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PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton - Season Episode 50 -Episode 50 engsubtitle watchfull⚡️ Secret Engagement
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00:01Good evening and welcome to Politics Nation, tonight's lead, the day after.
00:18The smoke has cleared tonight from President Trump's long, hot Fourth of July spectacle
00:26on the National Mall that began yesterday on July 4th and dragged on into the wee hours of this
00:34morning. With the nation's 250th birthday commemoration largely behind us, Americans
00:41are turning from reflecting on the past to battling over the future of our deeply divided
00:48nation. President Trump and MAGA used this holiday weekend to remind us of their vision.
00:56One rooted in blood, soil and total loyalty to a leader who's unable to tolerate dissent
01:04and unwilling to compromise. But their version of America's future was not the only one on
01:11display this independence weekend. And with the midterms fast approaching, there seems
01:17to be a mounting frustration throughout the nation with the excesses and injustices of
01:25Trumpism and growing sense that a more hopeful, inclusive future is possible if we have the
01:33courage and the motivation to seize the opportunity. We begin tonight with New York Congresswoman
01:41Grace Ming, chair of the Asian Pacific American Caucus. We appreciate you being with us this independence
01:48weekend, Congresswoman. I want to start with the President's Salute to America 250 event,
01:56which went on late into the evening and early this morning in DC, seemingly with little regard for the
02:04safety of attendees who were braving scorching temperatures and severe storms. The President's speech
02:12focused heavily on the contributions of our service members and the nation's great military victories.
02:19But Trump also repeatedly came back to the so-called communist threat within the country right now,
02:27which seems like an unusual focus on the Fourth of July. What did you make of it?
02:35Thanks for having me back. And it's great to be with you as we celebrate our diverse, beautiful and inclusive
02:42country's birthday. We have seen how Trump continues to put himself and billionaires and corruption over
02:51the everyday American people. And let's be clear, Trumpism is not patriotism. He missed a big opportunity to
03:00bring together the country and celebrate our country's birthday, but instead use this opportunity to
03:07further divide us. And how ironic that even the weather wasn't cooperating and extended the celebration
03:17into the next day. Now, the President's July 4th speech comes in the wake of a landmark Supreme Court
03:25decision that goes to the heart of what it means to be an American. The High Court rejected Trump's bid
03:32to
03:32end birthright citizenship last week, earning praise from the great grandson of Wong Kim Ark,
03:41the Chinese American at the center of the Supreme Court case that established the constitutional right
03:47back in 1898. We should never forget that people of Chinese and Asian descent,
03:53even those who were born here, face significant resistance in their effort to be recognized as
04:00citizens throughout much of this country's history. Can you talk a little bit more about
04:06the special significance this decision has to Asian Americans?
04:12Yes. Well, this decision was a positive one. However, it wasn't simply a cause for celebration.
04:20The mere 6-3 decision meant that this definition of what it means and who it means to be American
04:30is still at risk.
04:32We have to remember that this president, this is a democracy. No one, including the President of the United States,
04:38gets to decide and define who is good enough to be an American. As the decision came about,
04:45we gathered with Black, Hispanic and Asian Congress members in our nation's capital because it is
04:52significant that when this Wong Kim Ark decision first came out, it was a Chinese American whose decision
05:03showed that we are deserving of being an American. If you are born on this soil, in this land, you
05:10are American.
05:11And Trump and his administration tried to upend that. And so we have to remember that we continue to
05:19fight another day. And that's why it's so important as we head into the midterms that these elections in
05:27November are more important than ever. Now, you just put your finger on it. There is concern that the decision
05:34was so close, a 6-3 split. Are you worried we haven't heard the last of this?
05:42Absolutely. We are comforted temporarily by this decision. But as you mentioned, the closeness of it,
05:50and we've already seen that Trump and the House Republican majority, they are trying to bring this into
05:58Congress. They are trying to do their version of overturning this decision now in Congress. And so we
06:06still have to be watchful. And that's why this November's elections are more important than ever.
06:12Now, finally, Congresswoman, I have to ask you about a report in New York, in the New York Times today,
06:19detailing the sweeping effort by the Trump administration to roll back anti-discrimination
06:25regulations in almost every government agency from education and housing to the Department of Justice.
06:34These regulations are part of the infrastructure put in place after the passage of the Civil Rights
06:41Act of 1964 to make us the nation we are today. Is there anything Congress can do to push back?
06:52Absolutely. And we are seeing that this administration and this president,
06:56they are not standing up for the American people. They are not standing up for American workers.
07:01And we as House Democrats have already successfully pushed back. This is not their first attempt in
07:07trying to take out any hint of diversity and inclusion in our agencies, policies and laws.
07:14House Democrats were successful in removing hundreds of poisonous riders in our recent appropriations
07:21budget bills so that the agencies and the federal government could not discriminate. So we were able to
07:28continue to protect the American people. But this administration will keep trying and we will keep fighting.
07:36All right. Thank you, Congresswoman Grace Ming. We go now to Colorado, where this week, state attorney general
07:43Phil Weiser scored a primary upset in the state's governor's race, beating three term incumbent Senator Michael
07:52Bennett to secure the Democratic nomination ahead of November to secure the Democratic nomination ahead of
07:56November. And joining me now is Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. Attorney General Weiser,
08:04thanks for joining us. Your primary win over Michael Bennett was not just a rare, but resounding
08:11double digit win over a three term incumbent Senator seeking statewide office. Why do you think Democrats in your
08:19state chose you to lead it in a race you're favored to have given Colorado's 50 year history of electing
08:29all but one Democratic governor?
08:33Reverend Al, and I've heard you talk about this point, which is the power of really showing up for people.
08:40Teddy Roosevelt, one of our great presidents, has a quote that I think about a lot.
08:44Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. And I rooted my campaign in my
08:52family
08:52story, in my work as attorney general and in showing up for Colorado. What that means is I shared my
09:00story
09:00as a first generation American. That birthright citizenship case, I was fighting Trump on it all
09:06the way to the Supreme Court because it's personal for me how we protect our immigrant community. And I've had
09:12to take on this president 67 times and counting. I'm also committed to making sure everyone in Colorado
09:19knows I'm fighting for them and care for them. When we got the endorsement of Durango Herald, which is
09:24the only major newspaper who endorsed here, they said I've crisscrossed our 64 counties multiple times,
09:31building meaningful relationships along the way. In short, Coloradans know from my work as attorney
09:38general, from who I am and how we ran the campaign that I'm fighting for you. That was our winning
09:44message. Now, Senator Bennett wasn't the only Colorado Democrat with a national profile
09:50to lose a primary race this week. House progressive Diana DeGate lost her primary challenge to a Democratic
10:02socialist who has never held office while DeGate has been a member of Colorado's congressional delegation
10:11since 1997. For weeks now, we've seen outsider candidates score primary victories over incumbents
10:19in the midst of a wider conversation about where Democrats should be headed. Are we seeing a sea
10:27change in Colorado? I believe that what voters want is to know that you are showing up for them, fighting
10:36for their vote. They can trust you and that they're suspicious of people they see as the establishment.
10:42And I do believe the elections last week put anyone on notice. No one can be certain that a seat
10:49they've had
10:50for a long time. The case of Diana DeGate. It was 30 years. No one can just rest on a
10:55record. Everyone has to do
10:57the work. And the campaign that you mentioned in the Denver's congressional district is one where, you know,
11:04a challenger, Malak Kiros, put in incredible amounts of work, went door to door. And what I am seeing on
11:11the ground is
11:12what I would say is a people powered politics. People are suspicious of huge amounts of spending backed by
11:19super PACs. People want to know they can see you, that you're listening to them, and you're going to
11:24fight for them. And I do think that is a message to folks who might be in the establishment and
11:30have
11:30a different attitude of, hey, whatever outsider you are, wait your turn. When I got into this race,
11:35there were people who said, really, are you going to be able to win this race? And Michael Bennett is
11:40a
11:40really formidable figure. And I said, we're going to work hard for every vote, do this the right way.
11:44And I believe that was going to be the winning way. People looking for models of how to win
11:49campaigns, the people powered way. We've got some good examples here in Colorado.
11:53Now, drilling down on differences within the Democratic Party right now, in that race,
11:58I just mentioned the Congresswoman lost to a Democratic Socialist. So there are ideological
12:04differences in that contest. But in your race with Senator Bennett, the contrast between you,
12:12the two of you was less about ideas and more about experience and execution.
12:18Looking at Democrats nationally, where should the focus be? Meeting the left or fighting Trump,
12:26regardless of who's leading?
12:28I can speak for myself and my approach. And I believe it was a winning one, which is,
12:34Democrats do not want to be told, let's make nice with the Trump administration. Let's ask nicely.
12:40They want to be told, we're going to stand up and fight hard against what I see as lawlessness,
12:47corruption, and deliberately harmful behavior. And in my race, that was a winning message.
12:53And Senator Bennett had voted for a lot of Trump's cabinet picks. I've sued a bunch of times. That was
12:57quite a contrast. You made another point I want to pick up, Reverend Al, which is about execution.
13:02I've been working at the state level, getting things done, working to stop a major grocery store
13:08merger, taking on big pharma, getting a billion dollars, putting into opioid treatment. People
13:13see my track record of delivering at the state level. And they kept asking, why would Michael
13:18Bennett be a better governor than Phil Weiser? Shouldn't we just keep Michael Bennett in the
13:22Senate where he knows that work where he has seniority and make Phil governor? And that message,
13:26which I talked a lot about as a bumper sticker, Phil Weiser for governor, Michael Bennett for
13:31Senate is also part of why we won. Now, it's wildfire season in western and mountain states like yours.
13:39And I understand it's impacted this holiday weekend festivities with some firework shows in Colorado
13:46being canceled due to active fires and the conditions for more to start. But the Trump administration has
13:55made controversial changes to how states like yours deal with wildfires. And those changes are drawing
14:02criticism after some Colorado firefighters died this year. The president has also politicized fire
14:10prevention and recovery funding, publicizing it for red states, delaying or denying it to blue states
14:18like Colorado. In a year's time, it could be you dealing with both threats as governor. What's the best approach?
14:28We need to call out lawlessness and mean-spirited behavior that is un-American. And I'll tell you,
14:36this policy that we've seen of in the past, not giving aid, emergency aid to blue states, denying certain
14:46congressionally mandated spending to blue states. That is as un-American as it gets. We, the people
14:53of the United States of America are committed to perfecting our union for all of us, not just some of
15:01us. This administration has acted in plainly lawless ways. A number of the lawsuits we filed are on this
15:09exact point. You can't deny legally required services to blue states because of who they voted for. The
15:16recent fires, Reverend Al, I'm glad to say this administration is providing valuable cooperation,
15:21making FEMA funding available as it should be. Perhaps this administration is getting the message.
15:27It shouldn't violate the law. It shouldn't violate the American credo that we're all Americans together.
15:34And with a new day and a new Congress next year, we can start to restore our republic.
15:40All right. I'm out of time, but I must ask you one more question. I'm aware that as Attorney General,
15:45you've been very involved with voting rights and protecting voting rights. Are you concerned about
15:53this year's general elections that this administration and some antics might occur that would be a threat to
16:02voting rights and voter participation? Reverend Al, if anyone out there is not concerned about antics
16:10from this administration, they're not paying attention to the willingness of this administration
16:15to violate the law and to seek to intimidate voters and whoever they might not approve of.
16:23Colorado has adopted what everyone calls a gold standard model of elections.
16:27We send out ballots well ahead of time. This is a highly resilient system. People can fill them out
16:34on their own time, mail them back, put them in drop boxes or vote in person. What's good about the
16:40Colorado system? It's much harder to pull off any of these antics. For any state that has one day voting
16:46only in person, yes, we should be very concerned, very prepared. States can both build systems like
16:54Colorado, which has more resilience, giving people easier access to voting. And we,
16:59both governors and state AGs, need to be ready to preserve this republic. We just want an important
17:04case pushing back on the lawlessness of an executive order, trying to limit the post office. Reverend Al,
17:09we're staying in this fight for voting rights. Everyone should have the right to vote. That's the American way.
17:14All right. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, thank you for being with us. Coming up,
17:23residents of Wisconsin are sounding the alarm as ice surges into their communities. We'll speak
17:31with Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes. That's next.
17:40Welcome back to Politics Nation on MSNOW. We're following a developing story out of Wisconsin.
17:49Communities are on edge after ICE says agents detained 39 people during the last weekend of June. One of the
17:59largest enforcement operations to occur in the state under Trump. And now people are organizing,
18:08canvassing this weekend, knocking on doors, and distributing know your rights pamphlets so families
18:15know what to do if immigration agents come calling. Joining me now is Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela
18:23Barnes. Lieutenant Governor, this newest immigration crackdown comes as the Supreme Court
18:29has cleared the way for this administration to end temporary protected status for roughly 350,000 Haitians,
18:396,000 Syrians, and maybe even other groups. Homeland Security officials have said these are targeted
18:47operations aimed at migrants with criminal records. How does it compare to what we've seen up to now?
18:56Well, I can tell you, even before the Supreme Court sided with Donald Trump, we saw the lawlessness that
19:03has become ICE under Donald Trump. This is an agency that serves at his discretion. This is a rogue agency
19:10that has run afoul of the law in so many instances. And we have seen American citizens detained. We've seen
19:17Americans
19:17lose their lives. And we can all agree that if a person is in this country, and they've committed a
19:22crime,
19:22and they're not here illegally, of course, that person should be deported. But that is not,
19:26we're talking about dangerous, violent crime. And that is not what we're experiencing right now.
19:30We're experiencing Donald Trump in the run up to a midterm election, where he is almost assured defeat,
19:37tried to use his heavy hand once again, to be some sort of strong man leader. And it is ultimately
19:43making our communities less safe. It is creating unknown amounts of chaos. And we have agents that are
19:50running afoul of the law. There's a mask ordinance in Milwaukee that says that ICE agents cannot wear
19:55masks. They are defying the law. And I can tell you, if I become governor of the state of Wisconsin,
20:00ICE agents will be fined. They will be prosecuted and arrested if they run afoul of the law,
20:06whether it's state or local. Now, I mentioned before that communities across Wisconsin are
20:12mobilizing to educate people on their rights and stand up against ICE. Earlier this week,
20:18Milwaukee residents gathered in solidarity with immigrant families and called out behavior
20:24that they described as masked agents, following people through towns, smashing car windows,
20:32and violently arresting their targets, sometimes in front of young children. What response from federal
20:40agents is this garnering? Is there a worry that the situation could escalate?
20:48Well, it is ICE that's escalating the situation. And we've seen them do this before countless times
20:53before, whether it was in Chicago or whether it was in Minneapolis. These are the tactics that they
21:00have employed because they have limited to no accountability. Now, we saw previously with the
21:06Department of Homeland Security under Kristi Noem, who was wholly unprepared for the position,
21:10now passed down that role to somebody else who is going to be absolutely worse. And we are seeing
21:16the worst of immigration enforcement. Now, the problem is Congress has failed time and time again.
21:22There have been Republicans and there have been Democrats in office who have kicked the can down
21:26the road when we should have had comprehensive immigration reform that would have created a just and
21:32humane immigration enforcement mechanism. Now, what we're left with is Donald Trump's ICE,
21:38which is making things absolutely worse. Communities shouldn't be living in fear. And we've had
21:43instances before where people who went to work hard every day, played by the rules, did everything
21:48they were told to do, still bear the brunt of this ICE response. And it is completely unacceptable.
21:56The president, one, will be held accountable this November, but we don't have until this November to wait.
22:01And I applaud the people who are going door to door all across the community,
22:05who are showing up, making sure that people know their rights, making sure that people and
22:09communities can be safe and communities and families can be kept together.
22:13Now, you mentioned the ordinance that bans all law enforcement officials from wearing masks
22:19in public in public went on duty, wear their name and agencies on their uniform and requires cars,
22:28a car to be labeled with the exception of undercover assignments. Now, ICE agents appear to be ignoring
22:36the audience audiences and have been seen wearing masks as they arrest residents and refusing to identify
22:44themselves when doing so. On top of that, Milwaukee's county supervisor has accused ICE of using a parking
22:53light as a base of operations and saying they plan to sue the agency for allegedly ignoring the ordinance.
23:01ICE officials say they do not intend to comply with the state's rules. What can be done about that?
23:09Well, I can say they don't intend to comply because they've never intended to comply.
23:13They have always written their own rules and they have had a president and Donald Trump who was willing
23:18to back them every step of the way in their lawlessness. And I can tell you responsible
23:23law enforcement doesn't go into communities with a mask on, doesn't hide their identity.
23:27They build relationships and trust in communities and they do the work that will ultimately help to
23:33continue that level of trust. ICE is not concerned with that. And that is my biggest problem with this
23:39agency. That is my biggest problem with the Department of Homeland Security as a whole, because
23:43they have created a set of standards. They've created a set of rules that only applies to them. And the
23:50only
23:50person to enforce any sort of accountability on ICE is the president. And the president has no desire
23:57to do so. This is the same president that unleashed his minions on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th,
24:042021.
24:05And ICE is giving him an opportunity to do the same thing in communities all across this country,
24:11operating with agents who run afile of state and local laws, which is unacceptable. They need to be
24:17prosecuted. They need to be held accountable. We need leaders in office who are going to make sure
24:22that it happens. Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, thank you for being with us.
24:29Coming up, the best of Black America is on display in New Orleans this weekend
24:35and this year's Essence Festival.
24:41What they will not talk about is on July 4th, 1776. Black people were slaves in this country.
24:52We were not part of the Declaration of Independence. But we celebrate tonight because 250 years later,
25:02we never stopped fighting. We never backed down. We took nothing and made something happen.
25:12Welcome back to Politics Nation on MSNOW. While the president's America 250 events drew
25:19white nationalists and largely excluded any kind of Black perspective this holiday weekend,
25:26I was fortunate to spend the holiday in New Orleans at the 31st annual Essence Festival of Culture,
25:34celebrating our contributions to American life and history as our president ignored and continues to
25:42attack it. Joining me now is Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, a Democrat and president of the African
25:49American American Mayor's Association, and Alfonso David, president and CEO of Global Black Economic Forum.
25:59Starting with you, Alfonso, we spent this July 4th weekend hearing from some of Black America's
26:06brightest lights at the Essence Festival. This year's fest landed in the middle of America's 250th
26:14anniversary. At the same time, President Trump was holding his 250 events across the country.
26:21All that in mind, and I might say you were one of the leaders of this festival. You were standing
26:27there
26:27on stage when you brought me on. And I saw more people this year than I've seen in many years,
26:34despite all of the, I think, unfair attacks on Rich Lou Dennis and others. People were lined up.
26:41Even when I left this morning, they were lined up getting ready. But all of that in my nearly two
26:47years in Trump's second term, and all of us, and all of the assaults on Black life, Black identity,
26:55Black progress. How did this year's Essence Fest feel to you? Well, first, Reverend Sharpton,
27:02thank you so much for having me on your show. This year's Essence Fest is really a celebration of
27:08Black culture, but it's also a mobilization of the Black community. We're living in a time where
27:14our jobs are being threatened. Businesses, Black businesses specifically, are being threatened.
27:19Our health care is being compromised, and certainly the most marginalized
27:22within our communities are being threatened. And so a lot of folks came to Essence, of course,
27:29to celebrate Black culture, but also to mobilize in this moment for the next. Because we know,
27:35of course, we're facing the midterm elections, but folks also appreciate that we have to fight
27:40to make sure that we are represented in all facets of life. And for me, personally, I think that this
27:47is the largest Essence Festival that I've personally attended. I've seen more people this year than any
27:53of the year that I've been here. And at the Global Black Economic Forum, we have had business leaders and
27:59academics and philanthropists and elected officials all on the stage with the key objective of providing
28:07our community with information, resources, and tools to navigate this moment.
28:12Yeah. Now, and I could say that the Black Economic Forum not only had the leaders and people online,
28:21but big crowds there. Mayor Scott, same question. How would you describe the mood at this year's festival?
28:29The mood at the Essence Festival for me is what we always know. We know when our folks come together,
28:34Reverend Sharpton, that we're going to be in the moment. And in this moment, what you hear from
28:39Black people is that we're not down. We're not downtrodden. We're not losing hope. We are
28:45understanding because we've been through this before, right? We celebrate 250 years for America,
28:49but it's not just a celebration. It's also a test, a test to if this country is going to truly
28:54live up to
28:55that dream that Dr. King had or die into that nightmare that he was afraid of. And what folks
29:01you're hearing from folks here today is that we've been through this before. Our folks have been pushed
29:05down on before. We will come out on the other side, but this feels different and is different. And we
29:10have to attack it in different ways. And people are just coming here to Essence to get that battery
29:15pack charged up to go back into the fight. Now, Alfonso, one of the headlines coming out of
29:212024 was Trump Trump's gains with young Black men. And when asked, a consistent response we've heard
29:29from them was that the Democratic Party had not only underserved them personally,
29:35but their communities economically. As one of the leaders in the economic space and legal space,
29:42how do you feel about that narrative? Democrats have a chance to craft a message to Black voters
29:50who've been disproportionately suffered under the Trump economy. What should it sound like in your
29:56opinion? Well, I think there's a fair amount of misinformation about how Black men showed up at
30:03the voting booths this past election. And I think there is a question to be called about whether or how
30:10the Democratic Party actually provided information and resources to Black people. I mean, I think when
30:17you look at the data and you look at the stats, Black people were much better off during Democratic
30:23administrations. We didn't have the high unemployment rate that we have now. We don't have Black businesses
30:29actually closing in the way that they are now. So I think the problem that the Democratic Party faced
30:35was a lack of a consistent narrative and also providing people with the meaningful tools and
30:41the data that they needed to understand the gaps. But I also think there was a separate challenge where
30:47some within the party ignored or failed to recognize the challenges that some members of our community were
30:56facing, even though some members of our community were actually excelling during the prior administration.
31:03Having said all of that, I think when you talk to Black men and Black women today, and of course,
31:10we're not a monolithic community, most people understand that we are actually not living in a
31:15time under Donald Trump's administration that is beneficial to us. So I think the Democratic Party
31:21has an opportunity to actually craft a message and a policy platform that can be beneficial to the
31:27community writ large. Now, Mayor Scott, we've discussed Baltimore's historic drop in homicides.
31:35Despite that, your city has always been in the president's crosshairs as one of his prime examples
31:42of urban decay, along with Chicago, Atlanta, even his hometown of New York. But the common denominator is
31:51almost always a younger mayor of color who's building rapport with younger voters and finding success
31:59on problems or the right loves to demonize their cities for. Why do you think MAGA finds that so
32:07offensive and dangerous? Well, because they're afraid. Black people's skin may be dark reverent,
32:13but we are the light. And when you see a young black mayor, when you see Mayor Dickens, who has
32:19now
32:19reduced violence in Atlanta for five years in a row, when you see us in Baltimore see homicides who've
32:24reduced 60 percent over the last five years, which is higher than the national average, when you see that
32:29in Cleveland, when you see Mayor Viv in Cleveland doing the largest redevelopment project ever in
32:34Cleveland's history, creating 2,500 jobs, when you see Mayor Philip Jones and Newport News of Virginia
32:41creating all these jobs through housing projects. These folks fear that because it goes against
32:46their narrative of folks that look like me, they're as young as me, are the enemy. They cannot do anything
32:52right. And when we are accomplishing all these things in cities across the country, my good friend,
32:58my cousin Mayor Leo Williams in Durham, North Carolina, was just rated the best-run city in North Carolina,
33:04right? When they see that happening in places that they think are their stronghold and with people who they
33:08do not understand how they're doing it because of their mindset, they fear that. That's why they tear
33:14us all down. That's why they attack us consistently. And what we have to do as people is understand
33:19that the opposite side, the evil side, they do not attack people who they do not fear. They're
33:24attacking these gentlemen. They're attacking our system because they fear the progress they were
33:28making. And we're doing these things basically without their help, right? We reduced it without the
33:33National Guard in Baltimore City. We've seen people build these projects and do all this development
33:38without the federal support that we're used to having. And that's what's so amazing and what
33:43black mayors and black leaders are doing across this country. In this moment, when they're basically
33:47being set up to fail, they are providing miraculous results and producing for their constituents. And we're
33:53going to continue to do that. And that's where the parties should look for the measures. When they're
33:57looking for the measures of how to get to the voters, how to get to the people, they should go
34:01to the
34:02mayors and the local leaders because they are on the ground producing the results.
34:06Mayor Brandon Scott and Alfonso David Esquire, thank you both for being on tonight. Coming up,
34:13another Pride Month under Trump 2.0 has wrapped up. We'll assess where the community stands today
34:21as attacks from the White House continue.
34:29Welcome back to Politics Nation on MSNOW. Transgender children and their families are
34:36adjusting to a new reality tonight. After last week's 6-3 Supreme Court decision upheld all state laws that
34:44bar transgender girls from competing on girls' sports teams in public schools. Supporters
34:54call it a victory for fairness in women's sports, but advocates warn it puts already vulnerable
35:01children further in the crosshairs of a political fight. Joining me now is President of the Human Rights
35:08Campaign, Kelly Robinson. Kelly, what was your immediate reaction to the Supreme Court decision,
35:15and what do you believe it says to transgender young people and their families across the country?
35:23My immediate reaction was heartbreak. I mean, you have seen the Supreme Court in the last several
35:28terms that has rolled back civil rights and protections for so many of us from gutting the
35:34Voting Rights Act to overturning Roe v. Wade and now to legalizing discrimination against our kids.
35:41And this community, the trans community, is a community that is under attack. I mean, in West Virginia,
35:46where one of these cases originated, this whole case comes down to one girl being able to participate
35:52and play with her friends. I think what it opens the door to is a dangerous world of folks who
35:58are
35:58already living at the margins, experiencing more hate, more terrorizing from state governments,
36:03and more discrimination. And that, to me, is heartbreaking.
36:06Now, after the ruling, former First Lady Melania Trump issued a statement weighing in on the issue,
36:14something we do not often see her do. Quoting from her own book, she said, quote,
36:20we can support the rights of the LGBTQIA plus community and also protect opportunities
36:29for female athletes, end of quote. What was your reaction to her comments and also
36:35the point of her message? Do you think that it offered any real clarity or comfort
36:42to the families affected?
36:44Not at all. And frankly, it's insulting that she used the last day of Pride Month to pee on our
36:49legs and tell us it was raining. Look, this administration on day one banned trans people
36:54from serving in the military. They have made drastic cuts to HIV prevention and medication.
37:00They fired somebody for having a Pride flag on their desk at the FBI. You cannot tell me that this
37:06is an administration that cares about our community. And we understand that clearly. And we can also see
37:11through all of the smoke and mirrors that they want to put up and understand that we deserve better.
37:16And I think that's why you see people turning out in the numbers that they are.
37:20Now, you just mentioned it. Pride Month has just come to a close. But this year carried a very
37:27different emotional weight, coming amid a second Trump term with hard-fought freedoms under fire
37:34as the country marks its 250th birthday. What did this Pride Month feel like to you, Kelly?
37:42It felt like a moment where we were telling the truth about the harm and impact that our community is
37:47experiencing, but also demonstrating and showing the joy and the resilience. Look, you had towns like
37:53Milwaukee and Pittsburgh that had the highest levels of attendance that they've ever seen. Just in the last year,
37:59the human rights campaign has gained a million new members and supporters. This is energy. And I think as
38:05people can see the cruelty of this administration on the on display, they're not running away from the fight.
38:10They are running towards it and declaring without question that this is our country, too.
38:17Kelly Robinson, thank you for being with us. Up next, my final thoughts. Stay with us.
38:27Last night, as high winds, heavy rain, and oppressive heat bore down on the Freedom 250 celebration on the
38:36National Mall, thousands of attendees sought refuge at the National Museum of African American History and
38:44Culture. I find it highly ironic that this MAGA-friendly crowd would end up sheltering themselves in a
38:52museum. This administration has repeatedly targeted, claiming it pushes a divisive race-centered ideology.
39:01Maybe if they took some time to browse the exhibits, they would learn a little about how African Americans
39:09have always been there to help this country in its darkest hours. For 250 years, Black people have
39:17built this nation's economy, fought its wars, and enriched its culture. Even when we were persecuted, rejected, and
39:26excluded from participating. And when we stood up and demanded equality, we did it not only for ourselves, but for
39:35everyone, regardless of race, religion, sexuality, or gender. If that's not true patriotism, then I don't know
39:45what is. That does it for me. Thanks for watching. I'll see you back here next weekend at 5 p
39:51.m. Eastern. More MS Now at the top of the hour.
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