>> Politicians and advisors close to the Trump administration, Donald Trump himself, are
helping to organize and mobilize some of these anti-social distancing protests we're seeing
throughout the country. Most of them are taking place in some of these swing states or specifically
in states that have Democratic governors. And it turns out that one of the individuals
on Donald Trump's coronavirus task force is fanning the flames, and he's helping to organize
it.
So the person I'm talking about is Stephen Moore. And let me give you some of the details
that the New York Times uncovered. Support for the protests features more direct ties
to the White House. The administration recently formed an advisory group for reopening the
economy that included Stephen Moore.
Moore had been coordinating with FreedomWorks, the Tea Party Patriots, and the American Legislative
Exchange Council in a coalition called Save Our Country. Which is ironically named, which
has formed to push for a quicker easing of restrictions. So here, you have this guy who's
serving on Trump's economic task force.
And why do you think he's serving on that task force to begin with, right? This is a
guy who doesn't actually care about Americans or their lives. He does care about getting
them back to work, even though he knows that it's likely that it's too soon to get people
back to work.
They'll risk their lives, we'll reopen the economy, and he'll earn his short term profits,
but we all know how this story ends. We all know that the virus is likely to continue
spreading and it'll spread rapidly once some of these states reopen their local economy.
And so it's devastating to see this guy behind the scenes obviously not interested in actual
evidence or scientific data.
He's just interested in getting people out there, so he's helping to organize these groups.
And he even bragged about it during a recent interview with conservative radio host Hugh
Hewitt. Let's hear what he had to say. >> Wisconsin, it wants to do a drive in. So
you remember the old sit ins, but this is gonna be a drive in, and they're gonna shut
down the capital, shh don't tell anybody.
But they think they can get 1,500 people to come in. And this is great, you guys saw we
have one big donor in Wisconsin, I'm not gonna mention his name. And I told him about this,
he said, Steve, I promise I will pay the bail and legal fees for anyone who gets arrested.
So this is a great time, gentlemen and ladies, for civil disobedience. We need to be the
Rosa Parks here. >> This man is absolute trash, and by the
way, he feels so strongly about these protests. Is he going to show up? Is he gonna protest?
Is he gonna put his life on the line?
Well, Moore said he would probably turn down an invitation to speak at the protest in Wisconsin
because quote, it's important that no one be under the impression that it's sponsored
or directed by national groups in Washington. Except it's being mobilized, organized by
you, and you are working for the White House right now in this coronavirus task force,
disgusting.
>> Yeah, well, I believe he is being honest when he says it's important that there's not
that perception, but it is being organized by that. I mean, look, he's a great individual,
I'm glad that you're pointing that out. There are others too. I mean DeVos obviously in
terms of one of the state efforts and any number of other groups that have helped to
provide these grassroots protests around climate denial, or back in the day, with the Tea Party.
It's all the same, it's probably mostly the same people, too. And honestly, it's mostly
the same issues. I mean, ostensibly, they're out there because they care about the state
reopening. But lots of them just they're out there to tote their guns around and to talk
about how the Second Amendment is so important.
It's the same signs basically that they're coming out for. I love the terminology he
used there. He thought, I'm gonna make comparison to Rosa Parks. Wait, is that a good idea?
It is a good idea. I'm gonna do that. What if we were to ask him what, so tons of people
gathering dangerously close, dressed like terrorists to the best extent that they can,
toting assault rifles.
That is the best of American participatory democracy, civil disobedience, Kaepernick
kneeling, right out, not acceptable. >> Yeah, I know, it is, it is-
>> That is offensive- >> That is pretty incredible-
>> It's offensive for him to kneel. He should have kneeled with a disease and spread it
to the people around him.
That would have been American patriotism. >> Yeah, it's insane, I mean, the hypocrisy.
We've always known that hypocrisy exists, not just with Republicans, politicians in
general, we see it all the time. But coronavirus has really amplified it. Because the same
people who are breaking their local laws in going out there and protesting, refusing to
practice social distancing, are typically the same conservatives who made apologist
arguments when Donald Trump's ridiculous, horrific cruel policies at the border led
to children dying in cages.
And the argument was, well, they didn't follow the law. They didn't follow the law, so those
kids, they deserve to die. Okay, so you're not following the law in your state. So if
the state decides to take real retaliatory action against you, do you deserve it? I mean,
I'm obviously using a euphemism here, but I wouldn't want those people to be gunned
down or killed,
>> No. >> Because they're breaking a law, right?
They don't think that they have to abide by the same standards that they demand of other
people, people who have absolutely no power whatsoever, and it's gross. Yes, of course,
about reopening local economies, getting everyone back out there and working.
But it's also about helping Donald Trump with his reelection campaign. Cuz as the New York
Times reported, these groups are sharing the data with advisors on the President's economic
task force and other conservative allies on Capitol Hill. And they're collecting email
addresses, they're collecting all sorts of data on the protesters who are taking part
in this, and they're sharing it with the Trump campaign.
>> Yeah. >> This is how Republicans operate.
>> Yeah, yeah, and- >> Yeah.
>> If I was one of those people at some point, you gotta realize, I mean, yes, people get
used by politicians all the time, but they're gonna use you up almost literally. They're
willing to see you die for their own economic and political benefit, hypothetical benefit.
They're not even sure, it's a risk, it's probably not gonna help the economy anyway. But you
know what, it's worth a chance because it doesn't take anything from me, no sacrifice.
The risk is all on you. I'm gonna watch the stock market. If it goes up, good, I can recoup
some of my money.
If not, I'll just wait, which was what I was gonna do anyway. I'm certainly not gonna leave
my house. I might be politically savvy enough to not pose in front of my massive ice cream
freezer, but I've got one. It's well stocked and I can wait while you guys get ground up
by this disease, I can wait.