>>> I HAVE A 6 AND 3-YEAR-OLD BOY.
BOY. I WAS IMAGINING -- I WAS
IMAGINING IT WAS ONE OF THEM
THAT GOT SHOT AND THE OTHER SAW
IT.
IT. I’M SO SORRY.
>> THAT WAS ANDREW YANG
OVERWHELMED WITH EMOTION WHILE
HEARING ONE VICTIM’S PERSONAL
STORY OF BEING IMPACTED BY GUN
VIOLENCE AND THE DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE JOINING
US NOW.
US NOW. ANDREW, OBVIOUSLY A VERY MOVING
MOMENT FOR YOU.
TALK ABOUT BEING OUT ON THE
CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND GETTING TO
MEET SO MANY PEOPLE WHO WERE
HAVING SO MANY CHALLENGES AND
OBVIOUSLY THAT THE GREATEST OF
THEM ALL.
THEM ALL. TALK ABOUT HOW THAT’S CHANGED
YOU AND HOW IT’S IMPACTING YOU
IN THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
>> WELL, THAT MOMENT WAS JUST A
VERY HUMAN MOMENT AS A PARENT
LISTENING TO THIS MOTHER’S STORY
ABOUT HOW ONE OF HER CHILDREN
WAS SHOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER
AND JUST THINKING ABOUT WHAT
THAT WOULD MEAN FOR THE FAMILY
AND THAT FOOTAGE IS ONLY TWO
DAYS OLD.
DAYS OLD. SO THAT MOMENT IS STILL FRESH.
I WAS JUST WITH MY KIDS AND I
HUGGED THEM A LITTLE EXTRA TIGHT
YESTERDAY.
YESTERDAY. JUST -- IT’S JUST A HUMAN
RESPONSE AND THIS SORT OF
PHENOMENON CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO
BE POSSIBLE IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. SO HOW HAS THIS CAMPAIGN --
MOMENTS LIKE THAT TALKING TO
OTHER AMERICANS WHO WERE
STRUGGLING TO GET BY EVERY DAY,
TO -- IF THEY HAVE A SMALL
BUSINESS TO MAKE PAYROLL EVERY
TWO WEEKS, IF THEY HAVE GOT KIDS
THAT THEY WANT TO GET TO COLLEGE
BUT THEY CAN’T AFFORD THAT OR IF
THEY’RE YOUNG KIDS -- YOUNG
STUDENTS THAT ARE WORRIED ABOUT
PAYING OFF THEIR DEBT, HOW HAS
THAT IMPACTED YOU AS A PERSON
AND AS A CANDIDATE?
>> WELL, IT’S AN INCREDIBLE
JOURNEY RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT
BECAUSE YOU MEET THOUSANDS OF
AMERICANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND
ALL SORTS OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND MANY OF THEM BRING TO YOU
THEIR STORIES OF LOSS, THEIR
STORIES OF STRUGGLE AND IF
YOU’RE ANY KIND OF -- FRANKLY
ANY KIND OF DECENT HUMAN BEING
YOU CAN’T HELP BUT GROW THROUGH
THAT PROCESS.
THAT PROCESS. I KNEW THERE WERE DEEP PROBLEMS
IN OUR COUNTRY, BUT THE DEEPER
YOU GO UNFORTUNATELY THE MORE
SERIOUS THE PROBLEMS BECOME.
WE HAVE TO START TO FOCUS ON
SOLUTIONS AND HOW TO IMPROVE THE
LIVES OF SO MANY AMERICANS.
>> IT WAS INTERESTING ON THE
SMALL LEVEL WHEN I KNOCKED ON
DOORS RUNNING FOR CONGRESS YEARS
AND YEARS AGO IT DIDN’T TAKE
KNOCKING ON TOO MANY DOORS TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT ISSUES WERE THE
MOST IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE AFTER
FOUR OR FIVE DOORS AND FOUR OR
FIVE -- FOUR OF THE FIVE PEOPLE
SAYING THE SAME THING.
I KNEW PRETTY QUICKLY, I DIDN’T
NEED TO TAKE A POLL TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT MATTERED TO WORKING
CLASS AMERICANS.
CLASS AMERICANS. WHAT IS THAT ONE ISSUE THAT YOU
KEEP HEARING COMING UP WHEN
YOU’RE MEETING VOTERS?
WHEN YOU’RE MEETING AMERICAN
CITIZENS, WHAT IS THE TOP ISSUE
ON THEIR MIND IN THE SUMMER OF
2019?
2019? >> WELL, I THINK THE ISSUE ON
THEIR MINDS IS WHY DOES IT FEEL
LIKE THEIR WORKING HARDER AND
HARDER AND THEY’RE NEVER GETTING
AHEAD.
AHEAD. WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE THE FUTURE
THEY’RE GIVING TO THEIR KIDS IS
NOT AS BRIGHT AS THE FUTURE THEY
HAD EXPERIENCED WHEN THEY WERE
GROWING UP IN THIS COUNTRY.
THAT TO ME IS A CENTRAL ISSUE
THAT GOT DONALD TRUMP ELECTED
AND IT’S STILL WITH US.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE NEED TO START
GETTING INTO THE ROOTS OF THESE
PROBLEMS BECAUSE EVEN IF THE
DEMOCRATS SUCCESSFULLY DEFEAT
DONALD TRUMP IN 2020 WHICH WE’RE
GOING TO DO, THE PROBLEMS WILL
STILL BE WITH US.
WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON THE
SOLUTIONS THAT WE’RE GOING TO
IMPROVE THE PEOPLE’S LIVES ON
THE GROUND, BECAUSE THEY DON’T
FEEL LIKE THEIR WORK IS GETTING
THEM WHERE THEY WANT TO GO.
>> JEFFREY GREENFIELD IS WITH
US.
US. AND HE HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU.
JEFFREY?
JEFFREY? >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. SO YOU WERE -- ANYONE WHO SAW
WHAT YOU SAW AND HEARD WHAT YOU
HEARD WOULD BE AFFECTED AND YOU
HAVE SEEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN
WHEN IT’S PERSONAL, THERE’S A
MASSIVE RESPONSE.
MASSIVE RESPONSE. BUT THE CONDITIONS THAT YOU
DESCRIBE IT SEEMS TO ME ARE A
RESULT OF MANY, MANY YEARS OF
MACRO POLICIES.
MACRO POLICIES. RANGING FROM THE UNIONS TO THE
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES YOU HAVE
BEEN A BIG PART.
SO WHEN YOU MOVE FROM THE
DRAMATIC MOMENTS TO PUBLIC
POLICY IT SEEMS THAT BOTH
PARTIES BEAR A HUGE
RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE IT’S
HAPPENED UNDER BOTH PARTIES AND
IT’S EASIER TO SAY FOCUS ON THE
MACRO CHANGES THAN THINK OF WHAT
HAPPENED TO THAT POOR YOUNG
GIRL.
GIRL. >> THERE ARE SOLUTIONS THAT ARE
MACRO AND, YOU KNOW, I AGREE
WITH YOU COMPLETELY.
BOTH PARTIES SHARE
RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT THE
ISSUES HAVE BEEN DECADES IN THE
MAKING.
MAKING. I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SHARE
OF WEALTH AND INCOME THAT’S
ACCRUED TO THE TOP OF OUR
SOCIETY AND IT’S GONE ON THROUGH
THE DEMOCRATIC AND THE
REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATIONS AND
AMERICANS DO MISTRUST NOW THAT
THE SYSTEM IS WORKING FOR THEM.
THAT’S VERY, VERY HARD TO GET
BACK.
BACK. LIKE YOU CAN’T MAGICALLY
RECONSTITUTE TRUST.
RECONSTITUTE TRUST. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A MASSIVE
SET OF CHALLENGES FOR US FOR
YEARS TO COME REGARDLESS OF
WHO’S IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> SO YOU SPOKE OBVIOUSLY VERY
EMOTIONALLY ABOUT THE AFTERMATH
OF GUN VIOLENCE.
WHAT ARE SOME POLICIES YOU WANT
TO SEE?
TO SEE? I WANT TO -- TO CONTROL GUNS AN
I WANT TO ZERO IN ON ONE IN
PARTICULAR.
PARTICULAR. YOU WANT TO UPGRADE TO HAVE GUN
OWNERS PERSONALIZE THEIR
WEAPONS.
WEAPONS. EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS AND HOW
POSSIBLY YOU’LL GET IT DONE AND
PAY FOR IT.
>> I’M IN LINE WITH DEMOCRATS IN
TERMS OF THE BIG LEGISLATIVE
GOALS.
GOALS. WE NEED TO HAVE UNIVERSAL
BACKGROUND CHECKS AND BAN
AUTOMATIC WEAPONS BUT THE
REALITY IS WE HAVE OVER 300
MILLION FIREARMS IN THIS
COUNTRY, ONE FOR EVERY MAN,
WOMAN AND CHILD AND IF WE PASS A
LAW THE GUNS ARE STILL OUT
THERE.
THERE. WE SHOULD HAVE A PERPETUAL BUY
BACK THAT ANYONE WHO WANTS TO
SELL THEIR GUN GETS THE MONEY
AND YOU CAN START REDUCING
SUPPLY BUT THE OTHER THING YOU
CAN DO IN THIS PERSONALIZATION
OF GUNS YOU CAN MAKE A GRIP
THAT’S ESSENTIALLY KNOWS IT’S
THE OWNER, BASED ON THE SIZE OF
THE HAND, THE PRESSURE, IT’S NOT
A FINGERPRINT THING, BUT THE
DIMENSIONS OF YOUR HAND.
THEN IF SOMEONE TRIES TO FIRE
THAT GUN THEN IT DOESN’T WORK.
THIS SOUNDS VERY JAMES BONDISH,
BUT THE TECHNOLOGY IS VERY MUCH
AVAILABLE IT’S JUST THE GUN
MANUFACTURERS HAVEN’T FELT LIKE
IT WAS GOOD FOR THEIR BUSINESSES
TO HAVE THIS.
>> WOULD IT BE REQUIRED TO DO
THAT?
THAT? WOULD GUN OWNERS HAVE TO SUBMIT
THEIR GUNS FOR THAT
PERSONALIZATION?
PERSONALIZATION? >> NO, IT WOULD BE OPTIONAL, BUT
A LOT OF GUN OWNERS WOULD LOVE
THAT.
THAT. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE CHILDREN
AND THEY KNOW IF THEIR CHILDREN
GET AHOLD OF THE GUNS IT CAN BE
DISASTROUS.
DISASTROUS. IT CAN BE MUCH SAFER.
>> YOU KNOW, MIKE BARNICLE, FOR
STATISTICS ONLY 3 OR 4% OF THE
CRIMES THAT ARE COMMITTED ARE
ACTUALLY COMMITTED WITH PEOPLE
WHO PURCHASED THE GUN USED IN
THAT CRIME.
THAT CRIME. AND IT’S SO FASCINATING THAT
HERE WE ARE IN 2019 TALKING
ABOUT HOW YOU’VE GOT A PRESIDENT
AND A MAJORITY LEADER WHO WON’T
DO WHAT -- HAVEN’T DONE WHAT 90%
OF AMERICANS WANTED TO DO ON
BACKGROUND CHECKS.
BACKGROUND CHECKS. GO BACK 19 YEARS.
GEORGE W. BUSH CONSIDERED TO BE
A PRETTY CONSERVATIVE GUY, A
POPULAR REPUBLICAN, HE SUPPORTED
THAT FINGER PRINT TECHNOLOGY IN
2000.
2000. HE SUPPORTED EXPANDED BACK
GROUND CHECKS.
GROUND CHECKS. HE SUPPORTED A BAN ON MILITARY
STYLE SEMIAUTOMATIC, ASSAULT
STYLE WEAPONS.
STYLE WEAPONS. YOU LOOK AT WHAT THREE LOBBYISTS
IN WASHINGTON, D.C. WORKING FOR
GUN MAKERS AND HEDGE FUND OWNERS
WHO OWN THE GUN COMPANIES HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO DO TO TWIST AND
DISTORT THE DEBATE.
THEY HAVE TAKEN IT IN A
DIRECTION THAT HAS OBVIOUSLY
BEEN TO THE BENEFIT OF A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO WALK IN,
BUY THE DEADLIEST WEAPON THEY
COULD BUY AND KILL AS MANY
PEOPLE AS THEY COULD.
>> SURE, JOE.
WE’LL BE TALKING ABOUT THIS
ISSUE FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND THE
SENATE AND HOUSE WOULDN’T BE
BACK UNTIL AFTER LABOR DAY AND
THEN THERE WILL BE AN ENTIRELY
NEW ISSUE ON THE TABLE AND THIS
WILL RECEDED TO THE BACK BURNER
THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONE FOR 50,
60, 70 YEARS.
ANDREW, I HAVE A STORY AND A
QUESTION FOR YOU AND THE STORY
IS OLD.
IS OLD. PROBABLY 30 YEARS AGO THIS
SUMMER IN A HOT SATURDAY NIGHT
IN THE ROXBURY SECTION OF
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A
7-YEAR-OLD BOY IS SHOT ON THE
STOOP OF HIS HOME.
THE HOMICIDE DETECTIVE SERGEANT
IN THAT CASE I REMEMBER IT
CLEARLY BECAUSE IT WAS SO VIVID
TO ME, HIS NAME WAS HERBY
SPELLMAN, WHEN THIS HAPPENS,
PEOPLE SAY THE KID WAS IN THE
WRONG PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.
HE WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE
WRONG TIME.
WRONG TIME. THIS HAPPENS IN EVERY BIG CITY
IN AMERICA AND OFTEN THE VICTIM
IS A YOUNG KID.
THE STORIES APPEAR IN AGATE TYPE
IN THE NEWSPAPERS, THE PEOPLE
DON’T READ ABOUT THEM.
THEY’RE OFTEN ALMOST ALWAYS
MEMBERS OF A MINORITY.
WE DON’T UNDERSTAND IT.
WE DON’T HEAR ABOUT IT.
WE DON’T READ ABOUT IT.
WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THE
CULTURE OF HOMICIDE IN THIS
COUNTRY, WHEN WE DON’T NOTICE
THINGS UNLESS IT’S CHILDREN
BEING SHOT IN SCHOOLS OF
CONNECTICUT OR EL PASO, PEOPLE
BEING SHOT SIMPLY BECAUSE
THEY’RE MEXICAN.
THEY’RE MEXICAN. BUT THERE’S A CULTURE IN THIS
COUNTRY WHERE WE DON’T
UNDERSTAND COMPREHENSIVE -- THE
VICIOUSNESS OF WHAT’S GOING ON.
>> I WAS JUST WITH A GUN
ACTIVIST IN BALTIMORE ANTONIO
MOORE AND HE SAID IN BALTIMORE
OFTEN THE SHOOTER IS A VICTIM
TOO.
TOO. THAT’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SO
MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES WHERE
THE COMMUNITIES HAVE LOST THEIR
WAY FORWARD AND SO MANY YOUNG
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FALLING INTO
THE CULTURE OF GUN VIOLENCE THAT
AFFECTS KIDS SITTING ON THEIR
STOOP.
STOOP. IT’S UNACCEPTABLE.
IT’S UNACCEPTABLE. WE HAVE TO GO IN AND BUILD THE
COMMUNITIES FROM THE GROUND UP.
WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO, BUT
WE HAVE TO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO
PUT IT TO WORK.
>> ANDREW YANG, THANK YOU FOR
COMING ON THE SHOW.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON
THE SHOW, ANDREW, AND WE HOPE
YOU’LL COME BACK SOME TIME VERY
SOON.
SOON. >> THANK YOU.
>>> COMING UP BETO O’ROURKE
CONTINUES TO HAMMER THE