Former Trump aide turned CNN commentator David Urban was not nearly as impressed with Pete Buttigieg's Tuesday night debate performance as the rest of Wednesday's CNN Newsroom panel. Before asking Urban his thoughts, CNN host Poppy Harlow played a clip of Buttigieg, hyping it as a moment where he was, "putting Republicans on notice." Buttigieg declared on Tuesday night:
If you are watching this at home and you are a Republican member of Congress, consider the fact that when the sun sets on your career and they are writing your story of all the good and bad things you did in your life, the thing you will be remembered for is whether in this moment, with this president you found the courage to stand up to him or you continued to put party over country.
After the clip, which was not all that compelling, Harlow added, "He then quoted scripture from the Bible" asking Urban if it was "Compelling, meaningful?" Urban tersely responded, "No, I mean, it was a canned moment."
The otherwise liberal panel seemed surprised that a conservative panelist did not think a progressive politician telling Republican members of Congress to get with his program under the guise not putting "party over country" or that the Bible mandates a minimum wage of at least $15 an hour was particularly compelling. Jon Avlon produced a slight laugh and Harlow responded by asking "really?"
Urban noted that Republicans are not just going to abandon Trump and the over 60 million people who voted for him because Pete Buttigieg wants them to.
Harlow then argued that, "A lot of people who voted -- a lot of people who voted for the president will also say 'I like what he's done for the economy, I like the policies, I don't like hearing the stuff he's said.'" Urban agreed and urged Trump to stop the abrasive tweeting and stick to the positive news. Democratic strategist Maria Cardona then declared that "he’s not doing that ... Trump is losing people that did vote for him, that wanted him to watch, lookout out for them and not focus on all this racism and bigotry."
But Trump does also tweet the good news. Just this morning, for example, he tweeted about a plan that will hopefully lower the cost of prescription drugs, but those tweets don't get nearly the outrage views and clicks that some of the others do, so the media don't cover them non-stop for a week.
Here is a transcript for the July 31 show:
CNN
CNN Newsroom
9:11 AM ET
POPPY HARLOW: David Urban, listen to this, and then you can say whatever you want, but listen to this. Here was Pete Buttigieg last night putting Republicans on notice.
PETE BUTTIGIEG: If you are watching this at home and you are a Republican member of Congress, consider the fact that when the sun sets on your career and they are writing your story of all the good and bad things you did in your life, the thing you will be remembered for is whether in this moment, with this president you found the courage to stand up to him or you continued to put party over country.
HARLOW: He then quoted scripture from the Bible. Compelling, meaningful?
DAVID URBAN: No, I mean it was a canned moment, so I think, look Mayor Pete, half—
HARLOW: Really?
URBAN: It's 60 plus million people voted for the president and mayor Pete is completely wrong.
JOHN AVLON: On what?
HARLOW: A lot of people who voted -- a lot of people who voted for the president will also say “I like what he's done for the economy, I like the policies, I don't like hearing the stuff he's said.”
URBAN: No, look listen, I’ll come on almost every show I’m on and I say, and I'll say it again, which camera “Mr. President, please tweet out the positive things. Let's talk about job growth in Michigan, you know, real wage increases, all the positive things we're doing for this country.” Let's stick to those things. One plus one plus one plus one, that’s how we got the to win.
MARIA CARDONA: But he’s not doing that and I think what Pete pointed out yesterday is what a lot, not just Democrats, but you see poll after poll, Trump is losing people that did vote for him, that wanted him to watch, lookout out for them and not focus on all this racism and bigotry.
