STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
The Republican National Convention is entering its second day, and we're learning how, if at all, an assassination attempt last weekend has affected its tone. Caroline Sunshine, the deputy communications director for former President Trump, came to the phone in Wisconsin, and she told me that Trump favors a message of unity.
CAROLINE SUNSHINE: It's very clear that this country, the United States of America, probably doesn't feel so united lately. And President Trump has unified the Republican Party behind him. He is unequivocally the leader of our party, inspired unity. There's also a great hope to unify our country.
INSKEEP: There was something of a faux pas yesterday that maybe gets at the way the convention is changing or the way that you intend to. Senator Ron Johnson gave a speech in which he said Democrats were a clear and present danger to the country, and then said, oh, gosh, that was a mistake. They loaded the wrong speech into the teleprompter. I intended to say that, but then intended to cut it out. So that change didn't work, but is that the kind of change you intend, cutting out some of the more extreme language?
SUNSHINE: Well, I can't speak for Senator Johnson. I speak for President Trump. But as I said, President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party, and he is focus on unifying this country. It's very clear that somebody needs to unify this country. I don't think the Democrat Party right now is up to the job. I think the Democrat Party is having a difficult enough time on its own, unifying its own party. Very clear that people are looking to President Trump as he's the one that speaks for our party...
INSKEEP: Right.
SUNSHINE: ...And also speaks for our country.
INSKEEP: Let me ask you about the running mate, J.D. Vance, Senator Vance, and one specific aspect of his record - what is the value of Vance as a critic of Trump, who now says he's changed his mind?
SUNSHINE: You know, the value in this is two things, actually. This is a great question. J.D. Vance is very honest with the American people that yes, at one point, he was considered what would be called a critic of President Trump. But as we know when you love something, you're not afraid to criticize it, right? We're allowed to change our mind, especially when new facts are presented to us when new information is presented to us. Well, President Trump was a Democrat before he was a Republic.
INSKEEP: He's also expressed a lot of interesting political thoughts, and I want to ask about one. He has made a number of remarks about the President and the Supreme Court. He made a statement in a 2021 podcast that he expanded on this year in a discussion with George Stephanopoulos of ABC, where he seemed to be saying the president in some circumstances would be justified in defying the Supreme Court. Do you feel you understand what he meant by that?
SUNSHINE: You would have to give me the exact quote. Do you have the exact quote in front of you?
INSKEEP: Yes. Vance - this is a quote, "I think that what Trump should do, if I was giving him one piece of advice, fire every single mid-level bureaucrat, every civil servant in the administrative state, replace them with our people. And when the courts - because you will get taken to court - and then when the courts stop you, stand before the country like Andrew Jackson did, and say, the Chief Justice has made his ruling, now let him enforce it." That was the original quote, referring to a story in which President Andrew Jackson was said to have defied a Supreme Court order.
SUNSHINE: Interesting. Well, I think - God, that sounds like such a - now that you read me the full quote, that sounds like such a winning message, and we can see exactly why J.D. Vance has been selected for vice president. Look, part of Trump's original winning message is drain the swamp. And the fact is we have an administrative state in this country of unelected bureaucrats that are not accountable to the people. They're not elected. They also are not enumerated in the Constitution. Founders did not intend for a four-branch government. They intended for a three-branch government. President Trump is the leader of our party. He's now vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, and he serves at the pleasure of President Trump, and when they are elected in the White House, he will serve at the pleasure of President Trump. It's President Trump who's the leader of this party.
INSKEEP: Caroline Sunshine, is deputy communications director for the Trump campaign. Thanks very much.
SUNSHINE: Thank you for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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