Let's believe I'm still bejeweled. When I walk in the room, I can still make a whole place shower. And when I meet, the. Why wouldn't we talk about Taylor Swift? And we can talk about Taylor Swift. She apparently has a new admirer in Donald Trump. in an interview for a forthcoming book about the former president, Trump raved about the pop star's looks, telling the writer, quote, I think she's beautiful, very beautiful. I find her very beautiful. I think she's liberal. She probably doesn't like Trump. I hear she's very talented. I think she's very beautiful, actually unusually beautiful. Trump, however, clearly seemed, unable to forget his bad blood with Swift over her 2020 endorsement of Joe Biden and throwing into question her political beliefs that she is liberal. Or is that just an act? He asked her in the interview. She's legitimately liberal. It's not an act. It surprises me that a country star can be successful being liberal. Okay, Megan, I mean, I think it's creepy the way he continues to talk about how pretty women are that are significantly younger in age, very, very much younger. but that being said, I think that he doesn't want to upset the Swifties. I think we all know what happens when that when we awake a giant of the Swifties. But, I think it's very obvious a part of why we're talking about her and Matt. I mean, you know, disagree with me if you want to, but she is actually probably the one celebrity I think that actually has the power to move a significant number of these. Probably. Right. Yeah. I think it's a matter of now whether she would ever want to get involved. I think in 2020, 2016, where I think we talked about this couple weeks ago, different time for celebrities to inject himself into politics, become political actors. Very different now. And I'll tell you, Donald Trump, Taylor Swift, like it's like the page clicks like big, big bang. Massive forces gather for this explosion. I vote for it. I'm all for it. but, yeah, I just don't think she needs it. Like outwardly going, I don't think she needs to go out and be like, I support Joe Biden. She already did that. And then also in her documentary, she's already, like said, where she stands on a lot of issues and like, went to her family and said, I mean, so I don't think anyone's questioning where she stands politically here, but yeah, so I mean, I think it's kind of I don't think she needs to outwardly get involved, but I think that, like Donald Trump as like a celebrity pundit, right? Like a celebrity handicapper, he, he, he is really encapsulating sort of where she stands in like the firmament of sort of, you know, pop culture. Right? Yeah. he clearly has spent more time looking at her than listening to her. She hasn't been a country star for a long time, as my swiftie daughter could certainly tell you. but the idea that, like, people don't necessarily see her as a political figure. And that's why a potential endorsement for her is so powerful, right? Because to her legions of fans who just love her no matter what the things that she says are can resonate outside that political sphere. And that's why I think she does have the power to potentially move voters, even though she does have this history of endorsing liberal politicians and taking liberal positions. She is not, I think, pigeonholed as just sort of, you know, the Hollywood liberal liberal celebrity. And so she's able to speak in an authentic way to her following. It harkens back to a funny time where Donald Trump was on Twitter, like talking about Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. Remember that like ten years ago, remember was like, this is very much like the Page six New York celebrity gossip world he had spent 30 years in. So this is almost, in a way, like a very pure version of Donald Trump, like gossip about celebrities. Yeah. No, it's it's the it's a Donald Trump. Maggie Haberman has been covered. Yes. Yeah, yeah. Yes. with us now CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist Paul Begala, and CNN political commentator and Republican strategist Sir Michael Singleton. And, Paul, there are people who look at that comment and note. It's, you know, a little strange from a guy who's going to turn 78 later in the week. Maybe those are the types of things that he should be observing right there. But another way of looking at it is for a guy who will say mean things about anybody. He seems to be really careful when it comes to Taylor Swift. Right. Well, both are true. It's an incredibly creepy. I'm sorry. I know it's morning, but I just threw up a little bit my mouth. When you read those quotes, it's just a disgusting thing. Mr. Trump should. Mr. Trump should pay himself hush money. He should just shut up about Taylor Swift. And you can tell he is scared of her. You know Trump understands celebrity. He understands the power of celebrity. That's how he got where he is. Miss Swift is far more powerful as a celebrity than Donald Trump ever dreamed of being, and so he's clearly scared of her and I find that wonderful and amusing, even though the comments about her appearance deeply creepy, you know? Sure, Michael, I was trying to think if there was another figure who people of politicians have had to, you know, walk on eggshells around you have to be really careful with no matter what you say or how they feel. But you and I was thinking, you know, maybe Oprah when Oprah went behind Barack Obama in 2007, 2008, everyone. Hillary Clinton's campaign had to be really careful that John McCain's campaign had to be really careful. I can't really think of everyone else, anyone else that would make a politician so nervous. I mean, John, I can think of one other person and I think that would be Beyonce. And I have to say this because my girlfriend would kill me if I did not. She's one other person that I think a lot of politicians I have to be very, very careful with. But look, I think a lot of these celebrities and younger voters attractiveness to them not only because of their music, but their lifestyles and also the way they live vicariously by the politics that they adopt is certainly a pervasive thing. And if you're a politician right now trying to win the election, which we know will be very close, and you want to galvanize young people, you certainly don't want to anger them by attacking some of the individuals they look up to. And I think this is the case with Taylor Swift, who is an incredible songwriter. And so here's someone who galvanizes not only young liberals, John, but she also galvanizes young conservatives. Being a former country star who's now into pop music. So there's an interesting dichotomy here, but I think the former president is trying to thread the needle on. I know the Biden campaign would love it if Taylor Swift came out in public and endorsed the Biden candidacy like she did in 2020. They are waiting for that to happen. I was looking at the calendar, Paul. I still can't wrap my arms around the fact that there is a general election, presidential debate in like two weeks. And yes, it is right here on CNN and I'm not doing this to promote the debate, which is, I should note, right here on CNN, but it just shatters everything I know about presidential campaigns. And it's true. I covered George Bush in 2000, and he disappeared for days before the first debate for debate prep. And we learned later that he'd been preparing like a ton for months before. Should these candidates be deep into debate prep for what could be the most important presidential debate any of us have ever seen? Oh yeah, debates do tend to freeze the campaign. And, you know, our president has to go to Europe for a G7 meeting. And if I were a campaign strategist for him, I would be tearing the last three hairs out of my head. But you can use that time on Air Force One. So let's watch the manifest on Air Force One. If my old pal Ron Klain, the president's former chief of staff, is on that trip, that means you're doing debate prep on the plane. No one. I've done this all my life. No one is better at debate prep than the president's former chief of staff, Ron Klain, but they do need to do so. And by the way, so does Mr. Trump. And I know he doesn't like it. I shouldn't say this because debates are about expectations. Joe Biden is going to clock Donald Trump in that debate. Incumbent presidents rarely, rarely win the first debate because they're used to having their rings kissed, shall we say. But Mr. Trump has talent. He does. And he's great at these rallies. But he's never won a national presidential general election debate. He had to three against Hillary, at two against Biden in the polling in a 1 or 2 point race, he consistently loses those debates by 9 to 12 points. So honest, earnest, free advice to Mr. Trump. You need to hunker down and prepare for this. Mr.. Mr. Trump, and I promise you, Joe Biden is you just like broke the major one rule of pre-debate expectations, Paul right there. You're going to get a call. I know I spoke the truth. Berman I try never to do that with you. But once in a while, so, sure, Michael, if you are the Trump campaign, the likelihood that they follow Paul's advice and Donald Trump goes into debate prep and if you are Donald Trump or if you are the Trump campaign, what kind of prep would you have him do? I mean, look, in 2016, he had Chris Christie helping him out. Chris Christie and Donald Trump were no longer friends. So I don't think you can call up Chris and say, hey, come and help us. But I agree with Paul. Presidents usually don't do well during the first debate. So this is a very unique opportunity for the former president. And I think Donald Trump is really effective. John, at being able to communicate very simply, in a simple way, rather on issues that people really care about. And so if you can figure out a way to drive and hone in that skill in a more focused way on actual issues, I think the former president could potentially surprise people. But you have to be disciplined in order to do so. So I would spend a couple of days, maybe a week or so practicing these things, maybe some of his best zingers, figuring out a way to to be more surgical with him during that one hour debate. And let's see what happens with this could be and I'll say this quickly, John, I don't think Trump should debate president for a second time because to Paul's point, presidents don't do well during the first debate, but they usually come back and knock it out of the park during the second debate. So if I'm Trump, I would try to hammer this in with a victory and say, you know what? That's it. I'm not interested in debate number two. You know, Paul, very quickly here, Michael said the issue is one of the issues is crime usually is an issue every four years. And these new numbers from the FBI, violent crime going down, murder rate dropping dramatically could be the biggest drop on record in one year. You know, how can the Biden campaign talk about this in a way that it will connect with people? Absolutely. And I think it's all about Mr. Trump catering to the most extreme and Joe Biden being part of the mainstream. you know, our let's report is right. Young people and people of color really support the Biden gun safety agenda. Guess what? So do older white people in the suburbs. where Trump is very weak. and it's a web issue. You know, you always just talk about wedge issues. This is a web issue. It sticks stitches together the base where Joe Biden, frankly, needs a lot of help and these suburban, college educated swing voters where Biden is surprisingly strong. Once a Republican stronghold, Biden is really strong with those suburban, college educated voters. So it's a great issue for Biden to be touting. And Mr. Trump, by the way, who can no longer even own a gun because he's a felon? he went to the NRA and he said, I will be your loyal friend and fearless champion. So that's that's the way to put it. Trump is as, he can't own a gun himself, but he is going to be owned by the NRA public. Alister Michael, great to see both of you. Thanks so much.
