>>> WHEN HURRICANE KATRINA STRUCK THE U.S. IN 25, IT WAS
RANKED AS THE COSTLIEST NATURAL
DISASTER IN U.S. HISTORY.
IN THE WAKE OF THE STORM,
KATRINA CLAIMED MORE THAN 1,800
LIVES AND DESTROYED MORE THAN
800,000 HOUSING UNITS.
A FAMILY LOST THEIR HOME AND
EVERYTHING THEY OWNED WHEN
KATRINA HIT THE GULF COAST AND
DAVID JOINS US NOW.
HE’S DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR
ONE OFMISSISSIPPI’S SENATE SEAT
TRYING TO UNSEAT INCUMBENT ROGER
WICKER.
WICKER. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> HOW IS THE CAMPAIGN GOING SO
FAR?
FAR? >> IT’S GOING VERY WELL.
EVERYWHERE WE GO WE GET A CROWD
LIKE THIS IT’S WONDERFUL.
THERE IS AN ENTHUSIASM GAP WE
HAVE ON OUR SIDE, ON THE
DEMOCRATIC SIDE OF THE AISLE FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN MY ADULT LIFE.
I GET THE KIND OF ENTHUSIASM
EVERYWHERE I GO.
FOLKS ARE READY FOR CHANGE IN
MISSISSIPPI FOR 30 YEARS.
WE GET THE SAME RESULTS.
I THINK MISSISSIPPIANS ARE
FINALLY READY TO TURN THE CORNER
AND MAKE SOME CHANGES.
>> HOW DO YOU NAVIGATE PRESIDENT
TRUMP IF YOUR PAGE?
>> I HEARD SECRETARY ESPEY ON
YOUR SHOW EARLIER.
AS HE SAID, I’M NOT RUNNING
AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP.
I’M RUNG AGAINST SOMEONE WHO
WON’T STEP UP WHEN THEY MAKE BAD
DECISIONS THAT HURT
MISSISSIPPIANS.
MISSISSIPPIANS. >> GIVE US A BAD EXAMPLE THAT
HURTS MISSISSIPPIAN ZPLS THE
TARIFFS ARE BAD FOR SOY BEAN
FARMERS, OUR AUTOMOBILE
INDUSTRY, OUR SHIP BUILDING
INDUSTRY, JACKSON COUNTY WHERE I
CAME FROM AND THE PROFESSOR AS
WELL, IT IS GOING TO HURT US IN
MISSISSIPPI.
MISSISSIPPI. THESE TARIFFS ARE ALREADY
HURTING US.
HURTING US. THAT’S WHY HE’S TRIED TO BAIL
OUT THE FOLKS WHO ARE HURTING
FROM IT.
FROM IT. >> DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE
GETTING MUCH SUPPORT FROM THE
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE?
>> WELL, THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL
COMMITTEE PUTS ITS MONEY INTO
THE STATE PARTIES.
WE’RE GIVEN SUPPORT FROM THE
STATE PARTIES TO HELP FIELD
PERSONNEL AND HELP THESE VOTES
GET ENERGIZED AND OUT TO VOTE.
THAT’S THE KEY.
WE NEED TO HAVE A GREAT TURNOUT
IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
WE HOPE WE WILL GET THAT BECAUSE
OF THIS TYPE OF ENTHUSIASM YOU
SEE RIGHT HERE.
>> TWA ARE SOME OF THE
CHALLENGES YOUR CAMPAIGN FACES
AND DOES IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO
WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP?
ARE THERE PARTS OF PRESIDENT
TRUMP’S MESSAGE AND THE WAY HE
LEADS THAT RESONATE WITH THE
PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI?
>> WELL, CERTAINLY THERE ARE.
YOU HEARD SENIOR CHRIS McDANIEL
TALK ABOUT THE WALL.
WHICH IS A VERY 15th CENTURY
IDEA I THINK.
I WANT TO ASK, DOES THAT COME
WITH A MOAT OR DOES THAT COST
EXTRA?
EXTRA? WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SECURE
OUR BORDER WITHOUT BUILDING A
WALL THAT COSTS $30 BILLION.
WE HAVE A COMBINATION OF
ELECTRONIC SECURITY, FENCES,
SOME WALLS, AND THEN, OF COURSE,
ARMED SECURITY ON THE BORDER.
WE DON’T NEED TO DO THAT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK IT’S A
GREAT IDEA BECAUSE IT SOUNDS
GOOD.
GOOD. WHEN YOU DIG IN, TALK TO THESE
FOLKS BEHIND US WHAT WE WOULD
NOT BE ABLE TO FUND IF WE PUT
$30 BILLION INTO A WALL, THEN
THEY START TO THINK ABOUT THAT
DECISION AND RETHINK IT.
>> PROFESSOR.
>> PROFESSOR. >> SO, FIRST OF ALL GIVE A SHOUT
OUT TO JACKSON COUNTY.
I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH HIS
SISTER.
SISTER. >> OH.
>> OH. >> ELISE AND I WENT TO SCHOOL
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. THE SOUTH IS CHANGING.
THAT’S WHAT WE WANT.
DEMOGRAPHICALLY IT’S CHANGING,
THERE ARE ALWAYS ASSUMPTIONS
ABOUT WHAT WE STAND FOR, WHAT
ALABAMA, GEORGIA, FLORIDA.
IS MISSISSIPPI READY FOR SOMEONE
LIKE YOU?
LIKE YOU? >> I THINK MISSISSIPPI IS READY
FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME.
I CAN TELL YOU, YOU ALL KNOW MY
STORY THE HURRICANE PROMPTED MY
ENTRY INTO POLITICS.
A YEAR A MONTH AFTER HURRICANE
KATRINA AND WHERE WE LOST
EVERYTHING, WE LOST OUR OLDEST
CHILD.
CHILD. WHEN YOU HAVE A DOUBLE WHAMMY
LIKE THAT, IT KNOCKS YOU TO THE
GROUND.
GROUND. WHEN MY WIFE AND I PICKED
OURSELVES UP, WE DECIDED WE WANT
TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND
TURN OUTWARD AND HELP OUR FELLOW
MISSISSIPPIANS, SO EVERY DAY IF
POLITICS, I HAVE GOTTEN UP,
SAID, BE YOURSELF, BE WHO YOU
ARE.
ARE. DON’T TRY TO SELL OUT FOR VOTES
OR FOR MONEY OR FOR ANYTHING
ELSE.
ELSE. I’VE DONE THAT PEOPLE HAVE
RESPONDED VERY WELL.
THAT’S WHY I HAVE BEEN ELECTED
THREE TIMES IN A DISTRICT THAT
VOTES FIVE% REPUBLICANS VOTES
FOR OUR GOVERNOR, 75%, VOTES FOR
DONALD TRUMP 75%.
PEOPLE RESPOND TO AUTHENTICITY
AND THE ISSUES THAT I TALK ABOUT
RESONATE WITH MOST
MISSISSIPPIAN, NOT ALL.
THERE IS A 30%, 35% OUT THERE
THAT’S GOING TO STICK WITH OUR
PRESIDENT NO MATTER WHAT HE
DOES, BUT OUR ISSUES AND OUR
MESSAGE IS RESONATING WITH A LOT
OF MISSISSIPPIANS.
OF MISSISSIPPIANS. WE HAVE AN INTERNET AD UP RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. I THINK WE HAVE OVER 50,000
VIEWS IN SOMETHING LIKE A WEEK,
WHICH IN MISSISSIPPI, IT’S HUGE.
IT MIGHT NOT BE HUGE IN NEW
YORK, IT’S HUGE IN MISSISSIPPI.
>> WE HEARD A BUNCH OF DEMOCRATS
TOOK LOOK AT ALABAMA IN THE RACE
LAST FALL AS AN EXAM OF WHAT A
DEMOCRAT CAN DO IN THE SOUTH IF
DOUG JONES.
DOUG JONES. WASN’T THAT A CASE OF DOUG JONES
RUNNING AGAINST ONE OF THE WORST
CANDIDATES IN THE HISTORY OF
POLITICS AND CATCHING A BREAK
THAT WAY OR DO YOU THINK THERE
IS SOMETHING TRANSFERRABLE AND
HAPPENING IN THE SOUTH RIGHT NOW
IN.
IN. >> I THINK IT’S BOTH.
JUDGE MOORE WAS AN AWFUL
CANDIDATE.
CANDIDATE. NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN ALABAMA IS
HAPPENING IN MISSISSIPPI, THAT
IS SOMEONE MENTIONED LA TASHA
BROWN EARLIER AND THE
ORGANIZATION OF PLAQUE WOMEN IN
ALABAMA.
ALABAMA. THAT’S GOING ON IN MISSISSIPPI,
IN ADDITION TO THAT THE NAACP IS
IN OUR STATE WORKING HAROLD TO
REGISTER AND ENERGIZE THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTER BASE.
THERE ARE OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE
WORKING, INCLUDING THE DNC,
PUTTING.INTO MISSISSIPPI FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME SO WE
CAN HIRE FIELD PERSONNEL AND DO
THAT WORK.
THAT WORK. THEN MY CAMPAIGN HAS DONE THAT
WORK.
WORK. I HAVE BEEN ENDORSED BY THE
LEGISLATIVE PLAQUE CAUCUS.
I SERVE IN MISSISSIPPI
LEGISLATURE.
LEGISLATURE. I HAVE 42 OF MY ENDORSEMENTS OF
MY COLLEAGUES.
MY COLLEAGUES. I’M THE ELECTED MINORITY LEADER.
ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES DIDN’T JUST
LENDS ME TEAR NAMES.
THEY WENT BACK INTO THEIR
DISTRICTS.
DISTRICTS. THEY WORKED TO TURN OUT THE
VOTED FOR ME IN THE PRIMARY AND
THE RUNOFF, WHICH I WON BY 18
POINTS.
POINTS. WE BUILT A NETWORK TO GO OUT
INTO THEIR AREAS AND ENERGIZE
PEOPLE AND GET THEM TO THE POLLS
IN NOVEMBER.
IN NOVEMBER. WE FEEL IT OAK THE POLLS MAY NOT
REFLECT.
REFLECT. THAT SPEAKING OF POLLS, MY
OPPONENT HASN’T GOTTEN ABOVE 24
50%.
50%. IF YOU HAVE BEEN THERE FOR 40
YEARS AND CAN’T GET THERE.
>> ARE YOU GOING TO ASK FOR A
DEBATE WITH ROBERTING WITH FER.
>> I HAVE ASKED FOR ONE THE MISS
MISS BAR ASSOCIATION, CRICKETS
FROM ROGER WICKER.
I ASK HIM AGAIN TODAY, LET’S
DEBATING ROGER, LET’S TALK ABOUT
THE IMPORTANT ISSUES.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND UP NEXT, JUST AS RESIDENTS
UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST HAVE
DONE FOR DAYS AHEAD OF
FLORENCE’S ARRIVAL THE COLLEGE
FOOTBALL WORLD HAS TAKEN
PRECAUTIONS HEADED INTO THIS
WEEKEND, WHILE ALSO DOING TEAR
PART TO PITCH IN AND HELP