Republican Congressman Michael McCaul says they are the daughter of President Trump, Ivanka Trump, and her son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who are the “power players behind the scenes” in the Trump campaign and its reorganization.
Kushner, he believes, was behind the decision to demote campaign manager Brad Parscale. “Jared really is the brain behind the machine in the campaign,” McCaul told CBS News commander-in-chief in Washington Major Garrett in an interview for this week’s episode of the podcast “The Takeout.”
He said Kushner and Ivanka Trump were “very disappointed” by the low turnout at the Tulsa rally last month, the president’s first since the coronavirus pandemic closed the nation in March.
“Ivanka and Jared are powerful players behind the scenes. And I know they were both very upset with the way they talked about that rally and with a very disappointing turnout. And obviously it didn’t go as well as they expected. And I think they want to take it in one direction. different now, “McCaul said.
Highlights of this week’s episode:
- Congressman Michael McCaul on whether the Trump campaign is “working at full speed”: “No, not at all … I think no one’s campaign is running full steam ahead.”
- Jared Kushner’s influence on the Trump campaign: “Jared really is the brain behind the machine in the campaign.”
- Trump’s chances of winning Texas: “I think Trump wins Texas. The question is how much and what effect will that negative vote have?”
- Importance of wearing a mask: “There is a perception that Republicans don’t want to follow the rules … It is very important that people wear their masks.”
When asked if the Trump campaign “is running on all cylinders,” McCaul replied, “No, not at all … I think nobody’s campaign is running on all cylinders.” He suggested that the coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult for President Trump “to connect directly with the people.”
President Trump has also suffered a series of disappointments polls showing him behind or even with Joe BidenEven in the states, Republican presidential candidates are generally expected to win. McCaul, who represents Texas’ 10th congressional district, predicted Trump would win Texas, but said, “You have to take it seriously.”
“I think Trump wins Texas. The question is by how much and what will that negative voting effect be,” McCaul said, adding that his name is likely more aided by Senator John Cornyn’s name on the ballot. Mr. Trump. Cornyn also faces reelection this year.
“My favs are much higher than the president’s, and John Cornyn for that matter, so I feel pretty good about this one,” McCaul said of his own reelection bid.
McCaul also spoke about the importance of following the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stay safe in the midst of the pandemic.
“There is a perception that Republicans don’t want to follow the rules,” McCaul said. Several Republican governors have resisted making masks mandatory in public spaces, and the president has also largely resisted wearing one in public. “It is very important that people wear their masks,” McCaul continued.
McCaul discussed the president’s response to protests across the country against racial violence and police brutality, and urged the president to stop focusing so heavily on maintaining the statues of Confederate officials.
“I think what we need is leadership at the top that can heal this nation,” McCaul said. “My advice to the president is to have the base, let’s work in the central United States. Let’s work in the conventional United States. Because this is how the elections are won. And it is the right thing to do.”
McCaul said the president had lost a “golden opportunity to take the road” in responding to the protests.
“I think he had a golden opportunity to take the road and try to unite the nation and heal it. I think the nation needs a lot of healing right now,” McCaul said. “It’s too divisive and it’s too politically polarized, and I don’t think a lot of people like it, to be honest with you. And I think it was a missed opportunity that he had. I think Ivanka and a lot of others probably would have presented different messages.”
McCaul, who is the highest-ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a fierce critic of the Chinese government, also weighed in on the U.S. relationship with China. He spoke about the popular TikTok app and a bipartisan amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to ban the app’s use in the U.S. military.
“My children have used it, I think they are everyone’s children, it is very popular, and I warn my children and I warn others that all of this is within the reach of the Chinese Communist Party,” McCaul said.
For more information on Major’s conversation with McCaul, download the podcast “The Takeout” at Art19, iTunes, GooglePlay, Spotify and Stitcher. New episodes are available every Friday morning. Also, you can watch “The Takeout” on CBSN on Fridays at 5pm, 9pm and 12am ET and on Saturdays at 1pm, 9pm and 12am ET. For a complete archive of “The Takeout” episodes, visit www.takeoutpodcast.com. And you can listen to “The Takeout” on select CBS News Radio affiliates (check your local listings).
Producers: Arden Farhi, Jamie Benson, Sara Cook and Eleanor Watson
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