Charlie Dent: Donald Trump's Merck 'Cheap Shot' Bothered Me | Morning Joe

LOGO. A FEW MINUTES AGO HE DELETED THE
LATEST ONE. CHARLIE DENT WITH US THIS
MORNING. GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING.
YOU PRETTY QUICKLY IN REALTIME IMMEDIATELY ON SATURDAY
CONDEMNED WHAT YOU WERE SEEING THROUGH THE STREETS OF
CHARLOTTESVILLE WITH NAZIS, WITH THE KKK AND WITH OTHER MEMBERS
OF THE WHITE SUPREMACIST GROUPS. THE PRESIDENT CAME OUT YESTERDAY
AND DID MAKE A CLEAR STATEMENT OF CONDEMNATION, SPECIFICALLY TO
THOSE GROUPS. BUT IT CAME A FEW DAYS AFTER
YOURS AND OTHERS. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE WAY HE
HANDLED THE LAST THREE DAYS? >> WELL, WILLIE, THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME ON THE PROGRAM. I WOULD SAY THE INITIAL RESPONSE
CLEARLY WAS INADEQUATE AND FAILED RESPONSE.
THEN HE CAME OUT YESTERDAY WITH A BETTER RESPONSE, BUT IT LOOKED
A LITTLE BIT FORCED AND HALF HEARTED.
I THINK WHAT'S AFFECTING THE PRESIDENT IS THE FACT THAT HIS
PRIOR STATEMENTS DURING THE CAMPAIGN, HE WENT AFTER -- HE
MADE ATTACKS ON MEXICANS, MUSLIMS, THE INDIANA JUDGE, AND
I THINK IT MAKES THESE SITUATIONS MORE TREACHEROUS FOR
THE PRESIDENT. I WAS MIFFED YESTERDAY WHEN HE
TALKED KEN FRAZIER. I KNOW KEN.
HIS FATHER WAS A JANITOR. HE WENT TO PENN STATE.
I WENT TO PENN STATE. I MET WITH HIM MANY TIMES AS A
FRIEND. THEY'RE DOING GREAT WORK ON
CANCER DRUGS. I THOUGHT IT WAS A CHEAP SHOT.
OTHER MEMBERS STEPPED OFF AND HE DIDN'T ATTACK THEM.
HE DIDN'T HANDLE THAT WELL. .
THAT BOTHERED ME. AND AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS,
WE HAVE BIG ISSUES TO DEAL WITH. I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE
TWEETS. AGAIN, WE'RE TWEETING ABOUT CNN
AGAIN, AND OTHER THINGS THAT REALLY ARE DISTRACTING US FROM
DOING THE IMPORTANT WORK OF THE COUNTRY.
>> YOU LED ME TO MY NEXT QUESTION.
THERE'S A LOT ON THE TABLE THAT YOU AND OTHERS ON CAPITOL HILL
ARE TRYING TO GET DONE FOR THE COUNTRY.
AND THE SUN HAS BEEN BLOTTED OUT ALMOST ENTIRELY ABOUT THE
STORIES ABOUT RUSSIA AND CHARLOTTESVILLE.
MOST OF THEM OF THE PRESIDENT'S OWN MANUFACTURING.
HOW FRUSTRATING IS IT TO YOU AS A REPUBLICAN OR LAWMAKER ON
CAPITOL HILL TRYING TO GET THINGS DONE WHEN THE ATTENTION
GOES TO SOMETHING THAT DONALD TRUMP SAID OR DID THAT HE DIDN'T
NEED TO SAY OR DO? >> OF COURSE IT'S FRUSTRATING.
I AM A SENIOR APROEP RAY OR THE. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THIS
GOVERNMENT IS PROPERLY FUNDED. WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH BUDGET
ISSUES AND PIVOT THE TAX REFORM AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
I'M TRYING TO DEAL WITH SERIOUS MATTERS.
SEPTEMBER IS GOING TO BE A DIFFICULT MONTH IN WASHINGTON.
AND WE HAVE TO BE FIRING ALL CYLINDERS TO GET IT OWN.
AND WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO ACHIEVE SOME
OF THESE VERY IMPORTANT BASIC FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNANCE.
THAT'S WHERE I'M FOCUSSED TO THE EXTENT WE'RE DEALING WITH OTHER
ISSUES LIKE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, IT'S PROBLEMATIC.
>> CONGRESSMAN, SEPTEMBER IS GOING TO BE INSANE.
THERE'S SO MUCH HAPPENING IN THAT MONTH.
IT IS ALMOST TOUGH TO WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND IT.
I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU. ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVE BEEN
HEARING FROM FOLKS INSIDE AND CLOSE TO THE WHITE HOUSE IS
ABOUT HOW THEY'VE LEARNED
THE LESSONS FROM HEALTH CARE WHEN IT
COMES TO TAX REFORM. REGARDING OUTREACH TO OUTSIDE
GROUPS AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE LAWMAKERS ARE BUYING IN.
IN YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, HAVE YOU BEEN APPROACHED ABOUT
TAX REFORM. DO YOU THINK THEY'RE HANDLING IT
IN PROPERLY? >> I THINK WE NEED TO BACK UP A
LITTLE BIT ON TAX REFORM. >> THAT'S NOT WHAT THE WHITE
HOUSE WANTS TO DO. THEY'RE NOT BACKING UP.
THEY'RE FULL STEAM AHEAD. >> I THINK IN THE HOUSE WE'VE
GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
I THINK WE NEED TO PASS RECONCILIATION ON TAX REFORM.
I WOULD NOT HAVE A DEBATE WHILE WE'RE DOING TAX REFORM.
YOU'LL GIVE OFF THE IMPRESSION THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE CUTTING
TAXES FOR BUSINESSES WHILE REMOVING PEOPLE FROM FOOD
STAMPS. THAT'S A LESSON, WHEN WE'RE
REMOVING TAXES FROM THE OBAMA CARE TAXES ON HIGHER INCOME
PEOPLE AND REMOVING PEOPLE FROM MEDICAID, THAT'S NOT A VERY GOOD
OPTIC. TO PUT IT MILDLY.
>> I'M. GO AHEAD.
>> THAT WAS MY POINT. THAT'S A LESSON I THINK WE NEED
TO LEARN. I THINK WE HAVE TO FOCUS THE
RECONCILIATION INSTRUCTIONS ON TAX REFORM, GET A RESPONSIBLE
TOP LINE SPENDING NUMBER AND MOVE FORWARD ON TAX REFORM.
I THINK WE SHOULD SAVE THE MANDATORY CHANGES FOR ANOTHER
DAY BECAUSE OF THE OPTICAL SITUATION THAT'S CREATED.
>> WHEN IT COMES TO A FIGHT OVER FUNDING FOR THE BORDER WALL, IS
THAT GOING TO GET IN THE BUDGET? >> I SUSPECT THERE MIGHT BE SOME
ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR ESTABLISHING OPERATIONAL CONTROL
OF THE BORDER.ER. I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A
HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY. I THINK THE BILL PASSED JUST A
FEW WEEKS AGO $1.6 BILLION TO HELP IMPLEMENT PART OF THE
SECURE FENCE ACT THAT I VOTED FOR IN 2006, I BELIEVE.
I THINK THERE WILL PROBABLY BE SOME BORDER FUNDING.
THAT WILL BE NEGOTIATED WITH THE SENATE, AND THE SENATE DEMOCRATS
WILL HAVE A SAY IN THIS. WE'LL NEED 60 VOTES TO FUND THE
GOVERNMENT. >> CONGRESSMAN, THIS MORNING,
THERE'S A STORY POPULATED WITH QUOTES BY STATE LEVEL REPUBLICAN
OFFICIALS EXPRESSING FRUSTRATION WITH REPUBLICANS WHO TOOK ISSUE
WITH DONALD TRUMP'S STATEMENT ON SATURDAY.
DO YOU THINK THESE PEOPLE HAVE A POINT, OR ARE THEY ENABLING THE
PRESIDENT'S WORST INSTINCTS? >> ANYBODY WHO WATCHED WHAT
HAPPENED ON SATURDAY, WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED.
THESE WERE WHITE NATIONALISTS, WHOEVER THEY WERE, THEY WERE
ITCHING FOR A FIGHT. THEY CAME THERE WITH BODY ARMOR.
THEY HAD PEPPER SPRAY. THEY HAD BATONS, HELMETS.
I'VE SEEN A LOT OF DEMONSTRATIONS.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP DON'T SHOW UP ARMED LIKE THAT.
THIS IS A BAD BUNCH OF PEOPLE. IT HAD TO BE CONDEMNED.
I WAS DOING A LOT OF THINGS ON SATURDAY.
I HAD VARIOUS ENGAGEMENTS. I WAS APPALLED WITH THE LITTLE I
SAW ON THAT DAY. IT WAS APPALLING.
WE HAD TO CONDEMN IT. AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS
TRYING TO PLAY POLITICS HERE. I WISH THE SITUATION HAD NEVER
HAPPENED. IT WAS UGLY.
BUT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATIONS AS THEY ARISE.
>> DOES THIS CHANGE THE WAY YOU FEEL ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP?
THE WAY HE HANDLED CHARLOTTESVILLE?
>> LOOK, AS I SAID EARLIER, DURING THE CAMPAIGN HE MADE SOME
INCENDIARY STATEMENTS ON MEXICANS, THE JUDGE FROM
INDIANA. HE MISHANDLED THE DAVID DUKE
SITUATION. THERE ARE THOSE TYPES OF
SITUATIONS, MUSLIMS TOO, HE MADE ALL THESE COMMENTS.
I THINK THAT'S MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE PRESIDENT TO
DEAL WITH THESE KINDS OF SITUATIONS LIKE THE ONE THAT
OCCURRED ON CHARLOTTESVILLE THE OTHER DAY.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION.
I WANT TO WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.
I HAVE TO OVERSEE THE VA FUNDING.
I WANT TO WORK WITH THESE FOLKS FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY.
I WANT EVERYBODY TO SUCCEED HERE, BUT THESE TYPES OF
INCIDENTS MAKE IT HARDER FOR US TO GET

Charlie Dent: Donald Trump's Merck 'Cheap Shot' Bothered Me | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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