>> ERIC: WHILE GOVERNOR WALZ'S TRACK RECORD ON FRAUD BROUGHT INCREASED FEDERAL ATTENTION TO MINNESOTA, OUT IN WASHINGTON D.C., THIS WEEK PRESIDENT TRUMP DEFENDED HIS OWN TRACK RECORD ON THE ECONOMY.

IN A TELEVISED ADDRESS WEDNESDAY EVENING, TRUMP ATTEMPTED TO DOWNPLAY AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS AND PORTRAY THE ECONOMY IN WAYS THAT DON'T LINE UP WITH MUCH OF HIS ADMINISTRATION'S OWN DATA.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT ALL THIS AND MORE IS LARRY JACOBS, HEAD OF THE HUMPHREY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA.

BUT IT WAS REALLY TRUMP IN RAPID FIRE FASHION, SALESMAN TRUMP, SELLIN' HIS PRODUCT.

>> YEAH.

THIS WAS THE SPEECH HE USUALLY GIVES TO HIS BASE OF THE PARTY.

THIS IS THE MAGA SPEECH.

THIS WASN'T THE USUAL SORT OF PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH, WHICH, YOU KNOW, YOU SING TO THE HIGHER ANGELS OF OUR COUNTRY.

IT WAS REALLY A PARTISAN SPEECH, DRIVING HOME THE POINTS, CHALLENGING IN A VERY PARTISAN WAY DEMOCRATS.

AND THEN MAKING A SERIES OF, YOU KNOW, STATEMENTS ABOUT THE ECONOMY THAT REALLY DON'T BEAR UP.

>> Cathy: LOOKS LIKE HE'S IN NORTH CAROLINA, I BELIEVE IT IS TONIGHT, WITH A RALLY TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABILITY.

SO I DON'T KNOW, DID A TAFFER BEND HIS EAR TO SAY, REALLY, YOU SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON THIS >> WELL, LET'S SEE HOW MUCH HE SPENDS ON ACTUALLY AFFORDABILITY.

HE'S FAMOUS FOR HAVING BEING PITCHED TO GIVE A SPEECH ON A TOPIC THAT HIS POLLSTERS AND HIS POLITICAL ADVISORS SAY, YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS, AND THEN HE'LL GO OFF TOPIC.

I THINK DONALD TRUMP IS IN A BIND.

HE'S IN A BIND BECAUSE HE IS FACING STEADY, LOCKED-IN DISAPPROVAL.

FOX, ABOUT A WEEK AGO, SHOWED 61% HIS DISAPPROVAL AMONG INDEPENDENTS IS EVEN, YOU KNOW, HIGHER THAN THAT.

HISPANICS, WHICH HAD EEMED TO BE A POSITIVE FOR TRUMP IN 2024, THEY'RE VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH DONALD TRUMP ON INFLATION AND THE ECONOMY AND EVEN IMMIGRATION.

SO WHAT DOES DONALD TRUMP HAVE TO DO?

HE HAS TO FIND A WAY TO BROADEN HIS APPEAL.

THERE WAS A VERY INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH SUSIE WEILS, WHO'S PRESIDENT TRUMP'S CHIEF OF STAFF, PROBABLY ILL ADVISED, AND IN THIS INTERVIEW SHE DESCRIBED THE PRESIDENT'S PERSONALITY AS THAT OF AN ALCOHOLIC, WHICH MEANS SOMEONE WHO HAS TO CONTROL, WHO'S VERY DEFENSIVE, DOESN'T LIKE CRITICISM.

WHAT HE NEEDS TO DO POLITICALLY, WHICH IS, REACH OUT TO THOSE PARTS OF THE ELECTORATE WHO ARE DISENCHANTED, HE CAN'T DO T. HE CAN'T DO IT.

>> Eric: OF COURSE HE'S A NONDRINKER, WE KNOW FROM HIS HISTORY.

>> YES, OF COURSE.

>> Eric: HEALTHCARE IS AN EMERGING ISSUE, HOW DOES THAT PLAY IN THE NEW YEAR?

>> HEALTHCARE, OF COURSE, THIS WAS THE FOCAL POINT OF THE SHUTDOWN FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS AND THE DEMOCRATS INSISTED ON A VOTE, WHICH IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN A SHORT WHILE.

WE'RE LIKELY TO HAVE ANOTHER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IS AND THE DEMOCRATS WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH ON THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUE RELATED TO THE FACT THAT THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, UNDER JOE BIDEN, EXPANDED THE SUBSIDIES TO BUY INSURANCE ON THE PRIVATE EXCHANGE.

NOW THOSE SUBSIDIES, THE ENHANCED SUBSIDIES, ARE EXPIRING THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.

WE'RE LOOKING AT OVER 20 PEOPLE LOOKING AT PREMIUMS THAT ARE GOING TO DOUBLE, TRIPLE, OR MAYBE EVEN INCREASE MORE THAN THAT.

AND THE REPUBLICANS DON'T REALLY WANT TO CUT A DEAL ON THIS.

AND DONALD TRUMP HAS SAID, NO, I'M NOT GOING TO BACK DOWN.

AGAIN, GETTING BACK TO SUSIE WILES' COMMENT, IT'S A REAL PROBLEM.

THIS IS GOING TO LOCK IN THE BEST ISSUE DEMOCRATS HAVE, WHICH IS AFFORDABILITY.

AND IT'S REALLY GOING TO PUT THE HURT TO A LOT OF AMERICANS.

>> Cathy: SO THIS MIGHT BE A REALLY SHORT ANSWER ON YOUR PART, BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE WORK PRODUCT OF CONGRESS THIS YEAR?

>> WHICH PRODUCT WOULD THAT BE?

I MEAN, IF YOU LISTEN TO MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THEY'RE REALLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ANGER, ANGRY AT THE SPEAKER BECAUSE HE SENT THEM OME FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO DEAL WITH VARIOUS R ISSUES.

THERE'S BEEN A LOCKDOWN IN THE SENATE BECAUSE OF PARTISAN DIFFERENCES, THE HOUSE, THE SPEAKER'S A VERY SMALL MARGIN, SO HE'S NOT WANTED TO MOVE MUCH.

JUST THIS PAST WEEK, HE SAW FOUR OF HIS MEMBERS DEFECT TO DEMOCRATS TO FORCE THE ISSUE OF THE SUBSIDIES, AFFORDABLE CARE ACT TO COME UP WITH A VOTE, WHICH HE THEN DODGED.

SO, NO, I DON'T THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE MUCH.

THERE HASN'T BEEN MUCH.

OTHER THAN THE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL EARLIER IN THE YEAR, AND THAT WAS CERTAINLY A MAJOR LEGISLATIVE, YOU KNOW, PIECE OF WORK.

>> Eric: GOOD STUFF AS ALWAYS.

THANKS FOR COMING OVER.

>> Cathy: HAPPY NEW YEAR, BY THE WAY, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, HAPPY