POLITICS OF THIS EVOLVE THE WAY
THAT IT HAS.
>> REPUBLICANS JUST WANT TO WALK
AWAY FROM IT.
THERE IS A NEW LAYER TO THIS
STORY, KASIE.
IN A JOINT EFFORT, BOTH THE
MOTHER AND LONG-TERM PARTNER OF
LATE CAPITOL POLICE OFFICER
BRIAN SICKNICK ARE PUSHING TO
ESTABLISH A JANUARY 6th
COMMISSION.
THEY ARE REQUESTING MEETINGS
WITH ALL REPUBLICAN SENATORS TO WITH ALL REPUBLICAN SENATORS TO
URGE THEM TO VOTE FOR THE
INDEPENDENT PANEL.
THE TWO WOMEN WANT MORE ANSWERS
ABOUT THE OFFERS DEATH.
SICKNICK SUFFERED TWO STROKES
AND DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES A DAY
AFTER CONFRONTING RIOTERS ON
JANUARY 6th.
HIS MOTHER, GLADYS, RELEASES A
SCATHING LETTER THAT READS IN
PART, BRIAN AND OTHERS FOUGHT
FOR HOURS AND HOURS AGAINST
THOSE ANIMAL WHORPS TRYING TO
TAKE OVER THE CAPITOL BUILDING
AND OUR DEMOCRACY, AS WE KNOW
IT.
NOT HAVING A JANUARY 6th
COMMISSION TO LOOK INTO EXACTLY
WHAT OCCURRED IS A SLAP IN THE
FACE OF ALL THE OFFICERS WHO DID
THEIR JOBS THAT DAY.
I SUGGEST ALL CONGRESSMEN AND
SENATOR WHO AGAINST THIS BILL
VISIT MY SONS GRAVE IN
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY AND
WHILE THERE, THINK ABOUT WHAT
THEIR HURTFUL DECISIONS WILL DO
TO THOSE OFFICERS WHO WILL BE
THERE FOR THEM GOING FORWARD,
PUTTING POLITICS ASIDE, WOULDNT
THEY WANT TO KNOW TRUTH OF WHAT
HAPPENED ON JANUARY 6th?
IF NOT, DAY DO NOT DESERVE TO
HAVE THE JOBS THEY WERE ELECTED
TO DO.
THAT IS BRIAN SICKNICKS MOTHER,
GLADYS.
KASIE, HOW IN GOOD CONSCIENCE
COULD ANY SENATOR, REPUBLICAN OR
DEMOCRAT, TURN DOWN A REQUEST
FOR A MEETING FROM A FALLEN
OFFICER?
>> I DONT KNOW, WILLIE.
I MEAN, THAT LETTER IS A PUNCH
IF THE GUT.
I MEAN, THIS WOMAN -- HER SON
DIED PROTECTING ALL OF THEM.
AND IF YOU SAY "NO" TO THAT, I
DONT -- I DONT THINK I COULD
GET UP IN THE MORNING, MYSELF.
I MEAN, IM SPEAKING FROM AN
EMOTIONAL PLACE HERE, NOT
NECESSARILY FROM A REPORTING
POINT OF VIEW.
BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT WEVE SEEN
FROM REPUBLICANS ON THAT SCORE
IS CLEARLY A WILLINGNESS TO SAY,
NOPE, WERE GOING TO PUT
POLITICS FIRST.
THEY SAY, WE WANT TO WIN THE
MIDTERM ELECTIONS.
WERE NOT GOING TO DO THAT IF
WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS IN A
YEAR, A YEAR AND A HALF, SO
WERE NOT GOING TO DO IT.
THATS THE REALITY.
>> MIKE, ITS BAD ENOUGH WEVE
HEARD MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, WEVE
HEARD SENATORS SAY, YEAH, THEY
LOOKED LIKE TOURISTS STROLLING
THROUGH SQUARETATUARY HALL.
IT WASNT AS BAD AS THE MEDIA
MADE IT OUT TO BE, EVEN THOUGH
AS WE SEE THEM BEATING OFFICERS,
OFFICER FANONE ON THE GROUND
THERE, RECEIVING A BEATING.
HE SURVIVED, THANK GOD, DESPITE
A HEART ATTACK FROM WHAT WERE
WATCHING RIGHT HERE.
BUT TO NOT HONOR THE MOTHER OF
THE OFFICER WHO DIED WITH A
MEETING, WHICH IS THE VERY LEAST
A SENATOR OR A CONGRESSMAN CAN
DO.
AS KASIE SAID, HOW YOU LOOK
YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR?
>> I DONT KNOW HOW THEY DO
THAT, WILLIE.
I REALLY DO NOT KNOW HOW THEY DO
THAT.
THIS IS DEEPLY, DEEPLY
DEPRESSING.
ITS DEPRESSING EVER DAY.
WE TALK ABOUT IT AND WEVE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT IT EVERY DAY SINCE
JANUARY 6th.
BUT THERES AN EDGE TO THE
DEPRESSION IN TERMS OF HOW
ZPREZING IT IS, WHEN WE SPEAK
ABOUT IT TODAY.
WE ARE RIGHT ON THE ATDVENT OF
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.
THE ROOT OF MEMORIAL IS MEMORY
AND IT USED TO BE A MUCH LARGER
DAY IN AMERICA.
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, MEMORIAL
DAY WAS A HUGE DAY WITH A PARADE
AND FLAGS AND LITTLE LEAGUE
GAMES.
BUT ALWAYS, ALWAYS WOVEN INTO
MEMORIAL DAY WAS A TRIP TO A
CEMETERY TO HONOR AND REMEMBER
MEN AND WOMEN, BUT LARGELY MEN
WHO SERVED IN WORLD WAR II AND
KOREA.
I REMEMBER THOSE DAYS VIVIDLY,
RIGHT NOW, AS WE SPEAK.
JANUARY 6th WAS AN ATTACK ON
AMERICA, AS WAS SEPTEMBER 9111th
AN ATTACK ON AMERICA.
BUT NOW THE DIFFERENCE IS, IN
THE ENTIRE REPUBLICAN PARTY, IT
SEEMS, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY,
DETERMINED TO ERASE MEMORY.
NOT TO LIVE WITH MEMORY.
NOT TO BE -- NOT TO LEARN FROM
MEMORY.
NOT TO HONOR THOSE WHO DIED IN
EVERY BATTLE SINCE OR ON JANUARY
6th AND MICHAEL STEELE, AGAIN, I
HESITATE TO COME TO YOU, BECAUSE
YOURE CARRYING SO MUCH OF THE
BURDEN HERE, IN TRYING TO
EXPLAIN THE INEXPLICABLE, AND
THE INEXPLICABLE HAPPENS TO BE
MITCH McCONNELL, KEVIN McCARTHY
AND CONGRESSMAN SCALISE AND SO
MANY OTHERS, OVER 140 MEMBERS OF
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WHO
VOTED NOT TO LEGITIMATIZE THE
ELECTION, THE LEGITIMATE
ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES ON JANUARY 6th,
LATER IN THE DAY, AFTER THE
CAPITOL WAS VANDALIZED.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?
YOU KNOW MANY OF THEM.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM?
>> I DONT THINK THERES A COUCH
BIG ENOUGH FOR THE ANSWER TO
THAT QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW,
KASIE PUT HER FINGER ON IT.
ITS THE POLITICS.
IT IS THE POLITICS OF
EXPEDIENCY.
IT IS -- ITS NOT EVEN FEAR OF A
BASE ANYMORE.
IT MAY HAVE STARTED OUT THAT
WAY.
ITS ACQUIESCENCE AND ACCEPTANCE
THAT THE TAIL WILL WAG THE
POLITICAL DOG.
THAT, YOU KNOW, TRUMP SITTING
DOWN AT HIS, YOU KNOW,
MODERN-DAY ELBA KNOWN AS
MAR-A-LAGO CAN DICTATE THE TERMS
OF ENGAGEMENT FOR THE REST OF
THE PARTY AND DECLARE HIMSELF
THE HEAD OF THE PARTY AND MAKE
THOSE KIND OF DECISIONS.
AND TO HAVE A FECKLESS
LEADERSHIP REPRESENTED BY THE
LIKES OF McCARTHY AND OTHERS WHO
REFUSE TO SAY, EXCUSE ME, WERE
GOING TO GO IN A DIFFERENT
DIRECTION NOW.
YOU LOST THE HOUSE FOR US, YOU
LOST THE SENATE FOR US, AND YOU LOST THE WHITE HOUSE FOR US.
LOST THE WHITE HOUSE FOR US.
I THINK WEVE DONE ENOUGH
LOSING, BUT THEYRE NOT DONE.
AND THATS THE HARSH REALITY
HERE.
THE WOUND OF A MOTHER AT THE
LOSS OF A CHILD IS ONE OF THE
MOST PROFOUND WOUNDS WE CAN EVER
KNOW.
AND YET WHEN SHE REACHES OUT
FROM THAT SPACE TO ASK FOR HELP
AND CLARITY AND UNDERSTANDING
AND THERES HESITATION AND
RESISTANCE TO JUST MEET WITH HER
AND TO TALK TO HER AND TO HEAR
HER PLEA THAT YOU GET TO THE
CORE REASON WHY HER SON DIED
PROTECTING THEM, THATS --
THATS UNSPEAKABLE.
AND IT SAYS TO ME, AT LEAST, HOW
DEPRAVED YOUVE BECOME.
HOW UNSERIOUS YOU ARE ABOUT SUCH
THINGS.
YOU KNOW, REMEMBER, THESE ARE
THE SAME PEOPLE -- YOU KNOW,
MEMBERS OF MY PARTY WERE THE
FIRST TO SPEAK TO HOW THE
FAMILYS IMPACTED AND WHAT THIS
MEANS FOR A MOTHER AND WHAT THIS
MEANS FOR A FAMILY MEMBER.
AND TO PUSH THAT NARRATIVE OUT
THERE AND PUSH BACK AGAINST THE
POLITICS, NOW THEY STAND IN
WHOLE OPPOSITION TO THAT.
AND I JUST -- THE ONLY THING I
WOULD SAY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
IS, YOU CAN STOP THIS.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE AN ELECTION
COMING UP, STARTING THIS
NOVEMBER AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE
VERY CLEAR WHAT DIRECTION THE
PARTY TO GO.
DO YOU WANT TO TAKE FROM A
MOTHER, OR DO YOU WANT A LEADER
WHO WILL LEAD THEM TO THAT?
SO I DONT UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW,
THE REPUBLICANS AT THIS POINT.
IVE STOPPED TRYING FOR A WHILE
NOW.
MY GOAL IS TO TRY TO SET A
DIFFERENT COURSE, A DIFFERENT
CONVERSATION AND TO HOLD THAT UP
AND WELL SEE WHERE WE GO FROM
THERE, BECAUSE THE REST OF IT
MAKES NO SENSE.