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PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton Season 2025 Episode 67
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SportsTranscript
00:00Good evening and welcome to Politics Nation.
00:04Tonight's lead, full court press.
00:17Tonight, the Trump administration is licking its wounds
00:21after the president's maximalist second-term agenda
00:26suffered some significant legal setbacks.
00:30A panel of federal appeals court judges said yesterday
00:34Trump overstepped his authority by invoking emergency powers
00:39to impose sweeping tariffs.
00:42In another federal ruling, Friday a judge blocked
00:46first-and-fast-track deportations,
00:49a key pillar of Trump's crackdown on immigration.
00:53In spite of these rebukes, the White House is moving ahead
00:56with operations in major American cities
01:00with Democratic leaderships.
01:02ICE is reportedly planning a surge of immigration enforcement
01:06in Chicago.
01:08We have breaking news tonight as Mayor Brandon Johnson
01:11outlines how his city is prepared to respond
01:15as the administration continues to threaten
01:18to send the National Guard and other forces
01:21into the Windy City and others for a crime crackdown.
01:26Many in the community warn will be unwanted and unwelcomed.
01:33We start tonight with a congressman from Chicago,
01:37Illinois Representative Jonathan Jackson, a Democrat.
01:41Thank you for joining us, Congressman.
01:43Let's start with the Trump plan of mass deportation plans.
01:48Despite the latest court ruling,
01:51the administration is still planning to ramp up
01:54ICE's operations in Chicago as early as next week.
01:58Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who will be on our show tomorrow,
02:03he today signed an executive order ensuring
02:05the police department remains under city control
02:09and barring officers from wearing masks,
02:12hiding their identities,
02:14or coordinating with federal and military units in the city.
02:18The Trump administration, meanwhile,
02:20is reportedly considering using a naval base
02:23outside of the city as a staging area for mass detentions.
02:28Take a listen to Trump's border czar, Tom Holman,
02:32being interviewed about what's coming.
02:36When you get pushback as you head into Chicago
02:39from people like Mayor Johnson,
02:42what's your message to the mayor?
02:45Get out of the way,
02:47because we're going to do it.
02:50What do you make, Congressman,
02:52what do you make of the administration's attitude
02:54toward duly elected representatives of your city?
02:59Well, a conversation would certainly be welcomed
03:02on addressing violent crime and the causes.
03:06Mr. Trump seems to be attacking the symptoms
03:10as opposed to the root causes and the disease.
03:13If you would come to Chicago
03:15and if you would collaborate and talk with our governor,
03:18our county board president, our mayor,
03:20and he could see the work that has been taking place
03:22and the enormous obstacles that have had to been,
03:26that have to have been overcome
03:27to deal with the social inequalities of income,
03:31of the racial segregation and division,
03:34those legacy issues that still are playing out
03:37in the health care system and the education system
03:40and even in our justice system.
03:42We could use some federal assistance
03:45for our transportation system.
03:46The greatest link between transit,
03:48between welfare and work,
03:50is the transit system.
03:52Many urban centers are now facing a budget gap
03:55in the funding for its mass transportation.
03:58So we're all on the same page
04:00trying to go in the same way.
04:01But this attitude of being authoritarian,
04:04of being a dictator, of gangsterism,
04:06we know what it is and we don't want it.
04:08It will not be helpful.
04:10Well, the officials there may be on the same page,
04:13but it appears the president is reading
04:15from a different book.
04:17But beyond the immigration actions,
04:19the White House continues to threaten
04:21to send federal troops into Chicago
04:23over the objection of Illinois Governor J.B. Pricksker,
04:27who has warned that forces who break the law
04:31at Trump's discretion
04:33could face state and local charges.
04:36What are your biggest concerns
04:37about where this situation seems to be headed?
04:41Well, earlier this year,
04:42as a member of Congress,
04:43I went with my colleagues,
04:45Roger Krishnamurthy,
04:46congressman,
04:47to visit an ICE reporting facility
04:49who were denied access,
04:51having our congressional responsibilities,
04:53our authority to have oversight.
04:55I went with Congressman Chuy Garcia
04:58and Congressman Dalia Ramirez.
05:00We went to another ICE detention facility
05:02only to be turned away.
05:04The men were hiding their faces.
05:06They have unmasked vans
05:07or snatching people off of the streets.
05:10It's not helpful.
05:11It's traumatizing children, families.
05:13You've got law-abiding citizens.
05:15We need to talk about immigration
05:16and the whole package.
05:18This is only creating more hostility.
05:20This does not bring people together.
05:23It's not productive.
05:23And I think what he's going to end up doing
05:26by creating this sort of thing,
05:27he's trying to be a provocateur.
05:30He's trying to create more rift
05:32in between our police department
05:34and the communities of color.
05:36We've already seen this mass deployment.
05:39It's not been constructed.
05:40And if you look at the cost of it,
05:42which he has not bothered to talk about,
05:44what is this costing us
05:45as opposed to solving the problem?
05:47We could be building more housing
05:48with this level that he's putting in policing.
05:51If they were to pay our teachers
05:52with these paying these new ICE officials
05:55$50,000 signing bonuses
05:57and $60,000, $70,000 entry-level positions,
06:00we would have the best funded education system
06:03in the world.
06:04Yeah.
06:04And we're paying for taxpayer dollars
06:07or paying for their own rights to be denied.
06:10But switching now to the tariff ruling,
06:13the tariffs are still in place for now.
06:18But the matter appears to be headed
06:20to the Supreme Court.
06:22The numbers suggest Americans
06:23could already be feeling the impact
06:26of Trump's trade policies.
06:28Inflation rose 3% in July,
06:31according to data released Friday.
06:33That's the highest level since February.
06:36What are your thoughts about the decision
06:38and what comes next for Trump's trade wars?
06:42Well, it's an absolute disaster.
06:46I think this will be the undoing of the president.
06:49Unfortunately, his base has looked past
06:51many of the crimes and other things
06:53that have been associated with his presidency.
06:56And now you're going to see
06:57that he prides himself
06:58on being this great negotiator.
07:01Negotiator of what?
07:02The United States Congress is clear
07:04and the Constitution has the authority
07:07to regulate tariffs.
07:08You should not have the president
07:10to be the commander-in-chief
07:12in charge of the Justice Department now,
07:14in charge of the tariffs.
07:16He puts on a tariff unilaterally one day,
07:19takes it off whimsically the next day.
07:21Businesses cannot plan.
07:22It's been terribly disruptive.
07:24And it's a global world,
07:25and you can't undo it by yourself.
07:27People are now in Canada getting watermelons,
07:30not from Mississippi and Arkansas
07:31and South Carolina.
07:32They're getting watermelons in Canada
07:35from Mexico.
07:37We have to send pork out of Illinois
07:39or across the Mexican border
07:40three to four times
07:41in order to cure it,
07:43to labor, to pack it,
07:44to send it back up.
07:45We have to get cashmere out of Mongolia.
07:48We have to get raw materials
07:50and critical minerals from China.
07:52It's a global economy.
07:55This is a tax on the American people.
07:57Inflation has already kicked in.
07:59The economist Mark Zandy
08:01has been very, very clear.
08:02The bottom third of the American economy
08:04is feeling the brunt
08:05of these policies right now.
08:07It's driving up the cost of our housing.
08:09It's going to drive up
08:09the cost of our insurance.
08:11It's going to drive up
08:11the cost of our health care.
08:12It's going to drive up
08:13the cost of everyday items.
08:15It's driving up our food costs.
08:16You can see this in the produce section
08:18at the grocery stores today.
08:20This has been a disaster
08:21and it's only going to increase.
08:23This has already started happening.
08:27We're not talking about in the future.
08:28We're seeing these prices going up now.
08:31The Trump administration
08:32reportedly wants to cancel
08:34$5 billion in foreign aid
08:37using something called
08:39a pocket recession.
08:41These recessions are cancellations
08:43of spending already approved
08:45by Congress.
08:46And Democrats are warning
08:48the tactic is making
08:49a government shutdown fight
08:51more likely to come
08:52in late September.
08:54Can you explain for our viewers
08:56what's going on?
08:57Right.
08:59So we're going to have
08:59our federal budget to come out
09:01by September 30th.
09:02And it's going to probably have to go
09:04to a continuing resolution.
09:06But there's no trust
09:07between the branches of government.
09:09Even if you look at Senator Murkowski,
09:11who voted with President Trump
09:13to try to get certain agreements
09:15for the state of Alaska.
09:16And then he unilaterally rescinded
09:18all the things that he had agreed
09:19to with her.
09:20When you look at the everyday cost
09:22of goods that are going up,
09:24you're beginning to see
09:25how this recession is different
09:28because the federal government now,
09:30in times that are hard,
09:31should be expanding,
09:33not decreasing.
09:34When times are good,
09:35the federal government
09:35should be decreasing
09:36and not expanding.
09:37It should go counter-cyclical.
09:39But now this is hitting
09:40the poorest people in the country.
09:42Look at what's going to happen
09:43with the automotive industry,
09:44for example.
09:45We get our parts
09:47from around the world.
09:48And now that he's raising
09:49tariffs on them,
09:51if you have a car accident
09:52and you have to get
09:53a new fender,
09:53a new bumper,
09:54the insurance company
09:55is going to have to pay more.
09:57And so they're going to have
09:57to charge you more
09:58to insure your car.
10:00This is going to happen
10:01with fewer people
10:02that are able to be parts
10:04of the health care insurance
10:07because he's borrowed back
10:08those subsidies.
10:10So all our health care insurance
10:11is going to go up.
10:12Everyday pocketbooks
10:13are beginning to feel it.
10:14Farm workers
10:16and the farming community
10:17right here in the state
10:18of Illinois.
10:19Every time he's done this
10:20before in 2016,
10:23what did we see happen?
10:24One third of our exports
10:26were going towards China
10:28and soybean and corn.
10:31And the Chinese started
10:32investing into Brazil
10:34and to their farming communities.
10:36And after he left office,
10:37we never recovered
10:38from that market share.
10:40So he's going to hurt
10:41the farmers in the red states,
10:43the blue states.
10:43He's going to hurt farmers
10:44everywhere.
10:45It's a complete disaster.
10:47And many of those farmers
10:48voted for him.
10:49Some of them are saying,
10:50now that's not what I voted for.
10:52Thank you for being with us,
10:54Illinois Congressman Jonathan Jackson.
10:57Joining me now
10:57is the Democratic Mayor
10:59of Oakland, California,
11:01the Honorable Barbara Lee.
11:03Mayor Lee,
11:03we just discussed Chicago.
11:06Your city of Oakland
11:07is also on the administration's
11:09crosshairs
11:10for an anti-crime crackdown.
11:12The president has mentioned
11:14your city by name,
11:16even though the crime rate
11:17is down around 30 percent
11:19from last year.
11:21Have you heard anything
11:22directly from the White House
11:24ahead of this,
11:26any kind of operation?
11:28Reverend,
11:28nice to be with you.
11:29I have not heard anything
11:31from the White House.
11:32And we know
11:33that Donald Trump
11:35trashed Oakland
11:36like he trashed other cities
11:37with, you know,
11:38large black and brown populations,
11:40most of which
11:40whom have black mayors.
11:42But we also know
11:44that the crime rate
11:47is coming down.
11:48We still, of course,
11:50any city have crime,
11:52but we're on the right trajectory.
11:54It is coming down.
11:55And we're working
11:56very closely
11:57with our police department,
11:59Department of Violence Prevention,
12:00Cease Fire,
12:01our human trafficking initiative
12:02to continue on this trajectory.
12:05When you look at the states
12:06actually where these cities
12:08are located,
12:0913 out of 20 of these states
12:11are Republican-led
12:12that have higher homicide rates.
12:14And so what in the world
12:15is he talking about?
12:16You know,
12:16this is disinformation,
12:18misinformation.
12:19And what he's trying to do
12:20is set up the framework
12:22and set the stage
12:23for military intervention
12:24and occupation
12:25to provoke chaos
12:27and to create havoc.
12:28We're not going to let that happen.
12:30We're here.
12:31We've got our plan in place.
12:32And should he make these decisions,
12:34we're ready.
12:36Now, you've recently marked
12:37100 days in office.
12:39And while the changes you've made
12:41seem to have made impact,
12:43according to data from the FBI
12:45examining each city's murder
12:47and property crime rates,
12:49Oakland still ranks among
12:50as the second most dangerous place
12:53in the country.
12:54And police retention in the city
12:56has been a big problem for Oakland.
12:58The department says
13:00there are 300 officers short
13:02of what they need
13:03on the streets.
13:04Trump sending in
13:05the National Guard
13:06for 30 days
13:07doesn't seem like
13:08it would bring
13:09long-lasting change
13:11to this situation.
13:12What would actually help
13:14since you've already
13:15started bringing
13:16some things down?
13:18Yes, Robert.
13:18Now, those statistics
13:19aren't the correct statistics.
13:20When you look at
13:21the FBI report,
13:23Oakland,
13:23in the scheme of things,
13:24is number 17
13:25or number 18
13:26on its list.
13:27So there's a lot
13:28of misinformation
13:28and disinformation
13:30about Oakland.
13:31And what would be helpful,
13:34of course,
13:34is funding
13:35our applications
13:36and our requests
13:38for more work
13:39with regard to
13:40our Department
13:40of Violence Prevention.
13:42We are trying
13:43to get to 700
13:44police officers.
13:45We have a voter
13:46initiative
13:47that passed
13:48that wanted
13:49and directed us
13:50to get to 700.
13:51We're on that path.
13:53And yes,
13:53we are strained
13:55our budget,
13:55of course.
13:56Some jurisdictions
13:57are providing
13:58$75,000 signing bonus.
14:01But retention
14:02is extremely important.
14:03And so the support
14:04from the federal government
14:05for retention
14:06and for recruitment
14:07would be welcomed.
14:09Also to help us
14:10invest more
14:11in our Department
14:12of Violence Prevention.
14:13But the crime rate
14:15is coming down
14:16even in spite
14:17of these challenges.
14:18So it's all
14:18hands on deck.
14:19We're working
14:20with our organizations
14:21to help recruit
14:22from inside of Oakland.
14:23We have many young people
14:25who are ready
14:26to go into the academies.
14:27We funded
14:28five new academies
14:29this year
14:30in our budget.
14:31We funded
14:32and we have an issue
14:33we don't sweep
14:34our challenges
14:35under the rug
14:35with sideshows.
14:36And so we funded
14:37finally,
14:38which was not
14:39in the budget before,
14:41an additional
14:41new investment
14:43in sideshow prevention.
14:44And so we're
14:45moving forward
14:46in spite of our challenges.
14:47But we want people
14:49to understand that.
14:51With all this moving forward,
14:52you're saying
14:52the White House
14:54or no one
14:54in the federal government
14:55has reached out
14:56to talk to you
14:57about how they
14:58could be of assistance.
14:59Now, you're creating
15:00a new city department
15:02to tackle homelessness.
15:03Part of Trump's
15:04crime crackdown
15:05in D.C.
15:07has been
15:08to tear down
15:08homeless encampments,
15:10arresting people
15:11for panhandling
15:12and pushing
15:13to involuntary,
15:15involuntarily commit
15:16more people
15:17to psychiatric hospitals.
15:19How will your plan
15:20differ from the president's?
15:22Well, our plan,
15:23and thank you
15:24for this, Reverend Al,
15:25because part of my
15:26100-day plan,
15:2710 points
15:28that we listed,
15:30we've accomplished
15:30all of them
15:31and moving forward.
15:32So I've established
15:33a new Department
15:34of Homelessness Solutions,
15:36which makes it
15:36a priority
15:37in terms of Oakland
15:38addressing homelessness
15:39with a continuum
15:40of care
15:42and also developing
15:43transitional housing.
15:46We have shelters.
15:48We have nonprofits
15:49to put together services
15:52for people
15:53who are unsheltered
15:53and leading to
15:54permanent housing.
15:56Also, anti-displacement.
15:58You know,
15:58we've got to make sure
15:59that rental assistance
16:00is available.
16:01A large number
16:02of our unsheltered
16:03population are black men,
16:05and we want to make sure
16:07they can stay
16:07in their homes
16:08instead of landing
16:10in the street.
16:11and we have
16:11a small amount
16:12of money right now.
16:13We're expanding
16:14that for rental assistance.
16:16Also, creating jobs.
16:17You know,
16:17the biggest predictor
16:18are jobs
16:20and financial assistance
16:21for people
16:21who are living
16:22on the street.
16:23And so we're looking
16:24at how to help
16:25those who are unsheltered
16:27help clean up trash
16:29and illegal dumping,
16:30which we have
16:31a major issue with here,
16:32and it works
16:32in other cities.
16:34And so part of
16:34what I want to do
16:35is hire people,
16:37provide those salaries,
16:38to help them
16:39clean up the trash
16:40in Oakland
16:41to address illegal dumping
16:42because the predictor
16:44of being eligible
16:46for and receiving
16:47permanent housing
16:49is a job,
16:49and it's worked
16:50in Portland, Oregon,
16:51and other jurisdictions.
16:52So we're looking
16:52at new pilot projects
16:54and new ways
16:55to address
16:55our unsheltered population.
16:57We have to treat people
16:58with dignity,
16:59but also we know
17:00it's a public safety issue.
17:02Sometimes crimes
17:02are being committed
17:03in encampments,
17:05so we have to understand
17:06that,
17:07but we have to understand
17:07we have to have
17:08a comprehensive strategy
17:10and make it a priority
17:11in the city.
17:12And finally,
17:12I'll just say Oakland,
17:1324% of Alameda County,
17:16we have 5,800 people
17:18that are living
17:19on the streets in Oakland
17:20and 74% of those are black.
17:22And so there's
17:23a racial equity issue
17:24that we must address
17:25and we work very closely
17:26with the governor,
17:27with our county,
17:28of course with our city,
17:30and with Caltrans,
17:31our transportation system,
17:32to come up with
17:33a unified,
17:34comprehensive plan
17:35to address
17:36our racial poverty.
17:37Let me go there
17:38because you mentioned
17:39the racial element.
17:41Nearly every city
17:41the president
17:42has singled out
17:43for a crime crackdown
17:45is led by a black mayor.
17:47I guess white mayors
17:48don't have crime,
17:50even though I can name
17:51cities that have
17:52higher crime rates
17:53than the cities
17:54he's named.
17:55And you've heard
17:56in the last segment
17:57the administration's message
17:59to those mayors
18:00seems to be
18:00get out of the way.
18:02You've represented
18:03Oakland in one way
18:05or another
18:05for nearly 40 years,
18:07choosing to run
18:08for mayor
18:08rather than enjoy
18:10a well-earned retirement.
18:12What is your response
18:13to these claims
18:14that you and other mayors
18:15shouldn't have a say
18:17in how their cities
18:18are policed,
18:19even though that's
18:20exactly what voters
18:22in Oakland
18:23put you there to do?
18:25Reverend Al
18:25is unconstitutional,
18:27first of all.
18:27Secondly,
18:28we know what he wants
18:29to do with our cities.
18:30Of course,
18:32we have large numbers
18:33of immigrants
18:33in our cities.
18:34Here in Oakland,
18:36125 languages are spoken.
18:38So he wants to militarize,
18:39occupy, send federal forces
18:41and to create chaos
18:42and confusion.
18:44And in fact,
18:44part of what our police officers
18:46are required
18:47is not to cooperate
18:48with ICE.
18:49Rather,
18:49their mandate
18:50is to keep the peace.
18:52So nobody knows
18:53Donald Trump's playbook
18:54in Oakland like I do.
18:55Remember, yeah,
18:56four of those 27 years
18:57I was in Congress,
18:58he was the president
18:59and I was on
18:59the Appropriations Committee
19:00and then he was working
19:02and the right-wing
19:03MAGA extremist Republicans
19:05were putting forth
19:06Project 2025
19:07to, one,
19:08dismantle the Department
19:09of Education.
19:10And so we see this
19:11playing out now
19:12because we don't have
19:13the majority.
19:14But also,
19:15I was sitting on the floor,
19:17the House floor
19:17on January 6th.
19:18Remember now?
19:19You remember that?
19:20There were a few of us there
19:21and we barely got out.
19:22And I experienced
19:24that almost violent coup
19:27and stopping the peaceful
19:30transfer of power
19:31through violence.
19:32And we survived.
19:34But we do know
19:35that he wants to dismantle
19:36and disrupt our democracy
19:38and this is one of his efforts
19:39to try to establish
19:40a dictatorship
19:41and that's a fact.
19:42So we're vigilant.
19:43We must be ready.
19:45But we're going to keep working
19:46for people
19:47who are living in this city
19:49to make life better
19:50on all fronts
19:51for everyone.
19:52So it's a balancing act.
19:53I have to continue
19:54to steady the ship,
19:55deliver for Oaklanders,
19:56but also be ready.
19:58And I know of your work
19:59down through the years
20:00you and I,
20:01before you went to Congress,
20:03was in South Africa
20:04for the election
20:05there with Nelson Mandela
20:07who was a little younger then.
20:09Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee,
20:11thank you for being with us.
20:12Visit Oakland, Reverend Al.
20:13I want everyone
20:14to visit Oakland,
20:15including yourself,
20:15to just see the realities
20:17of Oakland.
20:18It's a beautiful city,
20:19resilient people,
20:20working hard,
20:21coming together
20:21to make sure
20:22we move the city forward.
20:23All right.
20:24I'm going to take you up
20:25on that.
20:26Coming up,
20:26symptoms of chaos
20:28at the Centers
20:29for Disease Control.
20:31I'll talk to a former
20:32head of the CDC
20:34about this week's
20:35startling wave
20:37of resignations.
20:38That's next.
20:45Welcome back
20:46to Politics Nation.
20:47America's top health experts
20:49a warning about trouble
20:52at the Centers
20:53for Disease Control.
20:55This week,
20:56Robert F. Kennedy
20:56fired the agency's
20:58new director,
21:00prompting the resignation
21:01of other high-ranking
21:03CDC officials.
21:06Hundreds of staffers
21:07staged a clap out
21:09at the agency's home
21:11in Atlanta
21:12to show support
21:13for their departed colleagues.
21:16The director
21:16of the National Center
21:17for Immunization
21:19and Respiratory Diseases
21:21was one of the leaders
21:23who resigned.
21:25He spoke about this situation
21:26this weekend.
21:28Take a listen.
21:30What really happened
21:31is that, you know,
21:32this has been a death
21:33by a thousand cuts for me,
21:35but I really got
21:36to the tipping point
21:37when it became clear
21:38that the committee
21:40that is responsible
21:41for making recommendations
21:42to the director of CDC
21:44on vaccine policy
21:45has become
21:46completely compromised
21:47and that the firewall
21:49that needs to exist
21:50between science
21:50and ideology
21:51is breaking down.
21:55Joining me now
21:56is Richard Besser,
21:58former acting director
21:59for the CDC.
22:01Richard,
22:02Trump's health secretary,
22:03RFK Jr.,
22:04is at the center
22:06of the CDC firestorm.
22:08Here's some of what
22:09he's had to say
22:11recently about
22:12trusting medical experts.
22:14Trusting the experts
22:17is not a feature
22:20of science.
22:21It's not a feature
22:22of democracy.
22:24It's a feature
22:25of religion
22:26and it's a feature
22:27of totalitarianism.
22:30What does that perspective,
22:32that perspective,
22:33tell you about
22:34what is going on
22:35inside the CDC
22:36right now?
22:37You know,
22:40Reverend Sharpton,
22:41I find what he said
22:43there to be
22:43absolutely frightening.
22:45I worked at the CDC
22:47for 13 years
22:48around other people
22:51who were dedicated
22:52public servants
22:53working to ensure
22:54the health of people
22:55here and around the world.
22:56And one of the things
22:57that was true
22:58of the agency then,
22:59which remained true
23:00through every administration
23:02until now,
23:03was that CDC
23:04did the science.
23:06CDC developed
23:08the evidence
23:09and then policy makers
23:10might make policy,
23:11but they wouldn't work
23:12to undermine
23:13the quality
23:14of the evidence
23:15and the science.
23:16The idea
23:17that trusting expertise
23:19and trusting scientists
23:20to make recommendations
23:22that that's,
23:23that that's totalitarianism
23:25is absolutely absurd.
23:27You know,
23:28people in this country
23:29deserve to know
23:30that the information
23:31that they're getting
23:32to make the important
23:33decisions around,
23:34around their health
23:36is the best information
23:38available.
23:39Not everyone's going
23:39to make the same decision,
23:40but you don't want
23:41to question that
23:42what's coming to you
23:43is the work
23:44of the ideology
23:46of our Secretary of Health,
23:47who is one of the nation's
23:48leading anti-vaccine proponents.
23:51Now,
23:51in just the last few months,
23:54CDC employees
23:56have had to deal
23:56with doge cuts,
23:58a mass shooting
23:59at the Atlanta headquarters,
24:01and now this purge
24:03of the top leadership.
24:04Richard,
24:05what have you heard
24:06about morale
24:07at the agency
24:08and how all of this
24:09may impact their ability
24:11to do the life-saving work
24:14they're supposed
24:14to be doing?
24:17You know,
24:18I would have to say
24:18that the agency
24:19is barely
24:20on life support.
24:22During the COVID pandemic,
24:24we saw incredible
24:26politicization
24:27of the CDC.
24:29I ran emergency preparedness
24:30and response
24:31at CDC for four years,
24:33starting on the day
24:34Katrina hit,
24:35which was about
24:3520 years ago
24:37this weekend.
24:38And one of the things
24:39that was always true
24:40was that,
24:41regardless of political party,
24:43there was support
24:44for public health.
24:46The nation rallied
24:47around each other
24:48during a public health crisis.
24:51With COVID,
24:51we saw politicians
24:52gaining advantage
24:53by demonizing people
24:55around the country
24:56who were working
24:57to protect people's health.
24:58Whenever CDC
24:59changed a recommendation,
25:01people took it
25:02for political gain.
25:03And by doing that,
25:05we're in a situation now
25:06where how people
25:07view public health
25:08and those who are
25:09doing that work
25:10varies greatly
25:11by political affiliation.
25:13So morale
25:14was really hurting
25:15terribly with COVID.
25:17We saw hundreds
25:18of public health leaders
25:19around the nation
25:19who resigned,
25:21who were forced out,
25:22who were threatened.
25:23This, on top of that,
25:24is absolutely devastating.
25:26I worry what happens
25:27in our country
25:28with the next
25:29public health crisis.
25:30And we are talking
25:30about our health.
25:32I mean, CDC Director
25:34Susan Menares
25:35was reportedly fired
25:38in part because
25:39she refused to accept
25:41all recommendations
25:42from a vaccine advisory panel
25:45directed by Mr. Kennedy.
25:47What do people need
25:49to know about
25:50current vaccine restrictions
25:52in particular
25:54with the COVID vaccine?
25:58Yeah, you know,
26:00in addition to being
26:01a public health person,
26:03I'm a pediatrician
26:04and I practiced pediatrics
26:06for more than 30 years.
26:07And I always turn
26:09to the CDC
26:10for the guidance
26:11in terms of
26:12what I should tell
26:12my patients,
26:13what they should do
26:14to protect their health.
26:15That's no longer the case.
26:17You know,
26:17thankfully,
26:18we're seeing
26:18some medical organizations.
26:21The American Academy
26:22of Pediatrics,
26:23which I'm a member of,
26:24has put out guidance
26:25for parents to use
26:27to make the decisions
26:28around their children
26:29and COVID vaccination.
26:31The American College
26:32of OBGYN
26:33takes care of women's health.
26:35They have recommendations
26:36for pregnant women
26:37and what they should do.
26:38We're seeing other groups
26:40step forward
26:40because this administration
26:42is saying
26:42that the vaccine
26:44should only be available
26:45and approved
26:46for a limited group of people.
26:48The challenge is,
26:49I mean,
26:49there's many challenges,
26:50but one of them
26:51is that children
26:53who are low income,
26:54children in poverty,
26:55only get vaccines for free
26:58if they're recommended
26:59by that committee.
27:00And the secretary
27:01has stacked that committee
27:02with individuals
27:03who are not qualified
27:04to make these decisions
27:05and who have a strong
27:07anti-vaccine agenda.
27:08So it's going to mean
27:09that if you want this vaccine
27:11and you don't fall into
27:13one of what the secretary
27:15is calling
27:15the highest risk groups,
27:17you're going to have to pay
27:18for that out of pocket.
27:19And many people
27:19aren't going to be able
27:20to do that.
27:20Now,
27:21eight northeastern states,
27:22including New Jersey,
27:23New York,
27:24and Pennsylvania,
27:25met recently
27:26to form a regional
27:28public health program
27:30to fill in the gaps
27:32where CDC seems
27:33to be retreating.
27:35Can America survive
27:37with a patchwork
27:38health system?
27:39I mean,
27:40we're out of time,
27:41but I had to ask you this.
27:43Yeah,
27:44I mean,
27:44we're going to have to.
27:45You know,
27:45at RWJF,
27:47we're supporting
27:47some of the efforts
27:48to try and maintain data
27:49because as our public
27:51health system collapses,
27:52we want to know
27:53what's going on.
27:54We want to know
27:54whose health
27:55is being impacted
27:56the greatest,
27:57and we can't count
27:58on our federal government
27:59to do that.
27:59So states are going
28:00to have to come forward
28:01and do that.
28:02No one can replace
28:03the federal dollars
28:03that are gone,
28:06but we are going
28:07to have to do
28:07what we can
28:08in areas around the country
28:09to try and fill those gaps.
28:11All right.
28:12I'm glad to have
28:13had you with us,
28:14Robert Besser,
28:15former director
28:16of the CDC.
28:17Richard,
28:18I'm sorry,
28:18Richard Besser,
28:19former director
28:21of the CDC.
28:22Thank you for being
28:22with us.
28:23Coming up,
28:24I'll explain
28:25why I marched
28:26on Wall Street
28:27this week
28:28in my capacity
28:29as the head
28:29of the National Action Network
28:31and explain
28:32what you can do
28:33to fight
28:34for economic freedom
28:35for all Americans.
28:41This Thursday,
28:42in my capacity
28:43as the head
28:44of the National Action Network,
28:46I led,
28:47along with Martin Luther King III
28:48and Andrea King,
28:50a march on Wall Street
28:51of thousands
28:52on the 62nd anniversary
28:54of the March on Washington,
28:56where Martin Luther King
28:58talked about two things,
29:01jobs and freedom,
29:02economic justice
29:04as well as civil rights.
29:07Right now,
29:07both those sets
29:10of liberties
29:11are under extreme threat
29:13from the second
29:14Trump administration.
29:16The president
29:16and his allies
29:17are dismantling
29:18civil rights protections
29:19that Dr. King
29:21and others
29:21fought and died for.
29:23At the same time,
29:24as they are rounding up
29:26migrants of color
29:27for mass deportations
29:29and they are sending
29:30mass federal agents
29:32and army military troops
29:34in the Democrat-led cities
29:36against the wishes
29:37of residents
29:38and their elected officials.
29:40In this environment,
29:42corporate America
29:43faces a choice.
29:45Some business leaders
29:46have chosen
29:47to collaborate
29:47with this administration
29:49on its racist policies
29:51and to do their bidding
29:52by eliminating
29:53their own diversity programs.
29:56Others simply lavish
29:58the president
29:58with praise and gifts.
30:00what we are asking
30:02as CEOs
30:03and executives
30:04to do
30:05is to stand up
30:07to the political pressure
30:08from this administration
30:10and consider
30:11the legitimate concern
30:13of their customers,
30:15employers,
30:16neighbors,
30:17and those who are alarmed
30:20at the erosion
30:21of the democratic norms
30:23and elimination
30:24of anti-discrimination
30:25protections
30:26happening right
30:28before our eyes.
30:30Americans are paying
30:31close attention
30:32and as consumers
30:33and workers,
30:35we have the power
30:36to reward brands
30:37that are stepping up
30:39and punish those
30:40that are selling out.
30:42From Main Street
30:43to Wall Street,
30:44this country
30:44is at a crossroads.
30:47It's time
30:47for corporate America
30:48to help us
30:49plot a path forward
30:51because Americans
30:52refuse to be
30:54steered down
30:55the road
30:55to ruin.
30:59Welcome back
31:00to Politics Nation.
31:02We've been talking
31:02about the march
31:03on Wall Street
31:04led this week
31:06in my capacity
31:07as head of National Action Network
31:09joined by the Kings
31:10and Mark Morial
31:11of the Urban League
31:12and others
31:12and the push
31:14to keep the business community
31:16as well as the government
31:17in fight for civil rights.
31:19Everett Kelly
31:21is the president
31:22of the American Federation
31:23of Government Employees.
31:25He marched
31:25and spoke
31:26with me on Thursday.
31:29We're also joined
31:30by Richard Robert Weiner,
31:33the director
31:34of Voting Rights Project
31:35within the Lawyers' Committee
31:37for Civil Rights Under Law.
31:38Thank you both
31:39for being here.
31:41Everett,
31:41let me start with you.
31:43Our march this week
31:44was a little less
31:46than a mile long
31:47and thousands came out
31:49yet it covered
31:50a lot of ground
31:51beginning at Foley Square
31:52near the African Barrel Ground
31:54winding past ISIS
31:56New York City headquarters
31:58at 26 Federal Plaza
31:59before ending up
32:01on Wall Street
32:02in the shadow
32:02of the Stock Exchange.
32:04What did you take
32:05away from it?
32:07Well, you know,
32:09Reverend Al,
32:09thank you first of all
32:10for having me
32:11and thank you
32:11for inviting AFTE
32:13to be a part
32:14of the event
32:15this past Thursday.
32:16What I took away
32:17from that is that
32:18the American people
32:19is absolutely tired
32:21of what's happening
32:22across America.
32:23I think that,
32:24especially when it comes
32:25to the federal employees
32:26and the dismantling
32:28of the government,
32:29I think that the American people
32:30are saying,
32:30you know,
32:30it's time out
32:31for being asked
32:33to be running this country.
32:34The people should be
32:35running this country.
32:36They should be able
32:37to elect a leader
32:39that will follow
32:40the Constitution.
32:41And I think that's exactly
32:42what I took away.
32:43I think that,
32:44you know,
32:44the thousands of people
32:45that showed up
32:46at the rally
32:46felt just that.
32:48Robert,
32:48your organization
32:49is focused on
32:50protecting the legal pillars
32:52that have been crucial
32:54to establishing
32:55and upholding
32:56our civil rights protections
32:57since the 60s.
32:59Right now,
33:00the urgency
33:01of our direct action
33:02in the streets
33:03being driven by
33:04a sense that
33:05these legal foundations
33:07are being dismantled.
33:09How serious a crisis
33:10has this become
33:12in your view?
33:12This is a very serious crisis.
33:16This is a hair-on-fire crisis.
33:20We see voting rights
33:22being trampled.
33:25We see threats
33:27to the election.
33:28The threats are mounting.
33:31And we really need
33:32to do something about it.
33:34We need all of us
33:36to assert our right
33:38to be heard.
33:40Now, Everett,
33:42we marched on Wall Street
33:43to send a message
33:44to corporate America
33:45urging them
33:46to honor their commitments
33:47and diversity
33:48and to treat
33:49all of their workers
33:50with respect,
33:51regardless of race,
33:52their religion,
33:53or their gender.
33:55You represent government
33:56employees in your union,
33:58but many of the issues
33:59are the same.
34:00Can you talk about
34:01the struggle
34:02in the workplace
34:05right now
34:06with federal workers?
34:08Well, thank you,
34:09Reverend L.
34:09And you're right,
34:10the struggles are the same
34:11because in the process
34:14of dismantling
34:15these various agencies,
34:17federal employees
34:18are just being targeted.
34:20You know,
34:21they are canceling
34:23the union contracts
34:25of hundreds of thousands
34:27of employees.
34:28Just a couple of weeks ago,
34:30the VA secretary,
34:31Collins,
34:32he canceled
34:33the union contract
34:35for over 400,000
34:37VA workers.
34:38And, you know,
34:39and it's just agency
34:40after agency.
34:41This administration
34:42has been canceling
34:43these contracts
34:44at the VA,
34:45at the EPA,
34:47at FEMA,
34:48at CDC.
34:48And what that is saying
34:50is to the people
34:51that we represent
34:53is that you have
34:54no rights.
34:55Now, I just think
34:56this is just going
34:57to be the beginning
34:57and a tip of the iceberg
34:59as to what's going
35:00to happen across America
35:01when this administration
35:03feels like
35:03they can get away
35:04with taking away
35:05people's rights.
35:06Now, Robert,
35:07as you well know,
35:08voting rights
35:08are the foundation
35:09of all other civil rights.
35:11And they are
35:12under severe threat
35:13right now.
35:14Your organization
35:15is representing
35:16the Texas
35:17NAACP suit
35:19against the state
35:20over their
35:21highly gerrymandered map.
35:24California is reworking
35:25their electoral map
35:26to counter what Texas
35:28is doing.
35:29And now other red
35:30and blue states
35:31are looking
35:31at redrawing
35:34their own maps
35:35as well
35:35to press partisan
35:36advantages.
35:38How do we steer
35:39this fight
35:40toward fair
35:40and equal representation
35:42for all?
35:43Well,
35:47we are a racial
35:49justice organization.
35:51And the problem
35:52here
35:52is that
35:53partisan
35:55motives,
35:56whether there are
35:57partisan motives,
35:58you cannot
35:59seek to achieve
36:01them
36:01on the backs
36:02of people
36:03of color.
36:04And what's going
36:05on in Texas,
36:06for instance,
36:08is
36:08intentional
36:09discrimination.
36:10just at the
36:13instance
36:13of the
36:15Justice Department,
36:17the state
36:17targeted
36:18minority,
36:19majority,
36:21minority districts
36:22because of
36:24their racial
36:24composition.
36:26They said
36:26that's what
36:27they were going
36:27to do.
36:28That's what
36:29they said
36:31over and over
36:31again.
36:32And then
36:32they did it.
36:34And that
36:34is intentional
36:35racial discrimination.
36:37It is wrong.
36:38It is
36:39unconstitutional,
36:41whatever your
36:42partisan hopes
36:43and dreams.
36:45Everett,
36:45we're out of time,
36:46but I have to ask
36:47you this.
36:47We were
36:48encouraged by
36:49the huge
36:49turnout
36:50on Thursday
36:51and you spoke,
36:53but then we see
36:54what's happening
36:54at the CDC
36:55and you named
36:56other agencies.
36:57How do you,
36:58as the head
36:59of the Union
36:59of Federal
37:00Workers,
37:01how do you look
37:02at what just
37:02happened to CDC
37:03where it looks
37:04like they're
37:04putting ideology
37:05over science?
37:07You know,
37:08that again
37:09is another
37:10problem that
37:10we're facing.
37:11This administration
37:13cares nothing
37:14about the rule
37:15of law,
37:15cares nothing
37:15about a contract.
37:16You know,
37:17I represent
37:17those members
37:18at the CDC.
37:18They are very
37:19patriotic workers
37:20and their voice
37:22is not being heard
37:23because they refuse
37:24to hear that voice.
37:25And when we get
37:26to the point
37:27that we're putting
37:28science,
37:29I mean,
37:30when we're putting
37:30politics over science,
37:32you know,
37:33we have a real
37:33problem in this
37:34country,
37:34you know,
37:35but this is really
37:36about retaliation,
37:38Reverend Al,
37:38if you really
37:39want to know
37:39the truth,
37:40this administration
37:41has been retaliating
37:42against those
37:43federal employees
37:44that are standing
37:45up and that
37:46are signing
37:46their alarm
37:47on the lack
37:50of respect
37:51for their role
37:53and the oath
37:54that they take
37:55as federal employees.
37:57All right,
37:57Robert Weiner
37:58and Everett Kelly,
38:00thank you both
38:01for being with us
38:02tonight.
38:02Up next,
38:03my final thoughts
38:04and a special
38:05thank you.
38:06I'll be right back.
38:18Before we end
38:19the show tonight,
38:20I want to take
38:21a minute to celebrate
38:22the 14th anniversary
38:24of Politics Nation
38:26that we celebrated
38:27yesterday.
38:28You heard it right.
38:2914 years
38:30is a milestone.
38:32few cable news shows
38:33ever accomplished.
38:35And like I do
38:36every year,
38:37I celebrate the success
38:38of Politics Nation
38:39by thanking you,
38:41the audience,
38:42for staying with me
38:43through those 14 years.
38:45And of course,
38:46the guests,
38:47whether it was
38:48the underrepresented voices
38:50this show aims
38:51to lift up
38:51or those in power
38:53that this show
38:54seeks to hold accountable.
38:56Always with the understanding
38:57that the black community
38:59remains at the core
39:00of what Politics Nation
39:02represents.
39:03I made a promise
39:04to you on my very
39:05first broadcast
39:06to say what I mean
39:08and to mean what I say.
39:1014 years later,
39:12I haven't strayed
39:13from that promise
39:14and I never will.
39:15So please continue
39:16to join me
39:17on Politics Nation
39:18every weekend.
39:19It is my honor
39:20to be your host
39:22on this show.
39:23That does it for me.
39:24Thanks for watching.
39:25I'll see you back here
39:26tomorrow at 5 p.m.
39:28Eastern for another
39:29live hour
39:30of Politics Nation.
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