
Brooks and Capehart on Biden's differences with Israel's PM
Clip: 1/19/2024 | 9m 17sVideo has Closed Captions
Brooks and Capehart on Trump's endorsement, Biden's differences with Israel's Netanyahu
New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including the New Hampshire primary, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott's endorsement of Donald Trump, the differences between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the future of newspapers.
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Brooks and Capehart on Biden's differences with Israel's PM
Clip: 1/19/2024 | 9m 17sVideo has Closed Captions
New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including the New Hampshire primary, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott's endorsement of Donald Trump, the differences between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the future of newspapers.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipDonald Trump notches an# endorsement from a former rival.
On that and more, we turn to the analysis of# Brooks and Capehart.
That' columnist David Brooks, and Jonathan Capehart,# associate editor for The Washington Post.
Good to see you both.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: G Trump at a rally in New Hampshire# tonight, huge blow to Nikki Haley,## obviously, moving forward, especially,# lest we forget that it was Nikki Haley## who as governor back in 2013 appointed# Tim Scott to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Jonathan, what do you see# as the significance of this?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, it just means## that Don And also this fits a pattern that we knew# was coming, which is everyone is going to## get on board the Trump train as quickly as# they can.
And so I wouldn't be surprised,## if Governor DeSantis drops out of the race, he# decides to endorse Donald Trump.
Nikki Haley## drops out of the race, I wouldn't be surprised# if she turned around and endorsed Donald Trump.
We just heard Governor Sununu of New Hampshire# say he would support Donald Trump if he were## the Republican nominee, which is mystifying to# me, given the things that he said after that## answer.
You think Donald Trump is going to# surround himself with people who want to get## things done?
Has he not paid -- did he not# apparently attention the four years of the## administration and what he's been doing and# who he's surrounded hims So, if Tim Scott wants to -- if Senator# Scott wants to jump on that bandwagon## and maybe wants to be vice president,# maybe wants to be a Cabinet official,## good for him.
But history will deal with him.
GEOFF BENNETT: And, David, I'm told by sources# familiar that Donald Trump actually pursued Tim## Scott's endorsement, as did Nikki Haley,# not directly, but through mutual friends.
If she performs well in New Hampshire,# she then moves to South Carolina,## where Donald Trump is already up 20-plus# points.
What does it mean that Tim Scott## is throwing his support behind Trump and not her?
DAVID BROOKS: Well, first, there was a moment# in 2016 when Tim rally with Marco Rubio to endorse him.
And so# you had a Black guy, an Indian-American woman,## the son of Cuban immigrants.
That was# one direction for the Republican Party.
The Republican Party obviously went in a very# different direction.
And now Ti adjusting to the winds.
And so he's probably# pro-Trump.
He's probably a little anti-Nikki## Haley.
South Carolina politics is the roughest# state politics in the country, in my opinion.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Oh, yes.
a -- not a great relationship,# even though she appointed him.
And so it's -- betrayal is the art# form.
And if Tim Scott becomes vice## president, the vice presidential# candidate, frankly, I'd be happy.
GEOFF BENNETT: Why is that?
a good guy.
He's a good human being.
he would have a moderating effect# on the Trump administration.
And maybe someday there'd be# a future President Tim Scott,## which would be a lot better than# what the Republicans are offering GEOFF BENNETT: Well, as we# reported earlier in the pr President Biden spoke today with Israeli# Pr the first time in nearly a month.
They# talked about the ongoing war in Gaza,# the risk for a regional escalation, and also# what the plan is for Gaza after the war.
And, Jonathan, really the divisions between these# two men on all of those issues, you could argue,## has never been as pronounced.
Help us# understand the dynamics at play here.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, when I look at# these dynamics, one, you have a president## of the United States who is desperately trying to# keep a lid on And then you have an Israeli prime# minister who has political problems,## because he's got a far right coalition# government that he's trying to keep with him,## so he can remain prime minister.
And he# also has legal problems.
A lot of people## say that he is waging this war in part# because he doesn't want to go to jail.
And so when you put this mix together, of course,# it's oil and water.
I praise the president,## I praise the secretary of state for trying as hard# as they can to be the adults in this situation,## looking at this from a diplomatic perspective.# But they're dealing with a prime minister who## has very parochial considerations in# a war that has global significance.
GEOFF BENNETT: And, David, I think you# can argue that Netanyahu believes that## he can outmaneuver and outlast U.S.# officials an As the -- as President Biden is pushing# for a Palestinian state after the war,## Netanyahu gave that speech yesterday where he# says, the prime minister needs to be ca saying no to our friends, saying no when# necessary, and saying yes when possible.
How does Biden contend with that?
DAVID BROOKS: Yes, well, and# Bibi Netanyahu is Netanyahu and staying in power.
And# so far, he's b And his strategy now, apparently, is,# I'm going to defend America -- I'm to defend Israel from America.
And# those Americans are trying to shove## a two-state solution down our throat,# and I'm going to be your defe He has very remote chances of being# prime minister after the war be cause he's going to get blamed for October 7,# deservedly.
And so he' which is insane.
I mean, the idea that America# would -- that Bibi Netanyahu would attack the## prime -- president of the United States,# who came to Israel right after October 7?
And, plus, there's just no viability to his# plan.
He's got a war with no end date.
He's## got this dream of a security from the river to# the sea.
You can't have a future in the Middle## East without some Palestinian Authority.
Those# people live there.
And he's got an opportunity## to sign alliances with Saudi Arabia and everybody# else, but the Israelis need a Palestinian partner.
And somebody's got to construct that.
So his idea# that you could do this without any Palestinian## partner, it's just completely unworkable.
But# it's a campaign strategy, more th GEOFF BENNETT: So, when he says the# prime minister needs to be capable of## saying no to our friends, no to the# U.S., why can't the U.S. then say,## well, then we can say no to more aid and# weapons, or at least without conditions?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: I think we're going# to -- I think we're going down that road.
I mean, every week, it seems there's# yet another Democr another Democratic elected official saying,# we need to take a look at this.
We need to## do something because the Israelis, meaning# the prime minister, isn't paying attention.
And I think this is something that also# the president and the administration has## been trying to warn him, warn# Netanyahu about.
But, clearl he's not listening because he# has domestic considerations.
DAVID BROOKS: I would just say that it# seems -- it strikes me as a long way off,## because the president, President Biden,## does agree that we need to get So , a lot of the pressure now is just# to get them to do more targeted attacks, less bombing, slow down the military# operation.
I think the military -- the## presidential -- the administration's posture# is quite the right one.
But that doesn't mean## you want to cut off arms or let the U.N. pass# some resolution condemning Israel for genocide.
That would be very disruptive of the relationship.
GEOFF BENNETT: In the couple of minutes# that remain, I want to tal big picture about the challenges facing# The Baltimore Su What business model for American newspapers# right now is the sustainable one?
DAVID BROOKS: Well... (LAUGHTER) (LAUGHTER) is it super wealthy, in most all cases# men, swooping in a DAVID BROOKS: That's the# way we have always done it.
(LAUGHTER) are doing it.
I work at The New York Times,# where we're owned by the Sulzberger family.## And I write for "The Atlantic,"# where it's Laurene Powell Jobs.
And both places are either close to breaking even# or doing moder even at our publications that anybody's# satisfied or not completely alarmed,## because the business model for online journalism# is just tough.
And the oncoming train is A.I.
Suppose you wake up in the morning and# say, A.I., tell me what happened in the## Middle East.
Well, the bots take all# of our news organizations' which we paid for to get, and then they# synthesize it and they give away for free.
And so A.I.
is -- as bad as it is right# now, A.I.
is even a bigger threat.
GEOFF BENNETT: How do you see it?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: I agree wit But I would also say, between "The Atlan Post, which is owned by -- personally by Jeff# Bezos, what we have with -- what The Post,## The Times and "The Atlantic" have in# common is that they are mission-driven.
And it seems to me that The Baltimore# Sun and The L.A. Times is stat -- that## the owners are status-driven.
And# when you have mission-driven owners,## they let the journalists do the journalism.
GEOFF BENNETT: And on that# note, we wil Jonathan Capehart and David# Brooks, thanks so much.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Thanks, Geoff.
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