VACATION BECAUSE HIS POLL NUMBERS HAVE REACHED A NEW LOW.
ONLY 33% OF VOTERS APPROVE OF THE JOB HE'S DOING.
33%.
AS MEATLOAF SAID, "TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD, BUT ONE OUT OF
THREE SUCKS."
( LAUGHTER ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
( PIANO RIFF ) THAT'S A FRIEND OF HIS, RIGHT?
MEATLOAF IS A FRIEND OF HIS.
>> Jon: MEATLOAF IS A FRIEND.
>> Stephen: AND WITH THE PRESIDENT'S APPROVAL RATINGS
PLUMMETING, SOME HAVE THEIR EYE ON TRUMP'S
JOB, INCLUDING -- CURRENT VICE PRESIDENT AND DAD
WHO HAS A FAVORITE MARCHING BAND, MIKE PENCE.
( LAUGHTER ) THE "NEW YORK TIMES" CLAIMS
PENCE IS PREPARING FOR A RUN IN 2020, CITING THE FACT THAT PENCE
HAS CREATED HIS OWN POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE.
THIS IS NOT NORMAL.
IN FACT, TRUMP CONFIDANTE AND MAN CALLING TO HAVE YOU KILLED,
ROGER STONE, TWEETED, "NO VICE PRESIDENT IN MODERN HISTORY HAD
THEIR OWN PAC LESS THAN SIX MONTHS INTO THE PRESIDENT'S
FIRST TERM.
HMMMM."
( LAUGHTER ) YES, HMM!
NO VEEP HAS ACTED THIS SUSPICIOUSLY SINCE GROVER
CLEVELAND'S VICE PRESIDENT EUSTACE P. MCBACKSTABBY.
( LAUGHTER ) PLUS, IN JUNE, PENCE SPOKE AT
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT YEARLY EVENTS FOR IOWA REPUBLICANS,
SENATOR JONI ERNST'S PIG ROAST.
VERY IMPORTANT.
THOUGH IT DOES ALIENATE ALL THE JEWISH REPUBLICANS IN IOWA.
( LAUGHTER ) NO SURPRISE PENCE IS POPULAR IN
IOWA, SINCE HE IS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL CHILDREN OF THE CORN.
( LAUGHTER ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
IT WAS GOOD.
IT WAS GOOD.
BUT YESTERDAY, PENCE ISSUED THIS STRONG DENIAL, "TODAY'S ARTICLE
IN THE 'NEW YORK TIMES' IS DISGRACEFUL AND OFFENSIVE TO ME,
MY FAMILY AND OUR ENTIRE TEAM.
WHATEVER FAKE NEWS MAY COME OUR WAY, MY ENTIRE TEAM WILL
CONTINUE TO FOCUS ALL OUR EFFORTS TO ADVANCE THE
PRESIDENT'S AGENDA AND SEE HIM RE-ELECTED IN 2020.
ANY SUGGESTION OTHERWISE IS BOTH LAUGHABLE AND ABSURD."
YEAH, HE'S DEFINITELY RUNNING.
( LAUGHTER ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
HE'S DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY RUNNING, WITHOUT A DOUBT.
BUT TRUMP'S NOT WORRIED.
THIS MORNING HE TWEETED, "THE TRUMP BASE IS FAR BIGGER AND
STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE, DESPITE SOME PHONY FAKE NEWS
POLLING, LOOK AT RALLIES IN PENN, IOWA, OHIO- ..."
"...AND WEST VIRGINIA.
THE FACT IS THE FAKE NEWS RUSSIAN COLLUSION STORY
RECORD STOCK MARKET, BORDER SECURITY, MILITARY STRENGTH,
JOBS ..."
"... SUPREME COURT PICK, ECONOMIC
ENTHUSIASM, DEREGULATION AND SO MUCH MORE HAVE DRIVEN THE TRUMP
BASE EVEN CLOSER TOGETHER.
WILL NEVER CHANGE!" DON'T JINX YOURSELF.
REMINDS ME OF CUSTER'S FAMOUS SPEECH, "THIS IS THE FIRST OF
MANY SUCCESSFUL STANDS."
( LAUGHTER ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
AND BEFORE HE UNPLUGGED, TRUMP NEEDED ONE LAST HIT OFF THE
BASE, SO HE WENT TO WEST VIRGINIA TO STIR THE POPULIST
POT.
>> MOST PEOPLE KNOW THERE WERE NO RUSSIANS IN OUR CAMPAIGN.
THERE NEVER WERE.
HAVE YOU SEEN ANY RUSSIANS IN WEST VIRGINIA OR OHIO OR
PENNSYLVANIA?
ARE THERE ANY RUSSIANS HERE TONIGHT?
ANY RUSSIANS?
>> Stephen: OKAY, NO RUSSIANS.
SO TRUMP IS REPLACING THE CIA WITH AN INFORMAL SHOW OF HANDS.
"ANYBODY HERE GAY?
NO?
OKAY.
GAY PEOPLE DON'T EXIST.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) MIKE PENCE WAS RIGHT."
( LAUGHTER ) AND TRUMP MADE IT CLEAR THAT
THIS TRUMP RALLY WAS NOT ABOUT "HIM."
>> SINCE OUR ELECTION, NOT MINE, SINCE OUR ELECTION,
WE ARE WORKING EVERY SINGLE DAY TO HEED AND HONOR THE WILL OF
THOSE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF VOTERS WHO CAME OUT AND VOTED
FOR US.
NOT FOR ME, THEY VOTED FOR US.
>> STEPHEN: "YES, THEY VOTED FOR "US."
OKAY.
SO "US" BETTER LAWYER UP BECAUSE WE'RE IN SOME DEEP DOO DOO.