Return to Transcripts main page

Inside Politics

Lower-Tier Candidates Look for Breakthrough Moment in Dem Debate; O'Rourke: "Hell Yes" Government Will Take Your AR-15; Sen. Ted Cruz: Texas Will Be "Hotly Contested" in 2020; Trump Pokes Fun At Dem Challengers During GOP Retreat; Ad Shows AOC Picture Catching on Fire. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired September 13, 2019 - 12:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:30:00] SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN), PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: -- I've got a better way. If you feel stuck in the middle of the extremes in our politics and you are tired of the noise and the nonsense, you've got a home with me. And I know a lot of my friends here are from the left but remember I am from the middle of the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: New Jersey Senator Cory Booker used his experience as Newark mayor to get personal about the toll of bad schools and gun violence. And he used some humor when asked if his vegan diet was a key to fighting climate change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We closed poor- performing charter schools but we expanded high-performing charter schools. This has been a crisis for me. It's why I was the first one to come out for gun licensing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should more Americans, including those here in Texas and in Iowa, follow your diet?

BOOKER: You know, first of all, I want to say no. Actually, I want to translate that into Spanish. No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: A breakout debate for Beto O'Rourke, too. There is no doubting his passion in the wake of that mass shooting back home in El Paso. But there is a lot of doubt among Democrats about the wisdom of his signature debate moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you proposing taking away their guns, and how would this work?

BETO O'ROURKE (D-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am if it's a weapon that was designed to kill people. So many other people were shot by that AR-15 in Odessa and Midland, there weren't enough ambulances to get to them in time. Hell, yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: And again, we spoke about this a bit earlier, the two worlds here, the Democratic primary versus the country as a whole. Applause in the hall, I don't think there is any question that hell, yes moment is going to help him among Democratic activists who have liberal positions on gun control.

The question is, and Mike Pence just mentioned this at the Republican retreat in Baltimore, the vice president saying you hear a lot of them from them. Beto O'Rourke, it was one, it was one. But the say -- the Republicans immediately, them, coming to take your guns away. This administration supports the Second Amendment.

JULIE PACE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: It reminded me a little bit about that moment from the first debate that Beto found himself on the other side of where Castro went after him about decriminalizing illegal border crossings. Basically saying, you know, we should decriminalize that. And it was a standing moment for Castro but in the aftermath, Democrats said, oh, I don't know if that's where we want to be. We don't know if we want to be on that of the issue.

And I think that that's where you're finding Democrats today. That was a standout moment for Beto, but does the party want to be the party that, yes, we'll take guns away from Americans. Even if they are assault weapons, there are a lot of Democrats that are uncomfortable with that mostly because it gives Republicans a pretty good talking point. You're worried about Democrats taking away your guns, well, look, they actually say they will.

KING: And to that point, Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, an ally of Joe Biden factor that in. Beto O'Rourke is running against Joe Biden, Chris Coons is an ally of the former vice president, but he's also a guy who can count votes pretty well in the Senate. Pretty candid guy when you ask him about the state of play in the Senate. He heard Beto O'Rourke last night, and he's a little worried.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DL): I frankly think that that clip will be played for years at Second Amendment rallies with organizations that try to scare people by saying Democrats are coming for your guns. I'm a gun owner. My sons and I have gone skeet shooting and hunting, and frankly, I don't think having our presidential candidates like Congressman O'Rourke did say that we're going to try to take people's guns against their will is a wise either --

POPPY HARLOW, CNN HOST: Did he hurt the party?

COONS: -- policy or political move.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Poppy Harlow asking at the end, did he hurt the party. Senator Coons said, you know, that's more for voters to decide, but making clear he thinks that's a risky position.

TARINI PARTI, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, BUZZFEED NEWS: I think it's going to be interesting to see how the other candidates try to clarify whether they're for mandatory or volunteer gun buybacks. We saw former vice president Biden's campaign clarify that this morning that he's for voluntary buybacks because he brought out buybacks as well last night. So, we'll see some other candidates try to sort of clarify this -- their position on this issue, but I think it also sorts of takes away from the gun control reforms that all of them are for which is universal background checks, that they want to keep the focus on. So it kind of detracts from what they're all in the same (INAUDIBLE).

KING: And for O'Rourke, this is a shift. This is O'Rourke just last year, he was running for Senate against Ted Cruz. Now, remember, the El Paso shooting happened, this is home for him. So his argument is I saw what happened back home so yes, I changed my mind. But this is the same congressman just last year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I own an AR-15, a lot of our listeners own AR-15s. Why shouldn't don't they have one?

O'ROURKE: To be clear, they should have them. If you purchase that AR-15 if you own it, keep it. Continue to use it responsibly. We support the Second Amendment. If you own a gun, keep that gun. Nobody wants to take that away from you. At least, I don't want to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now, this is a show called INSIDE POLITICS. To the point, something horrible happened in his community. You can make the case, OK, he changed his mind. People change their mind all the time. Anyone who's never change their mind, you know, you're on a lonely room.

Or you can make a case that there's a politician who was running in Texas a year ago and now he's trying to run in a more liberal national Democratic primary.

[12:35:04] MICHAEL SHEAR, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: And look, Senator Coons is right, the Republicans are going to use it. They're not going to look at the nuance, they're not going to look at fact that some want voluntary buybacks. I was with President Trump last night at the speech that he gave, he mocked Democrats broadly, you know, sort of pretended to be a person who, you know, was sort of in his home alone, defenseless, without any guns because the Democrats have taken all their guns away. That's going to be powerful in some of the places Senator Klobuchar was talking about.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Of course, and he did say specifically AR-15s and AK-47s. So he didn't say take away all your guns. Of course, that nuance will be lost completely. But the reality is, look, he also needs a moment in his presidential campaign. I hate to be too cynical about this, there's no doubt his passion is real, what happened in El Paso, there's no doubt about that. But he also, you know, needed to jump-start things.

We'll see how that works for him. But the long term for the party, I think Senator Coons is right on the fact that we will hear that a lot in years to come.

KING: And if you step back up, again, we'll see how it plays out but O'Rourke, Booker, Klobuchar are three people who have been struggling with moments last night that they can pitch. I think if you thought coming in, we're going to wake up this morning and see some of these candidates going for the exits. I think the answer to that is no. So for the big Democratic field is with us.

And as we go to break, I just mention Vice President Pence talking in Baltimore about gun control, and also talking just moments ago about reminding Joe Biden who's the real VP.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I heard my predecessor said that -- he was answering a question about his years in the White House, and he said, I'm the vice president of the United States, so let me be clear. I am the vice president of the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:41:39] KING: Topping our political radar today, some welcome news for American farmers. China says it will exempt some U.S. soybeans, pork, and other agricultural products from new tariffs. Chinese State Media says this concession follows President Trump's move yesterday to delay the next round of U.S. tariff hikes on Chinese goods until after trade talks resume early next month.

And news that NASCAR said no thanks to gun makers who wanted to buy ads earlier this summer. CNN confirming the stock car racing giant rejected ads from firearm companies, ads that featured so-called assault-style rifles. That development first reported by the Washington Free Beacon. NASCAR's move is quite controversial and has already invited some big scrutiny. The National Rifle Association posting its complaints online, questioning if NASCAR's decision will, quote, alienate great many of its most ardent fans. NASCAR has not publicly explained its position here and did not comment for CNN story.

And add another Republican if you think about the race for president 2024. Senator Ted Cruz says he's thinking about another presidential campaign. He says his run for the Republican nomination back in 2016 was, quote, the most fun he's ever had and notes he came very, very close to winning. Speaking of close, Cruz acknowledges his home state of Texas not nearly as red as it used to be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): I think Texas is going to be hotly contested in 2020. I believe the president will win Texas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With what percentage?

CRUZ: I think it will be closer than last time. And I also believe John Cornyn will be re-elected. But both will have a serious race in the state of Texas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: What do we make of that? And what do we make of this new Ted Cruz? He streamed live on Facebook the other day, he met with the actress Alyssa Milano to talk guns.

PACE: Taking a page out of the Beto playbook perhaps. I think one of the things that's happening here is Republican are trying to talk up the competition in Texas so that they're not caught off guard this time. There's a little bit last time around of being surprised by Beto strengthening. I think they're trying to avoid that kind of dynamic that's still around.

ZELENY: And those House races, I mean, Democrats were very strong there, and what's happening at the state House level is also very important. So I think he's -- you know, he's trying to sound the alarm. Republican donors need to know that Texas is, you know, not the safe place it was.

KING: And look at those retirements. There are handful of House Republicans down there, right?

SHEAR: Yes, and looks like he's also, you know, keeping his options open. I mean, if his base shifts in Texas a little bit, then maybe, you know, another national run makes more sense for him.

KING: Keep our eyes on it, for sure.

Up next, the president had his own stage last night at the Republican retreat in Baltimore. He had more on his mind than his 2020 opponents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The bulb that we're being forced to use, number one to me, most importantly, the light's no good. I always look orange.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:49:13] KING: President Trump counter-programming, you might say, last night's Democratic primary debate with a speech at a Republican retreat in Baltimore. But the president's cover every subject to address that clearly -- he made clear he was thinking about Houston.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They say, Buttigieg is two points up in the state of Texas against President Trump. They said I don't think so. I've had him up to here.

I hit Pocahontas way too early. I thought she was gone. She's emerged from the ashes. And now it looks like she could beat sleepy Joe. He's falling asleep. He has no idea what the hell he's doing or saying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: You were there last night in Baltimore. I've read the transcript. It was kind of all over the place.

[12:50:00] SHEAR: It was. It was interesting, it was somewhat low energy compared to what Trump normally is. I mean, it's a different room, right? He feeds off of the rally crowds where there's 20,000 people. This was not that, it was a bunch of people sitting, you know, in a little ballroom. But he just wouldn't stop.

I mean, he just -- and then, you know, the -- it's a window into the way his mind works, right, is that he doesn't -- there isn't a logical progression of issues. You might be, you know, talking about tax cuts one minute and windmills the next and, you know, orange light bulbs, and it just kind of -- and then you're back to tax cuts again.

KING: To that point, let's listen to a little bit more. And again, it is crystal clear -- and who can blame him -- there's an election next year. The president is thinking a lot about the Democrats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: -- African-American and Hispanic-American unemployment have reached the lowest rates ever recorded in the history of our country. I wonder if that will be mentioned tonight during the debate.

And they talk about plastic straws. I said what about the plate? What about the wrapper that's made out of a much tougher plastic? What about all the other plastic?

If you happen to be watching the Democrat debate and the wind isn't blowing, you're not going to see the debate. Charlie, what the hell happened to this debate? He said, darling, the wind isn't blowing. The goddamn windmill stopped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Sort to stand up.

ZELENY: You know, I mean, he wants to be part of the show. That's what this is all about. He missed, you know, not being out in Houston. Of course, he injected himself into the conversation as he was leaving the White House for Baltimore. He said he respects all the candidates.

It didn't necessarily look like he was respecting everyone when he was making the joke of Buttigieg's height, of course, Elizabeth Warren. He cannot wait for this fight because we know that President Trump loves to have an enemy, loves to have a combatant here.

The reality is, it is hard to get sort of consistent read on who he is the most concerned about because he's watching this play out on television. They are more concerned about Elizabeth Warren at the moment because she's rising, but it's still -- based on all the Republicans I talked to who are close to him, they are still watching Joe Biden because they think he is still, you know, the strongest candidate here. But that could change in an instant.

And it could have been an opportunity for the president, his entire party is waiting. Does he want them to do anything on guns? What specifically will he say? There was an opportunity, Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican leader saying this morning the president is still going through his options. He's not ready to do that. But that could have been the opportunity there, the president deciding to do something else instead.

Up next for us, a bit of lightning round, Congressman Liz Cheney can't stop her little fight with Senator Rand Paul.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:57:15] KING: Quick lightning round to end the show, get a couple of other big political stories and some quick discussion. If you are watching the debate here in Washington last night and some other media markets, you saw this. The picture of Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez bursting into flames. We're going to show just a couple of seconds of this ad.

Why was that on during a national Democratic debate? Well, it was run by a woman named Elizabeth Heng, she ran for office in California in 2018 and lost. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeting this, "Republicans are running TV ads setting pictures of me on fire to convince people they aren't racist. Life is weird."

Elizabeth Heng responding on Twitter, "I don't care about her AOC's feelings. I care about stopping her lies about the lies of socialism."

It was bizarre in the middle of a national Democratic debate to see this by a young woman from California who probably can't win a race out there, what is she doing.

ZELENY: Been trying to get attention obviously for herself, and, you know, continuing the branding that, you know, the entire Democratic Party is AOC which isn't true. I mean, the entire debate of the -- you know, the substantive debate was, you know, this via divider split. Who knows what she's trying to do? Certainly, to get attention from someone, you know, perhaps for a television job, perhaps the president. We're talking about her, so I guess perhaps it was a success, who knows. KING: Another story brewing this week is Congresswoman Liz Cheney, daughter of the former vice president, call her a, call Rand Paul z in the Republican debate over foreign policy. They are about as far apart as you can get. They've been fighting it out on Twitter and television interviews and the like. The House retreat is in Baltimore today. Liz Cheney says this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): I enjoyed it. I thought it was an enlightening exchange. You know, here I had been thinking the Senate is dull. There are issues that surround whether or not you put America first as President Trump does or blame America first as Rand Paul does and has for years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Two big issues here, there is a big debate in the Republican Party over some of these foreign policy question, troops in Afghanistan, trade, and the like. There's also a big question, Liz Cheney is going to stay in the House or try to join Rand Paul in the Senate.

PACE: Yes, there's a great political kind of back story to this. I think on the substance of it, I mean, it does show that, you know, more than two years into Donald Trump's presidency, there's still an effort underway to try to shape his ideology. You know, there's this feeling that you can sway him on issues. Foreign policy is one of them.

Yes, he says America first but they -- a lot of Republicans still feel like they can help shape what that actually means in practice.

KING: All right, it's not the Mona Lisa but pop it up for me here, George W. Bush's portrait of the former House speaker John Boehner. He shared that one when he was in SiriusXM. Not bad.

SHEAR: Yes.

PACE: Pretty good.

PARTI: Yes. It looks like John Boehner to me.

KING: My favorite art (INAUDIBLE). My favorite arc critics here in the studio today. That's not bad. It's good. Where is the other portrait showing? Mr. President, get the National Gallery of Art to up your work.

Thanks for joining us today in the INSIDE POLITICS. Hope to see you back here Sunday morning as well. A packed show, up early, 8 a.m. Eastern.

Brianna Keilar starts right now. Have a great afternoon.

[13:00:00]