PORTLAND, Maine — It was another busy week in politics. From the debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, to the Supreme Court decisions on January 6 and abortion, our analysts shared their take.
Biden, Trump debate
Biden and Trump squared off in their first debate this week. On the issues, they addressed the economy, immigration, abortion, and January 6. But on performance, it was a bad night for Biden and for Democrats.
ZACH:" Betsy, there was a lot of analysis here on all the major networks about the Democratic tailspin. What's your reaction?"
BETSY: "Well, I think there's no winner to that debate. I think if you look at what was actually said, the substance of what was said, Biden wins hands down. I mean, Trump couldn't tell the truth for one second if he was it was required of him. Biden's performance was terrible, there's no doubt about that, you know, but I think if we look at the issues that were actually spoken about, abortion, taxing the rich, and January 6, just to name a few, I think we have to look at the policies and where it is, and that's what we have to focus on and not the 90 minutes, which, again, I don't think either side wins this debate."
GARRETT: "Oh, I disagree. I think it was a great night for President Trump. I think it was a bad night for America. I think I think one of the things I'm very concerned about right now is it is very clear that President Biden is cognitively declining. I don't think anybody can hide that anymore. And, you know, I think when our adversaries look at who is representing us on the world stage right now, I think that gives them a lot of encouragement for China to maybe make a move on Taiwan or for Russia to do what President Biden was talking about and maybe move in to another country. I think it's very dangerous for Joe Biden to be continuing to be in office. And I never thought I'd say this, but I actually think that I would prefer Kamala Harris to have the nuclear football. The second that that debate ended. The nine people that were on the panel for the CNN debate immediately started talking about replacing Joe Biden, replacing him."
BETSY: "And the question is, why don't the nine people on Fox talk about replacing Donald Trump who has bullied people into supporting him and who lies and will still will not say that he will accept the results of this election? He was asked that question three times directly. Never said it. And when he was asked about January 6, pivoted to say this is what the economy was to say. 'He had the best environmental record. We had clean water and air when I was president.' Now, come on. That doesn't even pass the fifth-grade straight-face test. So I think that I think you are right that democracy was a loser in this debate. And I think we should all be pretty concerned for our democracy in general. But I think if we look at the substantive policy and not the spin and not what the media says and not what the, you know, everything...I think we look at the substantive policy, what was talked about, and what we see in the actual presidencies. There is no doubt about where we are."
GARRETT: "I completely disagree. I mean, I think one of the biggest things, and I've said it on this show multiple times is that, you know, one of the biggest issues and it comes out after opinion poll after opinion poll is illegal immigration. There is no question that last night Donald Trump laid it right on President Biden and President Biden tried to honestly say that he needed Republicans in Congress to give him what he wanted. No, we didn't, because illegal immigration was far less happening under President Trump. That was another lie that the Biden campaign tried to spew last night. I think it's I just think that it was it was horrible. And to answer your question, Betsy, about why does Fox analysts get Donald Trump off stage? Because Donald Trump is coherent and cognizant. Joe Biden is not."
BETSY: "But he lies."
GARRETT: "Joe Biden is not."
Jan. 6 decision
Some big Supreme Court rulings came out this week. First Justices ruled in favor of a January 6 Capitol rioter. The 6 to 3 ruling was a win for Joseph Fisher, who was among hundreds of January 6 defendants, including former President Trump, charged with obstructing an official proceeding. The court ruled the law only applied to situations involving tampering with physical evidence.
ZACH: "This is a win for Trump though. Garrett?"
GARRETT: "I mean, it seems like it has. I mean, I'm not going to I haven't had the chance to, like, dove into an opinion or anything on this. But, I mean, it does seem to be the case. From what I understand, they were tying it till like an Enron case and some other things. But I mean, it does seem to be a win for President Trump. And I think, you know, as the court finishes up their sessions where this kind of might give us a a vision into where the court is going to head on some issues."
BETSY: "Yeah, absolutely. And it's no surprise that the Supreme Court that Donald Trump appointed is actually ruling in his favor and something that's going to make it harder to convict him on what happened on January 6. So, I mean, this is not a surprise. They are building their case so that when that case comes to them, which it will, because he will take it all the way to the Supreme Court when that case comes to him, then what they're going to do is they're going to say, based on all these precedents, we can't actually convict the president."
Mills on abortion
Democrats and abortion rights activists organized rallies on the anniversary of Dobbs this week. In Portland, democratic leaders and Governor Janet Mills were in attendance. Mills pointed directly at former President Trump blaming him for Roe v. Wade being overturned by the conservative court.
ZACH: "Betsy, it's not often you see the governor wading into national politics, but is she right here?"
BETSY: "She's absolutely right. I mean, this is...I mean, he said it. And during the debate, he said he is so proud of overturning Roe v Wade. I mean, he said he's proud of it. He did it, he said of the courts. So that would happen. And it exactly happened. What happened in Idaho is doctors came forward and said, we don't feel safe treating a woman. And they used the example of a woman who was bleeding out and had a midterm miscarriage. And she was said to be going to fly out over state lines to get help and that she was going to die. And so I think that that the the veracity of which the anti-abortion people in state legislature after state legislature are going after these very fundamental rights is exactly what we can expect based on what happened in Dobbs and based on what the what former President Trump said he wants to do. We are seeing in Texas the infant mortality rate after their very restrictive abortion law has gone way up. And when we put this issue to the public, when it's out in a referendum, we have won every single case because as I have said many times on this program, this is visceral for women, about our bodies, about our rights and who controls them. And until we understand that, that this is about doctors and health care and families and women's rights over their own bodies. It doesn't belong in the courts. It doesn't belong on Donald Trump's lips. But he is the one who took responsibility and he's the one who changed it."
GARRETT: "I just this is the issue for me. And I will agree with Betsy on this. I guess we're trying to agree with each other today. But, you know, I will agree on this. I think you're right. When this is put to voters and when the spin is spun, that the the pro-life community of which I am very much part of, has not done a good job of explaining things and being prepared for a post-Roe world. That's what we all said we wanted. And now it's here. And there was horrible messaging around it. But I am going to say this, I do not understand. I'm watching the governor and the speaker and everybody else at this Dobbs rally that they had in Portland. What more do you want? I mean, in this state, it is allowed to have up to a nine-month abortion, a nine-month abortion. I mean, in my opinion, and I think in the large opinion of the American public, we can have a discussion about first trimester, second trimester, third trimester, nine months."
BETSY: "Garrett, that is such a spin.
GARRETT: "But it's true. But it's true."
BETSY: "Only in severe cases. I can't decide when I'm about to give birth to a baby in a week and say, 'You know what changed my mind? I'm going to go have an abortion.' That's the way you make it sound. The only time there is a late-term abortion--"
GARRETT: "But it's true."
BETSY: "No, it's not true. The only time there's a late-term abortion is when someone, either the fetus or the woman's health is in serious danger. That is the only time that is allowed. It's not like you make it sound like Susie Q. woke up and said, 'Ah!'"
GARRETT: "But it was allowed before."
BETSY: "No it wasn't. I just think I think the issue is if people are against abortion, awesome. I respect that. Don't have one. What I don't respect is politicians, most of the men, telling women and families and doctors what they can do with their bodies. That's the thing that's wrong. And that's what's on the ballot this November."
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