Joining joining us from washington at the Washington NationalCommittee Headquarters is ronna mcdaniel, rnc. Its your job to make sure that voters get to the polls, and in key states like michigan where youre from, how are you dealing with that. We went virtual as states were shutting down coming up with protocols and making sure that ppe is available and weve switched back to a fully in force ground game and knocking doors in all the Battle Ground states. We had the infrastructure in place already and now were knocking about a million doors a week. Are you worried about covid19 . Are you taking precautions . Were taking the safety and Health Precautions necessary, we went completely virtual at first, so that we made sure that there was ppe available, that all the procedures are being put in place and now weve gone to the full ground game. We feel really good about it. We obviously are cognizant of the home owners and making sure were putting their safety first, but so far, theres been no issues. Let me ask you about some news by the president when he was asked about Election Night, he said, quote, were going to see what happens. From your standpoint, as the rnc chair, what does that mean . Well, of course the president is going to accept the results of the election, but i think the president is concerned, as am i, about many of the laws across this country being changed by democrats that are undermining the ability to get results, allowing ballots to be counted in some cases, up to 14 days past election day, and i think these are real concerns that we have, this is why were engaged in many, many lawsuits across the country. I dont understand why democrats are systematically in such an uncertain time with our country so divided, going state by state by state and trying to undermine the integrity of this election and changing laws, especially when dr. Fauci had said its safe to vote in earn about, when you saw in michigan, they had a Million People vote in their primary and there was no uptick in coronavirus. Yet, across the country the democrats are undermining many of the processes that have been vetted and tried and true and i think it will insert chaos in Election Night. But for those who prefer to mail in their ballots, do you have a problem with that. Theres a difference between somebody proactively asking for an absentee ballot which every state has an absentee process, thats part of the verification, asking for a ballot. Versus a state shifting their procedure to all mailin, mandating mailin ballots, and sending them to voter rolls that have not been vetted, that havent been checked to see if people have moved away or passed away and those are concerns that we have, especially in states that dont have the infrastructure to handle that influx of mailin voting. So those are concerns weve seen in the primaries, play out in new jersey, where they now have to redo an election, in new york where just six weeks to get results. These are precursors to what we think is going to happen on election day as many of these states are changing election laws on the fly without the infrastructure to handle these significant, significant changes. So, to that point, as you know, the president is calling this a democratic scheme and corruption. So, where is the corruption . Where is this happening specifically . Well, i think its very concerning to see states like nevada say, not only are we going to expand ballot harvesting, but mail not just absentee request forms, but live ballots. We saw a lot of problems in the primary where ballots were literally littering apartment buildings floors or garbage cans. That leaves uncertainty. And every voter should have certainty in the election process. And democrats systematically are p pursuing to get rid of signature verification, voter i. D. He this want to expand ballot harvesting i dont know how that would be considered safe during coronavirus if democrats are saying voting in person isnt safe why would doortodoor collecting ballots be any safer. These are things across the country, states like new jersey and montana have pretty much eliminated inperson voting. The president s right to say democrats are inserting havoc and chaos in the election cycle. Were hearing this could be potentially the most litigated election in american history. What are you preparing for and now is the rnc getting ready for Court Challenges if they happen . Well, weve been in many court cases across the country, winning some. Some of them have been codified. So you have dark money paying democrats to go sue a state and then the Democrat Legislature and government says thats what you want us to do, well change the low and doing that as close to 90 days out from election. Its much harder to sue when its codified into law. I think that voters should be alarmed to this. The rnc is suing where week, a great operations day team and we will have lawyers prepared and ready on election day and i think this shows why its so, so vital that we have that ninth seat filled on the Supreme Court because there are going to be, i believe, many, many court cases after election day. As you know, that was a very different argument four years ago when it was a 44 court, by members of your own party. It was a different argument because of the scalia vacancy and a different majority in the senate with a republican majority and a democrat in the executive branch. The voters made a choice. They knew there was a Supreme Court vacancy and they chose a republican at the executive level and they wanted republicans to fill that Supreme Court vacancy, because were 40 days out from election, means that you stop governing. I cant think of a time where we need that critical ninth vote with an election as litigated as this one is. Do you understand there are those who said theres hypocrisy and what senator graham said two years ago and senator mcconnell four years ago and you point out with republicans in control of the senate. Do you see their argument. They have been really clear about that from the very beginning. Mitch mcconnell said if you have a legislative branch, controlled by a Different Party in the senate, and the executive by a democrat, we should wait. But when both are from the same party and voters made that decision, we need to follow the will of the voters in the constitution, we need that third branch of government fully staffed. Joe biden has said that himself,that third branch of government should be fully staffed. I think its more concerning to see democrats say, if we dont get what we want and you do what is constitutionally mandated to fill that Supreme Court to the president that were going to impeach you. That were going to stack the Supreme Court. I think joe biden needs to come out and talk about where he stands on that issue. Its frightening to see democrats say if we dont get what we want when were not in power, were going to change the rules and change the way this country has been governed. And with the understanding its a decision up to the Supreme Court justice, but if, as we say 20 years ago with bush v gore the outcome of the election would be dependent on the u. S. Supreme court, do you think a justice appointed by President Trump should recuse himself or herself . Oh, im not going to get into that. Thats going to be up to the senate and the president and that justice. I think its critical that we have that ninth justice. I think its something thats going to be critical. I expect that they will follow the law that they will look at the facts. And be able to adjudicate that way. What are you expecting Election Night . What are you thinking about a month out . Well, obviously, looking at my ground game right now. Were trying to get over voter out. I with as on the ground in ohio, kentucky and michigan recently the energy is really strong, but were going to keep working until election day. We want to make sure that were making the case. President trump deserves four more years and he deserves the right to rebuild the economy and done it for four more years, and joe biden has been in washington 40 years and says hes going to raise taxes. And the army of 2 million volunteers weve trained and 2000 staff on the ground is our mechanism to talk on voters oneonone getting them out and voting republican on election day. The debates begin on tuesday, how is the president preparing . Well, the president is always talking to the press, hes out doing events every night and of course hes going to do his own preparation, but again, this isnt a president avoiding reporters day after day and not doing public events. This is a president who has been more accessible than any other president on the lawn of the white house always taking questions with his news briefings, so, i think hell be ready for this debate. Does the Supreme Court vacancy mobilize Republican Voters . Does it help for those who might be on the fence, i may like the president s policies, i dont like his personality . In 2016 there definitely were voters in michigan when i was chair that were motivated by the Supreme Court vacancy, they wanted a republican and republican president just based on that and i think voters on this cycle as well. The energy weve seen has been unprecedented and i think we have more than in 2016 when im with the volunteer signups and things im seeing on the ground. I dont know if it takes much more to motivate them, but certainly this may help with many so of the voters to care so much about the Supreme Court and the generational implications that that vacancy will have. Chairwoman mcdonnell lets turn to the senate. The republicans are defending more than democrats this cycle. What states concern you the most, what races are you the most worried about . We have pretty much the opposite of what we had in 2018. So weve got a lot of republican seats that we want to make sure that we hold. Cory gardner we know is a Battle Ground seat. Mar this mcsally. Susan collins, those are three that everybody acknowledges, thom tillis, obviously, joni ernst. And this then weve got pickup opportunities in alabama with tuberville, john james is a breakout candidate in michigan, doing incredibly well against gary peters. So, were not just trying to hold our seats, were actually looking to pick up seats as well. But what worries you the most of those races. What are you most concerned of. I cant say that, i dont want to make our candidates think im worried about their race. I feel good about what were doing in all of these states. I feel good about the ground game. But certainly, some of these are going to be neck and neck until election day. And we have been looking at numbers coming from the president s reelection campaign. Do you have financially what the party needs . Does the president have what he needs in terms of advertising and the final push . We absolutely have the resources we need to get through this campaign. The difference with the rnc, weve raised record money and more than the dnc since the beginning of 2019. Weve been investing in a ground game and thats why youre seeing stories like, republicans are out registering democrats in states like florida, pennsylvania and north carolina, you cant pop up a ground game a week before an election, you cant train 2 million volunteers on the fly. Having people to knock and be trained, to talk to their neighbors in their own neighborhood is so impactful. And weve been building that for years. I feel very good about where we are on the infrastructure side of things, and obviously, the campaign will have the resources it needs to get the commercials up, and reelect the president. And curious, you mentioned commercials, as somebody who studies and understands politics. From your standpoint in a president ial election, is there a point of diminishing returns when it comes to advertising versus the ground game or other efforts to mobilize voters . I think its kind of the whole picture, the whole eco system is really impactful in turning out a voter. There absolutely are diminishing returns as tv gets saturated and people tune out unless that commercial is so unique that it breaks out. You have to pay more to get enough views for it to stick in a voters head, but then youve got to use digital, mail. Door knocking is very impactful especially neighbor to neighbor, its common sense, if youre knocking your friends door, hey, we live down the street. Our kids go to school together. Can we find this election, we feel thats an important tool and then live phones to make sure the absentee ballots or early votes. I think its the whole eco system needs to be running at full strength and we certainly have that headed into 2020. Were seeing a lot of ads from the lincoln project, including your predecessor, Michael Steele former chair of the rnc and some of those taking aim at senator lindsey graham. Whats your reaction . Its disappointing. I dont understand how you could hold republican ideals like cutting taxes, cutting regulation, rule of justices, energy independence, trade deals, military and our veterans and everything that President Trump does and say im going to abandon those, and to democrat, more taxes, regulation, taking away private health care, the list goes on and on and i dont understand it. I think its distressing, but certainly, we are going to do everything we can to make sure that we have victories for not just the president keeping the senate and taking back the house. Does that divide to the g. O. P. , that effort . No, i think that group is smaller and smaller. Theyre just more vocal and they get more attention because theyre nevertrumpers, i know firsthand people concerned about the president in 2016 didnt know, is he really going to put rule of law justices on the Supreme Court, is he really a republican . They have come around and his support around the Republican Party is record high and thats evidenced by enthusiasm not just through the volunteers were seeing, but organic thing like the trump boat parades and car parades and conversations, everybodys having across the country people say he really did deliver and done the things hes promised and i think republicans especially recognize he had as been such a strong president for republican ideals and pushing them forward. You are of course the former chair of the michigan Republican Party. So as you look at your home state and you look at the returns coming out on november the 3rd, what part of the state is going to be a real bellwether for you and for the president . Macomb county will be key. Macomb county is the county that everybody kind of got wrong in 2016 on the media side of things and i think the National Polls are wrong, locally we knew something was happening in macomb county. That is a bellwether county that went for reagan had been democrat for decades and went for trump. Oakland county we need to perform, and wayne county the populous areas, but the whole state is it really mobilized right now, the in ariareas on t ground. We are a very divided country. Regardless what happens on election day, do you envision any role that you and your counterpart at dnc would play in trying to heal whatever wounds are left after the results come in in november . You know, i always want to see our country more united. I think that as a mom, as somebody who has friends and family on both sides of the aisle politically, we dont want to see this division. I feel like its been unfortunate to see democrats refuse to accept the election of donald trump, boycotting the inauguration, not my president. The things that this president has had to deal with has not been good for our country. So, hopefully no matter what, we can come together because we do live in the greatest country on earth and i want to see it continue to that American Dream thats available for my kids and we need to do that working together. When you talk about those divisions, does the president with his tweets and often his tone, bear any responsibility . Ive never seen a president have to deal with what this president has dealt with and you know, you can talk about tweets all you want, fine. But when you see before he was even elected, that there were potential spice embedded in his campaign, spy and fisa, and Obama Administration didnt say were worried about the foreign actors, would you work with us . That is so concerning to me and that would solve problems and to see him elected and democrats never work with this president , ive never seen anything like it. You talk about the peaceful transfer of power, we didnt have that with this election. Hopefully we can get rid of the rhetoric and lets stop dividing the country. I know were going to see more of that through this Supreme Court nomination what, they did to Justice Kavanaugh was the was one of the saddest times in our political history to see the character assassination of him. We hope that we dont see that with this next nominee. So whats your message to democrats . And what should democrats tell republicans in terms of the deep divisions we have in it country on capitol hill and main street . I dont think theyre listening to me right now. Ill give you this a little anecdote, i dont know how much time you have. But my kids school had a website that went up outing trump support towers harass and attack them and my kids of course were the first ones put on that site and a really strong democrat biden supporter called my daughter that night and said you know what, this is wrong, this isnt what we should do to people in this country. You deserve to have your opinion and be respected and they took the site down together. I wish we did that more as adults. We should be able to have differences of opinion and not be vitriolic and hateful and divisive and hopefully we can get to a more civil discourse in the future. Lets spend remaining minutes about you. Whats the biggest learning curve as rnc chair in the last three and a half, almost four years . I think initially i wasnt a known person, fu