THANK YOU. THE BLUE MOON. THANK YOU, CHERYL. CHERYL: YOU BET. MARIA: FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP IS FACING AN UNPRECEDENTED THREE INDICTMENTS THIS TIME FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE RELATED TO THE JANUARY 6 CAPITOL RIOT, ONE DAY AFTER DEVON ARCHER TONIGHT THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE THAT THEN VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN PARTICIPATED IN 20 PHONE CALLS WITH FOREIGN BUSINESS PARTNERS. TRUMP WROTE THIS YESTERDAY, WHY DIDN'T THEY BRING THIS RIDICULOUS CASE TWO AND-A-HALF YEARS AGO, THEY WANTED IT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY CAMPAIGN. THAT'S WHY. JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IS FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, MIKE HUCKABEE. GREAT TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. TRUMP HAS A POINT, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF ALL OF THESE INDICTMENTS? >> THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO STEER THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2024. IT ALWAYS JUST HAPPENS TO COME OUT WHEN THERE'S DAMAGING INFORMATION ABOUT THE BIDEN CRIME FAMILY. HERE'S WHAT REALLY REPUBLICANS ARE GRAPPLING WITH. THERE'S TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT. ONE, TRUMP OUGHT TO GET OUT BECAUSE HE'S JUST GOT TOO MUCH BAGGAGE. THE OTHER SCHOOL OF THOUGHT TO WHICH I SUBSCRIBE IS, TRUMP CAN ONLY NOT GET OUT, WE NEED TO GET BEHIND HIM AS NEVER BEFORE BECAUSE IF WE DON'T THIS BECOMES THE NEW TEMPLATE ON HOW TO DEFEAT A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE THAT YOU'RE SCARED OF. YOU USE GOVERNMENT THROTTLES AND YOU GO AFTER HIM, YOU WEAPONIZE AND PLIGHT SIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF -- POLITICIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND USE ALL OF THE POWER OF GOVERNMENT THAT ONE SITTING PRESIDENT CAN TAKE ON HIS OPPONENT, NOT THROUGH THE ELECTION PROCESS, BUT THROUGH THE WHEELS OF JUSTICE THAT YOU CONTROL. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE TO OUR SYSTEM AND IT'S MOST I THINK EGREGIOUS TO THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS DONALD TRUMP SAID SOME THINGS THEY DON'T LIKE. SO IF FREE SPEECH NOW IS GOING TO BE CRIMINALIZED AND PROSECUTED, WE'RE SCREWED. MARIA: WELL, THAT'S RIGHT. AND THAT IS WHAT JONATHAN TURLEY SAID ON FOX NEWS LAST NIGHT, SAYING THERE'S LESS THAN MEETS THE EYE IN THIS INDICTMENT. I THOUGHT THE LAST INDICTMENT WAS A SERIOUS THREAT FOR TRUMP. WHEN I TAKE A RED PEN THROUGH THIS MATERIAL THAT IS PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT IT REDUCES MUCH OF THIS TO A HAIKU. A SIMILAR SENTIMENT TALKED ABOUT THIS BEING FREE SPEECH SO WHAT'S THE CHARGE? WHAT'S THE CRIME? HIM SAYING HE OUT THE ELECTION -- HE THOUGHT THE ELECTION WAS STOLEN. THAT'S THE CRIME. >> AND THAT'S WHAT HE BELIEVES. HERE'S THE POINT. JACK SMITH TROTS OUT THERE YESTERDAY AND TALKS ABOUT JANUARY 6. THIS INDICTMENT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH JANUARY 6. THIS INDICTMENT IS ALL ABOUT WHAT DONALD TRUMP SAID, WHAT HE BELIEVED. WHICH IS PROTECTED UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT. THANK GOD FOR PEOPLE LIKE JONATHAN TURLEY WHO IS A DEMOCRAT, HE'S NOT A TRUMP SUPPORTER BUT HE IS A CONSTITUTIONALIST, HE HAS RESPECT FOR THE LAW, SOMETHING JACK SMITH DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE, NOR DOES MERRICK GARLAND, NOR DOES JOE BIDEN AND NOR DOES THE PRESS IN THIS COUNTRY WHICH IS REALLY DISTURBING TO ME THAT THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT IF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION CAN DESTROY THE FIRST AMENDMENT FOR REPUBLICANS, THEY CAN ALSO DESTROY IT FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA SO THEY BETTER WATCH OUT AND LOOK BEHIND THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE COMING UP AFTER THEM. MARIA: GOVERNOR, BUT, WELL, YOU'RE SAYING ALL THAT. YOU ALSO SAY THAT A THE GOP SHOULD NOT BE RUSHING INTO A BIDEN IMPEACHMENT. THEY'VE GOT 170 SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY REPORTS. THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY UP TO $30 MILLION IN MONEY, JAMES COMER SAYS IT'S $30 MILLION FROM DIFFERENT PLAYERS, 17 MILLION JUST IN A TWO YEAR PERIOD BACK IN 2014 AND '15 AND YOU'VE GOT WHISTLEBLOWER TESTIMONY. HOW MUCH MORE EVIDENCE DO YOU WANT THAT THIS FAMILY HAS BEEN ACCEPTING MONEY FROM FOREIGN NATIONALS? WHY WAIT ON IMPEACHMENT? >> I THINK THE REASON YOU WAIT IS BECAUSE YOU NEED TO DRILL THIS OUT UNTIL THE POINT COMES WHERE EVEN DEMOCRATS CAN NO LONGER DEFEND WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY IN FRONT OF THEM AND EVEN MEMBERS OF THE PRESS START DOING THEIR JOBS. THE PROBLEM WITH IMPEACHMENT THAT HAPPENS RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE IMMEDIATE REACTION IS JUST SAYING OH, IT'S JUST POLITICAL PAYBACK. WELL, WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN IS WHAT HAPPENED IN THE '70s WHICH I LIVED THROUGH AND IN WATERGATE AS THE EVIDENCE CONTINUED TO DRIBBLE OUT THERE CAME A POINT IN WHICH REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE TURNED ONYX ON AND SAID WE CAN'T DEFEND THIS ANYMORE. THE PRESS WAS ALREADY THERE OF COURSE. WHEN THAT HAPPENED IT WAS OVER. THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. I THINK McCARTHY'S TAKING THE RIGHT APPROACH. START THE INQUIRY OF IMPEACHMENT BUT DON'T FILE THE ARTICLES. IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN AND IF THE HOUSE WERE TO VOTE FOR IMPEACHMENT, IT DIES IN THE SENATE NOT JUST BECAUSE OF DEMOCRATS BUT BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE MITT ROMNEY AND OTHERS WHO WILL VOTE AGAINST IT. SO MAKE THIS SO IT BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE BY THE PEOPLE THAT RIGHT NOW ARE IGNORING IT. MARIA: I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW ANY TRIAL COULD TAKE PLACE BEFORE AN ELECTION WHICH IS A YEAR AWAY. I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT THE FIRST GOP DEBATE IN ONE MONTH. LESS THAN A MONTH AT THIS POINT. YOU'VE GOT THE IOWA CAUCUSES IN TWO MONTHS. TRUMP IS TEASING ON TRUTH SOCIAL THAT THE FIRST GOP PRIMARY DEBATE MIGHT DETERMINE HIS 2024 VICE PRESIDENTIAL PICK. YOU'VE BEEN ON THAT PRIMARY STAGE BEFORE. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? WHEN I ASKED TRUMP ARE THERE PEOPLE ON THAT STAGE WHO YOU THINK COULD BE A PARTNER, HE SAID ABSOLUTELY. HE COMPLIMENTED TIM SCOTT, HE COMPLIMENTED VIVEK RAMASWAMY. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND WHETHER OR NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE ON THAT STAGE IS GOING TO BE HIS RUNNING MATE? >> VERY WELL COULD BE. I THINK THE TWO YOU MENTIONED ARE CERTAINLY IN THE RUNNING FOR THAT. I COULD TELL YOU WHO WON'T BON THE LIST, AIN'T GOING TO BE CHRIS CHRISTIE. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SOME OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CRITICAL AND SAID THAT HE OUGHT TO GET OUT OF THE RACE OR HE SHOULD BE CHARGED CRIMINALLY. THAT'S NONSENSE. WHAT OUGHT TO BE HAPPENING IS EVERY ONE OF THOSE CANDIDATES OUGHT TO BE DEFENDING DONALD TRUMP NOT BECAUSE HE SAID SOMETHING THAT THEY DIDN'T LIKE, BUT THEY OUGHT TO BE DEFENDING THAT HE HAS A RIGHT TO SAY WHAT HE WANTS AND THEY OUGHT TO BE CRYING OUT AGAINST THIS RIDICULOUS PERSECUTION. THIS ISN'T PROSECUTION, THIS IS PERSECUTION. THIS IS ELECTION INTERFERENCE. WE BETTER CALL IT FOR WHAT IT IS OR WE LOSE THIS GREAT REPUBLIC. MARIA: IT'S EXTRAORDINARY. GO AHEAD, KELLY. >> I WANT TO TAP INTO YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A CANDIDATE. IT FEELS LIKE VOTERS ARE GETTING SO MUCH FATIGUE FROM THESE INDICTMENTS, FROM THE HUNTER BIDEN PROCEEDINGS AND IT'S REALLY GOING TO COME DOWN TO THOSE INDEPENDENT VOTERS THAT YOU'VE BEEN LASER FOCUSED ON BEFORE. NONE OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING RIGHT NOW IS FOCUSING ON THOSE KITCHEN TABLE ECONOMICS. HOW DO YOU THINK ALL OF THIS THEATER IS GOING TO IMPACT THOSE FOLKS WHEN THEY GO TO THE POLLS? >> KELLY, I THINK MOST PEOPLE RIGHT NOW ARE GOING TO PAY ATTENTION ONLY TO THE HORSE RACE ASPECT OF THIS. UNFORTUNATELY, POLICY WILL PLAY A BACK SEAT WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT OUGHT TO BE CEP BRATTING CANDIDATES RIGHT NOW -- SEPARATING CANDIDATES RIGHT NOW, WHAT WILL THEY DO, HOW WILL THEY FIX PROBLEMS THAT JOE BIDEN HELPED CREATE BUT UNFORTUNATELY -- LET ME BE VERY HONEST. I BLAME THE MEDIA. I ' I THINK QUITE FRANKLY THESE DEBATES ARE NOT DEBATES. THEY'RE GAME SHOWS. I WOULD SCRAP THE WHOLE CONCEPT. I WOULDN'T HAVE MODERATORS. I KNOW I'M SAYING SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY GOES AGAINST EVEN THE VERY NETWORK I'M TALKING ON. BUT HERE'S WHAT I WOULD DO. GET RID OF MODERATORS, PUT THE CANDIDATES OUT THERE, EVERYBODY GETS THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME. THEY MAKE THEIR POINT. THEY ASK EACH OTHER QUESTIONS. THE DEBATE BECOMES A REAL DEBATE. THIS IS NOT A DEBATE. THIS IS A FORUM. AND IT'S CONTROLLED BY MODERATORS, NOT BY THE CANDIDATES. MARIA: DO YOU THINK TRUMP IS GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS UPCOMING DEBATE. >> PROBABLY NOT. I DON'T BLAME HIM. IF HE DOES ALL HE'LL DO IS WEAR A TARGET ON HIS BACK. LET THE OTHER GUYS FIGHT IT OUT IN A DEMOLITION DERBY. THEY'RE VYING FOR ONE THING, TAKING HIM ON, NOT TAKING BIDEN ON. MARIA: IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING. THANKS SO MUCH. >>
