'He's recycling the same attacks': Why Trump's digs at VP Harris aren't landing

922 PAGE MANIFESTO, THEY AREN'T GOING AWAY IF WE TAKES THE WHITE HOUSE. THIS IS ACTUALLY OUR FUTURE. JOINING ME NOW IS A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT FOR "VANITY FAIR." NBC POLL AND POLITICAL ANALYST AS WELL AND CHAIRMAN OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW HIM AS ONE OF THE COST OF THE PROGRAM THAT PROCEEDS THIS ONE, "THE WEEKEND," AYRES BEFORE "VELSHI" RIGHT HERE ON MSNBC. MICHAEL, YOU NOTED ON X THAT TRUMP QUOTE, CRAPPED ON THE BED AT NABJ, BUT HIS REMARKS WERE MADE FOR YOU AND ME OR HIS AUDIENCE IN FRONT OF HIM. IT WAS MEANT FOR HIS M.A.G.A. UNIVERSE, ALTHOUGH SOME PEOPLE WONDER, WHAT WAS THAT MESSAGE, AND WHY? >> A LOT OF IT IS THE WAY DONALD TRUMP IS LOOKING AT PROSECUTING THIS ELECTION. THIS IS ONE OF THE STRUGGLES BETWEEN HIS CURRENT CAMPAIGN TEAM, WHICH IS A VERY SOPHISTICATED TEAM OF PLAYERS. THEY HAVE DONE A LOT TO GET THIS CAMPAIGN MUCH BETTER ORGANIZED AND FOCUSED ON MOVING TOWARD THE GOAL OF WINNING THE ELECTION. THEN, DONALD TRUMP HAS A DIFFERENT IDEA WHEN HE WANTS TO PUT HIS DAUGHTER-IN- LAW IN CHARGE OF THE RNC AND THEY WANT TO FIRE PEOPLE, BUT HE IS STILL TRYING TO PULL IT IN THE DIRECTION HE WANTS TO. A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT WAS WHAT WE SAW ON STAGE, WHERE THAT WAS NOT THE NARRATIVE HIS CAMPAIGN TEAM WANTED TO PUT OUT THERE, BUT IT WAS THE NARRATIVE DONALD TRUMP WANTS TO PROSECUTE, BECAUSE IN HIS MIND'S EYE, HE NEEDS MORE OF HIS FACE TO TURN OUT. THE IDEA OF EXPANDING THE UNIVERSE OF PEOPLE VOTING FOR HIM, THAT IS TOO TIRESOME. THAT IS WAY TOO INVOLVED. IT IS EASIER TO GET THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE ME AND WANT TO BE WITH ME, AND IN MY PRESENCE, TO COME OUT AND VOTE. THAT IS GOING TO BE A REAL CHALLENGE IN SOME OF THESE KEY BATTLEGROUND DATES. THAT IS WHY THE POLLING FOLKS IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AND NOT GET TRIPPED UP ON. EVEN WHEN IT IS GOOD FOR HARRIS RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN'T GET TRIPPED UP ON WHAT THOSE NUMBERS SAY, BECAUSE IT IS NOT A REFLECTION OF WHO ACTUALLY WILL VOTE. IT IS NOT A REFLECTION OF WHAT THE GROUND GAME IS IN ANY GIVEN STATE, IN ANY GIVEN COUNTY, IN ANY GIVEN DISTRICT. THAT IS WHERE THE DEMOCRATS, AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR LAST HOUR WITH MR. KINNAMAN, WHO IS RUNNING THAT OPERATION, HAVE PUT THE PEOPLE IN PLACE, THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAVE NOT. WHEN HE IS ON THAT STAGE, SAYING WHAT HE IS SAYING, TO YOUR POINT, ALI HE'S NOT TALKING ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WILL TURN OUT, HE'S TRYING TO MAKE SURE HIS HARD-CORE BASE TURNS OUT IN A LARGER NUMBER. >> THAT IS WHERE THE ENTHUSIASM PART COMES INTO THIS LARGER CONVERSATION. IF PEOPLE ARE ENTHUSED, THAT HELPS THEM TO VOTE ANY GROUPS OF PEOPLE ARE ENTHUSED-- MOLLY, THIS IS INTERESTING, DONALD TRUMP'S ATTACKS ON KAMALA HARRIS ARE NOT LEADING FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. SOME OF THEM ARE JUST BAD, NOT THAT EFFECTIVE, AND SOME OF THEM ARE ENTIRELY TURNED AROUND BY THIS ENTHUSIASTIC BASE OF THE PORTERS OF KAMALA HARRIS, TURNED INTO MEMES AND THINGS THAT CAUSE PEOPLE TO GET ENTHUSIASTIC, THAT IS THE ANSWER. I THINK MICHAEL'S POINT IS RIGHT. POLLS ARE ALWAYS TIED WITH PRESIDENTIAL RACES, OR HAVE BEEN FOR MANY CYCLES NOW. THE ISSUE WILL COME DOWN TO WHO WANTS TO SUPPORT WHO, WHO SIGNS UP TO VOLUNTEER, WHO DONATES, AND WHO SHOWS UP TO VOTE. >> I ALSO THINK ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT HERE IS, WHICH WE HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE WITH OBAMA, IS THERE IS JOY. HE IS TRYING TO TURN THAT JOY AGAINST HER. THOSE VIDEOS OF HER LAUGHING, THAT WAS ONE ATTACK, OR HER COOKING. AND I THINK PEOPLE JUST LIKE THAT. IT HAS BEEN A LONG, LONG EIGHT YEARS, 10 YEARS SINCE TRUMP CAME INTO THE FRAY, AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE REFRESHED BY A NORMAL PERSON COOKING A TURKEY. SO, I DO THINK THAT THERE IS A KIND OF JOY IN THIS CAMPAIGN THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN IN A WHILE IN AMERICAN POLITICS. I ALSO THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE GALVANIZED FOR HER. TRUMP HAS ONLY THE SAME MATERIAL , HE KEEPS RECYCLING THE SAME ATTACKS. A LOT OF THE ATTACKS HE IS USING ON HER, HE USED ON HILLARY CLINTON. AND I THINK THAT YOU CAN'T JUST THIS, THINK OF SOMETHING NEW. >> MICHAEL, SOMETHING YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT MOMENTS AGO, ERIC HOLDER, THE FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS ARRIVED AT THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY, THE VICE PRESIDENT'S OFFICIAL RESIDENCE. HE OBVIOUSLY WILL HAVE HIS VETTING PAPER AND THEY WILL HAVE AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. WE WILL KEEP AN EYE ON THAT AND SEE IT IN A MORNING MOMENT. YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS DOCUMENT, HEAD OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. THEY HAVE BEEN PUTTING THIS OUT SINCE REAGAN'S DAYS. A VERSION OF THIS THE IDEA THAT A CONSERVATIVE THINK TANK LIKE THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION WOULD LAY SOME TYPE OF FRAMEWORK AND IT IS USUALLY PRETTY SUCCESSFUL WITH CONSERVATIVE ADMINISTRATIONS. THERE IS THE CAR THAT WAS CARRYING ERIC HOLDER AT THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY. WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS PROJECT 2025? WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS VERSION OF THE MANDY LEADERSHIP ? >> WHAT DO YOU NOTICE THAT IS ABSENT IN THOSE 900 PAGES? ANY REAL FORMULATION OF POLICY THAT CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON THE ENVIRONMENT, OR THE HEALTHCARE, ON THE ECONOMY, INFRASTRUCTURE, ON MEDICARE, MEDICAID, SOCIAL SECURITY BEYOND OKAY, WE NEED TO GET RID OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. THAT IS THE ECONOMIC PLAN. WE NEED TO GET RID OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THAT IS THE EDUCATION PLAN. WE NEED TO GET RID OF-- WE NEED TO RENAME HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO DEPARTMENT OF LIFE, RIGHT MARK? YOU CAN SEE THAT TRANSFIGURATION OF THESE AGENCIES, IF THEY ARE NOT ELIMINATED, INTO SOMETHING TO MEET WITH THE NOW THE NEW MINDSET OF THIS GOP, THE MAGA MINDSET. WHEN YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT WAS WRITTEN AND WHAT WAS SAID IN THE REAGAN ERA, THE BUSH ERA, BOTH BUSHES, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS THIS FOCUS ON THE DOWNSIZING OF GOVERNMENT , AND SO FORTH, BUT IT WAS CONNECTED TO OTHER THINGS THAT MATTERED, LIKE 1000 POINTS OF LIGHT, NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND. THERE WERE ARTICULABLE POLICIES THAT WOULD ALSO BE A BIG PART OF THAT ADMINISTRATION'S WORK. THAT IS NOT WHAT IS HERE. WHAT IS HERE IS THE WHOLESALE GRABBING OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, GIVING IT SOLELY TO THE EXECUTIVE, CARVING OUT CONGRESS ALTOGETHER. DOES NOT REALLY MATTER, BECAUSE CONGRESS IS NOTHING BUT A NOD AND A WINK ANYWAY, RIGHT? THIS IS WHERE THE POWER CENTER WILL BE. THE COURTS HAVE EFFECTIVELY DONE THAT NOW. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS PLANNED OR THIS IS BAD KARMA THE WAY THIS HAS ALIGNED. WHEN THE COURT SAID TO DONALD TRUMP EFFECTIVELY, ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS CLAIM IT AS AN OFFICIAL ACT, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO, BOO, WE ARE GOOD. THAT, THE IMPRIMATUR OF OUR IN THE HANDS OF THIS ADMINISTRATION, WHICH MAKES OF THIS DOCUMENT, THOSE 900 PAGES YOU HAVE, THAT MUCH MORE DEADLY . BECAUSE, DONALD TRUMP CANNOT DECLARE PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING HE WANTS IN THIS TERM AS AN OFFICIAL ACT AND THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN UNDO IT, NO WAY YOU CAN CHALLENGE IT IN COURT. IT IS WHAT IT WILL BE. THOSE 900 PAGES MEAN MORE NOW THAN THEY DID BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT MADE ITS RULING. >> THE OTHER ISSUE, MOLLY, AND I FIND IN CIRCLES PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS MUCH MORE. MAYBE BECAUSE I OPEN THIS UP EVERY TIME I CAN AND MICHAEL TALK ABOUT IT ON HIS SHOW AND THEY HAVE THE NECESSARY INTERVIEWS. THEY MORE THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS, THE MORE THEY WANT TO RUN AWAY FROM IT. IT HAS GOT ALL THE STUFF. IF YOU VOTE FOR REPUBLICAN IN NOVEMBER, YOU CAN'T BE MAD NEXT AUGUST WHEN YOU SAY, I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY DID THAT. IT IS ALL WRITTEN DOWN HERE. >> AND I THINK, LOOK, IT READS LIKE STEREO INSTRUCTIONS FOR A REASON. IT IS NOT WRITTEN TO BE READABLE. IT IS WRITTEN BECAUSE THIS IS THEIR PLAN. I WOULD SAY, THEY GLEEFULLY SAY, THEIR PLAN IS TO DISMANTLE THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATE, WHICH MEANS ALL THE THINGS THE FDR DID, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, HAVING A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT TAKES CARE OF PEOPLE, GOES AWAY. THAT IS THEIR POLICY. ONE OF THE REASONS THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT POLICY SO MUCH, BECAUSE THEY KNOW IT IS NOT VERY POPULAR. PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO LOSE SOCIAL SECURITY. THEY DO NOT WANT TO LOSE THEIR ENTITLEMENTS. ULTIMATELY, THAT MAY NOT BE EXACTLY WHAT THE PLAN IS, BUT IT IS MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION. >> THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU. WE APPRECIATE IT.