Who is Katie Britt, the ‘MAGA enough’ senator? | About That

[???] >> Lauren: THE REBUTTAL TO THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS IS A TRADITION GOING BACK TO THE ’60s. EVERY YEAR SOME RISING STAR IN THE OPPOSITION PARTY IS TAPPED TO DELIVER IT, THIS YEAR IT WAS HER. >> THE AMERICAN DREAM HAS TURNED

INTO A NIGHTMARE FOR SO MANY FAMILIES. OUR COUNTRY CAN DO BETTER. >> Lauren: A LOT HAS BEEN MADE OF THIS 17 MINUTE SPEECH OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS. >> PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T KNOW WHO SHE WAS THOUGHT SHE WAS AN ACTRESS PLAYING A POLITICIAN.

>> WHAT IS WITH IT? >> THE STAGING IS BIZARRE. >> Lauren: KATIE BRITT IS A RELATIVELY NEW MEMBER OF THE SENATE, BUT ONE THAT’S NAME HAD BEEN TOSSED AROUND FOR VICE PRESIDENT. WHO IS KATIE BRITT? OKAY, LET’S GO THROUGH THE BASICS.

SHE IS ONLY 42 AND ACTUALLY, THE YOUNGEST WOMAN ELECTED TO THE REPUBLICAN SENATE. SHE HAS TWO YOUNG KIDS AND SHE EVEN CALLS HERSELF A MAMA ON A MISSION IN WASHINGTON. YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO WATCH HER REBUTTAL LONG TO GET THAT FAMILY

PLAYS A BIG PART IN HER POLITICS, WHICH MAYBE IS THE REASON WHY SHE IS TAPPED TO DELIVER IT. >> THERE IS A FEMALE FACE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND TRYING TO APPEAL TO THE FEMALE VOTE, WHICH HAS REALLY GONE AGAINST REPUBLICAN PARTIES IN RECENT

ELECTIONS AND RISK DOING SO AGAIN BECAUSE THESE ABORTION ISSUES, THESE I.V.F. ISSUES ARE SIGNIFICANT IN AMERICAN POLITICS. >> IT’S SENDING REALLY INTERESTING SIGNALS ABOUT THE PARTICULAR TYPE OF WOMAN SHE IS PRESENTING HERSELF AS, SOMEBODY WHO FORE GROUNDS HER IDENTITY AS

A WIFE AND MOTHER BEFORE THE FACT THAT SHE IS AN ACCOMPLISHED WOMAN BEFORE SHE WENT INTO POLITICS. >> Lauren: SHE WAS COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, AS WELL AS CHIEF OF STAFF TO HER PREDECESSOR, RICHARD SHELBY FOR SEVERAL YEARS. IN 2021 AFTER SHELBY ANNOUNCED

HE WOULDN’T BE RUNNING FOR SENATE, SHE PUT HER HAT IN THE RING. >> I THINK A LOT OF THE THINKING WHEN BRITT RAN TO SUCCEED HIM, SHE WOULD BE IN THE SAME ROLE, COMING FROM HIS OFFICE, NOT JUST SOMEONE THAT WOULD LOBBY EVERYWHERE.

>> Lauren: SHE RAN AGAINST MO BROOKS. AT THE TIME, TRUMP REPORTEDLY SAID BRITT WAS NOT IN ANY WAY QUALIFIED AND IS CERTAINLY NOT WHAT OUR COUNTRY NEEDS OR NOT WHAT ALABAMA WANTS. THEN A CHANGE OF HEART. >> TRUMP ENDORSED HER PRIMARY

OPPONENT AND THEN UNENDORSED THE PRIMARY OPPONENT. HE ENDORSED HER WHEN IT BECAME CLEAR THAT SHE WAS GOING TO WIN THIS SEAT ESSENTIALLY. >> Lauren: A FEW MONTHS LATER IN 2022. >> ALABAMA HAS THEIR FIRST ELECTED WOMAN FOR SENATE. KATIE BRITT WILL REPRESENT THE

STATE IN CONGRESS. >> Lauren: WHEN BRITT FIRST ARRIVED IN WASHINGTON, SHE WAS SEEN AS SOMEONE THAT COULD WORK WITH BOTH SIDES. SHE WAS QUICKLY APPOINTED TO BIPARTISAN COMMITTEES. SHE GOT A ROLE IN THE CONFERENCE LEADERSHIP AS ADVISOR TO MITCH McCONNELL AND MAINTAINING AN

ESTABLISHMENT REPUBLICAN IMAGE. >> SHE HAS NOT BEEN A CULTURE WARRIOR OUT THERE ON X OR GOING ON FOX NEWS AND DELIVERING THESE TRUMP MESSAGES. >> Lauren: WHILE SHE DID HAVE TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT, SHE WAS NOT IN THE TRUMP CAMP AT THE TIME.

>> THE IDEA THEY WOULD BE A CLOSE PAIR IS NOT RIGHT. TRUMP SAID SOME PRETTY HARSH THINGS ABOUT HER, POINTING TO THE IDEA THAT SHE WAS THIS SWAMP CREATURE FROM WASHINGTON D.C. THAT HE LIKES TO USE AGAINST SO MANY REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT FIGURES.

>> Lauren: THAT APPROACH MEANT SHE MAY BE ABLE TO BRIDGE DIVIDES BETWEEN THE REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS. SHE TOLD POLITICO THAT I REALLY BELIEVE WE NEED TO GET BACK TO A PLACE WHERE YOU DON’T HAVE AGREE WITH SOMEONE 100% THAT YOU RESPECT.

BRITT WAS THE ONLY MEMBER OF ALABAMA’S CONGRESS TO HOLD BACK FROM ENDORSING TRUMP BUT THEN SHE TOO HAD A CHANGE OF HEART. >> IT’S REFLECTIVE OF WHAT WE SEE. SOME OF THESE REPUBLICAN OFFICE HOLDERS ARE NOT FIT FOR THE TRUMP MOVEMENT, BUT THEY REALIZE

THIS IS WHERE THE PARTLY IS AND ULTIMATELY THEY COME AROUND TO THAT. >> Lauren: BRITT ENDORSED TRUMP A FEW MONTHS AGO IN DECEMBER, WRITING IN AN ONLINE CONSERVATIVE NEWS OUTLET, THERE IS ONE CANDIDATE I KNOW WILL SECURE THE BORDER BECAUSE HE’S DONE IT.

BORDER SECURITY HAS BEEN A BIG ISSUE FOR HER. SHE TALKS A LOT ABOUT IT. >> THERE ARE EMPTY CHAIRS TONIGHT AT KITCHEN TABLES JUST LIKE THIS ONE BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT BIDEN’S SENSELESS BORDER POLICIES. >> Lauren: NOW SHE WAS ON THE BIPARTISAN COMMITTEE CHARGED

WITH COMING UP WITH LEGISLATION ON THE BORDER. >> SHE WAS PROPOSING LEGISLATION WITH OTHER PRAGMATIC REPUBLICANS WHO ARE TRYING TO GET SOMETHING DONE. YOU KNOW, THIS IS — SHE IS REALLY TRYING TO CRAFT HER IDENTITY. >> Lauren: THAT BIPARTISAN BILL

ULTIMATELY FAILED A FEW WEEKS AGO. >> THE SENATE REPUBLICANS BLOCKED THE BORDER SECURITY DEAL. >> Lauren: A LOT OF COMMENTATORS SPECULATED THE BILL FELL THROUGH WHEN DONALD TRUMP SAID HE DIDN’T LIKE IT. THE REPUBLICANS FELL IN LINE BEHIND IT.

>> SHE CAME OUT PRETTY STRONGLY AGAINST IT EVENTUALLY AS MANY REPUBLICANS DID. SO, IT’S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW SHE KIND OF CRAFTS THAT PERSONA BECAUSE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, SHE IS PRETTY UNDEFINED IN POLITICS, BUT THEY

EXPECT THINGS FROM HER IN THE FUTURE. >> Lauren: NOW THE IDEA OF BRITT BEING SOMEONE THAT COULD BRIDGE THE DIVIDE BETWEEN THE PARTIES IS STARTING TO SHIFT AS SHE BECOMES MORE ALIGNED WITH TRUMP. >> KATIE BRITT IS MAGA ENOUGH THAT SHE WAS GIVEN THIS JOB IN

WHAT IS NOW DONALD TRUMP’S PARTY IN THIS ELECTION CYCLE. >> Lauren: SO YES, IT’S TRUE THAT OUR STATE OF THE UNION REAL HAS BEEN WIDELY PANNED AND CRITICIZED, ON SNL. >> TONIGHT I WILL BE AUDITIONING FOR THE PART OF SCARY MOM. >> Lauren: SOCIAL MEDIA, IN

HEADLINES, BUT NOW MAYBE MORE SERIOUSLY SHE HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF ESSENTIALLY INACCURATELY LINKING A SEX TRAFFICKING CASE TO PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S BORDER POLICY, MISLEADING VOTERS WITH EMOTIONALLY CHARGED LANGUAGE. >> THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND WE NEED TO START

ACTING LIKE IT. >> IT HAPPENED 20 YEARS AGO WHEN GEORGE W. BUSH, A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT. >> DID YOU MEAN TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THIS HORRIBLE STORY HAPPENED ON PRESIDENT BIDEN’S WATCH? >> NO SHANNON, I SPECIFICALLY SAID, THIS IS WHAT PRESIDENT

BIDEN DID DURING HIS FIRST 100 DAYS. MINUTES AFTER COMING INTO OFFICE, HE STOPPED ALL DEPORTATIONS, HE HALTED CONSTRUCTION OF THE BORDER WALL, AND HE SAID I AM GOING TO GIVE AMNESTY TO MILLIONS. THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ACT AS A

MAGNET TO HAVE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE HERE BUT THE FACT IS. >> Lauren: BRITT SAID MIGHT MATTER MOST. KATIE BRITT IS A GREAT CONTRAST TO A DISTURBED PRESIDENT, A MIGRANT CRIME AND IS INSIGHTFUL. GREAT JOB. >> SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

>> IF SHE WANTED TO, SHE COULD SERVE 5 OR 6 TERMS, THAT IS SOLIDLY RED AND NON-COMPETITIVE. SHE IS RUMOURED TO BE ON THE SHORT LIST FOR RUNNING MATES FOR DONALD TRUMP IN 2024. >> Lauren: USUALLY THEY DON’T ANNOUNCE RUNNING MATES UNTIL THE

SUMMER SO IT MAY BE SOME TIME BEFORE WE KNOW.

A lot has been made of Alabama Sen. Katie Britt’s rebuttal to the State of the Union address. About That producer Lauren Bird breaks down Britt’s politics, her rise within the Republican party and her complicated relationship with Donald Trump.

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