Steve Schmidt: GOP ‘Succumbed’ and Become ‘the Appendage to this Autocratic [Trump] Movement’

UNKNOWN FEMALE 1 So ░░░░░░░░ Steve if you re ░░░░░░░░ Republican presidential candidate you ░░░░░░░░ looking at this situation ░░░░░░░░ wondering how to position ░░░░░░░░ I mean we heard ░░░░░░░░ Vice President Mike Pence ░░░░░░░░ a lot of the ░░░░░░░░ even situation with inflation ░░░░░░░░ he wanted to end ░░░░░░░░ dual mandate by the ░░░░░░░░ he would he said ░░░░░░░░ would get rid of ░░░░░░░░ indecipherable and really instead ░░░░░░░░ on protecting the integrity ░░░░░░░░ the dollar If you ░░░░░░░░ trying to advise a ░░░░░░░░ candidate here how would ░░░░░░░░ advise them SCHMIDT I ░░░░░░░░ tell most of them ░░░░░░░░ drop out of the ░░░░░░░░ particularly Mike Pence since ░░░░░░░░ s at 2 percent ░░░░░░░░ the polls and he ░░░░░░░░ 100 percent name identification ░░░░░░░░ the first Republican debate ░░░░░░░░ place there was a ░░░░░░░░ asked and eight of ░░░░░░░░ candidates raise their hand ░░░░░░░░ the question was if ░░░░░░░░ Trump is the nominee ░░░░░░░░ you support him again ░░░░░░░░ aware of the insurrection ░░░░░░░░ 92 criminal counts none ░░░░░░░░ these people are particularly ░░░░░░░░ as candidates It s ░░░░░░░░ that the one who ░░░░░░░░ momentum in the race ░░░░░░░░ Nikki Haley the rest ░░░░░░░░ little chance And the ░░░░░░░░ of the matter is ░░░░░░░░ of them have any ░░░░░░░░ whatsoever on what s ░░░░░░░░ on in the House ░░░░░░░░ Representatives HOST So where ░░░░░░░░ that leave the party ░░░░░░░░ I feel like that ░░░░░░░░ always where the conversation ░░░░░░░░ when we re talking ░░░░░░░░ this with you I ░░░░░░░░ you going back to ░░░░░░░░ earlier comments you you ░░░░░░░░ this is an extremist ░░░░░░░░ assaulting the American government ░░░░░░░░ Yeah HOST What is ░░░░░░░░ way out of this ░░░░░░░░ if you re the ░░░░░░░░ Speaker do you then ░░░░░░░░ the risk and go ░░░░░░░░ the aisle to try ░░░░░░░░ avert a government shutdown ░░░░░░░░ if that could threaten ░░░░░░░░ post SCHMIDT Kevin McCarthy ░░░░░░░░ demonstrated no willingness ever ░░░░░░░░ take a stand that ░░░░░░░░ principle over politics that ░░░░░░░░ cost him anything There ░░░░░░░░ no evidence of it ░░░░░░░░ is a person on ░░░░░░░░ 6 Liz Cheney has ░░░░░░░░ the nation this that ░░░░░░░░ the role that Donald ░░░░░░░░ played but within a ░░░░░░░░ was at Mar a ░░░░░░░░ resuscitating Donald Trump So ░░░░░░░░ this moment the American ░░░░░░░░ have an enormous question ░░░░░░░░ in front of them ░░░░░░░░ a former president who ░░░░░░░░ Kevin McCarthy s party ░░░░░░░░ stock and barrel said ░░░░░░░░ he was coming after ░░░░░░░░ American media Does he ░░░░░░░░ it Do you assess ░░░░░░░░ as meaning it Because ░░░░░░░░ he said is he ░░░░░░░░ taking NBC off the ░░░░░░░░ He called for the ░░░░░░░░ of an American four ░░░░░░░░ general who s the ░░░░░░░░ of the Joint Chiefs ░░░░░░░░ Staff This isn t ░░░░░░░░ Kardashians episode this is ░░░░░░░░ life This man stands ░░░░░░░░ the edge of regaining ░░░░░░░░ We re the oldest ░░░░░░░░ Republic in the world ░░░░░░░░ the Republican Party the ░░░░░░░░ of Eisenhower the party ░░░░░░░░ Lincoln has succumbed and ░░░░░░░░ through a mix of ░░░░░░░░ and cynicism the appendage ░░░░░░░░ this autocratic movement And ░░░░░░░░ so the threshold question ░░░░░░░░ we move four days ░░░░░░░░ a government shutdown are ░░░░░░░░ things that were said ░░░░░░░░ seriously said Did the ░░░░░░░░ mean them And there ░░░░░░░░ no evidence to suggest ░░░░░░░░ whether it s Trump ░░░░░░░░ Gosar or 10 other ░░░░░░░░ in this caucus that ░░░░░░░░ don t mean it ░░░░░░░░ mean it HOST I ░░░░░░░░ Steve you point you ░░░░░░░░ a pretty grim picture ░░░░░░░░ the current Republican Party ░░░░░░░░ yet the very man ░░░░░░░░ shaped it you could ░░░░░░░░ the former president is ░░░░░░░░ well ahead of the ░░░░░░░░ when it comes to ░░░░░░░░ 2024 presidential race Why ░░░░░░░░ you think he s ░░░░░░░░ polling so well SCHMIDT ░░░░░░░░ I think at the ░░░░░░░░ of the day you ░░░░░░░░ a grievance base candidacy ░░░░░░░░ a country where 60 ░░░░░░░░ of the country lives ░░░░░░░░ to paycheck 40 percent ░░░░░░░░ them don t have ░░░░░░░░ tens of millions of ░░░░░░░░ are unbanked lack access ░░░░░░░░ a checkbook savings account ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump is a ░░░░░░░░ class demagogue who documentedly ░░░░░░░░ to the American people ░░░░░░░░ his administration 35 000 ░░░░░░░░ And we know from ░░░░░░░░ history that in times ░░░░░░░░ chaos in times of ░░░░░░░░ uncertainty with everything seems ░░░░░░░░ be falling over what ░░░░░░░░ up is down and ░░░░░░░░ s down is up ░░░░░░░░ appeals to people politically ░░░░░░░░ somebody who can communicate ░░░░░░░░ will bring back order ░░░░░░░░ the strongman candidacy is ░░░░░░░░ that is always potent ░░░░░░░░ times of uncertainty and ░░░░░░░░ s politically what we ░░░░░░░░ seeing amidst this great ░░░░░░░░ vast sea of apathy ░░░░░░░░ takes all of these ░░░░░░░░ places them into a ░░░░░░░░ and disconnects them from ░░░░░░░░ immediately happened before it ░░░░░░░░ what immediately is going ░░░░░░░░ follow it.”