>>> THIS IS A PRESIDENT WHO IS PART OF THE PROBLEM.
HE’S USING WORDS LIKE
"INVASIONS," "INFESTATIONS."
"INVASIONS," "INFESTATIONS." >> THE ATTACK TWO DAYS AGO WAS
AN ATTACK ON THE LATINO
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. THAT IS DUE IN PART TO THE
CLIMATE THIS PRESIDENT HAS SET.
>> THIS WHITE HOUSE AND PARTY
DOESN’T WANT TO ACT BECAUSE
THEY’RE EMBARRASSED ABOUT THEIR
OWN RELATIONSHIP TO THIS
EXTREMIST IDEOLOGY AT HOME.
THAT IS NO EXCUSE FOR ALLOWING
IT TO FESTER AND MANY CASES
ALLOWING IT TO KILL.
>> THE FACT WE HAVE A PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES, WHO IS
CLEARLY A RACIST, WHO HAS
CLEARLY BEEN MOTIVATED BY
SPEAKING TO THE LOWEST COMMON
DENOMINATOR.
DENOMINATOR. >> MR. PRESIDENT, IT’S LONG
PASTIME YOU ADDRESSED IT FOR
WHAT IT IS.
THIS IS HATRED PURE AND SIMPLE
AND BEING FUELED BY RHETORIC SO
DIVISIVE CAUSING PEOPLE TO DIE.
>> IN A RACE THAT HAS BEEN ALL
ABOUT MOMENTS, THE CONDEMNATION
WE’VE SEEN FROM THE 2020
CANDIDATES IN THE WAKE OF THIS
WEEKEND’S MASS SHOOTINGS SHOW US
THEY’RE SEIZING THIS ONE,
SHOWING VOTERS WHO THEY ARE AND
HOLDING DONALD TRUMP
ACCOUNTABLE.
ACCOUNTABLE. THE "WASHINGTON POST" NOTES HOW
UNPRECEDENTED THESE REACTIONS
HAVE BEEN, "IT IS NOT UNUSUAL
FOR CANDIDATES TO BLAST A
PRESIDENT FROM THE OPPOSING
PARTY.
PARTY. BUT THE SPECK TACKLING OF THE
PARTY’S LEADER SAYING A SITTING
PRESIDENT PAVED THE WAY FOR A
MASS SHOOTING LIGHTS THE HOSTILE
FRACTURED NATURE OF THIS
POLITICAL MOMENT.
POLITICAL MOMENT. HEIDI, YOU REPRESENT THE MOST
CANDIDATES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
PACK, THE MOST STRIKING STOP IN
YOUR TRACKS STATEMENT THEY MADE
SINCE THIS CAMPAIGN GOT UNDER
WAY.
WAY. >> THIS, NICOLLE, IS WHAT HAS
BEEN LACKING 25 YEARS, SINCE THE
LAPSE OF THE BAN ON ASSAULT
WEAPONS.
WEAPONS. DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY
SPOOKED BY THAT 1994 LOSS IN
CONGRESS THEY ATTRIBUTED TO THE
PASSAGE OF THE ASSAULT WEAPONS
BAN.
BAN. WE HAVEN’T SEEN THIS KIND OF
ENERGY.
ENERGY. FRANKLY, THIS IS THE ONLY SHIFT
THAT IS POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW IN
CONGRESS, NICOLLE.
CONGRESS, NICOLLE. YOU’RE TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO
COVERED THE NEWTOWN TRAGEDY AND
SAW, EVEN IN THE AFTERMATH OF
WHAT HAPPENED AT SANDY HOOK, THE
SLAUGHTER OF BABIES, THERE WAS
NO MEASURABLE MOVEMENT.
THEY COULDN’T EVEN GET A VERY
MODEST BACKGROUND CHECK MEASURE
THROUGH.
THROUGH. GUESS WHAT.
GUESS WHAT. THE COMPOSURE OF THIS CURRENT
CONGRESS HASN’T CHANGED THAT
MUCH.
MUCH. ONE THING MAY BE SHIFTING, THE
INTENSITY GAP, WE CAN MEASURE IN
POLLING WHAT PEOPLE ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT, ISSUES THAT ARE
RANKED THE MOST IMPORTANT.
HERE WE ARE SEEING GUN CONTROL
EVEN BEFORE WHAT HAPPENED WITH
THESE TWIN MASSACRES ARE RANKING
HIGHER AND HIGHER AMONG CONCERNS
OF DEMOCRATIC VOTERS.
NOW, YOU’RE SEEING THAT MANIFEST
IN LANGUAGE USED BY THE
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES. HERE’S THE CATCH.
THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES CAN
BE VERY STRONG ON THIS AND MAKE
A LOT OF PROMISES.
WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN FOR REAL
CHANGE, FOR INSTANCE, A BAN ON
SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPONS AND BAN
ON HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINES,
THERE HAS TO BE A SHIFT AT THE
SENATE LEVEL.
SENATE LEVEL. EVEN IN THE SENATE TODAY, SEE
SENATORS LIKE PAT TOOMEY,
CO-SPONSOR OF A BACKGROUND CHECK
LEGISLATION, HE WOULD NEVER
SUPPORT A BAN ON ASSAULT
WEAPONS.
WEAPONS. YOU WOULD HAVE TO SEE A MAJOR
WAVE AND SHIFT IN THE SENATE TO
SEE THE KIND OF LEGISLATIVE
RESPONSE SOME OF THESE
CANDIDATES ARE CALLING FOR.
>> AARON BLAKE, ON TOP OF
EVERYTHING HEIDI JUST
ARTICULATED SO INTELLIGENTLY AND
ACCURATELY, THERE IS THIS ABOUT
THE ENTIRE FIELD NOW HAS, TO
POINT TO DONALD TRUMP AND SAY,
WE ARE AGAINST THAT.
LET’S UNDO THAT.
THAT IS THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN
A KILLER’S CREED AND THE
PRESIDENT’S TWITTER FEED.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. DON’T FORGET IT WASN’T THAT LONG
AGO THAT THESE DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, MANY OF
THEM WERE RELUCTANT TO TALK
ABOUT THINGS LIKE IMPEACHMENT.
IT WASN’T THAT LONG AGO THAT IF
YOU ASKED DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS OR LEADERS, IF THE
PRESIDENT WAS A RACIST, THEY
WOULD NOT GO THAT FAR.
OBVIOUSLY, THE THING HE SAID
ABOUT THE JUDGE WITH MEXICAN
HERITAGE WAS WRONG AND BAD BUT
WOULDN’T GO AS FAR AS TO CALL
HIM A RACIST.
AGAIN, WE’RE SEEING THE 2020
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES LEAD
THIS PARTY TOWARDS A NEW
POSITION, JUST LIKE WE’VE SEEN
ON SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE AND
SEEN IN MANY WAYS ON GUN
CONTROL, LIKE WE’VE SEEN ON
THINGS LIKE REPARATIONS AND FREE
COLLEGE.
COLLEGE. THE QUESTION FROM THERE IS
WHETHER THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
LEADERSHIP IS COMFORTABLE WITH
THAT.
THAT. THERE IS A REASON THEY RESISTED
SOME OF THESE THINGS FOR A
WHILE.
WHILE. IS NANCY PELOSI REALLY WANTING
TO HAVE THIS KIND OF DEBATE?
IS CHUCK SCHUMER WANTING TO HAVE
THIS KIND OF DEBATE?
NOW, WE’RE HAVING IT.
THEY HAVE TO GET COMFORTABLE
WITH IT BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THE
LEADING VOICES IN THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
>> THERE’S ANOTHER WARNING POINT
FOR THE MEDIA, WE HEAR FROM THE
PRESIDENT, HE LOVES THIS FIGHT
AND DOESN’T CARE IF YOU’RE
CALLING HIM A RACIST.
I DON’T THINK THAT’S RIGHT.
THERE ARE THREE THINGS HE’S
SENSITIVE ABOUT.
SENSITIVE ABOUT. THEY ALL INVOLVE SIZE.
THE SIZE OF HIS WEALTH, THE SIZE
OF HIS VICTORY, THE SIZE OF HIS
BRAIN.
BRAIN. I THINK BEING A RACIST, YOU HAVE
TO BE IGNORANT TO BE A RACIST.
YOU’RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO
HAVE THE SAME SIZE VICTORY A FEW
YEARS FROM NOW, AND IF YOU
AREN’T PRESIDENT SOME DAY, YOU
SURE AS HELL WON’T HAVE MUCH
SUCCESS IN BUSINESS AS AMERICA’S
RACIST IN CHIEF.
>> HOW LONG IN THE LAST THREE
WEEKS HE SAID THERE’S NOT A
RACIST BONE IN MY BODY OR I’M
THE LEAST RACIST PERSON IN THE
WORLD, BOTH OF THOSE THINGS ARE
DEMONSTRABLY UNTRUE.
DEMONSTRABLY UNTRUE. OF COURSE, HE’S FEELING THIS.
THEN, IT ARRIVED IN THE PERSON
OF BARACK OBAMA, PROBABLY THE
MOST ARTICULATE POLITICIAN OF
COLOR ON THE PLANET.
>> JUST STOP IT, MOST ARTICULATE
POLITICIAN.
POLITICIAN. >> YES.
>> YES. BUT HE IS THE MOST ARTICULATE
PERSON OF COLOR.
AND HE HAS BEEN QUIET
THROUGHOUT.
THROUGHOUT. TRUMP ACCUSED HIM OF WIRETAPPING
AND OBAMA COMES UP TO HIS
DOORSTEP AND ESSENTIALLY SAYS TO
HIM, YOU’RE RACIST.
THE LANGUAGE YOU USED PROMPTS
VIOLENCE AND BAD FOR THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. ONE OF THE THINGS WE’RE SEEING
NOT ONLY ABOUT THE SHOOTINGS, A
PERFECT STORM.
PERFECT STORM. WE HAD ALMOST THREE WEEKS NOW OF
TRUMP, HIS RACIST ATTACKS ON THE
SQUAD AND BALTIMORE AND
CUMMINGS.
CUMMINGS. FROM THE MOMENT HE ROLLED DOWN
THE ESCALATOR IN 2015.
IT BROUGHT THIS PRESSURE COOKER
AROUND HIM AND THE OUTRAGE.
>> MESSAGE BACK TO DEMOCRATS,
THIS IS SUCH A MOMENT IN TIME,
WHATEVER NETWORK HAS THE NEXT
DEBATE.
DEBATE. WHOEVER IT IS, EVERY CANDIDATE
ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SINGLE
PAYER INSURANCE AND CLIMATE, SAY
THOSE ARE CRITICAL.
WE WILL FOCUS NOW ON THE SAFETY,
THE CORE SAFETY AND DECENCY OF
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.
OUR SAFETY IS AT RISK WITH
ASSAULT WEAPONS.
ASSAULT WEAPONS. REPUBLICANS WON’T DO ANYTHING
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. THERE IS GOOD AND EVIL AND HATE.
DON’T JUST LEAVE IT AT RACISM,
GOOD AND EVIL.
RACISM IS ONE OF THE PIECES.
DO NOT LET IT GO.
DO NOT LET THE MODERATORS TAKE
OVER.
OVER. IF YOU ARE LEADERS, IT SUCCEEDS
EVERYTHING ELSE.
EVERYTHING ELSE. WE ARE IN A GOOD VERSUS EVIL
MOMENT IN THIS COUNTRY AND ONE
OF THE WARS WE ARE SEEING IT
PLAY OUT, FREE ELECTIONS,
KAMALA, PETE, EVERYBODY, DON’T
LET US NEWS GOOFY PEOPLE GET YOU
OFF TOPIC, TAKE OVER THE
DEBATES, AND GUYS, STAY TOGETHER
ON THIS ONE.
THAT’S WHAT LEADERS DO.
WE NEED YOU NOW.
NOT LIKE POLITICS, WE NEED YOU.
>> IN THAT CONTEXT, WHERE IS THE
GOP?
GOP? THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.
>> WE WON’T WASTE TIME ON THAT.
WE WILL GET THEM OUT OF THE WAY.
CORY BOOKER, MY FRIEND,
ELIZABETH WARREN, I KNOW YOU
HAVE CORE ISSUES AND IT’S STILL
16 MONTHS AWAY, THIS NEXT
DEBATE, TAKE TWO HOURS IN FRONT
OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND