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good morning. it is saturday, february 10th. you're watching velshi on msnbc. i'm charles coleman junior filling in for my friend and colleague, ali velshi. we have got a lot to talk about. we begin this morning with donald trump's new reality tv show. we all remember the apprentice. the whole, you're fired, thing? what we are watching now is more like, the defendant. a terrifying real-life spinoff series played out in actual courtrooms and along the campaign trail each and every day. talk about reality tv. the stakes in this game show are, quite literally, american democracy and the rule of law. let's be clear, no one is watching it as their, quote on quote, guilty pleasure. everyone is watching. this week's episode contained plot twist, new characters, and

twist that left us all wondering what is happening next. let's discuss. donald trump has not had many good days in court in the last two years. for the guy who wants infamously predicted we will get tired of so much winning, all of the winning, he has lost dozens of cases related to his bogus claims of a stolen election in 2020. for starters, to juries have found him liable for sexually assaulting and defaming writer e. jean carroll. they ordered him to pay her a total of 88 point $3 million. just this week, a three judge panel in the d.c. court of appeals unanimously rejected his presidential immunity argument which was really his best shot at beating back the dozens of criminal charges he is now facing. i want to say that again, unanimously. that means his lawyer stood up in front of an entire panel of erudite judges. made their best legal arguments. when it was all said and done, each of the judges essentially told them, beat it. now, ladies and gentlemen, the

supreme court has entered the chat. that part actually appear to do well for the twice impeached, four times indicted, ex president. on thursday the supreme court heard all arguments in the effort to disqualify trump in the ballot based on section 3 of the 14th amendment the constitution. that seemed to be a step too far for most of the nine judges on the bench. judging by their line of questioning, they appear skeptical of the case and hesitant of the president that it would create. while trump appears likely to prevail in this case, he still has plenty of the go troubles ahead. that includes another case already knocking at the supreme court stores. if trump wants his federal election interference case to remain on pause he only has until monday to file an appeal to the supreme court regarding his sweeping claims of presidential immunity. the clock is ticking. that is a much more difficult case for him to win. none of the lower court judges have ruled on his favor in that

point so far. it seems unlikely the supreme court will step in a grand him such broad immunity. all of this is probably meaning that his criminal cases will soon proceed. that could have big implications on this year's elections. the defendant. donald trump's newest reality tv competition series where in which the grand prize just might be the future of american democracy. joining me now is secretary of state of colorado, jenna griswold, who was named as a party in the 14th amendment supreme court case on thursday. and also with us is noah bookbinder, president of citizens with responsibility and ethics in washington. an organization that filed the lawsuit on behalf of colorado voters. know what, thank you for being with me this morning. the justices really did seem skeptical about this case. many of the court watchers, including myself, tend to think there is a good chance that trump is going to be allowed to stay on the ballot.

you probably watched this, i'm assuming. what did you think? how do you think it went? >> we always knew the supreme court was going to have a lot of say in this. what we are asking them to do was to decide one of a former candidates a leading potential -- and we never had a president in power after losing an election, including by inciting a violent insurrection. of course, there will be a lot of tough questions. there were tough questions -- we know a lot of those were geared to us. we were asking something extraordinary. the other side is asking for the status quo. we are hopeful that when the court goes back and looks at the briefs in front of them, think through the answers from thursday, that they are gonna counter the same conclusion that we did. the law is actually very, very,

clear. donald trump has to be disqualified. this provision is good law. it applies to presidents. it has to be enforceable the way that we enforce our election laws. >> jenna, i want to play a clip to you from the actual hearings where justice elena kagan questioned why colorado or any state should influence the presidential race. let's listen to this. >> i think the question that you have to confront is why a single state should decide who gets to be president of the united states. in other words this question on whether a former president is disqualified for insurrection to be president again is, just say it, it sounds awfully national to me. >> secretary you know, there has been a lot of conversation about the notion of election interference but what do you make of that question from justice kagan? what is your response? >> truly i think it is

surprising, almost borderline shocking, question. the justices are indicating that they're looking at political outcomes in interpreting the constitution. it also shows a misunderstanding about how elections work. there are oftentimes, in national elections, candidates around some state ballots and not in other states. including in this presidential primary. a candidate who has petitioned some states and been kept off of other states bounds because he is not a natural born citizen. i think extending the reasoning of the justice, if the point we are looking at is whether a policy in a state can affect a national election than they should be looking at the voter suppression laws all across this nation. what about georgia? what if george's voter suppression laws targeting african american voters in atlanta decide the national

presidential election? does that mean the supreme court is going to go into georgia? i would say i was very surprised. if they are going down this path i think it opens up a whole can of worms for the supreme corps. and if it opens this can of worms stopping voter suppression laws might be a good outcome. >> i think when you talk about voter suppression laws and what we are looking at, big picture- wise, it makes me really questioned what if. noah, i'm gonna ask you about that. what of the supreme court says, look, we leave him on the ballot that we are going to be very specific in our opinion as to what needs to happen in order to invoke section three in the future. is that when? is that a win for the american people if there is greater definition and specificity applied by the court such that should this happen again or should we find ourselves in a space where this is occurring again that there won't be the

confusion? you walk away with a win from that? >> i think there are a number of ways that we can consider a win in this case. one, obviously, we still think we can win and not have donald trump on the ballot another is i think something that was very striking on thursday is that for all the skepticism that we heard there was very little skepticism of the finding that donald trump engaged in insurrection. if the supreme court leaves that in place in any form than that would be a tremendous win in terms of the american people understanding what happened and where donald trump stands with relation to the constitution. the other thing that this case was about was preserving for the future the right the constitutional protection that disqualifies people who attacked the democracy and then

who do it again. one of the things that our plaintiffs in this case felt was if we didn't usually hear we might never be able to use in the future. if the supreme court does provide a clear path forward for using this creation to protect the republic, who protect the democracy in a future, from people like donald trump who engage in insurrection, who attack democracy, that most certainly would be a positive outcome, as well. >> i think the notion of accountability is one that has been circling this discussion from its very outset. in terms of looking at potential outcomes, jenna, you've talked about the notion of accountability and hoping the supreme court holds donald trump accountable. if this case does not move forward, and he is kept on the ballot, could the immunity decision being struck down or upheld by the notion that donald trump does not have, like any other president, blanket immunity, do you see that as, potentially a vehicle

or pathway to accountability for former president, donald trump, or for future presidents? >> he has a lot to be accountable for. donald trump acts like a mob boss. he acts like he is above the law, above the constitution. he has the gall to lie to the supreme court about his role in the insurrection. make no mistake, we are only here having this conversation, and we are only at the united states supreme court because donald trump lost. he did not accept that result. he incited a violent mob, sent congress people running for their lives. had supporters, rioters, storming the capital. stump with the intention of hanging his own vice president, to steal the 2020 election. it was just part of his plot. i think donald trump has quite a bit accountable to. in section three of the 14th

amendment, it is in the constitution, for this exact scenario. it underlines that insurrectionists are dangerous when they are in office. if they gain office again they are able to destroy democracy from within. i do hope that the supreme court justices understand the bigger picture. i do hope they are thinking about what a second trump term would look like. the effects of what that would have on our democracy. ultimately this is not a supreme court that has been friendly to voting rights or to democracy. it will be very likely up to the american people this november to stop insurrectionists and protect our democracy. >> colorado secretary of state, jenna griswold, and noah bookbinder. thank you both for getting us started on this at a morning. we will continue this conversation after the break. dive into the history and context of the 14th amendment. i'm charles coleman junior. you are watching velshi on

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welcome back. you're watching velshi on msnbc. i'm charles coleman junior in from my friend and colleague, ali velshi today. we are continuing our conversation about the 14th amendment into a deeper dive in its history in context. join me now is janai wilson, she is the president and director counsel of the and- able acp legal defense fund and educational fund. they filed an amicus brief highlighting the importance of enforcing the 14th amendment. in this case, i get to take off my classes early in the show and talk to a lawyer! talk to me about your perspective leading one of the country's most foremost an important civil rights organization. and the interest that it has in this case around donald trump on the 14th amendment.

>> our interest in this case could not be more profound. we used the 14th amendment to buttress so much of the work that we do. the 14th amendment is central to protecting the rights of black americans and every american. to ensure that we have equal protection under the law. in this case we filed an amicus brief, as you mentioned. we did not file on behalf of any party. we filed on behalf of the 14th amendment. we think that provision, that amendment to the constitution, it's so central to the foundation of our democracy. we are deeply concerned about the arguments that suggests that it is not self executing. which means that, for some reason, you need a congressional action to bring it into force. that has never been the case for the 14th amendment. that has never been the case for any of the reconstruction amendments. they stand on their own bottom. they are very clear and with a

mandate for our democracy, for our courts, and for the american people and this should be no different. we should not change our interpretation of the 14th amendment because it could potentially have political consequences. >> you mentioned the reconstruction amendments and i'm glad because i want to give our audience a little bit of a history lesson. can you talk about the origins of the 14th amendment coming out of the civil war? and it's importance, along with the other amendments, and what they mean. >> as we know the civil war ended in 1865. just a year later there was a proposal to amend the constitution with the 14th amendment to ensure a number of things. a number of things that were clear at the time that were necessary to hold our democracy. we needed to make sure we were clear about who could be a citizen, and to make sure that those were inalienable rights. to make sure that we have clear mandates about protecting everyone on an equal basis. that is the equal protection

clause of the 14th amendment. it was clear to us, and i say us as the american people. the people who had a vision for this multi racial democracy. it was clear that we would have to have protections against those who didn't buy into this beautiful mosaic that we know is the promise of our country. the people who drafted and ultimately ratified the 14th amendment understood that there might be those who, at the time and going into the future, would engage in protest, which is perfectly lawful. would take it to the point of insurrection. bringing potential violence to the country to undo democracy. and that we needed protection against that. that is section 3 the 14th amendment. >> i wanna put on my supreme court justice rogue, which i don't actually own but, one of the things about this case that has always concern me has been the due process argument.

the notion that donald trump was not actually convicted or charged with insurrection, criminally, on any level. he was obviously found guilty in colorado, and liable in its civil court. the standard there is the preponderance of the evidence as but posed to beyond a reasonable doubt. what do you make of that as part of the conversation in terms of executing a removal on section 3 grounds? >> it is true that the 14th amendment does include a due process clause. you cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process. but that is not what is at issue here. what's at issue here is whether colorado, a state that gets to determine who gets on the ballot in its state, who qualifies to be on the ballot, can interpret the constitution based on how it interpreted it as long as it's been in existence. that if there is a ban on insurrectionists, being an officer of this country, colorado can say, we don't want

to put someone on the ballot who we believe has engaged in insurrection. there is ample evidence to support the allegation of insurrection. we saw the violence at the capitol. we saw the dog whistles. we saw the failure to intervene when trump had power to do that. again, just to be clear, what the legal defense fund is advocating for is not a particular outcome. we are asking that the court simply apply this 14th amendment. do not ignore it. apply it. whatever the outcome is is irrelevant. we cannot just abandon our fidelity to the 14th amendment. it would be a grave mistake. our country has done it before, ignoring the reconstruction amendments and ignoring the mandate legal protection. >> from one civil rights attorney to the to another. jenny nelson, thank you so much for being here. excellent conversation. keep fighting the good fight. >> thank you, we'll do. >> coming up, donald trump dominated the republican

primary in the u.s. virgin islands this week, continuing his march towards the gop nomination. also, congressional republicans sabotage their own border bill. they failed in attempt in a public impeachment of homeland security secretary, alejandro mayorkas, and they are stand- alone israel aid bill failed, as well. we are going to discuss what all this means for the future of democracy with congressman, stacey plaskett, of the u.s. virgin islands, next on velshi. stay tuned. ands, next on velsh stay tuned. but don't forget this season's updated covid-19 shot too. ♪oh what a good time we will have♪ ♪you... can make it happen...♪ ♪♪ try dietary supplements from voltaren for healthy joints. life with afib can mean a lifetime of blood thinners. and if you're troubled by falls and bleeds, worry follows you everywhere.

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two leading candidates for senate. two very different visions for california. at the surface cellular level. steve garvey, the leading republican, is too conservative for california. he voted for trump twice and supported republicans for years, including far right conservatives. adam schiff, the leading democrat, defended democracy against trump and the insurrectionists. he helped build affordable housing, lower drug costs, and bring good jobs back home. the choice is clear. i'm adam schiff, and i approve this message. with nurtec odt, i can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur,

even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt. ♪♪ vicks vapostick provides soothing, non-medicated vicks vapors. easy to apply for the whole family. vicks vapostick. and try vicks vaposhower for steamy vicks vapors. welcome back to velshi on msnbc. i'm charles coleman junior, in for ali today. congress appears to be in a self inflicted doom loop. senate majority leader, chuck schumer, did not hide his frustration with republicans this week, calling them out for blocking a bill that the gop had a heavy hand in shaping. it was republicans after all

who demanded that aid to ukraine, israel, and taiwan be tied to significant immigration reform. the resulting bill contain compromises on immigration policy that would've been more conservative in nature than any immigration bill passed during the trump administration. and yet it was republicans who walked away from that deal. here is schumer last tuesday after the bill failed. >> the house is in chaos. it does not behoove the speaker well to block everything because 30 hard right wing people just want chaos like donald trump. >> as that bill failed, republicans in the house attempted to pass a stand-alone bill to save billions of dollars in the aid to israel while shelving other national security priorities that have been included in the broader bill. that stand-alone bill also failed. the very same day republicans in the house failed to impeach homeland security secretary,

alondra mayorkas, over his handling over the immigration at the u.s. mexico border. mayorkas is not accused of a high crime and misdemeanor that one might expect of an impeachment. democrats have said from the start that this impeachment effort was politically motivated and not based on any substantive wrongdoing. and yet republicans will try again next week. while the gop spirals and consumes itself, at least 65 over the most maga members of the house have busied themselves introducing legislation that declares trump, quote, did not engage in insurrection. there's very little hope that this bill will get enough support to pass but it doesn't matter. successfully passing important, necessary, critical legislation does not appear to be the anymore. the point, it would seem, it's to show fealty to former president, donald trump. even if that means self sabotage. even if it means stalling progress. even if it means that this may

be the least productive congress in modern history. joining me now is democratic representative from the u.s. virgin islands, stacey plaskett in. good morning, congresswoman. thank you for being here. let's talk. this congress, so far, is the least productive in modern history. what hope do you have that the rest of the year may be different? maybe we can turn a corner and actually get things done in washington? >> good morning to you. i'm usually here with ali velshi in the morning, but i am so glad to see you here, as well. it is an honor to be with you. listen, this is a failed republican party. every piece of legislation that has been passed of significance has been done with the democrats. and democrats operating in the minority have actually been the ones controlling what is going on in washington. because the republican party is

all about breaking the american people. this border bill is just another example of that. at the word of donald trump, they moved away from a bill that was in their favor. they don't want to show that president biden is getting things done. whether it is bringing down the cost of insulin. whether it is fighting gun violence in this country. whether it is an infrastructure bill that is dealing with climate change. president biden has been able to get those things done during his time. trump can't stand to see him do anything else. >> congresswoman plaskett, you are a member of what is often described as a very austere body. literally the body that is responsible for funding our government, keeping our country running, doing many of the things that taxpayers send representatives to washington to do. there are about 65 members of

the house that introduced this new resolution, more or less trying to declare the donald trump has clean hands with respect to january 6th. at the same time, none of the other stuff that i just mentioned, funding the government, keeping us running, doing other things to pass legislation, is actually happening. as a member of this body, what do you feel like that contrast says about congress right now? >> i think the contrast is very stark. very, very, frustrating for those of us who have people back home who need things done. the people of the virgin islands have sent me to washington to make sure that they have wealth creation. to make sure that they have safety for their children. to make sure that there is resilience against climate change. the republicans absolutely do not want to do anything. they are busy doing failed

impeachments of individuals. they are searching for an impeachment of president biden, can't find a! are just looking for anyone with the name biden to get involved with. it is absolutely frustrating to see that not only is happening. and to be in a place where we know americans still need us to work. i do not know what is going to happen to the republican party. it says to me that we have to get people out there to vote come this november so we can change the narrative and get things back on track, getting things done. and being the austere body that you talked about. right now we don't feel like we are in a austere, adult fill, the body right now in congress. >> in 2015, we were watching the primaries take shape. there was really a sense that this was different. but that we had no idea where things were going. i'm curious, right now in this

moment, is there any other members in congress who may be concerned that, right now, given what is becoming the new normal, we are literally watching the job description of u.s. congress be changed right before our very eyes? >> i think we are seeing that, on the other side of the aisle, among quite a number of them. just this week during what has been called the weaponization committee i was talking about the fear of many of my republican colleagues to speak truth to the power that be within the party. we have, of course, the extremes in there. 60 individuals who want to convince us that our eyes are lying to us about what actually took place on january 6th. then there are also individuals who know the truth. our deadly afraid of their positions to be able to speak that truth. so, as our leader, hakeem jeffries, has said, we will

continue as democrats to be the adults in the room. compromise where we can and to get things done for the people who have sent us here. to ensure our children, your children in mind, continue to believe in the american dream and continue to believe that this is the greatest country. there are those of us who are going to do the right thing. >> u.s. congresswoman, stacey plaskett, thank you so much. i will give ali your best. it was a pleasure talking to the saturday morning. >> so good to see you, as well. take care! >> coming up, we will head to capital for the latest on the supplemental aid bill for ukraine, israel, and taiwan. i'm charles coleman junior. that's next on velshi on msnbc. we'll be right back. velshi on we'll be right back. he thinks his flaky red patches are all people see. otezla is the #1 prescribed pill to treat plaque psoriasis. ned? otezla can help you get clearer skin, and reduce itching and flaking. with no routine blood tests required.

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lawmakers are back on capitol hill today working through the weekend on a strip down to national security package that does not include

borders eqt measures. senators are negotiating today which amendments may get a vote before the final bills considered for passage. the package will provide aid to israel, ukraine, and taiwan. at this point anything could happen. the senate leadership is fighting for all of the, including the potential for a floor debate or votes being held during the super bowl tomorrow. joining me now live from capitol hill is julia jester. julia, thank you for being here. do you know anything that is going on with these negotiations today? what is going to need to happen in order to move things forward to a vote of vote this weekend? >> charles, we will know a bit more when the senate reconvenes at noon today for what is called an intervening day. they will be in negotiating amendments and the amendment process ahead of a key procedural vote at one pm tomorrow. we are getting a sense of what republicans might want to offer

up amendments. ask for democrats they want amendments to do two things. number one, that they won't tanks a bill if they actually pass. and to, they could bring along more republicans on board with this bill. for example, republican senator josh hawley plans to introduce an amendment to fund victims of nuclear contamination. he told nbc news this week that if his amendment passes he will support this bill. it's a big deal, he has been very outspoken against funding for ukraine. you might be wondering, why is this taking so long? why is this being dragged down? correct me if you've heard this one before. one senator is holding up the process. senator rand paul of kentucky says he will continue to block speeding up this bill until, quote, hell freezes over. here is a bit more of what he told us. >> i'm not going to object to the amendments, but i'm going to object to condensing time.

and they'll struggle through this for two or three more days, we are going to beat the crap out of them for being for someone else's border and not our own. and we will see where the cards lay. >> charles, the reason we are in this position is because republicans blocked the bill that did include border measures and funding. senators are ready for the long haul. leader schumer says he reserved a room tomorrow for senators to catch the super bowl and he food if they are stuck here debating. democrats are hopeful they may be able to get this wrapped up next week sometime, perhaps late tuesday, early wednesday morning. that all depends on how long this amendment process takes. we will be keeping a close eye on that throughout the day. >> that was nbc's julia jester on capitol hill. thank you. coming up after the break. for us, biased. we will dive into the history of black press in america and why its mission is as important today as it ever was.

i'm charles coleman junior and this is velshi on msnbc. on ms. one purchased equals one donated. visit bombas.com and get 20% off your first order. with nurtec odt, i can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt.

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news outlets owned and operated by jack black journalist primarily for consumption by black readers. in the early 1800s before the civil war the country was still deadlocked in a fierce debate over slavery. black folks drew tired of the negative and races coverage that african americans received in mainstream white run newspapers. a group of freed black man in new york city took it upon themselves to launch their own newspaper. one that law experienced -- and that's, the friedman journal was born. the freedoms journal was launched as a four-page weekly paper on march 16th, 1827. the same year slavery was abolished right here in new york. it was distributed by hand on fridays out in lower manhattan and also sent to subscribers across the country. it's publishers even found ways to sneak the freedom journal into slave states in the south. the papal expressed abolition if he's focusing heavily on

slavery in america. it's purpose was to inform and to entertain. it featured local and national news of the day, a poetry section, and biographies of successful black americans at the way of inspiring its readership. the freedom journal would only publish until 1830 but its impact would reverberate throughout history. between its launch in the start of the sub war in 1861, 40 more black-owned newspapers were founded giving black americans a platform to advocate for their causes and tell their stories. the very first issue of the friedman's journal makes it clear why was so necessary. quote, we wished to plead our own cause. for too long have others spoken for us. too long has the public been deceived by misrepresentations. daily slander, we think, there ought to be some channel of communication between us and the public. for more on the importance of the black press, both past and

present, i want to bring in lower william, ceo and founder of capital be news. a black lead nonprofit news organization and roland martin, host of the digital show, rolling mountain unfiltered. he's also the host of -- author of the book why fear, how the browning of america's making why folks lose their mind. roland, good morning. i will start with you. the black press has a deep legacy in this nation. there are countless papers following in the footsteps of the freedom journal. -- i think we have lost roland. we are going to move, our next guests. it's the same question. i want to talk about the importance of the black press. why is it so necessary in today's day in age that black stories and voices have their own platforms in order to give a voice to what we experience? >> it is so important, not for

dissimilar reasons to why it was important to hundred years ago. we still are subjected to any number of systemic issues in our country. outside of the mainstream, and what the mainstream press can provide, we need an outlet. we need something that is going to elevate our voices and our stories. not just to tell them, but to tell the important news. news that is more important for us, to us, as an audience. >> there is a lot of conversation. people may not know or understand. this but there is the notion that the field of journalism has taken a lot of hits because newspapers, magazines, print media is essentially a dying field. what do you make of that in terms of, doesn't make it easier for platforms talking about black issues, the black

experience, black stories? does it make it easier to get things out on the web? does it make it harder because journalists now have less than less opportunities in mainstream media? >> i would say that nothing is easy in the world of journalism right now. [laughs] i would not use that word. it is hard to get good quality information to people. whether that is the mainstream media trying to do it, and business model is failing. whether that is small black publications trying to do it, that is one of the reasons why black publications are more and more important. we need to flood the zone with high quality information, news that is truthful, trustful, and from trusted sources as our information pipelines have broken down. >> they're in is this a very interesting balance. organizations like the national association of black

journalists have, for years, been advocating for diversity in newsrooms. more diversity in newsrooms. i can recall, if you are familiar there was this recent story that ran in the new york times about travis kelce inventing a hair cut that i was wearing in the sixth grade, the fade. >> yeah, the travis kelce. >> right. the fade has been in the hood for years. literally decades. a lot of people point to that and say this is evidence of a lack of cultural competency in newsrooms. can you talk about the balance in having our own platforms and also needing to push for diversity if mainstream newsrooms, as well? >> right. i don't think we, as black people in america, or black communities, should settle for just one thing. we are a part of america.

these newspapers say they are covering all of america. their staff should represent the country in order to competently cover the country. that should just be the baseline of their responsibility. in addition to that, the black press has shown for 200 years that there is an extra layer of need for black communities across the country to get a specific type of information and news from black sources. >> roland, i see you are back with us. i want to turn to you now. there is some sort of conversation where people will say, look, news as news, facts are facts. why isn't that there needs to be a separate entity for the black press? how do you respond to that? >> easy. freedom journal, the nation's first black newspaper, mostyn mark 16th, 1827. that's what they said in the

third paragraph of the first addition. we wish to plead our own cause. too long have other spoken for. us the reality is the black press of america has served as the driver of activism. speaking to our issues. frederick douglass, ida b. wells barnett, pittsburgh courier, chicago defender. the atlanta daily world. ebony, jazz, essence magazine. black enterprise. present day we go b.e.t., tv will. on radio won. -- that has been the organ where we have talked about. the pittsburgh courier lost a double victory campaign. victory at home, victory abroad. they said let's defeat fascism but also racism at home. people don't realize that the department of defense targeted black newspapers because they dare to write about racism in the military during world war ii. that has always been our goal. part of the problem is we are dealing with economic apartheid. you have ad agencies and companies refusing to advertise

with black-owned media. that is one of the reasons we have not been able to grow. 24 years ago b.e.t. was sold for two point $8 million. -- it's 2024, do you know what we are getting? 1%. we are speaking to an audience that wants to hear the perspective in a much different way. the last point? we don't have to ask permission to cover black people in black owned media. we do have to do it in mainstream. i spent six years at cnn. i can tell you what it was like having to explain to people why this story matters. i don't have to do that when i'm black-owned. >> roland, you talked a lot about the notion of spending ad dollars. whether it is from political campaigns, political parties, or from corporate entities in terms of black media. how do consumers a black media apply the appropriate amount of pressure for different industries and entities to spend the same type of dollars

advertising on black media platforms as they do elsewhere? >> april 3rd, 1968. dr. king gave a speech at the temple in memphis. he said we must redistribute the pain. he said we must not do business with people who will not do business with us. he talked about, he named specific companies that we should not by-products from. we have to make clear to these companies that we are not buying their products if they continue to ignore black people. and others in the black owned media collective in 2021. a company like general motors was doing 1% of spending for the black folks. we have got them to agree to spend at least 8% by 2025 to black-owned media. mcdonald's has increased, target has increased. there are other companies. we are talking right now, big pharma spends less than 1% with black folks, we know black folks in terms of these drugs. what black and swimmers have to make perfectly clear is, you are not going to continue to

practice economic apartheid with black-owned media. he wants to buy your products? we can have that level of discipline and people need to understand that our media matters. we are speaking for a constituency that, frankly, is not properly spoken to and for in mainstream media. >> lauren williams, role in marquette. thank you both. roland, my brother. i appreciate you watching black man in america, the road to 2024. thank you for the promotion. coming up, in the next hour of velshi, special counsel robert herr uses his report on classified documents to attack president biden's mental acuity. already being compared to then fbi director james coleman's decision to talk publicly about the hillary clinton email investigation in the run up to the 2016 election. a move that was later called, quote unquote, extraordinary and insubordinate by the inspector general. we will talk about what the

herbert report really says, legally how it is being used politically, and what it can use for the 2024 election. that's coming up after a quick break. you are watching velshi, i am charles coleman junior. charles coleman junior. i don't think you can clear this. i got this. it's yours now. this isn't charmin! no wonder i don't feel as clean. here's charmin ultra strong. ahhh! my bottom's been saved! with its diamond weave texture,

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good morning. it is saturday, february 10th. i'm charles coleman junior filling in from my friend and colleague, ali velshi. we have got a lot to talk about. we begin this hour at the intersection of two battlefields, legal and political. democracy and the rule of law hanging in the balance. donald trump has tied his political fortunes to his legal entanglements. both were evidenced this week. first, he got the bad news. a three judge panel at the d.c. court of appeals unanimously rejected his presidential immunity argument, which was his best shot