In an interview conducted with House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday and aired on Wednesday’s NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer derided Republican attempts to repeal ObamaCare: “The House and the Senate last week passed a bill that would have repealed the Affordable Care Act. I think it's the 62nd time that's happened, and obviously the President vetoed it. Did you put out what you consider to be any kind of alternative?”
He demanded the Speaker respond to an attack from President Obama: “I talked to the President yesterday, and I talked to him about that veto, and he said, ‘You know what, it's very easy for the Republicans to come up with bill after bill to repeal something, but when are they going to come up with a plan that is better?’”
Ryan began to respond: “You're exactly right. We do have to show what we would replace it with. Here’s what we replace it with – ” Lauer interrupted him: “When will that happen? When are we going to see that plan?”
Ryan finished his answer: “This is the process we're going through this year. So we owe the country, by the end of this year, by the time we're talking about this in the summer and the fall, I believe we owe the country, ‘Here's what we should replace Obamacare with.’”
In his softball interview with Obama, Lauer worried about the President’s legacy being dependent on who becomes president in 2017: “How much jeopardy will your legacy be in if that person is not a Democrat?”
Talking to Ryan, Lauer pressed the Republican leader on the GOP presidential race: “Right now, the frontrunner in the presidential race on the Republican side – you're smiling at me already – is Donald Trump. This is a guy who has said that some immigrants coming here from Mexico are rapists. He's called for a ban on Muslims entering this country. Is that the kind of idea you can live with?”
Moments later, Lauer quizzed Ryan: “Let me read you a quote, and if you can, tell me who said this....It says, “I don't agree on priorities with someone like Speaker Paul Ryan, but I think he's an honest broker.” Who do you think said that?” Ryan deduced: “A Democrat, a prominent Democrat.” Lauer revealed the answer: “Hillary Clinton said that....How do you feel when you hear that?” Ryan acknowledged: “I feel good.”
Lauer then urged Ryan to say something nice about the Democratic frontrunner: “Give me a quote about Hillary Clinton.” Ryan quipped: “She's a very smart person, she’s a determined woman, and she will be a great former First Lady and senator for here on out.”
Here is a transcript of exchange aired on January 13:
7:44 AM ET
(...)
MATT LAUER: Away from the family, his days here in Washington are a blur of meetings, briefings, and shepherding his party's agenda through Congress. High on his priority list – health care.
[To Ryan] The House and the Senate last week passed a bill that would have repealed the Affordable Care Act. I think it's the 62nd time that's happened, and obviously the President vetoed it. Did you put out what you consider to be any kind of alternative? I talked to the President yesterday, and I talked to him about that veto, and he said, “You know what, it's very easy for the Republicans to come up with bill after bill to repeal something, but when are they going to come up with a plan that is better?”
PAUL RYAN: You're exactly right. We do have to show what we would replace it with. Here’s what we replace it with –
LAUER: When will that happen? When are we going to see that plan?
RYAN: This is the process we're going through this year. So we owe the country, by the end of this year, by the time we're talking about this in the summer and the fall, I believe we owe the country, “Here's what we should replace Obamacare with.”
LAUER: All this amid a contentious election, even just within his own party. Right now, the frontrunner in the presidential race on the Republican side – you're smiling at me already – is Donald Trump. This is a guy who has said that some immigrants coming here from Mexico are rapists. He's called for a ban on Muslims entering this country. Is that the kind of idea you can live with?
RYAN: Well, I've already spoken clearly about how we shouldn't have a religious test on people coming to America. We should defend the First Amendment, which is religious freedom.
LAUER: When Donald Trump offered or proposed his ban on Muslims coming into this country, you said this, “This is not conservative. It's not what the party stands for.” You didn't mention –
RYAN: And it's not what the country stands for.
LAUER: That's right. So if he becomes the nominee of the party, will you support him?
RYAN: Yes, I will. I'll support whoever our nominee is. You gotta remember, as Speaker of the House I'm the chairman of the convention. So I don't agree with him on that and I made it very clear –
LAUER: So how do you get your arms around that, though? How do you square that?
RYAN: Because you don't agree with everybody on everything.
LAUER: Let me read you a quote, and if you can, tell me who said this.
RYAN: Alright, Vince Lombardi.
LAUER: You go to the Packers every single time. It says, “I don't agree on priorities with someone like Speaker Paul Ryan, but I think he's an honest broker.” Who do you think said that?
RYAN: A Democrat, a prominent Democrat.
LAUER: Hillary Clinton said that.
RYAN: Alright, I didn't know that.
LAUER: How do you feel when you hear that?
RYAN: I feel good.
LAUER: Give me a quote about Hillary Clinton.
RYAN: She's a very smart person, she’s a determined woman, and she will be a great former First Lady and senator for here on out.
(...)
