Cory Booker: Trump Is Scared of Losing the Midterms

[0:00] Senator from New Jersey, Democratic Senator Cory Booker. [0:03] Senator, thank you for being here. [0:05] I wonder for you, what do you think the president's travel schedule says about how they're feeling about the midterm elections? [0:11] Look, I think they realize that it's too little too late. [0:14] He hasn't been out there, and he's been hurting his candidates. [0:17] We see this time and time again as more and more Republicans who are running for office disavow him. [0:23] So he's going to travel. He's going to remind a lot of people. [0:25] In the very states he made the biggest promises, I'll keep us out of foreign wars. [0:29] He got us into a quagmire. I'm going to lower your costs. He raised them. [0:33] And every time he goes to one of those towns, he's going to be passing gas stations that are going to be billboards to his failures to keep gas prices down. [0:41] They're at records high. So, again, four weeks left. [0:45] This is going to be an election that's not decided by his appearances, but by the frustrations the American people have with him. [0:51] You know, he just announced that he or his super PAC is going to be funding those campaign-style ads that have been being paid by the taxpayers with Department of Homeland Security money, as I mentioned to J-Mart. [1:03] There was backlash over that, not just from Democrats, but also from a few Republicans who said they didn't think it was appropriate. [1:10] Were you surprised that the president reversed course on that? [1:12] No. I mean, first of all, this is, again, another symbol of his callous disregard for what Americans are going through, a guy who's too concerned with his ballroom, his arch, gilding statues. [1:24] I think it's actually the source of frustration. [1:26] He didn't reverse course because of what Democrats said. [1:29] But he reversed course because he's reminding voters that he's an out-of-touch president spending homeland security money, money, millions that could be going to making us safer for what were clearly campaign ads. [1:42] And there was an outrage from the average American that said this is more of him doubling down on all the things we hate about his presidency. [1:50] I mean, it was like $10 million. [1:51] Do you think that they should, the Trump campaign, that they should pay that money back to the federal government? [1:57] Absolutely. And the fact that Republicans in Congress aren't demanding it just points out, again, that this Congress is full of hypocrites and, worse, enablers, [2:10] that they're not asking for some kind of accountability from a president who is wasting money, millions, that should be going to our national security on his campaign ads. [2:18] The president over the weekend did something that I don't think many people expected him to do, [2:23] which was put on a video encouraging Republicans to vote by mail. [2:28] And that comes, the reason I say it's surprising, is because there have been years of comments like these. [2:34] You can never have a real democracy with mail-in ballots. [2:40] Mail-in ballots are a big fraud. [2:41] It gives people more time to vote illegally, let's say. [2:46] We, as a Republican Party, are going to do everything possible that we get rid of mail-in ballots. [2:51] If your state has early voting, do not wait. [2:56] Go out and vote. [2:57] Vote early, vote by mail, or vote in person on Election Day, November 3rd. [3:02] I'd rather have a vote in person, but they can vote by mail if they want, [3:07] because we seem to have no choice, because a lot of people want to vote by mail. [3:14] Do you welcome those comments? [3:17] This is clearly a guy who's been scared straight. [3:21] He's scared of losing, so finally he's giving straight talk to people. [3:26] That we have had generations now of people who have been voting by mail. [3:31] He votes by mail, and finally he's being, he's level-setting with people, [3:34] but unfortunately he's doing so because he's afraid of losing this election. [3:39] You think that the reversal and telling people vote by mail after saying it was rife with fraud [3:44] is because they're worried about Republicans' prospects? [3:47] Yeah, he's worried that people won't vote by mail, and therefore, because many people [3:53] are not able to go to the polls or are going to, for some reason, miss that day, [3:59] he's afraid that they're going to lose out on those votes. [4:01] And we know that voting by mail is safe and secure. [4:05] There are very few instances of the kind of fraud that he is alleging. [4:09] And this is a president that finally is leveling with the American people. [4:13] I'm sorry that it took his own fears of losing to get him to be straight with folks. [4:18] You recently said that it is time for new Democratic leadership in the Senate. [4:25] If Democrats win the majority, would you want the gavel? [4:31] Look, I'm focused right now on winning, and then I think we need to have a family conversation [4:35] about whether people are getting gavels and leading committees or who's going to be the leader of the Senate, [4:42] one step at a time. [4:43] Right now, the American people, I think, are demanding change. [4:47] They want a Congress that's going to hold this president accountable, [4:49] not bend over backwards to enable him in the worst of behaviors and hurting the American people. [4:55] So let's win back the Senate first, and every single state, the urgency is there, [5:01] and folks can't take anything for granted, can't rely on the polls. [5:05] Polls don't vote. [5:06] We need people in this country, left and right, independents, to come out and vote, [5:11] and let's check this president finally and stop his worst vices, his foreign war, [5:17] his raising our costs, his taking away our health care. [5:20] Okay, but that wasn't a no. [5:22] So I'm not committing to anything after this election, one step at a time. [5:27] And frankly, I'm crisscrossing the state of New Jersey with key races there, [5:31] and I'm going to be crisscrossing the country. [5:33] I'm going to run through the tape, and I'm going to be exhausted, tired, [5:36] because this is the most important midterm of my lifetime. [5:40] So much is on the line, and so many people are hurting. [5:43] And the only way that we can make change is by being a part of that change [5:46] and getting out and vote and working to organize and mobilize others to do so. [5:50] J-Mart was just reporting, as we were talking about, you know, [5:54] there's a lot of Democratic momentum, that much is clear from the special elections, [5:57] but there is a Republican advantage in fundraising. [6:00] And he was saying that so much of that money that's going to certain Senate candidates [6:04] or congressional candidates, that there are some gubernatorial candidates, Democrats, [6:09] who are not seeing that same kind of influx. [6:11] Do you think there needs to be more done for those candidates in places like Texas [6:15] and other states where there's some potentially competitive races? [6:20] I think we need to focus on the entire ballot, not just some folks. [6:24] It's why I'm going to be out in Nevada, not just visiting my mom, [6:27] but helping a great Democratic gubernatorial candidate out there. [6:32] I'm loving what's happening in places like Iowa, [6:34] where we have a great Senate candidate and a great gubernatorial candidate. [6:38] And so, again, we need change. [6:40] We need leaders that are not going to just bend over and do what Donald Trump wants, [6:44] praise his outrageousness, whether it's using taxpayer monies, [6:48] misusing taxpayer money, or his foreign war, or justifying his ballrooms. [6:53] We need leaders that are going to stand up to this president, [6:56] hold him accountable, and fight for the people of their states [6:58] and be more loyal to the people than they are to this president. [7:02] The former vice president just said something about what she thinks could happen [7:07] should Democrats be successful in November. [7:12] Let's be prepared, because if, as many predict, we win the midterms, [7:19] if we don't win by substantial numbers, [7:23] I can see a situation where they find some reason to refuse to seat Democrats who win. [7:31] Is that something you're worried about? [7:35] Look, I'm going to be very clear. [7:37] I think we need to overwhelm the polls. [7:40] We need to have as big victory as possible. [7:42] We need to take nothing for granted. [7:45] Donald Trump is a serial election denier. [7:48] He is a serial cheater. [7:49] Remember, he was indicted by a grand jury for his cheating in the 2020 election [7:55] and what he did infamously in Georgia, fine me 11,000 votes. [8:00] I don't trust him. [8:01] I know that if he wins an election, it was a great election. [8:04] If he loses an election, the other side cheated. [8:07] Right now, we need to get a big voter turnout. [8:10] We need to take nothing for granted, and that's really what I'm working for. [8:14] We have four weeks left. [8:17] Everyone needs to organize and mobilize. [8:20] Go out there and vote, not for a party. [8:22] Vote for people's health care. [8:23] Vote for ending this war. [8:25] Vote for making sure we can get prices down. [8:28] This is one of those times, I hope and believe, that America will show up. [8:32] Senator Cory Booker, thank you for joining us tonight.