AMNA NAWAZ: For more analysis of the# partial shutdown and other political## news on this Presidents' Day, we turn# now to our Politics Monday duo.

That is## Amy Walter of The Cook Political Report# With Amy Walter and Tamara Keith of NPR.

It's great to see you both.

And, Tam, I will start with you.

You he.. have been rejected by Republicans, that# there's been staff-to-staff communications,## no talks between the principals.# How do you see this deadlock ending?

TAMARA KEITH, National Public# Radio: So I spoke with a senior## White House official on Friday,# and I just want to read a quote.

This person says: "Ultimately,# there will have to be a compromise."

Now, that doesn't sound like breaking news, but# that's different than the White House position## was in the last government shutdown, where# they were unwilling to negotiate and said## Democrats just have to reopen the government.

So# I think that the posture is slightly different.

There is an awareness that many in the# public who may even support the president## controlling the border and other things# are not happy with the images they are## seeing of ICE and CBP and the Americans# who were killed in Minneapolis.

And so## I think that there is a window# here for something to happen.

But as your interview just points out, like, these# are not intense negotiations happening right now.

AMNA NAWAZ: Amy, what's your take on this?# I mean, the demands Democrats are making## here for ICE reforms are different than# the health care subsidy extensions they## wanted in that last government shutdown.# Are those seen differently by the public?

AMY WALTER, The Cook Political Report: Yes,# I think, for the first time in a long time,## Democrats are coming into a conversation# about immigration on the front foot,## rather than the back foot.

And it is Republicans who really do have# to deal with the fact that the po.. especially on ICE, is very, very unpopular.# It's interesting.

You will hear from in your## interview with Congressman Jeffries,# Leader Jeffries -- over the weekend,## we had Senator Schumer, as the leader of# Democrats in the Senate, use this term## commonsense reform, talk a lot about the# work they'd like with training officers.

When I see polling that's been put out there, one# in particular, Democratic poll that came out the## other week, this idea of training ICE better so# that there will not be violent -- there won't## be violence between ICE and those who they are# trying to apprehend is really pretty popular.

And so I think Democrats are in a much different# position today because of that, as well as the## fact that when it comes to immigration, the# lead person, the person who is always in focus,## is President Trump.

This is seen as his# immigration policy.

It's going to be very## hard to blame Democrats.

Republicans will have a# hard time blaming Democrats if things fall apart.

AMNA NAWAZ: Tam, to that point, it is such a# signature issue for this president.

What would## it mean if he were to compromise or authorize# compromise for his Senate and House Republicans?

TAMARA KEITH: Yes, President Trump# is very good at spinning everything## into a win.

You saw Tom Homan talk about# removing the surge in Minneapolis.

And## the way he talked about it was like, all# right, mission accomplished, moving on.

So I think that President Trump is not going# to have a hard time necessarily selling this## to voters, certainly not to selling# it to his base.

They are willing to## give him a lot of leeway.

And some of# the things that they're talking about## are like body-worn cameras for ICE agents# and Border Patrols.

And you had the heads## of those agencies in Congress in testimony# saying, please, we want this, give us this.

So I think that there are areas where the White## House can credibly spin it as# a win if there is a compromise.

AMNA NAWAZ: I want to get both of your takes,## meanwhile, on the latest on this# release from the Epste.. Amy, as Ali was reporting earlier, we have not## seen the kind of accountability here in# the U.S.

that some European leaders have## been subjected to.

There's this new letter# now from the DOJ that went to Congress.

From the perspective of the general public,## is all of this of interest?

Does# it hold a place of importance?

AMY WALTER: Well, what's really interesting,# watching Democrats react the other week to Senator## Jon Ossoff -- he's a senator from Georgia.# He gave a campaign speech the other day.

And what he did was to make# a link between the Epstein## files and voters' frustration with# their day-to-day living concerns,## with the feeling that the middle class has# been left behind.

And here's what he said.

He said: "We were told MAGA was# for working-class Americans,## but this is a government of, by and for the# ultra-elite.

This," he said, "is the Epstein## class," referring to the Trump administration.# "They're the elites they pretend to hate."

And I think you're going to hear that# term a lot on the campaign trail,## this idea that the folks who were -- it's# not just whether you were named or not in## the Epstein files, but this idea that this# is an administration, much like those who## were in the Epstein files, that are much# more concerned about protecting elites,## protecting wealthy people, than looking out# for the day-to-day concerns of Americans.

I think that is how it's going to be# shaped for this upcoming midterm election.

AMNA NAWAZ: Tam, what's your take?

TAMARA KEITH: Yes, I have to agree with# Am.. politics are where they are right# now is a distrust of the elites.

And what these files do, if nothing# else, is sort of confirm for people## their priors that the elites aren't# really working for the working people.

AMNA NAWAZ: Meanwhile, I need to# escape reality for just a moment## with both of you while we have you# on this Presidents' Day, because,## Tam, you have this wonderful report I want to# ask you about, which you talked about on this## Presidents' Day, your favorite fictional# president and why.

Please tell us more.

TAMARA KEITH: Yes, my favorite fictional# president is president Thomas J.## Whitmore, Bill Pullman, in "Independence Day."

AMNA NAWAZ: Yes.

as they prepare -- a global force# prepares to take on the aliens.

The reason I love this is, it's escapist.# There's no nuance.

There's no -- you don't## have to have complicated feelings# about this president like people## have about every other real president.# You can just go kick the aliens' butts.

(LAUGHTER) AMY WALTER: So here's the thing,## you guys.

In my spare time, I like# to not watch much about politics.

(LAUGHTER) AMNA NAWAZ: Good for you.

Tam, I go to really, really,# really far away from politics.

AMNA NAWAZ: I think that's# probably good advice for us all.

Amy Walter, Tamara Keith, always great# to see you both.

Thank you so much.

TAMARA KEITH: You're welcome.

AMY WALTER: You're welcome.