Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on the GOP's vulnerability in the midterms

[0:00] PRESIDENT TRUMP IS BACK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL TONIGHT IN OHIO WITH THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS [0:04] CLOSING IN. JOINING US NOW TO BREAK IT DOWN AND MORE IS OUR POLITICS MONDAY DUO AMY WALTER [0:10] OF THE COOK POLITICAL REPORT WITH AMY WALTER AND TAMRA KEITH OF NPR. IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE [0:14] YOU BOTH. SO THE PRESIDENT IS GOING TO BE IN OHIO TONIGHT AND HE APPEARS INCREASINGLY CONCERNED [0:20] ABOUT RISING GAS AND DIESEL PRICES. BUT RATHER THAN ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPACT OF THE WAR IN IRAN, [0:25] HE'S BLAMING THE WAR IN UKRAINE. TAM, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS EFFORT TO SHIFT BLAME FOR AN [0:30] ECONOMIC PROBLEM THAT'S BECOMING HARDER TO IGNORE? AND HE'S ALSO TRYING TO SOLVE IT BY [0:37] IMPORTING DIESEL FROM RUSSIA, WHICH SEEMS TO BE PRETTY CLEARLY PROHIBITED BY LAWS, [0:43] INCLUDING ONE HE JUST SIGNED. HE'S GETTING A LOT OF BIPARTISAN PUSHBACK FROM CONGRESS ON THAT. [0:49] THE REALITY IS THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BLAME THE PRESIDENT AND HIS POLICIES FOR HIGH PRICES, [0:57] AND THAT IS A PROBLEM FOR THE PRESIDENT AND HIS PARTY IN THIS MIDTERM YEAR. [1:01] AND, AMY, HOW DO YOU SEE REPUBLICANS CALIBRATING, IF AT ALL? [1:05] WELL, LISTEN, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A COST-OF-LIVING ELECTION. AND SO WHAT YOU'LL HEAR [1:11] THEM TALKING ABOUT IN THEIR CAMPAIGN ADS IS ABOUT WAYS IN WHICH THEY'RE TRYING TO BRING COSTS DOWN. [1:17] MAYBE THEY'LL BE TAKING ON BIG PHARMA OR INSURANCE. BUT THEY'LL TALK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY. [1:23] A COUPLE OF THEM, OF COURSE, HAVE COME OUT AND SAID THE WAR NEEDS TO END. [1:27] WE'VE SEEN JUST A HANDFUL OF INCUMBENTS SAYING THAT. THE THING ABOUT THE PRESIDENT, TOO, [1:33] AND HE'S BEEN GOING AFTER OTHER PEOPLE, TOO, AND BLAMING OR GOING AFTER THEM, EITHER BLAMING [1:39] THEM FOR THE HIGH COSTS OR JUST CHOOSING TO PUT HIS ANGER AND DEFLECTING IT THERE. [1:44] AND I THINK WHAT WE HAVE IS A PRESIDENT WHO IS VERY GOOD WHEN HE IS UP AGAINST ONE FOIL. [1:50] SO WHEN HE WAS RUNNING AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON, WHEN HE WAS RUNNING AGAINST JOE BIDEN, [1:54] AND HE COULD MAKE THE ELECTION ABOUT THEM, IT REALLY HELPED HIS NUMBERS, [1:58] ACTUALLY, WHEN HE WAS ABLE TO SHIFT IT OVER THERE. HE DOESN'T HAVE THAT FOIL THIS TIME AROUND. [2:04] AND YOU CAN SEE HE IS REALLY STRUGGLING TO FIGURE OUT, HOW DO I MAKE IT ABOUT SOMETHING OTHER [2:10] THAN ME? MEANWHILE, VOTERS ARE SAYING, WE'D LIKE YOU TO SPEND MORE TIME TALKING ABOUT THE [2:16] ISSUES THAT MATTER TO US, NOT JUST THE ISSUES THAT MAYBE ARE GRABBING YOUR ATTENTION AT THIS MOMENT. [2:22] AND LET'S SHIFT OUR FOCUS TO SOUTH CAROLINA, BECAUSE THIS IS A SENATE RACE THAT REPUBLICANS [2:27] WOULD AND COULD NORMALLY TAKE FOR GRANTED. IT'S BECOME SURPRISINGLY COMPETITIVE. [2:31] AND THE WAR IN IRAN HAS EMERGED AS A POINT OF CONTENTION WITH THE REPUBLICAN IN THAT RACE, [2:35] Darlene Graham, ON THE DEFENSIVE. TAKE A LOOK AT LAST NIGHT'S DEBATE. [2:40] SEVERAL DAYS AFTER ONE OF THOSE VOTES, SHE HAD THE AUDACITY TO WALK OUT ONTO THIS STAGE [2:45] AND ADMIT THAT NATIONAL SECURITY ISN'T REALLY HER THING. [2:49] SOUTH CAROLINA, IF YOUR SURGEON SAID THAT APPENDECTOMIES AREN'T REALLY HIS THING, [2:54] WOULD YOU STILL HAND HIM A SCALPEL? NO. SO WHY WOULD WE HAND Darlene Graham A FULL TERM [2:59] IN THE U.S. SENATE? [3:00] AT LEAST I'M HONEST. IF I DON'T KNOW SOMETHING, I'M GLAD TO SAY IT. AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN TONIGHT. [3:07] BUT YOU HAVE, YOU ARE DECEIVING THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. YOU HAVE FLIP-FLOPPED ON EVERYTHING. [3:12] REPUBLICANS SPENDING TIME AND MONEY IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO DEFEND A SEAT? [3:17] THAT'S RIGHT. LOOK, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE RACES THAT HAS COME UP PRETTY LATE. [3:22] FIRST, THE DEMOCRAT THAT STARTED THE CONVERSATION HERE, DR. ANNIE ANDREWS, [3:28] GOT KIND OF A HEAD START IN THIS RACE, BECAUSE WHEN SHE WAS RUNNING AGAINST THE LATE [3:32] LINDSEY GRAHAM, HE IS A VERY POLARIZING FIGURE, AND SHE WAS ABLE TO RAISE A LOT OF MONEY. [3:38] SO SHE HAD A LOT OF MONEY IN THE BANK, READY TO GO, SHE THOUGHT, IN A CAMPAIGN AGAINST LINDSEY GRAHAM. [3:44] NOW THAT IT'S Darlene Graham, HIS SISTER, IT IS, SHE HAS BEEN ABLE TO BUILD UP HER OWN NAME I.D. [3:52] AND MESSAGE, WHILE THE GRAHAM CAMPAIGN WAS SORT OF ON THEIR BACK FEET, RIGHT? [3:56] NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT Darlene Graham. [3:59] SO THIS HAS TAKEN A RACE THAT, YOU'RE RIGHT, IN ANY OTHER YEAR, A DEEP RED STATE LIKE THIS [4:05] SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM FOR REPUBLICANS. [4:07] BUT BECAUSE FEW PEOPLE KNOW MUCH ABOUT Darlene Graham, [4:10] ANDREWS HAS HAD A HEAD START WITH HER FUNDRAISING, AND SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE. [4:15] REPUBLICANS NOW HAVE TO COME IN AND START SPENDING HERE. [4:19] THEY CANNOT TAKE ANY SEAT FOR GRANTED, EVEN A SEAT AS DEEP RED AS THIS. [4:24] AND TAM, ON THAT POINT, THIS CLOSE TO THE MIDTERMS, THE TRAVEL SCHEDULE SAYS A LOT. [4:29] SO PRESIDENT TRUMP, HE'S IN OHIO, HE'S GOING TO HEAD TO ALASKA, MONTANA, [4:33] ARIZONA, GEORGIA, AND THEN HE HEADS BACK TO OHIO AGAIN. [4:37] WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT THE GOP'S POLITICAL VULNERABILITIES? [4:41] WELL, IT TELLS ME THAT THEY ARE DEFENDING A LOT OF TERRITORY THAT THEY WOULD RATHER NOT BE DEFENDING. [4:49] YOU ALSO HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY ARE DROPPING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TEXAS [4:55] TO TRY TO KEEP TEXAS RED. [4:58] AND THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE TO DO THAT IS REMARKABLE. [5:01] THE FACT THAT THE PRESIDENT IS THEN HAVING TO GO TO ALASKA AND MONTANA, [5:07] THESE ARE NOT STATES WHERE REPUBLICANS SHOULD HAVE TO BE DEFENDING TERRITORY, AND YET THEY ARE. [5:14] THIS ISN'T JUST A CASE OF LIKE, OH, AN UNPOPULAR REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT CAN ONLY GO TO RED STATES, [5:19] SO HE'S GOING TO RED STATES TO HOLD RALLIES. [5:22] IN FACT, HE'S GOING TO RED STATES WHERE THEY ARE ALSO SPENDING MONEY ON THE AIR [5:27] TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THE REPUBLICAN CONTROL OF THE SENATE. [5:31] AND YOU'VE GOT SOME REPORTING ABOUT THOSE TAXPAYER-FUNDED TRUMP ADS THAT WERE ON THERE NOT TOO LONG AGO. [5:37] LIKE, LITERALLY, REALLY NOT TOO LONG AGO. [5:39] YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT HAD POSTED ON OCTOBER 5TH THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WOULD NO LONGER BE PAYING [5:45] FOR THOSE ADS, THAT INSTEAD MAGA, INC, HIS SUPER PAC, WOULD PAY FOR THEM. [5:50] THESE ADS ARE VERY PRO-TRUMP. [5:52] THEY REALLY LOOK LIKE CAMPAIGN ADS. [5:54] IN FACT, ONE IS LITERALLY A COPY OF A CAMPAIGN AD THAT THE CAMPAIGN HAD PUT TOGETHER DURING THE 2024 CYCLE. [6:00] OKAY, SO HE ANNOUNCES ON OCTOBER 5TH TAXPAYERS WON'T BE PAYING FOR THESE ANYMORE. [6:06] WELL, IN THE INTERVENING WEEK, 10 MILLION DOLLARS OF TAXPAYER FUNDS WENT TO PUT THESE ADS ON THE AIR. [6:15] SO THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS NOT IMMEDIATE, APPARENTLY, AND ONLY AFTER A FEDERAL JUDGE INTERVENED [6:21] AND PUT AN ORDER IN PLACE, A TEMPORARY ORDER, THE ADS FINALLY CAME OFF THE AIR. [6:26] A WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL CONFIRMING THAT THE ADS WILL STOP AIRING FINALLY, [6:31] BUT THAT THEY MISSED THE JUDGE'S DEADLINE BY A LITTLE BIT. [6:34] AND, AMY, TAM MENTIONED A MINUTE AGO THE TEXAS SENATE RACE. [6:37] YOU'VE GOT JAMES TALARICO. [6:38] HE'S BACK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. [6:40] AFTER FALLING ILL, HE WAS, YOU KNOW, NOT SEEN PUBLICLY FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. [6:44] THERE'S ALL SORTS OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUT WHERE HE WAS. [6:48] HOW DOES HE PUSH BACK AGAINST WHAT IS CLEAR MISINFORMATION, DISINFORMATION, [6:52] WITHOUT AMPLIFYING IT? [6:54] YEAH. [6:54] WELL, THIS, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IN THIS DAY AND AGE, [6:58] GETTING OUT THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, [7:01] TRYING TO TELL PEOPLE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN SO IT DOESN'T LOOK AS IF YOU'RE HIDING SOMETHING, [7:06] BUT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT THEY WANT TO BELIEVE AS WELL. [7:10] I THINK THE THING ABOUT THE TEXAS SENATE RACE, [7:12] AGAIN, IT IS QUITE REMARKABLE THAT WE'RE STILL, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS STATE [7:17] AND HOW MUCH MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT, AND THAT THE DEMOCRAT NOW HAS BEEN ON THE OFFENSE [7:22] FOR PRETTY MUCH THIS ENTIRE CAMPAIGN. [7:23] THIS IS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE HAD TO KIND OF PUT HIM BACK A LITTLE BIT, [7:30] BASED ON SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST A RUMOR THAT STARTED. [7:34] BUT FUNDAMENTALLY, JEFF, YOU KNOW, AND YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE THE RACE FOR CONTROL OF SENATE GOES THROUGH, [7:40] GOING BACK TO TAM'S POINT, THE FACT THAT IT REALLY IS GOING THROUGH TEXAS, [7:44] ALASKA, OHIO, AND IOWA, ALL STATES TRUMP WON BY DOUBLE DIGITS, [7:49] THAT IS THE STORY OF THE 2026 MIDTERMS RIGHT THERE. [7:53] AND IF THOSE STATES ARE IN PLAY STATEWIDE AT THE SENATE LEVEL, [7:57] THAT MEANS THAT VARIOUS HOUSE RACES UNDERNEATH THOSE FURTHER DOWN THE BALLOT ARE ALSO IN PLAY. [8:04] YEAH. [8:05] AMY WALTER, TAMARA KEITH, ALWAYS A PLEASURE. THANK YOU BOTH. [8:07] YOU'RE WELCOME.