Countdown to the 2024 election: Day 62 | MSNBC Highlights

DRAMATICALLY AND IN THE SHIFTS, I SAW ONE NUMBER THIS WEEKEND OVER THE WEEKEND THAT SHOWED THAT WOMEN NOW 45 AND UNDER SEE ABORTION AS THE TOP CAMPAIGN ISSUE, THE TOP POLITICAL ISSUE IN AMERICA OVER THE ECONOMY AND THAT'S GOTTEN DONALD TRUMP, YOU KNOW, SAYING HE'S GOING TO BE A PRO CHOICE ADVOCATE IN EFFECT USING PRO CHOICE ADVOCATES WORDS SAYING I'M GOING TO BE A GREAT CHAMPION FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS. AND THEN HE CHANGES WHEN HE GETS CHASTENED, THEN HE CHANGES BACK SAYS HE'S GOING TO BE AGAINST FLORIDA'S SIX WEEK ABORTION BAN. I MEAN, JUST ALL OVER THE PLACE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE NUMBERS CERTAINLY AREN'T GOING IN HIS DIRECTION. AND HE UNDERSTANDS AS HE'S ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE POSITION THAT HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TERMINATING OF ROE V WADE, AS HE SAID, IT IS VERY UNPOPULAR GOING INTO THESE FINAL TWO MONTHS OF THE CAMPAIGN. YES. AND HE'S REALLY KNOWN THAT SINCE DOBBS CAME DOWN. LET'S BE HONEST, REMEMBER AFTER THE DISASTROUS MIDTERM ELECTIONS FOR REPUBLICANS WHERE THERE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A RED WAVE IN 2022 AND THERE WASN'T, HE SAID OUTWARDLY IT WAS THE ABORTION ISSUE. WE TALKED TOO MUCH ABOUT ABORTION DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE APPOINTED THE THREE COURT JUSTICES WHO GOT RID OF ROE. SO OBVIOUSLY, HE KNOWS, AND YOU CAN TELL BY HIS FLAILING OF JUST IN THE LAST FEW DAYS ON THE QUESTION OF WHEN AN ABORTION BAN IN FLORIDA SHOULD START SIX WEEKS IS WHERE IT IS. NOW, THERE'S THAT NEW MEASURE AMENDMENT FOUR ON THE BALLOT THIS NOVEMBER, HE'S BEEN ALL OVER THE PLACE ON THAT THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. WE'VE TURNED THE CORNER. THIS IS THE HOME STRETCH ABOUT TWO MONTHS UNTIL ELECTION DAY, ONE WEEK UNTIL THAT HUGE DEBATE BETWEEN DONALD TRUMP AND VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS. AND AS YOU WAKE UP TO THE END OF SUMMER, HERE'S WHERE THE RACE STANDS, IT'S CLOSE, IT'S GOING TO BE CLOSE. A NEW POLL FINDING NO REAL BIG BOUNCE IN SUPPORT FOR VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS COMING OUT OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. THE LATEST ABC NEWS IPSOS POLL FINDS THE RACE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME NOW AS IT WAS BEFORE THE DNC WITH HARRIS UP 52 TO 46. THAT'S AMONG LIKELY VOTERS WHEN IT COMES TO ATTRIBUTES. 46% OF THOSE POLLED SEE HARRIS FAVORABLY AS A PERSON VERSUS 43% WHO HAVE AN UNFAVORABLE IMPRESSION OF HER. 33%. SEE DONALD TRUMP FAVORABLY 33 VERSUS 58% WHO HAVE AN UNFAVORABLE IMPRESSION OF DONALD TRUMP. 53% OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS POLL VIEW HARRIS AS QUALIFIED TO BE PRESIDENT COMPARED TO 47% FOR TRUMP. MEANWHILE, THE GENDER GAP HAS WIDENED. VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS NOW LEADS BY 13 POINTS AMONG WOMEN THAT'S UP FROM SIX POINTS PRECONVENTION. DONALD TRUMP IS UP FIVE AMONG MEN, 4 TO 41 FOR AN 18 POINT GAP THERE, JOE. SO AGAIN, MAYBE NOT A BIG BOUNCE COMING OUT OF THE CONVENTION THAT SOME PEOPLE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAD HOPED FOR. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BEFORE AND AFTER, MEANING WITH JOE BIDEN AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET AND NOW WITH VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET, THERE IS A REMARKABLE CHANGE. YES, THERE IS A REMARKABLE CHANGE AND YOU LOOK AT THE CHARACTERISTICS, ALL THE THINGS THAT DONALD TRUMP WAS AHEAD OF BEFORE HARRIS GOT IN THE RACE, HE'S NOW BEHIND. AND I THINK THE MOST STRIKING THING MIKA IS THAT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SORT THROUGH THIS RACE AND WHAT DIRECTION IT'S GOING, YOU JUST LOOK AT THE FAVORABLE UNFAVORABLES, DONALD TRUMP WAY UPSIDE DOWN DOWN BY, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO 20 POINTS UH IN THE, IN THE THIRTIES FOR, FOR LIKABLE. AND THEN YOU HAVE KAMALA HARRIS ACTUALLY UPTIGHT. I THINK IT'S LIKE 4643. THAT IS A HUGE GAP AND THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAS SAID, AND IF YOU SEE SOME OF JUST THE ABSOLUTE CRAZED BEHAVIOR AND IT, IT'S JUST, IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY ALMOST TOO MUCH TO GET YOUR ARMS AROUND AND I UNDERSTAND THAT'S THE IDEA OF IT THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE SO, THE, THE CLAIMS ARE SO OUTRAGEOUS. THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SO DISCONNECTED FROM THE TRUTH. TRUMP MOVING ALL OVER THE PLACE ON ISSUES FROM ABORTION TO IMMIGRATION NOW SAYING WE NEED MORE IMMIGRANTS IN THE UNITED STATES, ALL OF THIS STUFF. THE CRAZY STUFF AT ARLINGTON. THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY DESPERATE AND THE CAMPAIGN HAS SAID INTERNALLY, THEY KNOW THEY CAN NEVER BRING DOWN, THEY CAN'T MAKE PEOPLE LIKE DONALD TRUMP, RIGHT? SO THEIR GOAL IS TO MAKE PEOPLE HATE KAMALA HARRIS. AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. AND IF THEY CAN'T GET AMERICANS TO HATE KAMALA HARRIS, THEN THEY UNDERSTAND SHE WILL WIN. SO YOU MENTIONED FLIP FLOPPING ON ONE OF MANY ISSUES, BUT ONE OF THEM WITH REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND THE FORMER PRESIDENT CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE ON THE ISSUE WITH A SERIES OF FLIP FLOPS. EVANGELICALS HAVE SUPPORTED HIM IN PART BECAUSE OF HIS STRONG PRO LIFE STANCES, BUT HE UNDERCUT THAT SUPPORT LAST MONTH IN A SOCIAL MEDIA POST CLAIMING HE WOULD, HE WOULD QUOTE, BE GREAT FOR WOMEN AND THEIR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS DAYS LATER IN AN INTERVIEW WITH NBC NEWS, HE WAS PRESSED ABOUT FLORIDA'S SIX WEEK ABORTION BAN. WELL, I THINK THE SIX WEEK IS TOO SHORT, THERE HAS TO BE MORE TIME. AND SO THAT'S, AND I'VE TOLD THEM THAT I WANT MORE WEEKS. SO YOU'LL VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT. I'M VOTING THAT I AM GOING TO BE VOTING THAT WE NEED MORE THAN SIX WEEKS. THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE HAS NOW COME OUT AGAINST THE FLORIDA BALLOT MEASURE THAT WOULD EXTEND THE TIME. WOMEN IN THE STATE HAVE TO GET AN ABORTION. CONSERVATIVE BACKLASH TO HIS EARLIER COMMENTS WAS SWIFT WITH SOME ON THE RIGHT WARNING, TRUMP WAS RISKING LOSING A KEY BLOCK OF ANTI ABORTION VOTERS. HE ATTEMPTED THEN TO CLEAN UP HIS COMMENTS ON FRIDAY WATCH. ARE YOU VOTING? YES OR NO ON AMENDMENT FOUR IN FLORIDA. SO I THINK SIX WEEKS YOU NEED MORE TIME THAN SIX WEEKS. I'VE DISAGREED WITH THAT RIGHT FROM THE EARLY PRIMARIES. WHEN I HEARD ABOUT IT, I DISAGREED WITH IT. AT THE SAME TIME, THE DEMOCRATS ARE RADICAL BECAUSE THE NINE MONTHS IS JUST SITUATION WHERE YOU CAN DO AN ABORTION IN THE NINTH MONTH. AND YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE STATES LIKE MINNESOTA AND OTHER STATES HAVE IT WHERE YOU COULD ACTUALLY EXECUTE THE BABY AFTER BIRTH AND ALL OF THAT STUFF IS UNACCEPTABLE. SO I'LL BE VOTING NO FOR THAT REASON. OK. THAT WAS JUST A RIDICULOUS LIE. THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN ISSUED A STATEMENT FOLLOWING TRUMP'S LATEST COMMENTS. QUOTE, DONALD TRUMP JUST MADE HIS POSITION ON ABORTION. VERY CLEAR. HE WILL VOTE TO UPHOLD AN ABORTION BAN. SO IT'S SO EXTREME IT APPLIES BEFORE MANY WOMEN EVEN KNOW THEY ARE PREGNANT. JONATHAN LAME. THERE ARE MANY, MANY, MANY DIFFERENT ANGLES WE COULD TAKE ON THIS. THE NINE MONTH LIE IS ONE THAT WE'VE SEEN PERVADE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY SINCE THE ONSET OF THE CAMPAIGN. IT IS A COMPLETE LIE. ALTHOUGH IT IS TAKEN BY MANY REPUBLICAN FOLLOWS FOLLOWERS AND MEGA VOTERS HOLLO JUST TAKE IT. THEY THINK IT ACTUALLY HAPPENS BECAUSE IT'S SAID ENOUGH AND IT'S ECHOED ENOUGH ON DIFFERENT RIGHT WING NETWORKS. IT'S NOT CORRECTED. THE BIGGER ISSUE IS THAT ALL OF HIS DIFFERENT ANSWERS IS WHAT TRUMP DOES. IT CONFUSES PEOPLE. NOBODY REALLY KNOWS WHERE HE STANDS AND ULTIMATELY NOTHING MATTERS. IT'S A BIGGER PART OF SOME WOULD SAY SOME DANGEROUS TRENDS TOWARD FASCISM IN THIS COUNTRY. BUT FOR THIS ELECTION COULD THE LIES WORK. YES, IT'S CERTAINLY MORE OF THE FIRE HOOD OF FALSEHOOD STRATEGY WE'VE SEEN FROM TRUMP FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW, BUT IT'S ALSO REFLECTIVE OF HOW HIS CAMPAIGN IS FRANKLY PANICKING ABOUT THE ABORTION ISSUE. YOU KNOW, I HAVE TALKED TO THOSE IN TRUMP WORLD WHO HAVE SAID THE FORMER PRESIDENT HIMSELF HAS ACKNOWLEDGED PRIVATELY THAT HE THINKS ABORTION COULD BE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM HIS CAMPAIGN FACES THIS NOVEMBER. WE KNOW THAT THOUGH PUBLICLY, HE'S TRIED TO DOWNPLAY IT. PRIVATELY. ADVISERS ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHERE THIS STANDS. HENCE THE REMARKABLE FLIP FLOPS IN THE LAST WEEK ABOUT TRUMP HERE TO AS HE'S TRYING TO BE PINNED DOWN ABOUT WHERE HE STANDS WITH THIS FLORIDA ABORTION REGULATION. AND YOU KNOW, VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS RECEIVED SOME CRITICISM LAST WEEK AFTER THAT CNN INTERVIEW SAYING SHE HAD CHANGED HER POSITION ON A FEW THINGS. THERE ARE SLIGHT MODULATIONS, BUT TRUMP DESERVES THAT SORT OF SCRUTINY TIMES 10 FOR HOW HE SEEMS TO FLIP FLOP ON THINGS LIKE THIS. ABORTION SEEMINGLY EVERY DAY, DEPENDING ON WHO HE'S TALKING TO, DEPENDING ON THE LATEST POLL HE HAS SEEN AND ON POLLS THAT WE SHOULD NOTE, IT SEEMS LIKE HARRIS GOT HER CONVENTION BOUNCE PRE CONVENTION BECAUSE DEMOCRATS WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT THE CHANGE IN THE TICKET. THAT'S WHEN THE BURST OF ENERGY CAME AND CADDY, WE ARE A FEW OTHER POLLS HAVE SHOWN LITTLE UPTICKS FOR HER EVER SINCE. AND ALSO THAT 50,246 THAT'S OUTSIDE THE MARGIN OF ERROR. WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SAY THAT A LOT THIS CAMPAIGN BECAUSE THE RACE IS SO TIGHT. IT DOES SEEM LIKE THE CLOSE HARRIS HAS MOMENTUM AND THE ABORTION ISSUE IS A BIG PART OF IT. I LOVE THE IDEA OF A PRE CONVENTION BOUNCE. THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR IN FUTURE. PERHAPS WE HAVE A PREF SHOW ROUND OF APPLAUSE AS WELL. UM LOOK, I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE DEMOCRATS THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO OVER THE COURSE OF THIS WEEKEND HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE POLLS HAVE NOT GONE AS FAR AHEAD FOR HARRIS AS THEY MIGHT HAVE EXPECTED. GIVEN THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF FUNDRAISING, THAT HUGE BURST OF ENTHUSIASM IN AUGUST AND A VERY SUCCESSFUL CONVENTION AND THEY HAD HOPED THAT SHE WOULD BE PERHAPS MORE CONVINCINGLY AHEAD, PARTICULARLY IN THE SWING STATES. NOW, IF YOU HAVE TO THINK THAT BECAUSE OF THE REPUBLICAN'S ELECTORAL MAJORITY. SHE NEEDS TO BE SIX POINTS AHEAD IN TERMS OF THE POPULAR VOTE NATIONALLY. SHE'S JUST ABOUT THERE. SO NOW ALL THE FOCUS IS GOING TO BE ON THOSE SWING STATES. ABORTION BEING A MAIN ISSUE FOR WOMEN. UM COMING UP AHEAD OF IMMIGRATION AND THE ECONOMY IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. WOMEN DECIDE ELECTIONS IN AMERICA, THEY VOTE IN BIGGER NUMBERS IN AMERICA. BUT UH IF IT'S ALSO GOING TO BE AN ELECTION ABOUT ECONOMY AND IMMIGRATION, HE STILL HAS AN ADVANTAGE ON THAT. SO I THINK THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN IS RIGHT TO STRESS AS IT DID OVER THE COURSE OF THIS WEEKEND IN, IN PITTSBURGH THAT THEY GO INTO THIS AS THE UNDERDOGS. THAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR THEM TO APPROACH THE LAST FEW WEEKS. AND MIKA, YOU TOUCHED ON THIS, BUT IT HAS TO BE SAID AGAIN, THE IDEA THAT DONALD TRUMP HAS SUCH CONTEMPT FOR VOTERS TO SUGGEST THAT BABIES ARE BEING MURDERED AFTER THEY ARE BORN AS PART OF SOME ABORTION PROGRAM IN BLUE STATES THAT'S CALLED MURDER, THAT'S NOT HAPPENING. AND ALSO AS YOU KNOW, AND YOU'VE SAID MANY TIMES ABORTIONS THAT HAPPEN AFTER 21 WEEKS OR 24 WEEKS ARE EXTREMELY RARE. WOMEN DON'T WANT TO HAVE AN ABORTION AT THAT POINT. IT MEANS SOMETHING MEDICALLY IS WRONG AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN ABORTION. THAT'S NOT AN ELECTIVE THING THAT WOMEN DO CASUALLY. AND JOHN MAKES AN IMPORTANT POINT, WHICH IS THE ENTIRE ARGUMENT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN IS MAKING ABOUT KAMALA HARRIS IS THAT SHE HAS NO CORE. SHE STANDS FOR NOTHING. SHE SAID ONE THING IN 2019 AND NOW SHE'S SAYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO BE ELECTED. WE'LL WATCH DONALD TRUMP IN THE LAST WEEK JUST TWISTING IN THE WIND ON THIS QUESTION OF ABORTION. EVERYTHING THAT THEY ACCUSE HER OF HE IS 100 TIMES OVER THE BALANCE, JUST BOUNCES RIGHT BACK ON HIM. JOINING US NOW AT THE BIG BOARD NBC NEWS, NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, THE ONE AND ONLY STEVE KORNACKI. SO WHERE ARE WE TODAY, STEVE? ALL RIGHT, KATIE, WE'LL LOOK AT IT FROM TWO VANTAGE POINTS HERE FIRST, NATIONALLY. THIS IS THE AVERAGE OF ALL THE NATIONAL POLLS COMING OUT OF THAT LABOR DAY WEEKEND, HARRIS 48 TRUMP 45 3 POINT ADVANTAGE FOR THE DEMOCRATS. THEY'RE HAPPY TO BE AHEAD. THEY'RE HAPPY TO BE IN A DIFFERENT POSITION THAN THEY WERE WHEN JOE BIDEN WAS THEIR CANDIDATE. OF COURSE, HE WAS BASICALLY TRAILING DONALD TRUMP ALL YEAR. BUT FOR REPUBLICANS, THEY'RE SOLACE IN THESE NUMBERS TOO BECAUSE DONALD TRUMP IS NO STRANGER TO THIS KIND OF A SETUP. LABOR DAY BEING A LITTLE BIT BEHIND. THAT WAS THE CASE IN 2016. HE TRAILED HILLARY CLINTON BY FIVE POINTS AT THIS POINT WON THE ELECTION 2020. HE TRAILED JOE BIDEN BY HIGH SINGLE DIGITS AT THIS POINT, DIDN'T WIN THE ELECTION BUT CAME AWFULLY CLOSE IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE IS THE NEXT LEVEL. WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THIS THING FROM. THIS IS WHERE WARNER LOST, OBVIOUSLY, SEVEN CORE BATTLEGROUND STATES. YOU SEE THEM IN GRAY HERE. WE'RE GOING TO BE RETURNING TO THEM OVER AND OVER THE NEXT 63 DAYS. BUT THERE'S ALL SORTS OF PATHS FOR EACH CANDIDATE HERE, AT LEAST POTENTIALLY. LET'S JUST SHOW YOU THE SIMPLEST AND MOST DIRECT FOR EACH. AND WE'LL START WITH KAMALA HARRIS. THE POLLING IN THESE STATES, OBVIOUSLY, IT IS CLOSE. IT IS EXCEEDINGLY CLOSE IN SOME OF THEM. BUT IT'S BEEN A TICK BETTER FOR HARRIS AND THE DEMOCRATS IN THESE THREE IN WISCONSIN AGAIN IN PENNSYLVANIA, ALL THREE OF THEM WENT FOR BIDEN IN 2020. AND HARRIS' SIMPLEST PATH IS PROBABLY JUST WINNING THESE THREE STATES. LET'S TURN IN BLUE FOR THE SAKE OF SHOWING YOU WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IN TERMS OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE THERE. YOU SEE IT AND WHAT DOES THAT GIVE HER 270? EXACTLY THE MAGIC NUMBER OF ELECTORAL VOTES, PROBABLY HER SIMPLEST PATH. NOW, FROM THE REPUBLICAN STANDPOINT, WHAT WOULD TRUMP'S SIMPLEST PATH BE? WELL, THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO WIN ONE OF THESE THREE. THE ONE THAT THEY'RE MOST INVESTED IN IS PENNSYLVANIA. THEY THINK MAYBE THE FACT THAT HARRIS DIDN'T TAKE JOSH SHAPIRO THE GOVERNOR THERE. MAYBE THAT WAS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR DEMOCRATS, THE REPUBLICANS, CERTAINLY RIGHT NOW, SPENDING EXTREMELY HEAVILY HERE. IF TRUMP WERE TO SUCCEED IN FLIPPING PENNSYLVANIA, TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THAT WOULD DO. FIRST OF ALL, YOU SEE HARRIS WOULD THEN HAVE TO COMPENSATE. EVEN IF SHE HAD WISCONSIN MICHIGAN, SHE WOULD THEN NEED TO TAKE AT LEAST TWO OF THE SUNBELT STATES. THAT'S BECAUSE PENNSYLVANIA IS THE LARGEST OF THE SWING STATES 19 ELECTORAL VOTES. BUT THEN TRUMP'S PATH WOULD BE REASONABLY SIMPLE FROM HERE. WHAT WOULD HE HAVE TO DO IF HE GETS PENNSYLVANIA? WELL, NORTH CAROLINA, IT'S THE ONE BATTLEGROUND STATE. TRUMP ALREADY WON IN 2020. HE WOULD NEED TO HOLD THAT. AND THEN GEORGIA, THE MARGIN WAS JUST UNDER 12,000 VOTES. TRUMP DID WIN IT IN 2016. IF TRUMP CAN WIN IT BACK IN 24 ALONG WITH HOLDING CAROLINA AND FLIPPING PENNSYLVANIA, HE'D BE THE ONE SITTING AT EXACTLY 270 ELECTORAL VOTES. SO, AGAIN, ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT LAST YEAR, I THINK YOU SEE THE SIMPLEST FOR EACH CANDIDATE. AND I THINK IF THERE'S ONE BIG TAKEAWAY FROM THIS FIRST AMONG EQUALS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SWING STATES IS PENNSYLVANIA SIMPLY BECAUSE WITH 19 ELECTORAL VOTES, IT'S LARGER THAN ANY OF THESE OTHERS. AND IF YOU CAN GET THAT, IF EITHER CANDIDATE CAN GET PENNSYLVANIA, THE PATH FROM THERE FOR THEM EACH BECOMES VERY SIMPLE. SO, PENNSYLVANIA OF ALL THE SWING STATES LOOMS PROBABLY AS THE MOST CRUCIAL RIGHT NOW. KEEP HEARING THAT PENNSYLVANIA, PENNSYLVANIA, PENNSYLVANIA. IF I HAD A WHITE BOARD, MAYBE I'D WRITE THAT DOWN THREE TIMES. STEVE KORNACKI, THANK YOU JOINING US. NOW, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST AND POLLSTER AND MS NBC, POLITICAL ANALYST CORNELL BELCHER, IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, CORNELL CHANGED AND CLOSE TWO WORDS THAT MARK MURRAY, OUR ELECTIONS GUY HERE IS USING, OUR POLLING GUY IS USING TO DESCRIBE WHAT HE'S SEEING IN THE NUMBERS YOU TOOK ISSUE WITH THAT THIS WEEKEND ON THE SITE FORMERLY KNOWN AS TWITTER. EXPLAIN. WELL, LOOK, IF, IF YOU WANT, I'M GONNA, I, THIS IS, I HATE THE, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, UH, POLLING, NATIONAL AVERAGE BECAUSE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE POLLING STUFF IS HOW WE GOT THE RED WAVE. THAT WASN'T A REAL RED WAVE, RIGHT? AND, AND IT IS, IT'S A LOT OF BAD POLLING OUT THERE AND YOU, YOU, YOU MIX THEM ALL UP. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT, LOOK, LET'S LOOK AT THE ABC POLL THAT JUST RECENTLY CAME OUT. UH OR ACTUALLY LET'S LOOK AT THE ABC POLLING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF UH COUPLE OF POLLS HERE. DONALD TRUMP IS CONSISTENTLY AT ROUGHLY 46%. UH WHERE IS DONALD TRUMP ON ELECTION DAY? OH, HE'S CONSISTENTLY AT ROUGHLY 47 46% RIGHT? SO DONALD TRUMP HAS, HAS SHOWN OVER TIME, NOT IN POLLING, BUT ACTUALLY ON ELECTION DAY WHERE HE HAS A CEILING AND, AND HIS, AND HE DESPERATELY NEEDS TO GROW, THAT DESPERATELY NEEDS TO GROW THAT CEILING. BUT IT SEEMS AS THOUGH HE HAS A, HE HAS A, HE HAS A PRETTY CAPPED OFF CEILING AND, AND WHAT WE SEE. AND I AND I AND I AND II, I LOVE THE REFERENCES. 2016. HERE'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 2016 YOU HAD REAL VIABLE THIRD PARTY CANDIDATES ON THE BALLOT IN THESE STATES IN 2016 AND REAL AND REAL THIRD PARTY VOTING AND IN 2016 AND THEN THE FORCED TWO WAY RACE, YES, HILLARY WAS ALWAYS UP, UH, YOU KNOW, WELL, IN THE FORCED TWO WAY RACE MK WAS NEVER A FORCE TWO WAY RACE IN 20 IN 2016. SO THOSE THIRD PARTY VOTERS, UM, YOU SAW BREAKING OFF AND GETTING IN THE WAY OF HER ABILITY TO GET TO A MAJORITY. WHAT YOU'VE SEEN IN ALL THE POLLING RIGHT NOW IS THIRD PARTY CANDIDATES REALLY SORT OF SHRINKING. AND WHEN SHE, WHEN HARRIS GOT IN THE RACE, A LOT OF THE, ESPECIALLY THOSE YOUNGER VOTERS WHO WERE HOLDING BACK FOR BIDEN, UH WHO WERE JUST NOT ENERGIZED AROUND BIDEN, THEY BEGAN TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE 3RD 3RD PARTY AND BEGIN TO SORT OF SOLIDATE AROUND HER. SO SHE STILL HAS ROOM TO GROW AND SHE STILL HAS TO INTRODUCE HERSELF AND, AND, AND GROW OUT THAT SUPPORT AND KEEP THAT, THAT THE REST OF THE VOTE OUT THERE BECAUSE AGAIN, NOT POLLING, BUT ACTUALLY WHAT WE'VE SEEN ON ON ON SEVERAL ELECTION DAYS, DONALD TRUMP IS A 47% PROPOSITION. AND THE CASE IS, CAN SHE CONSOLIDATE THE MAJORITY OF THE REST OF THE ELECTORATE AROUND HER OR DOES SHE LOSE OFF TO THIRD PARTY VOTING AGAIN? LET'S LOOK AT PENNSYLVANIA WHICH STEVE JUST POINTED OUT AND WAS TALKING ABOUT RIGHT AGAIN, GO TO 2016. HILLARY WAS OFF OF BARACK OBAMA'S MARK IN PENNSYLVANIA AND WISCONSIN ALMOST BY THE PRECISE NUMBER OF VOTERS WHO ARE BREAKING THIRD PARTY. AND THAT'S HOW DONALD TRUMP WINS. HE WINS BY SUBTRACTION, NOT BY ADDITION BECAUSE AGAIN, KATIE, I THINK WE KNOW WHERE HE'S GOING TO BE ON ELECTION DAY BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN IT ON SEVERAL ELECTION DAYS. HE'S GOING TO BE AT ROUGHLY 47 MAYBE 48%. DOES KAMALA HARRIS AT SOME POINT NEED TO BREAK WITH JOE BIDEN ON ONE ISSUE WERE MULTIPLE ISSUES. JUST DO A LITTLE BIT MORE BREAKING WITH HIM TO PROPOSE HERSELF MORE AS THE CHANGE CANDIDATE. THE CHANGE CANDIDATE IS GOING TO WIN THIS ELECTION. WHETHER THE CHANGE CANDIDATE IS SOMEBODY CHANGING FROM NOT THIS LAST ADMINISTRATION, BUT THE ONE BEFORE THAT DONALD TRUMP OR DONALD TRUMP CHANGING FROM THIS LAST ADMINISTRATION. SO WOULD IT BEHOOVE KAMALA HARRIS TO MAKE A BREAK AND BE THE TRUE CHANGE CANDIDATE IN THIS, IN THIS CURRENT STATE? WELL, YOU MAKE A FINE POINT AND WE'RE GONNA GO TO ANOTHER ELECTION CYCLE WHERE VOTERS IN AMERICA ARE YET AGAIN LOOKING FOR CHANGE. UM LOOK, I I THINK, I THINK THE VERY IDEA OF, OF, OF, OF HARRIS IS, IS CHANGE, RIGHT? SHE'S A WOMAN AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET. SHE'S A WOMAN OF COLOR AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET VOTE. VOTERS WERE, WERE ARGUING AND SORT OF CLAMORING FOR SOME FOR SOMEONE YOUNGER AND MORE YOUTHFUL. SHE'S, SHE'S CLEARLY SHE'S CLEARLY THAT SHE'S GOT TO WALK A TIGHT LINE KID BECAUSE SHE'S BECAUSE SHE CAN'T GET TOO FAR AWAY FROM, FROM BIDEN BECAUSE SHE WAS SINCE SHE'S TIED TO BIDEN. AND SO SHE'S GOT TO TALK ABOUT THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. AND AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PLENTY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT THIS PRESIDENT HAS, HAS, HAS MOVED OVER THE FINISH LINE THAT, THAT ARE REALLY POPULAR, MORE POPULAR THAN HE WAS. SO SHE'S GOT TO TIE HERSELF TO THOSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, BUT ALSO PIVOT TO THE FUTURE. AND I THINK THAT THE PIVOT TO THE FUTURE AND THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, ABOUT ABOUT A BETTER AMERICA, A MORE UNIFIED AMERICA, A MORE FREE AMERICA. IT'S A PERFECT CONTRAST WITH, WITH, WITH, WITH DONALD TRUMP WHO IS, WHO IS TRIED IN MANY WAYS TO TAKE THE COUNTRY BACK AND MOVE OUR FREEDOMS BACK. I THINK THAT'S THE CHANGE BUT IT, IT IS A TIGHT ROPE TO WALK K BECAUSE SHE CAN'T PULL HERSELF TOO FAR FROM THE GUY WHO BROUGHT HER IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE ARE OFFICIALLY 63 DAYS UNTIL NOVEMBER 5TH, THE ELECTION DAY. WE'RE ALSO ONE WEEK UNTIL THIS BIG DEBATE BETWEEN KAMALA HARRIS AND DONALD TRUMP, TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACTUALLY NEVER MET AND THEY WILL MEET ON THE BIGGEST STAGE OF ALL. WE ALSO WILL SEE EARLY VOTING BEGIN AS EARLY AS TWO WEEKS FROM NOW WITH THOSE EARLY MAIL IN BALLOTS GOING OUT THIS FRIDAY. THIS IS IT WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT THE GENERAL ELECTION. THIS IS WHY THEY TALK ABOUT IT STARTING NOW AFTER LABOR DAY BECAUSE OF ALL THESE THINGS FROM DEBATES TO VOTING ITSELF. KAMALA HARRIS IS HITTING THE TRAIL. SHE'S IN MULTIPLE STATES THIS WEEK. NEW HAMPSHIRE TOMORROW. PHILADELPHIA, EXCUSE ME, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA ON THURSDAY AND SHE WAS IN P A JUST YESTERDAY WHICH HAS SO MANY KEY DELEGATES. KEY TO THE BLUE WALL. THAT WAS HER LABOR DAY SPEECH. THIS WAS HER FIRST APPEARANCE WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN SINCE THE DNC BEFORE UNION MEMBERS, WALL STREET DID NOT BUILD AMERICA. WHEN UNION WAGES GO UP, EVERYBODY'S WAGES GO UP. THE MIDDLE CLASS, BUILT AMERICA AND UNIONS BUILT THE MIDDLE CLASS. IT IS GOOD TO BE IN THE HOUSE OF LABOR. ARE YOU READY TO FIGHT? WE ARE THE UNDERDOG IN THIS RACE. I PROMISE YOU IF YOU ELECT KAMALA HARRIS AS PRESIDENT WILL BE THE BEST YOU WILL HAVE EVER MADE. WE LIKE OUR WORK. GOOD WORK IS GOOD WORK. THE HARD WORK. A REFERENCE NOT ONLY TO CREDITING THE LABOR OF SO MANY AMERICANS IN THE HISTORY OF THE LABOR STRUGGLE IN UNION ORGANIZING. BUT SHE ALSO WAS OF COURSE, TALKING ABOUT THE HARD WORK LEFT IN THESE NINE WEEKS HOME STRETCH OF THE GENERAL ELECTION. SO SHE IS DOING AS SHE SAYS, ALL OF THAT HARD WORK. AND IT'S A CONTRAST TO DONALD TRUMP WHO IS NOT DOING ANY IN PERSON RALLIES ALL THIS WEEK AND LABOR DAY, WHICH AS I MENTIONED IS THIS TRADITIONAL START TO THE CAMPAIGN. HE DIDN'T HOLD ANY PUBLIC EVENTS AT ALL YESTERDAY. SO THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN IS GOING AFTER TRUMP ON THIS POINT AND THEY USED HIS OWN APP HIS PLATFORM THROUGH SOCIAL TO COMPARE THEIR SCHEDULES. THREE STATES VERSUS NONE. NOTING TRUMP WAS AS YOU SEE THERE GOLFING QUESTION MARK AND THERE ARE REPORTS THAT TRUMP HAS BEEN QUOTE PHONING IT IN RUNNING A LOW ENERGY UNDISCIPLINED CAMPAIGN. THAT'S FROM HIS OWN TRUMP FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE STAFFER WHO SPOKE TO THE WASHINGTON POST. IT'S A DOWNRIGHT LACKADAISICAL LAID BACK OR YES, EVEN LOW ENERGY APPROACH TO CAMPAIGNING AT A TIME WHERE EVERYTHING MATTERS. IT'S ALSO STRIKING BECAUSE DONALD TRUMP IS, IF HE'S GOOD AT ANYTHING, HE'S BEEN EFFECTIVE AT DRIVING MESSAGE AND PR TV AND ATTENTION, THAT'S SOMETHING HE'S KNOWN FOR. BUT IF YOU DON'T GO OUT AND MEET WITH PEOPLE AND DO THE CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES, YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF STUFF THAT WOULD BE COVERED IN PR AND TV. NOW, HARRIS ALSO WENT ON TV AND DID HER FIRST BIG INTERVIEW SINCE BECOMING THE NOMINEE. IT WAS A JOINT INTERVIEW WITH TIM WALLS AND SHE HAMMERED TRUMP. WE HAVE HAD IN THE FORMER PRESIDENT, SOMEONE WHO HAS REALLY BEEN PUSHING AN AGENDA AND AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS ABOUT DIMINISHING UM THE CHARACTER AND THE STRENGTH OF WHO WE ARE AS AMERICANS UH REALLY DIVIDING OUR NATION. DONALD TRUMP SAID HE WAS GONNA DO A NUMBER OF THINGS INCLUDING ALLOWING MEDICARE TO NEGOTIATE DRUG PRICES. NEVER HAPPENED. WE DID IT HITTING THERE ON SOME POLICY ITEMS AND EVERYTHING WE'VE JUST DISCUSSED IS ABOUT CAMPAIGNING AND THE TIME AND THE PLACES THAT YOU PRIORITIZE, THEN THERE'S THE MONEY. WE ARE GETTING ANOTHER PICTURE BECAUSE HARRIS IS SUCH A NEW CANDIDATE. WE ONLY HAVE WEEKS AS OPPOSED TO THE MANY YEARS OF TRUMP'S RECORDS TO SEE HOW SHE'S DOING AND THE MONEY CONTINUES TO ROLL IN. HARRIS'S TEAM IS NOW ON PACE TO BE ABLE TO DOUBLE TRUMP'S SPENDING ON AIR IN THESE NEXT AND FINAL TWO MONTHS OF THE CAMPAIGN. THAT'S A BIG DEAL. THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN ALSO PROJECTING CONFIDENCE AND TRYING TO MAKE UP FOR A PLACE WHERE SOME DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGNS HAVE STRUGGLED. THOSE SO CALLED DOWN BALLOT OR GRASSROOTS RACES. THINK ABOUT HAULING IN $25 MILLION AND THEN DISTRIBUTING IT. THAT'S SOMETHING WE SEE SOMETIMES THE DNC DO IN THE YEARS INTO A PRESIDENCY, BUT SHE IS IN A STRONG ENOUGH POSITION TO START HANDING OUT MONEY NOW. AND THAT GOES TO, AS I MENTIONED, DOWN BALLOT, CONGRESSIONAL RACES AND SOME LOCAL RACES. THEY ARE PAST HALF A BILLION DOLLARS TOTAL IN THESE FIRST SIX WEEKS DOWN BALLOT. REPUBLICANS MEANWHILE ARE ACCORDING TO POLITICAL REPORTING, QUOTE, PANICKING OVER THE HUGE MONEY GAP. A REPUBLICAN SAYING UNLESS SOMETHING CHANGES DRASTICALLY IN THE NEXT SIX WEEKS, WE WILL LOSE WINNABLE SEATS. LET ME REPEAT. THAT QUOTE IS FROM A REPUBLICAN TRYING TO SOUND THE ALARM. WE WILL LOSE WHAT THEY VIEW AS QUOTE, WINNABLE REPUBLICAN SEATS. THIS IS WHAT THE GENERAL ELECTION IS STARTING OUT LIKE. AND IT IS A MEASURE OF A DRASTICALLY SHIFTED LANDSCAPE THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT TELLS YOU WHERE THINGS WILL END. IF YOU WATCH THIS PROGRAM, WE TRY TO ALWAYS TELL YOU OUR SOURCES AND THE EVIDENCE AND WE DON'T HAVE THE EVIDENCE YET OR THE LARGER TRENDS TO HAVE ANY CLEAR IDEA OF HOW THIS CLOSE RACE WILL END IF YOU HEAR PEOPLE SAYING, OH, NOW IT'S OBVIOUS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THEY LOOKED AT A RALLY OR A POLL THAT'S FINE. PEOPLE CAN CONJURE AND PREDICT WHATEVER THEY WANT. BUT I CAN TELL YOU IT LOOKS LIKE A VERY CLOSE RACE. THE EVIDENCE WE DO HAVE THOUGH DOES SHOW AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE DEMOCRATIC POSITION IN THE NOMINEE HARRIS NOW INSTEAD OF BIDEN AND HOW DEMOCRATS ARE BENEFITING FROM HER AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET INSTEAD OF BIDEN. NOW, WE KNOW THE ANXIETY USED TO RUN QUITE HIGH, EVERYONE FROM NANCY PELOSI QUITE PUBLICLY, CHUCK SCHUMER MORE PRIVATELY, HAKEEM JEFFRIES VERY PRIVATELY. WE'RE TALKING UP THE IDEA OF GETTING A CHANGE OF GETTING BIDEN TO DROP OUT, WHICH HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. BUT ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY KICKED OFF THAT CONVERSATION, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER BACK IN THE NEWS TONIGHT IS GEORGE CLOONEY, NOT JUST BECAUSE HE IS AN ACTOR OR A CELEBRITY OR TALENTED OR FAMOUS. HE ACTUALLY WAS SOMEONE WHO HAD A VERY SPECIAL ROLE IN THE OBAMA KIND OF COALITION AS NOT ONLY A DONOR, BUT A FUNDRAISER AND A KIND OF A NATIONAL FIGURE. AND HE DID OPEN UP A LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS WHEN HE URGED BIDEN TO STEP DOWN, YOU MIGHT RECALL. THE NEW YORK TIMES HANDED THE MIKE TO CLOONEY AND HE PENNED AN OP ED TALKING ABOUT A THEME YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD RECENTLY AT THE DNC. HE BOTH LOVED JOE BIDEN AND WANTED A NEW NOMINEE. THAT WAS WHERE HE SPOKE. YOU CAN DEBATE WHETHER THESE RICH CELEBRITIES AND OTHER CULTURAL FIGURES HAVE TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE INFLUENCE. BUT IT DID MAKE A DIFFERENCE. HISTORIANS WILL GO BACK TO THAT JULY OP ED JUST LIKE THEY'LL GO BACK TO EZRA KLEIN'S PIECE AND SOME OF THE OTHER EARLY PUSH. SO IT WAS BIG NEWS WHEN IN A MOVIE PROMOTION APPEARANCE CLOONEY JUST FOR THE FIRST TIME BROKE HIS SILENCE OVER THE WEEKEND WITH HIS FIRST REACTION. NOW TOUTING JOE BIDEN SINCE HE EXITED THE PERSON WHO SHOULD BE APPLAUDED IS THE PRESIDENT WHO DID THE MOST SELFLESS THING THAT ANYBODY HAS DONE SINCE GEORGE WASHINGTON. AND THAT'S TRUE. AND SO ANYBODY, ALL THE MACHINATIONS THAT GOT US THERE, THAT'S ALL, NONE OF THAT'S GOING TO BE REMEMBERED. AND IT SHOULDN'T BE, WHAT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED IS THE SELFLESS ACT OF, OF SOMEONE WHO, YOU KNOW, IS VERY HARD TO LET GO OF POWER. YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT WE'VE SEEN IT, YOU KNOW, ALL AROUND THE WORLD AND FOR SOMEONE TO SAY, I THINK THERE'S A BETTER WAY FORWARD. UH THAT'S ALL THE CREDIT GOES TO HIM, ALL THE CREDIT TO BIDEN SAYS, CLOONEY. AND HE LIKE EZRA KLEIN, WHO WROTE ABOUT THIS IN THE NEW YORK TIMES REALLY DID OPEN UP SPACE. THERE'S SO MUCH CRITICISM OF WHAT HAPPENS, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE RIGHT. BUT IN DEMOCRATIC CIRCLES, THERE WAS AN ABSENCE OF PUBLIC AND REAL RECKONING WITH SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT LED TO THE LATE EXIT OF JOE BIDEN AND NOW KAMALA HARRIS AND THE TIMING SEEMS SO FAR BE WORKING OUT FOR THE DEMOCRATS. SO IT'S REALLY STRIKING TONIGHT TO JUST HEAR CLOONEY BREAK HIS SILENCE. HE HAD KEPT HIMSELF SORT OF OUT OF VIEW. HE THERE MADE IT ALL ABOUT BIDEN, NOT HIMSELF AND HE CREDITS BIDEN FOR THAT SELFLESS ACT OF GIVING UP POWER. BUT IT'S ALSO INTERESTING BECAUSE WE ARE JUST SIX WEEKS OUT OF THIS THING OR, YOU KNOW, NINE OR 10 OUT FROM THAT FIRST PUBLIC PUSH OF PEOPLE LIKE CLOONEY. I MENTIONED KLEIN NANCY PELOSI AND WHAT A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE IT'S MADE. SO THAT IS HOW WE GOT HERE. THE RACE HAS SHIFTED AND NOW WE'RE SEEING SIGNS OF THE ELECTORAL MAP SHIFTING. I TOLD YOU AGAIN, WE FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE QUOTE JUST OVER A MONTH AGO, PBS. NOTES. IN THIS ACCOUNT, TRUMP ALLIES WERE SUGGESTING DEMOCRATIC LEANING STATES LIKE MINNESOTA, VIRGINIA, EVEN NEW JERSEY COULD BE IN PLAY. QUOTE. NEITHER SIDE BELIEVES THAT'S STILL THE CASE HERE ON THIS PAST LABOR DAY WEEKEND. PBS IS CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS AND QUOTING REPUBLICANS. AND AGAIN, WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH SPIN AND CAMPAIGNS, BUT IT'S TRUE THAT EVEN TRUMP DEFENDERS, MAGA ALLIES ARE NO LONGER CLAIMING THAT THIS KIND OF THING IS GOING TO BE SOME SORT OF TRUMP ROMP. HERE'S HARRIS TELLING SUPPORTERS THOUGH NOT TO GET TOO OVERCONFIDENT. AND WE KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE A TIGHT RACE TO THE VERY END. IT'S GONNA BE A TIGHT RACE TO THE VERY END. SO LET'S NOT PAY TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO THOSE POLLS BECAUSE AS UNIONS AND LABOR KNOWS BEST, WE KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE THE UNDERDOG AND WE ARE THE UNDERDOG IN THIS RACE AND WE HAVE SOME HARD WORK DONE AHEAD OF US. THOSE THEMES AGAIN THERE, HARD WORK AND STILL THE UNDERDOG. BUT HERE'S WHAT'S SO INTERESTING ABOUT POLITICAL COMMUNICATION. YOU DIDN'T HEAR JOE BIDEN EMPHASIZING TWO MONTHS AGO THAT HE WAS THE UNDERDOG EVEN THOUGH HE WAS BEHIND. AND THE REASON IS A LITTLE BIT OF A PARADOX. THERE WERE SIGNS THAT HE WAS FAR ENOUGH BEHIND THAT YOU DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO BRING UP IT BEING A TOUGH OR CLOSE RACE. THERE ARE NOW SIGNS THAT KAMALA HARRIS MIGHT HAVE PULLED EVEN OR POSSIBLY AHEAD, INCLUDING BUILDING LEADS IN STATES THAT WON'T DECIDE THIS RACE. SO YOU GET THAT NATIONAL POLLING LEAD THAT I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE, IT DOESN'T RESOLVE THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND SHE'S THE ONE GOING OUT OF HER WAY TO TELL A VERY EXCITED, HIGHLY DONATING HIGHLY ACTIVE SET OF BASE VOTERS AND PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP TO THOSE RALLIES AND LISTEN TO THEM. HEY, SHE STILL WANTS TO BE THE UNDERDOG. THE ONLY WAY TO BE THE TOP DOG IS TO HAVE EVERYONE TURN OUT OVER THESE NEXT 60 PLUS DAYS. WHAT ARE YOUR, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT, UM, ABOUT, WHAT WILL BE CONTRASTED BEFORE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE? I MEAN, YOU AND I HAVE HAD A LOT OF THESE CONVERSATIONS ON AND OFF TV. I'M, I'M, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SORT OF SHOW HOW WE GRAPPLE WITH THEM. I MEAN, I'VE SPENT, I SAID THIS IS SOMETHING TODAY. I'VE SPENT NINE YEARS SORT OF ORIENTING MYSELF, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE DOMINION TRIAL AND WE SAW THE INNER WORKINGS OF FOX NEWS. WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS OBVIOUSLY OPERATING AS AN ARM OF THE TRUMP CANDIDACY. SO, IF THEY SHOWED TRUMP, I DIDN'T THINK WE SHOULD. UM, AND I'VE HAD STRONG VIEWS ABOUT PLATFORM HIM, BUT NOW THAT THEY SHUT HIM DOWN THE MINUTE HE STARTS TALKING ABOUT WIND AND GAS AND WHATEVER ELSE HE'S BLURTING OUT. I WONDER IF WE SHOULD BE SHOWING PEOPLE THAT, I MEAN, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE MOST BASIC COVERAGE DECISIONS WE MAKE OVER THE NEXT 60 DAYS? I THINK IT'S HARD. UM, I DO THINK IT'S HARD. UM, I THINK FOX HAS BEEN CUTTING HIM OFF BECAUSE HE'S GOTTEN REALLY BORING. I THINK THEY'VE BEEN LO, I MEAN, HE LOSES HIS CROWD ABOUT 60 MINUTES IN, UH, EVEN THE MOST DIEHARDS START WANDERING AWAY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER HE CALLS IT AND FRANKLY ALLOWING HIM TO CALL IT, THE WEAVE IS SO SILLY. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S NOT ORATORY, IT'S A CRAZY TOWN AND THEY START WANDERING AWAY AFTER A WHILE BECAUSE IT'S BORING. HIS ACT IS GETTING. I MEAN, SARAH HAS SAID THIS, I THINK VERY EFFECTIVELY AND I'M STEALING A LITTLE BIT OF HER STUFF HERE. WE ALL ARE HIS WHOLE, HIS WHOLE, HIS WHOLE, HIS WHOLE ACT HAS BECOME VERY TIRED AND I THINK FOX IS CUTTING AWAY BECAUSE IT'S BORING. WE SHOULD NOT COVER HIM WHEN HE'S DOING NOTHING BUT SPEWING LIES. WE SHOULD NOT PLATFORM THAT IF HE WANTS TO COME ON AND DO AN INTERVIEW, I THINK THAT WOULD BE ONE THING IF HE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT POLICY, THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER THING. BUT IT IS, IT IS VERY HARD DECISION WHEN A MAJOR POLITICAL PARTY HAS NOMINATED THIS GUY, THERE HAS TO BE COVERAGE. BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL HOW WE DO IT BECAUSE WE PROMOTE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT REALLY IN THE COUNTRY'S BEST INTEREST IF WE TREAT HIM LIKE HE'S A NORMAL CANDIDATE BECAUSE HE'S NOT. I MEAN, SARAH, ONE OF THE HEARTENING THINGS ABOUT ALL OF YOUR DATA AND RESEARCH AND I TO FIND MYSELF QUOTING YOU AGAIN ON AND OFF TV, IS THAT THE VOTERS SEE IT? THEY SEE HIM AS NOT HAVING ANY INTEREST IN THEIR LIVES. THEY ARE AWARE OF HIS CRIMINAL RECORD. THE CHARACTER STUFF HAS CAUGHT UP WITH HIM WITHOUT EVER UTTERING THE WORD CHARACTER. AND I WONDER WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ABOUT THESE FINAL 60 DAYS. YES. WELL, LOOK, LET ME MAKE A ROBUST CASE FOR PLATFORM TRUMP IN THIS MOMENT. I MEAN, LOOK, HE IS THE NOMINEE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND I THINK IN SOME WAYS THAT'S CASE ALONE. BUT I'LL TELL YOU, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT VOTERS SEE TRUMP OFTEN UNFILTERED BECAUSE HERE'S A THING THAT I KNOW FROM DOING FOCUS GROUPS EVERY SINGLE WEEK, MAYBE MULTIPLE FOCUS GROUPS OVER THE LAST NOW MANY, MANY YEARS, WHICH IS THAT THE MORE VOTERS SEE OF DONALD TRUMP, THE LESS THEY LIKE HIM WHEN DONALD TRUMP IS INVISIBLE, WHEN HE IS LESS VISIBLE, RIGHT? HIS APPROVAL RATINGS GO UP WHEN HE IS MORE VISIBLE, HIS APPROVAL RATINGS GO DOWN. AND SO WE WANT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO SEE HIM IN HIS RAMBLING INSANE GLORY. THE FACT IS KICKING HIM OFF TWITTER AND SHOW HIM OVER TO TRUTH SOCIAL HAS ESSENTIALLY PROTECTED A LOT OF IT'S PROTECTED TRUMP AND IT'S KEPT A LOT OF VOTERS FROM SEEING. I MEAN, IF YOU WERE TO TAKE A SPIN THROUGH TRUTH SOCIAL, SOMETIMES PEOPLE GRAB ONE OR TWO SCREENSHOTS AND THEY REPORT ON THEM. BUT IF YOU JUST WERE TO LOOK AT IT AS AN AVERAGE VOTER, YOU WOULD SAY THESE ARE THE RAMBLINGS OF A DERANGED LUNATIC AND AMERICA NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT IT'S GETTING WHEN THEY ELECT DONALD TRUMP. YOU KNOW, I LISTEN TO VOTERS AND THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF TRUMP AMNESIA FROM, YOU KNOW, WHEN TRUMP SAYS, WERE YOU BETTER OFF FOUR YEARS AGO? THE ANSWER IS NO, WE WERE ALL STUCK IN OUR HOUSES BECAUSE YOU MISMANAGED A PANDEMIC AND, YOU KNOW, LIED TO EVERYBODY ABOUT WHAT WAS ACTUALLY GOING ON. I MEAN, PEOPLE HAVE TO SEE WHAT THEY WOULD GET WITH A SECOND TERM OF TRUMP, WHICH IS SOMEBODY WHO IS NOW GOING INTO 2024 MUCH OLDER, MUCH LESS TETHERED TO REALITY, MUCH LESS GOOD AT ARTICULATING HIS POSITIONS ON THINGS. AND SO I SAY, LET TRUMP COOK AND LET THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SEE HIM BECAUSE THE MORE THEY SEE HIM, THE LESS THEY LIKE HIM. WELL, ALEXEI TO THAT POINT HE IS, WELL, LET ME JUST LET ME DO WHAT SARAH IS SUGGESTING. LET ME SHOW YOU SOME OF HIS GREATEST HITS IN DEBATE MOMENTS. IT'S JUST AWFULLY GOOD THAT SOMEONE WITH THE TEMPERAMENT OF DONALD TRUMP IS NOT IN CHARGE OF THE LAW IN OUR COUNTRY BECAUSE YOU'D BE IN JAIL. WE NEED TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO THE SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST FUND. THAT'S PART OF MY COMMITMENT TO RAISE TAXES ON THE WEALTHY. MY SOCIAL SECURITY PAYROLL CONTRIBUTION WILL GO UP AS WILL DONALD'S ASSUMING HE CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET OUT OF IT. BUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO REPLENISH THE, DO YOU WANT TO CALL HIM. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CALL HIM? GIVE ME A NAME. GIVE ME A LIKE ME TO STAND BACK AND STAND BY TO SARAH'S POINT, ALEXEI. HE'S NOT GOTTEN BETTER AT THAT. AND I MEAN, WE COULD HAVE, WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT FOR 20 MINUTES. THERE WAS TALKING ABOUT BLOOD COMING OUT OF MEGYN KELLY'S EYES IN OTHER PLACES. THERE'S TELLING THE EXTREMISTS TO STAND BACK AND STAND BY WHICH THEY DID TO TRAGIC CONSEQUENCE ON JANUARY 6TH. AND THIS MAY BE THE ONLY DEBATE. SO ALL EYES WILL BE ON DONALD TRUMP A WEEK FROM TONIGHT. YES. AND THOSE CLIPS ARE A GOOD EXAMPLE WHILE NOT COMPREHENSIVE AS YOU MENTIONED OF WHY HE AND HIS TEAM ARE INSISTING THAT THE MICROPHONES SHOULD REMAIN MUTED BECAUSE THEY KNOW HE CANNOT CONTROL HIMSELF ON HIS OWN. AND THAT HIS NORMAL BEHAVIOR IS THAT OF AN ERRATIC PERSON WHO IS WILLING TO NOT JUST SAY SOMETHING TO INTERRUPT OR COUNTERACT THE OTHER PERSON'S POINT, BUT TO DENIGRATE THEM AND TO MAKE FUN OF THEM OR BELITTLE THEM OFTENTIMES. I MEAN, I THINK IT'S LIKELY THAT WE WILL HEAR SOME SORT OF SEXIST OR RACIST ATTACK AGAINST THE VICE PRESIDENT AT THIS DEBATE. YOU GUYS REMEMBER THE NABJ CONFERENCE, TRUMP COULDN'T EVEN HANDLE A BLACK FEMALE REPORTER ASKING HIM A QUESTION ABOUT HIS OWN WORDS WITHOUT HAVING A MELTDOWN. I THINK WE WILL SEE ALMOST THE EXACT SAME SITUATION JUST BY WAY OF HAVING A STRONG BLACK WOMAN STANDING NEXT TO HIM GOING TOE TO TOE WITH HIM AND NOT SHOWING THAT SHE'S AFRAID OF HIM AND HIS SO CALLED LOCKER ROOM TALK. YOU KNOW, CLAIRE, SOMEONE SAID TO ME TODAY THAT THE MOST DAMAGE HARRIS DOES TO TRUMP IS IGNORING HIM THAT HER ANSWER TO DANA BASH IN THE INTERVIEW ABOUT HIS RACIST MISOGYNISTIC ATTACKS ON HER SAYING SAME WHOLE PLAYBOOK. NEXT QUESTION IS THE THING THAT FRED TRUMP SAID THE SAME THING. HIS NEPHEW SAID THE WORST NINE DAYS OF HIS LIFE OR THE FIRST NINE DAYS OF KAMALA HARRIS' CANDIDACY WHEN THERE WASN'T ANY ROOM IN THE NEWS CYCLE FOR ANY OF HIS BIZARRE RANTINGS AND RAVINGS. WHAT DO YOU, HOW DO YOU DEPLOY THAT ON A DEBATE STAGE? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, SHE'S GOT TO, SHE'S GOT TO DO WHAT SHE DOES VERY WELL AND THAT IS PIVOT AND PUNCH. UM, SHE IS A, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE TO GIGGLE WHEN ANYBODY SAYS SHE NEEDS A SCRIPT. YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE DONE COURTROOM PROSECUTING, IF YOU'VE ACTUALLY LOOKED A JURY IN THE EYE AND BE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVING A CASE BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT TO PUT SOMEBODY IN PRISON AND REMOVE THEIR LIBERTY IN THIS WORLD, THEN YOU HAVE TO THINK ON YOUR FEET BECAUSE THERE'S NO SCRIPT. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT WITNESSES ARE GOING TO SAY. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT OBJECTIONS ARE GONNA BE MADE. SHE KNOWS HOW TO THINK ON HER FEET. SHE KNOWS HOW TO PIVOT AND PUNCH. SHE'S GONNA NEED TO USE HER SENSE OF HUMOR. SO PEOPLE DO GET THIS SENSE THAT WHILE SHE'S STRONG AND TOUGH, SHE ALSO CAN BE SELF-DEPRECATING AND SHE CAN HAVE JOY IN HER HEART AT THE SAME TIME AND BE EASY TO LIVE WITH FOR FOUR DAYS IN YOUR LIVING ROOM. UM, THAT'S THE KIND OF BALANCE SHE HAS TO WALK, BUT I'M CONFIDENT SHE CAN DO IT AND I, I'VE CONFIDENT SHE CAN GET UNDER HIS SKIN BECAUSE SHE CAN BE JUST DISMISSIVE OF HIM AND SHE KNOWS HOW TO DO THAT. I'VE WATCHED HER DO IT IN HEARING ROOMS MANY, MANY, MANY TIMES ON COMMITTEE. WE SERVED TOGETHER. YEAH, I MEAN, SARAH, DO YOU THINK THAT, I MEAN, AND I THINK YOU COULD ASK BRETT KAVANAUGH BILL BARR OR JEFF SESSIONS, UM, HOW SHE DID, THEY QUESTION THEM WITHOUT A SCRIPT? I MEAN, IS THAT A MODEL FOR PARTS OF THE DEBATE OR, OR YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK SHE SHOULD DEPLOY NEXT TUESDAY NIGHT? WELL, LOOK, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A CASE FOR SUBSTANCE. I KNOW THAT I SAW THAT QUOTE THAT YOU PLAYED KIND OF THE LEAD IN ABOUT HOW SHE'S GOING TO FOCUS ON GETTING UNDER HIS SKIN IF I WERE HER, WHAT I WOULD DO IS LOOK, THIS IS, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO REALLY INTRODUCE HERSELF TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THEY STILL DON'T HAVE A FIRM GRASP ON WHO SHE IS. AND SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT SHE IS STRONG, TALKING ABOUT POLICY PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHAT SHE STANDS FOR BECAUSE THE THING ABOUT RATTLING TRUMP TRUMP WILL RATTLE HIMSELF. I MEAN, LITERALLY BEING ON THE STAGE WITH HER WILL CAUSE HIM TO BE UNDONE. SHE DOESN'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING TO GET UNDER HIS SKIN. SHE IS UNDER HIS SKIN. I MEAN, THIS IS A GUY WHO I THINK CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH HER. AND SO IF I WERE HER, I WOULD FOCUS ON SHOWING THAT YOU HAVE A STRONG COMMAND OF SUBSTANCE AND LET TRUMP DO WHAT HE DID IN HIS DEBATE LIKE HE DID WITH BIDEN IN 2020 WHERE HE JUST HOWLED AT THE MOON LIKE A LUNATIC. AND I'LL TELL YOU, I REMEMBER DOING FOCUS GROUPS AFTER THAT AND THAT WAS THE TIME THAT VOTERS SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS GUY IS OUT OF HIS MIND. AND I THINK LIKE THAT'S WHO TRUMP IS. AND SO SHE'S GOT TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT SHE IS, SHE'S READY TO BE COMMANDER IN CHIEF. AND THIS GUY IS JUST A CRAZY MAN BARKING FROM THE SIDELINES.