OrangeVerse XXVI: Mar-a-Lago Musings (pt 2)

When we left the president and Michael S. Schmidt, the NY Times reporter, chatting in the Grill Room as Trump's private club, the president had just declared that West Virginia's Joe Manchin was all talk, no do.

As we pick up, the conversation has moved past West Virginia (the president saved coal, he created jobs...) and on to being the head of the Republican party.

President Strangelove

I was for Strange

and I brought Strange

up 20 points. 

Just so you understand.

When I endorsed him

he was in fifth place.

He went way up.

Almost 20 points.

But he fell

a little short. 

But I knew

what I was doing.

Because I thought that

... If you look at my rhetoric

I said the problem with Roy Moore

is that he will lose the election.

I called it.

But as the head of the party

I have a choice: 

Do I endorse him or not?

I don't know.

Um.

(andbythewaywhenIendorsedhimhewentup)

I feel that I have to

endorse Republicans

as the head of the party.

So I endorsed him.

It became a much closer race

because of my

endorsement.

In case it wasn't clear that Roy Moore is a loser and Trump is a winner, he hammered the point home again.

The Problem is You Got it Wrong,... I Said

The problem with Roy Moore

and I said this

is that he's going to lose

the election. I hope

you can straighten that out. 

Luther Strange was brought way up

after my endorsement

and he almost won. But. ...Almost won...

He lost by 7 points, 7 or 8 points

And he was way behind.

Because of two things, 

you know, what happened...

But I never thought Roy

was going to win the election

but I felt...I never thought Roy

was going to win the election

but I felt... And I said that very clearly. 

And I wish you would cover that

because frankly, I said

If Luther doesn't win Roy

is going to lose the election.

And then, he tackled Ronald Reagan - and won.

Ronald Reagan Couldn't

Ronald Reagan

wanted to take deductibility away

from states.

Ronald Reagan

years ago, and

he couldn't do it.

Because New York

had a very powerful group of people.

Which they don't have today.

Today, they don't have

the same representatives.

You know, in those days

they had Lew Rudin and me...

I fought like hell for that.

They had a lot

of very good guys.

And then, there was more winning, can you stand it?

I'm More Bigly than Reagan

But, just so you understand,

Ronald Reagan

wanted to take 

deductibility away

and he was unable

to do it. 

Ronald Reagan

wanted to have 

ANWR approved

40 years ago

and he was unable

to do it. 

There's more winning, I've got to tell you. And more bigly stuff than you can even predict.

Two Things. Barney

Two things.

No. 1 I have 

unbelievably great relationships

with 97 percent of the

Republican congressmen and senators.

I love them

and they love me.

That's No. 1.

And No. 2

I know more

about the big bills...

than any president that's 

ever been in office.

Whether it's health care

and taxes.

Especially taxes.

And if I didn't

I couldn't have

persuaded a hundred

congressmen to go along

with the bill.

The first bill 

you know,

that was ultimately,

shockingly

rejected. 

I'll tell you something...

Put me on the defense

I was a great student

and all this stuff.

"Oh, he doesn't know the details"

these are sick people.

But Michael,

I know the details

of taxes

better than anybody.

Better than 

the greatest CPA. 

I know the details

of health care

better than most, 

better 

than most.

And if I didn't

I couldn't have

talked all these people

into doing

ultimately

only to be 

rejected.

I've got to stop and catch my breath, I really must. I promise, I won't leave you hanging too long for more.