Man In A Chicken Suit Among Voters At Rowdy Sen. Jeff Flake Town Hall | The 11th Hour

>>> WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON ALL WEEKEND TRIPS THAT THE PRESIDENT
MAKES? >> WITH REGARD TO PRESIDENTS AND
WHAT THEY DO ON THE WEEKEND, I'M NOT GOING TO CRITICIZE
PRESIDENTS. >> A PACKED AND ROWDY TOWN HALL
IN ARIZONA TONIGHT. THAT WAS REPUBLICAN SENATOR JEFF
FLAKE UP FOR REELECTION NEXT YEAR AND IS CONSIDERED A
VULNERABLE GOP SEAT. ROBERT, KATHERINE AND RICK
REMAIN WITH US. ROBERT COSTA, I HAVE ALWAYS
WONDERED, PEOPLE RUNNING FOR OFFICE WANT THE PUBLIC TO COME
TO BIG EVENTS, TO TOWN HALL EVENTS, COME OUT AND HELP THEM
WIN ELECTION AND BE PART OF THE CROWD.
WHY IS IT WHEN THEY GET IN OFFICE THEY ARE NOT ALL THAT
INTERESTED? MANY OF THEM WON'T DO WHAT
SENATOR FLAKE IS DOING TONIGHT. THEY WON'T HAVE TOWN HALL
MEETINGS. AND WHEN THEY DO TOO MANY OF
THEM COMPLAIN ABOUT ORGANIZED AGITATORS SHUTTING IT DOWN.
>> AS A REPORTER THERE IS NOTHING BETTER SOMETIMES THAN
COVERING A TOWN HALL MEETING BUT SO OFTEN THESE LAWMAKERS YOU
DON'T GET TO SEE THEM IN THEE FLESH TO SEE THEM INTERACT.
THIS FLAKE TOWN HALL IS FASCINATING BECAUSE IF THERE IS
ANY SENATOR WHO IRKED THE PRESIDENT DURING THE CAMPAIGN IT
WAS SENATOR FLAKE. MY REPORTING TELLS ME THE
PRESIDENT WOULD CRITICIZE FLAKE AND NOW FLAKE FINDS HIMSELF
HAVING TO DEFEND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
>> KATHERINE, IN THE MODERN ERA YOU THINK OF A GUY LIKE JERRY
FORD, CAME FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WHERE HE WAS A
GIANT REPRESENTING HIS DISTRICT OUT IN GRAND RAPIDS AND SO MANY
THOUGHTS AND DEEDS EVERY DAY WERE KIND OF PARTY MINDED.
HE THOUGHT LIKE A LEGISLATOR AND A LOCAL PARTY GUY.
THERE IS NONE OF THAT NOW. WHAT CAN DONALD TRUMP START
GIVING THESE GOP MEN AND WOMEN TO RUN ON AND DEFEND THEIR SEATS
WITH? >> WELL, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION
AND IT IS COMPLICATED BECAUSE DONALD TRUMP IS NOT A
TRADITIONAL REPUBLICAN EVEN THOUGH HE WON THE REPUBLICAN
NOMINATION AND WENT ON TO RUN WITH ALL THESE MEMBERS.
SO SOME OF THEM YOU HAVE TO MAKE DIFFERENT CHOICES ABOUT WHETHER
THEY RUN ON WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS DOING, WHETHER THEY TRY TO GO
IT ALONE AND DEPENDS A LOT OF THESE RACES DO VARY BY DISTRICT
BUT OBVIOUSLY A MID TERM ELECTION CAN TEND TO BE A
REFERENDUM ON THE PRESIDENT AND THE WORK OF THE PRESIDENT AND
CONGRESS. I THINK WE WILL REALLY SEE HOW
VOTERS FEEL ABOUT THAT. >> IF YOU SENT PRESIDENT TRUMP
OUT TO CAMPAIGN FOR FOLKS WHEN AIR FORCE ONE TOUCHES DOWN, IS
THAT THESE DAYS A HELP OR A HINDRANCE, AN ASSET OR
LIABILITY? >> I SUSPECT IT IS A LIABILITY.
WHEN PRESIDENTS HAVE GIGANTIC MOTORCADES I ALWAYS THOUGHT THIS
IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE LIKE. LOOKING AT SENATOR FLAKE'S TOWN
HALL SOME OF THESE GUYS HAVE TO TRIANGULATE BETWEEN TRUMP AND
CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS. HE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF IT.
THAT IS A REALLY TRICKY SITUATION.
IT'S NOT JUST BETWEEN REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS
BECAUSE TRUMP IS NOT A TYPICAL REPUBLICAN AND THE PEOPLE WHO
SUPPORT HIM COME FROM ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF BACK GROUNDS.
IT'S REALLY TRICKY. >> AS YOU LOOK BACK AT IT DID
THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE TAKE A POLITICAL BULLET IN NOT ALLOWING
THAT HEALTH CARE MEASURE WITH 17% POPULARITY EVEN BEFORE THE
REWRITE COME UP FOR AN ACTUAL VOTE?
THE MEMBERS WHO DID STICK THEIR NECKS OUT AND SAY I WILL SUPPORT
IT ARE CATCHING ALL KINDS OF FLACK BACK HOME.
>> THE SPEAKER KNEW THE POLITICAL DYNAMIC WOULD BE
DISASTROUS POTENTIALLY FOR SOME OF HIS MEMBERS.
WHENEVER A BILL IS SUSPECTED TO FAIL ON THE FLOOR AS A
CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER I CAN TELL YOU A LOT OF PEOPLE START
PULLING AWAY FROM THE BILL, THE SUPPORT MOVES AWAY AND RYAN KNEW
THAT AND THE SPEAKER SAID I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO BE PART OF
SUPPORTING A BILL THAT IS LIKELY TO FALL APART IN THE SENATE OR
NEVER PASS THE HOUSE SO HE ASKED TO PULL LEGISLATION.
THE PRESIDENT KEEPS TRYING TO REVIVE IT.
IT IS AN ACTIVE ISSUE. >> PLEASE NOTE SOMETHING VERY
IMPORTANT AS WE LOOK AT LIVE PICTURES FROM MESA, ARIZONA.
PEOPLE ARE BEHAVING THEMSELVES. THEY ARE BEING CIVIL AND POLITE.
THERE WAS A CHICKEN SUIT IN THE FRONT ROW BUT THEY HAD BEEN
GIVEN GREEN PIECES OF PAPER TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES IF THEY HAVE
A QUESTION. THEY ARE SHOWING BETTER BEHAVIOR

Man In A Chicken Suit Among Voters At Rowdy Sen. Jeff Flake Town Hall | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

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