美国国家公共电台 NPR--How are Republicans reacting to the Guiliani probe and the Mar-a-Lago search?

How are Republicans reacting to the Guiliani probe and the Mar-a-Lago search?

Transcript¹

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Republican political strategist Scott Jennings about how Republican leaders have responded to the latest events involving former President Trump² and his allies.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Let's take a look at how these investigations⁴ play out in the political arena⁵. Joining me is Republican political strategist Scott Jennings. Good morning, Scott.

SCOTT JENNINGS: Hey. Good morning.

FADEL: So, Scott, what do you make of this news that Rudy Giuliani is the focus of this criminal probe in Georgia?

JENNINGS: Well, I'm not surprised. I've always thought - and a lot of Republicans, I think, have believed - the Georgia investigation³ was the most dangerous to President Trump and the people around him. And obviously, that's playing out today - so not surprised. And I guess we'll see where it goes from here.

FADEL: Are these investigations, like the one we're seeing in Georgia, which has been going on for a while now, damaging for Republicans?

JENNINGS: Well, I think they're damaging for President Trump and for his inner circle that was working to try to change the outcome in Georgia - so certainly there. I don't think it's necessarily damaging for the overall Republican Party vis-a-vis the upcoming midterm. But certainly, if people are to be indicted⁷ in Georgia or anywhere else, I think that would be damaging. Sure.

FADEL: To Trump but not the party at large.

JENNINGS: Yeah, I think that's right. We haven't really seen evidence that - at least I haven't - that what Donald Trump did on January 6 around trying to overturn the election has had a large impact on the party in terms of its national standing⁸. In fact, it's quite competitive nationally, and I expect it to do pretty well in the November midterm. But certainly to the people who were involved in that, yeah. I mean, this is - this has got massive reputational damage issues and certainly would have some impact on President Trump, I think, if he runs for president again.

FADEL: Let's move on to the FBI search of former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. Now that we know that these boxes that were taken from his home included classified and top-secret materials, does that change anything about Trump's standing in the GOP?

JENNINGS: Well, we have seen, I think, a snapback towards Donald Trump, interestingly. Maybe it's temporary, but the idea that perhaps he's being, once again, treated unfairly - I think that's one of the reasons why you've seen some Republicans in Congress ask to see the documents. They want to know whether this was a warranted action or not. And so this has some more room to grow here in terms of what we know.

And I've posited⁹ that, you know, if Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice want to tell the American people that he has potentially committed three pretty serious crimes, they really put themselves out there on a limb. And I don't know how you go back from this. And so it strikes me that if they don't indict⁶ Donald Trump at this point, it is going to be viewed by many Republicans as a - simply a political tactic¹⁰ that, you know, was an overreach to raid the former president's home.

FADEL: Now, you had spoken before about how, in some ways, there had been this movement to kind of step away - move on from Trump after the January 6 hearings. Has - and that has changed now?

JENNINGS: I think there's been at least a temporary snapback to Donald Trump. I do think Republicans were starting to move away. You could see it in some of the polling. Governor DeSantis of Florida was rising in some state polls and even in some national surveys. Certainly, Trump was still the front-runner. But you could kind of feel the interest in moving on. This has served to remind Republicans, you know, in some ways, who's the daddy and who's the kids in this run-up to the 2024 election. Again, it could be temporary, and we'll see how it plays out.

But this sort of constant trying to get Donald Trump that Republicans feel like has been going on since the beginning has, I think, created some reflexive defensiveness¹¹ of him, even among some Republicans who are in my camp, which is, hey, maybe it's time to move on. We'll see if it lasts. But I think at least in the short term, it's true.

FADEL: And this search drew a lot of criticism and a lot of demands for the Department of Justice to show the documents. They unsealed the search warrant, the property receipt. And now there are demands from Republicans but also from the press for the affidavit¹². Will there ever be enough documentation? 'Cause we've already seen that, in fact, there were top-secret and confidential¹³ documents in his home.

JENNINGS: Well, I think Republicans, and some in Congress and some involved with the Intelligence Committee, and some Democrats¹⁴ as well - I think they want to know what it was. What was so important that you had to go into the home of the former president and probable candidate, you know, here 90 days before an election? I mean, he's obviously had these documents for a year and a half. What was so important that it had to be done right now? I think that's a legitimate¹⁵ question for Republicans who are - sit on the relevant oversight¹⁶ committees, particularly the Intelligence Committee. But, yeah, for the average Republican voter, there is going to be a question about whether this was necessary or whether this was political harassment¹⁷.

FADEL: But what does this mean at the polls?

JENNINGS: Well, I don't think it's going to mean much, frankly¹⁸, for Donald Trump long term. I - you know, I've thought he is still the least likely Republican to win back the White House. I do think in the short run, you may actually see some boost in Republican enthusiasm to vote. I mean, I think there's a sense that Republicans and President Trump are under some kind of a siege or assault, you know, because of this issue. And so you could see that President Trump supporters are even more energized¹⁹ to vote than they were before. It's hard to measure that...

FADEL: Right.

JENNINGS: ...But I guess we'll see in the coming days if any of the surveys bear that out. Again, I don't think these things necessarily negatively impact individual Republican candidates.

FADEL: Scott Jennings is a Republican political strategist. He is with Louisville-based RunSwitch Public Relations. Thank you for taking the time.

JENNINGS: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

5 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

6 indict   

v.起诉，控告，指控

参考例句：

• You can't indict whole people for the crudeness of a few.您不能因少数人的粗暴行为就控诉整个民族。
• I can indict you for abducting high school student.我可以告你诱拐中学生。

7 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

8 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

9 posited   

v.假定，设想，假设( posit的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Several writers have posited the idea of a universal consciousness. 有几个作者都假设存在普遍意识。 来自辞典例句
• All cash receipts should be recorded and de-posited daily. 所有的现金收据应该被每日记录和存放。 来自互联网

10 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

11 defensiveness   

防御性

参考例句：

• The fear of being sued for malpractice has magnified physicians' defensiveness. 担心因医疗事故而被起诉的恐惧加剧了医生们的防卫心理。
• This outbreak of defensiveness embodies one paradox and several myths. 排外行动的爆发，体现了一个矛盾和几个“神话”。

12 affidavit   

n.宣誓书

参考例句：

• I gave an affidavit to the judge about the accident I witnessed.我向法官提交了一份关于我目击的事故的证词。
• The affidavit was formally read to the court.书面证词正式向出席法庭的人宣读了。

13 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

14 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

16 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

17 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

18 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

19 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句