>> CUTE.
I LIKE IT WHEN SHE GOES MMM.
JOINING US IS THE MAYOR OF
WASHINGTON, D.C., DEMOCRAT
MURIEL BOWSER.
SHE’S SCHEDULED TO SPEAK TONIGHT
AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL
CONVENTION AS PART OF THE
PROGRAM THAT ADDRESSES THE
NATIONWIDE CALLS FOR RACIAL
JUSTICE REFORM.
IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU.
I ABSOLUTELY ADORE BLACK LIVES
MATTER PLAZA.
YOU’RE GOING TO GO DOWN IN
HISTORY FOR THAT, AND IT’S
AMAZING ON MANY LEVELS.
SO PREVIEW FOR US, IF YOU COULD,
WHAT YOU PLAN TO TALK ABOUT,
WHAT YOU HOPE TO TOUCH UPON OR
AT THE VERY LEAST, NOT TO GIVE
IT ALL AWAY, WHAT’S THE IMPACT
OF THE MESSAGE YOU HOPE THAT
VOTERS WILL RECEIVE FROM YOUR
TALK TONIGHT.
>> WELL, MIKA, WHAT I WILL
ADDRESS IS WHAT EVERYONE IS
TALKING ABOUT ALL ACROSS
AMERICA.
AND THAT IS WHY IT’S SO
IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A NEW
PRESIDENT THAT RECOGNIZES THAT
FANNING THE FLAMES OF RACIST
SYSTEMS WILL NOT MAKE OUR
COUNTRY BETTER.
AND WE ARE HAVING A RACIAL
RECKONING IN OUR COUNTRY, AND
IT’S SO IMPORTANT THAT ALL OF US
ON EVERY LEVEL, THOSE WHO ARE
ELECTED AND EVERYONE ELSE, IS
FOCUSED ON HOW WE MAKE OUR
COUNTRY MORE FAIR AND MORE JUST.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY FELT
LIKE A BREAKING POINT, WHAT WAS
WHAT HAPPENED IN LAFAYETTE
SQUARE.
AND WHEN PROTESTERS WERE PEPPER
SPRAYED OR GASSED OR, I GUESS
THERE’S BEEN NOW AN ACT PASSED
BY THE D.C. COUNCIL PROHIBITING
USING THE WORD CHEMICAL
IRRITANTS TO DISMISS FIRST
AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
WHAT IS IT, TEAR GAS?
CAN WE MAKE IT CLEAR?
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT
DEFINITIONS FOR THESE IRRITANTS,
AND OUR LAW SPELLS OUT WHAT’S
PROHIBITED DURING A LAWFUL
PROTEST.
AND IT’S SO IMPORTANT, I THINK,
THAT WE HAVE TAKEN STEPS IN
WASHINGTON, D.C., CITIES AROUND
THE COUNTRY AND THE CONGRESS HAS
A BILL AROUND POLICING AS WELL.
WE ARE ALL VERY CLEAR HERE.
WE NEED GOOD CONSTITUTIONAL
POLICING TO KEEP NEIGHBORHOODS
SAFE.
BUT OUR RESIDENTS ALSO HAVE TO
BE ASSURED THAT THEY ARE TREATED
JUSTLY AND FAIRLY IN OUR
SYSTEMS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN
OUR COUNTRY, AND WE STAND READY TO DO THAT WORK.
TO DO THAT WORK.
AND I THINK THAT PART OF OUR
MESSAGE TONIGHT IS THAT BLACK
LIVES MATTER AND WONDERFUL BLACK
LIVES MATTER PLAZA IS IMPORTANT,
BUT IT’S A START.
IT’S A START TO A CONVERSATION
BUT ALSO A START TO ACTION.
AND I THINK THAT’S WHAT JOE
BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS MEAN FOR
OUR COUNTRY.
THEY GET IT.
THEY RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE
SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE AND SOME
SYSTEMS TO TEAR DOWN AND THEY’RE
COMPETENT, EXPERIENCED LEADERS
WHO WILL DO THAT.
AND THE SELECTION OF KAMALA
HARRIS AS HIS RUNNING MATE SAYS
A LOT TO ME ABOUT WHO JOE BIDEN
IS AND HOW HE SEES AMERICA AND
HOW HE KNOWS THAT THIS -- THIS
TICKET THAT REFLECTS OUR COUNTRY
WILL JUST MAKE ALL OF US VERY
EXCITED TO GO OUT AND VOTE.
BECAUSE WE’RE GOING TO HAVE SOME
OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME ON
ELECTION DAY.
>> JUST TOUCHING ON THAT IN
TERMS OF THE MESSAGE THAT YOU
WANT TO SEND TO PEOPLE WHO WANT
TO PEACEFULLY PROTEST, WHO MAY
HAVE BEEN TREATED BADLY AT
CERTAIN STAGES DURING THIS WHOLE
TIME SINCE GEORGE FLOYD’S DEATH.
IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT’S HAPPENING
IN PORTLAND, ALSO LAST THURSDAY
IN WASHINGTON, D.C., 40 PEOPLE
WERE ARRESTED.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO
PROTESTERS IN TERMS OF HOW THEY
NEED TO CARRY OUT THEIR PROTESTS
AND HOW THAT CAN GET MUDDLED AND
THINGS CAN TURN UGLY REAL QUICK.
>> WE KNOW, SADLY, THAT THERE
ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT
REALLY THERE TO PROTEST OR
DEMAND RACIAL JUSTICE BUT TO
CREATE HAVOC.
AND SOMETIMES DESTRUCTION.
AND THERE IS NO PLACE IN AMERICA
THAT’S GOING TO ALLOW THEIR CITY
OR THEIR TOWN TO BE TORN DOWN OR
TO ALLOW FIRES AND THE LIKE.
AND SO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT
FOLLOWING THE LAW WILL BE
SUBJECT TO ARREST TO KEEP
EVERYBODY ELSE SAFE.
AND THAT’S WHAT WE SAW IN
WASHINGTON.
SO WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE
PEACEFUL, TO FOLLOW THE LAWS,
BUT NOT TO DESTROY OUR TOWN.
>> WE’LL BE WATCHING YOU
TONIGHT.
MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER, THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR BEING ON THE SHOW
WITH US THIS MORNING.