>> WELCOME BACK
TO CHEDDAR POLITICS TURNING TO
A STORY WE'VE
BEEN FOLLOWING ALL WEEK THE GOP
MAKING A MAJOR MOVE ON
WEDNESDAY VOTING TO OUST
REPRESENTATIVE
LIZ CHENEY FROM HER PARTY
LEADERSHIP ROLE THE MOVE COMES
ON THE HEELS OF CHENEY SPEAKING
OUT AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP OVER HIS FALSE
CLAIMS IN REGARDS TO THE
LEGITIMACY OF THE 2020
ELECTION. THIS ISSUE UNDERLIES
A MAJOR RIFT THAT EXISTS IN
TODAY'S REPUBLICAN PARTY.
NOW EARLIER TODAY, A LETTER
SIGNED BY MORE THAN ONE
100 MEMBERS OF THE GOP WAS
RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC IN THAT
LETTER SIGNATORIES CALLED FOR
CHANGES TO BE MADE WITHIN THE
PARTY OR THE CREATION OF A
VIABLE ALTERNATIVE. JOINING US
TO DISCUSS IS ONE OF THE
SIGNATORIES MICKEY EDWARDS.
HE IS A FORMER REPUBLICAN
CONGRESSMAN FROM OKLAHOMA A KEY
WHEN YOU ARE FROM
FIRST APPROACHED TO SIGN ON TO
THIS LETTER WHAT WERE YOUR
THOUGHTS WHAT WERE YOU THINKING
AND WHY DID YOU ULTIMATELY PUT
YOUR NAME ON THE DOTTED LINE.
>> WELL LOOK I HAVE BEEN PART
OF THIS FOR A LONG TIME
I WAS. BACK IN 2016 I SIGNED
I WROTE THE FIRST LETTER BY
REPUBLICAN THERE
THE CONGRESS SAYING THAT TRUMP
IS UNFIT FOR AND YOU KNOW WE
HOPE THAT THINGS WOULD GET
BETTER. WE HOPE THAT OVER TIME.
YOU KNOW THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
IN CONGRESS AND IN THE STATES
WOULD PUSH BACK AGAINST HIS
UNCHECKED IT TURNED OUT TO BE
JUST EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE SO
THE ENDED UP NOT BEING JUST
DONALD TRUMP. IT ENDED UP BEING
REPUBLICAN PARTY REPUBLICAN
LEADERSHIP
HOUSE SENATE. GOVERNORS
STATE LEGISLATORS. WE WERE
ECHOING, YOU KNOW THE THINGS HE
IS SAYING WHICH HAVE WITH WHICH
HAVE BASICALLY ABANDONED MOST
CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES.
THE RULE OF LAW AND MAKING
FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT THE ELECTION
UNDERMINING FAITH
WITH DEMOCRACY. AND SO YOU KNOW
THE FACT OF THE
MATTER IS THAT IT'S I'M NOT A
TRUMP PROBLEMS, THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY PROBABLY
SOMEBODY SAID TO ME THE OTHER
DAY IT SEEMS LIKE THE PARTY'S
SOUL IS IS IN CONFLICT HERE
THAT THERE'S A BITE TO THEM
ALREADY SO I'M NOT SURE THE
PARTY HAS A
SOUL AND AND SO WHAT WE'RE
DOING
IS SAYING WE THE PARTY THERE
HAS TO CHANGE IT HAS TO GET
BACK TO BEING A RESPONSIBLE
NATIONAL POLITICAL PARTY THAT
BELIEVES IN CONSTITUTIONAL
GOVERNMENT OR THERE HAS TO BE
AN ALTERNATIVE AND THAT COULD
ANOTHER MOVEMENT COULD BE AN
INDEPENDENT BUT BUT SOME
SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE.
>> YOU KNOW WHILE I HAVE YOU
HERE
HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE BODY
USED TO SERVE AND OF COURSE THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WHICH
HAS SEEN A LOT OF TIME OFF ON
THE REPUBLICAN SIDE THIS WEEK.
AND IT'S CLEAR THAT THE PARTY
IS MOVING FORWARD AS THE PARTY
OF DONALD TRUMP RATHER THAN AS
THE GRAND OLD PARTY THAT YOU
SERVED IN IT
AND I HAVE TO ASK YOU AS AN
OBSERVER IN A PLACE THAT YOU'RE
VERY FAMILIAR. WHAT DOES THAT
FEEL LIKE WHAT DOES THAT LOOK
LIKE FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING
IN.
>> WHAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IT HAS TO
DO IT. YOU KNOW I MEAN IS TOO
SHORT, I BELIEVE IN THE
CONSTITUTION UNDER
THE CONSTITUTION. THE PRESIDENT
HAS A VERY IMPORTANT OFFICE
THAT YOU KNOW HE GETS HIS OWN
HELICOPTER, HE GETS YOU KNOW BE
ON TV A LOT BUT THAT CONGRESS
IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE
PREEMINENT BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT
WHERE THE LAWS ARE MADE AND
THE REPRESENTATIVES PEOPLE
DELIVERY AND COMPROMISE AND
WORK THINGS
JUST SAID NATIONAL ON
NATIONAL THAT'S GONE THAT'S
GONE NOW. IT IS ONE WHICHEVER
PARTY IS DOMINANT AT
THE TIME. WORKS WITH THE
PRESIDENT IF HE'S OF THE SAME
PARTY. AND THE SEPARATION OF
POWERS IS LARGELY ROAD WHAT WE
HAVE RIGHT NOW IN THAT IN THAT
CASE WHERE YOU HAVE SOMEBODY
LIKE DONALD TRUMP.
>> AND YOU HAVE
>> CONGRESS OF HIS OWN PARTY
THAT IS JUST DETERMINED NOT
NOT TO PROTECT CONSTITUTIONAL
DEMOCRACY, BUT TO HOLD POWER.
WHATEVER THAT TAKES YOU KNOW
THAT'S DANGEROUS
AND SO IT'S NOT JUST THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT HAS
BEEN ERODED, YES, IT'S THE
WHOLE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL
SEPARATION OF POWERS.
AND THE DEMOCRACY ITSELF THAT
THAT'S BEEN OVER THESE LAST FEW
YEARS.
>> THE PARTY HAS CLEARLY
KIND OF COALESCE AROUND THIS
NEW IDEOLOGY AND I AGREE WITH
YOU THAT I THINK THAT IT'S MORE
THAN JUST YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP
AT PHENOMENON RIGHT. BUT
THEY'VE THEY'VE VERY MUCH
COALESCED AROUND THIS IDEA AND
THEY WANT TO RE WHEN THE HOUSE
IN 2020 TO BE IN THE MAJORITY
IS ALWAYS EASIER THAN BEING IN
THE MINORITY. SO LET'S TALK A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT I HAVE
ABOUT A MINUTE LEFT WITH YOU.
DO YOU THINK THAT THIS SPLIT IS
GOING TO HURT THEIR CHANCES IN
2022 MORE THAN 500 DAYS AWAY OR
DO YOU THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO COME OUT TO VOTE FOR
REPUBLICANS BECAUSE THEY'VE
TIED THEMSELVES TO DONALD TRUMP
OR IS IT SOMETHING IN THE
MIDDLE.
>> I ACTUALLY I DON'T REALLY
CARE WHAT THE REPUBLICANS
PARTY SURVIVES OR NOT HAS IT IN
ITS PRESENT
YOU KNOW I I SERVED AS A
REPUBLIC, I'M CERTAIN THE
REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP IN
CONGRESS. SO ON MOST
POLICY QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW I I
AGREE WITH REPUBLICANS NOT THE
DEMOCRATS I AGREE IN TERMS OF
THE BUDGET I AGREE IN TERMS OF
MOST OF THE THINGS THE ISSUES
THAT COME UP WITH THE
REPUBLICANS. BUT I
DON'T CARE, YOU KNOW POLICY
DOESN'T MATTER RIGHT NOW WHAT
MATTERS IS KEEPING OUR
RESOLUTION OF DEMOCRACY
A LOT. AND SO IF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY GETS WIPED OUT ANOTHER
SINGLE REPUBLICAN GETS ELECTED.
RAY BUT I I I
REALLY I'M BOTHERED BY THE
COWARDICE OF THE OF THE
MEMBERS, I KNOW.
IN I KNOW DON'T LIKE TRUMP AND
DON'T AGREE WITH THAT. YES BUT
THEY ARE SO DESPERATE TO HOLD
ON TO THEIR OFFICE TO
THEIR TITLE. GO ALONG WITH
WHATEVER AND THAT ELISE
STEFANIK BIGGER GOOD
EXAMPLE THAT. AND SO I'M
BOTHERED BY THE WAY. PEOPLE THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY NOT JUST DRUG
HAVE ABANDONED ANY KIND OF
DIFFERENCE.