African American Republicans Tried To Reach WH, J.C. Watts Says | MTP Daily

>>> WELCOME BACK. THE BIG POLITICAL STORY TONIGHT
AND REMAINS THERE ARE MANY SIDES TO WHAT HAPPENED IN
CHARLOTTESVILLE, ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENT, BUT HE MADE IT
PRETTY CLEAR TODAY THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE SIDE FOR REPUBLICANS IN
CONGRESS, IT'S HIS. TODAY HE UNLOADED ON SENATORS
LINDSEY GRAHAM AND JEFF FLAKE. THEY'VE BEEN VOCAL CRITICS ON A
NUMBER OF TOPICS FROM THE PRESIDENT, INCLUDING HIS
RESPONSE TO CHARLOTTESVILLE. AND THEY'RE ALSO TWO REPUBLICAN
SENATORS WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST HIM.
HE CALLED SENATOR GRAHAM A LIAR AND FLAF TOXIC AND HE CHEERED
SENATOR FLAKE'S PRIMARY CHALLENGER IN ARIZONA.
ALRIDE BEHIND MANY WHITE NATIONALISTS.
HE SAID OUR HISTORY AND CULTURE WAS BEING RIPPED APART.
FOLKS, NONE OF US HAVE ANY CLUE ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET
PAST THIS CRISIS. THE PRESIDENT'S ACTIONS TODAY
SENT A PRETTY CLEAR MESSAGE TO CRITICS IN HIS PARTY.
IT'S TIME TO CHOOSE. YOU'RE EITHER WITH HIM OR YOU'RE
AGAINST HIM. WELL, SENATOR GRAHAM FIRED BACK
AT THE PRESIDENT, SO DID SENATOR FLAKE AND HIS ALLIES.
SENATOR TIM SCOTT, THE ONLY BLACK REPUBLICAN IN THE SENATE
ALSO DIDN'T HOLD BACK. BY THE WAY, LINDSEY GRAHAM'S
PARTNER IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA DELEGATION.
>> WHAT WE WANT TO SEE FROM OUR PRESIDENT IS CLARITY AND MORAL
AUTHORITY AND THAT MORT AUTHORITY IS COMPROMISED WHEN
TUESDAY HAPPENS. THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
>> AND SENATOR BOB CORKER UNLOADED PLAPS THE HARVEST
CRITICISM WE'VE HEARD FROM A SITTING REPUBLICAN SENATOR NOT
NAMED JEFF FLAKE. >> THE PRESIDENT HAS NOT YET --
HAS NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THE STABILITY, NOR
SOME OF THE COMPETENT THAT HE NEEDS TO DEMONSTRATE IN ORDER TO
BE SUCCESSFUL. HE ALSO RECENTLY HAS NOT
DEMONSTRATED THAT HE UNDERSTANDS THE CHARACTER OF THIS NATION.
>> THOSE ARE SOME TOUGH WORDS FROM SOMEBODY WHO VERY MUCH
WANTED TO BE THIS PRESIDENT'S SECRETARY OF STATE.
IT'S BEEN MORE THAN 200 DAYS. THE PRESIDENT HASN'T PROVEN BY
NOW TO BOB CORKER THAT HE'S GOT THE STABILITY OR COMPETENT TO BE
PRESIDENT OR THAT HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTER OF THE
NATION EITHER, THEN THE QUESTION FOR REPUBLICANS LIKE BOB CORKER
IS WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? WELL, THE ANSWER COULD VERY WELL
BE THAT THEY'RE WAITING FOR REPUBLICAN VOTERS TO AGREE WITH
THEIR OWN ASSESSMENT THE. CASE IN POINT, T, ACCORDING TO
NEW CBS NEWS POLL A LARGE MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS 68% SAY
HIS DESCRIPTION IS ACCURATE. AND IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND
WHY REPUBLICAN LEADERS MIGHT ARGUE THEY'RE NOT STORMING THE
CALF, THAT'S WHY. THEY MAY WANT TO GO, BUT WHAT
GOOD IS A REBELLION IF THEIR VOTERS AREN'T GOING TO BACK IT.
AND AS THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF MADE CLEAR TODAY, HE'S GOT MORE
FOLKS LOYAL TO HIM EAGER TO FILL A POWER VACUUM.
WHETHER THAT'S IN THE SENATE OR EVEN IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
JOINED NOW BY FOUR TERM REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN JC WATS.
HE WAS THE FIRST BLACK REPRESENTATIVE ELECTED FROM THE
STATE OF OKLAHOMA TO SERVE IN CONGRESS.
HE WAS ALSO THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN NAMED TO HOUSE
REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP. AND I'M ALSO JOINED BY THE
EDITOR AT LARGE OF THE WEEKLY STANDARD BILL KRISTOL.
CONGRESSMAN WATS WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO YOU YOU SAID YOU HAD VERY
MUCH HAD SOMETHING TO SAY. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO YOU, I'M
JUST GOING TO HAPPENED YOU THE MICROPHONE, SIR.
>> WELL, CHUCK, I THINK LIKE EVERY OTHER AMERICAN I'VE
OBSERVED WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE LAST WEEK OR WELL POST LAST
WEEKEND, AND I THINK TRIALS WE ARE OBVIOUSLY SEEING TRIALS IN
OUR COUNTRY. AND I THINK -- I DON'T BELIEVE
TRIALS COME TO TELL US WHAT WE ARE.
I THINK THEY COME TO TELL US WHAT WE ARE NOT SO THAT WE KNOW
WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO BECOME WHAT WE ALL SAY THAT WE WANT TO
BE. AND LIKE SENATOR SCOTT SAID, I
THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT A PRESIDENT, YOU LOOK AT THE
PASTOR OF YOUR CHURCH, YOUR RABBI, YOU KNOW, THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF YOUR SCHOOLS, THE CEO OF THE COMPANY, I THINK
YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE THE MORAL STANDING, IN SPITE OF THEIR
KBLERKSZ, IN SPITE OF THEIR DISFUNCTIONS, YOU WANT THEM TO
HAVE THE MORAL FORTITUDE TO SAY THIS IS RIGHT OR THIS IS WRONG.
AND I'M QUITE BURDEN END AND SADDENED THAT WE -- BEING THE
AIR AS REVEREND KING WOULD SAY, BEING THE AIR OF RAIN, ROPE,
FIRE AND MURDER, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT ANGRY ABOUT THAT, I'M NOT
ASHAMED OF THAT, BUT I AM ASHAMED THAT WE STILL HAVE
PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY THAT WOULD BE SO INHUMANE THAT THEY
WOULD DO INHUMANE THINGS TO OTHER AMERICAN CITIZENS.
AND SO I THINK THE PRESIDENT HURTS HIMSELF, HE HURTS OUR
COUNTRY WHEN HE DOES NOT SPEAK WITH CLARITY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AN
ISSUE THAT SAYS PRETTY CLEARLY TWO PLUS TWO IS FOUR.
IT'S NOT THREE. >> I GUESS THE QUESTION, THEN,
IS, AND I WANT TO BRING BILL KRISTOL INTO THIS CONVERSATION
AND I WANT YOU BOTH TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
BILL, LET ME START WITH YOU. YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SHY WITH YOUR
FEELINGS ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP AND WHERE YOU BELIEVE -- YOU'RE
CONCERNED WHERE HE'S TAKING THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT.
HOW DO WE GET PAST THIS? OKAY?
WE LIVE IN THE REALITY, RIGHT. WE DON'T LIVE IN THE WORLD OF
THE NEVER TRUMP IN 16 AND ALL THAT STUFF.
HOW DO WE GET PAST THE MOMENT BECAUSE I CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT.
>> I DON'T THINK IT IS MUCH VERY USEFUL ANY MORE IF ONLY HE WOULD
DO X OR WOULD THAT HE GIVE US CLARITY AND UNITY AND ALL THIS.
LET'S JUST ACCEPT HIM AS IT IS. AND THE OTHER QUESTION IS HOW DO
YOU LIVE WITH THE DAMAGE. HOW DO OTHER LEADERS -- LUCKILY
IN THIS COUNTRY THERE ARE NOT JUST ONE DICTATOR THAT SPEAK FOR
THIS COUNTRY. THERE ARE GOVERNORS, MAYORS,
THEY ALL NEED TO HARD SERIOUSLY ABOUT HOW DO I PROVIDE MORAL --
I LIVE IN VIRGINIA. TERRY McAULIFFE IS THE GOVERNOR.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD CALL TOGETHER MINISTERS, PRIESTS, RABBIS,
POLICE CHIEFS. IN THIS COMMONWEALTH WE ARE
GOING TO HAVE EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER THE LAW, WE DON'T EXPECT
THAT THE KK SK AND NEO-NAZIS ARE NOT RESPECTABLE GROUPS.
BUT OTHERS CAN DO IT. AND ON THE PRACTICAL SIDE IN
TERMS OF CONGRESS I THINK THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE ATTITUDE
STORMING A FOR TREASURY OR SOMETHING.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN EXACTLY.
YOU CAN CONTAIN IT. THEY NEED TO TAKE THE ATTITUDE
NOT GEE IF ONLY THE PRESIDENT WOULD GIVE US LEADERSHIP.
THEY NEED TO TAKE THE ATTITUDE HE IS WHO ET CETERA.
WE NEED TO LIMIT THE DAMAGE AND DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GO
AROUND HIM. >> CONGRESSMAN WATS I'M GUESSING
YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN OPTIMIST, HAVE YOU GIVEN UP ON THIS
PRESIDENT AND IF YOU HAVEN'T AND HE CALLED YOU INTO THE OVAL AND
HE SAYS MAKE ME UNDERSTAND WHY EVERYBODY IS SO MAD AT ME ABOUT
CHARLOTTESVILLE, CONGRESSMAN, HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN IT TO HIM?
>> CHUCK, HE IS THE PRESIDENT AND I HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT HE
DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE OF BEING A PRESIDENT IS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I HAVE MANY PEOPLE THAT DISAGREE WITH ME.
ROB PORTMAN, ROB PORTMAN DOESN'T ADPREE WITH ME ON EVERYTHING,
BUT, YOU KNOW, ROB AND I ARE FRIENDS, AND HE'S DPOT A MORAL
AUTHORITY WITH ME. AND TIM SCOTT AND RAND PAUCHL.
I DON'T AGREE WITH THEM ON EVERYTHING.
BILL KRISTOL, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT BILL HAS BEEN VERY
VOCAL AND HASN'T BACKED DOWN ON WHERE WE ARE GOING AS A COUNTRY
AND THAT WE ALL NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
AND SO I WOULD -- IT WOULD DO ME GOOD.
I'VE TRIED TO REACH OUT TO THE WHITE HOUSE, TO THE VICE
PRESIDENT'S OFFICE. I KNOW OTHER AFRICAN-AMERICAN
REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED TO DO THAT TO SAY, HEY, LOOK, YOU'RE
GOING TO HURT YOURSELF EVERY TIME YOU DO IT LIKE THIS.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS -- >> YOU SAY YOU'VE TRIED.
YOU'RE IMPLYING THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN RECEPTIVE.
HAVE THEY BEEN RECEPTIVE? >> WELL, CHUCK, I'M NOT GOING TO
GO THERE. BUT LET ME SAY THIS.
ONE OF THE -- ONE OF MY REAL VALUES TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
WHEN I WAS IN CONGRESS WAS I HAD ENOUGH CREDIBILITY WITH MY
COLLEAGUES THAT I COULD SAY, HEY, LOOK, GUYS, I SEE WHAT
YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, BUT I WOULDN'T DO IT LIKE THAT.
I SEE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY. I WOULDN'T SAY IT LIKE THAT.
I WAS IN CONTROL OF COMMUNICATIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ABOUT A 58, 59% APPROVAL RATING AT THE
TIME. I'M NOT SO SURE THAT HE'S GOT
THOSE TYPE OF PEOPLE AROUND HIM THAT COULD SAY TO HIM, A BILL
KRISTOL THAT WOULD HAVE A MORAL AUTHORITY TO SAY, MR. PRESIDENT,
I WILL GO TO MY GRAVE BELIEVING THAT YOU'RE WRONG IN DOING THIS.
NOW, WE MAY DO THAT AND HE MIGHT SAY YOU'RE CRAZY AS A THREE
DOLLAR BILL, BUT NEVERTHELESS, IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T GRAB THE
ATTENTION OF THE PRESIDENT, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS GOING TO PAY
A SERIOUS PRICE. >> BILL, YOU HAVE GONE BACK AND
FORTH ON WHETHER YOU WANT TO SEE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE THAT YOU
RESPECT A LOT IN THE ADMINISTRATION, YOU'D LIKE TO
SEE THEM RESIGN, SEND A MESSAGE. >> I'VE PRETTY MUCH BEEN STEADY.
THE SERIOUS ONES SHOULD STAY. THEY NEED TO CONTAIN THE DAMAGE.
>> STOP CALLING FOR THE RESIGNATION.
AND IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, THEN YOU SHOULD WANT KELLY AND
MATTIS TO BE THERE. >> NO.
I DEFENDED THEM TO MY OTHER NEVER TRUMP FRIENDS WHO ARE A
LITTLE MORE EXTREME OR HAVE STRONGER VIEWS.
THEY EACH HAVE TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION.
IF THEY THINK THEY'RE ABLE TO DO MORE GOOD THAN DO HARM IN LEDGE
MITTIZING. THEY UNDERSTAND DEEM DOWN THAT
THEY ARE GOING TO BE TAINTED BY THIS.
THEY'RE PAYING A PRICE FOR THEIR OWN REPUTATION AND I DON'T THINK
THEY WANT TO LEDGE MITT EYES THINGS THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO.
I HAD LUNCH TODAY WITH SOMEONE A MINOR ZMIK CABINET AGENCY DOING
GOOD WORK, I THINK, TRYING TO HELP ADVANCE PUBLIC POLICY FOR
THE COUNTRY. NEVER DEALS WITH TRUMP OR THE
WHITE HOUSE. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT
PERSON BEING IN THERE AND TRYING TO DO HIS BEST.
BUT SINK THEY NEED TO HAVE THEIR EYES OPEN AND BE SERIOUS.
IT IS A REAL NATIONAL CRISIS. IN THREE AND A HALF YEARS ABSENT
-- >> IT IS A SERIOUS --
>> IT IS A SERIOUS ISSUE FOR THE COUNTRY AND YOU CAN'T JUST SAY,
GEE, IT'S VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR JOHN KELLY TO STAND THERE WITH
HIS HEAD DOWN. IT WAS UNCOMFORTABLE FOR HIM.
BUT I GIVE HIM CREDIT -- I FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE COUNTRY'S
CHANCES AVOIDING DASER BECAUSE HE IS THERE.
>> CONGRESSMAN WATS, I'M CURIOUS, THOUGH, ONE OF THE
OTHER POINTS I MADE AT THE START OF THIS SEGMENT.
LOOK, AS YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY A LARGE MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS
THAT ARE SERVING IN MANY CONGRESS ARE UPSET WITH THIS
PRESIDENT, VIS REALLY SO. JUST PERSONALLY BUT THEY HAVE
BEEN HESITANT TO SPEAK OUT BECAUSE WHAT GOOD AM I TO SPEAK
OUT IF I'M THE ONE THAT'S OSTRACIZED FROM THE PARTY AND
NOBODY IS LISTENING TO WHAT I HAVE TO -- THE PEOPLE WHO I WANT
TO LISTEN AREN'T LISTENING. THIS DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHERE
THE PARTY IS, THE RANK AND FILE AND WHERE THE REST OF THE
LEADERS ARE, HOW DO YOU CLOSE THAT?
>> WELL, CHUCK, I THINK MANY MEMBERS ARE PROBABLY AFRAID
THEY'RE GOING TO GET TWEETED AND THEY DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH
THAT ORDEAL. BUT NEVERTHELESS, I THINK WE'RE
LOOKING AT THIS -- I THINK MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, IN MY OPINION, AND ONLY HOLD ME TO THIS
OPINION, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS THE WRONG WAY.
WE SEE THIS IN TERMS OF LEFT AND RIGHT.
I THINK WE'RE WELL INTO THE ARENA OF RIGHT AND WRONG.
AND IF YOU CAN'T HAVE THE HOWARD BAKERs AND THE BARRY GOLD WATERS
THAT WOULD HAVE ENOUGH FORTITUDE TO GO TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES AND SAY HEY, MR. PRESIDENT, AT THAT TIME
CONCERNING WATERGATE, THEY SAID TOO MANY LIES, TOO MANY COVER
UMS, YOU'VE GOT TO RESIGN. I'M NOT SAYING THE PRESIDENT
SHOULD RESIGN, BUT I'M SAYING THAT'S THE TYPE OF MORAL
FORTITUDE YOU HAD IN THE PARTY. SOMEBODY AT LEAST NEEDS TO SAY,
MR. PRESIDENT, YOU'RE KILLING US.
WE ALL HAVE TO WEAR THE CAP OF THE REPUBLICAN PAR PARTY WHEN YE
TWEETING AND WHEN YOU'RE SAYING THINGS AND WHEN YOU'RE DOING
THINGS THAT I THINK MOST NORMAL AND CIVILIZED PEOPLE SAY THAT
JUST DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT COMING FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES. AND, CHUCK, I DON'T SAY THAT
NECESSARILY TO BE CRITICAL. I JUST SAY THAT BECAUSE I
OPERATED IN THE ARENA FOR 12 YEARS, AND THERE'S JUST A
DECENCY THAT I THINK MOST AMERICANS EXPECT US TO CARRY
OUT. >> J.C. WATS, F

African American Republicans Tried To Reach WH, J.C. Watts Says | MTP Daily | MSNBC

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