One Trump 2020 opponent is racking up presidential campaign funds
A businessman worth tens of millions of dollars wants to change the status quo in Washington. Sound familiar?
This week's guest on "The Takeout" is betting that in 2020, Americans will be ready to trade in Donald Trump.
Almost 1,200 days before the 2020 election (but who's counting?), Rep. John Delaney, D-Maryland, announced in a Washington Post op-ed that he believes he's the answer to those dissatisfied with President Trump. He's already logged repeated visits to coffee shops and diners in Iowa and New Hampshire, and had $271,413.65 in his presidential campaign coffer as of June 30, including $60,938 in individual contributions. His Iowa campaign office is up and running and New Hampshire's is coming soon.
Why is he running and why so early?
"I think the 'why so early' is kind of an easy question in many ways because politics is broken in our country right now, and hyper partisan politics is tearing our country apart, it's tearing communities apart, it's even tearing families apart," he told CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett and Political Director Steve Chaggaris this week.
The three sat down over empanadas and salad in front of a live audience at the Washington Ideas forum, a joint event by The Atlantic and Aspen Institute. Delaney says his message is to bring new ideas and challenge the pillars of politics in Washington. That, he says, means changing the message and tone of his party.
"Every minute the Democratic party is not putting forth kind of an exciting vision around jobs, pay, opportunity is a missed opportunity," he said. "For the Democrats to win, we just can't say over and over again how bad Trump is or how bad the Republican party is...and we need to show people there's a better alternative."
That better alternative, Delaney says, includes new plans for health care, tax reform, and foreign policy. He, like Mr. Trump, however, wants to integrate business into politics.
"In the private sector you know the facts don't lie," Delaney said. "So you have to deal with the facts that are in front of you. You focus on the future. Because you know that's what really matters. Politics is way too much about re-litigation of the past."
For more from Major and Steve's conversation with Delaney, including his specific plans for healthcare and tax policy, download "The Takeout" podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, or Spotify. New episodes are available every Friday morning.
Also, you can watch "The Takeout" on CBSN Friday and Saturday nights at 9pm ET/PT. For a full archive of "The Takeout" episodes, visit www.takeoutpodcast.com.
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