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Inside Politics
Biden to Union Workers: Won't Lose Coverage Under My Plan; Bennet: Sanders Is "Reversing" Himself on Medicare for All; Hickenlooper Announces Colorado Senate Bid; Exit Strategy Looms Over U.S.-Taliban Peace Talks; Joe Walsh Teases Trump Primary Challenge; McConnell Writes NYT Op-Ed Defending Filibuster. Aired 12:30-1p ET
Aired August 22, 2019 - 12:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[12:30:00] JOE BIDEN (D-DE), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- negotiate it really hard for your benefits with your union with the employer. In my plan, you get to keep it, you don't have to give it up. You'll be able to keep your negotiated plan. You work like hell. You gave up wages for it. And it's better than -- many of them are better than the plans that are out there now.
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JOHN KING, CNN HOST: This is going to be a flashpoint in the next debate anyway. But I think even more so now that Sanders' rivals, and again, they say they're not changing his plan but they are making this other concession or side deal, whatever you want to call it, side proposal, I think we're going to have some fireworks here.
CARL HULSE, CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Well, Joe Biden is right. A lot of these union plans are gold-plated. They're really good health insurance. You don't pay for anything. There's no co-pays, that sort of thing.
It's just that recognition that we all knew at the beginning, that first debate when everybody says, you know, we're going to eliminate private health insurance or people got onboard there. People want -- Americans want people to have healthcare coverage. They also want to be able to have a role in choosing their healthcare coverage through their private employer. It's just a fact and this is sort of recognition of that.
KING: And if you're -- you know, you saw vice president Biden, he's leading the polls right now and he says build on ObamaCare, don't go for all government-run Medicare for All. Other candidates trying to break through, Michael Bennet trying to also move into what you call the centrist spot in the race. He hasn't qualified for the next debate so we're not sure how long he's going be around. But he jumping on this news as well.
"Yesterday's convoluted maneuver by Senator Sanders", he calls it. Watch out on Twitter Senator Bennet. "Is a belated welcome response to the increasingly obvious fact that his plan is both unpopular and untenable. Bernie's rewrite is the latest example of a Medicare for All candidate moving away from the plan in the face of the fact that it's both bad policy and bad politics. Now that Senator Sanders is reversing", again, Senator Sanders says that's not true but Senator Bennet says, "Senator Warren and the other candidates should reconsider."
Senator Harris was the original sponsor of the Sanders plan, she has an alternative. Senator Sanders is saying I'm not changing my plan but I have a side thing. Senator Bennet wants a piece.
MATT VISER, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: And I think I also watch Senator Warren in this. She has said that she's with Bernie on Medicare for All but she -- you know, despite being known for all of her plans has not come up with a healthcare plan of her own yet or has not like identified one. So, I think she's kind of in an interesting spot to try to find some territory that sort of keeps her lane in the left but sort of wins over maybe other people or figures out how to deal with the labor union contract.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And that's another reason why I don't think the Joe Biden argument that whoever can beat Trump is the one that we should make the nominee. Because people do care about the details of things like a healthcare plan that's going to greatly affect their lives. So I don't think that that --they're just going to pick whoever they think is the most obvious candidate to beat Trump because they are looking at this. And they want to know, if they do have someone who beats Trump, what it is going to look like when that person is in office. What is their healthcare plan going to look like? So, they paying close attention to these rollouts.
TARINI PARTI, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, BUZZFEED NEWS: I also think it's interesting that this is the third plan that Senator Sanders has released just this week. This comes after an polling we've seen Senator Warren really rising. Of course, she is the one who is known to come out with many plans and we're seeing Senator Sanders now follow this week.
KING: Right. And his campaign getting more loudly this week and saying they believe this because of media bias. It's a very different race Sanders I think is what the main thing happens as Senator Sanders who was a one-on-one race with Hillary Clinton last time and almost beat her in a strong race. It's a very different dynamic this time, you have an incumbent Republican president. It's a different race.
That would be my point on that one.
Coming up for us, John Hickenlooper, no longer a presidential candidate. He's running for the Senate.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:37:57] KING: Topping our political radar today, President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani insists there was nothing unethical about his recent meeting with a Ukrainian official. Giuliani acknowledged the meeting which was first reported by the New York Times, it was about then-Vice President Joe Biden's possible role in the dismissal of a Ukrainian prosecutor. That prosecutor was investigating a natural gas company that hired by Biden's son Hunter. No evidence has shown that Biden did anything inappropriate.
A day after addressing the AFL-CIO convention, 2020 presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke now out with a new plan to protect workers' rights. O'Rourke's 21st-century labor contract as he calls it aims to reverse the decline of unions by ensuring that any worker who wants to form or join a union has that opportunity. It would also protect collective bargaining rights and give all workers some of the same protections unions provide such as overtime and sick pay. And it would guarantee a living wage.
And last week, he was a Democratic presidential candidate. This week, John Hickenlooper is a Senate candidate back home in Colorado.
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JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D-CO), SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: I know changing Washington is hard but I want to give it a shot. I'm not done fighting for the people of Colorado. I'm John Hickenlooper, candidate for the United States Senate.
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KING: Democrats are happy. You get a former governor in the Senate race, in a state that you hope turns blue and runs blue in the presidential election. No ticket-splitting anymore. But Hickenlooper and even acknowledges this in the ad repeatedly said who the heck would want to be in the United States Senate. Now he wants to be in the United States Senate.
COLLINS: And he said he didn't think he was cut out to be a senator not that long ago and now they're saying now we have these discussions, of course, jumping out of the race is a big part of that. Now, he does want to try to run for the Senate.
I mean, I think he could be successful. And you said Democrats are excited about this because they are trying to take the Senate back. They've got a get at least three seats to do so and he is someone who actually could have a pretty good chance because he's got these moderate policies.
You hear him in that ad talking about protecting pre-existing conditions. Something that Democratic voters were increasingly worried about in the midterm elections.
[12:40:03] Worried about Republicans being able to strip them off of that. So I do think, you know, he's got a pretty good chance at it. And that's what going back to what I said about Beto O'Rourke, people are hoping people like that will drop out and run for those Senate seats so they can take back the Senate.
VISER: You saw his kind of goofy sense of humor in that ad which I think is Colorado residents know about. You know, his ads in the past have shown him in the shower in his clothes or jumping out of an airplane. And I think that he's known for that which did not really translate to his presidential campaign. In part, because of the crowded field but I think in Colorado, he maybe has a better shot. And given Trump's unpopularity in the state, I think that could help him, depending on who Democratic nominee is.
HULSE: Former bar owner, appropriate to be playing pool. I suspect that trick shot was set up.
COLLINS: We should double-check that.
HULSE: I think he is popular in Colorado. He's not the first guy to say he's not going to do something and then run. I was talking to some top Republicans last night, they're really worried about Cory Gardner and they're worried about John Hickenlooper. The big next goal for Chuck Schumer is to get the Montana Governor Steve Bullock into the race. And they think that really changes the map for them if they can get them.
KING: Colorado has been trending blue anyway but the suburban revolt against President Trump makes Gardner all the way vulnerable.
HULSE: Who is a good candidate by the way. Cory Gardner --
KING: Has been a good candidate, has been a survivor. This would be a test. And again, ticket-splitting has disappeared largely in American politics so that's what the Democrats are hoping for if the state goes blue for president, it'll go blue for Senate. We shall see.
Up next, the big debate over how to end America's longest war.
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[12:46:22] KING: Four facts today about the nation's longest war. Two more American soldiers were killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday. 2019 is the deadliest year for American troops in Afghanistan in the past five years. The Pentagon inspector general says ISIS is getting stronger, not weaker and that includes in Afghanistan. And the United States now resuming its exit negotiations with the Taliban. How and how soon the 14,000 U.S. troops deployed there leave is the big question.
Some in Congress like Republican Senator Lindsey Graham want assurances before the United States pulls out. But President Trump again this week saying he wants to end U.S. involvement and end it quickly.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've been there for 18 years. It's ridiculous. Look, it's 18 years. We're like -- we're not really fighting. We're almost more of a police force over there. It's been so many years, but we're like a police force. And we're not supposed to be a police force.
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KING: 2020 Democrats also not making the case to stay. Listen here, the leading Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
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BIDEN: I strongly oppose maintaining combat troops in Iraq and in Afghanistan. We're not going to be the world's policemen. The notion that we have full-time combat forces there makes no sense to me at this point.
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KING: Our Military and Diplomatic Analyst Rear Admiral John Kirby joins the conversation. There's no appetite to stay, there hasn't been an appetite to stay for a long time.
RET. RDML JOHN KIRBY, CNN MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC ANALYST: Sure.
KING: But it's incredibly complicated to get out, especially you're negotiating with the Taliban who have made clear we would like you to go but we're not making -- we're not going to promise to be nice with the Afghan government.
KIRBY: That's right. They don't even recognize the government (INAUDIBLE) and they can't really provide any assurances that they're going to be that useful in sort of going after terrorist networks which still reside in Afghanistan. Look, the Taliban is not a monolithic organization, John. They all speak for one another and they're not exactly trustworthy in terms of negotiating partners.
So it's really important that we see the details of this negotiation that they're working on. I think it's laudable that they're doing it. But we need to remember, and this gets to what Biden and what Trump just said. That even the preliminary reports that we're hearing are that there is going to be a residual amount of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to do counterterrorism efforts. And I think that's important because we were there to keep it from becoming a safe haven. We need to stay there for a while to make sure that that happens.
The point I'm trying to make is that even if they ink a peace deal, it's not the end of the war in Afghanistan.
KING: Not the end of the war in Afghanistan. And the skepticism, that concerns, Lindsey Graham says he wants to pass legislation that requires the State Department and the Pentagon to certify that U.S. national security interests were OK here. You've seen complaints from Liz Cheney in the House, an op-ed piece, it's not a complaint but observations saying, you know, sure, we would all like a peace deal, but Mr. President, I'm not sure you're on the right path with what you're doing now.
And then the president himself complicates things, again, when you're trying to have clarity. What exactly we are doing here in an incredibly dicey situation when he says things like this.
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TRUMP: And as I've said and I'll say it any number of times and this is not using nuclear. We could win that war in a week if we wanted to fight it. But I'm not looking to kill 10 million people. I'm not looking to kill 10 million Afghans because that's what would have to happen. And I'm not looking to do that.
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KING: I don't even know what to say to that in the sense of where we are now. Why would you say something like that? He's talked about bombing before.
COLLINS: A lot of cringing at the Pentagon when the president makes remarks like that which we've seen him say multiple times. We should also note that last week while the president was on his vacation in Bedminster, he did meet with all of his national security officials who came up there. They were talking about this precisely.
[12:50:03] There was kind of some buildup to it but people who left that meeting, who attended it, afterward when they left, they didn't feel like they had really come to any kind of a grand conclusion where they were going to make any kind of an announcement. So I think it's still an open question, still a slow process that's happening inside the White House.
But the president makes comments like that not only in front of the cameras, he also makes them in meetings like this where they're talking about what their exit strategy is going to be.
KING: What is the level at the Pentagon in the sense that when you say we're going to have a meeting to end the war, the people who want to be in the front of the line are the generals and the admirals who have to send young men and women to harm's way. They want to get out as quickly as anybody but they don't want to go back.
KIRBY: Right. I mean, you want a sustainable victory is what you want. And this is the problem we had with ISIS, and, you know, him pulling troops out of Syria, the whole idea of having people in Syria just like in Afghanistan is to help indigenous forces get better at securing their own borders and their own people. That's the idea here which is why it's not so easy to just say, well, we're going to pull out of Afghanistan because the Afghan National Security Forces though more competent than they have been in recent years are still not fully capable of sustaining security across their country.
And don't forget, John, the Taliban isn't just a terrorist network, they want to govern Afghanistan again. They want the country back.
COLLINS: And speaking of ISIS you saw the defense secretary say yesterday he doesn't believe there's this resurgence of ISIS even though the inspector general's report from the Pentagon did say in fact that is what it is. And that that came about because of the way that the president withdrew those troops from Syria which, of course, we all know the last defense secretary resigned in protest over it.
KING: We'll watch this one as it plays out. It's a delicate dicey moment. Admiral, appreciate you stopping by.
Up next for us, you heard that rumor about Nikki Haley? Neither have we.
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[12:56:17] KING: Let's close today with a quick lightning round. Go through some other big political stories in the news including a potential challenger to President Trump. Former Massachusetts' governor Bill Weld is in, former South Carolina congressman Mark Sanford might run. Now, Joe Walsh, the former Republican congressman from Illinois now on the radio says, I might do it.
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JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Are you running against him?
JOE WALSH (R), FORMER ILLINOIS CONGRESSMAN: I'm strongly, strongly considering it. The only way you primary Donald Trump and beat him is to expose him for the con man he is. And if I did it, John, that's what I'd do, I'd punch him every single day.
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KING: It would be interesting because he is pugnacious, however, I just want to get on the record, he was once a Trump guy October 26, 2016, Don Jr. actually re-tweeted this one. Joe Walsh tweeting on November 8th, "I'm voting for Trump." On November 9th, "If Trump loses I'm grabbing my musket. You in?"
December 31, 2016 tweet, "Obama is a Muslim. Happy New Year."
So this would be a controversial challenge.
VISER: And for never-Trumpers, kind of pouring their energy into a guy that, you know, sounds an awful lot like Trump, you know, and sort of what Trump came out of, you know, I think it's an interesting marriage at the moment.
KING: Do you think maybe he's doing this for attention, or maybe I'm going too far out there for that? It's possible, possible.
Nikki Haley, back in June, there was a Wall Street Journal opinion piece written saying, you know, President Trump looking a little weak especially in the suburbs, he should dump Mike Pence and pick up Nikki Haley. That was in June. They've moved around a little bit, there was a conversation about it, we talked about it here on this show. I haven't heard it since, I don't -- anyone else heard it recently?
Nikki Haley needs to put this to rest. She is tweeting out yesterday, "Enough of the false rumors. Vice President Pence has been a dear friend of mine for years. He has been a loyal and trustworthy VP to the president. He has my complete support."
Did she need to tell us that?
HULSE: I'm sure that made Mike Pence feel good. I think that Nikki Haley has political aspirations beyond this next presidential cycle and saw the need to maybe get her name back out there.
COLLINS: Yes. I'd also like to put to rest rumors that I'm going to win the Heisman this year. I know you guys been talking about it, so I just want to let you know I don't think this is my year.
KING: I have to call my bookie and make sure I am. I put that bet on yesterday, I don't know if I can get it back.
OK. Governor Haley, Ambassador, Haley, if you want to clear it up, we're here for you.
Mitch McConnell, he hurt his shoulder, he had surgery. He's been quiet during the recess for the most part but he wrote one op-ed the other day, essentially laying down the marker for Hong Kong. And then in the New York Times today, "The filibuster plays a crucial rule in our constitutional order." A lot of Democrats have said we want to pass Medicare for All, we're going to pass the Green New Deal, you got to get rid of the filibuster. Mitch McConnell essentially saying not as long as I'm around.
HULSE: Well, he's saying be careful what you wish for. I think he's pushing back here and he's trying to remind people, well, we got rid of the filibuster on nominations and look what happened to you. I do think the timing was interesting. Maybe this is a little bit of a sense that Senator McConnell thinks he might lose the Senate. I don't know, I thought it was interesting timing.
KING: It's an interesting point there. I want to close with this one. Now, we focus a lot, the president's polling numbers are in rough shape, right? How about Congress? The new Monmouth poll releases at the top of the hour, approve of the job Congress is doing, 17 percent. Disapprove, 71 percent. How does that break when we have a divided government? We have a Democratic House and a Republican Senate. Divided everybody?
PARTI: It doesn't seem to be a popular time to be a member of Congress if it ever is a popular time. And I think this is interesting given all the retirement as we're seeing with the Republican Party. You know, if this could -- if polling like this continues, if that gets more of retirement announcements.
HULSE: I hope Governor Hickenlooper doesn't see that because he might withdraw.
KING: Seventeen percent approved, 17 percent approved. OK.
Thanks for joining us today in the INSIDE POLITICS. Hope to see you back here this time tomorrow. If you sent us any Twitter questions, you can hear the answers to some of those questions on our podcasts.
Brianna Keilar starts right now. Have a great afternoon.
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