Transcript: RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel on "Face the Nation," November 4, 2018
The following is a transcript of the interview with Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, that aired Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, on "Face the Nation."
JOHN DICKERSON: We turn now to the head of the Republican National Committee Ronna McDaniel who joins us this morning from RNC headquarters in Washington. Welcome, Madam Chairman. The Republicans I know you think are going to have a good day on Tuesday. So if they do why will they have had a good day?
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIR RONNA McDANIEL: Well it's about the results and we just saw on Friday the great job numbers that 250,000 jobs were added to the economy on average in 2018. We've added 218,000 jobs a month that wages grew over three percent for the first time in a decade. And we've delivered on- on things that we've ran on. Taking on the opioid crisis funding our military taking care of our veterans. So we have a record of results and the Democrats have a record of resistance and obstruction and they're not putting forward ideas or a vision for this country. So I think that's why voters when they go to the polls are going to put Republicans back in the majority.
JOHN DICKERSON: Included in the list you just gave there was not what the president has been focused on in an ad that he released this week that had in it a Mexican cop killer. What did you- what was the message of that ad?
RNC CHAIR McDANIEL: Well I think the point is the president's a problem solver and we have this caravan headed towards our country. We have an immigration policy that is not working for our country and it's time for- for- once and for all for Democrats and Republicans to work together to solve our immigration problem. And we need comprehensive immigration reform. The president is leading on this issue. We haven't heard anything from the Democrats and I think that ad along with the issues at the border that we're seeing with these caravans continuing to grow with asylum claims up 1700 percent in the past eight years. We have an issue and we have to solve it. And the president's a problem solver he takes on issues he doesn't kick them down the road.
JOHN DICKERSON: That was not the message that members of your own party took from that ad. Let me quote just a few. Senator Jeff Flake called it sickening. The former Republican chairman of Florida said the president by running this ad was a despicable divider. John Kasich Ohio governor said all Americans should reject this ad and its motives. So as Republican chair are you proud of that ad?
RNC CHAIR McDANIEL: I think it's disgusting what this man did that he came into our country illegally twice that he wasn't deported and- and- and prevented from ever coming back to this country. And he killed two police. This is one instance. It is something that should alarm every American. We do not want to see this continue. We know that the vast majority of the people coming to this country are seeking economic opportunity. But we have a system that has failed that this criminal came into our country twice and was able to kill police.
JOHN DICKERSON: --disgusting in--
RNC CHAIR McDANIEL: And that is what is sickening and disgusting to me. And that's what everybody should be focusing on how do we prevent this from happening again.
JOHN DICKERSON: --right--
RNC CHAIR McDANIEL: The president's putting forward an immigration plan saying let's get rid of the visa lottery let's get rid of the chain migration. Let's focus on merit based immigration- merit based immigration and let's strengthen our borders. Where are the Democrats? They've been silent on this caravan. We need a- a comprehensive immigration reform.
JOHN DICKERSON: So I just don't want to mistake what you said, though. So- you didn't mention whether you were proud or not of the ad. You've got Republicans in your own party saying it's sickening, seeks to characterize a whole group of people by the disgusting awful actions of one. And so I just want to- from a- in a moral point as the Chair--
RNC CHAIR McDANIEL: --I disagree--
JOHN DICKERSON: --of the party, where do you--
RNC CHAIR McDANIEL: --with their assessment. I dis--
JOHN DICKERSON: --Okay.
RNC CHAIR McDANIEL: Yeah.
JOHN DICKERSON: Okay.
RNC CHAIR McDANIEL: I disagree--
JOHN DICKERSON: --So, you dis--
RNC CHAIR McDANIEL: --with that assessment. I think the ad is highlighting the fact that one individual got through the cracks and killed cops. That should make every American upset and we need to fix our immigration system. And the president's leading the way. Just like he has with deregulation and tax cuts and all the things that have got our economy humming because that's why Americans put a businessman in the White House. They wanted a problem solver, they wanted somebody who got things done at a quicker pace--
JOHN DICKERSON: --Okay--
RNC CHAIR McDANIEL: --than the--
JOHN DICKERSON: --Let me ask--
RNC CHAIR McDANIEL: --regular Washington bureaucracy. And, once again, he's tackling a tough issue and Democrats are nowhere to be found.
JOHN DICKERSON: Okay, Madam Chairwoman, that's all the time we have.