Trump telling supporters not to use mail-in ballots is costing him votes: Buck

COMING UP. THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. I LOVE YOU ALL SO SO MUCH. >> JOINING US NOW, BRENDAN BUCK, FORMER AIDE TO HOUSE SPEAKERS PAUL RYAN AND JOHN BOEHNER AND AN MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST. MAYA RUPERT, FORMER CAMPAIGN MANAGER FOR JULIAN CASTRO, AND BEN WIKLER, CHAIR OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WISCONSIN. BEN, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU IN STUDIO. I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU THIS, YOUR STATE IS AT THE CENTER OF BOTH OF THESE THINGS, THE PUSH FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, BUT ALSO SOME PROBLEMS GETTING THINGS UNDERWAY. I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT BOTH. TELL ME ABOUT THE SURGE IN VOTER REGISTRATION IN YOUR STATE, TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE UP TO? >> IT'S VERY EXCITING TO SEE. THE NUMBER I KEEP COMING BACK TO, THE FACT. IN AUGUST 13th, WE HAD OUR AUGUST PRIMARY ELECTION FOR THE FALL, AND THIS YEAR, COMPARED TO THE AUGUST PRIMARY ELECTION AND PRESIDENTIAL YEARS FOR THE LAST SIX DECADES HAD THE HIGHEST VOTER TURNOUT, INCLUDING PEOPLE SAME DAY REGISTER, CHUCK DO IN WISCONSIN. YOU DON'T HAVE TO REGISTER TO ADVANCE. WE'RE SEEING A FLOOD OF PEOPLE, FOLKS ALL OVER THE STATE GETTING INVOLVED. VOLUNTEERING FOR THE FIRST TIME, MORE THAN HALF OF THE VOLUNTEERS SIGNING UP NOW HAVE NEVER VOLUNTEERED BEFORE, AND GETTING OUT, REGISTERING AND VOTING. >> I'M JUST GOING TO ASK YOU QUICKLY, YOU AND I WERE TALKING ON THE PHONE A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO IN ADVANCE OF THE DEBATE. HOW MANY VOLUNTEER HOURS HAVE BEEN SERVED IN YOUR STATE? >> WE HAVE SEEN MORE THAN 50,000 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP. BUT WE'VE HAD 40,000 PEOPLE COMPLETE VOLUNTEER SHIFTS THAT ARE USUALLY TWO OR THREE HOURS LONG, AND A LOT ARE REREGISTERING TO COME BACK AGAIN. KNOCKING ON DOORS, JOINING PHONE BANKS AND GOING TO FARMERS MARKETS, HAVING BARBECUES, AND ASK EVERYONE TO TAKE THEIR PHONES OUT AND CONTACT EVERYONE THEY KNOW TO SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER AND DONATE. THAT ENGAGEMENT IS FUELING A SURGE OF ENERGY THAT I THINK WILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES DOWN BALLOT, TAMMY BALDWIN FOR SENATE AND THE PRESIDENTIAL. >> THE GOOD NEWS IS WE ALL WANT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO PARTICIPATE AND AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO VOTE. CAN YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE WARNING IN THE LETTER TO THE POSTMASTER GENERAL THAT THERE IS A RISK OF VOTER PARTICIPATION AND ERODING TRUST. >> WHAT I THINK IS GOOD IS SO MANY PEOPLE ARE ENGAGED WRITING THAT LETTER, WORKING TO SOLVE THESE ISSUES. WE HAVE SEEN OVER AND OVER, THESE REPUBLICANS ATTACKS AND GOING BACK TO WHEN TRUMP WAS IN OFFICE, ATTACKS ON THE U.S. POSTAL SYSTEM. WHAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN, IS PEOPLE OVERCOMING THOSE OBSTACLES, AND NOW IN EVERY RACE, WHERE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO UNDERMINE THE ELECTION, TRIED TO GAIN PUBLIC OFFICE. PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED IN DEMOCRACY WON THOSE ELECTIONS. THIS WILL BE A SAFE AND SECURE ELECTION. IT WILL BE EASY FOR PEOPLE TO CAST THOSE BALLOTS, AND THE BALLOTS WILL BE COUNTED. WE NEED TO EARN THEM. >> BRENDAN, REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO INCREASE MAIL-IN BALLOTS. DONALD TRUMP HAS LONG LINKED ABSENTEE AND MAIL-IN BALLOTING WITH FRAUGHT. HE TWEETED ABOUT UNPROVEN CLAIMS THAT MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE FRAUDULENT. >> DONALD TRUMP WANTS EVERY VOTER, NO MATTER REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATE. >> WHY IS HE SAYING 20% ARE FRAUDULENT? >> HE'S REFERENCING INFORMATION FOR THE 2020 ELECTION. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS MAKING SURE THAT EVERY VOTE MATTERS AND EVERY VOTE COUNTS. >> WHAT INFORMATION DO WE HAVE? WHAT EVIDENCE IS THERE THAT 20% OF THE MAIL-IN BALLOTS ARE FRAUDULENT? >> I DIDN'T SEE THE REPORT, SO I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT. I CAN'T DIRECTLY SPEAK TO THAT. >> SO, BRENDAN, ARE REPUBLICANS CAPABLE OF CHANGING THE NARRATIVE ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS WHICH THEY NOW AT LEAST SOME SEEM TO BE ACKNOWLEDGING ARE A GOOD THING FOR YOUR OWN CANDIDATE? >> EVERY CAMPAIGN OPERATIVE UNDERSTANDS THEY'RE A GOOD THING. THE FIRST HOUSE RACE I WORKED ON MANY YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I LEARNED IS YOU CHASE MAIL-IN BALLOTS, YOU BANK THOSE VOTES AND DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TURNING THEM OUT. DONALD TRUMP HAS DONE AND SAID A LOT OF SELF-DESTRUCTIVE THINGS OVER THE YEARS. THIS IS NEAR THE TOP OF THE LIST. TELLING YOUR VOTERS NOT TO USE MAIL-IN VOTES IS, WITHOUT QUESTION, COSTING YOU VOTES ON ELECTION DAY. FOR WHATEVER REASON, PEOPLE DON'T SHOW UP, THINGS HAPPEN, AND YOU'RE LOSING VOTES. EVERYONE HAS TRIED TO CONVINCE HIM OTHERWISE. KEVIN McCARTHY TRIED TO CONVINCE HIM OTHERWISE, MITCH McCONNELL TRIED TO CONVINCE HIM OTHERWISE. HE HAS BEEN CONVINCED HE HAS BEEN HURTING HIMSELF BY DOING THIS. HE HAS SUCH A LARGE MEGAPHONE, HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW TELLING PEOPLE IT'S OKAY IS NOT GOING TO DO THE TRICK. IT'S ALL PART OF THE CONSPIRACY TO OVERTURN PEOPLE'S VOTES. >> MICHIGAN SECRETARY OF STATE SPOKE TO MSNBC ABOUT THREATS THAT ELECTION WORKERS FACE AMID ALL OF THIS. HERE'S WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT IT. >> IT IS CHILLING, FRANKLY, TO KNOW THAT POWERFUL INDIVIDUALS WITH GREAT MEGA PHONES, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WOULD USE THAT PLATFORM. HIS AMBITIONS FOR SIMPLY DOING OUR JOBS. THESE THREATS ARE NOT THREATS TO US. THEY'RE THREATS TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THEY'RE THREATS TO THE WILL OF THE VOTERS AND OUR DEMOCRACY ITSELF. >> SO MAYA, HOW DO YOU REASSURE VOTERS ABOUT THE PROCESS WHEN NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE DENYING THAT IT'S SAFE. YOU HAVE ELECTION WORKERS WHO ARE SCARED, AND THERE'S ALSO BEEN -- I DID A QUICK GOOGLE OF ELECTION WORKERS NOW STATE AFTER STATE AFTER STATE THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING PEOPLE TO WORK AT ELECTION SITES BECAUSE OF THEIR WORRY THAT THEY ARE NOT SAFE. AND THEY'RE SAYING THERE COULD BE LONG LINES. YOU ADD A LACK OF ELECTION WORKERS TO WHAT MAY BE RECORD REGISTRATION DRIVES. WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE YOU? >> I THINK, I MEAN, IT'S RIGHT TO SOUND THE ALARM BECAUSE THIS IS -- THIS IS A SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO WORK THE ELECTION. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH, JUST AS YOU SAID, LONG LINES, COUPLES WITH, YOU KNOW, THE SORT OF HEIGHTENED FEAR. I THINK WE HAVE TO DO A FEW THINGS. ONE, I THINK WE HAVE TO REMIND PEOPLE TO STAY IN LINE, THAT IT'S WORTH IT. I THINK THERE NEED TO BE VOICES ACROSS THE BOARD, COUNTERING WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS SAYING. I THINK WE NEED, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY DEMOCRATIC VOICES, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY REALLY VALUABLE RIGHT NOW TO HEAR FROM REPUBLICANS WHO DEEPLY DISAGREE WITH DONALD TRUMP, MAKING SURE PEOPLE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE INTEGRITY OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS IS SAFE. THEY CAN USE THEM, AND COUNTERING THIS NARRATIVE SO PEOPLE AREN'T AFRAID. THE IDEA THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO WOULD VOLUNTEER TO WORK AT ELECTIONS WHO ARE NOW BEING THREATENED? THAT GOES TO THE HEART OF WHO WE ARE, AND PEOPLE SHOULD BE SAYING VERY VERY LOUDLY THAT THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE, THAT'S NOT OKAY, AND I THINK WE ALSO JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE MESSAGE THAT WE CAN'T EXPECT TO GET AN ANSWER ON THE NIGHT OF THE ELECTION. WE HAVE TO LET THESE PROCESSES PLAY OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE'S VOTES ARE COUNTED, AND THAT MEANS THAT UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE STAYING UP, WATCHING ELECTION RESULTS, AND SOME OF THESE WILL NOT BE DECIDED NIGHT OF, AND WE JUST NEED TO PREPARE PEOPLE FOR THAT. OTHERWISE, YOU GET IN THE SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE ARE DEMANDING SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE GIVEN TO THEM IMMEDIATELY, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE EVERY VOTE GETS COUNTS. >> BRANDON, DEMOCRATS HAVE AN ADVANTAGE, A NEW ONE. THE NAME IS TAYLOR SWIFT, HELPING THEM DRIVE UP VOTER REGISTRATION. WE JUST GOT A NEW NUMBER, RIGHT? SHE POSTED, LINKING TO VOTE.GOV, 406,000. ONE SHY OF 406,000 PEOPLE VISITED DURING THE 24-HOUR PERIOD THAT IT WAS LIVE. WE SHOULD NOTE, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THEM REGISTERED OR WHAT STATE THEY'RE IN. THAT WAS MY QUESTION, ARE THEY IN BATTLE GROUND STATES, BUT HOW DO REPUBLICANS EVEN ANSWER THAT KIND OF ENGAGEMENT? >> I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY CAN. THEY PROBABLY NEED TO FOCUS ON VOTER REGISTRATION FOR A LONG TIME TO CATCH UP WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YOU AND I HAVE TALKED PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THE KAMALA HARRIS CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN ABLE TO RAISE. YES, THE QUESTION, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH ALL OF THAT MONEY. THIS IS THE ANSWER, THIS IS WHAT YOU DO WITH IT. YOU REGISTER VOTERS, OPEN OFFICES, TURN OUT PEOPLE THAT OTHERWISE WERE GOING TO BE ON THE SIDELINES. EVERY CAMPAIGN KNOWS WHO THE HIGH PROPENSITY VOTERS ARE. PEOPLE THAT COME OUT EVERY TIME. WHEN YOU'RE ABLE TO BRING PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE MARGINS, FIRST TIME VOTERS, WE NEVER KNOW WHAT THE REAL ELECTORATE IS GOING TO BE. WHEN YOU ARE ABLE TO SHAPE WHAT THAT ELECTORATE IS GOING TO BE, THAT'S WHAT AN EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGN CAN DO, AND CLEARLY THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE GOING ON RIGHT HERE, AND I THINK TAYLOR SWIFT IN THE MIX CERTAINLY HELPS. >> BEN, THERE IS A NEW MARQUETTE POLL OF WISCONSIN. WISCONSIN ONLY. IT SHOWS ENTHUSIASM HAS INCREASED AMONG DEMOCRATS. 72% SAY THEY ARE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC. THAT OBVIOUSLY HAS THE HEAD OF THE PARTY, SOMETHING YOU LIKE TO SEE. ENTHUSIASM IS ONE THING, WE TALK ABOUT THIS ALL THE TIME. ACTUALLY GETTING PEOPLE TO THE POLLS IS THE OTHER THING. DO YOU HAVE THE MONEY? WHAT'S YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CAMPAIGN, DO THE OTHER CANDIDATES YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT HAVE THAT KIND OF INFLUX AND IS EVERYBODY SHARING THE INFRASTRUCTURE? TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON. WE ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT WISCONSIN IS. >> WE HAVE THIS EXTRAORDINARY CAMPAIGN OPERATION. WE HAVE, AT THIS POINT, MORE THAN 200 COORDINATED CAMPAIGN STAFF THAT WORK TO TURN OUT VOTERS. PERSUADE VOTERS FOR EVERY DEMOCRAT ON THE BALLOT. AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE SEEING A FLOOD OF DARK MONEY NOW RUNNING ADS, ATTACKING DEMOCRATS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE. WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE RESOURCES, AND WE CAN PUT THEM TO USE. WHAT'S EXCITING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU'RE CALLING PEOPLE. KNOCKING ON DOORS, AND PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO ENGAGE. NOW THEY WANT TO ENGAGE. >> REALLY? >> THE IMPACT OF THE WORK IS UP NOW. BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH INTEREST, SO MUCH CURIOSITY. TAYLOR SWIFT ABSOLUTELY HELPS. >> I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THIS. I HAVE SPENT, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY CYCLES GOING DOOR TO DOOR WITH REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS, SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, AND I WOULD SAY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY WANT TO TALK, IT'S A LOW VOLUME NUMBER. >> NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO TALK, BUT MORE PEOPLE DO, MARKEDLY MORE PEOPLE. I WAS JUST MEETING WITH THE LEADER OF OUR STATE ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS. CANDIDATES ARE OUT IN FORCE ACROSS WISCONSIN. 97 OUT OF THE 99 ASSEMBLY DISTRICTS. REPUBLICANS HAVE 84. WHEN THE CANDIDATES TALK TO PEOPLE, THEY ARE SHARING THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT COSTS. THEY WANT PEOPLE WHO WILL STAND UP TO SPECIAL INTERESTS AND BRING COSTS DOWN, AND FREEDOM, ABORTION AND REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM. WHAT WE KNOW IS WHEN WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH VOTERS ABOUT THESE ISSUES, WE CAN MOVE THE NEEDLE. IT'S A DEAD HEAT TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. WISCONSIN, FOUR OF THE LAST SIX PRESIDENTIAL RACES HAVE COME DOWN TO LESS THAN 1 PERCENTAGE POINT. BECAUSE OF ALL OF THESE NEW FOLKS, WE HAVE A CHANCE TO REELECT TAMMY BALDWIN, FLIP TWO HOUSE SEATS AND WIN THE STATE ASSEMBLY MAJORITY AND BREAK THE REPUBLICAN STATE SENATE SUPER MAJORITY. THAT'S A LOT OF POWER IN THE