Why President Trump is endorsing North Carolina Senator Phil Berger

>> HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU.

>> A STAR INSIDE THE STATE

REPUBLICAN PARTY AND IT'S BIG

ENOUGH THAT EVEN PRESIDENT

TRUMP IS INVOLVED.

>> NEW TONIGHT WE LEARNED THE

MAN CHALLENGING SENATE LEADER

PHIL BERGER IN A PRIMARY TOOK

A PHONE CALL FROM PRESIDENT

TRUMP AND THEN THERE'S THE GOP

WHIP WHO LEFT A NOTE AT HIS

DOOR. I CAUGHT UP WITH THE

GOVERNMENT REPORTER PAUL SPAY

ABOUT HIS EXCLUSIVE REPORTING

AND WHY THIS RACE IS ONE TO

WATCH.

PAUL, WHAT WAS FIRST

INTERESTING WAS THAT PRESIDENT

TRUMP IS WEIGHING IN ON A STATE

SENATE RACE.

>> USUALLY SEE HIM WEIGHING IN

ON CONGRESSIONAL RACES. BUT A

STATE SENATE RACE.

>> RIGHT. HE THROWS HIS WEIGHT

AROUND AND SOME OF THOSE HIGHER

LEVEL FEDERAL RACES. BUT HE

DOES OCCASIONALLY GET INTO THE

STATE LEVEL. RACE IS NOT OFTEN.

YOU'RE RIGHT. IT'S RARE.

BUT IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW,

SENATOR BERGER HAD LED THE

CHARGE TO REDISTRICT NORTH

CAROLINA'S CONGRESSIONAL LINES.

SO THEY'RE SORT TIE THERE TO

THE FEDERAL RACES JUST A COUPLE

MONTHS AGO. YOU KNOW,

REPUBLICANS HOLD 10 OF NORTH

CAROLINA'S 14 CONGRESSIONAL

SEATS SINCE THEY RE DREW THE

ELECTION MAP. NOW REPUBLICANS

HAVE A CHANCE TO PICK UP IN

A LEVEL THAT IT'S NOT

NECESSARILY A SURPRISE THAT

TRUMP WOULD WANT, YOU KNOW,

A LOYAL PERSON. SO HE'S A

RELIABLE POLITICIAN FOR THE

REPUBLICANS, ESPECIALLY IN THE

STATE.

>> AND IT'S NOT JUST PRESIDENT

TRUMP WHO WANTS HIM TO MAINTAIN

THIS SEAT. THERE ARE OTHER

LEGISLATORS WHO WANT TO MAKE

SURE THAT HE MAINTAINS THE

SEAT. THAT'S RIGHT. WE HAD AN

EXCLUSIVE STORY JUST LAST NIGHT

WHERE THE MAJORITY WHIP CREAM,

AMY GAILEY DROVE FROM HER HOME

ALAMANCE COUNTY TO ROCKINGHAM

COUNTY AND KNOCKED ON SAM PAGES

DURING A SAM PAGE IS

CHALLENGING BURGER IN THIS

RACE. HE WAS THE SHE'S BEEN A

SHARE FOR 27 YEARS. SO HE HAS A

LOT OF NAME RECOGNITION AND

SHE PAGE DIDN'T COME TO THE

DOOR. HE WASN'T HOME, BUT SHE

LEFT THIS TWO-PAGE LETTER

SAYING PLEASE DON'T RUN.

IT ACTUALLY SAYS THE WORD VEGAN

I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST, PLEASE.

I'M BEGGING YOU DO NOT RUN IF

YOU RUN. IT WILL DRAIN

RESOURCES FROM THE REPUBLICAN

CAUCUS THAT THEY COULD USE

OTHERWISE WHOEVER WINS THIS

PRIMARY WILL MORE THAN LIKELY

WIN THE GENERAL ELECTION.

INSTEAD, YOU KNOW, DAILY'S

ARGUMENT WAS IF IF, HEY,

DRONES, THEN THEY WILL END UP

SPENDING MONEY ON REPUBLICAN

INSTEAD OF SPENDING. IT ON

DEMOCRATS. AND WE ASKED, YOU

KNOW, WE ASKED PAGE, WHAT DOES

HE THINK ABOUT THIS ARGUMENT

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT LEE'S

VISIT TO HIS HOUSE? HE DIDN'T

LIKE IT VERY MUCH. THIS IS WHAT

HE TOLD US.

>> SO IT WAS TOTALLY

INAPPROPRIATE.

BUT COME TO MY HOUSE OUT ABOUT

IT. AND I'D LIKE OF SAID WITH

THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF TRYING

TO CIRCUMVENT THE WILL OF THE

PEOPLE.

>> LET'S GET BACK TO PRESIDENT

TRUMP. IT WASN'T JUST ON SOCIAL

MEDIA THAT HE WAS ENDORSING

BURGER AND DISCOURAGING PAGE

FROM RUNNING.

>> RIGHT. SO THE DAY AFTER

GAILEY KNOCKED ON PAGES DOOR

AND LEFT THAT LETTER

DISCOURAGING HIM FROM RUNNING

PAGE FILED AND THEN HE GOT A

CALL THAT NIGHT FROM PRESIDENT

TRUMP AND TRUMP EXPLAINED THE

SITUATION AND IT SOUNDS LIKE HE

TOLD PAGE THAT HE WAS GOING TO

ENDORSE BURGER IN THIS PRIMARY.

PAIGE DIDN'T TELL US WHAT JOB

HE WAS OFFERED IN WASHINGTON.

BUT HE DID SAY THAT, YOU KNOW,

TRUMP MADE HIM AN OFFER TO COME

TO WASHINGTON. SO

>> THAT IS DIGGING IN HIS

HEELS. HE IS GOING TO RUN AT

LEAST HE'S COMMITTING TO THAT

TODAY. THAT'S RIGHT. AND YOU

WANT TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT

COMMITMENT TO THE RESIDENTS

OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY. WE'LL SEE

WHAT HAPPENS. THANKS, PAUL.

SHERIFF PAGE HAS UNTIL DECEMBER

16TH TO AN FILED HIS NAME IN

THE RACE. IF YOU WANT MORE OF

THIS COVERAGE FROM THE NC

CAPITOL TEAM JUST HEAD OVER