Subject: 2016 GOP HIT on HRC
From: "Hendricks, Lauren" <[email-masked]>
To: Tony Carrk <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Brinster, Jeremy" <[email-masked]>, "Crystal, Andy" <[email-masked]>, "Dillon, Lauren" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 4 May 2016 06:35:13 -0700

Reince Priebus on CNN
5/4/16 7:20 AM

Watch here<https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/videos/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NjIzNjE2ODEsImVtYWlsIjoicGV0ZXJzb25rQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6MzE0OTcwLCJkb3dubG9hZGFibGUiOnRydWV9.Q72zL4pmzfmP6Cpbul9nU_-I2Z7yGKFLsUMJRH0KhCM>

I thought we would have more clarity in our party before the Democrats do. And look where they're at. I mean, Hillary Clinton, she can't win a state. She's going to have to win somewhere if she's going to win the nominee of the democratic party.
>> I think she won the last five out of seven states. I mean, she has won states.
>> I don't know. Well, listen, she's going to have to win more than she is in order to put this away and she's spending money on primaries when she should be having to spend money on ground game and battleground states.

>> Okay. In terms of party I not, there seems to be something of a mutiny among high-profile conservatives who are basically jumping ship this morning. Let me read a couple of the tweets to you. Here's John Kasich's former adviser mark salter says the GOP is going to nominateor prident a guy who reads "The national inquirer" and thinks it's on the level. I'm with her, meaning he will vote for Hillary Clinton. A conservative talk radio host, there's goes my Republican -- I feel relieved to do it. Even free. What do you say to those guys?
>> Look, there's going to be time here in the next few months to heal and come together.
That's what today is all about. It's starting that process. It's not easy. We had two candidates that had very serious operations with deep support. Both on the ground and on the air, everywhere for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every 6 minutes on cable. Everybody fighting about this. And it's going to take some time, but we're going to get there, because Hillary Clinton and the supreme court and getting our debt under control and signing a budget bill that Paul Ryan drafts up is going to be important to the future of our country, and I think people are going to understand that the words "President Hillary Clinton" is something we can't stand for.

But ultimately, Hillary Clinton, the supreme court, actually getting something done about our debt and spending in this country, it's not going to happen with Hillary Clinton as president. She's not going to sign a Paul Ryan budget. She's not going to appoint conservatives to the supreme court. If we care about those things, then we need to get behind the Republican nominee, and that's what I'm going to try to do for the next several months.

Transcript:

>>> Donald Trump had a huge night. His big win in Indiana prompting rival Ted Cruz to drop out of the race. Republican national committee chairman reince priebus tweeted that trump will be "The pro zumptive GOP nominee" and calling on fellow Republicans to unite behind trump. But will they? Reince priebus joins us now. Good morning, reince.
>> Hey, good morning, Alisyn.
>> So a year ago when this race started in earnest, did you ever think this is where you would be this morning?
>> You know, I didn't, but I don't think that necessarily it's bad. You know what? I think something differ and something new is probably good for our party, and, look. I don't think anyone predicted what happened. So, look, we're here. We're going to get behind the presumptive nominee. I stated the obvious in the tweet. Obviously, you still have to get to 1,237 delegates, that number still stands.
>> Yes.
>> But -- obviously, without Ted Cruz in the race, who did something that I agree was very gracious last night.
>> Did that surprise you.
>> And unexpected.
>> Unexpected.
>> Yeah.
>> You were suppliessurprised when he suspended?
>> Yeah. I was surprised and it's a hard thing to do. He ran a very, very serious operation. Just an incredible ground game. His delegate operation was unbelievable. And I was surprised. But now, you know, you'd have to say that it's pretty obvious that Donald Trump is going to get to 1,237. He's got to do it, though.
>> Right. You say that it's obvious he's going to get there. It's not obvious to John Kasich's campaign. His adviser basically tweeting it was premature of you to say that. Is there any way that John Kasich can stop Donald Trump from getting to 1,237?
>> Look, that's going to be up to John Kasich.

[7:21:23 AM]

You know? And obviously, we have to have a nominee at 1,237, and the delegates on the floor have to vote. But, look, I think the momentum is there. We've got a candidate that is winning, in every single state. I mean, a week earlier, I don't think he lost a county in six states. So I mean, look, it's time to unite. It's time to come together, and I said, you may recall, months ago. I thought we would have more clarity in our party before the Democrats do. And look where they're at. I mean, Hillary Clinton, she can't win a state. She's going to have to win somewhere if she's going to win the nominee of the democratic party.
>> I think she won the last five out of seven states. I mean, she has won states.
>> I don't know. Well, listen, she's going to have to win more than she is in order to put this away and she's spending money on primaries when she should be having to spend money on ground game and battleground states.
>> You're talking about party unity and calling for it. Would it help if John Kasich got out of the race?
>> Look, I'm not going to -- I'm not go to get into that, Alisyn. You know, obviously, that's up to John Kasich. He's got his own, his own platform and his own agenda he's returning and I'm going to leave that up to him.
>> Okay. In terms of party I not, there seems to be something of a mutiny among high-profile conservatives who are basically jumping ship this morning. Let me read a couple of the tweets to you. Here's John Kasich's former adviser mark salter says the GOP is going to nominateor prident a guy who reads "The national inquirer" and thinks it's on the level. I'm with her, meaning he will vote for Hillary Clinton. A conservative talk radio host, there's goes my Republican -- I feel relieved to do it. Even free. What do you say to those guys?
>> Look, there's going to be time here in the next few months to heal and come together.

[7:23:24 AM]

That's what today is all about. It's starting that process. It's not easy. We had two candidates that had very serious operations with deep support. Both on the ground and on the air, everywhere for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every 6 minutes on cable. Everybody fighting about this. And it's going to take some time, but we're going to get there, because Hillary Clinton and the supreme court and getting our debt under control and signing a budget bill that Paul Ryan drafts up is going to be important to the future of our country, and I think people are going to understand that the words "President Hillary Clinton" is something we can't stand for.
>> Yesterday was a particularly crazy day on the campaign trail. Donald Trump was talking about Ted Cruz' father, implicating him somehow, and JFK assassination. Now that it's all over, but for the shouting, as they say, is it time for Donald Trump to apologize to Ted Cruz or his father?
>> Look, I don't know about all of the apologies, but I do think it's time to come together, and I think you saw the beginning of that last night. I thought that Donald Trump was very gracious. I thought his tone was spot-on. I think that is the Donald Trump that people are going to see a lot more of, and I think he was right to compliment Ted Cruz. I think that he was right to call what he did brave and gracious. I agree with that. And I think you're going to see more of that. You're certainly going to see a lot more of that from me, and I think you're going to see a lot of that from Donald Trump moving forward.
>> We know you had a conversation with Donald Trump last night. What did you promise him the party would do for him?
>> I didn't make any promises. I mean, this is the party. The candidates -- if Donald Trump ultimately becomes the nominee, which I think he will be, he's going to be joining the Republican party.

[7:25:24 AM]

We're not, you know -- as I've said before, the candidates join us. We don't join the candidates. And so our party platform is clear. The things we believe in are clear. We don't change what we believe in. As a party. We have a nomination process, and someone is going to get chosen. I believe Donald Trump will ultimately get chosen, and he's going to join the party.
>> Did trump tell you that he's changing his tone?
>> No, but we did talk about, you know, speaking at 30,000 feet, and we talked about bringing the party together, and unifying, and I think that's very important to him. Very important to me. In order to win. We can't win with one arm tied behind our backs. We've got to have everything at the ready, and I think we will, but, listen, Alisyn, I'm not naive. It will take some time. This was a very contentious battle. Donald Trump still has to get to 1,237. And it's up to John Kasich as to what he wants to do. I'm not going to tell him to get out or to stay in. It's up to him. But we in the meantime are going to come together. We need to start doing some things to start getting ready. Like we need to raise more money, get more boots on the ground and we need to continue to do the things that I've done at the RNC for the last five years.
>> Yeah. I mean that contentious battle has left the party wounded or at least behind the eight ball. The latest polling shows in terms, if you consider the Republican party united, only 7% of Republicans today consider the party united. So Donald Trump is going to have some work to do. What's his first olive branch?
>> Well, I think you saw some of that last night, Alisyn. I don't disagree with what you're saying, are 0 the fact people say, hey, the party needs to come together. We do. That's why I'm here, you know, at 6:30 in Racine, Wisconsin, talking to you and talking about unity and bringing the party together, and it's not easy when, you know, you have 17 candidates and in many cases, people's second and third choices didn't win.

[7:27:31 AM]

And so that's not easy. But ultimately, Hillary Clinton, the supreme court, actually getting something done about our debt and spending in this country, it's not going to happen with Hillary Clinton as president. She's not going to sign a Paul Ryan budget. She's not going to appoint conservatives to the supreme court. If we care about those things, then we need to get behind the Republican nominee, and that's what I'm going to try to do for the next several months.
>> Are you pouring baileys on your breakfast cereal yet?
>> No. I didn't have to. No need. No baileys yet.
>> Pretty tasty. Reince priebus, thanks so much. Great to talk to you.
>> All right.
>> Let's get to John.

Lauren Hendricks