Welcome back.
We continue with part
two of my interview
with Maria Elvira Salazar,
the Republican
candidate for Congress
who is trying to unseat
Democrat Donna Shalala.
We shift our focus
to the coronavirus.
Recently, president
Trump gave himself an A
for his handling the virus.
I asked Salazar if she
agrees with that assessment.
I know exactly what
coronavirus is all about
because my 85 year old
mother got the virus
and she is very sick.
So I know exactly what
you're talking to me about.
I believe that
that what happened,
that hindsight is 20/20.
That what happened
to this country
and to all over the world,
elected officials just
didn't have a manual
that taught them what
to do at the moment.
I'm sure that some things should
have been done differently.
I'm not a scientist,
but I believe that we
should look at now.
And right now we have
a new opportunity.
And the vaccine, according
to the elected officials,
is around the corner.
That is going to change
the whole scenario.
I think the kids are
gonna go back to school
hopefully next month.
And they have been kept
safe all throughout this,
the school year that
started in August.
Our seniors are in
the nursing homes.
So there are some
positive things happening.
But I believe that what
we have to talk about Jim
is starting from now
on, and that is jobs.
Because if you did not
get sick, like my mom did,
and you did not die, now,
you don't wanna get sick.
Your pocket cannot get sick.
And that's why I want
to be a very important
force in district number 27
to help all those people
that lost their jobs
that worked in restaurants,
people that need
to make more hours
or learn how to do
something different
because their store
was closed down.
That's where I come in.
All right.
Jobs, the economy.
So, let's walk
through this again,
'cause I wanna get a
better understanding.
I don't have a job.
All right.
I walk into your
congressional office.
What are you gonna do?
I am going to ask you for
your name and for your address
and probably your social
security and your phone number.
And I'm going to hook
you up and connect you
with hundreds of
different programs
that I'm going to
have knowledge of
because I'm going to be
at the federal level,
that could help you.
And then there
are other programs
that are specifically
catered for small business.
The federal government
needs to spend
175 billion dollars a year,
23 percent of what they
spent on procurement
on minorities, on women,
on black and veterans.
So but again, I go back to,
I walk in your office.
Yes.
You're gonna hand me a list
of programs that
I can then go to,
to try to get, find a job.
So you're not actually going
to find me a job.
No no no.
I'm not gonna hand you.
No no no.
I'm going to walk
you through it.
And I'm gonna put,
I don't know yet specifically
how many of my staff
will be dedicated
to that endeavor,
but I tell you that I'm going
to allocate a lot of funds
so I can help you, Jim DeFede
that do not have a job.
And let's say you
were a bartender.
Let's say you're a bartender
and now you want to learn
how to be a mechanic, right?
So I'm going to walk you
through the whole process
by the hand.
And I'm going to at
the end to make sure
that you will be
able to be retrained
and that you will
wind up with a job.
Maybe not what you want
but you're gonna have--
Now you're unemployed.
So I'm gonna make sure
that you get a job by
the end of the process.
It could be, I don't know
three months, four months,
but I will walk you. I
will walk you by the hand.
I wanna go back
to the coronavirus
for a second.
All right.
You've been a proponent
of hydroxychloroquine,
is that correct?
Well, you know, I'm
not a scientist.
I heard from people that
I work with very closely
from a doctor.
My doctor told me that
it was pretty good.
Way back when at the
beginning, March, April, May.
But you endorsed it,
but you endorse it.
You have a TV program.
You know, what your TV program
is sponsored by Cano Health,
is that correct?
Yeah they are--
Yes they have been--
They're one of the main sponsors
and Dr. Marlow Hernandez
came on the show
and he was a strong
advocate of that medicine.
So I couldn't question
it, I'm not a doctor.
But you also directed
people go to a Cano Health.
And this is where you can
get your hydroxychloroquine.
And--
I didn't say it
just like that.
I said, "my mom belongs
to Cano Health". (laughs)
And Cano, the principal
of Cano Health,
a doctor, medical doctor,
was saying that
hydroxychloroquine
was good at the time.
So I don't want you to
put words in my mouth.
I don't know where you're
going, but I'm not a scientist.
I cannot tell you
whether it's good or bad.
Just like when the
doctor tells you
"hey, you have a sore throat,
you gotta take antibiotics."
So I go, "okay, well, I'm
gonna take antibiotics."
But my point is I guess,
you know earlier you
accused Donna Shalala
of profiting off
of the coronavirus.
And the primary sponsor
of your television show,
which pays your
salary I'm assuming,
is pushing hydroxychloroquine
and you're pushing
hydroxychloroquine.
You know, does
that not represent
a conflict of interest?
You cannot compare.
You cannot compare the
fact that Congresswoman,
that Donna Shalala profited
during one whole year
by selling more than 500 stocks
and making two
million dollars net,
offer job as a Congresswoman
because she had
privileged information.
And on top of that, she
didn't even follow--
Well what, wait a
second, wait a second.
You said that before.
What privileged
information did she use
to sell stocks for her?
I mean, I guess you're
making a serious allegation.
So as a journalist
you should understand,
what privileged information--
And I'm gonna explain
it to you.
Did she have,
led her to sell specific stocks?
'Cause there's no
complaint about that.
Okay.
And this is very simple.
I'm gonna tell you as
a former journalist.
The Stock Act says very clearly
that members of Congress
have privileged information
that they acquire by
just sitting in Congress.
For that reason the Stock
Act Law or the Stock Law
tells everybody that
sits in Congress,
that they have to
file every 45 days
every single stock transaction.
If they have time to do that.
Because they should be very busy
working for the constituents.
Every 45 days they need to
report every single stock
that they sold or they bought.
Right and she
failed to do that.
Period.
Which is an absolute violation.
And she's made up for it
since, but there's no--
But I have not seen
anyone make a connection
that says that she received
a piece of information
in Congress,
sold specific stocks because
she had insider information.
There's been no allegation
of insider trading
on Donna Shalala.
And because the press
is with Donna Shalala.
That's why--
Well, do you have proof
of insider trading?
Listen.
If the law is telling you
that you need to
report every 45 days
because you have
privileged information
and this applies to everybody
that sits in Congress,
if she didn't follow the law,
and it took her
365 days to report,
and she just did it
because she got caught,
then what does that tell you?
Why didn't she?
Well I'm I'm gonna tell you
the issues that she presented
and you are a witness to this.
Number one is that her attorney,
was new into that, he
didn't know the law.
Then second that there
was a misunderstanding.
Third is that,
oh, her broker got the virus
and she just couldn't file.
These were, and you've
reported on this.
So you can, if you
don't wanna see it.
And when you tell me,
and I think that you
just told me something
that is absolutely correct.
The news media, local
news media in Miami,
did not report what she
did that she broke the law.
Of course we did!
Just you!
Yeah we know we did.
Just you!
Just you but no one else did.
First off all, that's
not accurate either.
And there's no
reason why I'm here
because you, even though I know
that you are not a Republican
and you do not necessarily
like my position--
And I'm not a Democrat--
You're a journalist.
And I have no position
on your positions.
But let me ask you this.
Donald Trump recently,
it was uncovered by
the press here locally,
that Donald Trump saw
trademarks in Cuba in 2008
for hotels, casinos,
golf courses.
He held onto those trademarks
well into his presidency.
Does that concern you?
What I pay attention
to what the president
has recently is not it's not
what he says, but what he does.
And he has revived something
called the Helms-Burton Law
which was asleep for 30 years.
And where Democrats and
Republican presidents
didn't dare to establish
title three and title four.
Trump did that.
And he had just announced
that he was going to,
cut the oxygen or moneys,
or he was not going to
allow the American companies
to trade or to stay
or to give money to
the represses regime.
So do you have a reaction though
to the action he took to seek
trademarks in Cuba in 2008?
Are you okay with the
fact that he did that?
I am not saying,
I'm not privy of
that information.
All I'm thinking right now is
as a president, what he did,
what he has done
when it comes to Cuba
is exactly what my
community wants to see.
On Saturday you were at a
students for Trump rally.
They were all chanting
four more years.
You've expressed your
support for Donald Trump.
A two part question.
One, you know the
district you're running in
voted overwhelmingly by 18 or
20 points for Hillary Clinton.
Are you not out of step
then with your district
supporting Donald Trump?
And can you identify specific
areas where you disagree,
where you think the
president has been wrong
in what he's done?
Listen, I like that you left
the best question for last.
Trump is very unconventional.
Trump sometimes uses words
that I would not use.
But he has implemented policies
that have been very
good for my community,
and for South Florida.
Specifically the economic.
Economics or the economy
the way it was in January,
February of this year,
where more Hispanics
were working.
You've heard it before.
Where minorities were working.
I like what he's done with Cuba.
What he did with Venezuela.
What he's done with Israel.
What he did with
China, what he's done.
So some of his policies
have been very good
for my community.
And he is not a
socialist and I sign,
or I align myself with freedom.
That is my answer to you.
And one thing that
you're asking me
that I do not agree
with him, immigration.
I believe that I just told you
that we 11 million brothers
and sisters in this country
that do not have paper
and 7.7 million of them
have been here for
more than 15 years.
They have American kids.
They don't have
a criminal record
and they have worked
and paid taxes.
Those people need to stay
with some type of legality.
'Cause otherwise we would not
be the nation that we are.
The beacon of human
rights in the whole world.
Once again, you can see the
full hour long interview
on our website at CBSMiami.com.
We've invited Donna Shalala
to come on the show next week
to address the allegations
leveled by Salazar.
So you won't wanna miss that.
Also both campaigns have agreed
to debate each
other on this show.
We'll announce a date
for that shortly.