DONALD TRUMP'S REELECTION CAMPAIGN MADE A QUESTIONABLE
DECISION IN SOLICITING DONATIONS FOR HIS 2020 RUN.
CNN REPORTS HERE FOR US --
>>THE EMAIL READS --
>>WOW.
A
COUPLE THINGS ABOUT THIS.
NUMBER ONE, USING A
PICTURE THAT YOU TOOK WHEN YOU WERE PRETENDING TO CARE ABOUT
THE VICTIMS TO RAISE MONEY IS PARTICULARLY LOW.
POLITICIANS DO
PHOTO OPS AND IT'S GENERALLY ANNOYING TO BEGIN WITH, AND
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS DO IT.
WHEN YOU DO IT WITH VICTIMS, I
FIND IT MORE ANNOYING, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND TO BE FAIR TO
TRUMP IF HE DIDN'T GO EVERYONE WOULD CRITICIZE HIM FOR NOT
GOING.
SO YOU GO AND TAKE A PICTURE, I TOTALLY GET IT.
THEN
FOR YOUR FUNDRAISING, YOUR CAMPAIGN -- MOST PRESIDENTS
DON'T EVEN HAVE A CAMPAIGN ORGANIZATION YET TO BEGIN WITH,
HE STARTED IT RIGHT AFTER THE ELECTION, SO FOR THEM TO THAN
TAKE THE PICTURE -- AND THEN THE LAST PIECE OF INSULT TO INJURY,
IN THIS CASE QUITE LITERALLY, IS PRESIDENT TRUMP IS WORKING HARD
TO MAKE SURE HE PROTECTS YOU AND IS GOING TO DO SOME SORT OF GUN
CONTROL.
BUMP STOCKS THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH PARKLAND,
FLORIDA, I'M HAPPY, LIFTING THE AGE BY TWO YEARS -- THESE ARE
MINUSCULE EFFORTS, AND THEN USING THE VICTIMS TO FURTHER
FINANCE YOUR PROPAGANDA IS LOATHSOME.
>>I'M GOING TO THROW A CURVEBALL AT YOU HERE.
I'M KIND
OF OKAY WITH THIS BECAUSE HE BOUGHT INTO THE LOGIC OF GUN
CONTROL RIGHT THERE.
BECAUSE HE'S SAYING -- YOU'RE RIGHT
ABOUT THE PICTURE TERRIBLE TASTE, SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT,
BUT AT LEAST HE SANG I BANNED BUMP STOCKS, AND I'M THINKING OF
RAISING THE AGE TO 21 FOR YOU TO BUY A GUN, BUT I THINK WE CAN
SAY THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A WIN BECAUSE THE ARGUMENTS THEY
WERE MAKING WAS UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE IS GONNA REFORM A
GOOD IDEA, NEVER.
AND NOW HE'S LIKE, I GUESS BANNING BUMP
STOCKS IS A GOOD IDEA AND THE OTHER LITTLE BIT IS A GOOD IDEA,
I THINK THAT SHOWS WE ARE KIND OF WINNING.
>>THOSE ARE TINY WINS BUT I HEAR YOU AND THAT'S A FAIR POINT.
THE
ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT LOGIC IS TRUMP OFTEN LIES AND PRETENDS TO
BE PROGRESSIVE WHEN IT COMES TO CAMPAIGNING.
I WON'T LET THEM
CUT SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICAID AT ALL.
>>I WON'T OUTSOURCE YOUR JOB.
OF COURSE.
>>I CAN'T BELIEVE THE GLOBALISTS, GOLDMAN SACHS,
CONTROL TED CRUZ.
>>AND THEN HE HAS GOLDMAN SACHS ALL IN HIS CABINET.
>>HE UNDERSTANDS THE COUNTRY IS PROGRESSIVE, SO THEY GO
WITH A PROGRESSIVE MESSAGE TO TRY TO GET MORE MONEY AND
THEY TUG ON YOUR HEARTSTRINGS WITH THAT PICTURE.
>>JUST FOR THE RECORD, AND I DO THIS ALL THE TIME BUT IT
SHOULD BE NOTED, IF OBAMA HAD DONE SOMETHING LIKE THAT
THEY WOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY SHREDDED HIM.
>>AT LEAST ONE WEEK ON FOX NEWS.
>>THEY MIGHT HAVE DONE COMMITTEE HEARINGS ON IT.
>>HERE IS WHAT'S INTERESTING -- TRUMP KIND OF BUYING INTO THE
LOGIC OF GUN REFORM EVEN THOUGH WE AGREE HE'S KIND OF LYING
ABOUT IT, BUT WAYNE LAPIERRE, THE HEAD OF THE NRA, NOT THAT
LONG AGO, HE ALSO HAD A DIFFERENT OPINION.
TAKE A LOOK AT THE VIDEO.
>>WE BELIEVE IN ABSOLUTELY GUN FREE, ZERO-TOLERANCE, TOTALLY
SAFE SCHOOLS.
>>THAT MEANS NO GUNS IN AMERICA'S SCHOOLS, PERIOD.
WITH
THE RARE EXCEPTION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS OR
TRAINED SECURITY PERSONNEL.
>>I DON'T -- WHAT GOT IN THE WATER?
SOMETHING HAPPENED.
>>I KNOW WHAT GOT IN THE WATER.
AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER
IN THE SHOW, IN THE OLD DAYS, NOT IN 1999, BUT THE OLD OLD
DAYS, THE NRA WAS STRICTLY FOR THE MEMBERS.
THEN THEY STARTED
TAKING MONEY FROM THE GUN MANUFACTURERS.
>>THIS WAS PRE-THAT I GUESS.
>>IT'S SOMEWHERE IN THE TRANSITION, THEY STARTED TAKING
MONEY, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN A COMPLETE WHOLESALE TAKEOVER BY
THE MANUFACTURERS.
NOW, IT'S A TOTAL TAKEOVER OF THE NRA, AND
THEN THE NRA HELPS TO TAKE OVER THE BODY POLITIC.
NOW THE SAME
WAYNE LAPIERRE GOES OUT AND GIVES A SPEECH ALMOST 20 YEARS
LATER AND SAYS WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
SCHOOLS SHOULD BE FILLED TO THE
BRIM WITH GUNS.
THE TEACHERS SHOULD HAVE GUNS, EVERYONE
SHOULD HAVE GUNS, THE ONLY THING THAT CAN STOP A BAD GUY WITH A
GUN IS A GOOD GUY WITH A GUN, INCLUDING A TEACHER, AND THEY
SHOULD ALL BE THE OK CORRAL.
WHY?
BECAUSE HE'S NOT EVEN
REPRESENTING THE GUN OWNERS OR THE MEMBERS OF THE NRA,
THEY DON'T EVEN WANT THAT, HE IS REPRESENTING THE GUN
MANUFACTURERS WHO PAY HIS OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH SALARY.
>>THEIR ARGUMENT TODAY IS MORE GUNS EQUALS MORE PEACE, BECAUSE
THERE ARE MORE GOOD GUYS AND BAD GUYS, SO IF YOU ARM EVERYBODY
THEM THE GOOD GUYS WITH GUNS OUTNUMBER THE BAD GUYS.
IF THAT
WERE TRUE THE UNITED STATES WOULD BE THE MOST PEACEFUL OF
NATIONS.
THEY ARE UNDERCUTTING THE ENTIRE ARGUMENT THERE.
I
KNOW IT'S A VIDEO FROM A WHILE AGO BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE GUESSED
THAT THAT EXISTED.
I ALSO WANT TO SHOW THIS AMAZING CHART,
THERE IS A REAL SEA CHANGE HAPPENING, CENK, BECAUSE LOOK
MANY COMPANIES ARE CUTTING TIES WITH THE NRA AFTER THE FLORIDA
HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING.
I THINK EVERYONE WAS SAYING WE THINK SOMETHING IS DIFFERENT
THIS TIME AROUND, IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE IT, DOESN'T IT?
>>THE RIGHT WING HAS AN INSTITUTIONAL DISADVANTAGE WITH
CORPORATIONS.
THAT MIGHT SOUND REALLY FUNNY --
>>ON THIS ISSUE?
>>ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES.
BECAUSE WE ARE THE ONES TRYING TO GET
CORPORATE MONEY OUT OF POLITICS, AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY ARGUE
FOR CORPORATE MONEY IN POLITICS, MOST ALL THE TIMES, AT LEAST THE
ELECTED REPUBLICAN OFFICIALS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL DO.
AND YES,
THOSE CORPORATIONS WANT TAX CUTS AND DEREGULATION AND THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY DELIVERS THAT FOR THEM.
BUT THERE DISADVANTAGE
WITH CORPORATIONS IS THAT CORPORATIONS NEED CUSTOMERS.
SO
ALIENATING THE CUSTOMERS, OR KILLING THEM, IS NOT GOOD FOR
BUSINESS.
IN THIS CASE, IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD TO BE GIVING
MONEY THAT'S BEING DESCRIBED AS BLOOD MONEY IN ANY WAY, SHAPE,
OR FORM, WHETHER IT'S IN THE FORM OF THESE DISCOUNTS, ETC.,
FOR NRA MEMBERS, TO THE NRA.
THAT TURNS OFF -- WHY?
97% OF
THE COUNTRY WANTS FEDERAL BACKGROUND CHECKS, UNIVERSAL
BACKGROUND CHECKS, THE NRA IS OPPOSED TO IT.
TWO THIRDS OF THE
COUNTRY WANTS A STRONGER GUN CONTROL ACROSS THE BOARD, MORE
OF THE CUSTOMERS ARE AGAINST THE NRA THAN FOR IT.
BY THE WAY, THE
ISSUE THAT THE RIGHT-WING IS MOST AT A DISADVANTAGE WITH, THE
EXTREME RIGHT WING, IS CORPORATIONS DON'T LIKE
RACISM AND DON'T LIKE BIGOTRY AND DON'T LIKE HOMOPHOBIA
BECAUSE THOSE ARE ALL CUSTOMERS.
>>GAY MARRIAGE TOO WAS ONE.
CORPORATIONS YOU SEE THIS, THEY WILL GIVE GROUND ON SOCIAL
ISSUES BECAUSE THEY TEND TO NOT AFFECT THEIR BOTTOM LINE.
>>IT DOESN'T AFFECT THEIR TAXES, ETC., IN FACT IT COSTS THEM
MONEY IF THEY ALIENATE GAY CUSTOMERS OR BLACK CUSTOMERS.
THERE'S A STORY I TELL OFTEN, I SAW AN INTERNATIONAL AD THAT
COKE HAD, AND IT WAS FILLED WITH MUSLIMS.
YOU DON'T SEE THAT MUCH
IN AMERICA, BUT LIKE ONE THIRD OF THE AD FEATURED MUSLIMS.
AND
I WAS LIKE, OF COURSE, THERE ARE 1.6 BILLION MUSLIMS IN THE WORLD
AND THEY WANT TO SELL COKE TO THEM.
SO FOR THE STEVE BANNONS OF THE WORLD THAT IS BAD NEWS.
>>YES, BUT GO TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE AND THE FANGS
COME OUT, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE WE DOING THAT.
>>THAT IS JUST ACROSS ALL CORPORATIONS GENERALLY SPEAKING.
THAT EVERYONE OF THEM.
THERE ARE GOOD CORPORATIONS -- SOME YOU
CAN PUT YOUR MONEY IN -- AND WE TRY TO FIND THEM, ETC., BUT
OVERALL OF COURSE THEY ARE FOR LOWER TAXES AND
DEREGULATION, BUT THIS IS THE ONE AREA WHERE THEY WIND UP
BEING AGAINST CONSERVATIVES.
>>BUT DO YOU THINK SOMETHING WILL CHANGE THIS TIME?
THERE
WASN'T A RUN ON THE NRA AFTER ANY OF THE LAST SHOOTINGS, NOW
THERE IS, IT FEELS LIKE WE ARE AT A TIPPING POINT BUT AT SAME
TIME -- THERE WAS A STORY LAST WEEK, A GOP BILLIONAIRE WAS
SAYING THAT'S IT, I'M NOT DONATING TO ANY REPUBLICANS
UNTIL THE ACT ON THIS ISSUE, YOU THINK IT'S DIFFERENT THIS TIME?
>>I DO, AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, AND IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE
HOW ACTIVE THE VICTIMS IN THIS CASE ARE, THE ONES WHO SUFFERED
THROUGH THE SHOOTING, HOW RELATABLE THEY ARE, HOW
PASSIONATE THEY ARE, AND I THINK IT WAS JUST ONE SCHOOL SHOOTING
TOO MANY.
AND IN THE POLLING, NOT ONLY HAS MOST OF THE COUNTRY
NOW SHIFTED SIGNIFICANTLY TOWARDS MORE GUN CONTROL, BUT
THE ONES THAT RANK THE HIGHEST IN THAT CATEGORY ARE PARENTS.
BECAUSE THEY REALIZE IT WASN'T A ONE OFF.
WHEN IT WAS COLUMBINE
IT SEEMED LIKE WOW, WHAT A CRAZY THING, AND IN MANY OTHER SCHOOL
SHOOTINGS, AND THEN YOU HAD NEWTOWN, AND THEY WERE LIKE,
WHOA, HORRIFIED, BUT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS WEREN'T
GOING TO COME OUT AND LEAD A CHARGE.
>>THESE KIDS ARE AMAZING.
I'M FLOORED.
>>NOW THERE HAVE BEEN SO ANY MASSACRES BACK TO BACK TO BACK,
ORLANDO AND LAS VEGAS AND SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, TEXAS, THAT
PEOPLE HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT, GOING TO A CHURCH, KILLING
DOZENS OF PEOPLE -- I THINK IT'S GOTTEN TO A POINT WHERE FINALLY
WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING FOR YEARS NOW HAS GOTTEN THROUGH TO
PEOPLE.
OH, IT COULD HAPPEN ANYWHERE.
IT REALLY COULD HAPPEN
IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD OR AT MY KID'S SCHOOL.