>> CERTAINLY QUITE DIFFERENT FROM GIVE ME YOUR TIRED, YOUR
POOR, YOUR HUDDLED MASSES.
PHIL RUCKER, LET’S TALK A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THIS PIECE THAT YOU
HAVE TO TODAY IN "THE WASHINGTON
POST" WHICH FOCUSES IN ON THIS
LABEL OF RACIST THAT MANY
DEMOCRATS ARE OF COURSE APPLYING
TO THIS PRESIDENT.
YOU WRITE, QUOTE, THAT THE
PRESIDENT IS VEXED BY A BRANDING
CRISIS OF HIS OWN.
HOW TO SHED THIS LABEL OF
RACIST.
RACIST. THE RISK FOR TRUMP IS THE
PEJORATIVE THAT HAS LONG DOGGED
HIM BECOMES DEFINING.
HOW IS IT THAT THE PRESIDENT’S
SURPRISED BY THIS LABEL,
CONSIDERING THE THINGS THAT HE
IS WILLING TO SAY IN PUBLIC?
>> YEAH, THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION.
I’M NOT SURE HE IS SO SURPRISED
BY IT AS MUCH AS HE IS JUST
ANGRY ABOUT IT AND FRUSTRATED
THAT HE IS BEING CALLED A
RACIST.
RACIST. IT’S NOT JUST A POLITICAL LABEL
THAT HIS DEMOCRATIC OPPONENTS
ARE USING.
ARE USING. IT’S ACTUALLY THE TRUTH RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. I MEAN, THE TWEETS THAT HE HAD,
THE ATTACKS HE HAD AGAINST THE
FOUR CONGRESSWOMEN OF COLOR WERE
PLAINLY RACIST AS HAVE A NUMBER
OF COMMENTS THAT HE’S MADE AND
ACTIONS HE’S TAKEN FOR DECADES
NOW IN HIS CAREER AS A REAL
ESTATE MOGUL, AS SORT OF A
CELEBRITY, REALITY TELEVISION
HOST, AND NOW AS A POLITICIAN
AND PRESIDENT.
AND PRESIDENT. SO THE TROUBLE HERE IS THAT THIS
LANGUAGE CONTINUES AND IT
CONTINUES IN SUCH A SORT OF
HEIGHTENED WAY WITH WORLD FOCUS
THAT THIS LABEL BECOMES
DEFINING.
DEFINING. IT BECOMES PART OF WHO HE IS AS
HE SEEKS RE-ELECTION.
AND THAT’S THE CHALLENGE HE AND
HIS ADVISERS ARE GRAPPLING WITH.
>> ON FRIDAY HE TALKED ABOUT HOW
HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS WERE
USING THIS WORD AND TRIED TO
DEFEND HIMSELF.
DEFEND HIMSELF. LET’S TAKE A LOOK.
>> FOR THEM TO THROW OUT THE
RACE WORD AGAIN, RACIST, RACIST,
RACIST, THAT’S ALL THEY USE TO
ANYBODY.
ANYBODY. THEY CALL NANCY PELOSI A RACIST.
SHE’S NOT A RACIST.
THEY CALL ANYBODY A RACIST WHEN
THEY RUN OUT OF CARDS.
I’M WINNING IN THE POLLS.
THEY’RE DESPERATE.
THEY’RE DESPERATE. THEY’VE GOT LOUSY CANDIDATES.
THEY GOT BAD CANDIDATES.
>> PHIL, I SORT OF FEEL THE NEED
TO FACT CHECK THAT A LITTLE BIT.
THIS IS NOT, AS YOU POINT OUT,
THERE ARE VERY SPECIFIC
INSTANCES WE CAN POINT TO WHERE
THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID THINGS
THAT ARE THIS WAY.
>> THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT.
AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK.
THIS IS THE REALITY BECAUSE THIS
IS THE PART OF A STRATEGY THAT
TRUMP HAS HAD TO USE THESE SORT
OF RACIAL DIVISIONS, TO USE EVEN
OVERTLY RACIST LANGUAGE AT SOME
TIMES TO MOBILIZE AND GALVANIZE
HIS WHITE SUPPORTERS TO GET THEM
TO TURN OUT AT THE POLLS.
IT’S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY HE
KEPT HITTING THOSE DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESSWOMEN SO HARD.
IT’S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY HE
ATTACKS THE CITY OF BALTIMORE
OVER SO MANY DAYS AND ITS
CONGRESSMAN ELIJAH CUMMINGS WHO
IS ONE OF THE TOP RANKED BLACK
DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, YOU TALK TO THE
PRESIDENT’S ADVISERS AND THEY
TRY TO MAKE AN ARGUMENT THAT
THIS COULD MAYBE BACK FIRE ON
THE DEMOCRATS AND HELP TRUMP
BECAUSE SOME OF HIS SUPPORTERS
COULD VIEW THE LABEL OF RACIST
AS AN ATTACK AGAINST THEMSELVES
BUT IT’S UNCLEAR HOW THAT MIGHT
WORK EXACTLY.
WORK EXACTLY. WE’VE NOT REALLY HAD IN THE
MODERN TIMES SOMEBODY WHO IS
SORT OF SO IDENTIFIED WITH
RACISM AND AS A RACIST GO ON TO
WIN MAJORITY SUPPORT IN THIS
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. >> CERTAINLY IT’S ALSO STARTING
TO HAVE JEREMY PETERS REAL WORLD
CONSEQUENCES AS YOU POINT OUT IN
A STORY THAT HELPS US EXPLORE
EVEN FURTHER THIS THESIS THAT
ASHLEY AND PHIL HAVE IN "THE
WASHINGTON POST."
WASHINGTON POST." YOU FOUND A REAL CONNECTION
BETWEEN THE WORDS THAT ARE BEING
USED AMONG THE PRESIDENT’S
SUPPORTERS PARTICULARLY AND
CONSERVATIVE MEDIA AND WHAT
SHOWED UP IN THAT MANIFESTO THAT
IS LINKED TO THE ALLEGED GUNMAN
IN THE EL PASO SHOOTING.
WE PULLED TOGETHER, OR I SHOULD
SAY THE "NEW YORK TIMES" VIDEO
TEAM PULLED TOGETHER SOME
EXAMPLES OF THIS TO UNDERSCORE
YOUR REPORTING.
YOUR REPORTING. LET’S SHOW THAT AND THEN I’LL
ASK YOU ABOUT IT.
>> WE’RE BEING INVADED.
>> THE INVASION OF ILLEGAL
IMMIGRANTS.
IMMIGRANTS. >> THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS
THIS IS AN ATTEMPTED INVASION OF
OUR COUNTRY.
OUR COUNTRY. >> YOU HAVE ALL THESE MINORS
FROM CENTRAL AMERICA FLOODING
THE BORDER.
THE BORDER. >> MULTI CULTURALISM ISN’T REAL.
THIS IS REALLY DESTROYING ONE
CULTURE AND REPLACING IT WITH A
NEW, FOREIGN CULTURE.
>> THIS IS NOT MIGRANTS COMING
INTO THE COUNTRY.
THIS IS NOTHING SHORT OF AN
INVASION.
INVASION. >> DEMOCRATS WHO WANT TO REPLACE
YOU, THE AMERICAN VOTERS, WITH
NEWLY AMNESTY’d CITIZENS.
>> JEREMY, WHAT DID YOU FIND
WHEN YOU LINED IT UP WITH WHAT
WE HEARD FROM THE GUNMAN?
>> I THINK THIS IS REALLY AN
EXAMPLE OF HOW WORDS ON THEIR
OWN CAN SPEAK VOLUMES.
WHEN YOU TAKE THE EL PASO
SHOOTER’S MANIFESTO AND YOU LIE
IT SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE
TRANSCRIPTS FROM FOX NEWS SHOWS,
FROM RUSH LIMBAUGH’S PROGRAM,
FROM OTHER VARIOUS CONSERVATIVE
NEWS OUTLETS, YOU SEE A
REMARKABLE DEGREE OF OVERLAP IN
TERMS OF THE DEHUMANIZING AND
DEMONIZING LANGUAGE THAT THEY
USE TO DESCRIBE IMMIGRANTS.
THEY’RE CALLED INVADERS.
THEY ARE TREATED LIKE A HOSTILE
ENEMY FORCE.
ENEMY FORCE. SOMETHING THAT, IN THE WORDS OF
ANNE COULTER COULD BE SHOT.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE SAYING,
LIKE TUCKER CARLSON HAS, THAT
THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS
MIGRATION IS TO REPLACE AMERICAN
CITIZENS.
CITIZENS. BY THAT HE MEANS MOSTLY WHITE
AMERICAN CITIZENS.
AMERICAN CITIZENS. AND THAT I THINK WAS THE MOST
STRIKING EXAMPLE OF HOW THE REAL
FRINGE WHITE NATIONALIST RIGHT
THINKING HAS CREPT INTO MAIN
STREAM CONSERVATIVE THOUGHT.
THIS IDEA THAT THIS CONSPIRACY
THEORY REALLY OF WHITE GENOCIDE,
THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE THIS
GREAT REPLACEMENT AS IT’S CALLED
OF MIGRANTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
REPLACING AMERICAN CITIZENS AND
HERE IN EUROPE AS WELL, THAT IS
NOT A MAIN STREAM IDEA OR AT
LEAST WAS NOT UNTIL RECENTLY.
YET, IF YOU TURN ON FOX NEWS
PRIMETIME, YOU HEAR IT UTTERED
BY THEIR HOSTS AND IF YOU FLIP
TO THE SHOOTER’S MANIFESTO, IT’S
RIGHT THERE IN THE FIRST
PARAGRAPH.
PARAGRAPH. NOW, YOU KNOW, CAUSE AND EFFECT
IS A TRICKY THING BUT AS I SAID,
YOU LIE THESE THINGS SIDE BY
SIDE.
SIDE. THE MANIFESTO AND THE
TRANSCRIPTS OF THE SHOWS, AND
IT’S -- IT IS QUITE CHILLING.
>> WELL, IS IT THE PRESIDENT WHO
IS MAIN STREAMING IT?
>> I THINK IT’S BOTH.
I DON’T REALLY THINK IT’S A ONE
WAY STREET HERE, I THINK THE
PRESIDENT SOMETIMES PICKS UP ON
LANGUAGE THAT HE HEARS IDEAS,
STORIES, THEMES HE HEARS ON FOX
NEWS LIKE, REMEMBER THE INFAMOUS
INCIDENT THAT SUPPOSEDLY
HAPPENED IN SWEDEN, NO ONE IN
SWEDEN COULD REALLY TELL YOU
WHAT IT WAS.
SO THERE IS THAT.
BUT THEN THERE IS ALSO INSTANCES
OF FOX NEWS HOSTS AND OTHER
CONSERVATIVE MEDIA ADOPTING THE
PRESIDENT’S LANGUAGE.
PRESIDENT’S LANGUAGE. I THINK THE BEST EXAMPLE IS FAKE
NEWS.
NEWS. THE CUMULATIVE RESULT IS THAT
THERE IS THIS TOXIC LANGUAGE,
MUCH OF IT RACIALLY TINGED, AND
IT’S REALLY CREATED A POLITICAL
DISCOURSE THAT I THINK MOST
PEOPLE FIND QUITE DEPRESSING IF
NOT DANGEROUS.
NOT DANGEROUS. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. PHIL RUCKER, THIS OF COURSE
ALL -- THESE STORIES AND THIS
CONVERSATION WE’RE HAVING COMING
AS THE PRESIDENT IS SPENDING A
WEEK BASICALLY BY HIMSELF AT
BEDMINISTER OR TALKING WITH
FRIENDS ON VACATION.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR OR
POTENTIALLY EXPECTING FROM THE
PRESIDENT CONSIDERING ALL OF THE
FREE TIME?
FREE TIME? >> WELL, STAY TUNED TO TWITTER I
GUESS.
GUESS. BUT LOOK.
BUT LOOK. HE’S IN BEDMINISTER, NEW JERSEY
AT HIS GOLF CLUB FOR THE WEEK.
IT’S SORT OF HIS ANNUAL SUMMER
VACATION.
VACATION. HE IS DOING SOME WORK.
ON THURSDAY HE’LL BE GOING TO
NEW HAMPSHIRE OR, EXCUSE ME,
YEAH.
YEAH. NEW HAMPSHIRE, TO MANCHESTER,
FOR A CAMPAIGN RALLY THAT
EVENING.
EVENING. I’M GOING TO BE LOOKING TO SEE
HOW MUCH HE CONTINUES SOME OF
THESE ATTACKS THAT WE SAW FLARE
UP ALL THROUGHOUT LAST WEEK.
IT WAS A WEEK THAT BEGAN WITH A
CALL FOR UNITY AND BRINGING THE
COUNTRY TOGETHER AFTER THESE
MASS SHOOTINGS.
MASS SHOOTINGS. AND IT DEVOLVED INTO ONE ATTACK
AFTER ANOTHER.
AFTER ANOTHER. AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THE
PRESIDENT LIKES TO BE IN
FIGHTING MODE ON THE CAMPAIGN
TRAIL SO WE’LL SEE HOW THIS WEEK
GOES.