PLUS, IT IS OF COURSE, THE COUNT DOWN TO BOB MUELLER’S DELAYED
TESTIMONY.
TESTIMONY. IT WILL HITS NEXT WEEK WITH NEW
PRESSURE ON HOPE HICKS.
WE BEGIN WITH THE FALLOUT FROM
DONALD TRUMP’S RACE-BAITING
CAMPAIGN ALL WEEK.
TRUMP TODAY DID A COUPLE THINGS.
FIRST HE TRIED TO BACK UP HIS
SUPPORTERS.
SUPPORTERS. THIS WAS HOURS AFTER HE ALSO
TRIED TO CLAIM THAT HE IS NOT
SUPPORTIVE OF THAT VERY CHANT
THAT HE AUTHORED, QUOTE UNQUOTE,
SEND HER BACK.
TAKE A LOOK.
JUST ONE DAY AFTER SAYING HE WAS
"UNHAPPY," HE NOW SAYS SHE IS
PEOPLE CHANTING HIS ORDERS ARE
PATRIOTS.
PATRIOTS. >> IT WAS QUITE A CHANT.
AND I FELT A LITTLE BIT BADLY
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH IT.
I DISAGREE WITH IT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I’M UNHAPPY WITH?
I’M UNHAPPY WITH THE FACT THAT I
AN CONGRESSWOMAN CAN HATE OUR
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. THOSE ARE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE.
THOSE ARE INCREDIBLE PATRIOTS.
>> THAT IS THE WAY DONALD TRUMP
HAS STRUGGLED TO EXPLAIN HIMSELF
AND HIS SUPPORTERS AND WHAT HE
HAS UNCORKED THIS WEEK.
MEANWHILE, SOME OF THE VERY
LOUDEST VOICES ON FOX NEWS WHICH
IS QUITE LOYAL TO THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION ARE HAVING THEIR
OWN TROUBLES.
OWN TROUBLES. YOU MAY SAY WHAT’S THE POINT OF
LOOKING AT THIS.
IT SHOWS WHERE THE LINE IS AND
MAYBE THE LINE ISN’T A BAD
PLACE, A LOW PLACE, A SAD PLACE
BUT THERE ARE STILL LINES.
WE’RE SEEING A REAL STRUGGLE
FROM LOYALISTS TO EXPLAIN HOW
ANYONE COULD ABIDE BY WHAT
HAPPENED AT THAT RALLY.
>> I DON’T THINK THEY WERE
SAYING SEND HER BACK AS MUCH AS
THEY’RE SAYING THESE VIEWS ARE
REPUGNANT.
REPUGNANT. >> SOME PEOPLE AT A TRUMP RALLY
MAKE AN INNOCENT CHANT HAVING
FUN, A TAKE ON LOCK HER UP.
>> CITIZENS HAVING A LITTLE FUN,
MAYBE GETTING CARRIED AWAY.
>> THEY CHANT SOME BAD STUFF AS
A FOOTBALL GAME.
POLITICS IS A TOUGH SPORT.
>> MAYBE CARRIED AWAY OR THE
WORDS DON’T MEAN WHAT THEY SAID.
SEAN HANNITY, IF EVERYONE WAS
CHANTING A CRITICISM OF THE
CONGRESSWOMAN’S VIEWS REPUGNANT
OR NOT, THAT WOULD NOT BE THE
PROBLEM THEY HAVE TODAY.
IT WAS 13 SECONDS THAT WENT ON.
WE SHOWED THAT EARLIER IN OUR
BROADCAST THIS WEEK WHERE DONALD
TRUMP STOOD BY AND BASICALLY
SEEMED TO REALLY BE FINE WITH
WHAT HE HEARD.
IT WASN’T AN ICE LOCATED MOMENT.
NONE OF THIS TAKES PLACE IN A
VACUUM.
VACUUM. DURING THE SAME RALLY,
UNDERSTAND A WIDER CONTEXT.
AT ONE POINT HE POINTED TO A
BABY WEARING A ONESIE THAT SAID
Q ON THE BACK AND TRUMP ON THE
FRONT.
FRONT. SEEMING TO WELCOME A CONSPIRACY
THEORY THAT’S CAN BEEN WIDELY
DISCRETEDITED
DISCRETEDITED DISCREDITED.
DISCREDITED. HAKEEM JEFFRIES SERVES ON THE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, BRITNEY
COOPER, AUTHOR OF THE BOOK
"ELOQUENT RAGE," AND AFAF
NASHER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ON
THE COUNCIL OF ISLAMIC RELEASES.
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR BEING
HERE.
HERE. >> GREAT TO BE HERE.
>> CONGRESSMAN, AT THE HIGHEST
LEVEL YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES
HAVE JUST SAID THIS IS RACIST
AND YOU TOOK THAT UNUSUAL STEP
TO REBUKE DONALD TRUMP.
AT A MORE GRANULAR LEVEL IT,
DOES SEEM IT GOT OUT OF HAND
EVEN FOR TRUMP.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU THAT HE
TRIED TO BACK AWAY AND AT TIMES
LIE ABOUT WHAT HE DID THIS WEEK.
>> WELL, IN MY VIEW, THERE MAY
HAVE BEEN SOME INDIVIDUALS CLOSE
TO HIM SAYING THIS IS GETTING
OUT OF CONTROL FOR AT LEAST 24
HOURS, HE WALKED THINGS BACK AND
THEN HE WALKED BACK THE
WALKBACK.
WALKBACK. AT THE ED OF THE DAY, HA SHOWS
YOU THAT HE IS WHO HE IS.
HE CANNOT HELP HIMSELF.
AND IT IS A PART OF DONALD TRUMP
AS AN INDIVIDUAL TO PEDAL THIS
XEEN PHOBIC POISON IN A WAY THAT
IS INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT SOME OF
HIS FRIENDS, HIS FAMILY MEMBERS,
HIS ALLIES WHO PRETEND TO
BELIEVE IN CIVILITY GO TO HIM
AND SAY CUT IT OUT, YOU ARE
CROSSING THE LINE.
THIS IS NO LONGER POLITICS.
THIS IS DANGEROUS FOR OUR
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. >> YOU SAY IT’S DANGEROUS.
AND YOU’RE OBVIOUSLY IN THE
POLITICAL OPPOSITION TO THIS
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. BUT ALSO A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL
WITH AN OATH TO UPHOLD THE
CONSTITUTION.
CONSTITUTION. WHEN YOU SEE ANOTHER GOVERNMENT
OFFICIAL URGING ON PEOPLE IN
THAT CROWD TO CHANT THAT WAY,
DOES IT CONCERN YOU THAT IT
COULD AMOUNT TO INCITEMENT?
>> CERTAINLY.
>> CERTAINLY. I THINK IT DEMONSTRATES SORT OF
A RECKLESS DISREGARD FOR HUMAN
LIFE.
LIFE. AND A DEPRAVED INDIFFERENCE TO
THE SAFETY OF THOSE FOUR MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS.
OF CONGRESS. HE CAN DISAGREE WITH THEIR
PERSPECTIVES.
PERSPECTIVES. HE SHOULD NOT BE JEOPARDIZING
THEIR SAFETY AND WELL-BEING.
IN A COUNTRY, ONE, WHERE WE HAVE
FAR TOO MANY GUNS, MORE THAN
300 MILLION CIRCULATING
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND WE
KNOW THERE ARE SOME SICK
INDIVIDUALS AND WE’VE SEEN SOME
SICK INCIDENTS.
SICK INCIDENTS. BOTH IN TERMS OF TARGETING
DEMOCRATS, GABBY GIFFORDS, AS
WELL AS REPUBLICANS IN THE
CONTEXT OF THE CONGRESSIONAL
BASEBALL SHOOTING A FEW YEARS
AGO.
AGO. THIS IS NOT EVEN A PARTISAN
ISSUE.
ISSUE. >> UNDERSTOOD.
>> UNDERSTOOD. >> THIS IS AN ISSUE ABOUT
DECEMBER SENCY, CIVILITY AND THE
WELL-BEING OF PUBLIC SERVANTS.
THAT’S WHY WE HAVE BEEN SAYING
WE HAVE TO INSURE AT THE HIGHEST
LEVELS THAT OUR FOUR CONGRESS
WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN TARGETED
VICIOUSLY BY HIM ARE PROTECTED
AND WE UPLIFT THEIR RIGHT TO
EXPRESS THEIR OWN VIEWS.
>> UNDERSTOOD.
>> UNDERSTOOD. BRITNEY, I MENTIONED THE
REPORTING ABOUT DONALD TRUMP
BACKING OFF BECAUSE I THINK THE
DETAILS MATTER.
DETAILS MATTER. IT’S A REMINDER THAT CYNICISM IS
NOT THE ANSWER BECAUSE IT IS
PRESSURE AND FOR SOME PEOPLE
ACTIVISM AND OPTIMISM THAT STILL
OUR REPORTING SHOWS MAKES A
DIFFERENCE.
DIFFERENCE. I ALSO I DON’T WANT TO MAKE
LIGHT OF THIS, BUT WE’RE NOT
HANDING OUT COOKIES EITHER.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT BACKING AWAY
FROM TERRIBLE VILE THINGS AND
WE’RE ALSO TRACKING SOMETHING I
WANT TO PLAY FOR YOUR ANALYSIS
WHICH IS NOT ALL REPUBLICANS, OF
COURSE, ARE EVEN RUNNING AWAY
FROM THIS.
FROM THIS. SOME SEE THIS AS A NEW TYPE OF
POLITICAL MESSAGING.
POLITICAL MESSAGING. LOOK AT THIS REPUBLICAN SENATOR
USING CODED LANGUAGE AT
SOMETHING CALLED THE NATIONAL
CONSERVATISM CONFERENCE TEEING
UP ON A WORD, "COSMOPOLITAN."
TECHNICALLY THE DEFINITION
REFERS TO DIVERSITY.
IT’S ALREADY PRETTY CLEAR WHAT
HE’S SAYING AND MANY FEEL IT IS
AN ATTACK ON CERTAIN GROUPS.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> THE COSMOPOLITAN ELITE LOOK
DOWN ON THE COMMON AFFECTIONS
THAT ONCE BOUND THIS NATION
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. THE COSMOPOLITANEN ECONOMY HAS
MADE IT THE COSMOPOLITAN CLASS
AN AARISTOCRACY.
AN AARISTOCRACY. IT’S TIME WE ENDED THIS
COSMOPOLITAN EXPERIMENT.
COSMOPOLITAN EXPERIMENT. >> YOU KNOW, THAT IS AN
EXPERIMENT IN USING THE WRONG
WORDS AND NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT
WORDS ACTUALLY MEAN THINGS.
LOOK, THE THING THAT BOTHERS ME
ABOUT TRUMP AND HIS CRONIES IS
THAT THEY HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF
ATTACKING WOMEN OF COLOR, AND
IT’S IMPORTANT TO SAY THESE
COMMENTS ARE NOT JUST RACIST,
THEY’RE DEEPLY SEXIST.
THEY ALSO GO AFTER WOMEN OF
COLOR.
COLOR. WE NEED TO TAKE THE LONG VIEW.
THIS IS TRUMP’S ATTACK ON APRIL
RYAN, ON MAXINE WATERS AND THE
WAY HE’S LOCKING UP BABIES AND
THEIR PARENTS AT THE BORDER
BECAUSE HE SEES WOMEN OF COLOR
AS THE PEOPLE WHO REPRODUCE ALL
OF THESE FOLKS KEEPING HIM FROM
MAKING AMERICA WHITE AGAIN.
THERE IS A REAL VISCERAL REASON
WHY HE HAS SUCH HATRED FOR WOMEN
OF COLOR.
OF COLOR. OUR JOB IS TO CALL IT OUT AT
EVERY LEVEL.
EVERY LEVEL. IT’S NOT TO GIVE HIM ANY CREDIT
WHEN HE BACK TRACKS BECAUSE THE
OTHER THING DONALD TRUMP DOES,
IS HE A GAS LIGHTER.
THEY’RE PEOPLE WHO PROVOKE YOU,
WHO DO HARM TO YOU AND TELL YOU
WERE JUST MAJORING IT.
THIS IS WHAT THEY’RE DOING ON
FOX NEWS.
FOX NEWS. THAT’S NOT REALLY WHAT WE MEANT.
IT’S LIKE THE ABUSIVE BOYFRIEND
WHO SAYS MEAN THINGS TO YOU AND
THEN SAYS THAT’S THE WAY YOU
TOOK IT, THAT’S NOT THE WAY I
MEANT IT.
MEANT IT. >> I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WOULD BRING
THIS UP.
THIS UP. WE HAVE REPEATS FROM FOX WHAT
YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT.
EVERYBODY ELSE’S FAULT BUT THE
PEOPLE WHO WROTE THE WORDS THAT
THE PEOPLE KHANNED.
>> THEY TOOK HIS WORDS AND
TURNED IT INTO SOMETHING THAT HE
DIDN’T MEAN INTO IF I WERE A
SUBVERSIVE OPPONENT OF THE
PRESIDENT, I WOULD EMBED MYSELF
AT A RALLY AND GET PEOPLE TO
START CHANTING.
START CHANTING. > HE WASN’T CHANTING IT.
THE CROWD STARTED CHANTING THIS.
IT WASN’T THE WHOLE CROWD.
IT WAS A COUPLE PEOPLE IN THE
FRONT.
FRONT. HE DIDN’T SAY IT.
>> HE DID SAY IT.
HE WROTE IT AND DRIBED TO
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND THEN GOT
IT CHANTED BACK AT HIM.
>> TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
WE’VE SEEN THIS PRESIDENT’S
WORDS REVERBERATING THROUGH HIS
ENTIRE CHOIR, HIS ENTIRE BASE.
AND LET’S NOT MINCE OUR WORDS
HERE TODAY.
HERE TODAY. WORDS DO HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
WE SEE IT.
WE SEE STUDIES THAT SAY EVERY
TIME THERE’S A TRUMP RALLY IN A
PARTICULAR COUNTY, HATE CRIMES
GO UP BY OVER 226%.
WE SEE IT HERE IN NEW YORK WHERE
A MOTHER WILL BE OUTSIDE AT A
LOCAL TARGET OR A SHOPPING
CENTER AND SOMEBODY WILL
REITERATE HIS EXACT WORDS, GO
BACK HOME.
BACK HOME. EVEN FROM THE FBI REPORTS THAT
TELL US THAT HATE CRIMES ARE UP
MORE THAN THEY’VE EVER BEEN IN A
DECADE.
DECADE. AND IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BELIEVE
OUR OWN GOVERNMENT, IF YOU DON’T
WANT TO BELIEVE THOSE REPORTING
THESE CRIMES, THEN WHY DON’T WE
BELIEVE THE WORDS OF THE KILLERS
THEMSELVES.
THEMSELVES. THE GUY THAT WENT INTO NEW
ZEALAND AND KILLED 51 INNOCENT
PEOPLE WORSHIPPING CITED DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, IT WAS A
LOVE WITH DONALD TRUMP.
IN THE TREE OF LIFE SYNAGOGUE,
THERE WAS A REFERENCE TO DONALD
TRUMP AND HIS WORDS.
SO WE ARE NOT GOING TO MINCE THE
WORDS FROM THE ACTIONS AND SAY
THERE’S NO DIRECT RELATIONSHIP.
THERE IS A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP.
AND BY THE WAY, STANDING THERE
FOR 30 SECONDS, 13 SECONDS,
RIGHT, SOMETIMES AN OMISSION OF
AN ACT IS JUST AS BOLD AND AS
BAD AS AN ACT ITSELF.
HE NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THAT, AS WELL.
HE HAS THE POWER TO DO SO.
>> HE HAS THE POWER.
HE’S THE ONE WHO SAID HE COULD
SHOOT ON FIFTH AVENUE.
HE OBVIOUSLY CAN STARE DOWN HIS
FOLKS AND SAY WE’RE NOT DOING
THAT OR DON’T DO IT LIKE THAT.
BRITNEY, I THINK EACH OF YOU
HAVE COVER THE ETHICS AND
MORALITY OF THIS WHICH IS
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. THERE ARE POLITICS TO THIS.
>> SURE.
>> SURE. >> AND ONE OF THE THINGS I’VE
HEARD FROM PEOPLE IN OUR WORK IS
THAT DONALD TRUMP ALSO HAS
BROUGHT SOME STRANGE BEDFELLOWS
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. NONE OTHER THAN MY FRIEND FAT
JOE WHO TOLD ME HE WAS SURPRISED
TO FIND HE WAS IN COMMON CAUSE
WAS BILL KRISTOL BECAUSE THEY
HAD A DIFFERENT HISTORY BUT THEY
CAME TOGETHER TO STAND UP
AGAINST WHAT THEY VIEW AT
TRUMP’S BIGOTRY.
TRUMP’S BIGOTRY. I’VE GOT SOMEONE ELSE WHO MAY
NOT BE AT THAT LEVEL BUT WHO I
DON’T THINK YOU’VE BEEN PARTYING
ALL THAT MUCH FROM YOUR WRITINGS
WRITINGS.
WRITINGS. HIS NAME IS DAVID BROOKS.
>> DEFINITELY NOT.
>> IF YOU AND DAVID BROOKS, 5,
10, 15 YEARS AGO I DON’T SEE A
LOT OF COSIGNING.
>> HERE’S DAVID BROOKS TODAY.
YOU SOUND LIKE HIM OR YOU TWO
AGREE ON THIS CENTRAL QUESTION.
I READ TO YOU, THE HEADLINE OF
THE NEW DAVID BROOKS PIECE IN
THE "NEW YORK TIMES" PAPER OF
RECORD.
RECORD. "DONALD TRUMP HATES AMERICA.
HE SUGGESTS A TRUE AMERICAN IS
WHITE.
WHITE. TRUMP’S NATIONAL STORY IS CLOSER
TO THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL STORY
THAN IT IS TOWARD OUR OWN."
>> SURE.
>> SURE. >> HE GOES ON TO TAKE A 2X4 TO
WHAT HE CALLS THIS HATRED OF
EVERYTHING THAT IS GOOD ABOUT
AMERICA.
AMERICA. >> LOOK, LET ME GET ON MY FAT
JOE AND SALINE BACK AND WELCOME
DAVID BROOKS TO THE PARTY.
HE SOUNDS LIKE US.
OUR CREW, WE’VE BEEN SAYING
THIS.
THIS. PART OF WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN ON
THE REPUBLICAN SIDE IS THEY HAVE
TO RECOGNIZE THAT DONALD TRUMP
IS THEIR RECKONING WITH DECADES
OF RHETORIC THAT HAS BEEN
ANTI-IMMIGRANT, THAT HAS BEEN
ANTI-PEOPLE OF COLOR, IT HAS
BEEN MORE SUBTLE AND MORE CIVIL.
THE REASON THAT DONALD TRUMP IS
NOW HORRIFYING THEM IS BECAUSE
HE SAYS EVERY TERRIBLE THING AND
HE SAYS IT REALLY EXPLICITLY.
DO I THINK HE’S A MORE EXTREME
VERSION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY,
SURE.
SURE. DO I THINK HE’S A LOGICAL
EXTENSION IF SOMEONE VOCALIZES
THE DOG WHISTLES THEY’VE BEEN
ENGAGE SFLDS IT’S A DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE PERSON WHO SAYS
COSMOPOLITAN AND A PERSON WHO
SAYS SEND HER BACK BUT THEY’RE
TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING.
WE NEED MORE REPUBLICANS AND
WRITERS TO STAND UP AND CALL
THIS MAN OUT AND SAY THIS IS NOT
THE VISION WE HAVE FOR AMERICA.
THAT’S THE ONLY WAY THIS WILL
CHANGE.
CHANGE. THE OTHER THING WE NEED TO SAY
WHICH IS WHY HE’S SO DANGEROUS,
HE’S NOT AVERSE TO INCITING
CROWDS TO VIOLENCE IN ORDER TO
BE HIS PURPOSES.
REMEMBER IN THE 2016 CAMPAIGN,
HE CALLED THE -- WHEN HE WAS
TALKING ABOUT HILLARY CLINTON,
HE SAID YOU SECOND AMENDMENT
PEOPLE MIGHT ACTUALLY HANDLE
THAT.
THAT. SO HE ACTUALLY GIVES GLOSS TO
THIS VIOLENCE AND THEN GAS
LIGHTS US AND TELLS US THAT’S
NOT WHAT HE’S DOING.
>> I APPRECIATE YOU CITING THOSE
RECEIPTS, AS WELL.
HE ALSO IN THE SAME MONTH YOU’RE
QUOTING FROM INFAMOUSLY SAID HE