>>> WELCOME BACK TO "HARDBALL." ON SATURDAY A GUNMAN ARMED WITH
AN AR-15, THAT’S A -- IT’S AN
ASSAULT RIFLE, CHARGED IN THE
CHABAD SYNAGOGUE OUT IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA NEAR SAN DIEGO
KILLING A WORSHIPPER AND
INJURING THREE OTHERS, INCLUDING
AN 8-YEAR-OLD KID.
THE SUSPECT, WHO IS NOW IN
CUSTODY, WAS ARRESTED A SHORT
TIME AFTER THE ASSAULT.
POLICE SAY THERE WERE
INDICATIONS HIS ASSAULT WEAPON
MIGHT HAVE MALFUNCTIONS, IN
OTHER WORDS JAMMED AFTER HE
FIRED NUMEROUS ROUNDS INSIDE.
THIS WEEKEND’S SHOOTING HAPPENED
EXACTLY SIX MONTHS AFTER 11
PEOPLE WERE KILLED AT THE TREE
OF LIFE SYNAGOGUE OUT IN
PITTSBURGH, JOINING A GROWING
LIST OF WHITE SUPREMACIST
ATTACKS FROM CHRISTCHURCH IN NEW
ZEALAND, CHARLOTTESVILLE,
ZEALAND, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, AND THE MOTHER EMANUEL
CHURCH, OF COURSE, INFAMOUSLY IN
CHARLESTON.
CHARLESTON. PRESIDENT TRUMP WHO CALLED
SATURDAY’S ATTACK A HATE CRIME
HAS BEEN UNDER RENEWED SCRUTINY
FOR HIS LESS THAN EXPLICIT
DENUNCIATION OF THE RISE IN
WHITE NATIONALISM.
WHITE NATIONALISM. THE PRESIDENT WAS ASKED IF HE
WAS CONCERNED BY THE SEEMING
RISE IN WHITE NATIONALISM.
HERE’S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.
>> WE SEE TODAY WHITE
NATIONALISM AS A RISING THREAT
AROUND THE WORLD?
>> I DON’T REALLY.
I THINK IT’S A SMALL GROUP OF
PEOPLE THAT HAVE VERY, VERY
SERIOUS PROBLEMS.
SERIOUS PROBLEMS. I GUESS --
>> ANYWAY, ACCORDING TO RECENT
DATA FROM THE ANTI-DEFAMATION
LEAGUE, WHITE SUPREMACIST
PROPAGANDA EFFORTS NEARLY
TRIPLED LAST YEAR FROM THE YEAR
BEFORE.
BEFORE. SO WHAT’S GOING ON?
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
SARAH SANDERS WAS ASKED WHAT
STEPS THE PRESIDENT IS ACTUALLY
TAKING TO COUNTER THE RISE OF
DOMESTIC TERROR.
DOMESTIC TERROR. HERE’S WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY.
>> CAN YOU POINT TO ANY TANGIBLE
STEPS THE PRESIDENT HAS TAKEN?
>> AGAIN, I THINK THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING HE’S DONE IS TO
EMBRACE THE PEOPLE OF THESE
COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN
IMPACTED, AND TO CONDEMN THIS
BEHAVIOR AND CALL IT OUT BY
NAME.
NAME. >> EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE DAILY
BEAST, THAT NEWS ORGANIZATION
REPORTED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY HAS DISBANDED,
CATCH THIS, IT’S DISBANDED A
GROUP OF INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS
FOCUSSING ON DOMESTIC TERRORISM.
SO THEY’RE BREAKING DOWN IN ANY
EFFORT BY THE GOVERNMENT TO STOP
THIS STUFF.
THIS STUFF. SHORTLY AFTER TAKING HIS OFFICE,
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CUT
FUNDING TOE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
WORKING TO COUNTER VIOLENT
EXTREMISM, INCLUDING THAT BY
WHITE SUPREMACISTS.
WHITE SUPREMACISTS. FOR MORE, I’M JOINED BY KAISER
KHAN, GOLD-STAR FATHER.
AND RABBI CHUCK.
RABBI, AS A MAN WHO IS A
POTENTIAL VICTIM, HIS COMMUNITY,
HIS CONGREGATION MUST BE REALLY
ON NERVES ABOUT THIS.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU SENSE
IS TANGIBLY BECOMING A THREAT TO
JEWISH HOUSES OF WORSHIP?
>> I BELIEVE IT’S A THREAT TO
ALL HOUSES OF WORSHIP, AND I
BELIEVE THE QUESTION IS NOT IF
THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, I REALLY
TRULY BELIEVE IT’S WHEN AND
WHERE.
WHERE. PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO GO TO
SYNAGOGUE.
SYNAGOGUE. I HEARD A STORY TODAY OF A YOUNG
LADY, A MOTHER WHOSE DAUGHTER
WAS SCARED TO GO OUT IN THE HALL
TO PLAY DURING SERVICES.
AND THOSE OF US WHO GREW UP
GOING TO SERVICES KNOW THAT
THAT’S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. SHE’S SCARED TO GO TO SUNDAY
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. SO, YES, I THINK --
>> WHAT’S GOING ON?
USUALLY -- ALL WE HAVE IS
HISTORY.
HISTORY. WE HAVE RELIGION, BUT WE HAVE
HISTORY, TOO.
HISTORY, TOO. WELL, AT TIMES OF ECONOMIC
CRISIS AND PEOPLE ARE LOOKING
FOR SCAPEGOATS.
FOR SCAPEGOATS. AT TIMES OF PHYSICAL FEAR FROM
ABROAD, WE LOOK FOR SCAPEGOATS
AT HOME FOR FIFTH COLUMNISTS OR
WHATEVER.
WHATEVER. THERE IS NOTHING -- LET’S GO TO
KAISER ON THIS.
I DON’T SENSE ANY MAJOR THREAT
TO AMERICA RIGHT NOW.
THE ECONOMY IS HUMMING, PRETTY
MUCH.
MUCH. WHY WOULD PEOPLE ALL OF A SUDDEN
BE BREAKING OUT AS INDIVIDUALS
AND KILLING PEOPLE BECAUSE OF
RELIGION AND RACE OR ETHNICITY?
>> CHRIS, THANK YOU.
FIRST, I OFFER MY DEEPEST
CONDOLENCE FOR THE PASSING OF
LORI GILBERT-KAYE AND I PAY
TRIBUTE TO HER VALOR, STANDING
UP TO THAT HATE.
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, CHRIS,
THIS IS RUSSIA-DIRECTED.
THEY HAVE A PERSON THAT THEY
WANTED TO BE IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
THIS PRESIDENT SITS IN THE WHITE
HOUSE AIDED AND SUPPORTED BY OUR
ADVERSARY, RUSSIA.
ADVERSARY, RUSSIA. AND THAT IS WHY HIS
CONDEMNATION, THIS VIOLENCE AND
THIS DIVISION IS HALF-HEARTED.
AND THIS HATE AND THIS DIVISION
IS AIDED AND CELEBRATED BY OUR
ENEMIES.
ENEMIES. >> WHY?
>> WHY? WHY DO THEY WANT US TO GO AFTER
ISLAMIC PEOPLE AND JEWISH PEOPLE
AND OTHER GROUPS?
AFRICAN-AMERICANS OBVIOUSLY,
AFRICAN-AMERICANS OBVIOUSLY, EMANUEL CHURCH IN SOUTH
CAROLINA.
CAROLINA. WHY DO THEY LIKE THAT?
EXPLAIN.
EXPLAIN. >> WELL, FIRST, THAT IS THE WAY
THEY CAN SOW THE DIVISION, TO
WEAKEN US, TO DIVIDE US.
THAT HAD BEEN THEIR GOAL, TO
WEAKEN THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
AMERICA. THIS BREAK OF THIS UNION, THE
ONLY WAY THEY CAN FIND IS THAT
THIS TIME AROUND IT IS THE
FAITH.
FAITH. FIRST I THOUGHT THAT IT WILL BE
ONLY MUSLIMS, BUT THEN CAME
CHARLOTTESVILLE, THEN CAME
CHARLESTON, THEN CAME
PITTSBURGH, AND NOW SAN DIEGO.
AS OUR FRIEND, RABBI DIAMOND,
SAYS THAT PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO
GO TO PLACES OF WORSHIP.
ALL FAITHS ARE AFRAID TO GO TO
WORSHIP.
WORSHIP. THE ONLY WINNER IN THIS KATE AND
DIVISION IS OUR ADVERSARY, AND I
WANT THOSE HATE MONGERS AND
THOSE WHITE NATIONALISTS, DON’T
BECOME THE TOOL OF RUSSIA.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. >> THEY WISH TO USE YOU TO SOW
THE HATE AND DIVISION IN THE
HEARTS AND MINDS OF AMERICANS.
DON’T BE TOO --
>> ON FRIDAY PRESIDENT TRUMP
ONCE AGAIN DEFENDED HIS
AMBIGUOUS COMMENTS ON
CHARLOTTESVILLE.
CHARLOTTESVILLE. KELLYANNE CONWAY CALLED HIS
DEFENSE DARN NEAR PERFECT.
LET’S WATCH.
LET’S WATCH. >> WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP
CONDEMNED RACISM, BIGOTRY, EVIL,
VIOLENCE AND THEN TOOK IT MANY
STEPS FURTHER AND CALLED OUT NEO
NAZIS, WHITE SUPREMACISTS, KKK.
>> WAS HIS RESPONSE PERFECT?
>> THAT IS DARN NEAR PERFECTION.
>> SOURCES TELL "THE WASHINGTON
POST" PRESIDENT TRUMP AMID
RENEWED DISCUSSION ABOUT HIS
LESS THAN EMPHATIC CONDEMNATION
IS NOT EAGER TO RELITIGATE HIS
RESPONSE TO CHARLOTTESVILLE AND
UNLIKELY TO GIVE A SPEECH
TACKLING THE ISSUE.
RABBI, YOU KNOW, AS A MEMBER OF
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, A LEADER
OF A CONGREGATION, YOU KNOW THE
HISTORY OF ANTI-SEMITISM IS
LONG.
LONG. IT’S WORSE AT CERTAIN TIMES THAN
OTHERS, BUT IT’S THERE.
I LOOK AT THE SRI LANKA KILLING,
THE ATTACKS ON THREE CATHOLIC
CHURCHES OVER THERE IN SRI
LANKA.
LANKA. SO FAR FROM HERE.
IT JUST SEEMS THAT -- WHAT IS IT
ABOUT GOING AFTER HOUSING OF
WORSHIP, WHETHER THEY’RE A BLACK
CHURCH, A BAPTIST CHURCH, A
CATHOLIC CHURCH, A SYNAGOGUE, AN
ISLAMIC MOSQUE, WHY DO THEY GO
AFTER PEOPLE WHEN THEY’RE MOST
CLOSE TO GOD?
MAYBE THAT’S A RHETORICAL
QUESTION.
QUESTION. MOST FERVENT, THE MOST
DEVOTIONAL, WHEN THEY’RE TRYING
TO BE REALLY GOOD PEOPLE.
AT THAT MOMENT THEY GO TO KILL
THEM.
THEM. >> THEY’RE COWARDS.
THEY’RE COWARDS.
THEY’RE COWARDS. THEY HIDE BEHIND THEIR ASSAULT
WEAPONS AND THEIR BOMBS AND THEY
ATTACK INNOCENT DEFENSELESS
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. ANTI-SEMITISM HAS BEEN AROUND,
AS YOU SAID, CHRIS, FOR A LONG,
LONG TIME.
LONG TIME. IT EXISTS A LOT OF TIMES UNDER
THE SURFACE, BUT THE RHETORIC
COMING FROM OUR LEADERS HAS
EMBOLDENED A LOT OF PEOPLE TO
STEP FORWARD AND TO BE INSPIRED
BY THE SHOOTERS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE
I’D RATHER BE INSPIRED BY.
>> WELL, I HAVE A FEELING -- I
HATE TO SAY IT, I’M NOT A
MARXIST, I HAVE NO OTHER
IDEOLOGY OTHER THAN I STUDY
POLITICS.
POLITICS. I THINK TRUMP DOESN’T ATTACK THE