In a softball exchange with Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday’s NBC Today that sounded more like a DNC strategy session, co-host Matt Lauer demanded to know how liberal lawmakers were going to stop President Trump’s executive order on immigration: “...you said you thought it was crucial for Democrats to be the bulwark against some of the things that Donald Trump wants to do....what do you intend to do about it? What power do you have?”
Lauer was quoting Schumer’s own words during an Inauguration Day appearance on the morning show, when the New York Senator proclaimed: “I realized the importance of the role of we Democrats in the Senate. We are sort of the bulwark against some of the things that President-elect Trump might try to do that won't be acceptable to our values or the American people.”
On Monday, Schumer responded by announcing: “Well, this evening I will ask for a vote on the floor of the Senate to repeal this....Already 11 Republicans, not just the ones you’ve shown, have spoken out against it.” Lauer fretted: “Speaking out against it on the Republican side is very different from then taking the next step.”
Moments later, Lauer noted: “All of this happens as many of Donald Trump's nominees for cabinet positions, key cabinet positions, are still waiting action. I think only two of 15 have actually been approved.” Rather than press Schumer on Democrats holding up those nominations, the co-host vaguely wondered: “Are you willing to connect the dots?”
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Schumer took that to be an endorsement of Democratic obstructionism:
Yes, tonight another thing I will do is ask that they delay the nomination, the vote, on Mr. Tillerson for Secretary of State because when he was questioned in committee and asked about a future Muslim ban, because we didn't know that it was occurring, he was very mealy-mouthed. So I'm going to ask for a delay...
Lauer followed up: “What about any of the other cabinet nominees?” Schumer replied: “I think we’re going to ask about it for just about every one.” Lauer warned: “And you’re going to be accused of taking political hostages.” Schumer dismissed such concerns: “Oh, please. This is so important to America. Aren't the American people entitled to know the positions of these cabinet people before they come in?”
Notice how the NBC journalist said Schumer was “going to be accused” of playing politics, rather than actually level the charge directly.
Wrapping up the friendly sit-down, Lauer teed up Schumer to promise another fight against Trump’s agenda: “...there is word that President Trump's pick for the Supreme Court could be announced as early as today or tomorrow. Given what happened with Merrick Garland back last year with the Republicans, how messy is this going to get?”
Schumer declared: “Well, look, we're not looking for payback, but we're looking for two things. Number one, and above all, a candidate who will be in the mainstream....Will the President nominate someone who’s mainstream enough to get bipartisan support?”
Lauer skipped the usual talk of urging the Senate to give the President’s court pick a fair hearing and instead put the onus on the Trump administration: “Has the White House reached out at all across the aisle?” Schumer explained: “They've asked, in general, our views with nothing specific. I told them we wanted a mainstream judge. Let's hope and pray he listens.”
Despite the Democrat’s claims that his party was not “looking for payback,” just hours later, Schumer’s colleagues announced they would filibuster Trump’s court pick “no matter who the president chooses to the fill the current vacancy.”
Here is a full transcript of Lauer’s January 30 interview with Schumer:
7:10 AM ET
MATT LAUER: We’re joined now by Senator Chuck Schumer. Senator, nice to see you. Good morning.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: Good morning, glad to be here.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Trump’s Travel Ban; Sen. Schumer on Protests, “Un-American” Order]
LAUER: Everybody knew this was coming. Democrats knew it was coming, Republicans knew. Anyone who paid attention to the campaign for the last year knew that Donald Trump was going to do this in some form. You got very upset about this. Is it the breadth of the order, the implementation of it, the message, what?
SCHUMER: Yes, all of them. First, it was done in such a sloppy and careless way. Major agencies, the Border Patrol, Customs didn't even know about it. There were major holes in how it was done. It almost seems like back of the envelope. So even for those who might be for this – I am certainly opposed – the slapdash way it was done was appalling and created the chaos.
But much more importantly, this will make us less safe. John McCain is exactly right, it will encourage lone wolves here in America, they have created most of the terrorism. The biggest problems we’ve had with terrorism are not from these countries. In fact, there's something called the Visa waiver program, which allows people from France or Belgium, places where there are known terrorists, to come in no questions asked. This – I don't even get what they were getting at because they're not stopping terror, they're instead doing what is, in effect, as Rudy Giuliani said, a Muslim ban. Now that is against what America is all about.
LAUER: We sat together on the day of the Inauguration in Washington a little more than a week ago, you said you thought it was crucial for Democrats to be the bulwark against some of the things that Donald Trump wants to do. Not to sound like we’re on the playground here, but what do you intend to do about it? What power do you have?
SCHUMER: Well, this evening I will ask for a vote on the floor of the Senate to repeal this. Senator Feinstein has very carefully thought out legislation to repeal this. I hope Mitch McConnell allows that vote. Already 11 Republicans, not just the ones you’ve shown, have spoken out against it. We should repeal this and then we should sit down in a careful, thoughtful way, figure out ways we need to tighten up things against terrorism.
LAUER: Speaking out against it on the Republican side is very different from then taking the next step.
SCHUMER: Let's hope they’ll do it because this is what America is all about. You know, yesterday I sat with two families. One, a brave man from Iraq who had served as a translator and his life was threatened because he was translating for our soldiers. He came in January 5th. Had the order been January 1st, he would have been dead. Another family, whose parents, grandparents were Americans. Suicide bomber blew up stuff in front of their house because of their affiliation – their religious affiliation. They, too, could have been dead. This is a blanket ban, it hurts innocent people, and doesn't stop terrorism. It's just appalling.
LAUER: All of this happens as many of Donald Trump's nominees for cabinet positions, key cabinet positions, are still waiting action. I think only two of 15 have actually been approved. Are you willing to connect the dots?
SCHUMER: Yes, tonight another thing I will do is ask that they delay the nomination, the vote, on Mr. Tillerson for Secretary of State because when he was questioned in committee and asked about a future Muslim ban, because we didn't know that it was occurring, he was very mealy-mouthed. So I'm going to ask for a delay, whether McConnell grants it, you know, they run the Senate, is one thing.
LAUER: What about any of the other cabinet nominees?
SCHUMER: I think we’re going to ask about it for just about every one.
LAUER: And you’re going to be accused of taking political hostages.
SCHUMER: Oh, please. This is so important to America. Aren't the American people entitled to know the positions of these cabinet people before they come in?
LAUER: Real quickly, there is word that President Trump's pick for the Supreme Court could be announced as early as today or tomorrow.
SCHUMER: Yes.
LAUER: Given what happened with Merrick Garland back last year with the Republicans, how messy is this going to get?
SCHUMER: Well, look, we're not looking for payback, but we're looking for two things. Number one, and above all, a candidate who will be in the mainstream. The last four nominees to the Supreme Court, two Democrats, two Republican – two by a Democratic president, two by a Republican president – got bipartisan support. Will the President nominate someone who’s mainstream enough to get bipartisan support?
LAUER: Has the White House reached out at all across the aisle?
SCHUMER: They've asked, in general, our views with nothing specific.
LAUER: Senator –
SCHUMER: I told them we wanted a mainstream judge. Let's hope and pray he listens.
LAUER: Senator Chuck Schumer. Senator, nice to have you here this morning. Thank you very much.
