00:00I haven't seen him all day.
00:05Okie doke. Good evening everybody and thank you for coming at this late hour.
00:12Now, it's been a long day. I appreciate everyone being around.
00:16So let's be clear what happened.
00:18Donald Trump attempted to steamroll the Senate to put in place his historically unqualified nominees,
00:25but Senate Democrats wouldn't let him.
00:27We've been working all week to try and find a reasonable path to allow bipartisan Senate consideration,
00:35provided the White House and Senate Republicans met our demands.
00:40Obviously, the two sides disagree on a whole lot of things,
00:44but we were serious about trying to make some progress.
00:48But ultimately, Trump wouldn't agree.
00:51He took his ball, he went home, leaving Democrats and Republicans alike wondering what the hell happened.
01:01Trump's all-cap tweet says it all.
01:04In a fit of rage, Trump threw in the towel, sent Republicans home,
01:09and was unable to do the basic work of negotiating.
01:16Is this the art of the deal?
01:19Posture?
01:20Cajole?
01:20Stamp your feet and then give up?
01:22This says it all.
01:24Donald Trump tried to bully us, go around us, threaten us, call us names,
01:29but he got nothing, and he walked away with his tail between his legs.
01:36One of these days, Trump is going to have to learn that he needs to work with Democrats
01:40to help the American people.
01:44The Trump-Republican go-it-alone strategy ain't working,
01:48and the American people aren't happy.
01:50As we look ahead to the fall, Republicans have to make a decision moving forward.
01:57They can work to find common ground with Democrats to deliver for our constituents,
02:02for our country.
02:03Just look at the three appropriation bills we passed this week.
02:07It shows that Democrats, when Republicans are willing to work with us, will work with them.
02:11Or the Republicans can continue to go at it alone.
02:18Following Donald Trump down a dangerous path that hurts their party and hurts the American people.
02:26Because, after all, who is hurt the most when Republicans go at it alone?
02:32It's the American people back home.
02:34When they go at it alone, their hard-right, angry people who don't represent America get their way.
02:41But when they work with us, that can't happen, because we won't let the hard-right get its way.
02:46So, when Republicans chose to go at it alone, they ripped health care away from 15 million Americans.
02:55When Republicans chose to go at it alone, they ended up imposing Medicaid cuts, shuttering rural hospitals.
03:02And now they're preparing to allow health care premiums to skyrocket.
03:07These health care premiums are going through the roof,
03:10and people are going to start learning about it as early as September and certainly in October.
03:15And they're going to hate it.
03:17This isn't just a $10 increase.
03:19These are hundreds and even thousands of dollars that they're going to pay more.
03:23And not just Medicaid, not just Medicare, but just about everybody.
03:26Because we've been talking to the health insurers,
03:29and that's what's happening because of the big, ugly betrayal that they call their BBB.
03:33Now, it doesn't have to be that way.
03:38My Republican colleagues know that when we are able to land bipartisan deals
03:45and get painfully close on a fair deal on bipartisan nominees, we can get something done.
03:53But, of course, they tried.
03:54Some of them in the Republican caucus tried to work with us.
03:57Donald Trump pulled the rug out from under him.
03:59And, again, no one knows what the hell he did and why he did it.
04:04They're befuddled.
04:05Many of the Republicans told me they're totally confused, but they all know one thing.
04:11Donald Trump didn't get his way.
04:13Donald Trump didn't get his way.
04:15Again, this shows it.
04:18He bullied us.
04:19He cajoled us.
04:19He called us names.
04:22And he went home with nothing.
04:25Nothing.
04:25Americans, whether Democrat, Republican, Independent, they want us to put them first.
04:34Instead, the Republican go-out-alone strategy has been devastating for American families.
04:40Higher prices on everything from health care to groceries to utility bills to essential goods.
04:44That is not what voters had in mind when they handed Republicans very narrow majorities in Congress and a paper-thin presidential victory to Donald Trump.
04:56So let me say it again.
04:58Sooner or later, Donald Trump, Mr. Art of the Deal, or so he claims, is going to have to learn that he has to work with Democrats if he wants to get deals, good deals, that help the American people.
05:11Going at it alone will be a failed strategy.
05:14It's the wrong choice for Republicans.
05:16It's the wrong choice for the American people.
05:20Ready for your questions?
05:21Yes, ma'am.
05:22I just wanted to ask about the possible rules change.
05:25Because Republicans are saying they want to do that in September.
05:27Some of their ideas are similar to the Democrats who have invited the administration.
05:32It would be a huge mistake for them to do it.
05:35A huge mistake.
05:37Yes.
05:38Because when they go at it alone, they screw up for the American people and for themselves.
05:45Are there any rules changes that you could potentially agree to in September?
05:49We should be working together on legislation to get things done for the American people.
05:55That's the way to go.
05:57Not changing the rules.
05:58Because when they change the rules, they say, only we're going to decide what's good for the American people.
06:03And every time they do that, the American people lose.
06:05Ken, the Republican Senator Holden said to me that you were seeking, you were asking the White House to unfreeze some aid for the policy in Gaza.
06:15Is that actually...
06:16Look, I'm not going to get into the details.
06:18Obviously, we'd all like to help Gaza.
06:20But the bottom line is, we were getting close on a whole lot of issues.
06:24And Donald Trump just pulled the rug out from under people.
06:27And even before that, when it looked like we were getting close a day before, he again called in and screwed it all up.
06:35They should stop listening to him.
06:37If they want to do what's good to the American people, they shouldn't be in blind obeisance to Donald Trump.
06:45Look, I'm not getting into the details, but we've talked to the White House.
06:49And we mostly talked to Thune, who would then talk to the White House.
06:53And that didn't work out too well for Thune or the White House.
06:57Yes?
06:57Do you think there's a possibility, then, that this could be revisited in September?
07:01As a what?
07:02It could be revisited in September and that you could reach some sort of deal then?
07:05Or is this completely...
07:06Look, the bottom line is what we ought to be doing in September is making sure we do the appropriations bills in a bipartisan way.
07:13We ought to be making sure that we protect the American people from the hard-right craziness that just hurts them all the time.
07:20And the only way to do that is bipartisanship.
07:22Last one.
07:28We've talked vaguely about broad issues, but not that specifically yet.
07:32We will.
07:33Okay.
07:34Thank you, everybody.
07:37What do you think?
07:39The art of the deal?
07:40I'm impressed you got posters on that.
07:43We are more effective and more unified than the Republicans.
07:47Thanks, Senator.
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