MSNBC Highlights – Sept. 1

MSNBC Highlights – Sept. 1

TRUMP IS NOT A PERFECT PERSON. I DID. I DID NOT VOTE FOR A PERFECT
PERSON. YOU DID NOT VOTE WHEN YOU VOTED
FOR JOE BIDEN. I TRULY BELIEVE THOUGH THAT
TRUMP HAS THE BEST INTERESTS OF
AMERICANS. INTEREST OF PUTIN, PUTIN AND ALL THE OTHER
DICTATORS, THAT’S WHO HE WANTS. HE DOESN’T CARE ABOUT US. HE CARES ABOUT HIS DICTATOR
FRIENDS. HEY THERE AGAIN EVERYONE. IT IS 5 O’CLOCK ON THE EAST
COAST. I’M STEPHANIE RULE IN FOR NICOLE
WALLACE ON THIS LABOR DAY, AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN SUMMERTIME, BUT CONSTITUENTS WERE NOT TAKING
IT EASY. NUMEROUS REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS
WERE ON THE RECEIVING END OF SERIOUS
FRUSTRATION AND STRAIGHT UP ANGER FROM THOSE
THEY REPRESENT AT RECENT
IN-PERSON TOWN HALLS, AND MANY OF THESE LAWMAKERS WERE
IN STATES THAT VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY FOR
DONALD JOHN TRUMP. I’M TALKING ABOUT ALABAMA AND
OHIO, WHERE CONSTITUENTS. SLAMMED TRUMP’S AGENDA ITEMS, THINGS LIKE CUTS TO MEDICAID AND
THE SO-CALLED BIG BEAUTIFUL
BILL, HIS HARSH IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN, THE FEDERAL TAKEOVER OF
WASHINGTON DC, AND DONALD TRUMP COZYING UP TO DICTATORS. BOTTOM LINE, THE ATTENDEES WERE LOUD AND
CLEAR, SAYING WE DO NOT WANT THIS. TAKE A LISTEN AT A LITTLE MORE
OF THAT ANGER JUST FROM THIS
PAST WEEK. ANSWER THE QUESTION, HOWARD. TRUMP IS DOING A GREAT JOB OF. NO WELL, THE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL WAS
ACTUALLY THE TRUMP TAX CUT. AND I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT TRUMP IS NOT A DICTATOR AND HE’S NOT
GOING TO BE A DICTATOR. YOU MAY THINK THAT HE MAY HAVE
JOKED ABOUT THAT. HE COULDN’T ABOUT THAT. THAT IS HIS PERSONALITY. I’M NOT A PSYCHOLOGIST, BUT I’M NOT. YOU’RE NOT HELPING ME. BELIEVE ME, YOU’RE NOT HELPING ME. YOU NEED TO TAKE YOUR HEAD OUT
OF TRUMP’S ASS AND START DOING YOUR, YOUR REPRESENTATION OF US. ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES WHO
HELD A TOWN HALL LAST WEEK, BARRY MOORE OF ALABAMA, LEFT THE EVENT HE HELD IN HIS
HOME DISTRICT LAST WEEK THROUGH
THE BACK DOOR. MOORE DENIED THAT HE HAD TO SLIP
OUT, SAYING, QUOTE, WE LEFT LIKE ANY OTHER EVENT. I THINK WE TRIED TO ENGAGE AND
ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT GOT
HIJACKED. BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO TAKE HIS WORD
FOR IT. JUDGE FOR YOURSELF. WHY ARE PEOPLE NOT GETTING DUE
PROCESS AND A NON-CITIZEN. FALSE, FALSE. LIES. THE 5TH AND 14TH AMENDMENTS
ALLOW FOR IT. THE SUPREME COURT HAS BACK IT MANY TIMES. SHAME, SHAME. JAMES YEAH FELICIA TODAY ON LABOR DAY, THAT SAME ANGER WE HEARD AT TOWN
HALLS IS BEING TAKEN TO THE
STREETS. MORE THAN 1000 WORKERS OVER BILLIONAIRES EVENTS ARE PLANNED
NATIONWIDE PROTESTING AGAINST THE ULTRA WEALTHY AND
CORRUPTION, LOOKING INSTEAD TO UNIFY WORKING
CLASS PEOPLE. TODAY’S PROTESTS ARE ORGANIZED
BY THE SAME GROUP. THAT LED THE MASSIVE PROTESTS ON
MAY 1ST, AND THEY WRITE THE FOLLOWING
QUOTE, JUST LIKE ANY BAD BOSS, THE WAY WE STOP THE TAKEOVER IS
WITH COLLECTIVE ACTION. WE ARE MAY DAY STRONG, WORKING PEOPLE RISING UP TO STOP
THE BILLIONAIRE TAKEOVER, NOT JUST THROUGH THE BALLOT BOX
OR THE COURTS, BUT THROUGH BUILDING A BIGGER AND STRONGER MOVEMENT. THE MOVEMENT AGAINST TRUMP AND
HIS PARTY’S ANTI-DEMOCRATIC WAYS IS WHERE WE
START THIS HOUR WITH THREE OF MY ALL-TIME
FAVORITE GENTLEMEN, THE HOSTS OF THE BULWARK
PODCAST, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST TIM
MILLER, PLUS MSNBC SENIOR POLITICAL
ANALYST AND TEXAS RESIDENT. DOWD AND PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
PROFESSOR AND MSNBC POLITICAL
ANALYST, EDDIE. MR. MILLER, YOU GET THE FIRST CRACK AT THIS. YOUR REACTION TO REPUBLICAN
LAWMAKERS, GETTING IT HANDED IT TO THEM AT A WHOLE BUNCH OF TOWN HALLS. HEY GIRL. WELL, IT’S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU. UM, THEY DESERVE IT, GETTING IT HANDED TO THEM. UH, THEY’RE DOING SO FEW OF THESE. I, I DO THINK IT’S MAKING IT EASY
FOR PEOPLE, UM, WHO ARE REALLY ENGAGED AND
REALLY UPSET RIGHT NOW TO ORGANIZE AND GET OUT TO THOSE
EVENTS, AND THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE SEEING, RIGHT? LIKE I, YOU KNOW, WE DON’T OBVIOUSLY. ALABAMA IS A RED STATE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT’S, YOU KNOW, OVERWHELMINGLY VOTING FOR
REPUBLICANS. IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT THERE
AREN’T ANY DEMOCRATS IN ALABAMA. THERE ARE DEMOCRATS, THERE ARE THERE ARE
INDEPENDENTS, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE
REPUBLICANS WHO ARE UNHAPPY WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
THE ADMINISTRATION, AND THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE
MOTIVATED TO TURN OUT RIGHT NOW. UM, I THINK THAT THE THING THAT IS PROBABLY THE
MOST MEANINGFUL ABOUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THAT’S WHAT REALLY DRIVES
MIDTERM ELECTIONS, UM, ENERGY ENGAGEMENT, LIKE WHICH SIDE IS MORE
MOTIVATED TO ACT LIKE YOU’RE
SEEING THESE THINGS THAT OPPONENTS OF THIS
ADMINISTRATION, BROADLY DEFINED ARE THE ONES
THAT ARE THE MOST ENGAGED RIGHT
NOW. I THINK THAT IS A GOOD SIGN FOR
OPPOSITION AS WE HEAD INTO, UH, I, I GUESS THERE’LL BE A COUPLE OF
ELECTIONS THIS NOVEMBER AND THEN MOSTLY
NEXT NOVEMBER. SO I THINK THAT’S LIKE THE
BIGGEST TAKEAWAY. I’M NOT SURE THAT YOU’RE GOING
TO SEE MUCH CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR FROM THESE REPUBLICANS. UH, THEY, THEY DIDN’T, VERY FEW OF THEM ACTUALLY DID
TOWN HALLS, AND, AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHY. EDDIE, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I COMPLETELY. FIRST OF ALL, IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU, STEPHANIE. I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH TIM. UH, I THINK THIS IS A SIGN OF UH UH
AMONG A PARTICULAR PORTION OF
THE ELECTORATE OF DEEP DISAGREEMENT WITH TRUMP’S
POLICIES. I THINK THAT’S ONLY GOING TO
INTENSIFY AS THE TARIFFS BEGIN TO IMPACT UH THAT GROCERY BILL, UH, AND, AND THE EFFORTS TO PURCHASE
GOODS FOR FAMILIES AND FOR
CHILDREN AND THE LIKE. I THINK THAT’S ONLY GOING TO
INTENSIFY. BUT I’VE YET TO SEE WHETHER OR
NOT THIS IS GOING TO TRANSLATE
IN TERMS OF SPYING FOR SOME OF THESE
REPUBLICANS AS THEY SEE MUCH
MORE DISAGREEMENT AMONG THE
ELECTORATE WITH REGARDS TO
TRUMP’S POLICIES. WILL THAT EMBOLDEN THEM TO
DISAGREE WITH DONALD TRUMP? I DON’T THINK SO. WILL IT GIVE THEM UM, YOU KNOW, SOME COVER TO, TO, YOU KNOW, TO CREATE SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN
THEMSELVES AND DONALD TRUMP’S POLICIES. I DON’T THINK SO. SO IT’S, IT’S GOOD FOR THE MIDTERMS, I THINK, BUT IN TERMS OF THEIR
RELATIONSHIP TO DONALD TRUMP, I DON’T THINK ANYTHING WILL
CHANGE. DOCTOR DOOD, LET’S GO TO CHICAGO, BECAUSE THAT IS A CITY WHERE
DONALD TRUMP MAY BE DEPLOYING
TROOPS NEXT. IT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE SITES OF
THE PROTESTS TODAY, AND I WANT TO SHARE UM A BIT OF SOUND FROM A COUPLE OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE. ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE
PRESENCE OF POSSIBLY SEEING TANKS AND NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS
ON OUR STREETS? ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. IT’S IMPORTANT TO SHOW UP. I MEAN IT’S THE ONLY. ONLY THING WE HAVE RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE CONGRESS IS JUST NOT DOING THE
JOB TO STOP HIM, SO HE HAS NO CHECKS AND BALANCES EXCEPT US, THAT’S IT. THE PEOPLE ARE THE ULTIMATE
CHECK ON LEADERSHIP. I’M PRETTY SURE YOU AGREE WITH
THAT, MATTHEW. YEAH, I’M JUST, AS I LISTEN TO THAT AND, AND WATCH THIS OVER THE COURSE
OF THE LAST FEW DAYS, I JUST CAN’T HELP BUT THINK HOW FAR AFIELD DONALD TRUMP AND THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY HAS MOVED FROM CONSERVATIVE
PRINCIPLES. IT USED TO BE LOCAL CONTROL AND
STATES’ RIGHTS WAS A HUGE PLANK
OF THE CONSERVATIVES. NOT ONLY THAT WAS RULE OF LAW, GLOBAL. OF, YOU KNOW, BALANCED BUDGETS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS. THEY’VE THROWN EVERY
CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLE OUT, INCLUDING THIS LAST ONE, WHICH IS LOCAL CONTROL IN THE MIDST OF
THIS. IN MY VIEW, DONALD TRUMP IS ONLY USING THIS TO TRY TO DISTRACT FROM ALL OF
HIS HORRIBLE SITUATION HE IS IN. NOT ONLY IF YOU JUST TAKE THE
EPSTEIN SITUATION WITH STILL SO MANY
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. HE’S UNDERWATER ON EVERY MAJOR
ISSUE IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW. HE’S UNDERWATER ON THE ECONOMY. HE’S UNDERWATER ON INFLATION. HE’S UNDER UNDERWATER ON
IMMIGRATION. HE’S UNDERWATER ON HEALTH CARE. HE’S UNDERWATER ON EDUCATION, WHICH IS WHY HIS APPROVAL
NUMBERS ARE LOWER TODAY THAN THEY WERE IN 2018 WHEN THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY WAS, WAS DEFEATED ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND WE SAW SOME OF THIS ENERGY
IN ADVANCE OF. TODAY THAT WE WE SAW THEN THAT
WE SEE TODAY IN THIS, BUT THIS IS HIS SORT OF I’M
GOING TO GO TO THE URBAN AREAS WHICH IS LIKE I’M GOING TO
GO FIND BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE TO BLAME FOR SOMEBODY ELSE’S
PROBLEM IN THIS. THE AMERICAN PUBLIC JUST ISN’T
ACCEPTING THIS BECAUSE UNTIL YOU DEAL WITH THE
FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES THAT THEY’RE
FACING, WHICH IS NOT WHAT HE, WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS. TRYING TO ACT LIKE IT IS IN
WASHINGTON DC OR CHICAGO OR ANY
OTHER MAJOR CITY, IT’S THAT THE PRICES THAT THEY
HAVE, IT’S THE ECONOMY, IT’S THEY CAN’T SELL THEIR
HOMES, IT’S THE COST OF HEALTH CARE AND I THINK UNTIL DONALD TRUMP
AND I ADDRESSES THOSE, WHICH I DON’T THINK HE WANTS TO, WHICH IS WHY HE’S DISTRACTING IN
THIS, HE CONTINUES TO THROW THESE
THINGS OUT TO TRY TO DO THAT BECAUSE HE’S HE’S DEEPLY
UNDERWATER. TIM, IOWA IS CERTAINLY THE REDDEST OF
RED STATES, BUT NOW WE’VE LEARNED IN THE
LAST COUPLE OF DAYS THAT IOWA
SENATOR JONI ERNST, OBVIOUSLY REPUBLICAN, IS NOT GOING TO SEEK
RE-ELECTION. WE DO NOT KNOW WHY, BUT I THINK WE ALL REMEMBER THAT
TOWN HALL THAT SHE HELD IN MAY
WHEN SHE SHE RESPONDED TO QUESTIONS ABOUT MEDICAID
CUTS, SAYING EVERYONE WILL DIE. THAT DID NOT GO OVER WELL, AND DESPITE YOUR FEELINGS FOR
THIS PRESIDENT, I KNOW YOU STILL HAVE A LOT OF
REPUBLICANS ON SPEED DIAL. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HER
RECENT DECISION NOT TO SEEK RE-ELECTION? SURE, AND ESPECIALLY IN IOWA I’VE DONE
A COUPLE OF CAMPAIGNS. I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THAT ARE
WORKING THERE. LOOK, I, I, I THINK THIS ACTUALLY GOES BACK
TO THE HEGSETH CONFIRMATION, UM, REALLY MORE THAN THE TOWN HALL, UH, AT THE TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MIGHT ALL ROLL OUR EYES AT
THIS BECAUSE THE REPUBLICANS ALWAYS SEEM TO
FOLD IN THE SENATE, UH, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT AT
LEAST SOME OF THEM AREN’T, WEREN’T LIKE REALLY SERIOUSLY CONTEMPLATING THEIR POLITICAL
CHOICES, UM. YOU KNOW, IN THE FALLOUT FROM TRUMP’S 2ND
ELECTION, HE’S NOMINATING ALL THESE PEOPLE
THAT ARE CLEARLY UNQUALIFIED FOR ERNST. I THINK SHE WAS HOPING SHE MIGHT
HAVE BEEN ON THE SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE LIST. SHE GETS PASSED OVER FOR A
WEEKEND FOX AND FRIENDS ANCHOR. SHE HAS DEEP CONCERNS, PERSONAL CONCERNS ABOUT SEXUAL
ASSAULTS IN THE MILITARY. HE HAS ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL
ASSAULT AGAINST HIM. OBVIOUSLY HE ISN’T GOING TO TAKE
THAT VERY SERIOUSLY. HE’S SHOWN DISRESPECT TO WOMEN
IN SERVICE, AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF
PRESSURE ON. HER THAN TO TO VOTE FOR HIM AND
I THINK THAT SHE DIDN’T REALLY WANT TO UH JUST PROJECTING A
LITTLE BIT FROM WHAT I’VE HEARD
FROM FRIENDS AND, AND SHE ENDS UP VOTING FOR HIM AND UH, YOU KNOW, HERE SHE IS NOW LIKE THIS
SITUATION IN THE SENATE WHERE YOU JUST GOTTA DO WHATEVER
DONALD TRUMP SAYS, YOU HAVE NO INDEPENDENCE, YOU’RE GETTING SHOUTED DOWN AT
TOWN HALLS. IT’S NOT A FUN JOB. SO I DON’T HAVE ANY SYMPATHY FOR
IT. IT’S A JOB THAT SHE SIGNED UP
FOR, BUT I THINK IF YOU THINK OF IT
IN THAT CONTEXT, IT MAKES SENSE SHE’S NOT GONNA
RUN. ADRIAN, FIRST TO YOU, I’D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT JB PRITZKER AND THE MAYOR
OF CHICAGO’S PUSHBACK IS SPECIFICALLY. WHAT EXACTLY DO THEY SAY WOULD
BE BETTER HELP, WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN
COMBATING CRIME PERIOD IN CHICAGO. I’LL START WITH YOUR FIRST
QUESTION, KATIE. OVER THE WEEKEND WE HEARD FROM
ILLINOIS GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER AS
WELL AS MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON, BOTH OF THEM SAYING YES, THEY WILL WELCOME HELP, JUST NOT THIS TYPE OF HELP. THEY’RE SAYING THEY DO NOT NEED
TROOPS TO HELP COMBAT CRIME, INSTEAD POINTING TO FUNDING THAT
HAS BEEN CUT. MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON HAS SAID. MULTIPLE TIMES RESTORE THE
FUNDING THAT WAS IN PLACE TO HELP WITH PROJECTS LIKE
CRIME PREVENTION. THAT IS ONE THING BOTH THE MAYOR
AND THE GOVERNOR AGREE ON. AND JUST MOMENTS AGO THIS BLOCK
WAS SHUT OFF. WE’RE IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO. YOU COULDN’T EVEN WALK ALONG THE
STREET OR UP AND DOWN THE SIDEWALK BECAUSE THERE
WERE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE TAKING PART IN A RALLY THEY
DUBBED AS WORKERS OVER
BILLIONAIRES. I SPOKE WITH THE ORGANIZERS AND
MANY JUST EVERYDAY PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP HERE WHO SAY THEY DO
NOT WANT BILLIONAIRES TO
DETERMINE THE PATH OF THIS COUNTRY. HERE’S SOME MORE OF MY
CONVERSATION WITH TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE HERE FOR THAT RALLY. TAKE A LISTEN. ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE
PRESENCE OF POSSIBLY SEEING TANKS AND
NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS ON OUR
STREETS? ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. IT’S IMPORTANT TO SHOW UP. I MEAN IT’S THE ONLY. THE ONLY THING WE HAVE RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE CONGRESS IS JUST NOT DOING THE
JOB TO STOP HIM, SO HE HAS NO CHECKS AND BALANCES EXCEPT US, THE PEOPLE THAT’S IT. SO THAT COUPLE PRETTY CONCERNED
AS WELL AS HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WHO ARE HERE WHO ARE
NOW MARCHING. I DO WANT TO UNDERSCORE YOU
MENTIONED IT IN THE INTRO TO
THIS STORY THAT VIOLENT CRIME OVERALL HERE
IN CHICAGO IS DOWN. THAT IS AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF
WHAT HAS HAPPENED THIS HOLIDAY
WEEKEND. SINCE FRIDAY, THE CITY OF CHICAGO HAS BEEN
TRACKING SHOOTINGS, AND THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 50
PEOPLE SHOT IN THE. CITY INCLUDING 7 PEOPLE KILLED. AMONG THE VICTIMS WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT A 14-YEAR-OLD WHO WAS INJURED AS WELL AS A 17-YEAR-OLD
WHO WAS INJURED. THE LATEST MASS SHOOTING
HAPPENED IN THE 1 HOUR THIS MORNING. SO PEOPLE HERE THAT WE SPOKE
WITH SAY YES, THEY WANT TO SEE CRIME REDUCED, BUT THEY SAY THE BEST WAY TO
FIGHT THAT IS BY RESTORING THE
FUNDING. AND I WILL POINT OUT, KATIE, I SPOKE WITH AN ORGANIZER OF A
NONPROFIT. THE CITY’S SOUTH SIDE WHO WORKS WITH VIOLENCE
PREVENTION WHEN THERE ARE TENSE
SITUATIONS IN THE CITY, HIS CREW WILL GO OUT, BUT BECAUSE OF THOSE BUDGET
CUTS, HE HAD TO CUT A THIRD OF HIS
STAFF, SAYING HE LOST MORE THAN
$500,000. OVERALL, PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THAT MONEY
RESTORED. IT’S ENOUGH. LET ME ASK YOU THIS. THE REPUBLICANS AND DONALD TRUMP
SPECIFICALLY ARE TRYING TO
ARGUE, ADRIAN, THAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE SAYING. CRIME IS OK, THAT THEY DON’T REALLY WANT TO
FIGHT CRIME, AND THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE BELIEVE
AS WELL THAT THEY BELIEVE THE
PRESIDENT WANTS TO RESTORE ORDER. DO YOU GET ANY SENSE OF THAT ON THE STREET? ARE PEOPLE BLAMING DEMOCRATS FOR
DISORDER AND LOOKING TO REPUBLICANS TO HELP
RESTORE IT? ARE THEY LOOKING AT BOTH PARTIES
AND SAYING NEITHER ONE IS VERY
SERIOUS ABOUT THIS? THEY’RE BOTH JUST PLAYING
POLITICS? ARE YOU HEARING ANYTHING AIMED AT ANYONE BEYOND
DONALD TRUMP IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO? I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT A
CONVERSATION I HAD WITH A WOMAN
HERE JUST MOMENTS AGO. I ASKED HER, WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP? SHE SAID, POINT BLANK, I DON’T HAVE A MESSAGE FOR THE
PRESIDENT. MY MESSAGE IS FOR CONGRESS. SHE SAID SHE WANTS CONGRESS TO
DO THEIR JOB, AND OTHERS HAVE SAID CONGRESS CAN TAKE A STAND AND
STOP WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS AN
OVERARCHING. OF GOVERNMENT THEY’RE BASICALLY
SAYING THE PRESIDENT IS MISUSING HIS WHAT THEY SAY
EXECUTIVE POWER, AND FOLKS HERE ARE NOT OPPOSED
TO FIGHTING CRIME. NOBODY WANTS TO SEE OR BE ON THE
MAP FOR SHOOTINGS IN THEIR CITY. THEY DO WANT THE CRIME TO
CONTINUE TO GO DOWN, BUT THEY’RE SAYING THAT THERE
ARE OTHER WAYS TO FIGHT IT. KATIE. ALL RIGHT, SO VAUGHAN, THAT AGAIN IS THE ARGUMENT FROM
THE PRESIDENT THAT THE DEMOCRATS DON’T WANT TO
FIGHT CRIME. DOES HE BELIEVE THAT HE’S GOT A
WINNING HAND ON THIS ISSUE, MAYBE NOT IN THE CITY OF
CHICAGO, BUT IS HE LOOKING TO A NATIONAL
AUDIENCE FOR THIS? WHAT’S THE MOTIVATION? RIGHT, AND HE FOUND A PARTNER, A QUASI PARTNER YOU COULD SAY, AND MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER HERE IN
WASHINGTON DC, WHOSE HANDS WERE EFFECTIVELY
TIED IN TERMS OF HER
COOPERATION, BUT JUST LAST WEEK SUGGESTING
PUBLICLY THAT THE FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DID
HELP ADDRESS CRIME HERE LOCALLY, BUT OF COURSE THAT DOES NOT
NEGATE THE OTHER CONCERNS THAT THE DC MAYOR
RAISED PUBLICLY, INCLUDING THAT WAS THE MERE
PRESENCE OF GUARD FIGURES AND MILITARY VEHICLES ON THE STREETS
OF WASHINGTON DC, MASKED INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING FROM ICE AND OTHER LAW
ENFORCEMENT, FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
THAT WERE NOT QUITE CLEAR ON THE STREETS OF WASHINGTON DC AND
WHAT IMPACT THAT HAS AT A CITY COMMUNITY LEVEL AND THAT IS WHERE YOU SAW STRONG
PUSHBACK IN REAL TIME HERE AMONG OTHERS IN DC AS WELL
AS IN LOS ANGELES, BUT THAT IS WHERE THE PRESIDENT
HERE THIS WEEKEND AND MULTIPLE
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS. SAID THAT IF PRITZKER DOES NOT
ADDRESS CRIME IN HIS CITY, THAT QUOTE WE’RE COMING, SETTING UP THE FACT THAT HE
COULD VERY WELL SEND THE
NATIONAL GUARD AND THE OTHER FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
INTO THE STREETS OF CHICAGO
IMMINENTLY, AND I THINK THAT HITS AT THE
HEART OF THE QUESTION AS TO EXACTLY WHAT IS THE GOAL AND
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE, YOU KNOW, CHRISTIE NO OVER THIS WEEKEND, KATIE SUGGESTED THAT LOS ANGELES WOULD BE GONE IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE NATIONAL
GUARD AND DONALD TRUMP. OF COURSE THAT IS SO FAR FROM
REALITY. TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE BLOCK
RADIUS WHERE THE DEMONSTRATIONS AND
WHERE THE PROTESTS WERE ACTUALLY TAKING PLACE IN
LOS ANGELES AND WHEN YOU’RE
LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW WHAT THE END GAME HERE
IS, THE ADMINISTRATION HASN’T QUITE
LAID THAT OUT UNLESS YOU’RE LEAVING THE
NATIONAL GUARD IN LONG TERM OR THE FEDERAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT. PRITZKER SUGGESTED HE WOULD BE
EAGER TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE FBI AND ATF ON SPECIFIC
CASES, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT I ASKED STEPHEN MILLER, THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF HERE
AT THE WHITE HOUSE ON FRIDAY. WHETHER HE HAD TALKED TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HIM
ABOUT POTENTIALLY INVOKING THE INSURRECTION ACT AT
SOME POINT, WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE MILITARY
TO BE USED FOR DOMESTIC LAW
ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES AND DESPITE TRYING TO
ASK HIM THAT QUESTION THREE
DIFFERENT TIMES, HE DIDN’T ANSWER AND I THINK
THAT IS HITTING AT THE HEART OF THE CONCERN OF A GREAT MANY
IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO, FOR EXAMPLE, IS IF IF A STONE IS THROWN, IF THERE IS AN ESCALATION
BETWEEN CIVILIANS AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT, THEN WHAT HAPPENS, THEN WHAT IS THE DETERMINATION
OF THE ADMINISTRATION AT THAT
POINT? YEAH, LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT UM A LITTLE
BIT MORE ON THE POLITICS OF IT. I THINK YOU LAID OUT LA AND
CHICAGO REALLY WELL. I’M GOING TO PUT UP ON OUR
SCREEN, A LIST OF THE MOST VIOLENT US
CITIES, AND A NUMBER OF THEM ARE IN RED
STATES, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, RED STATE, UM, DETROIT, MICHIGAN READ RECENTLY, YOU KNOW, LOUISIANA, MONROE, LOUISIANA, RED, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA RED, ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA RED, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, RED, CLEVELAND, OHIO, RED. UM, AND A LOT OF THESE HAVE
DEMOCRATIC MAYORS, SO IT’S A MIXED CONTROL, BUT WE’RE NOT SEEING DONALD
TRUMP USE THE MILITARY OR THREATEN THE
MILITARY IN ANY ONE OF THESE PLACES. VAUGHN, SHOULD WE EXPECT THAT TO CHANGE
OR, OR, OR ARE THERE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS INVOLVED HERE? I DON’T THINK WE HAVE ANY REASON
TO BELIEVE THAT IT’S GOING TO
CHANGE IN SHORT ORDER OR WE DON’T KNOW WHERE THIS
PRESIDENCY IS GOING TO HEAD OVER
THE NEXT 3.5 YEARS. INSTEAD, WE HAVE SEEN HIM TAKE ON
BALTIMORE AND CALLING IT A
HELLHOLE EFFECTIVELY, AND OF COURSE THE CRIME STATS IN
BALTIMORE AND THAT CITY’S JOURNEY OVER THE LAST 3 DECADES
DOESN’T REFLECT THAT EITHER. BUT LOOK, I THINK THAT NANCY MACE IS A
GOOD EXAMPLE. SHE’S NOW RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR
OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND WELL THERE’S NOT A SOUTH
CAROLINA. CITY SPECIFICALLY ON THAT TOP 10
LIST, SHE WAS ASKED ABOUT SENDING IN THE NATIONAL
GUARD AND SHE HEDGED ON HER
COMMITMENT TO AN OPENNESS TO SENDING IN TROOPS INTO THE
STREETS OF SOME OF THESE MORE
REPUBLICAN CITIES. THE SAME THING WITH SPEAKER MIKE
JOHNSON, WHO HAILS FROM LOUISIANA. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT IS
WHERE YOU HAVE SEEN A GREAT MANY
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS WHO HAVE STEPPED BACK AND NOT
BEEN AS. ON THE FEDERALIZING OF YOU KNOW, LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT HERE IN
DC, BUT ALSO WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE
FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION MOVING FORWARD
BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, AT SOME POINT FACTS ARE GOING TO RUN IN THE WAY AND
HIT AN INTERSECTION THAT RUNS PERPENDICULAR TO THAT
OF THE DISTORTED, DISTORTED PRESENTATION OF AMERICAN CITIES
THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION NOW FOR MONTHS HAS BEEN TRYING TO
PORTRAY. BARBARA, WHAT ABOUT THE LEGAL ISSUE HERE? I MEAN, IN TALKING ABOUT LOS ANGELES, CHRISTY NO CLAIMING FALSELY THAT
LA WOULDN’T BE STANDING. I THINK ANYBODY WHO KNOWS LA KNOWS THAT THAT
COULDN’T POSSIBLY BE FARTHER
FROM THE TRUTH, EVEN IF YOU DON’T THINK LA IS A
GREAT PLACE TO BE RIGHT NOW. THE IDEA THAT THOSE RIOTS WERE ANYTHING CONSUMING IN THAT CITY
IS LAUGHABLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU THINK BACK
TO BIGGER RIOTS IN LA, AND EVEN THOSE WERE RELATIVELY
CONTAINED. I’M THINKING ABOUT THE LA RIOTS
SPECIFICALLY OR EVEN THE WATTS
RIOTS. UM, LEGALLY SPEAKING THOUGH, DONALD TRUMP RAN INTO SOME
ISSUES IN CALIFORNIA, IN LOS ANGELES. IS HE GOING TO RUN INTO INTO
THOSE SAME ISSUES IN CHICAGO OR ANYWHERE ELSE? YES, KATIE, I THINK IT IS LIKELY THAT HE
WILL. YOU’LL NOTE THAT HE HASN’T
ACTUALLY DONE ANYTHING JUST YET IN CHICAGO AND THESE
OTHER CITIES, AND IT MAY BE THAT HIS LAWYERS
ARE SEARCHING FOR SOME AUTHORITY TO ALLOW HIM
TO DO THAT. HE CAN’T SIMPLY SEND THE
NATIONAL GUARD INTO VARIOUS
CITIES. IN LOS ANGELES, HE RELIED ON AN AUTHORITY THAT
ALLOWS HIM TO QUELL A REBELLION, AND EVEN THERE HE GOT SOME
PUSHBACK FROM THE COURTS THAT
SAID QUESTION HIS AUTHORITY AND
WHETHER THERE WAS A REBELLION. PLACE IN LA OR WHETHER IT WAS
SIMPLY PROTESTERS THAT COULD BE HANDLED
BY THE LOCAL POLICE IN WASHINGTON DC, HE USED A DIFFERENT AUTHORITY
THAT CREATES A VERY SPECIAL AND
UNIQUE SITUATION WITH THE CITY THAT SERVES AS THE SEAT
OF OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND SO THAT GAVE HIM SOME
AUTHORITY TO ACT THERE. BUT IN OTHER CITIES IN THE
ABSENCE OF SOME SORT OF
REBELLION OR INSURRECTION, HE CAN’T SIMPLY CALL UP THE
NATIONAL GUARD TO ENFORCE
ORDINARY CRIMINAL LAWS. THAT’S A VIOLATION OF POSSE
COMITATUS ACT, WHICH SAYS THAT WE LEAVE LAW
ENFORCEMENT TO LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND NOT
TO THE MILITARY. SO I DON’T THINK HE CAN GO INTO
THESE CITIES UNLESS THERE IS SOME SORT
OF INSURRECTION. NOW OF COURSE BY BAITING THE
PUBLIC, BY SENDING A, A STRONG SHOW OF FORCE BY ICE
AGENTS WHO DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO
BE ANYWHERE, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO ENFORCE
IMMIGRATION LAWS, THEY MIGHT IGNITE AND ESCALATE
TENSIONS SUCH THAT THERE IS SOME
SORT OF REBELLION. OR INSURRECTION THAT CAN JUSTIFY
THE USE OF FORCE. SO I WORRY THAT HE’S BAITING
CITIES INTO CREATING SOME SORT
OF SOCIAL UNREST SO THAT HE CAN SEND TROOPS IN TO
AFFECT THEM. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS IS GAMESMANSHIP BY DONALD
TRUMP. I WORKED AS US ATTORNEY IN
DETROIT AND FLINT AND OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE
VIOLENT CRIME CHALLENGES, AND I LEARNED THAT SURGES OF
POLICE MIGHT HAVE A SHORT-TERM SUCCESSFUL EFFECT
OR ZERO TOLERANCE PROGRAMS, BUT TO REALLY CHANGE AND MAKE THE MEANINGFUL
CHANGES THAT WE’RE SEEING TODAY IN A NUMBER OF
AMERICAN CITIES. YOU HAVE TO ATTACK THE ROOT
CAUSES OF VIOLENT CRIME. THAT’S POVERTY. IF DONALD TRUMP REALLY WANTED TO
DO THAT, HE WOULD NOT HAVE CANCELED THE
GRANTS THAT WERE GOING OUT TO COMMUNITY GROUPS TO
REDUCE CRIME IN APRIL. AND SO THIS TO ME IS A SHOW OF
FORCE. IT IS A POLITICAL TACTIC
DESIGNED TO SHOW THAT HE’S TOUGH
ON CRIME AND TO DEBATE DEMOCRATS INTO OPPOSING
HIM SO HE CAN PORTRAY THEM AS
SOFT ON CRIME. JOINING US NOW NBC NEWS CAPITOL
HILL CORRESPONDENT MEL ZENONA, SENIOR SCHOLAR AT THE JOHNS
HOPKINS CENTER FOR HEALTH SECURITY AT THE BLOOMBERG SCHOOL
OF PUBLIC HEALTH, DOCTOR AMISH ADALJA, AND FORMER REPUBLICAN
CONGRESSMAN CHARLIE DENT, WHO REPRESENTED THE STATE OF
PENNSYLVANIA. DOCTOR ADULJA, FIRST TO YOU, THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSION, AS MARISSA PERER WAS REPORTING
AROUND THE COVID VACCINE. AS A DOCTOR, PLEASE STRAIGHTEN IT OUT FOR US. AND THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST
CASE SCENARIO BECAUSE NO ONE KNOWS WHO SHOULD GET A
VACCINE, NO ONE KNOWS WHO TO TRUST. WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT IF
ANYBODY HAS ANY HIGH RISK CONDITION, THEY SHOULD BE GETTING THE NEW
VACCINE WHEN IT’S AVAILABLE. IF YOU ARE A PARENT OF A CHILD
AND THAT CHILD IS LESS THAN 2
YEARS OF AGE, AND THEY HAVE NO RISK FACTORS
FOR SEVERE DISEASE, EVEN WITHOUT ANY RISK FACTORS
FOR SEVERE DISEASE, AS YOU JUST HEARD, THERE IS A HIGH RATE OF
HOSPITALIZATIONS, THOSE CHILDREN GET VACCINATED. AND LASTLY, I WOULD SAY PREGNANT WOMEN ALL
NEED TO BE VACCINATED WITH EACH
PREGNANCY. THERE WILL BE BETTER GUIDANCE
COMING OUT FROM THE PROFESSIONAL
SOCIETIES, BUT THE CDC GUIDANCE IS LIKELY
TO BE VERY, VERY MUDDLED AND MORE CONFUSING, LEADING TO WHAT’S GOING ON WITH
THESE DRUGSTORES NOT ACTUALLY
OFFERING VACCINES. SO WE’RE GOING TO SEE RFK JR. MEL IN FRONT OF CONGRESS THIS
WEEK, AND HE’S GOING TO BE SITTING IN
FRONT OF A SENATE PANEL THAT
APPROVED HIM, INCLUDING BILL CASSIDY, WHO SAID YES TO HIS NOMINATION. AND SAID YES TO INSTALLING HIM
AS HHS DIRECTOR, BUT WAS VERY CRITICAL OF HIM ON
VACCINES AND BELIEVED THAT HE GOT AN
ASSURANCE FROM HIM ON VACCINES. DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW BILL
CASSIDY FEELS ABOUT THE HHS DIRECTOR
RIGHT NOW AND WHETHER HE WILL
HAVE ANY INTERESTING OR TOUGH QUESTIONS
FOR HIM LATER THIS WEEK? YEAH, I MEAN, I’M SURE IT’S GOING TO BE A
TESTY HEARING. IT’S GOING TO BE A TIME. HEARING WE SHOULD POINT OUT THAT
IT HAD ALREADY BEEN IN THE WORKS PRIOR TO THE
CDC SHAKEUP. SUPPOSEDLY THE SECRETARY IS
GOING TO COME IN AND TESTIFY ON
TRUMP’S HEALTH AGENDA, BUT NO DOUBT THE SENATORS ARE GOING TO USE
THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GRILL
HIM, THE SECRETARY, ON THE FIRINGS OF THE CDC, THE RESIGNATIONS, WHAT PRECIPITATED THAT, AS WELL AS HIS OWN VIEWS ON
VACCINES, AND I AM PARTICULARLY INTERESTED
IN WHAT REPUBLICANS LIKE. CASSIDY HAVE TO SAY WHETHER THEY
SELF-CONFIDENCE IN THE SECRETARY AND WHETHER
THEY REGRET VOTING FOR HIM BECAUSE KENNEDY DID
RENEGE ON A NUMBER OF PROMISES
THAT HE SPECIFICALLY MADE TO CASSIDY IN ORDER TO GET THAT
VOTE, THAT CRITICAL VOTE FROM CASSIDY
FOR HIS NOMINATION. OUR KRISTEN WILKER DID PRESS
ANOTHER SENATOR ON THAT
COMMITTEE, JAMES LANKFORD, A REPUBLICAN FROM OKLAHOMA, ABOUT THAT VERY QUESTION. HERE’S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. DO YOU HAVE 100% CONFIDENCE IN
SECRETARY KENNEDY, SENATOR? AND I COULD GO THROUGH SEVERAL
OF THOSE THINGS. I DON’T THINK HE’S LIMITING
ACCESS TO THE COVID VACCINE. IT’S STILL WIDELY ACCEPTED THAT
THE CHALLENGE IS, IS IT RIGHT FOR CHILDREN TO BE
ABLE TO HAVE THE COVID VACCINE? DO YOU HAVE 100% CONFIDENCE IN SECRETARY
KENNEDY? I BELIEVE HE IS WHO THE
PRESIDENT HAS PICKED. I DON’T THINK HE’S GONE A WRONG
DIRECTION ON THIS. AND SO I THINK WHAT YOU HEARD A
LITTLE BIT THERE WAS THAT
LANKFORD, LIKE MANY OTHER REPUBLICANS, IS REALLY WARY OF GETTING ON
TRUMP’S BAD SIDE, AND CASSIDY IS IN A DIFFICULT
POSITION BECAUSE HE IS FACING A
PRIMARY CHALLENGE FROM THE RIGHT. HE’S UP FOR REELECTION NEXT
YEAR, BUT OVER THE LAST WEEK HE HAS
SAID THAT HE’S GOING TO USE HIS COMMITTEE AND OTHER
COMMITTEE THAT HE SITS ON TO
CONDUCT A. OVERSIGHT. HE’S ALSO BEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA
PUSHING BACK ON THE SECRETARY, PUSHING BACK ON SOME OF THIS
ANTI-VACCINE RHETORIC. SO HE’S GOING TO BE DEFINITELY
ONE TO WATCH AS CONGRESS COMES
BACK THIS WEEK. KATIE, LET ME, CHARLIE, SHOW YOU WHAT BILL CASSIDY
REPOSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. HE WAS REPOSTING A CAROLINE
LEVITT. UM, UH, POST DISCUSSING TRUMP AND RFK
JUNIORS COMMITMENT TO RESTORING TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY
AND CREDIBILITY TO THE CDC. THEN HE ADDED THIS, UH, THE PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY ARE
RIGHT, WE NEED RADICAL TRANSPARENCY. WE NEED TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF
OUR CHILDREN, THE TWO. GO TOGETHER. I’M COMMITTED TO THE PRESIDENT’S
VISION, WHICH IS WHY THE HEALTH COMMITTEE WILL CONDUCT OVERSIGHT. SO ARE YOU, WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION FOR NOT
THE DEMOCRATS? I KNOW WHERE THE DEMOCRATS ARE
GOING TO GO, BUT WHERE THE REPUBLICANS ARE
GOING TO GO, GIVEN THAT TWEET, GIVEN WHAT YOU JUST HEARD FROM JAMES LANKFORD. WELL, IT’S, IT STRIKES ME THAT MOST
REPUBLICANS, IF YOU WERE TO TALK TO THEM
PRIVATELY, WOULD TELL YOU THAT RFK JR. IS A DISASTER. UH, THEY, THEY, MOST REPUBLICANS THAT I KNOW
SUPPORT VACCINES FOR POLIO, FOR MEASLES, FOR COVID, AND FOR THE FLU. AND WE HAVE AN NHHS SECRETARY WHO DOESN’T SEEM TO SUPPORT
THOSE THINGS OR IS VERY UH HALF-HEARTED IN HIS, UH HIS SUPPORT, UH, WHICH IS TROUBLING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT TO
TRUST. WHAT THEY’RE HEARING FROM THE
CDC AND HHS, WHICH HAS BEEN THE GOLD STANDARD FOR A VERY LONG TIME. IT’S NOT JUST PEOPLE IN THE
UNITED STATES WHO LOOK TO US FOR GUIDANCE ON
MATTERS OF HEALTH. IT’S PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
WHO DON’T HAVE CDCS WHO NEED THIS TYPE OF
EXPERTISE, AND THE FACT THAT THERE’S THIS
ASSAULT ON ALL THESE FOLKS AT
THE CDC WHO HAVE DOCTOR BEHIND THEIR. SUGGESTS THAT WE ARE MOVING AWAY FROM
SCIENCE AND DATA AND EVIDENCE AND
TOWARDS SOMETHING THAT’S MUCH MORE TROUBLING AND
UNSCIENTIFIC. SO LET ME UNDERSTAND THE
MOTIVATION WHEN YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT NOT JUST THIS
COVID VACCINE, YOU’RE TALKING MORE BROADLY
ABOUT VACCINES, VACCINES THAT HAVE SAVED
PEOPLE’S KIDS’ LIVES, VACCINES THAT HAVE SAVED KIDS
FROM, FROM HORRIBLE, UM, NOT DEFORMITIES, HORRIBLE UH UH UM UH UH UH. WHAT’S THE WORD I’M LOOKING FOR, DOCTOR, NOT DISEASES, ETC. FROM, FROM HORRIBLE, HORRIBLY PAINFUL LIVES, UH, POLIO, ETC. WHAT IS THE THINKING OF
REPUBLICANS WHO WILL TELL YOU PRIVATELY THEY THINK THIS IS
A BAD IDEA, BUT PUBLICLY THEY’LL SAY OK TO
IT AND THEN KEEP CONTINUE TO PUT THESE KIDS’
LIVES IN DANGER. I DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT I THINK A LOT OF THEM WOULD
LOVE TO SEE RFK JR FIRED. I, I, I JUST HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT. I MEAN, AND BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW, JUST TALK TO WHY WOULDN’T THEY
NOT COME OUT AND GRILL HIM ON
CAPITOL HILL AND, AND DEMAND THAT I HOPE THEY DO
THIS WEEK. KENNEDY HAS CERTAINLY PROVIDED
THEM AN OPENING, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, TALK TO MITCH MCCONNELL ABOUT
POLIO VACCINATIONS. YOU KNOW, HE EXPERIENCED POLIO AS A CHILD. HE’S BEEN, I THINK, PRETTY OUTSPOKEN, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME OTHERS. I MEAN, GEORGE WASHINGTON, FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, WAS TRYING TO IMMUNIZE HIS SOLDIERS DURING. THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR FROM
SMALLPOX. I MEAN, SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE SCIENCE OF VACCINATIONS I
THOUGHT WAS SETTLED, AND I’M SAYING THIS IS A
NON-SCIENTIST. MY DAUGHTER’S A PHYSICIAN, BY THE WAY, BUT I JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I AM
JUST AS A REPUBLICAN, I AM JUST DISTURBED THAT WE ARE THAT WE ARE SOMEHOW
IGNORING EXPERTS AND WE ARE IGNORING REAL DATA
AND SCIENCE AND IN EXCHANGE FOR
A GUY WHO’S BEEN A DEMOCRAT HIS
WHOLE LIFE AND WHO’S BEEN
PUSHING, YOU KNOW, QUACKERY AND FRANKLY A TRIAL
LAWYER AGENDA. IT’S NOT JUST, AS I SAID, DOCTOR ADOLJA WITH THE COVID
VACCINE, IT’S VACCINES MORE BROADLY. WHAT ARE WE SEEING ACROSS THE SPECTRUM? WELL, BASICALLY THIS IS A WHOLESALE
ASSAULT ON VACCINES. SECRETARY KENNEY DOESN’T EVEN
BELIEVE IN THE GERM THEORY OF
DISEASE, SO HE DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT
THERE’S ANY VALUE TO VACCINES. AND WHAT HE’S DOING IS BASICALLY
DISMANTLING THE ENTIRE VACCINE ECOSYSTEM WITH THE
TREMENDOUS POWER HE HAS AS HHS SECRETARY, AND HE’S DOING IT VERY
DELIBERATELY AND TACTICALLY. HE’S TAKING A TAKING IT APART
PIECE BY PIECE TO MAKE IT REALLY
HOSTILE, UH, FOR VACCINE. DEVELOPERS OR ANYBODY THAT WANTS
TO GET A VACCINE, AND I THINK WHAT WE’RE GOING TO
SEE IS THIS COMING BACK TO TO HAUNT US. WE ALREADY HAVE RECORD BREAKING
MEASLES CASES ALREADY WITH 3 DEATHS IN THE UNITED
STATES. WE WILL SEE INCREASES IN OTHER
VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASES AS PEOPLE DON’T GET VACCINES OR
TURN AWAY FROM VACCINES, AND HE’S DISMANTLING THE CDC AND
MAKING IT PROBABLY WHAT WILL BE AN ORGAN FOR ANTI-VACCINE
DISINFORMATION WHEN HE INSTALLS
HIS CRONIES THERE. SO THIS IS A REALLY, REALLY HORRIBLE TIME WHEN IT
COMES TO INFECTIOUS DISEASE
PREPAREDNESS. IF WE ARE TO GET ANOTHER
INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAK, EPIDEMIC, PANDEMIC, WE’RE NOT GOING TO SEE ANYTHING
LIKE OPERATION WARP SPEED. IT’S GOING TO BE A DISASTER WITH
RFK JR. AT THE HELM, AND IT’S AMAZING BECAUSE
OPERATION WARP SPEED WAS
SPEARHEADED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP. IT WAS A SIGNATURE ACHIEVEMENT
BY HIM AND INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, TOUTING IT AND SAYING, LOOK WHAT I DID, I GOT THIS VACCINE OUT THERE. I RUSHED IT THROUGH AND IT WAS, IT WAS, IT SAVED LIVES, IT WAS EFFECTIVE. HE’S NOW DONE A COMPLETE 180 ON
IT AND, AND CLAIMS THAT IT’S DANGEROUS
AND WANTS TO SEE THE DATA THAT AGAIN EVERYONE HAS
ALREADY SEEN. MEL ZENONA, UH, DOCTOR ADALJA AND UH CHARLIE
DENT, THANK YOU, CHARLIE, DON’T GO ANYMORE. JOINING US NOW, RANKING MEMBER OF THE HOUSE
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESSMAN ROBERT GARCIA. CONGRESSMAN, THANKS FOR BEING WITH US ON A
HOLIDAY. UM, MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMITTEE WILL
MEET PRIVATELY TOMORROW WITH VICTIMS OF JEFFREY
EPSTEIN. HERE’S WHAT CHAIR COMER SAID
ABOUT THAT. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS
COOPERATING WITH US. WE’RE BRINGING IN THE FAMILIES
AND THE ATTORNEYS OF THE VICTIMS TUESDAY AFTERNOON TO
TALK TO THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE. THIS WILL BE REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS BECAUSE WE’RE GOING TO MAKE THIS
INFORMATION PUBLIC. THAT’S WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
WANT. WE TRAVEL AROUND ALL OF OUR
DISTRICTS. THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
PEOPLE ASK WHEN WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE THE
EPSTEIN FILES? BUT IT’S VERY COMPLICATED
BECAUSE THERE ARE VICTIMS OF THE
EPSTEIN FILES, AND WE WANT TO LISTEN TO THOSE
VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR ATTORNEYS TO SEE HOW BEST
CAN WE PRESENT THIS INFORMATION. SO COMER THERE SEEMS TO SUGGEST
THAT THIS WILL BE A BIPARTISAN APPROACH IN
SPEAKING WITH THE VICTIMS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BEST
HANDLE THEIR INFORMATION. DO DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS
AGREE ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE TRANSPARENT IN THIS
SITUATION? DO YOU SEE A BIPARTISAN EFFORT
HERE? I, I MEAN, LOOK, THERE’S BEEN SOME BIPARTISANSHIP
UH WHEN DEMOCRATS FORCED THE RELEASE OF THE
EPSTEIN FILES, AND WE ACTUALLY GOT A FEW
REPUBLICANS TO VOTE WITH US BECAUSE THEY
REALLY WEREN’T INTERESTED AND HAD NOT BEEN INTERESTED IN
TRANSPARENCY. UM, I WILL BE THERE WITH CHAIRMAN
COMER. UH, THERE’LL BE OTHER DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS AS WE LISTEN TO THE
VICTIMS. UH, I’VE SAID FROM DAY ONE, THEY HAVE TO BE CENTERED IN WHAT
IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. THERE HAVE BEEN HORRIFIC CRIMES. SEXUAL ABUSE, TRAFFICKING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO
THESE WOMEN, IN SOME CASES CHILDREN, AND SO WE ARE VERY FOCUSED ON
TRANSPARENCY FOR THE AMERICAN
PUBLIC. WE DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY ATTORNEY
GENERAL BONDI, WHY THE WHITE HOUSE CONTINUE TO STONEWALL THE FULL
RELEASE OF THE DOCUMENTS. WE HAVE SENT THE SUBPOENA OUT. THOSE DOCUMENTS SHOULD BE IN OUR
HAND. NOW THIS WEEK. WE’RE GOING TO HEAR FROM A LOT
OF THE ACTUAL VICTIMS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. IT’S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT THAT
PEOPLE REMEMBER THE HORRIFIC TRAGEDY AND
VIOLENCE THAT THEY ALL ENDURED. IT IS IMPORTANT AND TO THAT
POINT, ROHANA, THEY’RE TEASING THAT EXPLOSIVE
PRESS CONFERENCE THAT WE MAY SEE
ON WEDNESDAY. HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT THESE VICTIMS ARE NOT BEING
ESSENTIALLY EXPLOITED FOR POLITICAL GAIN BY
EITHER PARTY? I, I LOOK, I THINK THAT’S OBVIOUSLY REALLY
IMPORTANT. WE HAVE BEEN THE OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE, CERTAINLY THOSE OF US, UM, DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY
CAREFULLY, UH, WITH THE FAMILIES, WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF ANY
VICTIMS. ROANNA, OF COURSE, IS A MEMBER OF OUR COMMITTEE, AND SO WE’RE ALL WORKING AT THE
END OF THE DAY TO ENSURE THAT WE
GET JUSTICE. FOR THE VICTIMS AND THAT MOST
IMPORTANTLY, THEY ARE PROTECTED IN THE WAYS
THAT THEY NEED TO BE PROTECTED. AND SO THAT HAS BEEN OUR FOCUS AND WE’VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR
TRANSPARENCY. WE DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY THE WHITE HOUSE CONTINUES TO
COVER THIS UP AND WHY DONALD TRUMP AFTER
CAMPAIGNING YEARS ON THIS TOPIC, HAS NOW FLIP-FLOPPED. AND SO I HOPE THAT. WORK THAT HAPPENS THIS WEEK THAT THE STORIES THAT EVERYONE’S
GOING TO HEAR FROM THE VICTIMS AT THE PRESS
CONFERENCE AT THE ROUNDTABLE THAT WE’RE
HAVING TOMORROW, I HOPE THAT MOTIVATES NOT JUST
THE WHITE HOUSE BUT OUR
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES TO FULLY SUPPORT BIPARTISAN
TRANSPARENCY AS IT RELATES TO
THE FILES. THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HAS ALSO
NOW REQUESTED SUSPICIOUS. ACTIVITY REPORTS FROM THE
TREASURY DEPARTMENT RELATED TO
JEFFREY EPSTEIN. THESE SARS, AS THEY’RE CALLED, HAVE TO DO WITH RED FLAGS THAT
MAY HAVE BEEN MISSED IN EPSTEIN’S FINANCIAL
TRANSACTIONS. WHAT DO YOU HOPE MAYBE LEARN
FROM THEM? AND IS THIS JUST ANOTHER
CONTINUATION OF THE DRIP, DRIP, DRIP OF INFORMATION THAT WE ARE
GETTING AS OPPOSED TO JUST THE
FULL DUMP OF THE FILES? AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK THAT WHAT WE WANT ARE
THE FULL FILES, AND THAT CLEARLY CONTINUES TO BE
STONEWALLED. I APPRECIATE ANY ADDITIONAL EFFORTS THAT WE
CAN ACHIEVE IN RELATES TO
TRANSPARENCY. THE MORE THAT WE CAN GET, THE MORE DOCUMENTS IF THERE ARE
CONCERNS, AND CERTAINLY I SHARE THOSE AROUND THE WAY THIS CASE HAS
BEEN HANDLED, AND CERTAINLY THIS CONCERNS THE
WAY ALEX ACOSTA, TRUMP’S FORMER LABOR SECRETARY, WHO PUT TOGETHER JEFFREY
EPSTEIN’S. ORIGINAL SWEETHEART DEAL, HOW THAT ALL CAME TO BE, WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS KNOWN, WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR POSSESSION
AS IT RELATES TO DOCUMENTS, ALL OF THAT INFORMATION SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE
PUBLIC. WHEN I HAVE BEEN HOME THE LAST FEW DAYS, AND I’M TALKING TO FOLKS HERE IN
THE COMMUNITY, EVERYONE IS ASKING ME, WHEN ARE THE FULL FILES GONNA BE
RELEASED. THEY DON’T CARE WHO’S ON THE
LIST. THEY DON’T CARE HOW POWERFUL
THOSE PEOPLE ARE OR WHAT POLITICAL PARTY THAT
THEY’RE IN, THEY JUST WANT JUSTICE FOR THE
VICTIMS AND THEY WANT THE TRUTH. ALL RIGHT, AND I KNOW THAT YOU’VE BEEN
PUSHING TO GET THAT SO-CALLED
BIRTHDAY BOOK PUBLISHED IN YOUR HANDS. WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO GLEAN
FROM THAT? PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID THAT
THOSE ALLEGED DRAWINGS THAT HE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE SENT TO
JEFFREY EPSTEIN WERE FAKE, THAT THAT HE DIDN’T DO THAT. SO WHAT DO YOU HOPE IS IN THAT
BIRTHDAY BOOK THAT YOU MAY GLEAN SOME
MORE INFORMATION FROM? WELL, I MEAN, TO BE CLEAR, THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DRAWING AND NOTE THAT HE
WROTE TO EPSTEIN DOESN’T EXIST. UH, WE KNOW IT EXISTS. IT’S BEEN, IT’S BEEN REPORTED ON, UH, IT IS APPARENTLY IN, IN THIS BOOK AND OTHER
DOCUMENTS, AND SO FROM WHAT WE UNDERSTAND, WE’LL BE RECEIVING UM THAT
BIRTHDAY BOOK AND NOTE AS WELL
AS OTHER DOCUMENTS WITHIN ABOUT A WEEK. AND SO AROUND SEPTEMBER 8TH IS, IS THE DATE THAT WE HAVE BEEN
TOLD AND SO WE’RE GLAD THE EPSTEATE IS. MOVING FORWARD AND PRODUCING
THESE DOCUMENTS, AND I THINK THAT DONALD TRUMP
CLEARLY IS BEING CAUGHT IN
ANOTHER LIE. IF WE’RE GOING TO A BOOK IS
GOING TO BE PRODUCED, WE’RE GOING TO RELEASE IT TO THE
PUBLIC THAT HE’S SAYING DOESN’T
EXIST. AND SO WE’RE ALL KIND OF
ANTICIPATING THAT RELEASE THE WEEK. AS I’M SURE YOU KNOW, POLITICO IS REPORTING THAT FBI
DIRECTOR CASH PATEL AND ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI
ARE EXPECTED TO TESTIFY BEFORE A HOUSE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE IN THE COMING WEEKS. WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR COLLEAGUES
ARE GOING TO ASK THEM? I’M GLAD TO SEE IT, AND EVERYONE SHOULD BE ASKING, PARTICULARLY UH PAM BONDI, THE SAME QUESTION. ATTORNEY GENERAL, YOU SAID YOU HAD THE EPSTEIN
FILES ON YOUR DESK, THAT THEY HAD BEEN REVIEWED. WHY THE HUGE TURNAROUND? WHY THE COVER UP? WHY COMPLETELY JUST CHANGE YOUR
POSITION ON THE RELEASE? AND I THINK THAT THE FBI
DIRECTOR, UH, IN, IN THE SAME FASHION IN SOMEONE
THAT’S BEEN CALLING FOR THE
RELEASE OF THE FILES, A FREE. YEARS BEFORE HE WAS IN THE
GOVERNMENT AND SO THEY SHOULD
ALIGN WITH THEIR POSITION THAT THEY’VE
HAD FOR YEARS THAT HAD BEEN
DONALD TRUMP’S, WHICH IS A FULL RELEASE OF THE
EPSTEIN FILES. THAT IS WHAT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC
ARE DEMANDING AND THAT’S
CERTAINLY WHAT THOSE OF US ON THE OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE ARE DEMANDING AS WELL. CONGRESSMAN, WHY DO YOU THINK THE FILES
HAVEN’T BEEN RELEASED YET? WELL, OBVIOUSLY SOMEONE’S TRYING TO
HIDE SOMETHING. I MEAN, THE WHITE HOUSE CLEARLY DOESN’T
WANT THE FILES RELEASED BECAUSE THERE’S
INFORMATION IN THERE THAT THEY DON’T WANT OUT TO THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC. AND WHAT THAT IS, WHO THAT INVOLVES, I THINK ARE THE QUESTIONS, AND I THINK THAT THE AMERICAN
PUBLIC DESERVES THE ANSWERS. WHY ALL OF THIS COVER UP IS WHAT
I, WHAT I, A LOT, A LOT OF US ARE ASKING
OURSELVES, WE DON’T UNDERSTAND. AND SO IT’S TIME TO RELEASE THE
FILES. PAM BONDI HAS THEM. I, I HOPE SHE’S ASKED THOSE
QUESTIONS. WHEN SHE APPEARS IN FRONT OF THE SENATE AND CERTAINLY THIS WEEK WE’LL HEAR FROM ALL
THE VICTIMS AND OF COURSE UPLIFT WHATEVER THEY
HAVE TO SAY. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE CRITICS
WHO WANT YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES
TO FOCUS ON THOSE BREAD AND BUTTER ISSUES
THAT AMERICANS ARE DEALING WITH HIGHER PRICES
FOR THINGS, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THE
COST OF LIVING AND HOUSING
PRICES? WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM, AND THEY FEEL LIKE THIS MAY BE
SOMEWHAT OF A DISTRACTION TO SCORE POLITICAL
POINTS ON BOTH SIDES. I MEAN, LOOK, I THINK WHAT’S, WHAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT, AND THE AMERICAN PUBLIC KNOWS
THIS, THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE
RIGHT NOW, OF COURSE, IS LOWERING THE COST FOR THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC. IT’S ENSURING THAT PEOPLE HAVE
ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. I MEAN, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT AND THAT
MATTER. THE SAME TIME, THIS ISSUE IS ABOUT TRUST, AND IT’S ABOUT THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES BETRAYING THE TRUST OF
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. AND IF DONALD TRUMP IS GONNA
BETRAY YOU ON A KEY CAMPAIGN PROMISE AS RELATES
TO THE EPSOM FILES, HE’S GONNA BETRAY YOU BY TAKING
AWAY YOUR HEALTHCARE, AND, AND HE’S DONE THAT FOR 17
MILLION AMERICANS ON MEDICAID. HE’S GONNA BETRAY YOU BY NOT
ACTUALLY LOWERING COSTS BY COSTS
CONTINUING TO SKYROCKET. AND SO I THINK ALL OF THESE
ISSUES MATTER, AND CERTAINLY WHEN I’M NOT
TALKING TO THE PUBLIC, THEY’RE NOT JUST ABOUT HEALTH CARE, BUT THEY’RE ASKING ABOUT TRUST
IN GOVERNMENT AND THE EPSON
FILE. SO I THINK IT’S ALL IMPORTANT. AND ONE OF THE OTHER ISSUES
THAT’S CLEARLY IN FRONT AND CENTER HERE BEFORE YOU GO IS
DHS SECRETARY CHRISTIE NOME IS NOW PREVIEWING WHAT LIKELY
WHAT IT MAY LOOK LIKE WHEN WE SEE A FEDERAL
INTERVENTION IN CITIES LIKE
CHICAGO. LET’S LISTEN TO HER AND I WANT
YOUR REACTION. THERE’S A LOT OF CITIES THAT ARE
DEALING WITH CRIME AND VIOLENCE
RIGHT NOW, AND SO WE HAVEN’T TAKEN ANYTHING
OFF THE TABLE. WE’VE BEEN MAKING SURE THAT WE
HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE
EQUIPMENT TO GO IN. I WON’T SPEAK TO THE SPECIFICS
OF THE OPERATIONS THAT ARE
PLANNED IN OTHER CITIES, BUT I DO KNOW THAT LA WOULDN’T
BE STANDING TODAY IF PRESIDENT TRUMP HADN’T TAKEN
ACTION. THEN THAT CITY WOULD HAVE BURNED
DOWN IF LEFT TO THE DEVICES OF THE MAYOR AND THE
GOVERNOR OF THAT STATE. YOUR REACTION? I SEE YOU SMIRKING THERE. I, I MEAN, I, IT, IT’S, IT’S HARD NOT TO, I MEAN, IS THAT A JOKE? I, I MEAN, IT JUST COMPLETELY OUTRAGEOUS
AND OUT OF TOUCH. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, I MEAN, LOS ANGELES, BESIDES HAVING SEEN DECREASES OVER THE LAST 1020, 30 YEARS OVERALL IN CRIME, THE FACT THAT THAT LA WOULDN’T
HAVE BEEN STANDING HAD DONALD TRUMP NOT
INTERVENTED IS, IS, IS JUST IS A FABRICATION. THEY ALL THEY. DO IS THEY LOOK AT THE TV AND
THEY LIE. AND I THINK PEOPLE KNOW ACROSS HERE AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY THAT THE NATIONAL GUARD AND THE
MILITARY SHOULDN’T BE SENT INTO
CITIES. WHAT CITIES WANT IS SUPPORT. THEY WANT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO
HIRE MORE POLICE OFFICERS FOR
MORE PARK SPACE, FOR LIBRARIES, AND CERTAINLY AT THIS MOMENT RIGHT NOW WHEN
THESE ICE RAIDS ARE HAPPENING ACROSS
CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. EVERYONE AGREES THAT YES, WE DON’T WANT, OF COURSE, CRIMINALS. IF YOU’RE HERE AND YOU’RE A
CRIMINAL, YOU SHOULDN’T BE IN THIS
COUNTRY. WE UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT’S HAPPENING. MOST OF THE PEOPLE BEING RIGHT
NOW DETAINED OR ABDUCTED, DON’T HAVE CRIMINAL HISTORIES. THEY ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING
AT OUR CAR WASHES, AT OUR RESTAURANTS, AT OUR HOTELS. THESE ARE HARD WORKING PEOPLE, AND WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW
IS SHAMEFUL. CONGRESSMAN ROBERT GARCIA, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SPENDING
SOME TIME WITH US.

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