‘Here is her Achilles Heel’: Why Haley’s resolution on Trump endorsement could additionally very smartly be revealing

Joining me now Molly Jong fast she's a special correspondent for Vanity Fair host of The Fast politics podcast as well Jennifer ruin is an opinion writer for the Washington Post host of the podcast Jen Ruben's green room and author of the book resistance how women Sav democracy from Donald Trump they are both MSNBC political analysts good.

Morning to both of you thank you for being here uh Jen let me start with you the primaries for all intents and purposes over uh and the campaigns are shifting their attention to the general election you're hearing this more and more from Donald Trump who doesn't spend as much time talking about uh Nikki Haley he.

Talks about uh Joe Biden mostly and the Democrats you just published a piece for the Washington Post this morning titled four ways Biden can make inroads with anti-trump Republicans uh talk to me about those well there are a Cadre they're not enough to win her the nomination obviously but there are a kadre millions.

Of Republicans out there who supported Nikki Haley and understood her message that Trump is is a crackpot he's dangerous and he's a crackpot and we saw more evidence of that this weekend when his speech was filled with these inanities and really mental and verbal uh cfalls um but NE nevertheless there are millions of Republicans so how does.

Biden appeal to them he doesn't have to become a republican he just has to I think stress issues which really have resonance with those people um crime he had a um gathering at the White House last week with crime officials crime is way down he could now make an issue of border security Republicans put the Kash on a border security Bill he certainly.

Can stress uh both IVF and abortion which many republican women are very concerned about and finally I think is the allpurpose chaos this guy was chaotic during his presidency he's chaotic now and he promises complete uh disruption of our alliances um of our way of government of our democracy and I think those four things are Biden's.

Biggest opportunity to make inroads with Independents and Republican leaning uh voters Molly let's switch to the other side of the equation because this will be a close election most likely so one can achieve things by hitting uh or targeting um Independents or moderate leading Republicans Joe Biden has to shore up.

Progressives as well um that's a that's a tall order because you're reaching out in two directions at the same time what does he do with progressives well that I think that's going to be tougher look the anti-trump Republicans are coming home right they don't have and and look Biden is has you know he's done things he's made overtures he's put Bernie.

Sanders in budget so he has done things for progressives and progressives have been very good soldiers for Biden let us not forget but I think he is going to need to have a you know a come to Jesus moment especially when it comes to a lot of the stuff in the Middle East you know you have to come back for those voters and and I think look you know my sense.

Is that in Michigan he people want to like him they want to come back to him because the choice is Trump who wants to deport people on ideological basis which is insane so I do think Biden is the beneficiary of that look this uh this campaign is very reactive they listen to journalists they listen to pundits they listen you know and they change they.

Tack their you know they careful they know the stakes so I do think they will do the things they need to do and you know we've seen this again and again look it's I think that Biden is running against someone with 91 criminal and criminal counts like that is insane we've never lived in a time like this and I think that's a huge advantage to.

Biden obviously and talk to me about that uh um Jen the the the idea that if Donald Trump is convicted of anything or these trials move forward and whether he's convicted or not the concept of these trials is that people will actually hear on a daily basis on the news or be reading about the actual indictments which you can read on your.

Own if you'd like uh but indic polling and and you know I think we we all have our views about whether polling is reliable or not but the polling Trends indicate that should Biden should Trump be convicted there are voters who will move toward Joe Biden small numbers there's no question small numbers we're talking about uh percentage points that.

With that are within the margin of error but fundamentally do you think that'll happen do you think a conviction of Donald Trump in any of these cases actually influences either undecided or moderate or or you know voters Republicans who lean against Trump there are a lot a large contree of Republican voters who he literally could.

Shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and they would still vote for him that is not everyone and I think Biden has to make an argument not only is this guy a crook but this guy is running really to destroy the Democratic process he's running so that he can spare himself the verdict of the American people and of juries he's running so he can pardon.

Himself or drop these cases he's running so that he can do whatever he wants that's his immunity argument he can do literally whatever he wants he can send seal six to kill uh Joe Biden he can uh assassinate his political opponents he can kidnap members of the Senate apparently he can do anything he wants and that's what is running on it's a.

Very dangerous platform and it's not simply I can't believe I'm saying this simply that he is uh would be a convicted criminal but that he is running to be above the law and that is something so antithetical to our system so dangerous that I would hope that voters of Goodwill will turn out and by the way that's the best way to have uh.

Democrats come home once they see that and they are reminded of the mendacity of this individual the criminality of the loathsomeness of this individual they will come home and by the way I think Biden needs to get a little bit tougher let's start calling Trump what he is which is an adjudicated rapist an adjudicated liar that was the uh result.

Of the egene Carol uh verdicts and I think the language has to get sharper and we have to remind uh voters um including Progressive just what uh Donald Trump is all about I think this is an important Point Molly that that it's not even close I I I can fully understand why some progressives whether the issue is Israel Gaza or the issue is.

Climate or the issue is um uh police violence and and and black voting I totally get why some people think enough hasn't been done and some decisions are not great but that's not the deal the transaction is not about whether Joe Biden has done everything you want him to do it's it's what what Jen just said it's what your alternative is on every.

Single issue Donald Trump is a worse option yeah and I also think it's worth like pausing for a second and looking like Joe Biden has tried to cancel student debt right the Supreme Court overturned it right and so what they've done is they've quietly cancelled different student debt programs and so a lot of people like you you know are.

Getting their cancellation of student debt and they so that is very cool and they have done a lot of like they've worked hard to sort of try to get around this very conservative Court I think it's worth realizing this court is really committed to trying to sort of keep those Federalist ideals in place but I would say also but Trump has a.

Real problem right he has a real primary problem like Nikki Haley he worked really hard to consolidate the base and Nicki Haley is still getting 30 40% right like those are voters that he needs to win these are better numbers than anybody who has uh pursued essentially an incumbent which is how you have to think about him has received.

And think about the ways Trump has tried to lock down the primary process in a million different ways including removing the RNC chair so I do think it's worth seeing there is a lot of discontent in this Republican party it is not the Trump of 2016 where he's Sweeping in and this vague sort of he's winning all the delegates at the moment.

But that's an interesting point hey Jen let's talk about that for a second Nikki Haley there're people who somebody said to me the other night I'm I'm I'm upping my support of Nikki Haley to keep this thing alive well this thing is a candidacy in which many people who support her say their second choice if she's not the Republican candidate their.

Second choice is Joe Biden so on the margins is Nikki Haley living to fight another day good for Joe Biden yes absolutely absolutely and that's why many uh never Republicans are cheering her on that's why some Democrats are giving to her candidacy and listen she is making the argument to Republican audiences what you and I and Molly have.

Been writing and saying for months Trump is unbalanced he's dangerous he's in the pocket of Vladimir Putin and that doesn't have to resonate with every everybody it just has to resonate with some voters and if the defection rate from Donald Trump is 5% that's huge if 5% of Republicans who voted for him in 2020 sit home that's huge um it is a.

Game of inches not of miles and I think so long as she maintains that argument um she is doing good for the future of democracy I will say today she reiterated that she was not necessarily Bound by that pledge to support him and I think very important that after Tuesday she not turn around and do what all of these spineless little worms who.

Are running against him did which just turn around and endorse him and I think if she holds to that and she tells people that they cannot support this guy he is dangerous that will be powerful that is her Achilles heel if if if she can get through this entire thing win or lose without saying that she endorses Donald Trump even after it's over Nikki.

Haley may have a future in presidential politics in this country

Sharing is caring!