>> NO, NO -- I'M GOING TO BE -- I LOVE THIS GUY. HE SAYS YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE A DICTATOR, ARE YOU? NO, NO, NO. OTHER THAN DAY ONE. >> JOINING ME NOW IS REPUBLICAN SENATOR MITT ROMNEY OF UTAH. ROMNEY, OF COURSE, WAS THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT IN 2012. SENATOR ROMNEY, WELCOME BACK TO "MEET THE PRESS." THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. >> HAPPY TO JOIN YOU, KRISTEN. >> A LOT OF HEADLINES TO GET TO, BUT LET'S START WITH THAT TEXAS ABORTION CASE. THE STATE SUPREME COURT, AS YOU KNOW, PUT A HOLD ON A LOWER COURT'S DECISION TO ALLOW KATE COX TO HAVE WHAT HER DOCTORS SAY WOULD BE A MEDICALLY NECESSARY AND POTENTIALLY LIFE-SAVING ABORTION. HER FETUS HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A HALTHS CONDITION AND IF SHE CARRIES IT TO TERM DOCTORS SAY IT COULD JEOPARDIZE HER ABILITY TO HAVE MORE CHILDREN IN THE FUTURE SOMETHING SHE SAYS SHE VERY MUCH WANTS. WHAT IS YOUR REACTION AND SHOULD KATE COX HAVE THE ABILITY TO TERMINATE HER PREGNANCY. >> I'M NOT GOING TO STAND IN FOR THE COURTS. THEY WILL EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE, I AM PRO-LIFE, BUT PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT ARE PRO-LIFE ALSO BELIEVE THAT WHEN A WOMAN'S LIFE IS IN DANGER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR AN ABORTION SHOULD BE APPARENT FOR HER. AFTER THE SUPREME COURT OVERTURNED ROE V. WADE AND THE DECISION WENT BACK TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE VARIOUS STATES THERE ARE A LOT OF PARAMETERS AND NUANCES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN SORTED THROUGH THAT. THAT WILL HAPPEN IN TEXAS AND OTHER PLACES AND ULTIMATELY WE WILL FIND A SETTLED UNDERSTANDING. >> AND AS YOU'RE INDICATING YOU DID SUPPORT OVERTURNING ROE V. WADE, BUT WAS THIS WHAT YOU IMAGINED WHEN YOU SUPPORTED ROE V. WADE THAT A WOMAN WHEN SHE'S TOLD BY HER DOCTORS POTENTIALLY TO SAVE HER LIFE WOULD BE DENIED ONE? >> THE QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT HER LIFE IS AT RISK AND IF IT IS AT RISK UNDER TEXAS LAW, UNDER TEXAS LAW SHE'LL BE ALLOWED TO HAVE AN ABORTION, BUT EACH STATE WILL HAVE TO MAKE THIS DECISION. STEPPING BACK, I THINK YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE, WHEN YOU HAVE AN ISSUE THAT THE NATION IS DIVIDED ON, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT'S A MORAL ISSUE, WHEN SOME PEOPLE FEEL IT'S A MORAL WRONG TO HAVE AN ABORTION. ANOTHER FEELS LIKE IT SHOULD BE A MORAL RIGHT FOR A WOMAN TO BE ABLE TO CHOOSE. IN A SETTING LIKE THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE A SMALL GROUP TO DECIDE TO IMPOSE THEIR WILL ON ANYBODY ELSE. THERE HAS TO BE A MEETING IN THE MIDDLE. THAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET. I HOPE IT HAPPENS IN TEXAS AND EVERY OTHER STATE AND THAT'S THE WAY AMERICA WORKS AND WE CAN'T HAVE PEOPLE FULLING EACH OTHER APART AND INSISTING THEY HAVE TO GET 100% OF WHAT THEY WANT AND THE OTHER SIDE GETS NOTHING OF WHAT THEY WANT. >> TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL, KEN PAXTON WHO IS FIGHTING THE LOWER COURT'S DECISION IS CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FOR ANYONE WHO HELPS KATE COX GET AN ABORTION INCLUDING HER DOCTORS. DOES THAT GO TOO FAR? DO YOU THINK HER DOCTORS SHOULD BE PUNISHED IF THE COURT RULES THIS SHE'S ENTITLED FOR THIS ABORTION. >> IN TEXAS AS IN EVERY OTHER STATE THEY'LL FOLLOW THE LAW, BUT IN MANY CASES POLITICIANS PLAY TO THEIR BASE AND PLAY TO THE CROWD AND LET'S NOT ADJUDICATE WHAT THE PARAMETERS WILL BE IN ABORTION IN TEXAS AND ELSEWHERE. ULTIMATELY, THIS HAS TO BE SETTLED NOT BY ONE SIDE IMPOSING ITS WILL ON ANYBODY ELSE, BUT BOTH SIDES WORKING TOGETHER WHERE EACH SIDE GETS SOMETHING AND THAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET. >> LET'S PLAY COMMENTS BY FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, AND HE WOULD NOT BE A DICTATOR EXCEPT FOR DAY ONE. AT AN EVENT IN NEW YORK HE TRIED TO DOWNPLAY THAT, BUT WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO HEARING THOSE WORDS, SENATOR? DO YOU BELIEVE HIM? >> YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS A KID THERE WAS SOMETHING CALLED A GUM BALL MACHINE. YOU COULD PUT A PENNY IN AND A GUM BALL WOULD COME OUT. THERE WAS NO FILTER. PUT IN THE PENNY OUT CAME A GUM BALL. DONALD TRUMP IS A HUMAN GUM BALL MACHINE. A NOTION THAT GOES IN, AND IT COMES OUT OF HIS MOTION. THERE'S NO FILTER AND HE JUST SAYS WHATEVER. I DON'T ATTACH AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF IMPACT TO THE PARTICULAR WORDS THAT COME OUT AND TRY TO EVALUATE EACH ONE OF THEM. I DO THINK THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT HIS RECORD AS PRESIDENT AND PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST MONTHS OF HIS PRESIDENCY AND SAY THIS IS A DANGEROUS APPROACH, IT'S AN AUTHORITARIAN APPROACH AND THAT GIVES ME FAR MORE CONCERN THAN HIM PLAYING TO THE CROWD AS HE DID. >> GIVEN THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT HE GIVES THESE UNFILTERED RESPONSES. WE HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN HIM DO WHAT HE SAYS HE'S GOING TO DO WHEN HE SAID HE BELIEVED THE ELECTION WAS GOING TO BE RIGGED BEFORE PEOPLE ACTUALLY WENT TO THE POLLS. HE WENT ON TO QUESTION THE RESULTS AND TRIED TO OVERTURN THE RESULTS OF THE 2020 ELECTION. WHY DON'T YOU TAKE HIM EXACTLY AT HIS WORD? >> OH, I THINK WE AGREE THAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT HIS BEHAVIOR AND HIS BEHAVIOR SUGGESTS THAT THIS IS A PERSON WHO WILL IMPOSE HIS WILL IF HE CAN ON THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, ON THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH AND ON THE ENTIRE NATION. WHEN HE CALLED PEOPLE TO COME TO WASHINGTON, D.C., ON JANUARY 6th, THAT WAS NOT A RANDOM DATE. THAT WAS THE DATE WHEN PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER WAS TO OCCUR. HE CALLED THAT ON PURPOSE. THERE'S NO QUESTION HE HAS AUTHORITARIAN RULINGS AND INTERESTS AND NOTIONS WHICH HE WILL TRY TO IMPOSE. THAT'S DANGER ROADWAYS FOR THE COUNTRY. IT WAS DANGEROUS THEN, LIFE WAS LOST. WE WERE EMBARRASSED AROUND THE WORLD. I MEAN, THIS WAS A TRAGEDY, AND A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT HE DID IN THE LAST MONTHS OF HIS PRESIDENCY SUGGESTS WHAT HE WOULD DO IF HE WERE ELECTED AGAIN. >> I WANT TO DRILL DOWN ON YOU JUST HOW DANGEROUS AS YOU SAY YOU PERCEIVE FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP TO BE, LIZ CHENEY PUT THIS INTO DIRE TERMS THIS WEEK. SHE TOLD MY COLLEAGUE SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, QUOTE, THERE'S NO QUESTION TRUMP WOULD REFUSE TO LEAVE OFFICE IF SHE'S REELECTED. SHE WENT ON TO SAY A VOTE FOR HIM MAY MEAN THE LAST ELECTION YOU EVER GET TO VOTE IN. DO YOU WITH THAT ASSESSMENT? >> I DON'T THINK DONALD TRUMP WOULD LAST MORE THAN FOUR YEARS. HE'S RUNNING FOR RETRIBUTION AND I DON'T THINK HE PARTICULARLY LIKES BEING AROUND THE WHITE HOUSE. I THINK HE'D RATHER BE BACK AT MAR-A-LAGO AND OTHER PROPERTIES OF HIS, BUT HE WANTS TO SHOW HE'S NOT A LOSER. HE WON AND HE WANTS TO GO AFTER THE PEOPLE WHO WERE TOUGH ON HIM. SO I THINK HE'LL BE FINISHED AFTER FOUR YEARS AND GO BACK TO OTHER OCCUPATIONS. GIVEN EVERYTHING WE'VE HEARD FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP WHAT DO YOU THINK A SECOND TRUMP TERM WOULD LOOK LIKE? >> IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST FEW MONTHS OF HIS PRESIDENCY YOU WOULD SUGGEST THAT THAT'S THE KIND OF THING YOU WOULD SEE. HE WOULD NOT HAVE GENERALS, PEOPLE OFFERING IMPULSE AND INSTEAD HE WOULD HAVE PEOPLE RND HIM ENCOURAGING HIS IMPULSES AND PERHAPS ADDING TO THEM AND I'M AFRAID YOU WOULD FIND THE NATION MORE DIVIDED. LOOK, OUR NATION DOESN'T NEED TO BE DIVIDED RIGHT NOW. A CAMPAIGN BASED ON ANGER AND HATE MAY WIN AT THE BALLOT BOX TEMPORARILY, BUT IT TEARS THE COUNTRY APART IN THE DAY THE FORMER PRESIDENT SAID THAT WE ARE A GREATER THREAT FOR WHAT IS WITHIN, I THINK THAT WAS IN SOME RESPECTS A SELF OWNED BECAUSE WHAT'S WITHIN IF HE WERE TO BECOME ELECTED PRESIDENT AGAIN IS A CAMPAIGN OF RETRIBUTION AND ANGER AND HATE. THAT'S NOT WHAT AMERICA'S BASED ON. AMERICA WAS BASED ON THE IDEA OF IN GOD WE TRUST AND UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL. A DIVIDED NATION IS NOT WHAT AMERICA IS INTENDED TO BE. >> LET'S TURN TO HUNTER BIDEN AND THE HEADLINES AROUND THAT. HE WAS INDICTED ON NINE NEW CHARGES THIS WEEK. THE SECOND TIME HE HAS BEEN INDICTED BY THE SPECIAL COUNSEL THIS YEAR ALONE. HIS LAWYER SAID IF HIS NAME WAS ANYTHING OTHER THAN BIDEN THE CHARGES WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT. WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT? >> IF HIS NAME WAS NONE OTHER THAN BIDEN HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BILK MILLIONS FROM FOREIGNENT SITS SO LET'S START THERE. HE WAS TRADING ON HIS FATHER'S NAME WHICH IS UGLY AND UNSAVORY, HE THEN DIDN'T PAY TAXES ON IT ACCORDING TO THE PROSECUTORS AND WE'LL SEE IF HE CAN PROVE THAT CASE, BUT IF HE CAN, HE VIOLATED U.S. LAW AND SHOULD BE SEVERELY PUNISHED FOR HAVING DONE SO. >> HOUSE REPUBLICANS SIGNAL THEY MAY VOTE AS EARLY AS THIS WEEK ON AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY INTO PRESIDENT BIDEN DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY HAVEN'T SHOWN BUSINESS DEALINGS AND PRESIDENT BIDEN. HAVE YOU SEEN ANY EVIDENCE THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS COMMITTED HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS? >> NO. I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY EVIDENCE OF THAT AT ALL. BEFORE YOU BEGIN AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY YOU SHOULD HAVE SOME INCLINATION THAT THERE IS WRONGDOING AND SO FAR THERE'S NOTHING OF THAT NATURE THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED. >> IF YOU WERE OPPOSED AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY. >> I WOULD VOTE AGAINST IT UNLESS THEY BROUGHT SOMETHING THAT SHOWED HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS HAVE BEEN COMMITTED BUT THAT HASN'T BEEN THE CASE. UNFORTUNATELY, FOR MOST PEOPLE WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MISDEEDS OF MY KIDS, GRANDKIDS AND PRESIDENT BIDEN'S SON HUNTER HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN AN UNSAVORY PERSON AND HAS HAD AN EXTREMELY PERSONAL DAMAGING FOIBLES INCLUDING A DRUG, AND THAT'S NOT PRESIDENT BIDEN AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO IMPEACH SOMEONE BECAUSE OF THE FOIBLES OF THEIR KIDSES. >> THE SENATE HAS ONE WEEK LEFT TO NEGOTIATE THIS AID PACKAGE FOR ISRAEL AND UKRAINE. R REPS ARE HOLDING A HARD LINE ON BORDER SECURITY. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF NOT PASSING AID TO UKRAINE RIGHT NOW, SENATOR? >> WELL, I DON'T KNOW, HOW QUICKLY THE MONEY HAS TO UKRAINE, OR HOW QUICKLY THE ARMAMENT HAS TO GET TO UKRAINE. I HAVE TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS. IT'S NOT JUST REPUBLICANS HOLDING A HARD LINE, IT'S DEMOCRATS HOLDING A HARD LINE, EITHER SIDE CAN MOVE AND GET THE POSITION DONE AND HERE'S THE POSITION OF OUR SIDE AND MY SIDE, WE HAVE GONE FROM 1,000 TO 2,000 ILLEGAL ENCOUNTERS AT THE BORDER TODAY UNDER THE THREE PRIOR PRESIDENTS. UNDER BUSH, OBAMA AND TRUMP. 1,000 TO 2,000 A DAY. NOW WE'RE SEEING 10,000 TO 12,000 A DAY. AS PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR JOHN FETTERMAN SAID WE'RE BASICALLY SEEING PITTSBURGH SHOW UP AT THE BORDER EVERY MONTH. WE ARE AT A RATE OF INCURSIONS INTO THE COUNTRY OF ABOUT 4 MILLION A YEAR. THAT'S LARGER THAN THE POPULATION OF 24 OF OUR STATES AND WE WANT TO SOLVE THAT, TO SECURE THE BORDER. I JUST SAW THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SAY THAT WE'VE GOT TO SECURE THE BORDER. HE'S RIGHT. ANY EFFORT THAT DOESN'T DO THAT WILL BE REJECTED BY REPUBLICANS. WE WANT TO GET IT BACK TO THE LEVEL IT EXISTED UNDER THE THREE PRIOR PRESIDENTS. >> AND YOU'RE RIGHT, I KNOW THAT THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR REPUBLICANS AND YOU'RE RIGHT, PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID HE'S WILLING TO NEGOTIATE. IT WAS DESCRIBED TO ME, YOU HAVE TO GET THROUGH ALL OF THE DISAGREEMENT AROUND THE BORDER TO EVEN START ADDRESSING THE UKRAINE AND ISRAEL PIECE OF IT. TAKING A STEP BACK, WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU THINK IT SENDS TO PRESIDENT PUTIN, TO PRESIDENT XI WHEN THEY SEE THAT THERE ARE A GROWING NUMBER OF REPUBLICANS WHO ARE OPPOSED TO WHO THEY SAY IS WRITING A BLANK CHECK TO U RAIN. >> WE'RE NOT GOING TO WRITE A BLANK CHECK AND WE WILL PROVIDE UKRAINE WEAPONS TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST PUTIN WHO IS A THUG AND MURDERER SO THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO. I THINK PUTIN AND XI RECOGNIZE THAT DEMOCRACY IS MESSY AND THAT OUR SYSTEM IS NOT AUTHOR TIRIAN AND WE DON'T HAVE A DICTATOR. THEY'RE DICTATORS AND THEY LIKE TO MAKE A BIG DEAL OF THE PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH. IT HAS WORKED FOR AMERICA IN THE PAST AND IT WILL WORK IN THE FUTURE AND WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS AND DON'T FORGET, THE PRESIDENT WAS THE ONE THAT PUT THE BORDER AND THE BORDER ISSUE AS PART OF THE PACKAGE. THIS IS NOT A REPUBLICAN ISSUE AND HE BROUGHT IT TO THE FRONT AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE DEALING TH IT. ? JUST QUICKLY, YOU WERE THE FIRST PERSON TO CALL ATTENTION TO RUSSIA WHAT YOU DESCRIBED OUR NUMBER ONE GEOPOLITICAL FOE. ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR PARTY'S POSITION ON UKRAINE? >> EACH INDIVIDUAL MAKES THEIR OWN POSTURE KNOWN ON A PARTICULAR ISSUE AND MY OWN VIEW IS THAT IT IS VERY MUCH IN AMERICA'S INTEREST TO SEE UKRAINE SUCCESSFUL AND TO PROVIDE THE WEAPONS THAT UKRAINE NEEDS TO DEFEND ITSELF. ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT WOULD BE A HUGE DERELICTION OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND OUR OWN NATIONAL INTEREST BECAUSE IF PUTIN THINKS HE CAN INVADE HIS NEIGHBOR WITH IMPUGNITY AND THAT WE'LL STEP BACK ANDRRECT? >> AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON THE CONTEXT. >> IT DOES NOT DEPEND ON THE CONTEXT, THE ANSWER IS YES AND THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD RESIGN. >> SENATOR MITT ROMNEY IS STILL HERE WITH US. SENATOR, LET ME GET YOUR REACTION TO WHAT WE JUST WITNESSED AGAIN. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA HAS NOW RESIGN. SHOULD THE OTHER TWO PRESIDENTS RESIGN? >> WELL, I'M NOT GOING TO TELL THEM WHAT THEY SHOULD DO, BUT WHAT THEY IT IN THAT HEARING WAS REPUGNANT, IT IS OUTRAGEOUS, INCOMPREHENSIBLE AND VIOLATES AMERICAN MUNITY. WE'RE A DIVERSE NATION NOT TO RECOGNIZE THAT CALLING FOR THE GENOCIDE OF A PEOPLE IS AWFUL, IT'S A HATE CRIME. I MEAN, THIS WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY BREACH OF THE HADS OF THESE UNIVERSITIES AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WAIT A SECOND, IF A CONSERVATIVE SPEAKER WOULD COME TO THEIR CAMPUS THEY WOULD BE OUTRAGED AND THEY CAN'T COME THERE AND THEY'RE SAYING IT'S OKAY FOR PEOPLE TO CALL FOR GENOCIDE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE? BY THE WAY, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT JEWS AND IT'S ABOUT MEMBERS OF ISLAM, IT'S ABOUT TOLERANCE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT IN OUR COUNTRY AND THESE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS HAVE TO STAND UP FOR THAT. THEIR FAILURE TO DO SO WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY FAILURE. >> YOU'VE TAKEN ME TO MY NEXT QUESTION AND IT'S ABOUT ISLAMOPHOBIA AND HATE IN ALL OF ITS ROLES AND DOES CONGRESS HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY OF ADDRESSING HATE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND SHOULD CONGRESS BE MORE ENGAGED ON WHAT'S HAPPENING? >> NOT BY CREATING LAW, BUT BY CREATING EXAMPLE AND RECOGNIZE THAT THE PEOPLE WE CHOOSE AS LEADERS WILL NOT JUST WRITE LAW AND EFFECTUATE POLICY AND THEY ALSO SAID IN THE CHARACTER OF THE COUNT RYE AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I HAVE SUCH CONCERN ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS HE'S AFFECTED THE CHARACTER OF AMERICA. LOOK, WE ARE A DIVERSE NATION WHETHER PEOPLE WANT IT TO BE THAT WAY OR NOT. WE ARE HIGHLY DIVERSE, NOT JUST BY ETHNICITY, BUT ALSO BY RELIGION AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND THERE ARE A WHOLE SERIES AND DIMMEN EDGES ON WHY WE ARE DIVERSE AND YOU MAY NOT LIKE IT AND THAT'S WHEN WE ARE. THE ONLY WAY A NATION AS DIVERSE AS US IS ABLE TO BE STRONG IS IF WE RECOGNIZE THE DIVINE NATURE OF HUMANITY. WE RECOGNIZE ONE ANOTHER, THEY'RE FALSE AND WE DON'T ATTACK EACH OTHER. TEARING DOWN OTHER AMERICANS, RETRIBUTION, REVENGE, ANGER, THAT IS NOT THE FUTURE OF A GREAT COUNTRY. >> LET'S TURN NOW TO THE 2024 RACE AS YOU BRING UP FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP. WHY HAVEN'T YOU ENDORSED A CANDIDATE YET, SENATOR, AND DO YOU PLAN TO DO SO? >> WELL, BECAUSE IF I ENDORSE SOMEONE IT WOULD BE THE KISS OF DEATH. SHOULD I ENDORSE THE PERSON I LIKE LEAST RIGHT NOW? [ LAUGHTER ] I'M NOT GOING TO BE ENDORSING PRESIDENT TRUMP, OBVIOUSLY. I'VE MADE THAT VERY CLEAR. LOOK, CHRIS CHRISTIE HAS DONE A TERRIFIC JOB SO FAR. HIS BEING IN THE RACE HAS KEPT DONALD TRUMP FROM COMING TO THE DEBATES. IF HE WENT TO THE DEBATE CHRIS CHRISTIE WOULD REVEAL HIM FOR WHAT HE WAS AND TRUMP WOULD BE BADLY HURT. NIKKI HALEY IS RISING RIGHT NOW. SHE HAS A SHOT AT BECOMING THE NOMINEE OTHER THAN PRESIDENT TRUMP AND IT'S A LONG SHOT IN HER PART, BUT SHE'S THE ONE THAT HAS A SHOT, BUT WE'LL SEE. >> DO YOU THINK IT'S TIME FOR OTHER CANDIDATES AND NOT NIKKI HALEY SINCE SHE HAS THE MOMENTUM TO DROP OUT OF THE RACE, TO START CONSOLIDATING THEIR SUPPORT? >> I DON'T THINK IT'S MY ROLE TO TELL PEOPLE WHEN TO GET OUT AND IT'S TOO BIG AN INVESTMENT BY PEOPLE AND SUPPORTERS TO BE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT FOR SOMEONE TO SAY HEY, YOU OUGHT TO GET OUT AND I HOPE TO CONTINUES TO CONSOLIDATE AND IT BECOMES A TWO-PERSON RACE, BUT EVEN THEN, DONALD TRUMP IS THE PROHIBITIVE FAVORITE. >> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT WHAT LIZ CHENEY SAID, THE COUNTRY WOULD BE BETTER RUN BY DONALD TRUMP AND MAGA REPUBLICANS, THAT'S EFFECTIVELY WHAT SHE SAID. DO YOU AGREE WITH HER THERE? >> PRESIDENT BIDEN'S HAS NOT WORKED FOR AMERICA. THE STATISTICS ARE BETTER RIGHT NOW, BUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE HURTING AS THEY GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AS BREAD COSTS $5 A LOAF AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY BIDEN'S POLICIES ARE GOOD FOR AMERICA. THERE ARE DEMOCRATS OUT THERE THAT I THINK WOULD DO A BETTER JOB, SOMEONE BESIDES PRESIDENT BIDEN IS THE DEMOCRAT. >> YOU WROTE YOUR WIFE'S NAME-- >> THE JOE I WOULD LIKE TO VOTE FOR IS JOE MANCHIN AND I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU RIGHT NOW WHO I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR. FORTUNATELY, FOR ME I'M IN A STATE THAT'S NOT A SWING STATE AND IT'S NOT A STATE IN CONTEST AND WHOEVER I VOTE FOR FOR UTAH WILL BE FOR DONALD TRUMP SO IT'S KIND OF IRRELEVANT, BUT I TYPICALLY VOTE FOR ANNE FOR THAT RUN. >> DO YOU THINK SENATOR MANCHIN IS GOING TO RUN? >> NO, BUT I WISH HE WOULD. I WISH HE WERE THE NOMINEE. >> THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHER DEMOCRATS THAT I CAN THINK OF THAT WOULD BE BETTER THAN PRESIDENT BIDEN. >> IT SEEMS YOU'RE NOT RULING OUT VOTING FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN. >> I'M NOT GOING TO DESCRIBE WHO I WOULD RULE OUT OTHER THAN PRESIDENT TRUMP. YOU HAVE A SETTING OF SOMEONE WHO IS TOO OLD AND SOMEONE ELSE WHO IS A LITTLE TOO NUTTY, AND WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO VOTE ON THAT BASIS? AND BY THE WAY, IN MY VIEW, BAD POLICY WE CAN OVERCOME AS A COUNTRY. WE HAVE IN THE PAST. >> YEAH. >> BAD CHARACTER IS SOMETHING WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OVERCOME. >> LET ME ASK YOU, IF DONALD TRUMP IS THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE, BUT LOSES TO PRESIDENT BIDEN, DO YOU THINK THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS WILL BE PEACEFUL OR ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT IT MAY NOT BE? >> OH, I THINK IT WOULD BE PEACEFUL. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY QUESTION THAT VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WOULD NOT TRY TO REJECT ELECTORS FROM STATES THAT ARE CERTIFYING PRESIDENT BIDEN AS ONE. I JUST DON'T THINK AMERICA IS GOING TO ERUPT, BUT I KNOW THERE WILL BE SOME PEOPLE WHO HOPE THAT THAT WOULD OCCUR. >> WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FUTURE, YOUR DECISION TO LEAVE THE SENATE. YOU'VE BEEN ADAMANT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT SO I WON'T ASK YOU THAT QUESTION, BUT WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU, SENATOR? >> I CAME HERE TO ASK YOU WHETHER A POSITION AT NBC NEWS WOULD BE AVAILABLE? [ LAUGHTER ] >> I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TO KEEP AMERICA THE HOPE OF THE EARTH AND THE HOPE OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY AND WHETHER THAT'S BY LECTURING IN UNIVERSITIES AND GOING AROUND THE COUNTRY AND SPEAKING OR WRITING ANOTHER BOOK OR TWO OR MAYBE JUST, YOU KNOW, GETTING BEHIND SOME OF ANNE'S AMBITIONS THESE DAYS. MY WIFE IS LEADING AN EXTRAORDINARY CENTER FOR NEUROLOGIC RESEARCH. LIFE IS SO FANTASTIC AND IT IS SO WONDERFUL BEING ALIVE AND I DON'T WORRY ABOUT MY NEXT CHAPTER. >> I HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT GEORGE ROMNEY WHO ALSO RAN FOR PRESIDENT AND HAVE CALLED HIM YOUR LIFE'S HERO. WHAT WOULD HE THINK OF THE STATE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TODAY? >> HE WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND IT. HE WOULD NOT BELIEVE IT. THE PARTY IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS. I'M READING A LOT OF HISTORY. I'M READING A BOOK RIGHT NOW CALLED "THE AGE OF ACRIMONY" IT TALKS ABOUT POLITICS IN THE 1800s AND 1900s AND HOLY COW THE PARTIES WERE SO DIFFERENT. WHEN I RAN IN 2012 THE PARTY IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT IS TODAY. PRESIDENT TRUMP BECAME OUR NOMINEE AND ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE WHO WERE DEMOCRATS FOREVER WHO FLOATED INTO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND A LOT OF PEOPLE LEFT AND SO IT'S A DIFFERENT PARTY TODAY THAN IT WAS THEN. I THINK HE'D BE SURPRISED TO SEE HOW MUCH IT'S CHANGED AND THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVISION THAT YOU'RE SEEING TODAY WOULD BE OF CONCERN FOR HIM, BUT DON'T FORGET, WHEN HE WAS A GOVERNOR
