With the partial government shutdown over, at least for now, NBC News diverted some time from bashing President Trump to mocking how he was helping Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-D).
During Sunday Today, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd quipped about how “the only difference between the deal that he rejected on day one and the deal he took now was February 8th to February 15th.” On top of that, Todd touted how Trump was helping to build up Speaker Nancy Pelosi to lead the Democrats.
“Did the President get anything out of this? Is there anything he can say to his supporters ‘we won,’” host Willie Geist teed up Todd. Todd couldn’t find a win for Trump anywhere, but he did like what the President did for Congressional Democrats.
“All that happened was he helped solidify Nancy Pelosi's place as speaker,” Todd touted. “He helped, frankly, do what Nancy Pelosi has never been able to do which is to establish herself as leader of Democratic Party. In many ways, if you were to look at what is the biggest accomplishment that came out of this, I would say it belongs to Speaker Pelosi, and it belongs to her ability to be the leader of the party and keep the party united.”
Looking past the upcoming three weeks of negotiations, Geist noticed that President Trump once again had his base breathing down his neck for appearing to break his campaign promise of a border wall. Geist was concerned it would lead to yet another government shutdown. But Todd was rooting for Congressional Republicans to turn and run:
Well, I think the reason we won't be back here as far as a shutdown is, I just think Congressional Republicans just have no patience for the shutdown. I'm actually fairly optimistic that we're actually going to see legislation that will eliminate the ability to have a shutdown. I think there's that much exhaustion from this.
Mitch McConnell likes to say “there's no education in the second kick of a mule”. This is the 15th kick of a mule to Congress at this point. I'm actually optimistic about that, but I think he is going to end up doing this national emergency because he's put himself into this box.
Despite Geist’s previous admission that Trump’s base was outraged at the President for appearing to break his border wall promise, Todd couldn’t wrap his head around why Trump cared so much about building the wall.
“I’ve had someone very close to him that says to me earlier this week, Willie, for some reason the President thinks this is his ‘read my lips’ moment,” Todd explained. “And as this person said to me, ‘yeah, a year ago it wasn't. Now it is.’ Like in an odd way he's -- he's made it this important to his base, where a year ago I think his base would have had more flexibility.” What?
Todd’s “expert analysis” doesn’t add up here. Again, Geist noted that back in “December when it looked like Trump might step away from the wall,” Trump’s base was outraged and that served to sway him to reject a budget deal. But according to Todd, Trump “made it important to his base” when they were otherwise happy to let it go.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
NBC’s Sunday Today
January 27, 2019
8:05:27 a.m. EasternWILLIE GEIST: The shutdown is over. After 35 days it looks to a lot of people like Nancy Pelosi got the better of Donald Trump. We're kind of where we are in terms of a deal where we could have been 35 days ago. Did the President get anything out of this? Is there anything he can say to his supporters “we won”?
CHUCK TODD: I don't think there's a thing he can say. I mean, not at all. I mean, the only difference between the deal that he rejected on day one and the deal he took now was February 8th to February 15th. That's it. All that happened was he helped solidify Nancy Pelosi's place as speaker. He helped, frankly, do what Nancy Pelosi has never been able to do which is to establish herself as leader of Democratic Party. In many ways, if you were to look at what is the biggest accomplishment that came out of this, I would say it belongs to Speaker Pelosi, and it belongs to her ability to be the leader of the party and keep the party united.
GEIST: In a lot of ways, Chuck, we're back where we were in December when it looked like Trump might step away from the wall to get some kind of border security. He heard from conservatives who said “wait a minute, you promised us this wall. This is one of the big reasons we vote for you, why you’re out President of the United States”. President Trump is hearing that again. He’s hearing from conservatives that he caved and that he lost.
TODD: Right.
GEIST: So what makes us believe, if we do believe it, that we won't be back here in less than three weeks?
TODD: Well, I think the reason we won't be back here as far as a shutdown is, I just think Congressional Republicans just have no patience for the shutdown. I'm actually fairly optimistic that we're actually going to see legislation that will eliminate the ability to have a shutdown. I think there's that much exhaustion from this.
Mitch McConnell likes to say “there's no education in the second kick of a mule”. This is the 15th kick of a mule to Congress at this point. I'm actually optimistic about that, but I think he is going to end up doing this national emergency because he's put himself into this box.
I’ve had someone very close to him that says to me earlier this week, Willie, for some reason the President thinks this is his “read my lips” moment. Referring to George H.W. Bush, the “no new taxes”. He thinks the wall is his “read my lips”. And as this person said to me, “yeah, a year ago it wasn't. Now it is.” Like in an odd way he's -- he's made it this important to his base, where a year ago I think his base would have had more flexibility.
GEIST: That's why he's going to have trouble walking away from the idea of a wall in a couple of weeks. So, you’re right. He might have to go to the national emergency to get that.
