Mike Pence Says He Won't Endorse Trump

TRUMP THIS YEAR. JOE: IT WOULD NOT BE NEWS IF IT WERE NOT A BIT OF A SURPRISE. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS? >> AS HE IS INDICATING, HE THINKS IT IS NOT A SURPRISE AND PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY 6 AND ALSO AS VICE PRESIDENT PENCE WAS ON THE COMPANION TRAIL, HE HAD DIFFERENT VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY THAN TRUMP. THAT IS THE KEY THING HERE. WE ARE SEEING SOMEONE WHO IS SAYING THE FUTURE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS CHANGING AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIKE VICE

PRESIDENT PENCE POTENTIALLY AMBASSADOR HALEY WHO ARE THINKING IF TRUMP DOES NOT WIN IN NOVEMBER, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY NEEDS TO GO BACK TO THE REAGAN TYPE ERA OF CONSERVATIVISM. IF TRUMP DOES WIN IN NOVEMBER, IT IS ASSIGNED THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS FIRMLY SHIFTED TO HIS AND MAGA VIEWS OF WHERE THE PARTY SHOULD GO. JOE: YOU POINT OUT NIKKI HALEY. SHE DID NOT ENDORSE ANYONE WHEN SHE DECIDED TO SUSPEND HER CAMPAIGN. WHEN YOU STEP BACK A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON. THEY BOTH WO

RKED FOR DONALD TRUMP. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TEAM HE ASSEMBLED AND THE TEAM THAT EVOLVED OVER THE COURSE OF HIS PRESIDENCY, NONE OF THEM ARE SUPPORTING DONALD TRUMP IN HIS REELECTION. >> IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN. WE ARE STILL EARLY AND WE HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST THERE ARE CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO AT THE TIME WERE NOT QUICK TO JUMP IN BUT AS HE GETS CLOSER TO POTENTIALLY REGAINING THE WHITE HOUSE MAY DECIDE IT BEHOOVES THEM EITHER IN TERMS OF INFLUENCE OR ACTUAL CABINET POSITIONS THEY'RE GOING TO JUMP IN. WE

DID SEE MITCH MCCONNELL ENDORSE HIM. JOE: WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE GENERAL MILLEY, REX TILLERSON, MICK MULVANEY, NONE OF THEM ARE IN THE MAGA CAMP IN THIS CAMPAIGN. IT IS STRIKING TO HEAR THE VICE PRESIDENT. THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT SAY THAT. IT WAS A BIG DAY FOR DONALD TRUMP. THE GEORGIA CASE. FANI WILLIS WILL STAY ON THE CASE AT THE EXPENSE OF HER LEAD PROSECUTOR WHO SHE HAD A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH. WE ARE WAITING FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN INEVITABLE DELAY IN THE BRAG CASE IN NEW YORK.

THE HUSH MAKE CASE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO START AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. AND A DUMP OF DOCUMENTS MEANS IT WILL LIKELY BE DELAYED. PEGGY: TWO THINGS COME OUT OF THE ADVANCEMENTS THIS WEEKEND THOSE CASES. ON THE FANI WILLIS CASE, IT IS A STEP BACK FOR DONALD TRUMP. THE BULK OF THE CASE IS GOING TO GO FORWARD. THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST SPRAWLING CASES AND ONE AT THE STATE LEVEL TRUMP COULD NOT PARDON HIMSELF OF IF HE GETS THE WHITE HOUSE AGAIN IN NOVEMBER. THE OTHER KEY TAKE AWAY FROM THIS WEEK IS ALL

OF THE TRUMP CRIMINAL CASES ARE SLOWING DOWN. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF ANY OF THEM ARE DECIDED BY THE NOVEMBER ELECTION? JOE: THE STRATEGY OF DELAY, DELAY, DELAY SEEMS TO BE WORKING. ELSEWHERE, ISRAEL'S WAR CABINET APPROVING AN ASSAULT PLAN FOR THE CITY OF ROUGH AFTER CIVILIANS HAVE FIRST BEEN MOVED OUT. INDICATION HOW 30'S ARE PREPARED TO STEP UP THEIR MILITARY CAMPAIGN AGAINST HAMAS WITH CEASE FIRE TALKS ONGOING. WE BRING IN NICK WADHAMS WHO RUNS OUR NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM IN WASHINGTON. THIS

IS AN IMPORTANT MOMENT. THERE IS A PLAN BUT IT IS NOT EMINENT. IT WOULD STILL HAVE TO BE APPROVED. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE DETAILS? NICK: WE DON'T REALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE DETAILS. SECRETARY OF STATE BLINKEN TODAY IN VIENNA WE HAVE NOT SEEN THE PLAN AND WE REALLY NEED TO SEE A PLAN. THIS IS FORCING ANOTHER ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN A BIG PROBLEM FOR THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. THEY HAVE PLEDGED SO MUCH SUPPORT FOR THE NETANYAHU GOVERNMENT. INCREASINGLY AS THIS WAR HAS GONE ON, THEY HAVE HAD MO

RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WAY ISRAEL IS CONDUCTING THE WAR. WE COME TO THE CRUX BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE THAN A MILLION PALESTINIANS IN RAFAH. THE U.S. IS SAYING YOU HAVE GOT TO GET THOSE PEOPLE OUT BEFORE YOUR MILITARY FORCES GO IN. ISRAEL IS SO FAR SAYING TRUST US. WE HAVE GOT IT FIGURED OUT. YOU CANNOT JUST GET THOSE PEOPLE OUT. YOU HAVE TO PUT THEM SOMEPLACE WHERE THEY HAVE FOOD, WATER, SHELTER. SO FAR THE U.S. IS SAYING WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW YOU ARE GOING TO DO THIS. YOU NEED TO TELL US QUICKLY BE

FORE YOU GO AHEAD. VERY UNCLEAR. JOE: TRUST APPEARS TO BE DIMINISHING AMONG DEMOCRATS IN WASHINGTON. THE SPEECH BY CHUCK SCHUMER ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE CALLING FOR A NEW ELECTION. REACTION FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN. HE WAS ASKED ABOUT WHAT CHUCK SCHUMER HAD TO SAY. HERE IS HOW HE RESPONDED. >> SENATOR SCHUMER CONTACTED MY SENIOR STAFF. I'M NOT GOING TO ELABORATE ON THE SPEECH. HE MADE A GOOD SPEECH. I THINK HE EXPRESSED SERIOUS CONCERN NOT ONLY SHARED BY HIM BUT ANY AMERICANS. JOE: ARE YOU SURPRI

SED TO HEAR AN ENDORSEMENT FROM THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF? >> IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL WHAT THE PRESIDENT MEANS. THERE COULD BE A LOT RIDING ON THEM SAYING IT IS A GOOD SPEECH. IN SOME WAYS THIS DOES SERVE THE ADMINISTRATION'S INTEREST BECAUSE IT MEANS THEY HAVE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WORE PUTTING THE PRESSURE ON THAT YAHOO!. THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH PRESIDENT BIDEN WANTS TO SAY PUBLICLY. WE ARE TOLD THOSE RESIDUES ARE BEING DELIVERED THROUGH BACK CHANNELS. GIVEN HIS PUBLIC EMBRACE OF NETANYAHU EARLY IN THE W

AR AND CONTINUING TO SUPPLY MILITARY AID, EMANATION. TO TURN AROUND AND SAY, TO TELL HIM TO STEP ASIDE. THE PRESIDENT DOES NOT WANT TO BE SEEN INTERFERING IN ANOTHER COUNTRY'S ELECTION. JOE: HIS GREEN TIE REMINDS US THE IRISH PRIME MINISTER IS IN TOWN. THE PRIME MINISTER GOT QUITE AN EAR FULL WITH 4000 COMMENTS FROM HIS VOTERS URGING HIM IN SOME CASES NOT TO COME TO THE U.S. BUT TO ALSO TAKE A STAND ON OUR POLICY IN ISRAEL AND GAZA. WE NICK: ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS SAID BECAUSE I

T IS NOT IN PRESIDENT BIDEN'S INTEREST TO SAY HE GOT AND EARFUL. FROM THE PREMISED ARE. WHAT THIS DOES IS TO SHOW TO SOME DEGREE WHAT A BENEFIT WAS FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN FOR CHUCK SCHUMER TO GIVE THAT SPEECH. IT SHOWS I AM PAYING ATTENTION. I HEAR THESE VOICES AND WE ARE TAKING THEM INTO CONSIDERATION. THE QUESTION IS WHAT NOW. THERE ARE A LOT OF SENATORS CALLING FOR CONDITIONS ON MILITARY AID TO ISRAEL. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT BEEN WILLING TO GO THAT FAR. THEY ARE HAPPY TO HAVE THESE VOICES ES

PECIALLY FROM FOLKS LIKE CHUCK SCHUMER. IT SHOWS HE IS LISTENING. HE IS THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO DO NEXT. WHAT'S CLEAR IS THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE FOR THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IF ISRAEL DOES NOT COME UP WITH THAT PLAN FOR RAFAH. JOE: THANK YOU FOR WALKING US THROUGH. NICK WADHAMS FROM OUR WASHINGTON BUREAU AT BLOOMBERG. THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY FRONT AND CENTER FOR MANY AMERICAN VOTERS. NEXT WEEK, A RATE DECISION AND IMPORTANT NEWS CONFERENCE FROM FED CHAIR JAY POWELL COULD PROVIDE CLUES ABOUT THE

CENTRAL BANK'S NEXT MOVE. WE WILL ONCE AGAIN TO THIS WITH DAVID WILCOX OF BLOOMBERG ECONOMICS. YOU HAVE BEEN WRITING ABOUT THIS ON THE TERMINAL ABOUT THE EXTENT TO WHICH POLITICS MAY PLAY INTO THE FED'S PLAN FOR THE YEAR AHEAD. A LOT OF PEOPLE ASSUME JAY POWELL IS GOING TO BE LISTENING TO JOE BIDEN AND DONALD TRUMP. . YOUR RESEARCH HAS FOUND THE OPPOSITE. DAVE: IT IS TRUE. EVERY TIME DURING A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR, THE FED COMES UNDER SUSPICION FROM ALL SIDES IT IS GOING TO RIG THE DICE IN

TERMS OF ITS RATESETTING DECISIONS. ELLA TENSIONS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE ARE ANXIOUS THE FED WILL ACT TO ADVANCE THE INTEREST OF THE OTHER PARTY. INVESTORS ASSUME THE FED WILL SIT STILL IN ORDER TO TRY TO STAY OUT OF THE PARTISAN CROSSFIRE. I TOOK A CLOSE LOOK AT THE STATISTICAL EVIDENCE AND CONCLUDED AS BEST AS I CAN TELL FOR THE PAST THREE DECADES THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THOSE FEARS. JOE: THREE DECADES OF DATA TO PUT FORTH. IT IS PRETTY REMARKABLE BECAUSE THAT SUSPICION WAS ALIVE I

N THE MARKETS AND WASHINGTON. YOU'RE GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTING DONALD TRUMP HERE. HE TENDED TO BE A TWEET AWAY FROM TALKING TO JAY POWELL. WITH YOUR EXPERTISE ON THIS, GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR NEXT WEEK. WE HAVE HAD TOUGH ECONOMIC DATA FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION TO THE POINT WHERE PEOPLE ARE DOUBTING RATE CUTS WILL COME ANYTIME SOON. DAVE: I THINK IT IS CLEAR THE FED IS GOING TO POSTPONE ITS RATE CUT DECISION UNTIL LATER IN THE YEAR. THE BASELINE EXPECTATIONS OF MY COLLEAGUES IN B

LOOMBERG ECONOMICS IS THE FIRST RATE CUT WILL COME IN MAY. THERE IS SOME RISK WITH STRONG INFLATION DATA, ACTIVITY CONTINUING TO BE WELL SUSTAINED. IT MAY GET PUSHED BACK TO JUNE. WE ARE STILL EXPECTING TWO OR THREE RATE CUTS OVER THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR. THE SITUATION IS GETTING BETTER. INFLATION WILL COME DOWN TOWARD THE FED'S 2% OBJECTIVE. THAT WILL PROVIDE THE BACKDROP THE FED NEEDS TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP IN THE CUTTING CYCLE.