>>> THEY’RE ON A PLANE.
>> WHERE IS --
>> I’LL TELL YOU SOME TIME BUT
IT’S UNDER INVESTIGATION RIGHT
NOW.
BUT THEY CAME FROM A CERTAIN
CITY AND THIS PERSON WAS COMING
TO THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL
CONVENTION.
>> THIS WAS A FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT
OF A PLANE GOING FROM WASHINGTON
TO WHEREVER AND I’LL SEE IF I
CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR
YOU.
>> THE FOLKS AT THE RECOUNTED
SHOWING HOW IN HIS TWO TELLINGS
OF A CONSPIRACY THEORY ABOUT
SOME KIND OF ANTIFA PLANE,
THESNAGS CITY HAD CHANGED IN A
MATTER OF HOURS.
THE BASELESS STORY MATCHES A
RUMOR THAT WENT AROUND FACEBOOK
THREE MONTHS AGO.
>> FACEBOOK SPREADING LIES
AGAIN.
>> WE NEED TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF
COVERAGE IN THE COMING WEEKS,
JOE, ON THE FACEBOOK, ESPECIALLY
GIVEN THAT TED TALK WE WATCHED.
THAT WAS INCREDIBLE.
LET’S BRING IN WHITE HOUSE
CORRESPONDENT FOR REUTERS, JEFF
MASON, WHO WAS ON THE
PRESIDENT’S TRIP TO KENOSHA,
WISCONSIN, YESTERDAY.
ALSO WITH US, PULITZER PRIZE
WINNING REPORTER COVERING RACIAL
INJUSTICE FOR "THE NEW YORK
TIMES," NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES.
>> THANK YOU FOR BE WITH US.
JEFF MASON, THE PRESIDENT
TROTTING OUT CONSPIRACY
THEORIES, NINJAS WEARING BLACK
FILLING UP AIRPLANES OR WHATEVER
HE SAYS, I’LL GET THOSE NAMES
FOR YOU.
>> LATER. >> TROTTING OUT CONSPIRACY
>> TROTTING OUT CONSPIRACY
THEORIES THAT LAURAWYER LAURA IN
WAS CORRECTING HIM.
DOESN’T IT SEEM LIKE WE’RE
SEEING AN ACCELERATION OF
CONSPIRACY THEORIES OF LATE?
>> PEOPLE ASK ME THINGS LIKE
THAT, IS THIS GETTING WORSE OR
IS HIS MENTAL STATE CHANGING?
I’M ALWAYS RELUCTANT TO SAY YES
BECAUSE WE JUST HAVE SEEN THIS
UP AND DOWN OVER THE 3 1/2 YEARS
OF HIS PRESIDENCY.
BUT WE DID ASK HIM ABOUT THAT
YESTERDAY.
I ASKED HIM THAT FOLLOW-UP YOU
JUST PLAYED ON THE TARMAC OF
ANDREWS.
HIS ANSWER WAS, AS YOUR VIEWERS
JUST SAW, THAT IT HAD TO DO WITH
ONE, IN PARTICULAR, PERSON, AND
MAYBE HE WOULD GET THAT PERSON
IN TOUCH WITH ME AND THE REST OF
THE POOL.
WE CERTAINLY HAVEN’T HEARD BACK
ABOUT THAT.
ALSO YESTERDAY WHEN I ASKED THE
WHITE HOUSE ABOUT THIS, THEY
WEREN’T ABLE TO PINPOINT A
SPECIFIC FLIGHT.
THEY WEREN’T ABLE TO GIVE ANY
DETAILS ABOUT WHAT THE THREAT
WAS.
IF, IN FACT, IT HAD BEEN A
SERIOUS THREAT, IT WOULD HAVE
BEEN A MAJOR THING FOR THE
COUNTRY THAT THE WHITE HOUSE
WOULD HAVE NEEDED TO COMMENT ON.
>> YEAH.
THEY DIDN’T DO THAT BECAUSE
CHANCES ARE VERY GOOD IT NEVER
HAPPENED.
JEFF, LET’S TALK ABOUT -- I WANT
TO MAKE SURE I’VE GOT THIS
RIGHT.
IT SEEMED TO ME YESTERDAY AND
OVER THE PAST WEEK, THE
PRESIDENT HAS STEADFASTLY
REFUSED TO CRITICIZE THE ACTIONS
OF A 17-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO WENT
OVER STATE LINES WITH AN AR-15
THAT HE WAS ILLEGALLY CARRYING
AROUND, KILLED TWO PEOPLE, AND
THE PRESIDENT HAS NOT CRITICIZED
HIM AND MANY OF HIS SUPPORTERS
IN THE MEDIA HAVE ACTUALLY
PRAISED KYLE RITTENHOUSE.
DID YOU HEAR THE PRESIDENT DO
ANYTHING TO CONDEMN MR.
MR. RITTENHOUSE OR OTHER
SUPPORTERS OF HIS AND THEIR
VIOLENCE, BE IT IN KENOSHA OR IN
PORTLAND?
>> NO.
QUITE THE OPPOSITE.
HE SPENT THE LAST FEW DAYS
DEFENDING RITTE INNHOUSE, SAYING
WAS VIOLENTLY ATTACKED, BUT HE’S
NOT OFFERING THE SAME LEVEL OF
SUPPORT FOR JACOB BLAKE.
DURING HIS TRIP TO KENOSHA
YESTERDAY, DID NOT MEET WITH
JACOB BLAKE’S FAMILY.
HE DID MEET WITH THE PASTOR OF
JACOB BLAKE’S MOTHER.
IT WAS STRIKING, JOE, YESTERDAY
AT THAT ROUNDTABLE THAT HE HELD
WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND WITH
BUSINESS LEADERS FROM THE
COMMUNITY, THAT THE TWO PEOPLE
AT THAT TABLE WHO WERE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN WERE PASTORS AT
THE CHURCH THAT JACOB BLAKE’S
MOTHER ATTENDS, BUT THEY WERE
NOT INVITED TO TALK ABOUT SOME
OF THE RACIAL ISSUES THAT THE
PRESS CORPS WAS ASKING AND THE
PRESIDENT, WHEN ASKED ABOUT VERY
DIRECTLY WHETHER HE BELIEVED IN
SYSTEMIC RACISM BEING A PROBLEM
IN THE COUNTRY, TURNED IT BACK
TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND DID NOT
REALLY LET THE PASTORS SPEAK,
WHO HE HAD ACTUALLY DIRECTED
THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION TO.
I THOUGHT IT WAS ALSO STRIKING
THAT THE FEMALE PASTOR SAID --
MRS. WARD SAID, SHE WAS THERE
YESTERDAY BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT IT
WAS IMPORTANT THAT BLACK PEOPLE
BE AT THE TABLE.
AND THEY WERE THE ONLY TWO.
>> YEAH.
NIKOLE, ALSO STRIKING, IF WE DO
WANT TO MAKE A LIST OF ALL OF
THE THINGS THAT WERE STRIKING
YESTERDAY, WE NEED TO ADD TO
THAT LIST THAT WHILE JOE BIDEN,
WHO’S CONDEMNING VIOLENCE ON
BOTH SIDES, DONALD TRUMP, WHO’S
CLAIMING TO BE THE LAW AND ORDER
PRESIDENT, STEADFASTLY REFUSING
TO CONDEMN VIOLENCE THAT COMES
FROM HIS OWN SUPPORTERS.
>> YES, THAT MESSAGE HERE IS
VERY CLEAR.
AND ALSO VERY DISHEARTENING FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE MARCHING IN THE
STREETS, WHO ARE TRYING TO
SIMPLY ARGUE AGAINST POLICE
BRUTALITY AND WHO ARE DEMANDING
SOME CONSEQUENCE WHEN THEY FACE
POLICE BRUTALITY.
SO, TO SEE A DEFENSE OF A YOUNG
MAN WHO BROKE THE LAW, WHO
CARRIED AN ASSAULT RIFLE ACROSS
STATE LINES, WHO WAS ALSO OUT
AFTER CURFEW, AND NO ACTUAL TRUE
EMPATHY FOR JACOB BLAKE, WHO WAS
SHOT IN THE BACK SEVEN TIMES BY
AN ARMED AGENT OF THE STATE.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ON
THE SHOW, IN FACT, TRUMP
ACTUALLY COMPARED THIS ARMED
AGENT WHO IS HIGHLY TRAINED, WHO
SHOT JACOB BLAKE IN THE BACK
WITH SOMEONE CHOKING IN A GOLF
TOURNAMENT.
I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW DEEPLY
PAINFUL IS THAT IS TO PROTESTERS
OF ALL RACES, WHO ARE OUT THERE
MARCHING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND THE INABILITY FOR THIS
PRESIDENT TO GIVE ANY EMPATHY TO
THE FACT THAT THERE IS A
SYSTEMIC PROBLEM.
I MEAN, THERE’S RESEARCH.
HIS OWN FBI PUT OUT RESEARCH
SAYING THAT WHITE SUPREMACISTS
HAVE INFILTRATED LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
WE KNOW THERE’S A VERY LONG
HISTORY OF RACIALIZED POLICING.
THAT IS WHY PEOPLE ARE IN THE
STREETS RIGHT NOW.
AND AS BIDEN DID, ONE CAN SAY
THAT YOU SHOULD NOT BE
DESTROYING PROPERTY AND ALSO SAY
THAT YOU SHOULD NOT -- YOU
SHOULD NOT HAVE TO HAVE THE TYPE
OF VIOLENCE THAT BLACK
COMMUNITIES ARE FACING THAT’S
LEADING PEOPLE TO BE IN THE
STREETS RIGHT NOW.
YOU CAN CONDEMN BOTH OF THESE
THINGS.
IT’S A CHOICE NOT TO DO SO.
>> YEAH, YOU CAN -- TWO THINGS
CAN BE TRUE AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT, AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT THINGS
THAT WERE STRIKING YESTERDAY,
THE PRESIDENT REFUSED TO ADMIT
THAT THERE IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM
WHEN IT COMES TO RACE, WHILE JOE
BIDEN IS ABLE TO SAY THERE IS.
BUT HE UNDERSTANDS THAT THE
MAJORITY OF POLICE OFFICERS,
WHEN THEY PUT ON THAT BADGE ARE
RISKING THEIR LIVES AND DOING
THE BEST THAT THEY CAN.
BUT, NIKOLE, HOW -- IS THERE --
OBVIOUSLY, THE PICTURE -- THE
IMAGES OF A BLACK MAN GETTING
SHOT SEVEN TIMES IN THE BACK,
THOSE ACTIONS, OBVIOUSLY SUGGEST
THERE’S A SERIOUS PROBLEM.
BUT ALSO HOW ABOUT THE ACT OF
OMISSION BY THOSE POLICE
OFFICERS, WHO HAD PEOPLE
SCREAMING, HE SHOT -- HE JUST
SHOT PEOPLE.
HE JUST SHOT PEOPLE.
AND A WHITE BOY WITH AN AR-15
AROUND HIS NECK WITH HIS HANDS
IN THE AIR APPROACHES POLICE
OFFICERS AND THEY JUST DRIVE
PAST HIM AND THEY JUST LET HIM
GO, EVEN THOUGH EVERYBODY’S
SCREAMING AT THE COPS, HE JUST
SHOT TWO PEOPLE.
>> I THINK THAT’S PROBABLY ONE
OF THE MOST GLARING EXAMPLES.
BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE SEE THESE
VIDEOS COMING FROM DIFFERENT
PLACES WHERE A WHITE PERSON WHO
IS RESISTING ARREST OR BEING
DISRESPECTFUL TO LAW ENFORCEMENT
IS TREATED VERY DIFFERENTLY THAN
A BLACK PERSON.
BUT THIS WAS IN THE SAME CITY,
THE SAME POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND
A POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT WAS
GUARDING AND PATROLLING BECAUSE
OF PROTESTS AGAINST BRUTALITY
COMPLAINTS AGAINST ITS OWN
OFFICER.
TO SEE THE POLICE WHEN THEY PASS
RITTENHOUSE WERE ACTUALLY
RESPONDING TO GUNSHOTS SO THEY
KNOW SOMEONE HAS BEEN SHOT AND
THEY GO RIGHT PAST THIS YOUNG
WHITE MAN WHO WAS CARRYING AN
ASSAULT RIFLE.
>> UNBELIEVABLE.
>> YOU CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE IN
YOUR HEAD THIS HAPPENING IF THAT
YOUNG MAN WERE A BLACK MAN.
AND THIS IS HAPPENING AFTER
MONTHS AND MONTHS OF SUSTAINED
PROTEST AGAINST POLICE POLICE
BRUTALITY.
ALL THIS COULD HAPPEN WITH ALL
THE SCRUTINY ON POLICE
DEPARTMENTS, WITH THIS BEING IN
THE DAILY LEXICON I THINK REALLY
SPEAKS TO THE ISSUE.
THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY IS,
YOU KNOW, TRUMP -- THEY SPENT A
LOT OF TIME AT THE REPUBLICAN
NATIONAL CONVENTION TALKING
ABOUT JOE BIDEN AND THE CRIME
BILL AND PAINTING JOE BIDEN AS
SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY HAS
IMPLEMENTED A PROGRAM OF
SYSTEMIC RACISM.
NOW THEY’RE TRYING TO DENY
SYSTEMIC RACISM EXISTS AND PAINT
BIDEN AS SOME ANTI-LAW AND ORDER
RADICAL.
IT JUST DOESN’T JIBE TOGETHER.
>> NO.
>> SO, JEFF MASON, OBVIOUSLY A
GROUP HERE AND A LOT OF THE
PEOPLE WE TALKED TO STUDY
LEADERSHIP ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT
WHAT WAS THE REACTION IN KENOSHA
TO TRUMP’S WORDS, TO THE WAY HE
SPOKE WITH COPS IN THE AREA WITH
THAT ROUNDTABLE?
WAS THERE ANY -- AMONG THE
BUSINESS OWNERS, I KNOW THERE
WAS A BIT OF A BACK STORY AS TO
HOW THEY GOT SOME BUSINESS
OWNERS TO COME FORWARD AND SORT
OF STAND WITH THE PRESIDENT.
>> YEAH, IN TERMS OF THE
REACTION THAT WE SEE, YOU KNOW,
WHEN YOU’RE TRAVELING WITH THE
PRESIDENT, YOU’RE IN A LITTLE
BIT OF A BUBBLE SO YOU SEE THE
PEOPLE WHO THEY BRING.
AND THE PEOPLE WHO CAME
YESTERDAY AND THE BUSINESS THAT
THE PRESIDENT FIRST VISITED ARE
CLEARLY IN PAIN AND HAVE REASON
TO BE.
THEY SUFFERED A LOT.
BUT TO GO BACK TO WHAT WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT EARLIER IN TERMS
OF WHAT WAS STRIKING IS, YOU
KNOW, THERE ARE TWO PIECES OF
THAT STORY AND THERE ARE TWO
SIDES OF THAT COMMUNITY THAT ARE
SUFFERING.
AND THE PRESIDENT’S TRIP WAS
DESIGNED REALLY ONLY TO TO FOCUS
ON THE ONE, AND THAT WAS THE
BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT WAS --
THAT HAS BEEN HURT BY THESE
PROTESTS AND NOT TO OFFER WORDS
OF ENCOURAGEMENT OR EMPATHY TO
THOSE WHO ARE CONCERNED AND HURT
BY RACIAL DIVISIONS.