>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK!
FOLKS, MY NEXT GUEST IS THE VERY FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN
CONGRESSWOMAN TO BE ELECTED FROM MASSACHUSETTS.
SHE'S ALSO A MEMBER OF "THE SQUAD."
PLEASE WELCOME, CONGRESSWOMAN AYANNA PRESSLEY.
♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: THERE YOU GO.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME!
I LOVE YOU BACK.
>> Stephen: AS I SAID BEFORE, JUST FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO
HAVEN'T BEEN PAYING ATTENTION, YOU ARE A MEMBER OF "THE SQUAD,"
AYANNA PRESSLEY, REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR, ALEXANDRIA
OCASIO-CORTEZ, AND REPRESENTATIVE RASHIDA TLAIB.
OBVIOUSLY, THE FIRST QUESTION I HAVE TO ASK AND ANY NEWSMAN--
I'M NOT ONE-- BUT A NEWSMAN WOULD ASK YOU THIS QUESTION.
>> OKAY.
>> Stephen: WHO IS MORE POWERFUL YOUR SQUAD OR TAYLOR
SWIFT'S?
>> OBVIOUSLY OURS.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: YOU HAVE OVERSIGHT
CAPABILITIES.
>> WE HAVE OVERSIGHT CAPABILITIES.
OH, STEPHEN.
LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO.
( LAUGHTER )
TAYLOR SWIFT.
THAT'S WHAT WE MEDIA TYPES LIKE.
WE JUST LIKE DRAMA.
>> THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
>> Stephen: NOW, THERE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING... PUBLIC DRAMA
BETWEEN YOU FOUR CONGRESS WOMEN, ALL FRESHMEN, ALL WOMEN OF
COLOR, AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU HEAR DONALD TRUMP CALL YOU A
RACIST?
>> OKAY.
( LAUGHTER )
BUT, YOU KNOW, IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, I DON'T CALL HIM
WHAT YOU JUST CALLED HIM.
I CALL HIM "THE OCCUPANT."
HE IS JUST OCCUPYING SPACE.
( APPLAUSE )
PRESIDENT WHO SANG "AMAZING GRACE" TO ONE WHO DISPLAYS ZERO
OF IT.
HE DOES NOT HONOR THE INTEGRITY OR THE RESPONSIBILITY OR THE
EMPATHY OR THE COMPASSION, AND SO FOR THAT REASON, I CALL HIM
"THE OCCUPANT," NOT BECAUSE I DISHONOR THE OFFICE BUT BECAUSE
HE DOES.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) AND SO-- NOW-- AND I WOULD SAY
THAT -- >> Stephen: YOU'RE-- YOU'RE
CRUISING FOR A TWEET RIGHT NOW.
>> THAT'S OKAY.
AND I WOULD SAY-- THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, PREDICTABLE PROMPT FROM
HIM AND A DISTRACTION FROM AN ADMINISTRATION THAT IS CORRUPT
AND CHAOTIC AND CALLOUS.
AND I DO WANT TO JUST SAY THAT ALTHOUGH I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR
THE SOLIDARITY AND MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES DID RECEIVE IN THE
WAKE OF THOSE HATEFUL TWEETS, I DID --
>> Stephen: THE HOUSE CONDEMNED HIM.
>> THE HOUSE CONDEMNED HIM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPORT FROM OUR COLLEAGUES -- ALTHOUGH NOT
ALL OF THEM.
BUT THE SUPPORT FROM OUR COLLEAGUES AND OUR CONSTITUENTS
AND JUST THE SOCIETY WRIT LARGE.
HOWEVER, I DID FEEL LIKE I WAS SITTING IN A PLACE OF PRIVILEGE,
THAT WE WERE GETTING THIS KIND OF ATTENTION IN THE SAME WEEK--
AND IN FACT ON THE SAME DAY-- THAT ERIC GARNER'S FAMILY WAS
DENIED JUSTICE.
AND SO AS MUCH AS I AM IMPACTED AND IT CAN BE HURTFUL THAT THERE
ARE HATEFUL TWEETS, I'M MUCH MORE FOCUSED ON THE IMPACT
BEYOND HATEFUL RHETORIC OF HATEFUL POLICIES AND THE HARM
THAT THAT IS CAUSING THE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY, AND THE
RESIDENTS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS SEVENTH THAT I WAS DELIVERED TO
WASHINGTON ON A MANDATE TO ADVOCATE FOR.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'M FOCUSED ON.
IT'S A DISTRACT.
I WON'T GIVE SHORT SHRIFT, THAT IT EMBOLDENS DANGEROUS THINGS.
I THINK EL PASO HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THAT XENOPHOBIC AND RACIST
RHETORIC.
>> Stephen: IT OPENS A DOOR, TACITLY CONDONES RACISTS --
>> EXACTLY.
IT EMBOLDENS, FANS THE FLAMES OF THAT.
THIS IS SOMEONE IN THE HIGHEST OFFICE THE LAND WHO SHOULD BE
EMBODYING GRACE AND DIGNITY AND WE SHOULD BE A BEACON OF HOPE
AND REFUGE.
WE ARE LOSING OUR STANDING IN THE WORLD BECAUSE OF THE ACTION
OF THE OCCUPANT IN THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THAT'S WHY WE CAN'T
AFFORD FOUR MORE YEARS OF HIM.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: I AGREE.
ARE YOU AN IMPEACH-- ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF-- PARDON MY IGNORANCE
ON THIS ONE.
ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF PURSUING ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, I DIDN'T GO TO CONGRESS TO IMPEACH A PRESIDENT.
THIS IS SMUG ENTER INTO WITH GREAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY SOBER
ABOUT.
BUT THIS IS BIGGER THAN DONALD TRUMP.
I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY LIKE TO SAY THIS IS A PARTISAN WITCH
HUNT, BUT THIS IS BIGGER THAN HIM.
THIS IS ABOUT THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY.
AND THIS IS ABOUT-- FOR ANYONE THAT SAYS WE CAN WAIT I THINK,
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT EXPERIENCING THE REAL FEAR AND
FRAGILITY THAT PEOPLE ARE LIVING WITH EVERY DAY, THE PEOPLE THAT
I REPRESENT IN THE MASSACHUSETTS SEVENTH, FOR MANY REASONS, FEEL
THAT FEAR AND THAT FRAGILITY, AND THE FACT THAT MY DISTRICT IS
40% IMMIGRANT.
WE CAN'T WAIT.
>> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUT-- 40% OF YOUR DISTRICT ARE
IMMIGRANTS.
ARE THEY THOSE RICH ONES THAT TRUMP WANTS TO HAVE IN THE
COUNTRY?
OR THE PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO MAKE A BETTER LIFE IN THE UNITED
STATES?
>> WHAT YOU SAID.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> LAST ONE.
LAST PART YOU.
>> Stephen: SAY THE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM NOW HAS BEEN
TURNED INTO SYSTEM PUNITIVE INSTEAD OF HUMANITARIAN.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE THE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM, IF YOU COULD
JUST BUILT IT FROM SCRATCH, WHAT WOULD BE SOME OF THE TENT POSTS
OF OUR SYSTEM.
>> YE, FIRST, LET ME SAY AS A BLACK WOMAN I KNOW WHAT IT IS TO
SHOW UP IN THE WORLD AND TO BE CRIMINALIZED SIMPLY FOR HOW YOU
SHOW UP IN THE WORLD.
NONE OF US GET TO DECIDE WHERE WE'RE BORN IN THE WORLD.
AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE CRIMINALIZING ASYLUM SEEKERS
WHEN SEEKING ASYLUM IS A LEGAL HUMAN RIGHT.
WE NEED A PLAN THAT CENTERS AND PRIORITIZES THE PRESERVATION OF
FAMILIES, ALLOWING THEM TO SETH INTO COMMUNITY WHILE THEY'RE
AWAITING REVIEW OF A CASE.
I VISITED THE BORDER AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT 80% OF THOSE
THAT ARE INCARCERATED, OR BEING DETAINED HAVE, SPONSORED.
AND SO THEY COULD BE CONNECTED WITH THOSE SPONSORS, FAMILY
MEMBERS, SETTLING IN COMMUNITY AND WAITING REVIEW OF THEIR
CASE.
THE OTHER THING IS WE NEED TO NOT PIT OR TRADEOFF T.P.S.,
DACA, ASYLUM.
THESE ARE MIXED IMMIGRATION STATUS FAMILIES OF ASYLUM
SEEKERS, T.P.S. HOLDERS AND WE NEED A THAT IS IS COMPASSIONATE
EXPAET HUMANE THAT WORKS.
RIGHT NOW THE SYSTEM IS DOING WHAT IT IS DESIGNED TO DO, AND
THAT IS TO SEPARATE FAMILY AND TO DECIMATE COMMUNITIES AND
WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE.
WE WERE HERE AT THE AUCTION BLOCKS DURING SLAVERY.
WE WERE HERE WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ON RESERVATIONS.
WE KNOW IT IS A VERY EFFECTIVE TOOL OF OPPRESSION TO SEPARATE
FAMILIES.
AND IN PARTICULAR, TO TAKE A CHILD FROM THE ARMS OF A MOTHER.
AND IT'S JUST UNCONSCIONABLE.
I'M STILL HAUNTED BY WHAT I OBSERVED AT THE BORDER.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS SIMPLY CANNOT STAND.
AND THE FACT THAT THIS IS OCCURRING ON AMERICAN SOIL AND
WITH THE PUBLIC CHARGE RULING WHAT WAS PROPOSED, OR ANNOUNCED,
THIS IS YET ANOTHER ATTACK AND A STRATEGIC, COORDINATED ATTACK ON
THE DEHUMANIZING AND CRIMINALIZING AND THE VILIFYING
OF IMMIGRANTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: CONGRESSWOMAN AYANNA PRESSLEY, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY GOO GOO DOLLS.