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Masters in Politics: RNC’s Sean Spicer Discusses Trump’s Victory

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In the latest episode of Bloomberg’s Masters in Politics podcast Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin interviewed RNC Communications Director and Chief Strategist Sean Spicer, as well as Megan Murphy, the Washington Bureau Chief and Executive Editor of Bloomberg News.

At the start of the podcast, Spicer discussed the reaction inside the campaign and among Republicans across the country following Donald J. Trump’s election as President this week.

“We felt really good. We had strong data. Our turnout numbers for spot on. I think there’s no question that no one saw the totality of this and the magnitude of it. Not just for him but up and down the ballot.  We held the Senate and we held the House, but we picked up states around the country.”

He continued, discussing why Hillary Clinton — seen as inevitable leading up to Election Day — lost her campaign for the White House.  “I don’t think people trusted her. I don’t think they thought she was authentic and I think that she had a set of rules for her and one for everyone else.”

Daniel Lippman, Tammy Haddad, Sean Spicer. Photo courtesy of Haddad Media.

Daniel Lippman, Tammy Haddad, Sean Spicer. Photo courtesy of Haddad Media.

Turning attention to Melania Trump, Spicer described what he saw as her strengths as incoming First Lady.

“I think she’s going to be a very gracious, very strong representative of our country and  when you hear her talk about her story of coming to this country and how much it meant to her, I think she could be such a champion of what it means to come to this country and the values and freedom that we have.”

In the second half of Masters in Politics, Fischer Martin and Haddad discussed the political lay of the land with Washington Bureau Chief and Executive Editor of Bloomberg News Megan Murphy.

Listen to the Masters in Politics Podcast

Masters in Politics: Amy Klobuchar Unsure Whether Merrick Garland Will be Nominated to Supreme Court in Clinton Administration

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Senator Amy Klobuchar at at the Washington Womens' Technology Lucheon

Senator Amy Klobuchar at the Washington Women Technology Luncheon

On the latest episode of Bloomberg’s Masters in Politics podcast Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin interviewed Senator Amy Klobuchar and Kevin Cirilli, Bloomberg’s reporter covering the Trump campaign since the day he announced his candidacy.

Klobuchar (D-MN) voiced her concern over Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s claims that the election is being rigged against him. “Of course I’m concerned about that. We’ve always had our share of problems even without Donald Trump’s words. My hope is that on Election Night we’ll make a strong statement about that. You’ve had a lot of Republicans standing up to it. The Republican National Committee had to issue a statement that night saying we do respect the outcome of elections.”

Senator Klobuchar appeared unsure when asked whether Hillary Clinton would nominate Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. “That is going to be entirely up to her and I really couldn’t predict what would happen. She has said that she’s going to make her own decision. I do think he’s someone who’s qualified and would get probably confirmed rather quickly, but that it’s going to be up to her.  I think that he has gained a lot of support from people and my hope is that they just do this in the lame duck instead of waiting. Can you imagine if we wait another six months, or a year, with all of these cases pending it’s gotten to the point where it will be a constitutional crisis.”

She also applauded Bernie Sanders’ assistance with getting Hillary Clinton elected. “First of all, no one has been more loyal to her campaign since he got out than Bernie Sanders. He has been running around the country, he came to my state, and it’s not just because he gives good speeches. He has defended her many times against Donald Trump attacks. I think that’s got to  be clear. I don’t think it’s anyone surprise that he’s going to continue to his work and continue to advocate her positions. Many of which he agrees with, like they came to agreement on the student loan program. I do think you will have some differences with her when you get into the Congress and I think that’s just fine. You don’t want everyone in your political party acting the same or saying the same thing. I think his loyalty to her and the campaign since he left the race is really been extraordinary.”

Bloomberg reporter Kevin Cirilli discussed his experiences following the Trump campaign throughout the election cycle and the direction the conservative movement will take post-Trump.

“Some of the [Trump] advisers that I speak with tell me that this is exactly what the conservative movement has wanted for decades.  This is what Republicans have wanted, to take the case directly against Hillary Clinton in a way that holds her, in many ways, as an indictment.”

You can listen to the latest episode of Masters in Politics here.

Masters in Politics: Ana Navarro Says “Republicans Have Lost the Presidential Race No Matter What Happens”

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On the latest episode of Bloomberg’s Masters in Politics podcast hosts Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin interviewed Neera Tanden, the President of the Center for American Progress, and Ana Navarro, CNN and Telemundo contributor.

Ana Navarro, whom the Miami Herald called “the voice of the outraged Republican women,” says there is no hope for Trump to win the White House. “The Republicans have lost the presidential race no matter what happens. It is a damn shame that somehow we managed to have nominated the only Republican candidate who could lose to Hillary Clinton. But it is what we did and we have to live with the consequences. And now that we know that, if you are a realist, you realize that we have got to focus on the down ballot candidates. We’ve gotta focus on keeping the House, we’ve gotta focus on keeping the Senate, because god only knows what the effect of Trump will be on some of those tight races for the Senate and even the House.”

Neera Tanden, whose emails were also leaked in the Wikileaks data dump, finds it suspicious that the email leaks were so well timed. “I do not think it’s a coincidence that the weekend before the Democratic convention they leaked out these e-mails at the DNC. and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that as their candidate is up against the ropes.Roger Stone said these emails were coming. How does Roger Stone know these emails are coming? He tells us he is directly connected with Wikileaks and Julian Assange. He also says he talks to Donald Trump. I’m not saying that Donald Trump is leaking these things. I think he’s the direct beneficiary and his response is to take a weakened position on a host of issues; for example, on NATO and the United States direct relationship with Russia.”

You can listen to the full interview here.

Masters in Politics Special Edition: Tammy Haddad Goes Inside the Post-Debate Spin Room

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The Press Room at the debate, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

The Press Room at the debate, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

In this special debate edition of Bloomberg’s Masters in Politics podcast Tammy Haddad was in attendance at Monday’s debate and went inside the spin room to interview top campaign officials including Donald Trump himself, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Hillary campaign chairman John Podesta. Haddad also interviewed architect of Obama’s 2008 campaign David Plouffe, retired Lieutenant General and current Trump surrogate Mike Flynn, the Clinton campaign’s chief strategist and Masters alum Joel Benenson, and Trump senior advisor Sarah Huckabee.

John Podesta revealed his doubts about whether Trump will appear in subsequent debates saying, “I think we have very substantial questions given his performance tonight. We’ll see whether his campaign holds a meeting tomorrow and says, ‘What’s a way that we can get out of these last two debates?’ We’re very worried about that.”

Former NYC mayor and current Trump supporter Rudy Giuliani blasted Secretary Clinton and defended the controversial stop-and-frisk program, “Mrs. Clinton doesn’t understand the difference because Mrs. Clinton is a phony and you guys don’t get it. She doesn’t understand economics and she had a chance to as Secretary of State. Look at the condition of the world. Do you want more of that? Well then vote for her. I think the American people want a change. She’s a phony as a lawyer and when she said it’s unconstitutional, which is totally incorrect. Stop and frisk is going on right now as we speak all over America. It is approved by the United States Supreme Court and I can give you the entire definition.”

Top strategist to the Clinton campaign Joel Benenson was in the spin room to criticise Trump for his birther comments. “I don’t know what’s worse, the the keeps repeating the lie, whether he really believes it or not, or whether he’s just trying to stoke some kind of racial animosity that he thinks benefits hit. But it’s disgraceful and he continues to do it and it’s shameful.”

You can check out more of Masters in Politics’ coverage from the spin room here.

Masters in Politics: Maureen Dowd Warns the Worst is Yet to Come in 2016 Election, EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock Targets Donald Trump’s Childcare Plan

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On the latest episode of Bloomberg’s Masters in Politics podcast, hosts Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin spoke with EMILY’s List president Stephanie Schriock and New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd. Dowd said she believes things will only get nastier between now and November 8th.

“I think the next 55 days is going to be the craziest and the meanest slice of politics we’ve ever seen,” Dowd said.

That includes the upcoming presidential debates, the first of which will be held on September 26th at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt will moderate despite Donald Trump’s efforts to have   no moderators at the debates.

Dowd told MIP that it’s important to have someone on hand, especially because she believes both candidates have a fluid relationship with the truth.

“You need someone who is really on it. You have to have someone who can fact check in their head in real time. So that’s more important than ever so these things can’t be treated as an entertainment extravaganza even if they’re entertaining. You’ve got to have people who really are steeped in the issues.”

EMILY’s List, a political action committee dedicated to helping elect pro-choice Democratic women, has endorsed Hillary Clinton. Schriock told “Masters in Politics” hosts Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin, that she believes women voters are really looking for candidates who are leading on strong economic issues based around the family, and is disheartened by the childcare policy plan Donald Trump announced this week. She wishes he had stuck closer to the plan his daughter Ivanka proposed at the Republican National Convention.

“What I’m saddened by is that Ivanka at the convention laid out a really nice vision for affordable childcare. That is not the policy that they rolled out this week, and the policy that Donald Trump decided to take on is one that is not going to have the effect. I continue to say that I’m ready for Ivanka to switch parties and become a Democrat because [she] sounds like one already. I am ready to sit down with her at any time to discuss her political future as a Democratic woman.”

Schriock considers Donald Trump’s announcement a half-hearted effort to woo back female Republican voters who are questioning whether they can support the nominee after some of the negative remarks he has made about women in the past and throughout the campaign.

“I will say that for someone who clearly has realized with less than 60 days out that he has a gigantic problem with women voters, he is just trying to throw something together and that is what that policy looked like.”

You can check out the full interview here.

Masters In Politics: Ben Carson Refuses to Say Whether Obama is a Better Leader than Putin, Clinton Foundation COO Craig Minassian Does a Deep Dive on Their Policies and Procedures

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Ben Carson at the first Republican Primary Debate in Cleveland, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

Ben Carson at the first Republican Primary Debate in Cleveland, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

On the latest episode of Bloomberg’s Masters in Politics podcast, hosts Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin spoke with Clinton Foundation’s Chief Communications Officer Craig Minassian and former Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson. Carson attempted to clarify Trump’s comments on Vladimir Putin, and Minassian discussed controversial donations to the foundation.

Carson, who has lent his services to the Trump campaign as an informal advisor, believes Trump has no need to apologize for his comments regarding Russian Leader Vladimir Putin. “He’s saying that Putin is looked upon in his country with a great deal more respect than Obama is in this country.” When asked whether Putin was a better leader than President Obama, Carson ducked. “He tends to be more aggressive, more assertive, and more of a leader, and therefore gains more respect in his country.”

Hosts Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin questioned Craig Minassian on the controversies surrounding the Clinton Foundation’s donors and programs. “Countries were donating before [Clinton] was Secretary of State, and most of those donations came pre-2004”. When asked about Saudi Arabia’s contributions to the foundation, Minassian explained, “Saudi Arabia never donated while she was Secretary of State. They did contribute again after she was out of office but the majority of countries did not.” He also noted to the fact if Saudi Arabia wrote a check today to the foundation that they would be unable to do so. Minassian is a longtime Clinton advisor going back to the Clinton White House years.

You can check out the full interview here.

Masters in Politics: Clinton State Campaign Director Talks Battleground States, CBS Face the Nation Host John Dickerson Discusses Trump Leadership Shakeup

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Bloomberg Masters in Politics hosts Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin interviewed Hillary Clinton’s man leading her campaign’s ground efforts. Marlon Marshall, state director for all 50 states, broke down the strategy for this year’s battleground states. In their conversation with John Dickerson, host of CBS News’ Face the Nation and the author of the new book Whistlestop: My My Favorite Moments from Presidential Campaign History, they discussed news that Donald Trump has recently enlisted former FOX News chairman Roger Ailes to assist with debate prep.

Many have pointed to Utah, which has solidly voted Republican in presidential elections since 1968, as state Clinton could pick up. According to Marshall, “President Clinton was out there the other day. He did a meeting with some community leaders in Utah. I think a lot of public polls will show Utah to be closer than one would expect. I attribute it to a couple of things: One, I think our message is resonating on the economy and what Hillary wants to do to build an economy for everyone and not just ones at the top. But I do think Trump’s rhetoric is very divisive rhetoric. In some states it’s really turning people off. I think in a state like Utah, which is typically more conservative, they’re saying, ‘This is not the type of person who should represent this country or our state.’ So, are we going to win Utah? I don’t know. But is it something that’s on our radar? Yeah, we’re gonna take a look.

When it comes to the differences between Trump’s ground game and Clinton’s Marshall says, “I think, one, we just have a general belief that organizing matters. I think you’ve heard out of his mouth that these big rallies and other things are kind of what he’s done in his campaign. I think rallies are good. One of the things you’ve probably seen us doing at rallies, when we have rallies, we actually are signing people up as potential volunteers.”

The hosts also caught up with John Dickerson to get his take on Trump’s new hires, Breitbart exec Stephen Bannon as the campaign’s chief executive and veteran GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway as Trump’s new campaign manager. Dickerson also discussed the optics of a Trump-Ailes alliance given Ailes recent controversies. “You can imagine a more traditional campaign not wanting to be associated with a figure who’s in the news for allegations that Ailes has been but Trump doesn’t really give into that kind of stuff. Will it help? He’s had a pretty good track record. What will be interesting is Donald Trump has a pretty big base of support but he needs to build his support with voters who want him to behave a little bit differently. And the question is whether he can behave differently, whether he wants to, and whether you can even imagine what behaving differently means in this context.”

You can check out the full interview here.

Masters in Politics: Reince Priebus Slams Debbie Wasserman Schultz for Email Flub

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The hosts of Bloomberg Politics’ Masters in Politics podcast Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin caught up with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, who is in Southern Philadelphia this week to crash the Democrat’s big show with a converted boxing studio replete with “rigged” arcade games, to talk about the departure of Debbie Wasserman Schultz from her position as Democratic Party Chair.

Priebus admits that he worked well with Wasserman Schultz but doesn’t hesitate to condemn what many viewed as an intrusion into the outcome of the Democratic primary. “I think it was a fraud that they committed upon their own base. It’s a fraud that they committed to the Democratic voters and actually a fraud upon the American people.”

The RNC chair still believes an investigation is necessary for the Democrats to come out from under this scandal.  “It’s not what national parties are supposed to be doing. It should be an investigation as to who or what entity hacked into their emails”.

Priebus was quick to note that nothing similar happened under the RNC’s watch, essentially calling the ousted chairwoman’s emails a rookie mistake. “Number one, I don’t think that’s happened to us, number two, we weren’t doing things like that. I know our staff well, and number three, if someone had those views they wouldn’t be dumb enough to put it in an email. I’m kinda like a second Chief of Staff, the way I operate in the building, so I know those things didn’t happen.”

You can check out the full interview here.

 

Masters in Politics: Alex Castellanos Announces Pro-Trump Super PAC TV Ad Buy

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Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin, co-hosts of Bloomberg’s Masters in Politics podcast caught up with GOP political strategist and regular CNN contributor Alex Castellanos, advisor to the pro-Trump Super PAC Rebuilding America Now, about the convention and his plans for the PAC in the coming weeks. “A little bit of breaking news here, we’ll be getting up after this convention in 3 swing states: Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. It will be on national cable, it will be a multi-million dollar buy, and we’re gonna stay on it till the election and try to rescue America from Hillary Clinton and try to make America great again by electing Donald Trump.”

Castellanos also revealed that Donald Trump’s campaign manager Paul Manafort gave the Rebuilding America Now PAC his blessing. “We had a meeting Wednesday with contributors and Paul Manafort called in, gave our contributors a briefing on the state of the campaign and let folks know that there’s no better way to help elect Donald Trump than to support our PAC Rebuilding America Now. Marty Obst, who is running the Mike Pence VP operation, also came and Governor Pence is going to be giving us part of his schedule to attend some events where we’ll be having an opportunity to raise a few dollars for the PAC. I don’t think any other PAC is getting that kind of encouragement.”

You can listen to the full podcast here.

Masters in Politics: Former RNC Chairman Mike Duncan

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The hosts of Bloomberg Masters in Politics podcast Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin are in Cleveland covering the Republican National Convention this week.

As the GOP is trying to quell divisions within their ranks, they spoke with the former head of the Republican Party, Mike Duncan.

Duncan discussed a couple of theories about the conspicuous number of empty seats at this year’s nominating convention. “I suspect that future conventions may learn something from this one. I’m not sure that we’re going to need four days in the future. I think maybe programs will be a little bit tighter in the future.”

Duncan also expressed optimism that Donald Trump would be able to unify the Republican Party.  “Party unity is important for anyone running for president,” Duncan said. “You’ve got to get somewhere around 90% of the support for your party to have a chance to get elected if you look at historic trends. I assume that that will continue in the future and I see Donald Trump moving toward that.”

He also made some predictions for Trump’s cabinet picks if he were to become president. “He’s talked about some of them.  I think you see Governor Christie obviously.  Newt Gingrich is someone being discussed in a very high role.”  Duncan said that he believed Trump would make announcements beforehand.  “That would be my recommendation.”

You can check out the full interview here

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