EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW TO DISCUSS
THE SITUATION WITH UKRAINE AND
HER BID TO BECOME THE FIRST
BLACK FEMALE GOVERNOR IN THE
UNITED STATES.
>> HONORED TO WELCOME TO "THE
CROSS CONNECTION," GEORGIA
GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE AND
FOUNDER OF ORGANIZATION FAIR
FIGHT.
STACEY ABRAMS, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
I KNOW YOU'RE VERY BUSY ON THE
CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE YOU HERE
TODAY THIS IT'S AN HONOR TO BE
WITH ME.
THANKS FOR INVITING ME.
>> I WANT TO GET RIGHT INTO IT,
STACEY, BECAUSE NEARLY 4,000
SOLDIERS AND NATIONAL GUARDSMEN
FROM GEORGIA ARE DEPLOYING TO
EUROPE AMID THE RUSSIAN INVASION
OF UKRAINE, THEIR PURPOSE IS TO
REA
REA SURE ALLIES.
THEY'RE DEALING WITH THE IMPACT
OF THE WAR RIGHT THERE IN
GEORGIA, AND THIS IS IMPACTSING
SOME OF YOUR WOULD BE
CONSTITUENTS, SO WHAT IMPACT HAS
THIS HAD ON THE PEOPLE OF
GEORGIA?
>> I THINK FIRST AND FOREMOST,
IT HAS REMINDED GEORGIANS THAT
WE HAVE 13 MILITARY
INSTALLATIONS.
I WAS RECENTLY IN THE LOWE
LOCATION OF AN AIR FORCE BASE,
AND I'M IN MIDWAY, A HEAVILY
MILITARY COMMUNITY.
WHEN YOU'RE BEING DEPLOYED OR A
VETERAN, OUR LIVES, THE LIVES OF
GEORGIANS ARE ON THE LINE, BUT
THE REASON THEY ARE BEING
DEPLOYED, THE REASON THEY ARE
WILLING TO STAND AND GUARD THE
BALTIC STATES, AND POLAND AND
LITHUANIA, THE REASON THEY'RE
THERE TO SUPPORT NATO IS
DEMOCRACY MATTERS.
THE ATTACK PUTIN IS WAGING
AGAINST UKRAINE MATTERS, AND IT
MATTERS TO ALL OF US.
BUT IT DOESN'T DIMINISH THE
RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE HERE IN
GEORGIA TO ENSURE THAT THOSE
VERY FAMILIES HAVE THE SUPPORTS
AND THE RESOURCES THEY NEED WHEN
THEY GET HOME OR WHILE THEIR
LOVED ONES ARE DEPLOYED.
THAT'S WHY I'M FIGHTING SO HARD
TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE
GOVERNOR IS DOING HER JOB.
SHOULD I BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO
BECOME THAT PERSON, THAT WE ARE
PAYING TO ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS
OF NOT ONLY OUR MILITARY
DEPLOYED, BUT THEIR FAMILIES,
HOUSING, ACCESS TO JOBS, MAKING
SURE THAT THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
THEY'RE PART OF WORKS, BUT THAT
WE'RE ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE
HOMELESS MILITARY VETERANS THAT
UNFORTUNATELY ARE ON OUR
STREETS.
I MET WITH A YOUNG WOMAN WHO'S
DOING HER BEST TO END VETERAN
HOMELESSNESS, AND THAT IS A
PLEDGE I INTEND TO MAKE AS THE
NEXT GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA.
>> I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE
SAYING BECAUSE I DO THINK THERE
ARE PARALLELS TO WHAT'S
HAPPENING REALLY AROUND THE
GLOBE WITH DEMOCRACY BEING SO
FRAGILE.
IT'S CHALLENGING FOR THOSE OF US
IN THE MEDIA BECAUSE WE'RE SO
FOCUSED ON UKRAINE, YET THERE
ARE MANY DMETSOMESTIC ISSUES RIG
HERE AT HOME, FOR EXAMPLE,
GEORGIA REPUBLICANS RECENTLY
ADVANCED A SWEEPING PIECE OF
LEGISLATION THAT WOULD AMONG
OTHER THINGS EMPOWER THIS STATE
BUREAU INVESTIGATION TO
INVESTIGATE ELECTION ISSUES.
THIS IS ALL BASED ON THE
RIDICULOUS LIE FROM DONALD TRUMP
AND THE LONG-TERM VOTER
SUPPRESSION THAT INCUMBENT
GOVERNOR BRIAN KEMP HAS
PRACTICED FOR YEARS, YOU KNOW
BETTER THAN ANYONE, TRYING TO
RESTRICT OUTSIDE FUNDING TO
ELECTION OFFICERS AND OPEN PAPER
BALLOTS FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION.
THESE ARE ALL BIG CHALLENGES.
I'M CURIOUS, WHAT'S THE PLAN TO
OVERCOME A LOT OF RAMPANT VOTER
SUPPRESSION WE'RE SEEING SO
HEAVILY IN GEORGIA?
>> OUR FIRST RESPONSIBILITY IS
TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN UKRAINE IS
ABSOLUTELY A VAST DIFFERENCE OF
DEGREE.
THIS IS THE MALICIOUS MURDER OF
PEOPLE, BUT THE PURSUIT THAT WE
ARE WATCHING PUTIN UNDERTAKE IS
AUTOCRACY TENDED TO TOPPLE
DEMOCRACY, AND THAT SHOULD BE
CHILLING TO EVERYONE.
AND WE CAN NEVER DIMINISH THE
HUMAN COST, BUT WE ALSO CAN'T
LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT IT
IS THE MOST GROTESQUE EXPERIENCE
THAT WE'RE SEEING ON A SPECTRUM
OF ATTACKS AGAINST DEMOCRACY.
AND THERE ARE NATIONAL,
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT
WILL TELL YOU THAT DEMOCRACY IN
THE UNITED STATES IS BEING
JUDGED FRAGILE, BECAUSE OF THE
ATTACKS.
THEY ARE MORE, CERTAINLY LESS
BLOODY AND IN SOME WAYS, THEY
CAN SEEM MORE BENEENIGN BUT THE
MALICE EMBEDDED IN DENYING THE
PERSON THE RIGHT TO VOTE IS AN
ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY.
THAT SAID, I DON'T WANT ANYONE
TO BELIEVE THAT WE EQUATE THE
MALICE AND THE GROTESQUERY OF
PUTIN WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN
THE UNITED STATES, BUT THAT TO
YOUR POINT DOESN'T DIMINISH THE
LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT'S
HAPPENING TO DEMOCRACY
DOMESTICALLY.
GEORGIA IS CONSIDERING YET
ANOTHER BILL THAT WOULD FURTHER
RESTRICT ACCESS TO THE RIGHT TO
VOTE, THAT WOULD SHIFT THE
RESPONSIBILITY AND THE ABILITY
TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATIONS FOR
NONEXISTENT VOTER FRAUD.
WOULD LIMIT ACCESS TO RESOURCES
TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT AFRICAN
AMERICANS AND LATINOS AND ASIAN
AMERICANS AREN'T STANDING IN
LONG LINES.
THAT RURAL COMMUNITIES HAVE THE
RESOURCES THEY NEED.
ANYTIME THERE IS AN ATTACK ON
THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF DEMOCRACY,
IT SHOULD CONCERN EVERY PERSON,
REGARDLESS OF IDEOLOGY OR
PARTISANSHIP.
OUR SOLUTION HAS TO BE ONE,
VOTER EDUCATION, AND TWO, VOTER
ACTIVATION.
THERE'S A FALSE NARRATIVE IF
PEOPLE VOTE, IF YOU HAVE HIGH
VOTER TURNOUT, THAT DISPROVES
THE EXISTENCE OF SUPPRESSION,
THAT'S NOT TRUE.
SUPPRESSION EXISTS.
IT EXISTS IN PRIMARIES AND IN
THE GENERAL ELECTION BUT WHAT
HIGH VOTER TURNOUT DOES, IT
DIMINISHES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
VOTER SUPPRESSION, OUR MOST
POTENT WEAPON IS TO OVERWHELM
SYSTEM WITH OUR PRESENCE AND
ELECT PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY
SUPPORT OUR PARTICIPATION, AND
THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS I'M
RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR, TO NOT
ONLY GALVANIZE FOLKS TO KNOW
THAT THEY HAVE THIS RIGHT, BUT
TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT AS THE NEXT
GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA, WE FORTIFY
THAT RIGHT, AND ROLL BACK THESE
VOTER SUPPRESSION ACTIVITIES
THAT WE HAVE SEEN UNDERTAKEN IN
THE LAST FEW YEARS.
>> AND I DO TAKE YOUR POINT.
THERE IS A VAST DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN WHAT'S HAPPENING IN
UKRAINE AND WHAT'S HAPPENING
HERE DOMESTICALLY.
HOWEVER, I WANT TO REMIND OUR
VIEWERS THAT THE BATTLE HERE IN
AMERICA WAS ABSOLUTELY BLOODY
OVER THE YEARS, AND CERTAINLY
LIVES WERE LOST IN THAT BATTLE,
YOU OF ALL PEOPLE DEFINITELY
KNOW THAT.
I WANT TO SHIFT GEARS.
YOU MADE AN APPEARANCE ON STAR
TREK, A SHOW YOU HAVE REFERENCED
AS SHAPING YOUR PRECHSENCE AS
PRESIDENT OF UNITED EARTH.
YOU ARE RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR OF
GEORGIA.
WHAT'S THE LATEST ON YOUR
CAMPAIGN, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FATSING
YOUR
-- FACING YOUR CAMPAIGN?
>> I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO TO
OUR WEB SITE, AND READ THE
POLICIES AND IDEAS PEOPLE HAVE
FOR GEORGIA, AND THE MOST
IMPORTANT CHALLENGE WE FACE IS
MAKING CERTAIN PEOPLE BELIEVE
THAT VISION AND PROMISE REALLY
EXIST FOR THEM.
FOR TOO MANY GEORGIANS, THE LAST
FOUR YEARS UNDER THIS GOVERNOR
HAS BEEN A MARCH TOWARDS
INEPTITUDE AND INACTION, AND
THAT'S INEXCUSABLE.
TOO MANY GEORGIANS HAVE FALLEN BEHIND AND WHILE HE MAY TOUT
BEHIND AND WHILE HE MAY TOUT
HIGH LEVEL NUMBERS THAT MAKE
SENSE FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY
DOING WELL, TOO MANY GEORGIANS
ARE FULLING BEHIND.
WHEN I WAS IN CUTHBERTH,
GEORGIA, A WOMAN TOLD ME HER
AUNT DIED BECAUSE THE HOSPITAL
THAT COULD HAVE SAVED HER LIFE
SHUT DOWN IN 2020 BECAUSE THIS
GOVERNOR REFUSES TO EXPAND
MEDICAID.
THIS IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE.
MIKE PENCE EXPANDED MEDICAID.
KENTUCKY EXPANDED MEDICAID, OHIO
HAS EXPANDED MEDICAID.
THE REFUSAL TO ACCEPT BILLIONS
OF DOLLARS TO SAVE GEORGIA LIVES
IS ONE OF THE REASONS THIS
CAMPAIGN IS ESSENTIAL AND ONE OF
THE REASONS MY VICTORY IS GOING
TO BE IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR GEORGIANS OF
EVERY STRIPE IN EVERY PART OF
OUR STATE TO FINALLY FEEL LIKE
WE'RE PART OF ONE GEORGIA AND
THE GOVERNOR SEES ALL OF US,
ANDMENTS ALLWANTS ALL OF US TO B
SUCCESSFUL, NOT JUST HIS
CRONIES, HIS POWERFUL FRIENDS
AND THE PLACES AND PEOPLE HE
LIKES.
>> YOU ARE VERY MUCH A NATIONAL
FIGURE.
YOU'RE CREDITED WITH HELPING TO
SHIFT THE POWER OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, AND SO IT'S CURIOUS
HOW YOU WILL STRIKE THE BALANCE
OF BEING THIS NATIONAL FIGURE
BUT ALSO A GEORGIAN FIRST.
I DON'T KNOW, GEORGIA IS A STATE
THAT'S FREQUENTLY KEEPS GROWING
MORE RACIALLY AND ETHICALLY
DIVERSE.
THOSE FOLKS CERTAINLY HELPED
SHIFT THE POWER OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AS WELL.
HOW WILL YOU STRIKE THAT BALANCE
OF THESE TWO COMPETING, YOU
KNOW, NATIONAL VERSUS LOCAL?
>> YOU KNOW THAT WE ALL OFTEN LIVE WITH MULTIPLE IDENTITIES.
LIVE WITH MULTIPLE IDENTITIES.
I AM A WRITER A PUBLIC ADVOCATE
FOR VOTING RIGHTS AND CIVIL
RIGHTS, I'M A SMALL BUSINESS
OWNER, AN ATTORNEY, AND I MANAGE
TO BE ALL OF THOSE THINGS AT
ONCE.
I AM A GEORGIAN FIRST AND I'M
RUNNING TO BE THE GOVERNOR OF
THE STATE BUT I CAN NEVER FORGET
WHERE THE STATE SITS IN THE
NATIONAL SCYTHEITE
NATIONAL, IT IS BECAUSE OF
GEORGIA THAT THE AMERICAN RESCUE
PLAN LIFTED CHILDREN OUT OF
POVERTY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
GENERATIONS.
ITS BECAUSE OF GEORGIA THAT WE
HAVE A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES WHO'S ABLE TO SIGN INTO
LAW INFRASTRUCTURE BILLS THAT
ARE GOING TO POUR MONEY INTO THE
STATE, AND WHILE THE CURRENT
GOVERNOR LIKES TO TAKE CREDIT
FOR SPENDING THE MONEY, I WANT
TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS
DO FOR WHERE THE MONEY CAME FROM
AND IT CAME FROM DEMOCRATS, AND
THOSE DEMOCRATS CAME FROM
GEORGIA, AND SO MY
RESPONSIBILITY IS TO CELEBRATE
GEORGIA, TO SEE GEORGIA, AND AS
GOVERNOR, TO SERVE ALL OF
GEORGIA.
NOT JUST METRO ATLANTA BUT THE
ENTIRETY OF THE STATE, AND
THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO BE IN
AUGUSTA, AND MIDWAY TOLD.
THAT'S WHY I HAVE BEEN ACROSS
THE STATE AND WILL CONTINUE TO
CRISSCROSS THE STATE, SHARING
THIS MESSAGE OF ONE GEORGIA WITH
EVERY SINGLE PERSON BECAUSE I'M
A GEORGIAN FIRST, AND I WANT ONE
GEORGIA THAT GETS TO RISE
TOGETHER.
>> AND IT'S A GOOD REMINDER THAT
GEORGIA IS NOT JUST ATLANTA.
THERE ARE A LOT OF CHUNTOMMUNITI
ALL THROUGHOUT GEORGIA.
I HAVE TO ASK YOU BEFORE I LET
YOU GO, IT'S WOMEN'S HISTORY
MONTH, WERE YOU TO BE ELECTED
GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA, YOU WOULD
BE THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO DO
SO IN AMERICA, AND YOU WOULD BE
IN GOOD COMPANY, SHALANDA YOUNG,
TO RUN THE BUDGET OFFICE, AND
MADAME VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA
HARRIS.
I'M CURIOUS YOUR THOUGHTS, WHAT
MESSAGE WOULD YOUR ELECTION SEND
TO FUTURE BARRIER BREAKERS AND
HISTORY MAKERS.
>> THAT IT'S POSSIBLE.
THAT AMBITION IS NOT A DIRTY
WORD, THAT WE SHOULD WANT MORE
FOR OURSELVES, WANT MORE FOR OUR
COMMUNITIES, WANT MORE FOR OUR
PEOPLE, AND WE CAN CAST PEOPLE
IN MULTIPLE WAYS.
AS A WOMAN OF COLOR, I THINK
ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO SEE
SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE ME
STANDING FOR THESE OFFICES AS A
BLOCK WOMAN.
I UNDERSTAND HOW REMARKABLE THIS
CAN BE.
AS A YOUNG PERSON FROM THE
SOUTH, I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO
SEE CHANGE HAPPEN HERE FIRST,
AND SO ACROSS THE SPECTRUM, I'M
JUST HONORED TO BE AN AVATAR FOR
WHAT IS POSSIBLE FOR OTHERS, AND
MORE THAN ANYTHING, I WANT TO BE
ABLE TO DO THE WORK OF MAKING
THAT POSSIBILITY REAL.
BECAUSE FOR TOO MANY, IT IS
PURELY IDEALISTIC.
THEY DO NOT SEE A PATH, AND
THAT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT HAD A
GOVERNOR WILLING TO CHART THAT
PATH WITH GEORGIANS AND TO MAKE
CERTAIN WE REMOVE THE BARRIERS
THAT BLOCK TOO MANY GEORGIANS
FROM BEING ABLE TO THRIVE.
I INTEND TO BE A BARRIER
BREAKER, NOT ONLY IN THE HISTORY
BOOKS BUT CERTAINLY FOR THE