Is hatred for the President disrupting the nation?

'The O'Reilly Factor' examines the relationship between Democrats and Donald Trump

This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," April 4, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
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O'REILLY: Continuing now with our lead story, hatred of the President disrupting the Republic in my opinion.

Joining us from Austin, Texas Marjorie Clifton, a Democrat.

So, do you acknowledge the hatred in your party against President Trump?

MARJORIE CLIFTON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I don't know even know that it's party specific. And I think there are lots of people who have strong emotions related to him because he's done a lot of things to evoke emotional responses like you talked about with some wall, comments he's made about women. Those have hit cords that go beyond just politics but when it comes to things like the hearing that we're talking about, I actually think that's separate and what is like you talked about the base being fired up, that's going to energize politicians who have to go back and run their elections after they place their votes. But does that influence? Yes, it influences.

O'REILLY: There maybe some of that but believe me, we did a survey and people don't follow the Supreme Court like that. They don't know who Neil Gorsuch is. They don't watch the hearings we're talking about the general folks here. Not people who watch THE O'REILLY FACTOR. This is a good man, Gorsuch, you would see that, right? Honorable man?

CLIFTON: He seems such. And I agree that this may not be the food fight that it would be worth in a different climate.

O'REILLY: Okay. So, he's a good man and his record on the bench is stellar. It's a stellar record and then when he was appointed to the lower court, all the Democrats went along with it, okay? So, now they don't. And it's not because of Gorsuch, it's because of Trump. They don't want to give Trump the big win and it will be a big win for Trump on Friday. You know it will be. But here's what I don't understand and maybe you can explain this to me. They know Gorsuch is going to get confirmed one way or the other. So now they're just being obstructionist. They're just being, you know, I don't care if he is qualified. I don't care if he has a good record. I am going to vote for him, period. Don't you think that's going to tee-off Independent Americans?

CLIFTON: Well, I think Independent Americans is already been spurred. But I think this goes beyond just feelings about the President, it's about fairness and how the President has been operating has felt holy unfair to people who are part of the political process starting with the fact --

O'REILLY: But that doesn't have anything to do with Neil Gorsuch. So, you're making my point. You're saying they want to punish Trump because they don't think he's fair. So, we'll punish him no matter what he does.

CLIFTON: I'm making the same point Charles made which it is politics and that they have to go back and see to their base and their districts who are fired up because of the policies of this what seemingly Republican administration --

O'REILLY: They don't care about the Supreme Court, that is not a major issue. It's going to get Claire McCaskill defeated but it's not a major issue.

CLIFTON: But they do care about when, for example, him trying to undermine the entire judicial system saying so-called judges. And I think the need for fairness --

O'REILLY: Marjorie, come on, it's an off-hand comment.

CLIFTON: Okay. But --

O'REILLY: It's an off-hand comment. He won. He won.

CLIFTON: But the number of -- right. But the pettiness that we have seen from Trump, his taking to twitter the things that seem unfair and the fact that --

O'REILLY: Because you consider him petty and some liberals -- so that we're going to, you know, oppose anything that he does. That's exactly my point. You're making my point for me. Thank you.

CLIFTON: No. But another point I'd also make is, I don't think that Democrats and Republicans alike feel that Gorsuch is, you know, the way he rules on different subject matter is exactly super fair. So that is, I mean, I don't think that's a universal truth but even more not fair was the fact that when the Democrats put Judge Garland up --

O'REILLY: So what?

CLIFTON: No, it's not. Because they refused to give him a trial at all.

O'REILLY: No, it doesn't matter what happened with Garland, if you have a good guy now that can help the country. Last word.

CLIFTON: But it does. I think it is about fairness.

O'REILLY: So, you think that's good for the Republic? Come on!

CLIFTON: No. It is about who's going to be a unifier and Trump is not being a unifier.

O'REILLY: Okay.

CLIFTON: And I think finding ways to bring people together to feel like we are part of a process everyone honors is a key and partial thing. And I'm with Charles even on the national, all the way around.

O'REILLY: All right. You made my point for me.

CLIFTON: Yes. Yes.

O'REILLY: They don't like him so anything he does they're not going to cooperate.

CLIFTON: No. No.

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