RUSH: To the phones ’cause I feel really… Sometimes I feel bad that people have been holding on for so long and I intended to get to their calls sooner than I got to today. We’ll start in Coronado, California. Bob, I’m glad you called. What’s up? What’s your thought on this?
CALLER: Well, Rush, thanks for clarifying all this in the first hour.
RUSH: I appreciate you feeling like it was clarified because that was the objective.
CALLER: Yes. And, Rush, what I think’s important is that what I see the Democrats are doing is they’re willing to work with Trump. And I’m willing to give away some of my ideals as long as Trump does something even with them. That’s very disappointing, but if Ryan and McConnell aren’t gonna cooperate at all, I would rather see Trump pass tax reform — even tax reform light — with Democrat policies involved than see the Republicans stymieing him. So I’m not gonna give up on Trump even if he starts to move to the left to get something done with tax reform. Doing nothing is no longer an option.
RUSH: But what…? Let me ask you something here, Bob. What if what he gets done…? Because Chuck Schumer said back in January that the only way they’ll work with Trump is if he moves in their direction, if he moves their agenda. What if that’s what happens? What if a tax reform package soaks it to the rich and gives some tax relief to the middle class? It won’t be much if the Democrats are involved. What if that’s how it happens?
CALLER: Well, Rush, to me that’ll be horribly disappointing. But that being said, if we just sit and follow McConnell and Ryan and say, “Well, nothing’s gonna happen at least until 2018…” I mean, this is an opportunity of a lifetime to wipe out about 10 or 12 more Democrat senators next year.
RUSH: I know. I know. I mentioned this yesterday, and that wasn’t the first time. The opportunity that exists here… If you’re conservative, if you’re Republican, I dare say that if you’re over 50, you didn’t think — you never thought — that what happened last November would be possible. You wouldn’t think a Republican (I don’t care who it is) could win the White House and that we would control the House and the Senate at the same time and have the Democrats’ 2018 prospects be in the tank, which they are.
The Democrats stand to lose even more seats in the Senate. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s certainly a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix everything that has been on our minds for 30 years. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it’s not being utilized — and it isn’t being utilized, sadly, because the perception is that it’s House and Senate Republicans that are refusing to work with Trump, that they’re embarrassed of him, that they don’t want Trump to become the definition of a Republican.
They don’t want Trump to define the Republican Party agenda. They are also very, very (sigh) loyal. They owe a lot to their donors. The donors hate Trump. The Chamber of Commerce hates Trump. All of these people that the Republicans think they can’t get elected without don’t like Trump. So it has been a stonewall. If you’re frustrated about this — and I’ll tell you, I am. I’m livid. It was seeable. I mean, this behavior by the House and Senate Republican leadership isn’t anything new. All you had to do was to listen what they were saying during the campaign.
They didn’t want Trump to win. They didn’t think he was gonna win. They never thought they would be in this position. They may not even like being in this position because they don’t want this kind of pressure on ’em. They don’t want to have to move his agenda. The Republicans in Washington are identical with the Democrats when it comes to the big issue, and that’s immigration. Both parties want amnesty. Both parties want it now. They want comprehensive immigration reform, and they want open borders.
And the people that give the money are the ones that call the shots in politics. So the Republicans are being loyal to their donors. They’re being loyal to the paymasters, if you will. And it’s squandering an opportunity. I have to tell you, this guy from Coronado you just heard? Every Trump person that I’ve talked to — everyone from every walk of life — has said pretty much the same thing. If Trump has to work with Democrats to get some of what he wants done, so be it. I haven’t run into anybody… Now, and this is purely anecdotal, and I don’t talk to a lot of people.
I’m just telling you in my universe, people that I know who voted for Trump and want the Trump agenda or most of it, I don’t know anybody who is content for nothing to happen, status quo while the Republicans and Trump bicker. I don’t know anybody who wants any more of this. Trump was elected… Again, he had probably the biggest mandate to do things of any recent president because of the specifics of his agenda and his campaign. So many times a day he announced what he was gonna do. So he was elected, he won; therefore, he’s got a mandate.
And his party is not assisting and not helping, and they’re even violating promises they made for seven years on the repeal and replace Obamacare. And I’ll bet you there are a lot of Trump people out there who say, “If he has to work with Democrats to get what he wants done, then so be it. Even when Trump did the first deal with Chuck and Nancy on expanding the debt limit — and he talked about extending the debt limit forever ’cause it was such a good thing, Trump did… And there were a couple other elements in that first deal with Trump and Chuck and Nancy.
I had people saying, “You know what? I love it!” I’m talking about rock-ribbed, lifetime Republicans who said to me, “I love Trump sticking it to Mitch and Paul, but I not sure I like it being done this way,” meaning doing deals with Democrats — Chuck and Nancy — on expanding spending, expanding government. But the anti-Republican leadership sentiment among people who want Trump to succeed is palpable. I think the people are fed up with everything being statistic, no movement, nothing happening.
They’re fed up with every attempt that Trump makes to move it forward being thwarted by his own party. So the Democrats are coming along, and Chuck and Nancy have made it look like, “Hey, we’re willing to work with the guy. Hey, we’ll help him get what he wants, but it’s gotta be what we want.” That’s where we are right now. So they struck a deal. Chuck and Nancy go out there tell the media, “Hey, we got rid of the wall! Trump’s joining us on the DACA kids and we got rid of the wall.” They report that; everybody believes it. Then Trump and Sarah Huckabee Sanders say, “No, no, no. That didn’t happen.” Now everybody’s wondering, ’cause everybody believes the first thing that they hear.
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RUSH: Ken in Marble Falls, Texas. How are you, sir?
CALLER: I’m doing fine, sir. It’s an honor. Thank you.
RUSH: I’m glad you called. Thank you very much.
CALLER: I was —
RUSH: Wait, wait, wait, wait. Hang on… Hey, Ken. Ken, hang on just a second. (sigh) Hang on just a second.
CALLER: Certainly.
RUSH: Yeah, we don’t… I appreciate it. I just got a sound bite. Paul Ryan says there’s no deal. There is no deal. Now, this is interesting ’cause Ryan… (chuckling) You know, Republicans run the Congress, and all this has been going on without ’em! Here’s Trump and Chuck You and Nancy saying, “We got a deal with Trump! There’s not gonna be a wall and we’re get the DREAMers,” and Ryan and McConnell said (stammering), “What — what — what — what — what — what? We run this place!” So Ryan went out there today at his weekly press briefing Q&A. “Mr. Speaker, have you asked the president to at least check with you before he makes an agreement with the Democrats?”
RYAN: There’s no “agreement.” The president and the chief of staff called me from Air Force One today to discuss what was discussed — and it was a discussion, not an agreement or negotiation. We need border security and enforcement as part of any agreement. I think that’s something the Democrats are beginning to understand.
RUSH: Okay. No deal! The guy that runs the House of Representatives (laughing) finally spoke up. “Hey, I called the White House to find out what’s going on,” which means they didn’t call him. (laughing) Is that right? Is that what he said here? No, they called him. He said the staff called him. Okay. Can you imagine you’re these guys and all this happens? You get up too like everybody else did and you find out Chuck and Nancy are saying that Trump threw the wall away and you call Mitch. “You know anything about this?” “No, I don’t know anything about it.” “Elaine, do you know anything about this?” “No, Mitch, I don’t.” “Paul, do you know…?” “No.” “Does any Republican know anything about this?” “No.”
So does that change what you were gonna say, Ken?
CALLER: No, actually. I believe that those of us that voted for President Trump because of who he was will not be dissuaded by the media or those that think they voted for him just to vote against somebody. I truthfully think he will drain the swamp, and he’s showing people that the swamp has nothing to do with party affiliations. He’s showing both sides have no core beliefs and they’ll turn on a dime on anything.
RUSH: Ehhh… (chuckling) It’s a challenging concept. The left has core beliefs, Ken.
CALLER: Well, ideology.
RUSH: Yeah. They’re not yours or mine, but they’ve got core beliefs, and they are damn loyal to ’em. But I get what you think.
CALLER: But my point —
RUSH: You think Trump has the ability to prevail against them while making them think they’re winning?
CALLER: Yes, sir! I think he’s already playing both sides against each other, and they don’t even realize it. He’s a lot smarter than these politicians we have.
RUSH: All right. What was your first thought when you first heard today that Trump had negotiated away the wall in exchange for letting the DACA people stay in the country?
CALLER: Well, when I first heard it, it came from the media so I assumed it was a lie and that they were coloring it to fit their liberal agenda.
RUSH: Okay.
CALLER: I do not believe he will give away the farm. (chuckling)
RUSH: Okay. You really thought that? I know. That’s a smart thing to say; that’s what I would say. But did you…? There was no fear? You didn’t have even a flash of temporary, momentary panic?
CALLER: No, sir. I really do believe that he’s playing them.
RUSH: All right. I have yet… Thank you, Ken. I appreciate call. Folks, I have yet… My memory could be a little wavering on this, but I can’t recall fielding a call yet from a legitimate Trumpist who feels betrayed. I know they’re out there, but I haven’t had them call. Most of the people that have called here have echoed this. The two that we’ve had today and all the ones on previous occasions, their faith in Trump is total, and it’s unshakable — at least, as of now — and they are not at all worried about this.
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RUSH: Angie in Dayton. Your turn. What do you think about all this?
CALLER: Well, first, I’m not a Trumpster. I voted for him, but I’ll get to my point. I think that he’s always three steps ahead of Pelosi, the Democrats, and the Republicans. So I think this was a power play that he did.
RUSH: You think this is a grand Trump strategy in other words?
CALLER: I do. They always wanted to be in the limelight. They never want to be outgunned. They always want to be the center of attention. So if he moves to Pelosi and they start to work with him a little bit, he’s pushing others toward him as well who never wanted to work with him to begin with.
RUSH: You know, this is an interesting point. So you were kind of iffy on Trump, you voted for him anyway, but you’re not a big-time supporter. Now you’ve become one because you think he’s three moves ahead of everybody?
CALLER: Well, I became a Trump supporter after the Billy Bob or Billy Bush incident, actually.
RUSH: After it?
CALLER: Yes, I did.
RUSH: After it?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: God, I love you even more! Could you walk us through that process? How in the world did you become — ’cause this is in total, total opposition to what the Drive-By Media thinks people should think and how they should have reacted. The Billy Bush episode moved you closer to Trump. How? Why?
CALLER: Well, I have always had a lot of male friends. I’ve heard a lot of male talk, and believe me, women are just the same, and I believe they just threw this out of proportion. There are women out there who do this, as men who are the groupies, men and women and groupies, and there are women who allow this. And to think that, oh, my gosh, men don’t talk like this, women don’t do this, women don’t talk like this, men aren’t groupies. It’s absurd, and I think it was sort of nitpicky, and it threw me —
RUSH: It’s exactly my point. That is how people talk. You’ve heard it. And women, too! We’ve all heard that.
CALLER: Well, Rush, I had one more thing, one more comment about what you said yesterday or the other day.
RUSH: Yeah.
CALLER: It had to do with she doesn’t understand why white women did not vote for her. And I have an idea why. That suburban women, whenever she’s telling or they’re telling everyone that white men are homophobic or the problem with America or racist and everything else under the sun, and then they expect us to vote for her when she’s sort of criticizing our husbands or our sons or our brothers or our fathers.
RUSH: You know, that’s actually very, very shrewd of you. I really am glad I held on with you, Angie. Thank you very much. I’m gonna expand on your points here, but did you get that, folks? She wanted to weigh in on the point yesterday, Hillary’s out there saying that — you remember what Hillary said. Hillary said that white women did not vote for her because their husbands told them not to. You remember that? And we all said, “Wait a minute. What happened to feminism? Who are all of these docile women who are only doing what their husbands and boyfriends tell ’em to do?”
But Hillary said that. White women didn’t vote for her because their husbands didn’t like Hillary and their husbands are telling them. And Angie’s point is, no, Hillary, you’re out there calling white guys the problem with America. You’re calling ’em racists. You’re calling ’em homophobes. You’re calling ’em bigots. The only white guys you seem to like are not the kind of guys we married. So to hell with you, Hillary. We’re not gonna sit here, we don’t have any solidarity with you just because you’re a woman.
This is why, folks, on a program like this, you actually end up talking to the people who make the country work. And another thing that she said that I think is very insightful. And I do love the fact that after the Billy Bush thing she glommed onto Trump even tighter, ’cause she knows that’s how people talk, women too. But the point, she thinks Trump is three steps ahead of these people. Now, stick with me on this. Most people, even a lot of Trumpists, but not as many, the conventional wisdom is that Trump as the outsider doesn’t know what’s going on. That the inside-the-Beltway culture is special and it’s so unique and it’s so tiny that nobody that’s not part of it could ever, ever function. Nobody who’s not in the establishment could possibly understand it.
And so they have an arrogance that leads to a condescension against people, which leads the inside-the-Beltway, the establishment, both parties, to think of Trump as no different than his voters, a bumpkin idiot. And that leads them to believe that they’re gonna be able to run rings around him, and he’s not even gonna know it’s happening. “He may have built buildings and he may have written The Art of the Deal, but he can’t do what we did. He can’t even understand what we do because he’s too stupid.”
Now, they may not say it that way, but I guarantee you they have that attitude. These are arogant people. They’re very exclusive. It is a very elite, unique group, in their own minds, and they do tell themselves they’re special and they’re different and they’re better. And Trump represents somebody from the wrong side of the tracks accidentally stumbling into the clubhouse here, and nobody threw him out.
So they think they’re dealing with a bumpkin and an idiot that they can make mincemeat of. The deep state thinks that. I’ll betcha some of the people that Trump picked in his cabinet think that. Some of the — well, I’ll leave it at that. So they have this overall belief that Trump’s out of his league, essentially. So Chuck and Nancy go to the White House for dinner, and the immediate belief they had is, “Oh, they’re gonna smoke him. This is not even a fair fight. Trump doesn’t even know what’s coming.”
Whereas Angie just said in her opinion, it’s Chuck and Nancy that don’t know what’s coming, ’cause it’s Chuck and Nancy that have never dealt with somebody like Trump, because they’re the ones living in a cocoon and they’re the ones that don’t know what life is really like in the business world. And I guarantee you they don’t. Businesspeople, to Chuck and Nancy, are donors. Businesspeople, to Chuck and Nancy, are the golden goose. They’ll never run out of money. We’ll keep taxing ’em. We’ll keep asking for donations.
But Angie’s view is that Trump, as a real guy who’s done real things and done them very well, can run rings around them but is not going to make it look like he does because part of the trick is to play dumb, out of place, or what have you. The point is, she has complete faith that whatever’s going on here, that it’s Chuck and Nancy who are being suckered; they just don’t know it yet. I wouldn’t be surprised if a bunch of Trump people have that view. And, remember, she was not an original Trumpist. She was dragged kicking and screaming to Trump after the Billy Bush tape.
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RUSH: This is Tammy in Naples. Hey, Naples. Tammy, it’s great to hear from you. How are you doing?
CALLER: Trump was just up the street at the mobile home park. But I called to say that my whole entire family, my brother, my husband’s family up in Pennsylvania, we all love Trump, we all trust Trump, half of us don’t even pay attention to the things he does because we know that he has a plan and I don’t think for one second he’s ever gonna lose that base unless he does something really outrageous. You know, he’s kicking out the criminals. There’s less people coming in.
RUSH: Tammy, time is short and I need to ask you a question. Have you ever trusted a politician before like you trust Donald Trump?
CALLER: Not for one second.
RUSH: Sounds like it.
CALLER: I’m a hundred thousand percent for him, and so is everybody I know. I’m sure there’s people, but the ones that really know that he loves people, I really believe he loves people, I really believe he sincerely tries to help people.
RUSH: All right, Tammy, thanks.
CALLER: If the Democrats had treated him nice from the beginning, he would have been working with them from day one.
RUSH: That’s a good point. Good point. I gotta go on that one, but she said something, we gotta talk about this because this is why the media thinks that you Trump people are a bunch of cultists.
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RUSH: Donna in Frederick, Maryland, your turn. I’m glad you waited. Welcome to the EIB Network.
CALLER: Hi, Rush. My pleasure. As a listener, I often feel like I’m faced with the ultimate challenge because the news sometimes leaves us dazed and confused and I’d even venture to say somewhat feeling gullible and naive, I guess hence the very definition of fake news. And when I hear about, you know, scary deals with devil Democrats, I think it requires a certain amount of discernment. And it really does, I think, put emphasis on your statement where they want to divide voters from Trump because the left is banking on the effectiveness of their propaganda.
RUSH: Exactly, because everything else they’ve tried to throw at him hasn’t worked. We had the story in the Politico, they’ve done their market research or focus groups. None of this stuff, the Russian collusion, none of it is working. It just bounces off Trump. They’re frustrated. That’s why they’re focusing on trying to separate Trump’s base from Trump. That’s the objective now. And it has been for really the whole period of time, but now they’re just changing their tactics about bringing it back. But it’s not working on you, it doesn’t sound like.
CALLER: No, it is not. I thought about it long and hard. If anything, it made me want to shift further to the right, not to the left, by any means.
RUSH: You’re not the first person I’ve heard say that, either. That none of this that’s designed to make you distrust Trump and eventually abandon Trump, it isn’t making you more inclined to join the opposition. In other words, there’s a backlash. In other words, you might say it is backfiring.