Rich Zeoli: 'No One Should Underestimate The Significance' Of Rand Paul-Matt Drudge Meeting
Philadelphia (CBS) - Following President Donald Trump taking to Twitter to fire a broadside against the most conservative members of the House of Representatives, Rich Zeoli, warned Trump against picking fights with those in Washington who want to be his strongest allies.
Zeoli, on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, pointed to a meeting between Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Matt Drudge, of the Drudge Report, as the formation of an alliance designed to hold the White House accountable for promises made on the campaign trail to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
"This is a big deal. No one should underestimate the significance of this meeting. Sen. Rand Paul is, by far, one of the most conservative/libertarian senators on Capitol Hill. He was completely opposed to this train wreck of a bill and Rand Paul has been defending the House Freedom Caucus every step of the way."
Zeoli said that Trump would not be in the White House today were it not for the efforts of Drudge and other conservatives, and in return, they expect Trump to govern conservatively.
"Donald Trump would not be president of the United States without Matt Drudge. The Drudge Report was very, very fair to President Trump early on in his candidacy, when other sites were mocking him left and right. But, if you've noticed lately, Matt Drudge, who is a conservative, has been pointing out that the tax cuts are not going to be there. The spending is going to be there, but not the tax cuts. And Matt Drudge has been pointing out the flaws of the health care plan."
He believes Trump's agenda in the White House will come to a screeching halt if he does make more of an effort to support the conservatives who have supported him from the beginning.
"Matt Drudge has been sending, I think, very, very subtle but significant messages to the White House: don't abandon your conservative base. It's a mistake to do it. By having lunch on Capitol Hill with Sen. Rand Paul, who is as conservative as you get, it is a loud symbol to everybody that this is going to be a principled fight. Drudge won't roll over. Rand Paul won't roll over. The House Freedom Caucus certainly won't roll over either. President Trump, you'd be wise to realize you would not be president without those three entities. Don't pick fights with them. They want to see you succeed, but more importantly, they want to see America succeed, conservatism succeed and American can't succeed if conservatism fails. Government will be too big. We'll be too broke and this country will be doomed."