2016. >> we are done with that. i know we are overtime so i'm going to close it out by asking you all to thank secretary johnson and judge luttig. [applause] >> coming up president biden will award the presidential medal of freedom highest civilian honor to 19 people including nancy pelosi representative james clyburn and elizabeth dole and john kerry. this is at 4:30 p.m. eastern live here on c-span. [captions copyright national

cable satellite corp. 2024] >> today watch c-span 2024 campaign trail a weekly roundup of campaign coverage providing a one-stop shop to discover with the candidates are saying to you with firsthand accounts from political reporters, updated poll numbers, fund-raising data and campaign ads. watch 2024 campaign trail today at 7:30 p.m. eastern on c-span, online at c-span.org or download the podcast on c-span now our free mobile app. c-span your unfiltered view of politics. >> we are back with shelby politics reporter to talk about the former vice president v.p. selection process. what is happening this weekend and where? >> there's a multiday donor event in florida and it is

really the first serious opportunity we are going to see where you have numbers vice presidential hopefuls an potentials and people on that donald trump v.p. list to get together and sort of apprentice style vie for the position. it is really the first time they will all be together in front of donors, was really important for the former president who does well with donors. so it will be a an interesting weekend at pier lag. -- mirror mar-a-lago. can people see it is it >> usually they are private so i don't expect media coverage in the amendment but after the fact or during the event since it a point out day meeting there will be things that start it leak

out. but it will be multiple days so there will be lunches, differents, some will be featured as speakers and an expansive lengthy process where these vice presidential hopefuls get to get in front of donors and talk secretary of state rex tillerson anden directly pitch themselves as to why insure be donald trump as vice president. we don't know whether there will be private meetings with donald trump himself. there hasn't been any formal meetings with him that we know of in terms of him sitting down with these folks and having direct conversations about why should you be my vice president. it is possible that starts it happen this weekend but we don't know yet. >> it would be interesting to hear from republicans, independents, if deps as well who are considering voting for the former president who would

you luke to see olympic as his running mate. democrats call 202-748-8000. republicans 202-748-8001 and independents call 202-748-8002. you can technique us with your thoughts at 202-748-8003, facebook c-span or x with the handle cspanwj. why mix fund-raising with this selection process? >> remember, donald trump needs a lot of money to run it presidential campaign technically because he is up against -- particularly because he is up against an incumbent. in it kiss you have the reality that donald trump is facing multiple heal issues and a lot of his money he raised is going toward that.

so that dips significantly into a letter bucket compared to joe biden. so there's an argument within trump world -- not everybody in his orbit thinks this is important but certainly a lot of people think that there's an situation that the vice presidential pick could help with something like fund-raising. >> who will be there, which donors? >> typically donors are private so a lot of them we don't know but donald trump's top donors are likely to be there. also people close to the vice presidential picks are likely to be there. >> on their behalf lobbying? >> perhaps indirectly. but that's another thing. tim scott has some package donors. marco rubio has major donors and some of them don't necessarily love donald trump but are perhaps willing to put their support behind him if these

folks are directly involved. >> let's talk about the list of potential v.p. picks. ferrell who is crafting this list? 10 tell us who is on it and in what order. >> the big question is who is crafting the list because really the person who is going to pick the vice president is donald trump himself so it is impossible to say for certain who donald trump wants to pick at this point. so, any time you see articles and there are a lot of them and they are legitimate but any time you see articles where j.v. vance is rising or tim scott is rising it is often coming from people around donald trump who have an idea who he is interested in but have their own opinion of who they think should be vice president. so that sort of is where we're getting this general list. but the names i'm hearing most are doug bergum who has quietly

risen on this tack list. >> who also ran. and governor found. >> yes. tim scott who also ran. and who is really the only presidential candidate against donald trump who managed to not frustrate the former president. he stayed on his good side and remained close to him even one r running. j.b. vance is on the list an marco raob yo has the issue he lives in the same state as donald trump so that would have to be taken care of. huckabee, sanders, christie gnome although very leon the list. so there are a lot of folks whose names have been thrown out the past few weeks and months.

>> how will the former president pick? >> another good question. we tacked to his -- when i talked to trump as campaign they made the argument which will fund-raising is important and picking somebody who can bring over moderate divorce is important not all of them are convinced that that is necessary. so a lot of trump aides think ultimately the vice presidential pick doesn't sway a ton of voters and the big thing with trump this time is loyalty. he wants somebody who will be loyal. he wants somebody who is not going to outshine him on camera. he wants somebody whois in lane with his policies this time around. so, i think that ultimately he is going to consider that and that will be top of mind when he thinks about a candidate with the knowledge he's also tacking to aides and taking what they

are saying into consideration which might be different. >> when will he decide? will it be this weekend? >> i don't think it will be this weekend. they are in no rush. they are in the middle of the trial in new york so that has been also focus when i talked to people the last few weeks, sure he thinks about the vice presidential pick, he will ask arson and poll people at dinner at mar-a-lago but his main focus is getting past the trial in new york. i do expect it to be sort of the normal time lane of later this summer about a month before the r.n.c. convention. >> stan in penn hefield. are you supporting the former president appear if so who do you want to see olympic as his running mate? >> can you hear me? >> we can now. >> hi.

i want to comment on something shelby said a minute ago about not wanting the vice president to outshine him. i have to agree with that. is he a narcissist? perhaps. he does seem pretty sever centered. however i'm a 55-year-old black man. my mother likes trump. so, the thing is common sense will tell you if somebody like me and my mother likes him that means there must be something about him. and we look at how were things when he was president. i had like to think they were pretty good. it seemed to be pretty quiet all over the world. i personally think that mike rodgers i think i have seen on the fuse he was talking to mike rodgers anden doorsing him or something. he seemed pretty cool. trump laked his ideas.

he might be his running mate. i don't know. >> we -- were you saying you don't know a lot about mike rodgers? >> i don't but i saw him endorsing him. but whoever he picks i'm sure nobody will like it. everybody seems to help republicans for whatever reason. but it is like going to a doctor. a doctor, a good guy, speaks well, offered coffee and everybody likes him. but you go home and you still in pain or you want to be the injuring doctor quiet but go homeer feeling great. >> we will leave it there. your thoughts on meek rodgers running former member of the house intel chair. what is the likelihood -- is he on the list? >> i haven't heard he is on the list but you have to understand

that this list is changing rammedly. i remember at the end of last year where christie nome was at the top so that is the key you never know. right now the latest name that is really hot is doug b.e.r.g.u.m. trump aides say he is very helpful. i'm not convinced he will be v.p. so you never know. it changes weekly. >> what do these folks have to do to prove loyalty if that is the number one issue for criteria for the former president? >> i think the big thing is they have to be aligned with this sort of new age republicanism this america first agenda we have seen donald trump really put forward in the past few years. that is key. there's also the argument that they can't come out really against donald trump and that is

something tim scott has done successfully on we running against him he retpraepd from directly attacking him. we he was running i know that donald trump told his aides specifically i don't want you to go after tim scott. i like him. so even though he is running against me leave him alone sole notice throughout that campaign we tim scott was running there wasn't any friction because tim scott was viewed by donald trump as doing right by him so he returns the favor. >> what did the candidates have had to or say now about the election of 2020? >> they have all sort of i guess skirted around the issue. they will say often yes, joe biden is our president. they will also say there was election fraud and we need to fix that. they talk about election integrity which is a really big focus for republicans this time around so the r.n.c. this time.

so we have seen how they sort of address the question but not directly but in a way that acknowledges the claims that we have heard from donald trump for so many years about mass looks fraud while also saying joe biden is the president. >> trent an independent. >> i met mike huckabee a couple times we he was lieutenant governor and i liked him and thought he was thoughtful. remember, he was a theologian and pastor and successful administrator before i became a brilliant politician and he and bill clinton are both good friends and bill clinton said mike luck is the one i fear the most. so how far will trump go. across the world america, china,

united states, eastern europe, muslim, lin due, they are all having a religious revival so who would best represent this gathering of the coming international populist nationalist movement tan mike. he has the pop less because he is good with liberals and people outside his comfort zone and spectacular with the christian community because he is such a deep theologian like no other politician. >> what about his daughter? >> well, mike is 30 years older. he has all the qualities and he's been resting. donald, if you are listening -- and i heard through the grapevine mike for years will long talks with trump and i thought maybe you and i should run as independents so this

relationship goes way back and it wouldn't hurt to have a pastoral figure around donald trump just it make sure -- >> the former governor ran for president before. >> mike would be good to keep in mind keeping the president in lane. >> we will leave it there. what about mike huckabee? >> i think donald trump at this point is closer to sarah huckabee sanders and in recent months she is shown her loyalty to him. she is more front and center politically than mike. so i think that is faster. >> elizabeth in california. democratic caller. >> good morning, c-span. this whole process strikes me as

being another vanity project of trump's. it is something like the apprentice. he is a pretend president now. earlier greta, you even called him the president. it is really absurd that this man cannot admit to himself or to the nation or to the world that he really lost the last election. if you want to know what he would do in the future, look to what he's done in the past. he had the opportunity to nominate three supreme court justices. look at the havoc they have caused by their decisions. look at the gifts and such being challenged now with all of the corruption. now the latest that the supreme court is deciding is can a

president do anything in office and not feel the repercussions. >> elizabeth, we will move on to nancy in sane charles, michigan, republican. >> was really hoping for tim scott. but i think it could be desantis because he operates -- i hope it might be him. but something i want the well world to know. i'm 90 years old and i never contributed financially to his campaign. i had been a little active in politics in terms of doing research on education and trying to get people it look at what our education department was. but i was 90 years old this past december and i got a personal birthday card from mar-a-lago

from donald j. trump and his wife melania. i can't tell you how much i want the whole world to know that this man has a brain, a dedication, and every quality it takes of doing hard work. >> ok, nancy i will jump in at that point. she would like to see tim scott. what are his chances? >> first, nancy, happy birthday. tim scott is very close to donald trump and particularly earlier this year when we saw him during the primary in iowa -- or after he dropped out in iowa and new hampshire, particularly south carolina, he was really front and center one of the only people tphropblt and center at that point who was a named donald trump surrogate and

he is a prolific fund-raiser. so i think tim scott is in serious consideration. he is sort of dropped out of the top three in terms of what people around donald trump say. but you never know. so i certainly think that there's an argument to be paid he would be a good vice presidential choice. >> before there upcoming went have these potential picks been around mar-a-lago or new york or around the president? are they spending time with the former president if jurisdiction it depends who you are talking about because some are active lawmakers so there are some in washington, d.c. but you have seen some on the campaign trail, some have gone to mar-a-lago for other events. they tack often to donald trump on phone. their aeufdz are in constant communication with donald trump's aides. so there's sort of this open

door policy when it comes to a a lot of these lawmakers who are on the list appear donald trump taupbgs to a lot -- talks it a lot of them. >> lew los angeles, independent. >> thank you for taking my call and my thoughts. i want to on by saying something about the situation with students here in los angeles and how it comes to bear upon this. as you know, los angeles and were of california and other places have a lot of people from latin america appear mexican people like my family. as a younger person i was reflecting on having a conversation with my mother about these students because my own family has been in this

incredibly difficult period of having kind of single issues around things like the favorite -- favorite dimension -- faith dimension. it is a little more layered tan the people that were calling earlier. so, that is within continuing i would like to say, that as a journalist and there should never be situation where other people call other people illegals and nothing is said about that. in terms of the demographic aspect of these people who are

running, i wonder what the thought process is in raolgs to how it affects the democrat graphic dimension, who is, you know, looking to see themselves represented because i think -- >> resident that question. >> it is a good question. you have tim scott who is a black republican and could potentially bring in black voters. he is also popular with intern women. marco rubio could bring in the hispanic group. you have a number of females. that is being taken into consideration. it sort of changes depending on the season. i remember a year favre ago when i talked to one of donald trump's aides along before there was any informal list about who could be vice president and he -- this person said i think that

he might pick a woman because 2024 that is important. they could bring in suburban women. marco rubio is now near the top to bring in hispanics so that is a factor trump is considering as to could any of these people bring in some of the voting blocks that maybe have been underrepresented. >> when it comes to store raob yo you know he is from florida. the issue there is what? >> he would need it move to run so you can't have donald trump boss home state is florida and rubio boss home state is florida right hand together because of the laws so he would have to move out of state it run and that could potentially open up a slew of opinion legal issues, questions, can he remain as senator. so the question there really is

donald trump really licks marco rubio and there's a serious argument as to why he could not only be a good vice president but help the presidential run but does donald trump want to go through all of that trouble. and does marco raob yo want to go through that. >> sharon in minnesota democratic caller. >> thanks for taking my call. i'm going to have to disagree with the guest about christie gnome. i think only what happened this week clinches her nomination. if we could only be in mar-a-lago as a fly appear able to hear what trump thought about that, i think he was probably lake cheering and jeering and i believe honestly that apeaces to the mega supporters. so i think she will be top of

the list. >> i think that is a fair argument. i would disagree based on the conversations i have had with people close to trump. the widely held theme when i talked to his aides is mass confusion over why christie noem would publish the fact that she had tape her dog out and shot it and i will also say i'm a big dog lover but a lot of persons are doc lovers and -- dog lovers so even though trump himself is and pittedly not a dog lover i think he understands why christie noem opinioning this would bed about politics. >> what are your sources close to former president saying about the publishing of this, confused why she did that? >> there's confusion with the

knowledge that if you are looking at this purely from a political standpoint which a lot of these folks do because they are political operatives they are confused why february in already orbit would teller she should publish anything about killing a dog knowing how much the american public loves dogs t. is a very controversial subject. we have seen it in the past with mitt romney putting his dog on the roof of a car and never turned into a positive news cycle. >> bill, mobile alabama, republican. >> i like tim scott. i think he is excellent. and marco rubio. but don't think either one of them contribute very much to winning their technique states -- their particular states. both states are going to be in trump's corner no matter what. the one i would pick is elise

stefany although she can't bring new york probably but she can influence pennsylvania, she could thraoupbls other states in the -- influence other states and very articulate and smart and has the qualities it take over as president if something should happen which i think is page consideration that everyone should have. >> a member of congress and republican leadership. >> she certainly is on the list and like a sleeper candidate where she is well liked, close to donald trump, about,loyal and you are right, there is an argument to be paid and consideration that is being made by trump's aides as they vet all of these candidates, which is can they bring in and influence some of the swing states and potentially she could. >> what are you looking for this weekend? >> i'm curious to see who

donors like, then i'm really curious to see if donald trump ends up taking any private meetings with people. bass to me the latter with kata he's starting it really win know -- winnow. and i expect at some point we will hear about some of these private meetings and some people officially pitching themselves to donald trump. >> she is a politics reporter. being follow her reporting on this weekend. thank you for being here. >> at our table the national political reporter with "time" magazine about his interview the former president. let's begin with the cover. if he wins. you say there. you have there as your head line. then in your piece you write

what emerged in two interviews with trump and conversations with more than a dozen closest advisors an confidants were the outlines of an imperial presidency that would reshape america in its relevance in the world. what do you mean? >> donald trump is right now embarking on a strategic and coordinated plan to come into office in the second term if he wins and consolidate the power of government inside the office of the presidency to remove many of the guard rails that stood in his way in a first term. most of what he is planning is through executive authority rather than legislation. so what we are seeing is a restoration to the level of executive power, even an expansion we have not soon in the post watergate era. >> what is he planning? what specifically did he tell you that you can use those words imperial presidency?

>> let's start with immigration. donald trump has said he is going to restore many of the policies he had in place the first team remain in mexico, title 42 but he wants to embark on the massive deportation it remove as many other more than 11 million undocumented migrants. do that he said he would use the u.s. military inland it remove those migrants. when i pitted to him a law forbids the use of the military on sphinx he said they are not civilians they are people who are invading our country. he would mostly rely on the national guard and he would try it induce electrical and state police departments to participate by tying federal funding to their involvement. he told mealed be willing to directly intervene in the prosecutions of partners at justice department and fire a u.s. attorney who didn't carry out his orders to prosecute

someone. toes are just that ways you would see an expansion of presidential power compared to past presidents. >> what are other examples if jurisdiction i will give you two. one is he wants it restore the use of empowerment. the -- many poundment which is withhold funds. it was a favorite of richard nixon. he held funds designed to go to the environmental protection agency, affordable housing programs and after he left office in congress at the passed the impublished many criminal act to outlaw that practice. donald trump and advisors see that as unconstitutional and plan it challenge that statute. they understand they might have it face court battles to do that but he wants the ability to withheld congressionally appropriated funds were he is looking at schedule f which he tried to do the first term it was reversed after biden took

office which would give him the power it fire seufr service bureaucrats who don't follow his orders. >> have you heard from the former president since this was published or has people and what do at the say about your piece? >> what i will say is it piece is something rare both donald trump and joe biden have recommended readying this piece. he said outside the courthouse tuesday he thanked us for the piece and said it was at least 60% accurate. i will say it was 100% accurate but that is at least donald trump is telling you he thinks it is a fair look at his plans for a second term. >> why did you say it is 100%. >> because it is factually accurate. >> when you posted this article online if a sraur goes down and is -- viewer is read wag you wrote you can also click on a link to the full transcript of

your interview. why did you think it was important for people to be able to read the full transcript if jurisdiction we felt it was necessary and important for the historical record that anyone could go read the fell transcripts of my conversations with donald trump. i had some very direct roaming questions and he gave answers. anyone can read that conversation at timecom and make up their own minds about what donald trump says he is going to do. >> you also. ed to hear from him in his own words is with you wrote. why did you think that was important? >> i thought it would be a public service to our readers to hear precisely away plans it do with second term. divorce have a right to know what someone who would have the position of highest power in america and be the leader of the free world would do. >> how did you get this interview? >> i sympathy asked -- i simply asked for it.

>> when did you meet and how long? >> we met at mar-a-lago. we would our first interview the friday before he went on criminal trial in manhattan the beginning of that trial and we had a follow-up phone call two weeks later. >> why did you think he said yes if jerks i think donald trump believed in the condition seat of the story which we would write about him that would be fair, and say it readers what he plans to do with the second term. right now he is in a better position tan he ever was in 2016 or 2020 to win the white house. he is winning in post polls including several of the key seven bale ground states likely to determine the outcome. also he is cultural touch stones date back to the 1980's and see the prospect of being on the cover of "time" magazine as the opinion calendar of world fame and recognition and that might have been enticing.

jurisdiction you wrote he remains the same guy with the same goals and grievances but in person if anything he appeared more assert active and confident when i first got to washington i knew very few people is what he told you. i had to rely on people. now he is in charge. what do you mean? >> when he won in 2016 it took everyone by surprise including himself. because he had no experience remember this is the first person elected president who will not served in the military or elected office. he relied on republican stalwarts it staff the administration and decide on his cabinet follow knees a that led to a number of traditionalest republics who tried to thwart the agenda on the campaign trail, a more economic nationalist right wing vision and that bothered donald trump throughout his four years. he felt like he won with mandate to govern on the policies that he campaigned on and those were

the ideas that ought to be imposed. he was like he knows now who will be loyal to him appear stand in his way and he plans it make sure that everyone who works in his executive branch is committed to his agenda. >> who is vetting that >> well, i think donald trump himself will be the main person who make the decisions and he has a team of disciplined little loyalists. they have more organization appear structure than past versions of campaigns and they are planning to go into office and translate the discipline you have seen on the campaign -- he's been able to campaign while being stuck in the courtroom and that is no spall feat for a politician. he and a close group are embarking on that vetting process. >> you write allies are laying the ground to retrump the presidency with the unitary

executive theory which held many of the condition traeupbts on the white house by legislators and courts should be swept away in favor of a per powerful commander in chief. sthraeupb this theory and the people behind it. >> this has been a central piece of kobe active ideological doctrine for decades. you her a lot about the unitary scuff tear during george w. bush, dick chaney was a proponent. it mean the government should serve the president. the president was elected by the people and that they should be the ones to dictate how policy is implemented. that said, away also have embedded in our constitution the basis of our republic we have a system of checks an balances and the president is supposed to operate in a set of constraints. he made clear in interviews that he wants to eliminate some of those constraints so he can carry out agenda that he is

campaigning on. >> he also told you he was too nice in his first term. with do you think he meant? and how would he change that? >> i asked donald trump about the dozens of his cabinet members who refused to endorse him in this election. and that was a sensitive topic for him. he got defensive, began disparaging those former top officials. then he said to me he would give tell a chance to resign, say hand me a letter. i don't want to embarrass anybody. i won't do that. from now on i will fire which is another indication of the way he plans to govern if given a second term. >> we want to turn to our viewers and have them join us in this conversation. within from kentucky democratic caller. >> yes. i wanted to know if "time" magazine is going to cover the cpac meetings held in budapest

with the republican -- while he was seeing donald trump. >> i can't speak it or internal editorial process but we are committed to covering the most important developments throughout the world. >> has tame magazine asked president biden to do a similar type of interview with the license looking at a second term is it >> we did. my colleagues who cover the campaign good an interview with president biden. unfortunately he declined. hopefully he changes his mind. >> troy, nashville, tennessee, republican. >> thank you for taking the time it write it article. i'm concerned about americans losings favorite in institution like "time" magazine. i'm not trying to insult you or your article but do you think it is disingenuous to say he will be this imperial president we

clinton destroyed yugoslavia and we have been in war in ukraine without a declaration. biden just overturned title ix with the stroke of a pen. haven't we crossed this threshold already? jerks or depiction of donald trump was fair. he has not calendar everything we have written in the paste. away put the full transcripts out for the sake of transparency and i think that is a reflection of our commitment fair and honest journalism. the information is there. everyone can read it and make up their minds at time.com. >> what about his question the difference between with the former president told you he would do if he gets a second term and executive action that we have seen from previous presidents? >> look, presidents have executive authority for sure. they have implemented executive orders at rapid clips.

we are not just talking about executive orders. we are talking about is he specific moves that donald trump is talking about taking that other presidents have not. other presidents have not employed the military it remove undocumented making grants. they have not fired u.s. attorneys specifically for refusing to prosecute. they fired them for others we saw that in the george w. bush administration. at the usually replace appointees at the beginning of their term but as donald trump has said he is willing to do things other presidents have not. those are in his own words and we are merely relaying what he told me. >> if he were to win a second term with did he say about that being -- would he honor the constitution and that be his last term? >> i specifically asked him it. i said some soreers of yours say the president should be able to calendar 22nd amendment that limit presidents to serving two

terms and donald trump told me he will no plans it calendar the 22nd amendment. he planned to serve four-year and leave. linda, spring hill, florida. democratic caller. >> i want to ask you about project 25. about the policy transition. is that an official document that is followed by the incoming president or is there an official 25 policy that a president goes by for the term? can you explain that? >> sure. as you read there's an infrastructure of policy groups devising explanation for donald trump to implement in a second term. there is project 2005, america first policy institute appear center for -- and center for new america. they are stafford with people in the -- staffed by people from

the first term. he has said they are suggestions and they don't speak for president trump or the campaign. hello. can you hear me.

about mr. trump, he campaigns it we should nevin sraeud -- never get involved in intervention in syria and what did he do? he invaded syria and we are still stealing oil. i think that he basically is controlled by the israeli liberal because no one before trump will aluminum mill-itted the -- human pill united states -- he betrayed them. >> i think that donald trump has made clear that he does not want to engage america in any more adventurism overseas were he's taken great pride for not

getting them in a new war. i did ask him if the united states and israel got into a hot war would he join in israel's side. he said he would join in israel's side and be ready to strike iran depending on the circumstances. >> larry democratic caller alabama. >> hello. good morning to your guest, eric. i have a comment and a question. first i will make my come back. every time i do that i get hung up. it is dealing with mr. john trump. i heard greta make a statement saying mr. trump was the president it was oversight but he is a former president. my question is for you, eric, if trump decides -- and he will right hand and win. if he wins would he take his

executive power and pardon altos who intervened into this capital building that descendants who had been prosecuted for their actions talking -- attacking the capital january 6 and he said he would consider doing that. >> does he recognize concerns people have with that? guest: i think he recognizes that people are concerned and it bothers a large segment of americans. some have been found guilty by jerry's. are you questioning our system of justice in more than 800 of these cases? he answered it was a two tiered system. my follow-up was, what do you say? i said there are people that work with you your first term

that supported you then that don't think someone would attack a cornerstone of american democracy, a peaceful transfer of power could be interested to preserve it. donald trump demure it. he punched back on that. he does not see it in that way. >> joe, gaithersburg, maryland, independent line, your turn. >> i am a 20 nine your attorney, independent. i have never been a democrat or republican. i am wondering if the time is now for independents in leadership because there is a deep lack of trust of either party and people are operating and functioning out of fear. i believe now is the time for independents to rise up and break the duopoly of the two party system that has controlled corporate america and interest groups without dealing with the fundamental issues of people.

with your assurance about donald trump and what we are seeing, there are problems on both sides. is it this time for the two party system to be broken up? we have a formidable independent running the people trust. joe: thank you for the question. i am not in a position to render judgment on that. by all indications, i would not expect a breakup of the two party system anytime soon. it is very deeply entrenched in our political system and it does not seem to be going away. there are independent candidates running in the election and we won't really know until november the impact they will have on the outcome of the election. you are seeing more and more people gravitate to a position where they don't identify as democrats or republicans.

that is certainly an eight -- indication of where we are now. >> a national political reporter with a time magazine sat down with the couple president -- former president a couple times or at least did interviews with him for the piece. how far donald trump would go is the cover of time magazine. in a do that it can be hard at times to discern donald trump's true intentions. in interviews with time he sidesteps questions or answers them in contradictory ways. there is no telling how his ego might hinder his objectives and for all his norm break-ins their lines he says he won't cross. when asked if he would comply with all orders held by the supreme court he said he would. but his policy preoccupations are clear and consistent. if he is able to carry out a fraction of his goals he could have impact more transformative than any president in centuries.

some sense of the state of the country is quite apocalyptic according to steve bannon. that is where donald trump's heart and obsession is. is it an obsession? >> i think that donald trump right now is extremely preoccupied. he is obsessed with returning to office and it being able to fulfill his goal of serving a second term. he has said he will be the retribution and seek retribution. now he is saying he will seek retribution through success. it is no question that donald trump right now is more assertive and confident that he has seemed in the past and he is right now laser focused on returning to office. because that resolves a lot of problems for him. he has profound legal woes. he has a lot of grievances. there was nothing he wants more, it seems, then to return to the

white house. ask what role would steve bannon play or is he playing now? >> steve abandoned remains of somebody donald trump will speak with on occasion, but they don't necessarily speak all the time on the phone or in person. steve bannon has a podcast that is very popular in right-wing circles called the bannon war room podcast. they often send clips to donald trump that he watches. that is a way they communicate to each other. donald trump has a real instinct for reading where his base is that were popular sentiment is among the base. he does rallies. he listens to podcast clips and specifically tries to take the temperature of where his supporters are. sometimes you see him at rallies explicitly pull the crowd on individuals running for down ballot offices, where they stand on a specific issue. famously, the term drain the

swamp came when he used it at a rally and it was met with thunderous reaction. >> david in los angeles, independent, you are next. >> i want to make a few comments and have the gentleman respond. steve bannon was arrested for a border wall scam. his associates went to prison for four years. they were siphoning money from donald trump supporters and ended up spending money on jet skis and stuff. along with steve abandoned, here is a list of people that were indicted and charged under the donald trump administration. michael cohen, michael flynn,, paul manafort, and of course, all of the donald trump lawyers that lost their law license for lying. jenna ellis, giuliani, kenneth chesebro, jeffrey clark.

in the wake of all of that, how can you look any american in the eye and retain any credibility whatsoever because you support a con man like donald trump? thank you. just: -- guest: as a journalist i don't support any candidate. i have no comment on that. host: in virginia, tom, a republican. guest: i want to comment. earlier in the show today somebody said you were not fair. i listen every day. i can't tell you how long i have listened. you guys are absolutely fair. sometimes it can be hard to be fair with people that are spreading really asinine statements. and you still give them a voice. i appreciate what you have done with publishing these transcripts. i