coalition and washington d.c. this is about 50 minutes. ♪ >> hello once again not the end end, we need you to be alive excited. steadfast believer in the bipartisan and allow me to introduce my next conversation how x the selection in five months time elect. candidates up and down the ballot will campaign across the country. on why we should trust them to lead. as you heard today there shortage of challenges and opportunities on the world i think it's important for leaders to understand what overseas.

it happens in a little tol change the world. and if we want to advance our interests and values, we need toed and that is for the court of the impact and the initiative, the bipartisan education plan of action to ensure all candidates running in 2024 has a vision for america's role in the world and fully supports our diplomatic and development tools of global leadership. i'm honored to cochair this initiative along with my culture, the congresswoman knows. you are. one of my favorite expressions is a leader without followers is just a guy or gal taking a walk. [laughter] we are nothing without you. you've heard a lot of great leaders out here today but the reality that we need you candidates want to hear from you, members of congress want to hear from leaders faith leaders military

veterans civic officials and community activists. you arene power and we need that power to kind of voices. so here's what we need from you. one, tell them we are elevating the tools diplomacy on a foreign policy toolkit. demand that they articulate a clear and compelling vision for why it's important to be a leader on the global stage and show them that in the midst of daily partisanship that c insurmountable this is one area where republicans come together for the good of the nation and the good of the world and you can be part of that discussion and make a difference. so we thank you for your continued support in this and we are privileged to have now to political strategists on political and events providing insight and perspective to an audience of

millions. donna brazil is a veteran political strategist for "the new york times" best-selling on and on. she served as the interim chair of the committee at the voting rights institute and joining her will be the conservative strategist professor a founding partner of the counseling and communication writing regular accounts on the la times served on the presidential cam and the president george w. bush w+administration. i could go on and on. we look forward to hearing about the dynamics driving the election cycle and the role of the foreign policy and campaign converse conversation. ladies and gentlemen welcome

the conversation moderated by president and ceo jayson brooks. [applause] ♪ how are you all doing flex you look like you will have been sitting for a while. scott and i are going to make you stand up and get. we have 156 days remaining in the 2024 presidential season and let me tell you you haven't it makes my job easier. [laughter] [applause] i am moonlight as an actress.

h. >> i was so glad when i got booked for this event because i knew i wouldn't have to do a darn thing. [laughter] >> i thought about where my socks with of the little circles but i thought it would look too weird i think i already know why this is one of the always a favorite of these giants on tv leaving on to hear in our conference room today. so let's get into it. you said 146 days away from. >> of those ten days could be

very crucial. consequential presidential election. we will see the first presidential rematch in 58 years years. a rematch of two previousver cleveland and harrison among the registered voters, joe biden leading narrowly among likely voters. so to my panelists those popular with their bases extraordinarily unpopular with right now emblematic of the political times we stand right now. what do these candidates need to do to win over the few while

shepherding the bases to the poles in this november? i'm going to start to donna and then turn to you and what do they need to do? >> it's a very easy answer. i think everything else will appear okay. i have nothing against men who turn lee. somebody give me some tickets i'm going to see him. i like harrisonburg, i don't know what's wrong. [laughter] in order man is policies and. [laughter] many ofhem are mild-mannered and you don't have to tell them to put the seat down when they leave bathroom. they have experience, which should also count.

when i was the chair of the democratic party to see the republican candidate linked let alone donald trump without any previous political experience correctable, that was groundbreaking and yes we saw they picked up some states in the blue. this is going to come down to six or seven states depend on. in the every day variety we can tax the blue wall again but i better call my nieces and

nephews. we've got four seasons. my nieces and nephews because i'm not giving my good wine to my nieces and understand2 it. they haven't lived through boone's farmboones farm yet. putting many of these young people through college those that couldn't help themselves and i said after they had their cheetos with that raspberry or cranberry juice y, i will see you later said you're all your all going to support joe biden and they are likeyb

in every season, and i've seen this before perhaps not minorities are looking for a new dance partner so right now they have to make sure that they can reclaim those great lakes states and at least be competitive nevada, arizona and my beloved south. this will be close. i don't know how close but i'm going to tell you one thing. 99.5% of us, you're in the game but you're not in the shot. we have less than 6 million voters out of the 244 million who are eligible that will actually decide this election whether we start in 2016 when trump broke the blue wall or

2020 when biden expanded the coalition and had one of the largest turnouts. i don't think conservative republicans, some of my best drinking buddies. what's at stake for the united states into the world's leadership have the world is voting year. yesterday mexico, friday afternoon i believe we saw great britain is coming up, the eu coming up in june this month this standard in the world and now more than ever we have to think about the stakes for the country not just in the short term the next four years, but the long-term up against our 250th anniversary.

we have a lot of work to do it's not just about the elections of partitions butpetitions but making sure we can reimagine america's future in the world as well. i start we are on the same network so i don't get to spend much time with my panelists but when you're alitical operative that is also an aspiring political pundit and, this is somebody up to for their candor and their humor and civil discourse. it's an honor to be on the stage with donna today. she's fantastic and we look up to you. [applause] >> i think first of all trump is currently winning the election. if it were held today, he would

win. i look at this map the symbol from nevada all the way to north carolina and i look at the northern blue wall and when i look at the sun belt states, i see trump ahead in all of them and rfk junior getting on the ballot mostly hurting biden i ink is for-343-put the dynamics are bad.so what does he have to do to win, he has to win pen up to three and he's headed to two of the three today i think trump is ahead. i've not yet fully absorbed what i think the verdict last week will mean other than to say it's likely only to be a marginal impact. if i were tracking two groups, it would be senior citizens who joe

biden, they supported him and 20 more than they usually do democrats and also people who get very little news and may have only just seen a headline. or they may not know anything other than that. so if i were trump i would be watching the i always believed there was a coworker that wouldn't vote for a felon but i'm not sure we are going to be able to see that washout in the polling just yet. so my view is that the strength here is simply that the amerily want to fire joe biden. he stuck belowproval and he has been for of 2021 when we pull out of afghanistan. he is never been above water in his personal approval since august of 2021.

they are stuck in the this month of june is an enormous opportunity for them to shake the ball. they got their conviction the beginning and at the end of the month they will have a debate, so i'm interested in the poles today and really interested in july 1st because if after this consequential month nothing has changed, if i were in the biden headquarters you think there's panic today ask me in a month and if i were in trump headquarterstrumpheadquarters i would be thinking about how do i prevent them from quicksand that they appear to be and so in so my current view is trump if trump stays focused on the reasons joe biden's job approval is below 40, you will win evidence about anything else, he will likely lose. for my entire career that started in the campaign with george w. bush, the paradigm in the republican party has been high turnout helps democrats.

in this it is the opposite. throughout everything you thought you knew about trout. low turnout helps biden. look at why democrats are winning. midterms and special elections because the highest propensity voters tend to be democrats now. people with college degrees seni manager lowest tend to be republicans. if you have a high turnout it will mean trump was able to successfully bring out a bunch of infrequent voters and registered a bunch of new people and change the composition of the electorate can they build anre that drives turnout as high as possible will win

win. within the party's parties respective parties on foreign policy on the last national emergency spending package there were some serious splits betweenlb republicans on aid to ukraine and a number of other related issues. you had to the the establishment of long serving republicans like mitch mcconnell leading one newer arrivals into the senate and congress maybe opposing support to ukraine and certainly more skeptical on the traditional leadership role around the world. given that, how do you see donald trump messaging america's role in the world on foreign policy? >> i think that one of the ways to beent is

to have america be viewed as aiu and i think that both of these candidates know that. i don't believe trump is an isolationist on the order of some of the people who are true on the republican party. very concerning. but i don't think that he tually is. we will have to see how the if he wins. but i think as important as what he might do if he were to be elected, what is happening in the congress is equally if not more important vote on the foregoing aid package was overwhelmingly bipartisan and overwhelmingly showed people who were willing to stand up for amica's role in the world can win these debates. it wasn't close. people's fees may have made it feel like it was close but this is not a debate. the american people in the united states to be engaged and help our friends and allies and hope ukraine.

it's obvious what the people want and people and we've got some in the senate and under the house for the speaker. mike johnson deserves an enormous amount of credit for standing up to some of the people in his own conference. so i took great satisfaction and hard from what we saw and to foreshadow what might happen, mitch mcconnell will no longer be the leader but he will be unburdened, unleashed and a senior member of the appropriations committee. and i know everyone in this room knows what a great asset that will be to the people believe that we can deter the enemies of freedom with hard and power. as much as what the next it is, you're going to haveaging bull in the united states senate appropriations committee buying up a the soft and hard power and that is a great thing.

i'm interested in the elections as i am anything because i thi to continue to see true bipartisanship in the congress on the topic. >> we look forward to that. on the democrat excited to little bit different dynamic. it's sometimes more about the prioritization of the foreign policy versus domestic imperatives. democrats largely got behind president biden with theaine vote, but in the election year especially what do you see the democratic candidates and voters coming out on this choice sometimes on prioritizing foreign policy, president biden's vision to communicate on foreign policy were the domestic poll and tugs that happen? >> it's all of the above and i think that is the reason that they learned early on in life you have to walk then chew gum because without a strong

leader and america's place in the world you are not going to be able to succeed because the projection of america's power and america's leadership also influence how voters think about the character of the candidates so it's important to talk about america's place in the world. by the way we are spending close to a trillion dollars on the defense budget including the raysrace for the military that is warranted. we can have a strong military but as you said we've got to have also the use of diplomatic tools. we need soft power. i want to say something right after the 2020 elections i traveled abroad. i went to germany and france and ended up in the netherlands.

many people bought it because i was a former chair. first of all i'm not going to travel abroad or trash the electorate because they disagreed with me. it's like when the saints finished playing. they are not going to trash you recognize we are like every other democracy. when millions of americans feel like there's no hope and if they see themselves as living on the outskirts of hope and want to somebody to bring them into the opportunity that is what trump ortrumprepresents. i've just been the challenge to say icu and i am the leader that can

help. that is biden's calling card if he can he will become president again. so i read is something. i'm afraid of wolf blitzer. [laughter] >> ii'm available. >> suffices to say i had my hands full. [laughter] you something as my book title, i'm cooking. i'm going to serve something. i'm going to find it. 61% of republicans 61% of independents and 75% of democrats believe that america should have a leading role in world affairs.

when it comes down to priorities a little different. but the fact is this is where the majority of americans are. we can policy. when you talk about the.s. role you can lead a conversation and engage don't have a great understanding of what has happened abroad. we tend to focus our country the cultural war and all the other great stuff. that's one of the reasons i didn't want to be on cnn and fox anymore. the fact is we will make succotash. [laughter] [applause] i've got a chance to read the application of hundreds of

thousands who are applying to get fulbright grants and scholarships. there are some evenings and thank god i just have a dog in the house. opportunity and what they can take from this experience and they can go back this is amazing. we don't know how important we are to the world. we need to tell our story. our narratives need to change. [applause] >> i cannot agree more with this and i think that there are people who believe there is there's a political benefit right now

telling us that america is about a guy in the world or america is a diminished power. i see it as twoid same coin. but that is not with the americanwhat theamerican people believe. we are a force for. political actors that are being screamed at on either of the two fronts, please tell them. do not listen. where they are are two different places and the way forward in any campaign is to believe that america is good and we are a force for good and that there is a wide metal that believes that and some are liberal and some are conservative. but the majority believe in

the united states and we don't and we don't believe we are bad. that's where most candidates are going to find success. >> for this organization. achanneling from this audiencesq. just a couple of weeks ago a mainstay traveled to africa bullet and a republican colleague the "politics in colleagues from both sides of the aisle? >> you for many and became

to know each other and the reason everybody did is a nice person. alice embodied. ever handout to democratic debating partners and make it more simple. ... and i know a single in the media business who's ever had a bad a bad word to say about alice. she was from -- i'm from kentucky she was middle

america, arkansas and georgia roots. she was one of those people that brought a mide america perspective to corridors the author dominated by people from the coasts and urban areas. i appreciated that about alice because she represented middle america well. she meant a lot to of us at cnn. it's a huge hole. we miss her greatly. still doesn't seem real to me. she was one of the best and i miss her. >> well, i'm not afraid to tell age because i've been involved in politics since the age of nine and i have had tremendous experiences. ten presidential campaigns. i can't paint and 49 states, one more state i will be miss usa without thinking. [laughing] but when i became a political commentator when you go from being a campaign operative to a political commentator baby can mary matalin donna brazile.

we're the only through women at cnn. i will never forget when we started to bring in more women and people of color and everyone else and cnn wouldssign me to the republican. i proceed only if the person i'm not trying to break in ability. if you don't drink wine. at of course the first two after the 2010 and of course, it was the key party hour and a used to wear red as if to say i tea party but i have read on, okay? this is when i would go to the republican debates. andd i met alice when she worked for michele bachmann. and i thought oh, my gosh, she's going to be on her rockers? issue one of them -- i knew, alice was like this. i mean, the had -- she was smart pick sheena politics. an cruz and say are you okay? michele bachmann said he, indeed

an intervention? he said no, i'm going to be okay. when my colleagues my former cnn until i became here in 2016 from 2001-16, i'v we got on on a call when we all gave each other the alice stories. i can't get it all because i to keep whatever is on my face is covered. she was just a gentle spirit, a wise woman. and i can imagine god need turnout because god needs a strategy is to start untrimmed sort all this out. so alice is their gods strategist adages going to keep talk >> right out. >> thank you alice. [applause] >> time run shorts but let's get a couple of questions from our audience maybe two we can pair together so iff you have little time. i see kerry over there has a question from the audience.o so much for another extraordinary -- >> please tell us a you are. make it on the question please because of time. >> of course of course.

mark from florida. you both mention of florida by way of election 2000 and a new resident of florida who may be apparently involved so i would appreciate your perspective on one issue that served his consistent, nationals could become economic security, human rights humanitarian concerns. how, or whether climate change will be framed within thislection and they say that for florida and then i will pause given among other things the florida legislature and the florida governor current governor just signed and the permitted legislation that will strike any reference to climate or climate change from a range of statutory provisions. >> thank you for the question. >> i think will be a big issue. i think it will be another under the big issue in the election because this is envisioned that young people care deeply about. of course i care about it because the same reasonsister who lives in orange

county florida orlando cares about it. we can't afford the insurance just to live in these states. i was only from boca raton the other day. he said b the water is8> like bathtub quality. well i was told, i was talking to senator coleman about. i hope you guys get more snow. i never thought i would beg mething because we need the precipitation to keep the quote-unquote the incursion of water from the gulf of the mississippi river, which will threaten the lives of others. so whether it's the force of wind rain, hurricanes and the significance. this is a major issue. why not prepare for it while we can? how many mudslides do we have to see? how many forest fires they can't be controlled? h and how many people must die as they are dying in india and pakistan end of the places of the heat? folks, this is a real issue. i knew it w issue as as a girl growing up in the south.

it's a real issue. i mean let's not pretend it doesn't exist but let's mitigated, let's manage it and let's land had for the future. one less thing. i have a solar panel. i love renewable energy. [applause] >> thank you. we have a question over here so we have time. >> bob hollister from pennsylvania. panelists, do you believe there be sufficient debate about america's foreign policy during the election season? given the stakes we have an given everything you just talked about. and if the answer is no, is that a fault or obligation of media or is it on the candidates? >> first of all my condolences to your mailbox. it's about to be violated repeatedly. [laughing] yo and your tv and your telephone and any other device you have for communication. i think in the actual debates which by the way i think they're going tore would be a actual debates

between the candidates will feature sufficient topics immigration, and is going t occupy 90% plus of the oxygen in the debate space. i think any actual debat arena you're going here because i think the media will treated fairly. >> if it's a 90 minute to make you might get 20 minutes. th iweenne 27. so it will be part of the conversation but it a driver? no. i'm talking to independent women outside of philadelphia and talk about reproductive rights. if i'm talng to people, i'm talking about climate change. we are basically some ofre. we know your turnout. we know how you get your news. as as a black woman i love to subscribe and "national review" so that every now then i might look a little purple as opposed to essence in cosmopolitan and sports

illustrated. i mean seriously. once i got the nascar subscription -- a [laughing] baby. >> have you heard the good news about tax cuts, donna?i" [laughing] >> i'm so close to my retirement age usually want to have a tax conversation with me. and also i live in the district of columbia shall encourage you all to go out eat drink drink more and more, buy some things and help our local economy. >> a great imperative from donna. we have maybe time for two more. we willmp group together to more audience questions. >> john from alabama. roll tide for you know what, baby? i saw the type and the new york -- straw under you would know. >> that's right. let me just tell you something i won the sec chip to chip shotput, okay? so i'm not -- at alabama some not all that hateful.

>> yes men. >> i like this date but again i don't like the team. >> understand. >> we are so delighted to all here and i the question about your perception of a couple things. number one when you look at where president biden is an were president trump is regarding china, there's not a very significant difference. but when you look with our immigration is market difference. relations and foreign affairs. tell me your perception about where the similarities are and where the differences are between those two the candidates. >> with a time, one question. sodi differences similarities between trump and biden on foreign policy. >> one similarity is an economic posture. you alluded to it but obviously i has adopted trump's view of economic posture on china. i mean, i think they have differ views on interpersonal relationships with our alliances

but i would say this but even that is not going to be the biggest focus of the campaign, it is interesting to me that the issue that sucked biden under an opponent was a four issue a fourth affairs matter, afghanistan. it wasn't anything else. that was the moment when people kind of lost confidence. and soo it might be that if i were in his shoes i maybe try to think about how to repair that. i don't know if it's possible but it's something to think about if you were in their camp. >> i think thep. terrace. there's no difference. even the so-called e order that will be issued tomorrow is one that was crafted under trump and struck down by the court. so yes that's politics because you can't get nothing through yt the congress. he's going to play that game. there are ae lot of differences between the two leaders. their projection of america's

power, strength, america alliances. but again i think foreign policy is going to matter in the margins not in the middle. >> so this has donna recipes are extensive ones have taken a lot of our time so far. we still have time for a close i think right now for this great panel. wish you could goul on forever this scott and telecom many in this crowd will go to capital to more to talk about the importance of investing in diplomacy and development tools and america's role and will do i want to try something a l note for both of you. i'm going to ask sco these folks meeting with democratic members of your advice senior republican operative of what this crowd should say why america should lead in one of investing. don i'm going to ask you for advice to republican members. >> my advice honesty would be if you're looking for a role model john fetterman pic if i were

meeting with the democrat now on television for to myself as a fetterman republican lately. because he has shown absolute leadership unusual and you show a willingness to not listen to the fringes of anybody in our politics. i don't agree with him on everything but i tell one thing that i respond to and that i think of the people could emulate is absolute backbone and a willingness to tl the fringes i don't want to hear it. i don't yell at me. i don't need you to chase him into an elevator. i am p if i were meeting with the democrat right now i was a you should do it like john fetterman because since he burst out on the israel issue last fall, the dudes approval rating in pennsylvania is up like 15-point so thank godoh for people like john fetterman. that's what i's was a. tomorrow what is>> your advice as a seasoned political expert? >> when i see the speaker talk to majority leader steve scalise who is from my neck of the woods

on the bayou or when i see mr. mcfaul o some members of the united states senate in the green room i talk about america's leadership and the role. despite the problems we have em here at home and our concern about inflation our concerns about crime, our concern aboutedom voting rights all the big issues that we care about we have to maintain america's leadership in the world. important that when i you approach your republican lawmaker or republicanr whoever is going to tell them about your own experiences. tell them about you know, you know so that they can learn from your experience why it's important. and i just hadad to close because i i've got 30 seconds i'm going to take them all. couple weeks ago i was invited to the state dinner. now, had two high school commencement speeches that day. those are tough speeches by way high school college you can tell them for things, you're

but high school she would like you know you're going to be a freshman again right? but i but i got invited to the state dinner and this was for the president of kenya. at 19 and left america. i went to the u.n. conference -- >> the senate will work president biden's nominations including two judges to d.c. the d.c. superior court. votes expected soon. live now to the floor of the u.s. senate on