THE ROAD AHEAD: Sen Bill Hagerty reveals GOP's future after staggering midterm losses

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: WELCOME BACK, FOLKS. SO THERE IS A LAME DUCK CONGRESS COMING UP, SENATE SCHEDULE TO RETURN SESSION TOMORROW AFTERNOON. JOINING US NOW IS TENNESSEE SENATOR BILL HAGGERTY WHO WON HANDILY, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT, IN THE GREAT STATE OF TENNESSEE. SENATOR HAGGERTY, WELL DONE, SIR. WELL DONE. YOU WON BIG. MARSHA BLACKBURN DID VERY WELL. TENNESSEE IS A GREAT STATE. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT NEWT GINGRICH AND I, STEVE MILLER IS GOING TO BE THE NEW CHIEF OF [00:00:33] Speaker ?: STAFF. [00:00:33] Speaker 1: A BRILLIANT GUY, STRONG GUY, ALL RIGHT, COMMITTED TO CONSERVATIVE VALUES. DIDN'T STEVE MILLER, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY HE DOESN'T WORK WITH PEOPLE, DIDN'T STEVE MILLER WORK WITH THIS MEMPHIS, KEEPING MEMPHIS SAFE TASK FORCE LAST YEAR, THE YEAR BEFORE? WASN'T HE PART OF THAT GROUP THAT HELPED CALM THINGS DOWN IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE? [00:00:54] Speaker 2: NO, INDEED. STEPHEN IS EXTRAORDINARILY TALENTED AS YOU KNOW. LARRY, HE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST WARRIORS PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS EVER HAD. HE FOUNDED THE AMERICAN FIRST LEGAL OPERATIONS. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT HIS MANAGERAL ABILITY, WHAT HE'S DONE IN MEMPHIS IS JUST A GREAT EXAMPLE. WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS. IF YOU THINK ABOUT MEMPHIS, IT CAME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC. WE LOST CONTROL OF THE CITY FROM A CRIME STANDPOINT. STEPHEN HELPED BRING TO BEAR 1,600 TO 1,700 FEDERAL AGENTS EVERY DAY ON THE GROUND. I'M TALKING THE IRS, HUD, ALCOHOL TOBACCO AND FIREARMS, OF COURSE FBI. ALL OF THOSE RESOURCES TOOK A LOT OF COORDINATION. STEPHEN WAS ABLE TO DELIVER THAT. HE'S GOING TO MAKE A GREAT CHIEF OF STAFF. AND, BY THE WAY, MY HAT'S OFF TO SUSIE WILLES. SHE DELIVERED WORKING ALONGSIDE PRESIDENT TRUMP, ONE OF THE GREATEST POLITICAL COMEBACKS IN HISTORY. SHE'S DONE A MAGNIFICANT JOB. I WISH HER WELL. [00:01:43] Speaker 1: YES, OF COURSE. AGREE WITH THAT, TOO. AND WE WISH YOU WELL, TOO. NOW, I WANT TO ASK YOU, SENATOR, YOU'VE GOT A LAME DUCK SESSION COMING. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYTHING CAN GET THROUGH. BUT THERE WERE SOME UNFINISHED BUSINESS. THE BIPARTISAN PERMITTING REFORM WHICH IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, AS YOU KNOW. THE ELECTRIC UTILITY RATE PAYER PROTECTION BILL THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. ANY OF THAT STUFF, CAN THAT GET THROUGH? HERE'S ANOTHER WAY. CAN REPUBLICANS PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD AND MESSAGE IT TO VOTERS, YOU KNOW, PROSPECTIVE VOTERS, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT, THIS IS THE KIND OF THING WE STAND FOR? [00:02:19] Speaker 2: WELL, THE AMERICAN PUBLIC CERTAINLY WANT BOTH OF THOSE BILLS. AND WE HAD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT COMING INTO ELECTION DAY, BUT CHUCK SCHUMER PULLED IT ALL [00:02:27] Speaker ?: DOWN. [00:02:27] Speaker 2: HE'D RATHER HAVE CHAOS. YOU KNOW, ALL THE DEMOCRATS WERE ABLE TO DO THESE PAST TWO YEARS IS DELIVER TWO HISTORICALLY LONG GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS. WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON MONDAY NIGHT. WE'LL SEE, LARRY, IF THEY'RE SERIOUS ABOUT PERMITTING [00:02:37] Speaker ?: REFORM. [00:02:37] Speaker 2: MY GUESS IS THEY'LL TRY TO PIVOT TOWARD THE GREEN NEW DEAL. THEY'LL DO MORE DESTRUCTIVE ECONOMIC POLICIES, NOT ONLY WAGING WAR AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP, BUT WAGING WAR AGAINST THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB THIS SESSION TALKING ABOUT THE ECONOMY, THE STRENGTH OF IT. WE'VE JUST GOT TO BE MESSAGING THAT. AND WE'VE GOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT THERE'S SOME CRITICAL POINTS, WHETHER IT'S AT THE GAS PUMP OR AT THE GROCERY STORE, WHERE WHEN WE DEAL WITH LERON IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WHEN WE DEAL WITH UKRAINE, THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON FERTILIZER, THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON GAS AND DIESEL, THAT SORT OF THING. AND I THINK WE CAN BEGIN TO BRING THE AMERICAN REALITY INTO CONNECTION WITH WHAT PEOPLE SENSE AND FEEL. CLEARLY PEOPLE DID NOT FEEL IT ON ELECTION DAY. AND I THINK IT'S OUR JOB, IT'S OUR CHALLENGE TO TALK ABOUT IT THE WAY I'VE TALKED ABOUT IT HERE IN TENNESSEE. YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE ECONOMY CONSISTENTLY. TENNESSEE IS DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT IN TERMS OF MAKING THIS STATE AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO INVEST. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT WITH THE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL, HIS TRADE POLICIES THAT HAVE ATTRACTED MORE CAPITAL COMING INTO AMERICA THAN WE HAVE SEEN IN OUR LIFETIMES. LET'S MAKE THE MOST OF IT. WELL, LISTEN, YES TO ALL THAT. I MEAN, LOWER TAXES, DEREGULATION, SPENDING REFORM, NOW YOU'VE IDENTIFIED ALL THIS FRAUD. EVERYBODY'S DONE A VERY GOOD JOB ABOUT THAT. THAT STUFF COULD BE CODIFIED. I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CENTER. [00:03:40] Speaker 1: BUT MY POINT IS MESSAGING IS SO IMPORTANT, NOT JUST SAYING I DON'T HAVE THE VOTES, BUT HERE'S WHAT WE WOULD LIKE [00:03:46] Speaker ?: TO DO. [00:03:46] Speaker 1: I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CENTER. BUT MY POINT IS MESSAGING IS SO IMPORTANT, NOT JUST SAYING I DON'T HAVE THE VOTES, BUT HERE'S WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO, OKAY? YOU KEEP THAT DRUMBEAT GOING. DO YOU WANT THE PRESIDENT'S SENATE LEADERSHIP? DO YOU WANT MR. THUNE TO REMAIN AS THE REPUBLICAN SENATE LEADER? DOES HE HAVE THAT KIND OF SUPPORT? IS HE THE RIGHT GUY? IS HE THE RIGHT MESSENGER? WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION STARTING THIS WEEK. AND I THINK WHAT WE'VE GOT [00:04:13] Speaker 2: TO FOCUS ON IS THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE TO STAY UNIFIED, LARRY. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION STARTING THIS WEEK. REPUBLICANS HAVE TO STAY UNIFIED, LARRY. WE'RE GOING TO REQUIRE 41 VOTES TO BLOCK THE DEMOCRATS FROM THE CRAZIEST POLICIES TO STOP THE GREEN NEW DEAL FROM COMING THROUGH. ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO DO TO DESTROY THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY THAT YOU'VE DESCRIBED IN THE FIRST 45 MINUTES OF THIS SHOW. THEY'RE GOING TO GO OUT TO THAT FULL FORCE. REPUBLICANS HAVE TO HOLD TOGETHER. IN THAT CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE EARLY THIS WEEK, WHAT EMERGES, I HOPE, IS A PLAN TO STAY UNIFIED, TO STAY FOCUSED AND WHOEVER CAN BRING US TOGETHER TO DO THAT MOST EFFECTIVELY IS GOING TO HAVE MY VOTE. [00:04:47] Speaker 1: WELL, THAT'S THE THING I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU. ARE YOU COMMITTED YET TO VOTING FOR MR. THUNE? I KNOW NOT EVERYONE IS, BUT ARE YOU COMMITTED TO VOTING FOR MR. THUNE AGAIN? [00:04:57] Speaker 2: WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A FULL CONVERSATION WITH THIS AS A CONFERENCE. THOSE VOTES ARE ALL CONFIDENTIAL, BUT I THINK WE'LL KNOW THE RESULTS VERY SOON. MY GOAL, THOUGH, IS TO MAINTAIN UNITY AMONG THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND WE NEED TO SEE A LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE THAT'S GOING TO DO JUST THAT. AND AS YOU MENTIONED, WE'VE GOT TO COMMUNICATE [00:05:14] Speaker ?: EFFECTIVELY. [00:05:14] Speaker 2: WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE ECONOMY IN A VERY ARTICULATE MANNER AND WE NEED TO BE SUPPORTING PRESIDENT TRUMP IN HIS POLICIES BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO DELIVER THE TYPE OF PROSPERITY THAT WILL MAKE THINGS TURN AROUND FOR US IN 2028. AND IF THE PRESIDENT [00:05:27] Speaker 1: DROPS THE HAMMER ON IRAN, WHICH MANY PEOPLE ARE ADVOCATING, WILL THE REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE SUPPORT HIM ON THIS? [00:05:36] Speaker 2: I CERTAINLY THINK SO. AND THE PRESIDENT IN TYPICAL FASHION IS PUTTING ALL OPTIONS ON THE TABLE. IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, OPERATION, YOU KNOW, THE OPERATION THAT SCOTT BESSEN HAS RUN, OPERATION ECONOMIC OUTCAST HAS PUT THE IRANIAN ECONOMY IN THE TANK. THEY HAVE NO CURRENCY, THEY HAVE NO GROWTH. IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE FROM A MILITARY STANDPOINT, NO AIR FORCE, NO NAVY. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS MOVED MORE MILITARY ASSETS INTO THE REGION, SO HE HAS EVERY OPTION AVAILABLE TO HIM, AND I THINK IT'S PERFECTLY -- HE'S PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF BRINGING THIS TO AN END VERY QUICKLY. IT'S HIS DECISION TO MAKE AND HOW HE DOES IT, BUT I THINK THAT CAN CERTAINLY HAPPEN. AGAIN, THAT PUTS US IN A MUCH BETTER POSTURE TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON RUSSIA TO DEAL WITH UKRAINE AS WELL, BECAUSE IF IRANIAN FUEL GETS BACK OUT OF THE MARKET, IRANIAN ENERGY BACK IN THE MARKETPLACE REMOVES A GREAT DEAL OF LEVERAGE THAT RUSSIA HAS. I CAN SEE EVERYTHING COMING TOGETHER, AGAIN, WITH FOREIGN POLICY SUCCESSES WILL BREED MORE DOMESTIC POLICY SUCCESS [00:06:27] Speaker ?: AS WELL. [00:06:27] Speaker 1: I HOPE YOU STAY ON MESSAGE. I MEAN, YOU'RE A GREAT CONSERVATIVE, YOU'RE A PRO-GROWTH GUY, YOU'RE A FOREIGN POLICY EXPERT. WE HAVE TO BE TOUGH ON IRAN. I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. SENATOR BILL HAGGERTY, THANK YOU, SIR. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RE-ELECT. THAT DOES IT FOR ME. SUNDAY MORNING FUTURES. I'M KUDLOW. HAVE A GREAT SUNDAY. SEE YOU NEXT WEEKEND.