Social media, on twitter, at twitter. Com cspanwj and on facebook, at, facebook. Com cspan. You can start calling in now and as youre calling in, we take you to the front page of the New York Times this morning, an article thats getting a lot of attention with theyre exclusive interview with putt. He is likely to come up during this first hour of discussion on the washington journal. The story in the New York Times has Michael Schmidt and michael shear on the byline. The headline, president says inquiry makes u. S. Look bad. It is an impromptu 30minute interview at the president s golf club in West Palm Beach. He did not demand an end to the investigation but said 16 times that theres been no collusion covered by the inquiry quote. Host the story by shear and schmidt of the New York Times goes on to note that the interview happened in the grill room of the Trump International golf club as the president ate lunch with his playing partners including his son, eric, and jim harmen. No aide was present with the interview. And the president sat alone with a reporter. Were going to be going through this story throughout this first hour of the washington journal today and as were doing that, we also want to hear from you on this question as we said we ask about every year around this time. Want to know your political winners and losers. Again, phone lines, republicans, 2027488001, democrats, 2027488000 and independents, 2027488002. Dean is up first in louisville, kentucky, an independent. Deep, good morning to you. Aller good morning. My loser is President Trump and im a conservative republican. Served rump was a he this country and then we live in a very dangerous world today and i feel like President Trump is not the president i want to see right now in the white house. Thank you. Host dean, who would you like to into a who is the winner . Lost history gregory is on the independent line. Go ahead. Caller yeah, excuse me. Having a cough. Its awfully chilly this morning. Host it is, indeed. Caller for me, its trump taking well, basically trump , having with just his ego primarily. T shows how, i guess, humanity has its ultimate defaults or its ailures and its on full display with trump. And then theres the fact that he takes everything very personally so it gives me solace to consider his anxiety or frustrations that he may be contemplating at this very hour. Host well, gregory, well see what the president is think about this hour. Its the the time of day where the president often does tweet. Well keep an eye on his twitter page as we do every morning on the washington journal. But i want to hear from our viewers about political winners and losers from 2017. Dwayne, aberdeen, south dakota, line for democrats. Dwayne, go ahead. Caller yeah. I think the democrats are the losers this year because for whatever reason, i dont understand they win some, having to get 60 votes in the senate to pass up for 50 or whatever. I dont understand how that happen. Can somebody explain that to me . Host dwayne, how do you think it happened . What do you think went wrong with Democratic Candidates caller i dont know. Thats why ive been trying to figure out. Its always been they had to pass some major legislation. It took 60 votes in the congress and in senate. And now its just a simple majority. When did that change . Host the reason for that on the tax got was through the reconciliation process that republicans used for tax reform, sort of a onebite at the apple for one piece of legislation each year. This is that process that we talked a little bit about on this program but its not like they will be it will be a 51vote threshold for piece of legislation unless they change the filibuster rule. Caller thats well, i just think that they if youre going to have 60 vote, then youve got bipartisan. This is not a bipartisan deal now. Its a republican way or no way. And i dont think thats right. Host well, the gap in the senate is going to get a little bit closer yesterday. The state of alabama certified Democrat Doug Jones as the winner of that special election for u. S. Senate following a failed 11th hour challenge by republican roy moore. Mr. Jones who won the december 12 election and is expecting to be sworn in january 3 is the first democrat elected senator from alabama in more than two decades. Host the story notes that mr. Moore hasnt conceded. He lost the rates. He received about 20,000 votes out of the 1. 3 million that were cast. One story about the votes that were cast in that Alabama Special Senate election focuses on some of those alabamaians and others who got votes besides the republican and democratic candidate in that election. Mr. Jones as weve voted won by fewer than 20,000 votes and more than 22,800 residents including richard shelby, a republican in the congressional delegation elected to write in the names of other figures, whether they were dead, alive or fictional. The New York Times noting that Luther Strange, who was appointed to hold the position, hold the seat in the senate after Jeff Sessions was nominated and confirmed for the attorney general spot, Luther Strange won about 7,800 writein vote. He did run for that post in the primary and lost to roy moore. Others receiving vote, bonso the clown had a handful of alabamaians. Mickey mouse picked up some of the states host the story on the New York Times focusing on all those folks who received writein votes. Kathy is in odessa, texas, a republican. Kathy, who were your winners and losers of 2015 . 2017 . Doink the american citizens are the losers in all of this. We have a government thats infighting amongst itself. We have two parties that continuously fight. E want to Work Together. And i truly believe its the people who voted them to be in office that are the losers. Host who do you think is the winner of 2017 . Caller i dont think that there was a true political winner in 2017. Because those that were victorious were brought down and the ones that werent victorious ave won. I believe trump this trying his hardest. And i believe that the Republican Party after a while said ok, youre the president. Were going to do this. And i think that the democratic side is eventually going to come around. But i truly dont believe theres any true winners this year. Host kathy in texas. More from the president with that exclusive interview in the times. New york times. He expressed anger in democrats who he said refused on legislation he went to talk about that alabama special election. He said he supported Luther Strange because he knew that roy moore would lose the general election and he insisted that he endorsed mr. Moore at the end only because i feel like vi on the divorce republicans as the head of the party. I want to hear from you this morning. Mike is up next in pennsylvania, line for republicans. Go ahead. Caller i think winner this year was donald trump. I voted for him not because i thought he was the lesser of two evils. I thought Hillary Clinton would be a lot worse. But hes proven himself to be a pretty good p. Ive never seen a man get up every morning, get punched in the head all day by the media and get back up and do it again the next day. And hes been trying to do exactly what he said he would do. So im going to call him the winner. Host mike, you said you originally thought he was the lever of two lesser of the two evils. What were you concerned about him . Caller that he wasnt going to do what he said he was going to. Ive been lied to my whole life. Ive met many politicians in my life time. They all promise you anything when theyre running and we knew that Hillary Clinton lied all the time. I mean, shes never done anything she said she was going to do. So he was the lesser of two evils but hes turned into a really good president as far as im concerned because he is trying to do exactly what he said he would do. And he cuts so much regulation, and hes cut taxes. I just dont see how anybody can think he isnt doing what he isnt supposed to. Host mike, what do you make of these job approval numbers . Do they mean anything at all . Heres the real clear politics of the president s job approval numbers over the course of the year. It is currently at 39 of the American Public approving of the president s job. 56 disapproving of how hes doing his job. 16. 9 gap there. Caller i personally think its the same as during the election. Nobody wanted to say they were supporting him. But they did. You know, its the way it was and i think its still that way. I think people just dont want to say they support him but theyll come out and vote for him. Host mike, appreciate that call. Ahead to san marcos, texas, sam, line for democrats. Go ahead. Caller yeah, good morning. Thank you for cspan. So i actually want to say the biggest losers or two losers of 2017, roy moore and donald trump , especially with the harassing claims that were going on everywhere and how donald trump was claiming to roy moore or about roy moore that he is not appreciating roy moores values or he doesnt support him but hes still, you know, being accused of harassment. And with the recent tweet by donald trump, you can tell that hes kind of hes kind of edgy on this whole harassment thing when he tweeted out i like big host and we will move on to bill, line for independents. Bill, go ahead. [indiscernible] how can you pass a law and put a trillion dollar debt in this country . I dont understand it. And we, the taxpayers, were going to have to pay this off and by doing that, we cut the senate. We cut the congress. We cut the pay in half. We cut the per diem in half. And we cut their staff on the two people. One thats in d. C. And one in the state. If these guys tagged up together and passed a law and balanced the budget, they would all fit to be in the office. So why are we paying them 175,000 a year . Lets cut their pay in half. Lets balance the budget and if they cant do it, well draw titions and cut the pay in half and will the savings go to the budget, not do anything else. Host what did think of the tax bill that was just passed, the president touting it as one of his big accomplishments of his first year in office . Caller how can you be proud of a bill that puts the country, puts a trillion dollars in debt . And he brags about it. I didnt vote for history and i didnt vote for clinton. I didnt think either one should run this country. Its proven lately. How can you sit there and be president of the United States and brag about a tax bill that puts the country a trillion dollars in debt . You explain this to me. Host bill, who did you vote for . Caller i didnt vote for either one. Host did you vote for anyone . Caller i voted for the guys name from here. Host who, bill . Caller neither one of these, clinton or trump, i believe were able to run this country and they have proven it. They dont know how to run the country. Host thats bill in wisconsin. Tina this greensboro, north carolina, line for democrats. Tina, good morning. Caller good morning. I think the losers are the American People, our environment and good image as a reliable global leader. And let me say harming 13 million innocent Sick Children and elders that we should honor does not make our country great. Im just so saddened by it that our countrys being run like a casino by unethical people. And the winners, big business nd the rich have become more wealthy and they are highly and mightily represented by the Republican Party. Deron williams just the face of whats donald trump is just the face of it. The Republican Party is responsible for that embrace and create chaos to keep people like me off balance with the issue so we wont see how much theyre stealing of our money and theyre causing great harm to the world. Host tina, you mentioned wedge issues. Do you think Climate Change and the president s position on Climate Change, do you think thats become a wedge issue . Caller well, i think the issue is so important it should not be a wedge issue because we all want clean water, fresh air and ealthy land to grow our crops. There seems to be an unhealthy disrespect for the manifestations of the world and that is from a very dark place. And it is a wedge issue because many of the leaders have been bribed to the point to where they cannot agent responsibly. Host the president tweeting about Climate Change and Global Warming about 18 hours or so. This was the president yesterday in the east. It could be the coldest new years eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our country, but not other countries. Was going to pay trillions of dollars to protect against. Bundle up, the president tweeted. Sheldon tweeted so much his criticisms back. This is just embarrassing. He wrote, citing the president s tweet. Its clear facts dont matter to you, but heres the new climate report from your administration that affirms Climate Change is caused by human tuft and has serious health, economic and environmental consequences. Read it. And he went on to tweet that report back to the president. Taking your calls this morning. Our question is about your political winners and losers in 2017. Were going to be talking about it for the first hour of our program today. Joshua rogers, arkansas, line for independents. Go ahead. Caller yes. Thank you for taking my call. The answer is simple this year. The political losers have been, obviously the Republican Party has been embarrassed in ways i think ive never actually seen the Republican Party embarrassed in my lifetime which that hasnt been very long. But still. Trump is an embarrassment to this country. And hillary was not set to do the job either, which is why im an independent. And the result of this this mess, this chaos that we are all in the midst of, we are going to get a more informed voter. We are going to have a Younger Generation that is going to step up and do their research, do their homework on the people theyre voting for. And so in other words what, im trying to say is bear with us through this terrible time and there will be a time when you to have a more informed voter going into the booth and that person thats going to vote based on what the pulisic willing really able to get us rather as opposed to what theyre promising us and somebody thats willing to vote with their head and not their heart and not in an emotional state which i think it happened in this election. Host you brought up generations and age. Do you mind if i ask how old you are . Caller yes, sir. Im 29 years old. So i would tend to be falling in the umbrella of millennial. Host went did you start really paying attention to politics and why . Caller i was probably actually in my mid 20s when i started paying attention and the reason is because it began to affect my daytoday life. I was in college. I was entering the job market. I was looking for insurance. Things of these nature. And i found it extremely difficult that an adult in this country, on this economic climate to find good employment to get health insurance, to just do the basic things that an american person should be able to do. I have an extremely difficult time and i think the Republican Party has made it to where it is very difficult for someone like myself to make it in this world. Host joshua, i know were talking about 2017. But wow who did you support in 2016 . Caller in 2016, i was very much mr. Sanders to be honest with you. Sanders was kind of more hes leaning in the direction of what the young people are looking, ill just say that. Host so you would disagree then with this newsweek story as the headline old people like Bernie Sanders should get out of politics for 2020 quoting howard dean on nbc newss morning joe. He ced i think someone of my generation needs get the hell out of politics, he wrote. Caller i think im going to have to agree and disagree with that statement. Bernie sanders is one of the special few in this generation hat understands my generation. But experience always important. And lets not forget that the older generation always has something to teach us. Lets not forget that. But at the same time, a younger politician getting in there, it could not be the worst thing either. Kind of a duality out there. Host who is the young politician that you would like to see come out of 2018 . Caller im going to be honest with you, theres nobody i see right now. Host jonathan, my choice for 2017 winner is Bernie Sanders for never giving up and my choice for loser is donald trump. Marie says the media are the political losers. Very embarrassing for the u. S. To have a corrupt democrat owned hostile media. The loser of 2015 is the American People. Racism is in pennsylvania, line four for revpbles rachel, good morning. Caller yes, good morning. How are you today . Host im doing well. Go ahead. Caller thats wonderful. Yes, i was excited to see this live comment going on about the question at hand and i believe that the American People are winners with donald trump having been elected, hallelujah, and im just so glad about it. Hes got the backbone to stand up and defend the moral standard of god. And he has the backbone to go forth and do what is right. You know, what is absolutely right. Hillary clinton if she were elected would have tried to shut down preachers speaking the truth of god, hallelujah, upholding the bible, and she would have made it a crime to speak against the wickedness in the world going on today whereas donald trump is descending the moral codes of god and host can i ask, rachel, in what way she would make it a crim