you were exchange with the President about

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<v Speaker 1>Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries was fascinating. This is a guy

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<v Speaker 1>who has gone after in personal ways. He's called him

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<v Speaker 1>a thug, a low iq individual. He flowed the idea

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<v Speaker 1>that Jeffrey should be impeached, and now, perhaps seeing what's

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<v Speaker 1>coming in November and who might be the majority leader

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<v Speaker 1>come January, it seems like he's dialed back a little bit.

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<v Speaker 5>Let's look, you've had a meeting with Hakim Jeffries a

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<v Speaker 5>long time ago. You I don't think you've had many

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<v Speaker 5>more conversations with him since then. Maybe you have, But

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<v Speaker 5>what's your what's your read of him? I think he's

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<v Speaker 5>a nice guy. I mean I did. He was here. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 5>we had a good meeting. It was you know, look,

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<v Speaker 5>he's harsh on you, he says. I mean, well, he's

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<v Speaker 5>rush because I'm harsh on him. I'm sure he wouldn't

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<v Speaker 5>be so harsh. I've said bad things about it. Could

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<v Speaker 5>you do business with him?

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<v Speaker 4>You think?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah? I think so.

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<v Speaker 4>Look people ushering me, I'm ushing them as part of

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<v Speaker 4>the world you covered very well, you cover specifically Congress.

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<v Speaker 4>You see a strange group of people. But I'd probably

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<v Speaker 4>get along with him very well. Again, you know I

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<v Speaker 4>had I met him essentially once. Yep, I think I'd

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<v Speaker 4>probably get along with them very well.

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<v Speaker 1>I said he'd be majority leader of quicks, he'd be

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<v Speaker 1>the Speaker of the House come January. But a little

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<v Speaker 1>flattery for Trump almost of Haqem Jefferies. Would you read

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<v Speaker 1>into that? Well?

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<v Speaker 2>My read, Willy is that he's right that Congress is

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<v Speaker 2>a very strange group of people. But fact true exactly so.

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<v Speaker 2>I think that the politics of the moment for Democrats

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<v Speaker 2>not going to allow Hakeem Jeffries to do a tremendous

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<v Speaker 2>amount of business with Donald Trump. I think that much

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<v Speaker 2>is clear, uh. And I don't think by the way

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<v Speaker 2>that Trump who he takes attack and that that you know,

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<v Speaker 2>he's not going to do work with Democrats if they

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<v Speaker 2>are investigating him and peaching him or anything like that.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think the main story of House Democrats take

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<v Speaker 2>the majority over the next two years, the main one

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<v Speaker 2>of the main stories is going to be uh, investigations, subpoenas,

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<v Speaker 2>all sorts of oversight into the Trump administry and the

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<v Speaker 2>Trump administration's business dealings, members of the administration's business dealings.

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<v Speaker 2>So yes, he's trying to flatter him. And I think

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<v Speaker 2>his inclination naturally is to have a good relationship with

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<v Speaker 2>someone like Jeffries, but I think politics and reality gets

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<v Speaker 2>in the way of that.

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<v Speaker 1>The entire interview with President Trump is really fascinating, available

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<v Speaker 1>now on YouTube. Co founder of punch Bowl News, Jake Sherman, Jake,

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<v Speaker 1>always great to have you with us. Thank you, Thanks