Fox's Stephen Hayes: “Republicans Can't Just Cast Aside Their Principles ... Because Donald Trump Comes Around”
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
From the May 10 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Bret Baier:
BRET BAIER (HOST): What does he have to do Steve, Trump, up on Capitol Hill Thursday, with Ryan and McConnell?
STEPHEN HAYES: Well, I think he’s first got to commit himself to outreach. I mean, what we've seen the past week, and in response to Paul Ryan's withholding of his immediate endorsement is Donald Trump sort of lashing out, and Sarah Palin, a top surrogate for Trump going after Paul Ryan, says she's going to primary him, he's going to be like Eric Cantor, he's going to lose his seat. Trump himself taking shots at the people who are resisted or coming to Trump or open to coming to Trump, with resignation. I think he's got to embrace those. We've seen this before actually, In 2008 and in 2012. 2008 I remember sitting on the straight talk express with John McCain, asking him why he wasn't reaching out more to conservatives. Why he wasn't picking up the phone and calling Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, trying to bridge that gap and McCain's answer to me basically at the time was, “I don't need to.” Mitt Romney, came late I think to embracing and trying to go after the Tea Party, make sure that they were enthusiastic about him. He didn't have as much success as he might have had. Donald Trump saying this weekend, I don't need the conservatives, that is crazy. If he doesn't have the conservatives, the conservatives beyond the never Trumpers, he will lose.
BAIER: Ted Cruz wouldn't answer today whether he was going to officially endorse Donald Trump. He wouldn't take the question, really. Marco Rubio said he is supporting the nominee.He signed the pledge. What does it take to get these guys to say I'm in?
TUCKER CARLSON: I mean some are unwinnable. I mean, Trump has insulted them personally. I don't think you can overstate the effect of that. He's gone after them and their legacy, the legacy of the Bush administration, they're stung by it, a lot them are not going to support him, of course.
BAIER: But, isn't Hillary Clinton the unifying factor?
CARLSON: Yeah, I mean potentially. You've seen some Republicans come out and endorse her. Look, he should win some conservatives, but I would say the Republican Party in Washington should also not ignore Trump's voters. And the one issue they could win a lot of voters back, and they should -- he's just won the Republican nomination beating 16 people, all of whom were backed in essence by Washington Republicans. There's a statement being made by voters to D.C., I think they just need to move on immigration. I actually think a lot of the details of economic policy, subject that Ryan is most interested in, Trump would probably move on those. But they've got to demonstrate a good-faith effort to secure the borders and at least to rethink our current immigration scheme which has been in place for 51 years, nobody is even willing to talk about it,Trump's voters clearly want a public conversation on that. Why can't they move on that?
BAIER: Well listen, I mean these Republicans are nowhere near deporting illegal immigrants.
CARLSON: But the population is, there was a series of polls in swing states done last week on “How do you feel about a temporary ban on Muslim immigration?” Everyone in D.C. is horrified by the idea, it's like evidence of membership of the Nazi Party and yet across the country, huge numbers of people, 65 percent of Wisconsin voters favor that not all Republicans, a lot of Democrats. It doesn't mean you should back it, it does mean you need to rethink your comfortable assumptions about immigration if you’re the Republican Party --
HAYES: Sure, but if you have principles, if you believe we shouldn't ban a religion?
CARLSON: What's the principle?
HAYES: Don't ban a religion? You know, in a country founded on freedom of religion, it’s not a good idea to ban a religion?
CARLSON: It's little more complex than that --
HAYES: Even with asterisks. Republicans can't just cast aside their principles, free trade because Donald Trump comes around and this Orange guy suggests that free trade is bad, we're going to throw away 300 years of Adam Smith --
CARLSON: I’ve been here a long time and haven't noticed a lot of principles among Republicans in Washington. Perhaps they are there, they’re hiding them well. I would just say look at Europe, look at the destruction of Europe underway now. What are the lessons -- It doesn't mean we need to ban people that are Muslims, I agree that's an overstatement and kind of crazy, but it does mean keeping your immigration regime the same in face of what's happening there is equally crazy --
HAYES: No no, I agree with you entirely. I think they need to respond to this --
CARLSON: And they’ve refused to –
HAYES: But if you make the argument, you're not making it, others have made it, that they just cast aside these pillars of conservatism because they're unpopular, because Donald Trump is making certain arguments about trade and about other things, I think that's unwise. And I think that's one of the reasons that you're seeing this resistance from some people. They don't want to support somebody who opposes the things that they’ve fought for and held most dear for years
CARLSON: Well, if open borders is one of things they held most dear for years, they're going to have to give up on it because the country doesn't support it, they defended it, and they need to change.
Previously:
Trump Campaign Manager On MSNBC: Trump “Is Now The Head Of The Republican Party”
Conservative Lawyers Warn Against Allowing Trump To Pick Supreme Court Justices