PREVENT KKK VIOLENCE AND
INTIMIDATION AGAINST MEMBERS WHO
WERE WORKING TO PASS REFORMS
DURING RECONSTRUCTION.
JOINING US NOW IS DEREK JOHNSON,
THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE
NAACP.
MR. JOHNSON, GOOD EVENING.
>> GOOD EVENING.
>> EXPLAIN A BIT MORE ABOUT THE
KU KLUX KLAN ACT AND HOW MUCH
YOU THINK IT MIGHT HELP YOU
SECURE VICTORY IN COURT.
>> IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE CIVIL
WAR, CONGRESS ENACTED THIS ACT
TO PROTECT SEVEN CONGRESS
PERSONS WHO WAS WORKING TO
REUNIFY THE NATION BECAUSE THERE
WAS AN UPTICK IN INDIVIDUALS
FORMING GROUPS SUCH AS THE KKK.
PRIMARILY THESE WERE FORMER
CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS WHO HAD
LOST THEIR RIGHTS BECAUSE OF
THEIR TREASONOUS ACTIVITIES AND
TO PREVENT THEM FROM CAUSING
HARM, INTIMIDATING OR
THREATENING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
THAT FITS WHAT TOOK PLACE ON
JANUARY 6th.
AND FORMER PRESIDENT RUDY
GIULIANI AND THE OTHER GROUPS,
THEY INITIATED A COURSE OF
ACTION AFTER THE ELECTIONS THAT
LED TO JANUARY 6th TO PREVENT
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FROM
CARRYING OUT THEIR
CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY.
>> CONGRESSMAN THOMPSON SPOKE
ABOUT THIS WITH ALI VELSHI ON
HIS PROGRAM.
HERE’S PART OF WHAT THE
CONGRESSMAN SAID.
>> BECAUSE IT’S A CIVIL MATTER
THERE COULD BE PENALTIES
ASSOCIATED FROM A PERSONAL
STANDPOINT THAT WOULD PUT THESE
ORGANIZATIONS OUT OF BUSINESS.
THEY ARE RIGHT WING DOMESTIC
TERRORISTS.
>> SO CAN YOU ELABORATE A BIT ON
WHAT IT IS THAT YOU’RE SEEKING
FROM THIS LAWSUIT?
THE CONGRESSMAN MENTIONED
PENALTIES POSSIBLY ENOUGH TO PUT
SOME OF THESE GROUPS UNDER.
>> WE HAVE LEARNED IN OUR
COUNTRY IF YOU DON’T STOP
DOMESTIC TERRORISM, DOMESTIC
TERRORISM HAS REARED ITS HEAD IN
THIS COUNTRY AS WHITE SUPREMEST
EXTREMISTS, WE KNOW WHAT IT
MEANS IF YOU ALLOW THESE GROUPS
TO GROW UNACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR
ACTIVITIES.
THAT WAS THE REALITY MANY BLACKS
LIVED THROUGH IN THE 30s, 40s,
50s, 60s AND WE’VE SEEN A SHARP
UPTICK OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM IN
SOUTHERN STATES.
OUR GOAL HERE IS TO HOLD PEOPLE
ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED ON
JANUARY 6th.
JANUARY 6th WAS A FAILED COUP
ATTEMPT, AN INSURRECTION, IT WAS
TREASONOUS.
BECAUSE THE SENATE REFUSED TO
PUT THE COUNTRY ABOVE
PARTISANSHIP, WE’RE TAKING A
STEP TO HOLD INDIVIDUALS
ACCOUNTABLE, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS
A CIVIL MATTER, THOSE ARE THE
TOOLS THAT WE HAVE AT OUR
DISPOSAL.
WE HOPE SOMEONE WOULD STEP UP
AND ALSO FILE CRIMINAL CHARGES
FOR THIS CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
BECAUSE THIS WAS A TREASONOUS
ACT.
>> I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR
PEOPLE TO KNOW -- THIS MAY BE
YOUR BLACK HISTORY FACT OF THE
DAY -- THE NAACP WAS FORMED TO
INVESTIGATE LYNCHINGS.
ONE OF THE FORMER PRESIDENTS,
WALTER FRANCIS WHITE, WAS AN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN WHO WAS SO
LIGHT SKINNED HE COULD PASS FOR
WHITE AND INFILTRATE KLAN
RALLIES AND INFILTRATE GROUPS
THAT WERE PLANNING LYNCHINGS.
THAT’S PART OF WHAT THE NAACP IS
FOUNDATIONALLY DESIGNED TO DO IS
SAVE BLACK LIVES.
BUT I CAN IMAGINE THE
COUNTERARGUMENT, WHICH IS DONALD
TRUMP WAS NOT PLANNING A
LYNCHING, HE NEVER TOLD ANYBODY
TO TARGET THE CONGRESSMEN, HE
GAVE A LOUD MOUTH SPEECH AT THE
WHITE HOUSE THAT ERESULTED IN
VIOLENCE BUT HE NEVER INTENDED THE PEOPLE NAMED IN THIS LAWSUIT
THE PEOPLE NAMED IN THIS LAWSUIT
ANY DIRECT HARM SO THE KU KLUX
KLAN ACT WOULD NOT APPLY TO
THAT.
>> MITCH McCONNELL SAYS THAT
DONALD TRUMP’S ACTIVITIES LED IT
THE EVENTS WE’VE SEEN ON JANUARY
6th.
MITCH McCONNELL SAYS THAT THIS
IS SOMETHING THAT HE SHOULD BE
HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR.
WE AGREE WITH SENATOR MITCH
McCONNELL AND THE SCENARIO.
I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYBODY ARGUE
THE COUNTER.
WHAT WE SEEN LAST WEEK WAS A
POLITICAL PROCEEDING.
NOW WE NEED TO BRING THIS CASE