National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that he thought Republicans would win in this November’s midterm elections but acknowledged it will be “hard” to take back the Senate.
Partial transcript as follows:
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let me talk to you about the politics of all of this. Republicans had been hoping to ride the high inflation we are at and it is historic high, and President Biden’s low approval ratings to a win in November. But the President and Democrats just had a really good streak here. Gas prices are down. You have this massive spending bill going through. These are a lot of big wins for Democrats. The President just authorized that strike to take out the leader of al-Qaeda. Isn’t this going to get harder for Republicans to get the edge that you are trying to manufacture here?
SCOTT: Well, you know, that sounds good, right? But that’s- that’s White House talking points. But let’s think about this, 72% of Americans believe we’re headed in the wrong track. Biden’s numbers are in the tank. And if you look at all the Democrats- all the Democrats running, and they have to- basically they’re a surrogate for Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer. I mean, they have to defend inflation, high gas prices, you know, the Afghan withdrawal, an open border, Critical Race Theory, defund the police, that’s what they have to defend because that’s what the- that’s what-, that’s what Biden is known for, and that’s what that’s basically what Democrats are known for. Now, it’s going to be- look it’s an election year. It’s going to be a hard year. We have 21 Republicans up, only 14 Democrats. The Democrats are outracing us, but we have good candidates. And, I believe Joe Biden is going to be our key here.
BRENNAN: You said it’ll be a hard year. I want to play for you what Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told Fox last week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL: I think it’s going to be a very tight- we have a 50/50 shot, and now we have a 50/50 nation. And I think when this Senate race smoke clears, we’re likely to have a very, very close Senate still, with either us up slightly or the Democrats up slightly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRENNAN: If things are so bad, then why is it going to be so tight for Republicans?
SCOTT: Well, first of all, we have- we have very good candidates. I mean, the Democrats are raising good money. So we’ve got to be able to get our message out, so you know, we have to raise our money. We have to work- work hard, you know, we went through a lot of primaries, so- but I believe we’re going to I believe we’re going to win but it’s going to be- it’s going to be hard. We got to raise your money, we got to work really hard for candidates- have to work really hard. Everybody is going to to help our candidates, but I’m optimistic.
BRENNAN: So that you do agree it’s going to be tight that Republicans have at best a slight edge.
SCOTT: I’m very optimistic. I would- I- but I’m- I’m realistic that you know, you have to raise your money. Democrats. are raising good money. Joe Biden is our key here. And by the way, this bill is not going to help Democrats. It’s going to help Republicans. Raising taxes $700 billion, cutting Medicare $280 billion, raising gas taxes, I having 87,000 more IRS agents. Do you know how much- how happy people are to have more IRS agents out there? I mean, this is not- this is not going to be popular around the country.
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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