President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union on Thursday night, speaking about immigration and acknowledging low unemployment rates.
“I just don’t buy it,” James Garcia of Creative Vistas Media says. “I don’t buy it at all. I don’t think it was sincere. I think it came off as hollow. I think he was trying to deliver a message not just to the Republican Party and the established Republican Party, but also to, if you will, Independents – anyone out there he thinks he could swing because he is doing horribly in the polls.”
Garcia is one of many who are unimpressed by the address. He thinks it was a campaign speech to the president’s party, and he was taking credit for things he had no business in taking credit for. However, Garcia believes there is a blue wave coming in November that will bring the Republicans a hard time.
“I think a big piece of this was trying to get Republicans to be more comfortable in making sure they vote for Republicans this November,” Jaime Molera of Molera Alvarez says. “That’s a big issue – wondering if not only are they going to keep the Senate, but are they going to keep the House.”
Molera points out that Trump brought up unemployment in a variety of minority groups because it’s an agreeable topic. Whether or not the listener buys it, people can approve of what he had said.
“If he can demonstrate that our economy is on the right path, and he can demonstrate that people are employed and making higher wages, then ultimately their lives are going to get better,” Molera says.
Garcia says the jobs Trump talked about saving, however, aren’t being helped. The bigger picture, Garcia says, is international global trade deals that are good for the country.
Trump invited a couple families whose daughters were victims of a murder crime committed by someone who was in the country illegally. The president has done this before, notably in his campaign tours. Garcia saw he display of the victims as “pure exploitation.”
More coverage of the State of the Union was shown on Arizona Horizon.
JOSE CARDENAS: PRESIDENT TRUMP ASKED LAWMAKERS FOR A COMPROMISE ON IMMIGRATION CALLING FOR STRICTER IMMIGRATION RULES AND TALKING ABOUT A STRONF ECONOMY DURING HIS FIRST STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS. JOINING ME TO TALK ABOUT THE SPEECH ARE JAMIE MOLERA, PARTNER WITH MOLERA ALVAREZ, A GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS FIRM. AND JAMES GARCIA, OWNER OF CREATIVE VISTAS MEDIA, A VALLEY-BASED MEDIA AND POLICY CONSULTING FIRM. THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US ON HORIZONTE. THIS IS HIS FIRST SPEECH. WE’VE GOT A NUMBER OF CLIPS THAT WE WANT TO RUN AND GET YOUR COMMENTS ON THE CLIPS AND THE RELATED TOPICS. THIS WAS A SOMEWHAT SUBDUED TRUMP WHO EARLY ON CALLED FOR UNITY, WHICH IS NOT UNUSUAL BUT GIVEN THIS LAST YEAR THAT PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT MESSAGE. WE ARE GOING TO RUN THAT CLIP RIGHT NOW.
(CLIP) PRESIDENT TRUMP: TONIGHT, I CALL UPON ALL OF US TO SET ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES, TO SEEK OUT COMMON GROUND, AND TO SUMMON THE UNITY WE NEED TO DELIVER FOR THE PEOPLE. THIS IS REALLY THE KEY. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WE WERE ELECTED TO SERVE.
JOSE CARDENAS: SO JAIME, GIVEN THE RECENT EXPERIENCES WITH THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND ANOTHER PERHAPS LOOMING IN A WEEK. HOW EFFECTIVE DO YOU THINK THIS MESSAGE IS GOING TO BE?
JAIME MOLERA: WELL, IT WAS A MESSAGE THAT HE HAD TO SEND NOT JUST IN DEALING WITH THE IMMEDIATE ISSUES WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN-WHETHER HOW THEIR GOING TO DEAL WITH DACA- HOW THEIR GOING TO DEAL WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER PIECES THAT HAVE TO GO BEFORE CONGRESS. BUT I THINK A BIG PIECE OF THIS WAS TRYING TO GET REPUBLICANS TO BE MORE COMFORTABLE IN MAKING SURE THEY VOTE FOR REPUBLICANS THIS NOVEMBER BECAUSE THAT IS A BIG ISSUE THAT A LOT OF REPUBLICANS NATIONALLY ARE STARTING TO WORRY ABOUT. WHETHER OR NOT THEIR NOT ONLY GOING TO KEEP THE SENATE-BUT WHETHER OR NOT THEIR GOING THEIR GOING TO KEEP THE HOUSE. THERE IS A LOT OF POLLING DATA THAT SHOWS THERE IS THIS BLUE WAVE THAT IS STARTING TO GET MOMENTUM. IF THEY DON'T DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD KEEP REPUBLICANS HAPPY WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY CAN DEAL WITH THESE FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES THEN YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET REPUBLICANS TO THE POLLS AND CERTAINLY THE DEMOCRATS ARE VERY MOTIVATED. AND THAT IS SOMETHING I THINK THEY HAVE TO SEND A MESSAGE. HE REALLY WANTED TO SEND A CLEAR SIGNAL THAT LOOK, I AM IN CHARGE, I WANT TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, AND I AM GOING TO BE EFFECTIVE. AND ALSO, IF YOU NOTICED, HE REALLY HIT ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN A LOT OF GOOD CREDITS. REALLY IT WAS AROUND THE TAX REFORM AND THEY ARE REALLY TRYING TO MINE THAT.
JOSE CARDENAS: WE WILL GET TO THAT IN A MOMENT. JAMES, INDEED PART OF THE MESSAGE NOT JUST TO THE REPUBLICAN VOTERS BUT TO THE REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS URGING THEM TO FIND SOME LEVEL OF COOPERATION BECAUSE THE REPUBLICANS HAVE TO SHOW THEY BE GOVERN.
JAMES GARCIA: WELL, FIRST JUST TO THE WHOLE SORT OF MESSAGE THAT WAS DELIVERED. I WATCHED IT- I JUST DON’T BUY IT. I DON’T BUY IT AT ALL AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE-
JOSE CARDENAS: YOU DON’T BUY THE PEACE FEELERS-
JAMES GARCIA: I DON’T BUY IT. I DON’T THINK IT WAS SINCERE. I THINK IT CAME OFF AS HOLLOW ULTIMATELY. I THINK ALSO-YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF HERE IS ONE SPEECH THAT WAS CRAFTED IN A RATHER COMPARITIVELY SPEAKING FOR TRUMP-CIVIL TONE AND HE MAY HAVE SAID QUOTE ON QUOTE ALL OF THE RIGHT THINGS. BUT AFTER TWO YEARS OF THE CAMPAIGN, HIS FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE, AND REALLY THE MADNESS AND ALMOST LUNACY IN TERMS OF HOW HE CARRIES ON WITH HIS JOB- I DON'T BUY IT.
JOSE CARDENAS: DO YOU THINK THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IS BUYING IT?
JAMES GARCIA: NO. I DON’T THINK THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IS BUYING IT EITHER. I THINK THIS IS KIND OF THE EQUIVALENT OF OUT SORT OF GOING OUT TO YOUR YARD AND YOU HAVE BEEN BITTEN A COUPLE TIMES BY SNAKE AND YOU SAY TO YOURSELF-IF I GOT OUT THERE A THIRD TIME PET HIM MAYBE HE WON'T BITE ME THIS TIME. I THINK THAT’S WHERE WE KIND OF ARE WITH TRUMP AND MOST OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. I THINK THAT YEAH HE WAS TRYING TO DELIVER A MESSAGE NOT JUST TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE ESTABLISHMENT REPUBLICAN PARTY BUT ALSO TO, IF YOU WILL, INDEPENDENTS OUT THERE. ANYONE HE THINKS HE CAN SWAY BECAUSE HE IS DOING HORRIBLY IN THE POLLS. DESPITE THE FACT HE HAD SOME GREAT SUCCESS WITH THE TAX PLAN, PEOPLE ARE NOT BUYING IT. PEOPLE ARE NOT BELIEVING WHO HE IS.
JOSE CARDENAS: SPEAKING OF THAT TAX PLAN, AS ALL PRESIDENTS DO THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS,AND HE LED WITH THAT. WE’VE GOT A CLIP.
(CLIP) PRESIDENT TRUMP: JUST AS I PROMISED THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FROM THIS PODIUM 11 MONTHS AGO, WE ENACTED THE BIGGEST TAX CUTS AND REFORMS IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
JOSE CARDENAS: WE ALSO TALKED THE SUCCESS IN LOWERING UNEMPLOYMENT. HE MADE A SPECIFIC COMMENT ABOUT UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY. HE TALKED ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES BEING ENCOURAGED TO INVEST AND SO ON AN SO FORTH. HOW EFFECTIVE DO YOU THINK HE WAS IN RECITING THOSE? SOME OF THE COMMENTARY SO FAR HAS BEEN A LOT OF THAT STUFF WAS HAPPENING ANYWAY AND YOU CAN'T TAKE FULL CREDIT YOURSELF.
JAIME MOLERA: EVERY PRESIDENT DOES THAT. EVERY GOVERNOR DOES THAT. ANY POLITICIAN DOES THAT. THEY TAKE CREDIT FOR THINGS GOING WELL AND IF IT AREN’T GOING WELL IT WAS THE PERSON BEFORE THEM THAT DID A HORRIBLE JOB AND THAT’S WHY THEIR STUCK WITH THIS MESS. HERE IS A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I THINK FOLKS NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT WHAT HIS MESSAGING WAS. HE MENTIONED LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE-HISTORICAL LOW EMPLOYMENT RATES FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS. THEY ALSO MENTIONED LATINOS LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATES. AND HIGH WAGE GAINS AMONGST BOTH OF THOSE POPULATIONS. I DOUBT IT WAS BECAUSE HE WANTED TO TRY TO MAKE IN ROADS. AND WAS THINKING THAT THOSE POPULATIONS ARE NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP….OR VOTE FOR REPUBLICANS FOR THAT MATTER, BUT IT REALLY DOES GIVE THE REPUBLICAN BASE….AND ESPECIALLY REPUBLICAN WOMEN AND INDEPENDENTS, MORE OF A COMFORT TO SAY-YOU KNOW WHAT IF THAT IS THE CASE MAYBE THINGS ARE GOING WELL. QUITE FRANKLY YOU MAY NOT BUY IT BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU HAD OVERNIGHT CBS POLLS SHOWING THAT 75% OF THE PUBLIC SAID I APPROVE OF WHAT HE SAID. SO HE IS TRYING TO SPREAD A MESSAGE THAT… OKAY, YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT I HAVE DONE, YOU MAY NOT LIKE THESE SILLY TWEETS THAT I DO, BUT IF HE CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT OUR ECONOMY IS ON THE RIGHT PATH AND HE CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT PEOPLE ARE WORKING, THEY ARE EMPLOYED AND ACTUALLY MAKING HIGHER WAGES- THAN ULTIMATELY THEIR LIVES ARE GOING TO GET BETTER. EVERY ANALOGY THAT HE TRIED TO SHOW, WHETHER IT YOU BUY IT OR NOT, HE WAS SHOWING LATINOS, HE WAS SHOWING AFRICAN-AMERICANS, HE WAS SHOWING WOMEN AND IT REALLY PLAYED TO THAT HEART FELT BASE OF HEY I AM NOT THIS CRAZY GUY. I AM SOMEBODY MAKING AMERICAN'S LIVES BETTER.
JOSE CARDENAS: THE PEOPLE WHO HAD QUALMS DON'T HAVE TO FEEL AS GUILTY.
JOSE CARDENAS: RIGHT AND NOT JUST SUPPORTING THE PRESIDENT, BUT SUPPORTING THE REPIBLICANS THAT IN CONGRESS. I THINK RIGHT NOW THAT’S THE ANKS THAT THE REPUBLICANS HAVE. IF THEY DON'T REVERSE THAT MESSAGE, AND IF THEY DON’T COME OUT WITH A BETTER STORY, THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME IN NOVEMBER.
JAMES GARCIA: I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT. I THINK THERE IS A BLUE WAVE. I THINK THERE IS ALSO A PURPLE WAVE. I THINK THERE IS ALSO JUST A WAVE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE FENCE MAYBE IN THE LAST ELECTION WHO SAT IT OUT AND NOW ARE BACK. WHO I THINK ARE GOING TO VOTE IN THRONGS AGAINST REPUBLICANS.
JOSE CARDENAS: BUT DON’T THEY NOW HAVE- AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR HIM LAST TIME MAYBE HAD SOME QUALMS. MAYBE FELT GUILTY ABOUT IT BUT THINGS SEEM TO BE GOING REASONABLY WELL.
JAMES GARCIA: YEAH, SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WILL STICK WITH HIM. I MEAN I THINK FOR NOW, WHAT WHAT YOU SEE IS HARD CORE, HARD RIGHT SORT OF LOYALIST STICKING WITH HIM ALMOST- NO MATTER WHAT HE SAYS. ARE YOU BOTHERED BY THE FACT THAT HE SEEMS TO- EVERY OTHER THING THAT COMES OUT OF THIS MOUTH IS A LIE? YEAH, THAT’S JUST POLITICIANS. I MEAN THAT’S KIND OF THE ANSWER. YOU KNOW-ARE YOU BOTHERED BY THE FACT HE DOESN’T SEEM TO BE KEEPING HIS PROMISES ON A WHOLE RANGE OF THINGS? WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY ALL DO THAT.
JOSE CARDENAS: SO YOU DONT THINK TRADITIONAL REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO BE REACTING POSITIVE TO THIS?
JAMES GARCIA: I THINK TRADITIONAL REPUBLICANS. THE PEOPLE I CONSIDER SORT OF REAL REPUBLICANS, WHICH HE IS NOT, I THINK ARE, FOR THE MOST PART, JUST DROPPING OFF IN TERMS OF SUPPORT FOR HIM. BUT THERE WILL BE SOME THAT IF THINGS GO SMOOTHLY, AND THE ECONOMY IMPROVES AND HE MANAGES TO KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT AND NOT SAY INSANE THINGS ON TWITTER ANYMORE OR THREATEN NUCLEAR WAR… SOME OF THOSE FOLKS WILL COME BACK.
JOSE CARDENAS: SO LET'S TALK ABOUT ANOTHER TOPIC HE DID TALK ABOUT DURING THE CAMPAIGN AND HE MENTIONED IT LAST NIGHT…AND IT HAD TO DO WITH TRADE DEALS AND HOW TO GET US OUT OF THEM AS HE PROMISED.
(CLIP) PRESIDENT TRUMP: AMERICA HAS ALSO FINALLY TURNED A PAGE ON DECADES OF UNFAIR TRADE DEALS THAT SACRIFICED OUR PROSPERITY AND SHIPPED AWAY OUR COMPANIES, OUR JOBS, AND OUR WEALTH. OUR NATION HAS LOST ITS WEALTH BUT WE ARE GETTING IT BACK SO FAST. THE ERA OF ECONOMIC SURRENDER IS TOTALLY OVER.
JOSE CARDENAS: SO JAIME, HE SAID NOTHING ABOUT NAFTA WHICH MOST PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK IS NOT ONE OF THOSE BAD TRADE DEALS HE’S RAILED AGAINST IT.
JAIME MOLERA: IT IS CONCERNING ESPECIALLY FOR ARIZONA. WE YOU HAVE INNIMTY THAT IF NAFTA WERE TO GO AWAY IT WOULD BE A DISASTER FOR OUR STATE. AND THAT’S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT. I THINK-YOU SEE WHAT JOHN MCCAIN IS SAYING AND JEFF FLAKE IS SAYING, OUR U.S. SENATORS, YOU SEE WHAT OUR GOVERNOR IS SAYING, THAT WE JUST CANNOT ABANDON NAFTA. SO IT IS CONCERNING HE DIDN'T MENTION THIS AS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO GET REDONE. BUT I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE PRESIDENT TRIED TO DO, IT REALLY HARKINS BACK TO HIS CAMPAIGN AND PEOPLE FORGET THAT MESSAGE ABOUT FAIR TRADE POLICIES RESONATED ESPECIALLY IN THE MIDWEST AND THE RUST BELT.
JOSE CARDENAS: WITH PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR JOBS.
JAIME MOLERA: ABSOLUTELY. DEMOCRATS- WHEN YOU LOOK AT WISCONSIN, MICHIGAN, WEST VIRGINIA, INDIANA. THESE ARE DEMOCRATIC STATES BUT THEY WENT FOR TRUMP AND HIS RHETORIC AROUND THAT ISSUE HAS BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE. NOT JUST REPBULICANS IN THAT AREA BUT EVEN WITH THE UNION MEMBERS IN THE AREA. THAT IS WHY HE IS DOUBLING DOWN ON IT.
JOSE CARDENAS: DOES THAT MAKE SENSE THOUGH, JAMES? HE'S NOW HAD A YEAR WHERE IF YOU JUST FOCUS ON THAT ISSUE, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A LOT OF JOBS HAVE BEEN SAVED. HE DID TALK ABOUT BRINGING SOME COMPANIES-
JAMES GARCIA: THERE HAVEN'T BEEN JOBS PARTICULARLY SAVED. AND YOU KNOW I THINK THERE WAS REPORTS JUST IN RECENT DAYS ABOUT JOBS THAT ULTIMATELY DID GET LOST IN INDIANA THROUGH THE CARRIER PLANTS THERE. SO EVEN THE SPECIFIC JOBS HE SINGLED OUT AND SAID I WILL SAVE THESE JOBS- HAVE NOT BEEN SAVED. I THINK THE BIGGER PICTURE OF THE CONVERSASTION IS ARE INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL TRADES DEALS GOOD FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I THINK HANDS DOWN THE ANSWER IS YES. DO I THINK THAT MOST OF THOSE TRADE DEALS HAVE BEEN FAIR? NO.
JOSE CARDENAS: THE COMMON VOTER-DOESN'T THE MAN AND WOMAN ON THE STREET, HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW?
JAMES GARCIA: MAYBE FOLKS WHO KIND OF TUNE INTO IT ON SOME LEVEL PROBABLY DO. THEY SOMEHOW BUY THE IDEA MANUFACTURING JOBS ARE BEING STOLEN FROM AMERICA BUT IT JUST ISN’T TRUE. THE FACTS DON'T PLAY THAT OUT.
JOSE CARDENAS: SO LET ME GET TO TWO OTHER CLIPS THAT WE HAVE. THE FIRST ONE IT’S KIND OF CONSISTENT WITH HIS PATTERN OF SAYING ATLEAST ONE THING NICE ABOUT IMMIGRANTS. HE BEGAN BY TALKING ABOUT HIS IMMIGRATION POLICY WILL HELP EVERYBODY INCLUDING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES. AND THEN HE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO TALK ABOUT HOW IMIGRANTS HAVE CAUSED DAMAGED AND HE SITES THE MURDER OF SOME CHILDREN.
(CLIP) PRESIDENT TRUMP: HERE TONIGHT ARE TWO FATHERS AND TWO MOTHERS. EVELYN RODRIGUEZ, FREDDY CUAVES, ELIZABETH ALVERADO AND ROBERT MICKENS. THEIR TWO TEENAGE DAUGHTERS, KAYLA CUAVES AND NISA MICKENS, WERE CLOSE FRIENDS ON LONG ISLAND. BUT IN SEPTEMBER 2016, ON THE EVE OF NIECE'S 16TH BIRTHDAY, SUCH A HAPPY TIME IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, NEITHER OF THEM CAME HOME. THESE TWO PRECIOUS GIRLS WERE BRUTALLY MURDERED WHILE WALKING TOGETHER IN THEIR HOMETOWN. SIX MEMBERS OF THE SAVAGE-
JOSE CARDENAS: SO JAIME, IS THIS ANOTHER JUST ANOTHER PART OF HIS STRATEGY OF DEMONIZING IMMIGRANTS OR WAS THERE ALSO SOME THOUGHT TO MAYBE SATISFYING HIS BASE THAT HE IS STILL CONCERNED ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND SETTING UP HIS POSITION ON A DEAL ON DREAMERS?
JAIME MOLERA: WELL, I THINK IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH. IT CERTAINLY HAS BEEN A STRONG POSITION HE HAS HAD AND HE’S CONTINUED SINCE HE’S STARTED THAT HE WOULD BE A HARD LINER ON IMMIGRATION AND IT’S PAID OFF WITHIN THE REPUBLICAN BASE.
JOSE CARDENAS: DO YOU THINK HE STILL NEEDS TO BE DOING THAT KIND OF THING?
JAIME MOLERA: BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE CLIP THAT WAS SHOWN IT WAS HEART-WRENCHING. YOU HAD THESE MINORITY FAMILIES-AFRICAN AMERICAN LATINO FAMILIES- THAT JUST LOST THEIR DAUGHTERS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT -- WHAT I GO BACK TO WHEN I FIRST STARTED THIS TALKING ABOUT THAT REPUBLICAN WOMAN VOTER OR THAT INDEPENDENT VOTER THAT MAY FEEL A LITTLE BUT OF QUALMS ABOUT VOTING FOR-
JOSE CARDENAS: THIS KIND OF BALANCES THAT OUT.
JAIME MOLERA: WELL, IT REALLY SAYS TO THEM-WELL, MAYBE HE’S GOT A POINT. WHEN YOU HAVE GANGS-
JOSE CARDENAS: SO LET ME HEAR FROM JAMES-
JAMES GARCIA: I THINK FOR SOME OF THE PEOPLE YOU JUST DESCRIBED THERTHERE’S GOING TO BE THIS KIND OF-LITTLE SORT OF CRACK IN THE DOOR THAT SAYS YEAH I’M GOING TO FORGIVE HIM FOR THIS. BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT WAS PURE EXPLOITATION. I MEAN IT WAS REALLY KIND OF NAUSIATING FOR ME. I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE WHO SUFFERED-SUFFERED HORRENDOUSLY. IT DOESN’T MAKE IT RIGHT. THEIR EXPLOITED IN JUST A CROTESS WAY THAT- I FOUND IT JUST MISERABLY OFFENSIVE. BUT BEYOND THAT- LET ME JUST GET TO THIS POINT-ULTIMATELY THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PRESIDENT'S DISCUSSION LAST NIGHT ON IMMIGRATION WAS ABOUT I WOULD LIKE TO LIMIT LEGAL IMMIGRATION AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE PARTICULARLY FROM A COUNTRY WHERE BROWN PEOPLE COME FROM AND BY THE WAY HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOME OF THESE BAD PEOPLE COME TO AMERICA. THIS WOULD BE LIKE ARGUING IF TWO CRIMINALS GOT ON A PLANE AND WENT TO PARIS FROM KENTUCKY AND KILLED PEOPLE AT A NIGHTCLUB THERE THAT WE SOMEHOW SHOULD JUST BAN ALL AMERICANS FROM GOING TO KENTUCKY. FROM GOING TO FRANCE-
JOSE CARDENAS: SO LETS DO THIS-WE WERE GOING TO SHOW A CLIP OF HIS FOUR PILLARS. LET JUST TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE YOUR COMMENTS ROLL RIGHT INTO THAT. HE DID LAY OUT A DEAL ON IMMIGRATION. HE SAID WHAT HE IS WILLING TO DO WHICH SOUNDS GENEROUS AS REGARDS TO THE DREAMERS AND WHAT HE WANTED IN RETURN.
JAMES GARCIA: YEAH BUT AGAIN I DON'T BUY IT. I DONT THINK THAT ANYONE- SCHUMER IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. YOU ARE NEGOTIATING WITH JELLO. IT DOESN'T HOLD TRUE. IT DOESN’T HOLD WATER. AND HIS LIE AFTER LIE AFTER LIE ON A WHOLE RANGE OF THINGS INCLUDING DACA AND IMMIGRATION MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SORT OF SAY YEAH, WE ARE SOMEHOW MEETING IN THE MIDDLE. AND THEY’RE ARE NOT. HE SAID THAT LAST NIGHT. I’M BEING GENEROUS, I’M COMING-I’M MEETING YOU IN THE MIDDLE. HE’S NOT MEETING THE MIDDLE, HE’S MEETING WAY OUT TO THE FAR RIGHT.
JOSE CARDENAS: HASN'T HE PUT THE DEMOCRATS IN A BUT OF A CORNER HERE? BECAUSE HE’S OFFERED THEM SOMETHING THEY HAVE ALWAYS WANTED.
JAIME MOLERAHE: OH ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY HE HAS. IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE FIRST REPORTS, YOU HAD JOE MANSION, DEMOCRATIC SENATOR FROM WEST VIRGINIA, WHO IS UP FOR RE-ELECTION, YOU HAD JOE DONNELLY, DEMOCRAT SENATOR FROM INDIANA, AND YOU HAD KRISTEN CINEMA, CONGRESSWOMAN WHO IS ALSO RUNNING FOR US SENATE HERE IN ARIZONA, ALL DEMOCRATS. WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THESE IMMIGRATION ISSUES- AND I AGREE EVERYONE WAS PLAYING TO THE BASE AND JUST TRYING TO USE ALL OF THIS RHETORIC AND USE THESE IMAGES TO FURTHER HIS OWN POLICIES –
JAMES GARCIA: BUT IT’S OFFENSIVE-
JAIME MOLERA: BUT THEY STOOD UP AND THEY APPLUADED-
JOSE CARDENAS: SO I HATE TO CUT THIS SHORT. THIS IS GOOD DISCUSSION BUT WE ARE PRETTY MUCH OUT OF TIME. JUST LET ME GET YOUR LAST THOUGHTS ON THE SPEECH OVERALL. YOU FIRST, JAIME.
JAIME MOLERA: IT WAS AN EFFECTIVE SPEECH. I MEAN- I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE FOUND IT OFFENSIVE BUT IT WAS AN EFFECTIVE SPEECH. WHEN YOU LOOK AT HIS POLLING NUMBERS IN DECEMBER OF 2017, THE LOWEST OF ANY PRESIDENT THAT STARTED HIS FIRST YEAR IS AT 32%. YOU LOOK AT- THE OVERNIGHT POLLS SHOW HIM AT 42% LEVEL. THAT IS NOT GREAT BUT HE HAS MARKETEDLY IMPROVED. IF HE CAN CONTINUE TO BE A LITTLE BIT DISCIPLINED AND I DOUBT THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT IF HE CAN CONTINUE TO BE A LITTLE DISCIPLILNED AND STAY ON THESE MESSAGES THEN REPUBLICANS, I THINK, CAN BE – THEY MIGHT HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF RETAINING THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE.
JOSE CARDENAS: JAMES, LAST WORD.
JAMES GARCIA: YOU CAN'T SUGAR COAT EVIL AND THAT’S WHAT THIS GUY IS ULTIMATELY ABOUT. EVERY INSTINCT THAT HE HAS IS ABOUT PUNISHING PEOPLE. IS ABOUT LASHING OUT. WE HAVE SEEN IT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS STRAIGHT SO WHY WOULD WE BELIEVE ANY OF THE WORDS HE SAID LAST NIGHT? WHY WOULD WE BUY IT?
JOSE CARDENAS: WE WILL BE BACK HERE I’M SURE IN A YEAR TO TALK ABOUT THE SECOND STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS. THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THE FIRST ONE. AND COMING UP NEXT IN SOUNDS OF CULTURA, AN EXHIBITION IN SCOTTSDALE SHOWING AN ARTIST MANIPULATION OF HISTORY AND POP CULTURE.
Jaime Molera: Molera Alvarez
James Garcia: Creative Vistas Media
