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The Last Word with Lawrence ODonnell - Season 13 - Episode 33
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00:00And so for the first time ever, our first guest tonight was banned on television last night.
00:05Stephen Colbert's most popular guest of the year so far is not a movie star.
00:11He's someone most Americans have never heard of until CBS decided that their viewers should not hear from him last
00:18night on Stephen Colbert's program.
00:21In 2006, Stephen Colbert started using the phrase the Colbert bump to describe the surge in popularity that could happen
00:28for someone just by being on TV with Stephen.
00:32A surge in book sales or, in the case of politicians, a bump up in the polls.
00:36And now the Colbert bump has taken on new meaning.
00:39And we here at The Last Word stand ready to accept any guest on this program after that guest is
00:46bumped out of Stephen Colbert's show by cowardly corporate lawyers.
00:51Last night, when I watched Stephen Colbert tell the story of what happened at his show yesterday, I thought, let's
00:58get James Tallarico on this show tonight.
01:03You know who is not one of my guests tonight?
01:06That's Texas State Representative James Tallarico.
01:10He was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network's lawyers, who called
01:16us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast.
01:21Then, then I was told in some uncertain terms that not only could I not have him on, I could
01:27not mention me not having him on.
01:30And because my network clearly doesn't want us to talk about this, let's talk about this.
01:37You've probably heard.
01:42So, you might have heard of this thing called the equal time rule, okay?
01:46It's an old FCC rule that applies only to radio and broadcast television, not cable or streaming, that says if
01:53a show has a candidate on during an election, they have to have all that candidate's opponents on as well.
01:58It's the FCC's most time-honored rule right after no nipples at the Super Bowl.
02:05There's long been an exception for this rule, an exception for news interviews and talk show interviews with politicians.
02:14Now, that's crucial.
02:15How else were voters supposed to know back in 92 that Bill Clinton sucked at saxophone?
02:20But, on January 21st of this year, a letter was released by FCC chairman and smug bowling pin, Brendan Carr.
02:30In this letter, Carr said he was thinking about dropping the exception for talk shows because he said some of
02:36them were motivated by partisan purposes.
02:39Well, sir, you're chairman of the FCC, so FCCU.
02:48That actually wasn't a photograph of James Tallarico because the network wouldn't allow Stephen Colbert to actually even show an
02:54image of James Tallarico.
02:57And it took CBS's lawyers almost 24 hours to come up with a response to Stephen Colbert.
03:02In a written statement, CBS said, quote,
03:04The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Representative James Tallarico.
03:09The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal time rule for two other candidates,
03:18including Representative Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled.
03:25The Late Show decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast,
03:31rather than potentially providing the equal time option.
03:34The CBS lawyers are factually and legally wrong, as anyone who knows the law should know.
03:43It would be impossible for James Tallarico's appearance or any politician's appearance on Stephen Colbert's show to trigger the FCC
03:52equal time rule.
03:53The rule does not apply to entertainment television like Stephen Colbert's show in any way.
04:00Recently, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez issued a statement instructing the CBS lawyers on the law,
04:07saying CBS is fully protected under the First Amendment to determine what interviews it airs,
04:11which makes its decision to yield to political pressure all the more disappointing.
04:15The FCC is powerless to impose restrictions on protected speech,
04:19and any attempt to intimidate broadcasters into self-centorship undermines both press freedom and public trust.
04:25Remember this about the CBS lawyers.
04:29They are the weakest, most cowardly corporate lawyers in America.
04:33They are actually in a tie with ABC's lawyers, who we will get to in a moment.
04:38The CBS lawyers, who are now trying to tell Stephen Colbert, who can be a guest on his show,
04:44work for a parent company that agreed to pay Donald Trump $16 million
04:50to settle a frivolous lawsuit by Donald Trump against 60 Minutes,
04:56which Donald Trump had no chance of winning, absolutely zero chance of winning.
05:00But those cowardly corporate lawyers agreed to pay Donald Trump $16 million
05:04in what Stephen Colbert correctly called, quote, a big fat bribe.
05:10Those lawyers should be witnesses in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump
05:15in the United States Senate right now for that bribe.
05:18That is their filthy spot that they now occupy in American political and corporate legal history.
05:27Right beside the ABC lawyers for their corporate parent, Disney,
05:31that agreed to pay Donald Trump $15 million in a frivolous lawsuit against ABC News,
05:36a lawsuit that Donald Trump would not have won.
05:39The entire legal team at ABC and Disney disgraced themselves,
05:44along with the corporate chieftains of Disney's Magic Kingdom,
05:48in their acquiescence to Donald Trump,
05:50in their settling a lawsuit that Donald Trump would not have won.
05:55The lawyers did not have the courage to use their legal skills
06:00to fight Donald Trump's attempt to get money from this company,
06:06Donald Trump's illegal interference in their business.
06:10And so they paid him off.
06:11America has three legacy networks, NBC, ABC, and CBS.
06:15They are our oldest networks.
06:17And two of them have handed over big fat bribes to Donald Trump
06:21with the approval of the most cowardly corporate lawyers
06:24known to be currently working in America.
06:27Not one of those lawyers offered a principled resignation
06:32over the big fat bribe.
06:35Not one of them.
06:37We have seen lawyers publicly resigning from the Trump Justice Department
06:41on principle from Washington to Minneapolis.
06:44But not one CBS lawyer.
06:47Not one ABC lawyer.
06:49If those lawyers are watching tonight,
06:52they should listen to our last guest in this hour tonight,
06:55a real lawyer, a former public defender,
06:58Emily Galvin Almanza,
07:00who will tell them what our legal system is really about.
07:06Those networks and their corporate parents disgrace themselves
07:11with those payoffs to Donald Trump.
07:13And not one person involved in the decision
07:16from the lawyers to the top of the company,
07:20the decision to make those payoffs,
07:22not one of those people has had the courage to resign in principle.
07:26Instead, they are busy policing Stephen Colbert's guest list.
07:30The CBS lawyers were disgraced enough by the big fat payoff,
07:34and then they interfere with Stephen Colbert's show yesterday,
07:37and then lie about the law today
07:39to desperately try to defend their own cowardice.
07:44Stephen Colbert conducted his interview with James Tallarico,
07:48but showed it only on YouTube,
07:49where it has received more views than any Stephen Colbert episode so far this year.
07:54In fact, James Tallarico got double the audience
07:57that Taylor Swift got on Stephen Colbert's show.
08:00In the interview that is available on YouTube,
08:03James Tallarico offered an answer to why
08:06corporate lawyers living in fear of Donald Trump
08:09are trying to drive him off television.
08:13Welcome back, everybody!
08:16Ladies and gentlemen,
08:18joining me now is a representative in the Texas State House
08:21who is currently running for the United States Senate.
08:23Please welcome to The Late Show YouTube page
08:26Representative James Tallarico.
08:42There you go!
08:46Now, here's the thing.
08:47I don't usually say this to a guest,
08:50but if people are watching this right now,
08:52it's because they found us online,
08:54on YouTube.
08:56I did an act of the show that's on tonight,
08:58explaining why.
09:00It's not the first time you've caused some drama.
09:04FCC opening probe into The View
09:06after appearance by Tallarico.
09:08Do you mean to cause trouble?
09:10I...
09:10I...
09:12I think that Donald Trump
09:14is worried that we're about to flip Texas.
09:17And...
09:21And...
09:23And, Stephen,
09:26this...
09:28This is the party
09:30that ran against cancel culture,
09:32and now they're trying to control
09:34what we watch,
09:36what we say,
09:37what we read,
09:38and this is the most dangerous
09:40kind of cancel culture,
09:41the kind that comes from the top.
09:44They...
09:45They went after The View
09:47because I went on there.
09:50James Tallarico has been capturing attention
09:52on YouTube for a while now.
09:54He caught President Obama's attention last year.
09:56President Obama said this
09:58on the final episode
09:59of Marc Maron's podcast last year.
10:03Yeah, but...
10:04But, look, there's this young state rep,
10:07James Tallarico,
10:08who was on there a while back
10:09out of Texas.
10:10Oh, that guy's good, right?
10:10He's terrific.
10:11Really talented young man.
10:13And...
10:13And...
10:14You know...
10:16It...
10:18It...
10:18It does require
10:19a certain confidence
10:23in your actual convictions
10:24to debate
10:25and have a conversation
10:27with somebody
10:27who disagrees with you
10:29on a whole bunch of stuff.
10:30What makes him so good, though?
10:31Because there is something
10:32grounded about him
10:33that you had it, too.
10:35I...
10:35You know what?
10:37So, in our foundation,
10:39a lot of the work
10:40that I do
10:41is working with
10:43young civic leaders,
10:46political leaders,
10:47journalists,
10:48human rights lawyers,
10:49not just here
10:50in the United States,
10:51but around the world.
10:52And one of the first things
10:53I say to him is,
10:58know what you really believe.
11:00Right.
11:01Like, that's your starting point.
11:03Right.
11:04And if you know what...
11:06First of all,
11:07if you understand
11:09your convictions,
11:10you've got a moral compass,
11:11you've got a code,
11:12you've spent time
11:13wrestling with
11:14what it is
11:15that you care about
11:16and what you believe.
11:17Yeah.
11:18Then,
11:19it's a lot easier now
11:20to be open
11:20and actually listen
11:21to other people.
11:24as opposed to
11:26constantly trying
11:27to beat off
11:29anybody who might
11:30contradict
11:30your current
11:34perspective.
11:35And I think
11:36a guy like him,
11:40his starting point is,
11:42let me say
11:43what I believe.
11:46In his interview
11:47with Stephen Colbert,
11:48which I hope you all
11:49watch on YouTube,
11:50James Tallarico
11:51discussed politics
11:52and religion
11:52with a fluency
11:53that relies on
11:54his religious upbringing
11:55in Texas,
11:56where he went to college
11:57at the University of Texas
11:58before earning
11:59a master's degree
12:00at Harvard's
12:00Graduate School of Education
12:02and another master's degree
12:03from the Austin
12:05Presbyterian
12:05Theological Seminary.
12:07In Texas,
12:08when politics
12:09crashes into religion,
12:11James Tallarico
12:12steps in
12:14to pull them apart.
12:17Can you name a school
12:18where it has been confirmed
12:20that students
12:21are using litter boxes?
12:22This was at the top
12:23of your press release.
12:24This was mentioned
12:25when you introduced
12:26this bill.
12:27It created quite a stir
12:29among public school educators
12:31across the state.
12:32So I'm asking,
12:32can you name a school
12:33where it's been confirmed
12:34that there are litter boxes
12:35being provided to students?
12:39For this purpose?
12:40No, I cannot.
12:41Are you aware
12:42that Governor Abbott
12:43said, quote,
12:44kids go to school
12:45dressed up as cats
12:46with litter boxes
12:47in their classrooms?
12:51Sure.
12:52Are you also aware
12:53that when the governor
12:54was asked by the
12:55Dallas Morning News
12:55to name a single school
12:56where this happened,
12:57he couldn't?
12:59And PolitiFact
13:00called this
13:01a pants-on-fire
13:02false claim
13:03started by online rumors?
13:05Okay.
13:06We are spending
13:07precious legislative time
13:09toward the end
13:10of this legislative session
13:11on a bill
13:12called the Furries Act.
13:14And honestly,
13:16Representative Gerdes,
13:17this whole thing
13:18is just weird
13:19and honestly
13:21a little creepy.
13:22And I think
13:23that's the point
13:24because this is all,
13:27in my opinion,
13:29a manufactured,
13:31debunked,
13:32smear campaign
13:32against our Texas
13:34public schools.
13:35I mean,
13:36Governor Abbott
13:36has used
13:37this litter box rumor
13:39to paint our schools
13:40in the worst
13:41possible light.
13:41He even used
13:43the litter box
13:44conspiracy theory
13:45to push his
13:46private school
13:46voucher bill.
13:48And so,
13:48I think that's
13:50because if you
13:50want to
13:52defund
13:53neighborhood schools
13:54across the state,
13:55you have to get
13:56Texans
13:57to turn
13:58against their
13:59public schools.
14:00So,
14:00you call
14:03librarians groomers,
14:04you accuse
14:05teachers of
14:05indoctrination,
14:06and now you say
14:07that schools
14:07are providing
14:08litter boxes
14:09to students.
14:10That's how
14:11all of this
14:11is tied together.
14:12That's how
14:13I see this bill.
14:14It's how a lot
14:14of educators
14:15across our state
14:16see this bill
14:17as part
14:18of a smear
14:19campaign.
14:20I mean,
14:20these culture
14:21war attacks
14:23are nothing
14:24more than
14:25an effort
14:25to discredit
14:26our public
14:27schools
14:27to justify
14:28defunding
14:28those public
14:29schools.
14:30If a student
14:30eats Cheetos
14:32and then licks
14:33the cheese dust
14:34off their fingers,
14:35would that be
14:35considered
14:35licking oneself?
14:37Yeah,
14:39that's not
14:40a non-human
14:41behavior.
14:41If you're
14:42licking your
14:42fingers
14:42because you've
14:43got food
14:43on them,
14:44that's kind
14:44of in line
14:45with a normal
14:46behavior.
14:47But you're
14:47defining
14:47non-human
14:48behavior as
14:48licking
14:49oneself or
14:49others.
14:51If it's
14:51in this
14:52non-human
14:53behavior
14:54realm,
14:55the intent
14:55of the
14:56bill is
14:57for licking
14:59oneself for
15:00grooming purposes
15:01like a cat.
15:02So I guess
15:03the last
15:04question I have
15:04is does the
15:05Texas Attorney
15:06General have
15:06better things
15:07to do than
15:07policing a
15:09child's actions
15:09in a public
15:10school?
15:11You know,
15:12we'll have to
15:13leave that up
15:13to them.
15:15And here is
15:16Texas State
15:17Representative
15:18James Tallarico
15:19questioning
15:19Republican
15:21Texas State
15:22Representative
15:22Candy Noble
15:23about her
15:24bill to post
15:25the Ten
15:25Commandments
15:26in public
15:27schools.
15:29I say this
15:30to you as a
15:30fellow Christian,
15:31Representative Noble,
15:32I know you're
15:32a devout
15:33Christian and
15:34and so
15:35am I.
15:36This bill
15:37to me is not
15:38only unconstitutional,
15:40it's not only
15:41un-American,
15:42I think it is also
15:43deeply un-Christian.
15:45And I say that
15:47because I believe
15:48this bill is
15:49idolatrous,
15:50I believe it is
15:51exclusionary,
15:52and I believe it is
15:54arrogant,
15:55and those three
15:55things in my
15:57reading of the
15:57gospel are
15:58diametrically
15:59opposed to the
16:00teachings of
16:01Jesus.
16:01You probably
16:02know Matthew
16:046-5 when
16:05Jesus says,
16:06don't be like
16:07the hypocrites
16:07who love to
16:09pray publicly
16:09on street
16:10corners.
16:11When you pray,
16:12go into your
16:12room and shut
16:13the door and
16:14pray to your
16:15father who is
16:16in secret.
16:18A religion that
16:19has to force
16:20people to put
16:21up a poster
16:23to prove its
16:23legitimacy is a
16:25dead religion.
16:26And it's not
16:27one that I want
16:29to be a part of,
16:29it's not one
16:30that I think I
16:30am a part of.
16:32You know that
16:34in scripture it
16:34says faith
16:35without works
16:36is what?
16:37Is dead.
16:39My concern is
16:40instead of
16:41bringing a bill
16:42that will feed
16:43the hungry,
16:45clothe the
16:45naked,
16:46heal the sick,
16:48we're instead
16:49mandating that
16:49people put up
16:50a poster.
16:52And we both
16:53follow a
16:56teacher,
16:57a rabbi,
16:58who said
17:00don't let the
17:00law get in
17:01the way of
17:02loving your
17:02neighbor.
17:03Loving your
17:04neighbor is
17:05the most
17:05important law.
17:06It is the
17:07summation of
17:08all the law
17:09and all the
17:10prophets.
17:12I would submit
17:13to you that
17:13our neighbor
17:14also includes
17:15the Hindu
17:16student who
17:17sits in a
17:17classroom,
17:19the Buddha
17:20student who
17:20sits in a
17:21classroom,
17:22and an
17:23atheist student
17:23who sits in
17:24a classroom.
17:24And my
17:26question to
17:26you is,
17:27does this
17:28bill truly
17:31love those
17:32students?
17:35I'm going to
17:36go a different
17:36direction than I
17:38think you're
17:38trying to lead
17:39me.
17:41Leading off our
17:42discussion tonight
17:43is Texas State
17:44Democratic
17:44Representative James
17:45Tallarico, now a
17:46candidate for
17:47United States
17:48Senate in
17:49Texas.
17:49Thank you very
17:50much for joining
17:51us tonight on
17:52what I know has
17:53been a very
17:54strange 24
17:55hours for you.
17:57What was your
17:58first reaction
17:59when you
17:59discovered what
18:00was happening
18:01to you at
18:01CBS yesterday?
18:05I mean, it
18:05felt a little
18:06like deja vu
18:07because we had
18:08just gone through
18:09this with The
18:09View.
18:10Trump's FCC
18:11launched an
18:12investigation to
18:13The View after I
18:14appeared on that
18:15program, and so
18:16to have it happen
18:17again with the
18:18late show, again,
18:20just felt like a
18:21bad rerun.
18:22And it should be
18:24troubling to all
18:25of us, regardless
18:26of our political
18:27affiliations or
18:28our political
18:28beliefs, that the
18:30most powerful
18:30people in the
18:31country, the
18:32most powerful
18:32politicians, and
18:33the most powerful
18:34corporate executives
18:35are working
18:37together to sell
18:38out the First
18:39Amendment, to
18:40sell out our
18:41freedom of speech
18:42in order to
18:44protect their own
18:45power and their
18:46own wealth.
18:46And that should
18:47be concerning to
18:48all of us,
18:48whether you're a
18:49Democrat or a
18:50Republican, whether
18:50you're a progressive
18:51or a conservative,
18:52because an attack on
18:54any one of our
18:55First Amendment
18:56rights is an attack
18:57on all of our
18:58First Amendment
18:59rights.
19:00So it's so
19:01striking to me
19:02watching you in
19:03those hearing
19:04settings in Texas,
19:05because as sharp
19:07as your differences
19:08are, you never
19:10raise your voice.
19:11Your legislative
19:12opponent never
19:13raises the voice.
19:14it is a behaviorally
19:18respectful exchange
19:19all the way
19:20through.
19:21You're running for
19:22a job where if
19:23you win, you'll be
19:24in Senate hearing
19:26rooms with people
19:27like the Attorney
19:27General of the
19:28United States, who
19:29will have a book
19:30of written insults
19:33of you.
19:35Her staff will write
19:36insults that she can
19:37throw at you instead
19:38of answering your
19:39questions.
19:40Have you seen those
19:41hearings, and do you
19:42have any thoughts
19:42about how you would
19:44conduct yourself in a
19:45hearing like that?
19:48Well, I think the
19:49best indicator of
19:50future behavior is
19:51past behavior, and
19:53people can see my
19:54work in the trenches
19:55of the Texas
19:56legislature.
19:57You know, as a
19:57proud Texas
19:58Democrat, that's a
20:00difficult place to
20:00work.
20:01It's a difficult
20:02place to fight for
20:03our values, fight for
20:04our constituents, get
20:05bills passed, and I've
20:07shown that I'm a
20:08pretty effective
20:08fighter in the Texas
20:10legislature, both
20:11standing up to
20:12Republican extremists,
20:13but also working
20:14across the aisle when
20:15we do find common
20:16ground.
20:16We need a senator
20:18from our state who
20:18can do both of those
20:19things, who can fight
20:21and who can also
20:22deliver, and I think
20:23I've shown that I can
20:24do that in a very
20:25difficult environment.
20:26You know, you
20:26mentioned that I'm
20:28able to debate
20:28fiercely while not
20:30dehumanizing my
20:31opponents.
20:32That is a value in
20:35my faith tradition.
20:37Jesus teaches us to
20:38love our enemies,
20:39enemies, which is
20:40interesting because it
20:42acknowledges that we're
20:42going to have enemies.
20:43If you speak truth to
20:45power, if you stand up
20:47for your neighbors,
20:48particularly your
20:48marginalized neighbors,
20:50you're going to run
20:51into some opposition,
20:51but we are called to
20:53love those opponents
20:54like ourselves, and so
20:56what I try to do in
20:57the legislature is I
20:59call them out, I go
21:01toe-to-toe with my
21:02opponents, but I never
21:03cross that line of
21:04dehumanizing them.
21:06I always treat them
21:07with a baseline
21:08respect, and in my
21:09experience, that's what
21:10allows us to have a real
21:12debate on the issue, on
21:14the ideas.
21:15If you start slinging
21:17mud, if you start
21:18getting personal, it
21:19distracts from your
21:20argument, and my goal is
21:22always to shape public
21:23opinion.
21:23It is to convince my
21:25constituents, but also
21:26people all across Texas,
21:28of my position that on any
21:31given topic, any given
21:32bill, that that bill is
21:34flawed, and it's going
21:35to hurt our state.
21:36That's what I'm trying
21:37to do is persuade, and
21:39you can't persuade if
21:39you're getting down in
21:41the mud.
21:42We want to continue
21:43this conversation, but
21:44we have to squeeze in a
21:45commercial break right
21:47here.
21:47That'll give us more
21:48minutes to talk on the
21:49other side of the
21:50break.
21:50Please stay with us.
21:51We'll be right back
21:52with James Tallarico.
21:58Banned from television
21:59last night, and back on
22:01television tonight with
22:02us is Texas State
22:03Representative James
22:05Tallarico.
22:06He's a Democratic
22:06candidate for the United
22:07States Senate in Texas
22:08now.
22:10Thank you very much for
22:11doing this, by the way.
22:12I understand what it
22:13must have been like the
22:14last 24 hours trying to
22:16figure out how to go
22:17forward from here,
22:18especially today being the
22:19first day of early
22:21voting in Texas.
22:22And I know viewers
22:24outside of Texas and in
22:26Texas are looking at you
22:27and the other Democratic
22:29candidates running and
22:31wondering, is this the
22:32year, is this the year
22:34when the Democrats can
22:35finally win statewide in
22:37Texas again?
22:39And just to just to set up
22:42the degree of difficulty,
22:43as you know, it's been
22:4538 years since a Democrat
22:47won a Senate election in
22:50Texas.
22:50That was Lloyd Benson
22:52running for re-election.
22:54People saw a better O'Rourke
22:55come along and place that
22:57bet, think he could be the
22:58one who did it.
22:59He didn't make it.
23:01What's different now?
23:05Well, I think the reason
23:06the Trump administration and
23:09their billionaire friends are
23:11trying to silence me and
23:13this movement is because
23:15they're worried that we are
23:16going to flip Texas in
23:18November of this year.
23:19There is a growing backlash
23:20across our state to the
23:23extremism and the corruption
23:24in our government.
23:25And we are building a
23:27movement to take back our
23:28state and take back our
23:29country.
23:30We have traveled every
23:32corner of this state from
23:33Beaumont to El Paso, from
23:35Amarillo to Brownsville and
23:36everywhere in between.
23:37We've recruited more than
23:3922,000 volunteers who are
23:41out there doing the
23:42organizing work across our
23:44state.
23:44And we have shattered
23:46grassroots fundraising
23:47records all without taking a
23:49dime of corporate PAC
23:50money.
23:50We're going to have to do a
23:52lot of work to overcome
23:53this kind of censorship.
23:54We've got to get our
23:55message out to the voters
23:57across this state.
23:58And so if your viewers want
23:59to help us, they can go to
24:00jamestallarico.com.
24:02They can sign up to donate.
24:03They can sign up to
24:04volunteer.
24:05It's going to take all of us
24:06to pull off this feat of
24:08winning Texas, but it is
24:09doable.
24:10I'm seeing it on the ground.
24:11We just launched our
24:12Take Back Texas tour.
24:14We're going to go to every
24:15part of our state over these
24:17last two weeks of the
24:18primary campaign.
24:19And I think we're going to
24:20surprise a lot of people in
24:21November of this year.
24:23Rachel Meadow, last night on
24:24this network, covered a
24:26protest in Texas against a
24:28possible Trump detention
24:30center being opened there.
24:32And these were Trump voters
24:34who were standing up in their
24:36town saying, nope, we don't
24:37want that here.
24:38And so there has been on on
24:41that issue, at least about
24:42these detention centers, some
24:44apparent separation of support
24:47of Trump voters for Trump
24:49ideas.
24:52Well, and I just got done with a
24:54packed rally here in central
24:56Texas.
24:56We had a thousand people show
24:58up.
24:58I can't tell you how many folks
25:00came up to me after the event
25:02and whispered, I'm not a
25:04Democrat, like it's some kind of
25:05secret.
25:06And we're seeing that all over
25:07the state.
25:08It's independents.
25:09It's some Republicans.
25:10It's some Trump voters who are
25:12really fed up with what they're
25:13seeing in Washington.
25:14But it's also a lot of new
25:16voters, a lot of young people,
25:18first time voters who are
25:20showing up at our events and
25:21saying it's the first political
25:22event they've ever attended.
25:23So there is something
25:25happening in Texas.
25:26It's our job to to harness that
25:28energy, to channel that
25:30backlash into a win at the
25:32ballot box.
25:33We have a moral imperative to
25:35win this race in November,
25:36because if we don't win, we
25:37can't help people.
25:38And so our movement here is
25:40built to win.
25:41And I hope people across Texas
25:43and across the country will
25:44join us.
25:45In a podcast over the
25:47weekend, President Obama
25:48talked about the value of
25:50having younger candidates who
25:52can energize younger voters.
25:55That tips in your direction, as
25:58it does for your opponent in
26:00the Democratic primary,
26:01Jasmine Crockett.
26:02But he also in the in what we
26:04just heard him say about you,
26:06he that point about the most
26:09important thing for a
26:10candidate is to actually know
26:11what you think and really be
26:14that person in presenting
26:16yourself to the electorate.
26:19Did the president get it right
26:21when he was talking about you?
26:22Is that is that the way you
26:23see yourself?
26:27Yeah, you know, my faith is
26:29central in my life.
26:30My granddad was a Baptist
26:32preacher in South Texas, and he
26:34told me when I was real little
26:35that our job is to follow Jesus's
26:38two commandments, to love God
26:40and to love neighbor.
26:41And that second commandment to
26:43love thy neighbor as thyself.
26:45That's what motivated me to go
26:46into public service first as a
26:48public school teacher on the
26:49west side of San Antonio, now as
26:51a public official in the state
26:53legislature who's running for the
26:55U.S. Senate.
26:56And as a legislator, I have passed
26:59major bills to bring down the
27:00cost of housing, the cost of
27:02child care, the cost of
27:03prescription drugs, including
27:04insulin.
27:04I am trying to love my neighbor
27:07through public policy.
27:08I'm trying to make my neighbor's
27:09life a little easier and a little
27:11better.
27:11That is my why.
27:12That's what gets me out of bed
27:14every morning is is living out
27:16my faith and loving my neighbors
27:18through this campaign and
27:19hopefully next year in the U.S.
27:21Senate.
27:22And so I think all candidates have
27:24to be honest about their why.
27:26Why do they do this?
27:27And if you can if you can be
27:29honest about that, if you can be
27:30yourself, in my experience, you can
27:32connect with just about anybody.
27:34And I think you're seeing young
27:35candidates in the Democratic
27:37Party stepping up to do that all
27:38over the country.
27:39Oh, one of the things that was so
27:41impressive about the way you
27:43handled some of those issues in
27:45those hearings is that you don't
27:47just go against the particular
27:48issue that they're talking about
27:50that day, whether it be litter
27:51boxers or the Ten Commandments or
27:54something else.
27:55You actually showed us what you
27:58think the whole piece is about.
28:00The litter boxers are really about
28:04defunding, in effect, public
28:06education.
28:08That's right.
28:10That's right.
28:10You know, once a teacher, always a
28:12teacher.
28:12And so I I utilize my experience
28:15from the classroom to try to break
28:17down these really complicated
28:19debates, these complex policies in
28:22ways that working people who are
28:25busy with their own lives can
28:26understand, even if they're just
28:28scrolling through tick tock.
28:29And I always say that teaching
28:32middle school is the best
28:32preparation for politics as a joke.
28:35But there is a certain amount of
28:37truth to that.
28:38If you can if you can boil down
28:41these things for for 11 and 12
28:43year olds to understand, then you're
28:45able to do it in in these really
28:47heated debates in the Texas
28:50legislature.
28:51And so at my best, I feel like I can
28:53draw upon that experience as a
28:54teacher to try to help my
28:56constituents help Texans understand
28:58what's being done in their name at
29:01the state capitol and what's being
29:02done in their name in our national
29:04capitol.
29:05You know, I taught middle school as a
29:07substitute teacher and it was the
29:08hardest job I ever had.
29:10But it stays with you.
29:11The lessons stay with you.
29:13Texas State Representative James
29:14Tellarico, thank you very much for
29:16returning to television tonight where
29:18you are welcome to return again.
29:23Thank you, Lawrence.
29:25And coming up, a new poll shows that
29:27if the election were held today,
29:28Kamala Harris would beat Donald
29:30Trump by eight points.
29:32And another poll shows America has
29:34turned against the cruelty of Donald
29:35Trump's immigration enforcement
29:37agents.
29:38That's next with Minnesota Senator Amy
29:41Klobuchar.
29:45A recent Reuters poll found that a
29:48majority of Americans, 58 percent, say
29:50the Trump administration's immigration
29:52crackdown has gone too far.
29:54The Trump gang has known for months
29:56that they have gone too far.
29:58Today, political reports top
29:59immigration and customs enforcement
30:01officials knew as early as March of
30:03last year that officers were using
30:05dramatically more force against
30:07civilians and the targets of their
30:10enforcement operations, be it lethal
30:12force or non-lethal efforts to
30:14physically restrain or subdue people or
30:16neutralize threats.
30:17Today was the first day of Minnesota's
30:21legislative session and the
30:22Minneapolis Star Tribune reports
30:25just ahead of the session.
30:27House and Senate Democrats unveiled
30:2911 bills to counter what they
30:31consider some of the worst excesses by
30:34federal immigration officers during
30:35the surge.
30:36They're meant to keep federal officers
30:38away from schools, child care centers,
30:41hospitals and colleges.
30:42They would also ban federal agents from
30:44wearing face masks while requiring them
30:46to display visible identification.
30:48They would also require that federal
30:50authorities allow state investigators to
30:52participate in investigations of
30:53shootings by federal agents such as
30:55the deaths of Renee Good and Alex
30:57Pretty.
30:58The state remains frozen out of those
31:00cases.
31:00The FBI officially notified the state
31:02Monday that it won't share information
31:05or evidence from its investigation into
31:06Pretty's death.
31:08Joining us now is Democratic Senator Amy
31:10Klobuchar of Minnesota.
31:11She's a member of the Senate Judiciary
31:13Committee and she is now a candidate for
31:15governor of Minnesota.
31:17Senator, thank you very much for joining
31:19us tonight.
31:20So the immigration, the customs
31:23enforcement and immigration officials
31:25have known for a year now that they
31:28have that their officers have been using
31:31much more force than they have been using
31:34in the past.
31:37It's just an unbelievable thing that they
31:39didn't see this as a problem and that in
31:42fact, while they knew this, this summer, our
31:46Republican colleagues with the support of
31:48the administration voted for $75 billion
31:52more funding for this agency.
31:55So it is now bigger than the FBI.
31:58So instead of spending time on training
32:01and putting regular police standards in
32:04place that our local police departments
32:06are expected to abide by, they did this.
32:10They just gave them more money for more of
32:12it.
32:12And so now you saw the bounty system in
32:14Minnesota where legal people who were
32:18born in this country who were citizens
32:20were picked up, thrown in cars and dumped
32:22out a few blocks later or taken to a
32:25detention center.
32:26When I talked to our local police, they're
32:28saying, you know, if you were going to give
32:29funding, why don't you give funding to the
32:31local police so that we can keep people safe
32:35instead of what happened here.
32:37So I just think it's another outrage and it's
32:40part of why you saw this horrific conduct
32:43going on in Minnesota, dragging Mungal elders
32:47out of their home and having the wrong guy and
32:50picking up five-year-olds and two-year-olds and
32:53sending them to Texas and then sending them
32:55back.
32:56So we are now in the middle of the quietest
33:00government shutdown, I think, and the least
33:02visible that we've ever had since it just
33:04applies to the Department of Homeland Security.
33:07What's the current state of the negotiations
33:10on funding the Department of Homeland Security?
33:14Well, the first thing we'd like to see is
33:15separate out the ICE funding.
33:17That's the agency that got all the extra money
33:19that still has that money and then fund the
33:22rest of it.
33:23So that would be the smart thing to do if you
33:25really cared about things functioning.
33:27The second thing is, of course, the reforms that
33:30have been suggested, which includes things like, you
33:33know, why don't you have warrants when you ram into
33:36someone's house?
33:37If you're going to do something like that, no
33:39bounties, police conduct.
33:41And so that's what those negotiations are
33:43happening.
33:44I've been are going on right now.
33:46What I've been really focused on, of course, is
33:48making sure ICE leaves Minnesota.
33:50That is the promise that we've received.
33:53And so I've been checking with our mayors and
33:55police chiefs about that.
33:56And then just going around to local businesses.
34:00I was in St. Paul with our new mayor there in
34:02Minneapolis and in some suburban areas, rural
34:05areas this last few days and saying, go to our
34:08small businesses because we were hit, Lawrence,
34:12economically by this in a big way.
34:15And so we want to make clear that people, if you want
34:17to help Minnesota, and so many people have said they
34:20do, come to our state, stay in those hotel rooms that
34:23those ICE agents are leaving right now and go visit the
34:26place where Prince got his start, First Avenue or the
34:29Mall of America or go up to Lake Superior.
34:31And we want people to come in our state, invest in our
34:34state, send their kids to school in our state, because
34:38that would be really helpful because we really, really got
34:40socked from this, all of this invasion from these ICE
34:45agents.
34:47Senator Amy Klobuchar, thank you very much for joining us
34:49tonight.
34:51Thanks, Lawrence.
34:52It was great to be on again.
34:54Coming up, public defenders in Los Angeles are on a winning
34:57streak against Donald Trump's prosecutors.
34:59Our next guest, a former public defender, has just published a
35:02book called The Price of Mercy about the kind of unfair
35:05prosecutions Donald Trump is pursuing and so much else that
35:10needs to be fixed in our criminal justice system.
35:13That's next.
35:17Los Angeles public defenders are winning cases like they have
35:21never won before.
35:22The federal public defender's office has won every case
35:26presented to a jury of defendants charged with assaults on
35:29federal agents or interference with immigration enforcement
35:33since last June.
35:35Former public defender Emily Galvin Almanza writes about unfair
35:39prosecutions and much more in her new book, The Price of Mercy,
35:43Unfair Trials of Violence System and a Public Defender's Search for
35:47Justice in America.
35:49Harvard Law professor Lawrence Tribe says this about the book,
35:53quite simply the gutsiest book ever written about the gritty reality
35:58of something nobody who reads this astonishing Inside the Wall's
36:02account can continue to call the criminal justice system.
36:06In the book, Emily Galvin Almanza says,
36:10perhaps the single most prevalent falsehood about the American
36:13criminal court system is that it values justice above all.
36:16If that were the case, undoing wrongful convictions would, you'd think,
36:20be a top priority.
36:21Instead, undoing wrongful convictions is, if anything,
36:24treated as a kind of deeply unpleasant chore to be avoided at all costs.
36:28It is reasonable to have a principle of finality in litigation,
36:32the idea that all legal matters should have some established end point.
36:36But it's not reasonable to prioritize that principle over what most lay people
36:42would assume is the most basic obligation of a legal system,
36:46which is some version of getting it right.
36:50Joining us now is Emily Galvin Almanza, founder and executive director of Partners for Justice
36:56and the author of the new book, The Price of Mercy,
36:59Unfair Trials of Violent System and a Public Defender's Search for Justice in America.
37:04The book is published today.
37:06Thank you very much for joining us on Publication Day.
37:09And I just want to urge the audience to also follow you on Instagram,
37:13where when you post a one-minute video, a 90-second video explaining something in our legal system,
37:21I always learn things that I never knew before.
37:24This book is full of those.
37:26And I want to begin with Professor Tribe's point about what should we call it?
37:32Can we call it a criminal justice system?
37:37I would encourage us not to.
37:38I tend to use the term criminal legal system because it is a legal system.
37:42It's a court system.
37:43But there's often not a lot of justice to be found in it.
37:47And so I think attending to the accuracy of the language is useful.
37:51You also find linkages.
37:53Your eye on this subject is a lawyer, a public defender,
37:58with the eye of a social scientist who is looking at the wider scale of what's going on here,
38:04which almost no one in the legal system does.
38:07Your most recent New York Times op-ed piece was linking free buses
38:13to what it would mean to crime and our legal system.
38:19Yeah, it's an important task to combine the social science data we have with the way the law is structured,
38:25because frankly, and I take a great deal of pleasure in saying this as a woman speaking publicly,
38:30our criminal law is too emotionally based, right?
38:34It's often structured by who we're afraid of or who we're mad at or who we're biased towards.
38:39And we make laws that punish people who are disfavored in some way.
38:43But when we look at the data, we can see that actually we could be doing a lot better on
38:47safety.
38:48Nationally, we have roughly a 60 percent recidivism rate,
38:52meaning when we put people through the system and we punish them,
38:55most of them are coming back into the system again.
38:58Why is that?
38:59Well, you look at the data, you look at the studies that I cover in The Price of Mercy,
39:02and you see that exposure to this system can actually cause people to become more likely to engage in crime
39:09in the future.
39:11So when you break away from the emotional need to try to find ways to punish people we're scared of
39:16or mad at,
39:16you can look with a clear head of the data and say, actually, for example, in terms of buses,
39:21it makes a lot more sense to give people access to the transportation they need,
39:25which diminishes assaults on bus operators by almost 40 percent and also helps people meet their obligations,
39:32get to job interviews, get to medical appointments.
39:34Because when we look at the data on safety,
39:37we see that three things matter a lot to someone's likelihood of engaging in crime.
39:42If they have income, if they have health care and if they have housing,
39:46transportation helps people get those things and therefore makes us safer.
39:51Emily Galvin Almanza, I wish we had more time for you tonight.
39:54Go get yourself kicked off Stephen Colbert's show and then come back here and we'll do it again.
39:59Thank you very much for joining us tonight.
40:01The book is The Price of Mercy, Unfair Trials,
40:05A Violent System and a Public Defender's Search for Justice in America.
40:10We'll be right back with tonight's last word.
40:12Thank you, Emily. Thank you.
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