REPUBLICAN WORKERS PARTY

> THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT DONALD TRUMP'S MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN CAMPAIGN SLOGAN RESONATED WITH MILLIONS OF VOTERS WHO FELT THE COUNTRY WAS IN DECLINE, AND HIS IMPROBABLE ASCENT OF THE WHITE HOUSE SERVED AS VINDICATION FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVED ELITES FROM BOTH PARTIES HAD ABANDONED THE AMERICAN WORKING CLASS.

TRUMP MADE THE CREATION OF JOBS AND REJECTION OF GLOBALIZATION KEY PARTS OF HIS CAMPAIGN, A STRATEGY WHICH CERTAINLY PAID OFF ACROSS THE RUST BELT AND WHICH, IN THE PROCESS, SHIFTED THE VERY IDENTITY OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AT LEAST TEMPORARILY.

IN HIS NEW BOOK 'THE REPUBLICAN WORKERS PARTY,' FORMER TRUMP ADVISER F.H. BUCKLEY GIVES US HIS TAKE ON WHAT THE REPUBLICAN WORKERS PARTY IS AND HOW IT PROMISES TO RENEW THE AMERICAN DREAM.

FRANK, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM?

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

I WAS WATCHING AN INTERVIEW.

ONE OF THE CALLERS SAID REPUBLICAN WORKERS PARTY, THAT'S AN OXYMORON.

GIVEN THE RECENT HISTORY OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, HOW IS IT NOT AN OXYMORON?

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OLD REPUBLICAN PARTY.

THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN WAS FOUGHT ON THE GROUND OF CULTURAL NATIONALISM AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON, BUT IT WAS ALSO ECONOMICALLY NATIONALIST AND QUITE UNLIKE THE OLD REPUBLICAN PARTY WHICH STILL IS IN SHOCK.

THIS IS A PARTY, TRUMP'S PARTY THAT EMPHASIZED JOBS.

JOBS ARE PRETTY MUCH ALL YOU WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO DO, RIGHT?

IF YOU HAD TO WRITE A PROGRAM FOR THE GOVERNMENT, CREATE THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS FOR JOBS IS ALL YOU NEED.

AFTER JOBS, ALL THE GOOD STUFF FOLLOWS.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW WELL HE'S DONE IN THAT RESPECT IN A MOMENT.

THE OLD REPUBLICAN PARTY IS STILL AROUND.

THE LIBERTARIAN WING, THE NEOCON WING, THEY'RE STILL AROUND AND THE CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICAN PARTY WHICH IS ITS OWN THING, IS STILL THERE.

WHAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIS REPUBLICAN WORKERS PARTY AND THOSE WINGS OF THE PARTY AND OF THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT?

THEY'RE TOTALLY IN SHOCK.

THEY HAVEN'T FIGURED IT OUT.

I THINK A TRUMP WING IS EMERGING CONGRESSIONALLY, BUT CRUCIALLY TRUMP FOUND THE SWEET SPOT IN AMERICAN POLITICS, AND THE SWEET SPOT IS MIDDLE OF THE ROAD ON ECONOMICS AND VERY CONSERVATIVE ON CULTURAL MATTERS.

BUT MIDDLE OF THE ROAD ON ECONOMIC MATTERS MEANS WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO INTO ENTITLEMENTS.

YOU DIDN'T WANT TO CUT ENTITLEMENTS.

WE DIDN'T WANT TO CUT THEM, DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THEM, DIDN'T WANT TO GO AFTER BERNIE SANDERS.

CAN A WORKERS PARTY BE A WORKERS PARTY --

WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO AFTER PRIVATE SECTOR UNIONS.

WE THOUGHT THEY WERE EXACTLY THE KIND OF PEOPLE WE WANTED VOTING FOR US.

PUBLIC SECTOR IS SOMETHING ELSE.

NOT GOING AGAINST UNIONS, IT'S NOT THE SAME THING AS BEING SUPPORTIVE OF UNIONS.

IT'S MAKING -- PASSING LEGISLATION AND SUPPORTING LEGISLATION THAT MAKES IT EASY TO ORGANIZE IN THE WORKPLACE.

ARE THERE PLANS FOR THAT?

THERE AREN'T.

IN FACT, THE APPOINTEES ARE VERY -- PRETTY RIGHT WING ON LABOR MATTERS.

THAT'S NOT WHERE WE STARTED OUT, BUT BETWEEN -- THERE'S ALWAYS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MYSTIQUE OF A CAMPAIGN AND THE REALITY OF WHAT HAPPENS AFTER.

SO YOU MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN PRIVATE UNIONS AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNIONS.

YES.

WHY?

BECAUSE IT WAS THOUGHT THE PUBLIC SECTOR UNIONS WERE MORE POLITICAL AND DIDN'T CARE ABOUT THE ECONOMY WHEREAS THE PRIVATE SECTOR UNIONS WOULD CARE ABOUT THE ECONOMY.

THE ECONOMY IS COMING ROARING BACK.

THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR A PRIVATE SECTOR UNION MEMBER IS MAKE SURE HE'S GOT A JOB.

THE BOOK MAKES THE ARGUMENT CLEARLY THAT THE UNITED STATES AS THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY, THOSE DAYS ARE GONE, THAT THERE ARE MANY, MANY MORE COUNTRIES WHOSE CITIZENS ARE MORE MOBILE AND MORE EQUAL.

AMONG THOSE COUNTRIES ARE -- ALMOST ALL OF THOSE COUNTRIES GOT MORE MOBILE AND MORE EQUAL NOT THROUGH CONSERVATIVE WORKING CLASSICO LIGSS, BUT THROUGH GOOD OLD SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC OR DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST, IF YOU WILL, COALITIONS OR MAJORITY, THE NORDIC COUNTRIES.

WHY CAN'T THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, THE BERNIE SANDERS WING OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY BEGIN TO APPEAL TO THE WORKING CLASS AND BEGIN TO ACHIEVE THIS MOBILITY AND EQUALITY?

VERY EARLY ON IN THE CAMPAIGN I HAD DINNER WITH A CONGRESSMAN WHO RAILED ABOUT WHAT HE CALLED RIGHT WING MARXIST.

RIGHT WING MARXIST, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE MEANT BY THAT.

I SAID THAT'S ME.

I'M A MARXIST BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A CLASS DIVIDE WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT.

SO IS BERNIE ANSWERS.

BERNIE ANSWERS WOULD SEEK THE SOCIALIST ENDS THROUGH SOCIALEST MEANS.

TRUMP WOULD SEEK THE SAME ENDS THROUGH RIGHT WING MEANS OR FREE MARKET MEANS.

I THINK THAT WILL WIN.

I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THE DEBATE IN THE FUTURE.

WE SHOULD ALL SAY WE'VE COME TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE A CLASS SOCIETY.

WE'RE NOT MOBILE.

I THINK THAT'S CHANGING BY THE WAY.

THIS WAS CERTAINLY A PROBLEM BACK THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO.

IT'S BEGINNING TO CHANGE.

THAT'S A GREAT ISSUE.

YOU MENTIONED THE COUNTRIES THAT ARE MORE MOBILE.

I WAS COMING FROM CANADA, VASTLY MORE MOBILE.

BY THE WAY, MEDICARE PROBABLY HELPS IN THAT RESPECT.

INDEED, IN MANY RESPECTS ALL THAT TRUMP IS TRYING TO DO IS KHAN NEEDIANIZE THE POLITICS.

IN THE 20 SECONDS WE HAVE LEFT, WHAT'S THE LIKELIHOOD THIS NEW REPUBLICAN WORKERS PARTY WILL PREVAIL AGAINST ALL THE FACTIONS IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WHO DON'T WANT IT AND AGAINST THE ERRATIC PERSONALITY AND EXECUTIVE BEHAVIOR OF PRESIDENT TRUMP?

I WON'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE, GOD, WHAT CAN I SAY?

WHAT I CAN SAY, HOWEVER, IS THAT OLD RIGHT WING PARTY, THE PARTY OF JUST PURE FREE MARKETS, THAT'S DEAD.

FRANK, THE BOOK, VERY INTERESTING BOOK. IT'S CALLED THE REPUBLICAN WORKERS PARTY, SUBTITLED, HOW THE TRUMP VICTORY DROVE EVERYONE CRAZY AND WHY IT WAS JUST WHAT WE NEEDED.

THE FIRST PART OF THAT SUBTITLE IS CERTAINLY TRUE.

THANK YOU.

THANKS SO MUCH, FRANK.