We had this in the headlines yesterday but today NBC News is focusing on what came later in the discussion caught on a hot mic. Schumer told Biden that things aren’t looking good in Georgia and he was not only talking about Stacey Abrams but also about Sen. Warnock.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., expressed concern Thursday about Sen. Raphael Warnock’s re-election race against Republican Herschel Walker during a conversation with President Joe Biden.
The private discussion was picked up on a microphone and camera while they stood on an airport tarmac in Syracuse, N.Y., with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“The state where we’re going downhill is Georgia,” Schumer appeared to tell Biden. “It’s hard to believe that they will go for Herschel Walker.”
Schumer also said “Looks like the debate didn’t hurt us too much in Pennsylvania,” a reference to Fetterman’s poor debate performance. He also seemed optimistic about Catherine Cortez Masto’s race in Nevada. “We’re picking up steam in Nevada,” he said.
But the mystery remains about what he was saying in the very first part of the clip. The video starts with Biden saying something which I can’t quite make out. “By the way, this is not coming from…[inaudible]” Biden said.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand replied, “No, he’s a nice man.” “He is,” Schumer added.
“That seat, we’re in danger in that seat,” Schumer said. Then something else I can’t make out. He said the word “worrying” and then, “It’s close, we’ll see.”
So, it seems from the context they are talking about a Senate Democrat in a close race who is a “nice man.” That’s probably not a reference to Fetterman because when Schumer brought up the debate a moment later he specifically mentioned Pennsylvania as if changing the subject.
If I had to guess, Schumer was probably talking about Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin, who is sinking in his race against Sen. Johnson. The other possibility is that they were talking about Sen. Mark Kelly in Arizona. Just a couple days ago a new poll from a Democratic pollster (Data for Progress) found the AZ race was a dead heat. So the facts might fit a little better since that race does appear to be very close. It’s not lost by any means but Kelly is in danger.
Here’s the video. Maybe your ears (or lip reading skills) are better than mine. Would love to know who they were talking about as the video starts.
Schumer to Biden on the midterms:
"It looks like the debate didn't hurt us too much in Pennsylvania as of today, so that's good…we're picking up steam in Nevada…The state where we're going downhill is Georgia. It's hard to believe that they will go for Herschel Walker." pic.twitter.com/6fypr4BeY1
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) October 27, 2022
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