Steve Israel
The Diplomat
People, composure and the difficult conversation held well.
Steve Israel is a former U.S. Congressman who has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the necessity of collaboration across party lines. This interview reveals his focus on trust-building and coalition-forming as essential elements of effective leadership.
“I would give the same advice to candidates that Nancy Pelosi always has. And I was a witness to this. Say what you have to say. Do what you have to do. Just win. That was her guiding philosophy. If you have to be against me to win, be against me. If you have to be for me to win, be for me. It's not about me.”
“I think it's the wrong decision. I think that President Trump's decision to walk away is wrong. And I grew up believing that one day I would have the dream of being told, being on the floor of the House and getting a message that the president wants to speak to you. I thought that would be such a dream.”
“I think so. I think so. There was that awkward pause on the other end of the phone. He said, Well, no, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. But Rom, you know, taught the lesson that is irrefutable. Number one, you don't win in the closing days. You win at the beginning by the quality of your recruits.”
“As a separate agreement, the Foreign Secretary of Great Britain did a piece in the New York Times where he pled with President Trump and said, we're close, don't unravel this deal. We can get there.”
The Axe Files with David Axelrod — Ep. 244 — Steve Israel
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