Democratic, Republican strategists react to Trump's Reflecting Pool speech

[0:00] TENS OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ARE EXPECTED TO CAST BALLOTS TODAY. [0:03] STATE OFFICIALS SAY THEY'VE ALREADY RECEIVED ABOUT 60 MILLION VOTES IN EARLY VOTING. [0:09] CBS NEWS CONTRIBUTORS JOEL PAIN AND ERIN MAGUIRE ARE HERE WITH ME IN STUDIO 57. [0:14] JOEL IS THE CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER FOR MOVE ON. [0:16] AND ERIN WAS THE DIRECTOR OF PRESS COMMUNICATIONS FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP'S 2020 CAMPAIGN. [0:21] HAPPY ELECTION DAY TO YOU BOTH. [0:23] HAPPY ELECTION DAY. [0:23] A WARM WELCOME. [0:24] SO PRESIDENT TRUMP GAVE HIS CLOSING MESSAGE AT THE REFLECTING POOL YESTERDAY. [0:29] I JUST WANT TO PLAY A SAMPLE OF THAT AND GET YOUR REACTION. [0:32] THE DEMOCRAT PARTY HAS NOMINATED THE MOST EXTREME AND DANGEROUS SLATE OF CANDIDATES IN [0:38] AMERICAN HISTORY. [0:39] THESE ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS CANDIDATES EVER PUT UP. [0:44] THERE'S NEVER BEEN ANYTHING LIKE WHAT WE'RE SEEING, JIHADISTS AND MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD MEMBERS. [0:50] ERIN, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF NOT JUST THE MESSAGE, BUT THE SETTING, SOME PEOPLE FINDING IT UNUSUAL [0:58] AND DISCONNECTED FROM THE REST OF THE REPUBLICAN MESSAGING? [1:01] WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A BEAUTIFUL MESSAGING OPPORTUNITY. [1:04] YOU HAVE THE REFLECTING POOL. [1:05] IF I HAD BEEN THE SPEECH WRITER THERE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN USING THAT SETTING AS THE GRAVITAS TO THE MESSAGE. [1:10] I WOULD HAVE BEEN SAYING, LOOK AT US, WHO IS AT OUR BACK. [1:12] WE HAVE OUR VETERANS WE HONOR BEHIND US. [1:14] WE HAVE OUR CAPITAL. [1:15] WE HAVE THE STANDING OF OUR NATION. [1:16] AND LOOK WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US. [1:18] PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN IN THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL, THE GREATNESS OF OUR NATION IS SEEN RIGHT HERE. [1:22] AND HE COULD EVEN POINT TO SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS HE SO ENJOYS ACROSS D.C. [1:26] TO REALLY PAINT A PICTURE OF WHAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THE FIRST TWO YEARS [1:30] AND WHAT THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS IF THEY MAINTAIN A REPUBLICAN CONTROL OF CONGRESS. [1:35] THAT WAS NOT THE MESSAGE THAT WAS GIVEN YESTERDAY. [1:38] THE MESSAGE INSTEAD WAS ABOUT 25 MINUTES ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND THEN A BIT ABOUT THE EXTREME OF THE DEMOCRATS. [1:44] I THINK WE REALLY COULD HAVE PAINTED A BETTER PICTURE ABOUT HOW YOU HAVE THE BEAUTY OF D.C. [1:49] AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, LIVING IN WASHINGTON, D.C., THE CITY DOES LOOK GREAT RIGHT NOW. [1:52] IT OBJECTIVELY LOOKS THE BEST IT HAS IN A VERY LONG TIME. [1:55] BUT THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE SHOULD BE CLOSING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHEN THEY VERY CLEARLY TELL YOU HOW THEY FEEL. [1:59] THE ECONOMY, COSTS, HEALTHCARE, INFLATION, THE WAR WITH IRAN, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A BEAUTIFUL MESSAGE ABOUT LIFTING UP AMERICA, BUT THAT'S NOT HOW THAT LANDED. [2:08] AND, JOEL, IS THIS WHY YOU SHARED WITH US RECENTLY THAT YOU BELIEVE PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS THE BEST SURROGATE FOR DEMOCRATS OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE TO EXPLAIN THE CLOSING MESSAGE? [2:17] YEAH, WE SHOULD PLATFORM THEM MORE. [2:18] I MEAN, YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK ABOUT, I REMEMBER AT THE END OF THE 2024 RACE, KAMALA HARRIS ACTUALLY CHOSE TO DO, I THINK, HER CLOSING SPEECH AT THE ELLIPSE. [2:25] YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CRITIQUES WAS THAT FELT MAYBE A LITTLE DISCONNECTED TO WHERE PEOPLE WERE, GOING TO D.C., GOING TO THE SEAT OF POWER, GETTING YOURSELVES AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE INSTEAD OF DOING SOMETHING IN COMMUNITY. [2:37] I THINK THE SAME LESSON COULD FRANKLY APPLY HERE FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP. [2:40] I MEAN, LOOK, HE DOES VERY WELL AT THESE RALLIES, AND CERTAINLY I DON'T AGREE WITH THE MESSAGING, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE HIS BASE RESPONDS PRETTY WELL TO IT. [2:48] SO IT FEELS LIKE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY JUST TO USE A DIFFERENT BACKDROP IN A SETTING. [2:52] BUT WHAT IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO IS THERE IS NOTHING GOOD TO SAY. [2:55] THERE IS NOTHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT THE TRUMP AGENDA, AND DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT. [2:59] JUST LISTEN TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND LISTEN TO ALL THE REPUBLICANS WHO ARE DESERTING HIM BY THE DAY, BY THE HOUR ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. [3:05] SO THAT'S THE PROBLEM, IS, YEAH, WE CAN TALK ABOUT SETTING, WE CAN TALK ABOUT ALL THE TRAPPINGS AND POPPING CIRCUMSTANCE. [3:11] HE DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING GOOD TO SAY, AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM REPUBLICANS ARE FACING AS THEY GO TO THE POLLS. [3:14] LET'S GET OUT OF D.C. THEN AND JUMP OVER TO IOWA, THE PRESIDENT WAS THERE RECENTLY, HERE'S WHAT THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR SENATE, JOSH TOURECH, HAD TO SAY ABOUT THAT. [3:23] I THINK IT WAS GOOD TO SEE WHAT HEALTH CARE CUTS ARE DOING TO A STATE WITH A HEALTH CARE AND A CANCER CRISIS, THAT IT IS GOOD FOR HIM TO SEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH THE TARIFFS AND WITH THE WAR IN IRAN, BECAUSE BOTH HAVE HURT IOWA MORE THAN ANY OTHER STATE. [3:37] THE TARIFFS HAVE HURT SMALL BUSINESSES, IT HAS DECIMATED RULE COMMUNITIES, AND IT IS KILLING THE FARMERS. [3:44] SO, ERIN, HOW, WHEN IT COMES TO TARIFFS AND THE INCREASE IN THE COST OF FUEL, HAVE REPUBLICANS FOUGHT BACK AGAINST THE NOTION BY SOME THAT IT'S BECAUSE OF REPUBLICAN POLICIES? [3:55] WELL, IT'S FAIR TO SAY BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT IS THE ONE WHO'S BEEN PURSUING TARIFFS, AND DONALD TRUMP HAS BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT TARIFFS FOR 40 YEARS AT THIS POINT. [4:02] BUT I THINK ASHLEY HINSON HAS DONE A REALLY NICE JOB IN THIS IOWA RACE, SEPARATING HERSELF WHERE SHE NEEDS TO AND WHERE SHE CAN AGAINST THE PRESIDENT. [4:09] IT'S VERY HARD AS A REPUBLICAN AT THIS POINT IN THE PARTY TO PUT OUT ANY POSITION THAT IS CONTRARY TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. [4:15] I THINK DEMOCRATS FIND THAT HARD AS WELL WHEN JOE BIDEN WAS IN POWER. [4:18] SO, FOR HER, SHE HAS BEEN OUT THERE ON TARIFFS, THOUGH, SAYING WE NEED TO END THE WAR WITH IRAN IN A SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL MANNER. [4:24] WE NEED TO BE ENDING THESE TARIFFS. [4:26] SHE'S TRYING TO BE OUT THERE FIGHTING FOR FARMERS IN THAT WAY WITH THAT VOICE. [4:30] SO, FOR HER, IN THAT RACE, I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY ONE THAT'S WORKING FOR HER ON THAT MESSAGE SIDE. [4:33] AND, JOEL, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT? [4:35] BECAUSE IN SOME OF THE POLLING THAT WE'RE SEEING, THERE'S A LACK OF ENTHUSIASM ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, [4:40] BUT NOT NECESSARILY OVERWHELMING EXCITEMENT FOR DEMOCRATS. [4:43] HOW IS THE DEMOCRATIC MESSAGE TRYING TO CAPITALIZE ON THAT? [4:47] I THINK WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN DESPERATELY TRYING TO TURN OUT THEIR BASE. [4:51] AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING THAT BECAUSE THEIR AGENDA, THE TRUMP AGENDA, HAS TARGETED REPUBLICAN STATES AND REPUBLICAN VOTERS NEGATIVELY. [4:59] TALKING ABOUT IOWA HERE. [5:00] THINK ABOUT KANSAS BEING IN PLAY. [5:02] THINK ABOUT MICHIGAN. [5:03] I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT ABDULA SAID AND HALEY STEVENS. [5:06] THE REAL STORY THERE IS THAT MICHIGAN VOTERS DON'T LIKE THE TARIFFS, [5:09] AND THEY DON'T LIKE ALL THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THE TRUMP AGENDA. [5:12] GOING TO OTHER PLACES IN THE COUNTRY THAT REALLY SHOULD NOT BE COMPETITIVE FOR DEMOCRATS. [5:16] EVEN IN PLACES WHERE DEMOCRATS AREN'T GOING TO WIN, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE REPUBLICAN MARGINS FALL [5:21] BECAUSE OF THE NEGATIVITY AROUND THE TRUMP AGENDA AND THE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE TARGETING [5:26] ON TRUMP'S BASE OF VOTERS. [5:28] AND THAT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE STORIES OF TONIGHT. [5:29] WE ARE JUST ABOUT OUT OF TIME. [5:31] BUT THE BASIC QUESTION FOR YOU BOTH IS WHAT YOU EXPECT VOTERS WILL DECIDE TODAY. [5:36] WHICH PARTY DO YOU THINK ENDS WITH CONTROL OF EACH CHAMBER? [5:40] AND WHICH DEMOGRAPHIC DO YOU THINK HELPS MAKE THAT HAPPEN? [5:43] WELL, I THINK THE HOUSE EASILY FALLS TO DEMOCRATS. [5:45] I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT EARLY IN THE NIGHT. [5:47] I DON'T THINK THAT WILL BE A LONG ONE. [5:48] I DO THINK THE SENATE AT THIS POINT, I DON'T THINK ALL THE POLLS CAN BE WRONG. [5:53] I THINK THAT THAT IS SLIDING TOWARD DEMOCRATS. [5:55] HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK THAT'S AN ANSWER WE'RE GOING TO GET TONIGHT. [5:57] NO MATTER WHAT, ALASKA IS A LATE STATE. [5:59] IT COUNTS SLOWLY. [6:00] IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET THE ANSWERS OUT OF THERE. [6:02] I DON'T THINK WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO KNOW THE ANSWER ON THE SENATE. [6:04] I DO THINK IT WILL BE THAT CLOSE, 51 SEATS. [6:06] OKAY, PERHAPS A DEMOCRATIC SWEEP. [6:09] DEMOCRATS TAKE THE HOUSE. [6:10] I THINK THE SENATE COULD BE AS TIED UP AS 50-50 OR 51-49. [6:14] AND THEN YOU COULD HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT FETTERMAN AND MURKOWSKI AND WHAT DO THEY DO IN THAT TYPE OF A CONTESTED SCENARIO. [6:20] THE DEMOGRAPHIC I'M CHASING RIGHT NOW, BLACK VOTERS IN THE SOUTH. [6:24] THAT KALAI DECISION, LIKE TWO DEMOGRAPHICS ACTUALLY. [6:26] LATINO VOTERS IN PLACES LIKE TEXAS WHERE REPUBLICANS MADE A BIG BET THAT WENT UNDER. [6:32] AND BLACK VOTERS ALL ACROSS THE SOUTH WHO FELT TARGETED BY THE THINGS THAT REPUBLICANS ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY DID [6:37] TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR THEM TO VOTE. [6:39] I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO TURN OUT IN BIG NUMBERS. [6:40] I DIDN'T ADD MY DEMOGRAPHIC. [6:42] THAT WAS A VERY GOOD REMINDER. [6:43] I WOULD ALSO POINT TO THE JEWISH VOTERS AND THE BLACK VOTERS IN MICHIGAN AS WELL AS DEMOGRAPHICS [6:47] TO WATCH WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT ABDUL'S GOT TO TRY TO DO TONIGHT TO WIN. [6:50] ALL RIGHT. [6:50] THIS WILL HELP US FOCUS AS THE RESULTS COME IN. [6:53] ERIN MCGUIRE, JOEL PAYNE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US ON ELECTION DAY.