MARGIN.
AGAIN, MANY VOTES STILL LEFT TO
BE KOUNTDED.
>> WE’RE JOINED BY REVEREND
RAFAEL WARNOCK, THE FIRST BLACK
SENATOR FROM THE STATE.
YOU’RE MAKING HISTORY.
AS MY ENGSI MENTIONED, WHAT DO Y
THINK MADE THE DIFFERENCE AND IS
GEORGIA NOW OFFICIALLY A RED
STATE, EXCUSE ME, A BLUE STATE,
A BLUE STATE.
>> LISTEN, I’M WEARING THIS BLUE
TIE FOR A REASON.
GOOD MORNING, IT’S GREAT TO BE
HERE WITH YOU, AND I CAN’T TELL
YOU HOW HONORED I AM THAT THE
PEOPLE OF MY HOME STATE, WHERE I
WAS BORN AND RAISED AND EDUCATED
AT MOREHOUSE COLLEGE HAVE
DECIDED TO SEND ME TO THE UNITED
STATES SENATE TO REPRESENT THEIR
CONCERNS AT THIS DEFINING MOMENT
IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
IT’S A TIME WHEN PEOPLE ARE
SUFFERING IN SO MANY WAYS AS A
POS TOR
PASTOR, I’M USED TO WALKING
ALONGSIDE PEOPLE AT THEIR HIGH
MOMENTS AND THEIR LOW MOMENTS,
AND IT’S THE HONOR OF MY LIFE
THAT I GET TO REPRESENT THE
PEOPLE OF THIS VERY GREAT STATE
IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
>> YOUR OPPONENT, KELLY LOEFFLER
SPOKE LAST NIGHT, NOTABLY SHE
DID NOT CONCEDE THE RACE.
DO YOU EXPECT A LONG DRAWN OUT
PROCESS OF LEGAL CHALLENGES AS
WE SAW IN NOVEMBER IN GEORGIA?
>> I EXPECT TO SERVE IN JUST A
FEW DAYS IN THE UNITED STATES
SENATE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS QUITE AN
HONOR.
I’M SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN
PUBLIC HOUSING.
I’M ONE OF 12 CHILDREN IN MY
FAMILY.
I’M NUMBER 11 AND THE FIRST
COLLEGE GRADUATE.
I KNOW PERSONALLY THE DIFFERENCE
THAT GOOD FEDERAL PUBLIC POLICY
MAKES.
I WOULDN’T BE SITTING HERE, WERE
IT NOT FOR PELL GRANTS, LOW
INTEREST STUDENT LOANS.
MY PARENTS POURED INTO ME A DEEP
SENSE OF A WORK ETHIC, BUT IT
TOOK GOOD PUBLIC POLICY ALONG
WITH PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO
GET ME HERE AND PROMISES ALIVE
AND WELL.
AFTER ALL, I’M SITTING HERE, BUT
IT’S SLIPPING AWAY FROM TOO MANY
PEOPLE, AND I CAN’T WAIT TO GO
TO THE U.S. SENATE AND BRING THE
INTERESTS OF ORDINARY PEOPLE TO
THAT CONVERSATION.
>> REVEREND, WE GOT TO TALK A
LITTLE MORE POLITICS, FORGIVE
ME, THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION,
BLACK TURNOUT WAS OFF THE
CHARTS, ALSO THE PRESIDENT HAD
SPENT THE LAST SIX WEEKS
DISPARAGING GEORGIA’S ELECTION
SYSTEM, AND FRANKLY MANY
REPUBLICANS IN THE STATE WERE
WORRIED THAT HE WAS DOING DAMAGE
TO REPUBLICAN EFFORTS.
DO YOU THINK THE PRESIDENT
ULTIMATELY HELPED YOU IN THIS
RACE?
>> I THINK THAT DONALD TRUMP DID
WHAT HE’S BEEN DOING.
AND, YOU KNOW, HE’S ON HIS WAY
OUT THE DOOR.
I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE OF
GEORGIA HEARD A VERY CLEAR
CONTRAST.
I TALKED ABOUT HOW I INTEND TO
REPRESENT THEM, AND MY OPPONENT
WAS FOCUSED ON HOW SHE WOULD
REPRESENT HER OWN INTERESTS.
AND I THINK THE FOLKS HEARD THAT
LOUD AND CLEAR.
I MEAN, WE ARE DEALING WITH
FOLKS WHO ARE FACING EVICTION.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR
MONTHS FOR
MONTHS FOR RELIEF, AND THEY SAW
POLITICIANS PLAY THE SAME OLD
GAME LAST WEEK.
WE SHOULD HAVE PASSED THE $2,000
STIMULUS CHECK.
I CAN’T WAIT TO GET TO WORK AND
PUT MY BOOTS ON AND REPRESENT
THE PEOPLE’S CONCERNS IN THE
UNITED STATES SENATE.
>> ON THE SUBSTANCE OF THAT IN
THE FEW MOMENTS WE HAVE LEFT,
WHEN YOU LOOK BROADLY AT THIS
ELECTION, IT WAS DECIDED BY THE
NARROWEST OF MARGINS, IN YOUR
RACE, IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE,
IN THE SWING STATES, THEY WERE
THE TIGHTEST OF MARGINS.
WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU TAKE FROM
THAT?
WE HAVE A VERY DIVIDED COUNTRY.
HOW WILL THAT AFFECT YOU HOW YOU
GOVERN?
>> YEAH, WE’VE GOT TO COME
TOGETHER.
AND I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE
DOING THAT.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN WORKING
FOR YEARS ON A RANGE OF ISSUES
FROM VOTING RIGHTS TO CRIMINAL
JUSTICE REFORM.
I KNOW IS A LIGHTNING ROD ISSUE
FOR A LOT OF FOLKS, AND SO I’M
TRYING TO MAKE HAY OF THAT
DURING THE ELECTION BUT I
BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER ACROSS
RACIAL LINES, RELIGIOUS LINES,
TO WORK ON THESE ISSUES, AND THE
FACT THAT WE’RE FACING A GLOBAL
PANDEMIC, A DEADLY DISEASE
THAT’S TAKEN 350,000 AMERICAN
LIVES, WE’RE DEALING WITH AN
ECONOMIC TURN DOWN, THE LIKES WE
HAVEN’T SEEN SINCE THE GREAT
DEPRESSION.
WE CAN ILL AFFORD TO BE DIVIDED
AND I HOPE TO BE THE PASTOR
AMONG PEERS IN THE UNITED STATES
SENATE TO APPEAL TO THE BETTER
ANGELS OF OUR NATURE AND TO
REMIND US THAT DR. KING WAS