Skip to main content

tv   New Day  CNN  December 8, 2017 4:00am-5:00am PST

4:00 am
members of congress should hold themselves to a higher standard. >> nothing i have done has brought dishonor on the institution. >> it is time for us to address this issue not as republicans or democrats but as americans. >> don jr. is not telling us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. >> he wanted to create a page on the russian networking site vk. >> i think i would be more worried if there were responses. >> this is "new day" with chris cuomo and alisyn camerota. >> good morning, everyone. welcome to your "new day". chris is off. john berman joins me. yes, it is a busy friday.
4:01 am
>> indeed. >> as always. good to have you here. three congressman resigned in three days. first john conyers, then republican congressman trent franks abruptly announcing that he is stepping down. and democratic senator al franken re lealeap leaplenting from his party. but on his way out he took a shot at president trump and roy moore. big news in the russia investigation. cnn learned that previously undisclosed e-mails show there was in fact, follow-up communications after trump campaign officials met with russians at trump tower in the summer of 2016. donald trump junior publicly denied any follow-up to that meeting where he was promised dirt on hillary clinton.
4:02 am
let's begin with the historic week. live on capitol hill. >> reporter: good morning. capitol hill still reeling after a wave of sexual assault allegations and resignations. democrats taking a gamble, forcing out one of their own to obtain the moral high ground. republican congressman trent franks becoming the third lawmaker to announce his resignation this week due to allegations of sexual harassment. he denied ever having or attempting to have any sexual contact with any member of his staff. house speaker paul ryan responding saying he was told about the claims last week and
4:03 am
found the allegations to be serious and requiring action. >> whether it is in business industry or congress, they have to be taken very seriously. >> reporter: house ethics committee announcing they launched an investigation into another republican congressman blake farenthold. over allegations that he sexually a rassexual ly harassed his former communications director lauren green. >> i was told if i pursued this that my clear on capitol hill would be over. i just felt it was extremely important that i stand up for myself. >> reporter: green sued farenthold in 2014. it was revealed that farenthold used $84,000 in taxpayer money to settle the lawsuits. >> we're using tax payer dollars to settle these cases? i think he should voluntarily resign. >> reporter: farenthold said he didn't do anything wrong and he plans to pay back the money. senator al franken announcing his resignation in a defiant and unapologetic speech on the senate floor. >> some of the allegations against me are simply not true.
4:04 am
others i remember very differently. >> reporter: denying allegations that he made inappropriate sexual advances to at least six women for criticizing what he sees as a double standard. >> i of all people am aware there is some irony in the fact that i am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the many oval office and the man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for senate with the full support of his party. >> reporter: franken, referencing alabama senate nominee roy moore who has been endorsed by president trump and receiving money from the rnc despite allegations of child molestation. >> it's up to the voters. this is democracy. the president said we want to
4:05 am
keep the state republican. >> reporter: they stand by roy moore. he will travel tonight to hold a campaign style rally along the alabama border. while the president does not plan to campaign with moore himself, many supporters encouraged to attend the rally tonight. and the white house continues to deflect any questions about the new round of criticism against the president for the other claims of sexual harassment against the president himself. john and alisyn. >> ryan, thank you very much. let's discuss all of this with john avlon and ron brownstein. great to have you. the deluge of sexual harassment issues, john, makes it hard to figure out where to start. let's go with the most recent, which is a few hours ago. yesterday afternoon congressman trent franks announced that he would resign -- it wasn't harassment in the normal way we think of it in the past year or so.
4:06 am
he and his wife were struggling with fertility issues. and he reportedly approached two female staffers to ask if they would be be interested in being surrogates and perhaps carrying a baby for him and his wife. okay, wow. but, again, as i have said, all of this you can put under the umbrella of you cannot ask your staffers to do this. >> asking your staffers to bear your children seems like a bad idea across the board. trent franks, one of the most conservative members of congress. called president barack obama an enemy of humanity. that is an ask too far for apparently reasons. the congressman is now on his way out. what we are facing is there will
4:07 am
be a lot more of these. not just historically for john conyers and al franken and now trent franks. but accusations against blake farenthold. and this slush fund to pay off accusers by taxpayers. >> blake farenthold's was to the tune of $80,000. he said he will pay it back. >> there's going to be more here. it is affecting all industries, but congress in particular in accelerated ways. >> there is a moral discussion here we are having across the board. but there is a political reality on brownstein. this seems like a chess game where parties are sacrificing paupbs, in some cases not just pawns but knights to get to the king or queen. and they just sacrificed one of their better pieces to get to something higher. the question, will they get
4:08 am
there? >> john is right. this is obviously a much bigger cultural moment in which the political institutions are only one component. i believe at the root of all of this is frustration of the president among professional women in particular who look at, as al franken said, somebody who has bragged on tape about his own history of, you know, sexual miss behavior and assault sitting in the oval office without consequences while all of this is happening around him. i do think ultimately it does -- there has got to be a point when the two roads reconnect. maybe the defamation suit by the former apprentice" contestant. and i think him resigning adds one more note of uncertainty in the final days of the race in alabama and whether it will cause some voters there to question ultimately whether they want to go forward with electing roy moore. if nothing else, this is a
4:09 am
guarantee that the senate ethics committee will have to deal with the question of roy moore if he wins after he arrives. and whether there would be a serious effort to expel him. for voters in alabama, this is a shot across the bow, a warning that he would face serious obstacles should he be elected. >> i do want to talk about what he said yesterday. it was the first time we have heard that he actually doesn't agree with the accusations. he actually called them -- that because he had apologized first to leeann tweeden for the forcible kissing and mock groping in the picture, that the apology he said left a false impression that he was guilty of these things. i thought it was interesting to hear his take. he did not apologize. he remembers these things
4:10 am
differently. he said some of them are flat out wrong to his mind. yet he was going to fall on his sword for whatever reason, john. >> politically untenable if you have almost all of your senate colleagues and your party calling for you to resign, the head of your party. it came like an avalanche after the sixth woman came forward. it was politically untenable. it was a defiant departure speech yesterday. he made a point of not just calling out president trump for admissions of sexual assault caught on tape, but obviously looking ahead to the roy moore race. democrats are trying to impose this as a way of proving self evident moral clarity. one of the things that was frustrating is these are gradations, they're sexual assault. there are accusations over many women of preying on tweens
4:11 am
essentially when roy moore -- >> teenagers. >> sorry. forward. thank you. those are serious accusations. we need to keep the gradations in mind. not all sins are the same, even if they're all objectionable. >> is should they be in the senate which is a different standard. ron, i want to ask about new poll numbers that came out overnight. this is pew research. the president's approval rating is at an all time low. 32%. that is, as we say in boston, wicked low, ron. >> wicked le. >> and there are underlying numbers. white evangelical republicans, down from 78% in february to 61% now. white noncollege educated republicans down from 56% in february to 46% now.
4:12 am
>> the white noncollege decline, those are the core of his coalition. that is consistent. if seeing that around affordable care act, these voters who were told that the president was going to stand up for their economic survival had viewed much of the agenda as ignoring them or hurting them in favor of the wealthy. the polling on the tax bill is extraordinary across the board. there is a big but here. there are still big obstacles of turning the discontent to them. the white collar whites, moved away from the partisan, show more willingness to punish other
4:13 am
republicans for their discontent with donald trump. >> amid all the spectacle of our politics, we sometimes ignore the obvious. the erosion in this poll among all groups in america. but republican core coalition is precipitous. it is not just evangelicals. it is across the board. down 20% support for americans under 30. >> blue collar win in alabama. that will be the key to that. >> we will with your help. a cnn exclusive. sources tell cnn that previously undisclosed e-mails reveal multiple follow-ups to the meeting at trump taurbg in 2016 between top russians and the white house. jim shuuto joins us live from
4:14 am
washington. what do you have? >> reporter: alisyn, john, the consistent story from trump world, once this meeting was exposed, is this was a one-off. there was no follow-up, and the discussion was purely about russian adoptions. this is evidence that they just don't stand up to the facts. the british publicist brokered this meeting between jared kushner and others and being promised dirt on hillary clinton. five days after the trump tower meeting, goldstein forwards a cnn story as the news was broken that russia had broken into dnc e-mails. he forwards that and at the top says isn't this eerily weird in light of what we talked about that in meeting?
4:15 am
there are possible explanations of that. but it does expand that the meeting was all about russian adoptions and contradicting what we have heard from the participants, including donald trump jr. take a listen to how he explained that meeting. >> there was nothing there to follow-up. in the end there was probably bait and switch about what it was supposed to be about. you know, there is nothing there. >> reporter: one more topic we know from this e-mail that was raised the possibility of putting donald trump, sr. the candidate on the russian equivalent of facebook called vk. director of social media at the white house pushing this idea so something outside the tight circle which is outside the trump world, including the president, was involved in putting out that explanation described this meeting.
4:16 am
we know rob goldstein will be appearing. certain he's going to be asked about this. >> that's one of the weirdest parts. why does donald trump need a russian facebook account? why would the campaign think that was necessary or a good idea? do you know the answer to that? >> well, that's something they will certainly be asked about. at the time one of the explanations was this would be a way to reach russian-americans. russia facebook popular not just among russians but right wing extremists here in the u.s. that is something investigators are looking into. >> the plot thickens. thank you for explaining all of that. join jim shuuto tonight for a cnn special report called "the mystery of michael flynn." 10:00 eastern tonight only on cnn.
4:17 am
he released a whistle-blowers story saying michael flynn was texting during the inauguration about ripping up russian sanctions. alright, i brought in high protein to help get us moving. ...and help you feel more strength and energy in just two weeks! i'll take that. -yeeeeeah! ensure high protein. with 16 grams of protein and 4 grams of sugar. ensure. always be you.
4:18 am
[he has a new business teaching lessons. rodney wanted to know how his business was doing...
4:19 am
...so he got quickbooks. it organizes all his accounts, so he can see his bottom line. ahhh...that's a profit. know where you stand instantly. visit quickbooks-dot-com.
4:20 am
we that's why at xfinityic. we've been working hard to simplify your experiences with us. now with instant text and email updates you'll always be up to date. you can easily add premium channels so you don't miss your favorite show. and with just a single word, find all the answers you're looking for. because getting what you need should be simple, fast, and easy. download the xfinity my account app or go online today.
4:21 am
three members of congress resign anything three days after allegations of sexual misconduct. joining me now is congressman cummins. we have a lot to discuss with you on a range of subjects. i wanted to start with this greater moment that we're in in the country. senator franken is resigning at the end of the month. emotional but didn't apologize. do you think he need onned to say i'm sorry? >> well, i know that early on he had apologized to the first person i think that spoke about his actions.
4:22 am
i didn't hear his statement. but i can tell you that i think clearly he did the right thing for himself and his family and for the country and the congress. i think we're going to have to have more transparency. i think a lot of members didn't even know about some of the rules we have with regard to victims and to go through all of these hurdles to file complaints and things of that nature. this is a very important issue. i'm certainly sure we will do that in congress. i heard the comments of my colleague a little bit earlier. there does seem to be a double standard.
4:23 am
that's why you have the republicans talking with the president who brags about groping women, 14 of them i think have come forward to say he did that. on the other hand, he's still there. now republican national committee promoting roy moore. >> right. >> down there in alabama. we have work to do. >> trent franks announced his resignation after allegations came forward about him. blake farenthold of texas, a settlement after allegations she made. should he step down? >> again, i think the standard has been set already. mr. conyers exited. and i think the same should apply to farenthold. >> let me ask you about the russian investigation. you came through with a bit of
4:24 am
news saying a whistle-blower has come forward saying during the inauguration speech of president trump michael flynn, the incoming national security adviser, sent a text to a former business colleague saying the russian sanctions would be ripped up immediately. my question to you, aside from whatever legalities, is there anything necessarily illegal about an incoming policy adviser saying that a policy will change? is there anything necessarily illegal about that? >> well, i think the better question is did he -- was he in violation of any rules and regulations? one is very clear. there is a rule that says if you come into the government and you consult with a firm you can't be doing business for a year with
4:25 am
that firm. clearly he was working with the firm, the ones trying to rip the sanctions so they could build nuclear reactors with russia in the middle east. >> there is a legitimate question whether there was a business conflict of interest. >> yeah. i think that is clear that there was a conflict of interest. but you've got to understand, what's happening with this and what's happening with don jr., is we keep peeling -- it's like peeling an onion. it seems like we get layer and layer and layer. you know, they say one thing -- remember, all of this have the very beginning president bush said there were no contacts with russia. now we find out at least 12
4:26 am
folks. >> you're talking president trump there. to this point, you brought this before the committee. this is not something we're going to look into here. that is an area that i want -- >> yeah. i was very saddened. >> what do you think the message is? >> i think that's a good question. i think there's an effort to protect the president, to be frank with you. keep in mind what we have here. we have a whistle-blower. this person has come to us in great fear because this person felt that -- this whistle-blower felt that it was important that this information be shared for the benefit of the country. we are the committee, by the way, that deal with more whistle-blowers than any committee in the congress. it is our jurisdiction to
4:27 am
protect whistle-blowers. and to address conflicts of interest. it is also our jurisdiction to address security clearances. all of that comes in our committee. but the other committees are not -- the intel committee is not looking at this. the senate committee is not looking at this. somebody has to look at it. at the end of the day, the question is what are we doing to reveal to the american people what happened, why it happened with regard to our election and what is going on here. i've got to tell you that the more i look at this it's clear to me this is about people trying to make money. it's so sad. i don't want to get ahead of mr. mueller's efforts. i think as he moves forward he will uncover a lot of this. hopefully some will come out. some of the stuff i'm talking
4:28 am
about may never come out if we don't address it. and he refused to sit down with mr. tkpwoudy because they were afraid if the identity were revealed that they might suffer some harm. >> representative elijah cummings, thank you for being with us. appreciate your time. senator al franken stepping down but not apologizing. what do the women who are accusing him think now? his latest accuser here next. your next getaway? connecting with family and friends? a big night out? or maybe your everyday shopping. whatever it is, aarp member advantages can help save you time and money along the way. so when you get there, you can enjoy it all the more. for less. surround yourself with savings at aarpadvantages.com
4:29 am
we're on a mission to show drip coffee drinkers, it's time to wake up to keurig. wakey! wakey! rise and shine! oh my gosh! how are you? well watch this. i pop that in there. press brew. that's it. so rich. i love it. that's why you should be a keurig man! full-bodied. are you sure you're describing the coffee and not me?
4:30 am
full-bodied. if you spit blood you may have gum problems,s and could be on the journey to much worse. try parodontax toothpaste. it's clinically proven to remove plaque, the main cause of bleeding gums. for healthy gums and strong teeth. leave bleeding gums behind with parodontax toothpaste.
4:31 am
4:32 am
senator al franken announcing his resignation but not apologizing in the wake of growing sexual misconduct accusations against him. >> some of the allegations against me are simply not true. others i remember very differently. i know in my heart that nothing i have done as a senator, nothing has brought dishonor on
4:33 am
this institution. and i am confident that the ethics committee would agree. >> all right. joining us now is jenna dupuis. she accused franken of groping her in a party in 2013. thank you for being here. what did you think as you watched his resignation announcement yesterday? >> i thought he said to listen to women and then he talked about himself. it wasn't an apology. it was very defiant. he wanted to talk about the pain that he was going through, which is obvious on. but not the pain that he has inflicted. and i thought that was inappropriate to do that from the senate floor, quite candidly. >> he said something i hadn't heard before. he said his apology, because he had apologized previously, that the apology gave the false impression he said that he was admitting to things he hadn't done. >> right.
4:34 am
he was answering the president in that moment. he was talking to the president. he said that it was ironic that someone like roy moore and donald trump are still in good standing. that's not irony. that is one party being better on women than the other party. >> what do you think about that? that al franken -- first, let's talk about what happened with you. in 2009 you were at an inaugural party for president obama. >> yeah. >> and you asked al franken to take a picture with you. >> and he immediately put his hand on my waist, just grabbed a handful of flesh and squeezed a couple of times. >> over your clothes. >> yes. >> what i didn't put in the article was that i just quit smoking. i just gained 20 pounds. i was uncomfortable just being in clothing let alone having some lawmaker man handle me. >> so when he put his hand on your waist and squeezed and
4:35 am
grabbed some flesh, what did that moment mean to you? >> it was shocking. i describe it as cognitive dissidence. here is someone i admire, i like. and he is doing something that makes me profoundly uncomfortable. and he is someone who other people like. and no one wants to hear bad things about the people they near. and al franken in 2009, he was a hero. he was our 60th vote for democrats in the senate. he was our super majority. it was a big deal to have him there. >> so let's talk about what you and i were just referring to, which is in the continuum or the spectrum of sexual harassment, is he in the same bucket of roy moore, the allegations against roy moore and donald trump were. >> i think that is a false equivalent. people said that to me. well, he's no roy moore. well, he's no charles manson either. that's not what i'm accusing him of. he calls himself awe champion of
4:36 am
women but he does these things that says to the women that you have no ownership over your own body. that your comfort does not matter. that i can touch you and i can do whatever i want to do and it doesn't matter. and candidly, if he were a republican and he was trying to kiss boys against their will, men against their will, he would have been gone three weeks ago. >> so you think al franken didn't deserve to lose his career for this? >> it is not lose his career as much as i think the most important thing at the end of the day is he did not parade his victims in front of an ethics you committee. i think that would be very traumatic for somebody who had already gone through this. a lot of the women didn't use their names. and i understand why. but i think going through the ethics committee process for a victim is cruel. >> so he did something honorable by sparing them. >> correct. >> and your article was also about how now is the moment for
4:37 am
democrats. >> yes. >> after they left, the accusations against bill clinton go. they have some reckoning themselves. >> right. i believe that is the original -- that we chose as democrats we chose bill clinton over the women. and we keep on making that same mistake over and over again. and i believe with al franken we have stopped doing that. >> so what if roy moore is elected and goes to congress? then what can be expected? >> then i think the republicans need to deal with the republicans. >> well, tina, the article is in the atlantic" for anybody who wants to reads it. thank you for coming forward with your story. it is fascinate to go talk to all the women. >> i really appreciate this. thank you. >> great discussion, alisyn. where do extreme euftd groups go when they get kicked off
4:38 am
facebook and twitter? remember how the economic crash was supposed to be a wake up call for our government? people all across the country lost their savings, their pensions and their jobs. i'm tom steyer and it turned out that the system that had benefited people like me who are well off, was, in fact, stacked against everyone else. it's why i left my investment firm and resolved to use my savings for the public good. but here we are nine years later and this president and the republican congress are making a bad situation even worse.
4:39 am
they won't tell you that their so called "tax reform" plan is really for the wealthy and big corporations, while hurting the middle class. it blows up the deficit and that means fewer investments in education, health care and job creation. it's up to all of us to stand up to this president. not just for impeachable offenses, but also to demand a country where everyone has a real chance to succeed. join us. your voice matters. at t-mobile, when you holiday together, great things come in twos. right now when you buy any of this season's hot new samsung galaxy phones, you get a second one free to gift. that's one samsung for you. one to give. t-mobile. holiday twogether.
4:40 am
4:41 am
we that's why at xfinityic. we've been working hard to simplify your experiences with us. now with instant text and email updates you'll always be up to date. you can easily add premium channels so you don't miss your favorite show. and with just a single word, find all the answers you're looking for. because getting what you need should be simple, fast, and easy. download the xfinity my account app or go online today.
4:42 am
> the series divided we code. some platforms are being weaponized by fringe groups, building their own forums allowing racism, sexism thrive. really interesting stuff. >> yeah. increasingly there is pressure for facebook and twitter to kick people off their platforms. there are many cases building out their own internet infrastructure. they might find the following content offensive or disturbing. take a look. >> the backlash has begun. companies like google, facebook and twitter have a dilemma.
4:43 am
on one hand they are fighting violent content, removing terrorist propaganda. but they are also walking a delicate line between sensorship and free speech. some people think they have gone too far. >> when they see this crackdown, even if it is not their content being sensored, i think they are offended. >> it is an alternative to youtube. >> can you describe it to users. >> i knew at the beginning it would be mostly french characters. >> here's what that looks like. this is a pretty horrific title for a video. ♪ oh, wow. so racist images, saepanti semi images. i'm running into trouble. do we even show any of this or scrap this?
4:44 am
i don't actually think some of these people deserve a platform. and clearly some of the tech companies don't either. but the news value there is they have a platform and that they are gathering. so you can't ignore it even if you don't agree with it. >> youtube is one of many alternative sites popping up. this is cody wilson. i spoke to him years ago when he was working on a pretty controversial project. >> i think i'm known as one of the more radical free speech activists. >> he was dubbed one of the most dangerous people on the internet when he posted images on how to 3d print a gun. n >> he's a very famous troll. >> yeah. sent to federal prison for other things. it is a nice endorsement.
4:45 am
>> one of the worst trolls on the internet. >> i think so. >> keep in mind richard salesperson sore's ideal is to have a wide ethnostate. should these people get a platform and where should the line be drawn. >> are you worried some of the stuff will incite violence? will you draw the line there? >> no, i'm not worried about it. i'm talking about getting outside someone's home and there's a mob and you say get him. that is not protected speech. these personalities -- these people are at worst trolls, performance artists, provocateurs, vulgarians. >> while he doesn't align himself with all of their world views, he is enabling the political speech of these characters. he's take agriculture i cut too.
4:46 am
he gets 5% of every dollar raised on hatereon. >> how much attention should we even pay to these groups? i think we have to pay attention to them. increasingly over the last year you have a lot of hate speech online. >> and they are making a lot of money on it. laurie, thank you very much. "divided we code" 2:30 eastern time tomorrow. president trump plans to attend in mississippi but some will boycott the easement. the mayor of jackson here with his thoughts on what will happen next. to help get us moving. ...and help you feel more strength and energy in just two weeks! i'll take that. -yeeeeeah! ensure high protein. with 16 grams of protein and 4 grams of sugar. ensure. always be you. won't replace the full value of your totaled new car. the guy says you picked the wrong insurance plan. no, i picked the wrong insurance company.
4:47 am
with liberty mutual new car replacement™, you won't have to worry about replacing your car because you'll get the full value back including depreciation. switch and you could save $782 on home and auto insurance. call for a free quote today. liberty stands with you™. liberty mutual insurance.
4:48 am
they appear out of nowhere. my secret visitors. appearing next to me in plain sight. hallucinations and delusions. these are the unknown parts of living with parkinson's disease. what stories they tell. but for my ears only.
4:49 am
what plots they unfold. but only in my mind. over 50% of people with parkinson's will experience hallucinations or delusions during the course of their disease. and these can worsen over time, making things even more challenging. but there are advances that have led to treatment options that can help. if someone you love has parkinson's and is experiencing hallucinations or delusions, talk to your parkinson's specialist. because there's more to parkinson's. my visitors should be the ones i want to see. learn more at moretoparkinsons.com how's it going down there? that's good. lica misses you. i'm over it though. (laughter) that's fine. i miss her more than you anyway. ♪ ♪ hey, my window is closing. yeah that's okay. alright miles. i love you. (phone hangs up) ♪ ♪ yeah i love you too. ♪ ♪
4:50 am
4:51 am
seven atlanta police officers put to the test as they tried to free motorists trapped in a burning car. >> reporter: this shows the desperate determination of atlanta police trying to help two people trapped in a burning wreck. everybody knows those inside are moments from a horrible death. >> for me, it was one of the most traumatic scenes i have ever been on. >> we realized we had to act fast. >> the fire department is on the way. they are just minutes out. only there aren't minutes left. >> i was, like, let's just get them out so it won't blow. >> with no equipment to pry open
4:52 am
the doors, officers can keep the flames under control until the teams get there. >> the men never back off or give up. motivated by the desperate pleas of the trapped victims. >> must have been terrifying. >> he's screaming. help me, please. i don't want to die. it was kind of rough at times. >> they pour emergency water from the jug in their vehicle on the fire. >> it bought time. just enough time. >> firefighters arrive and put out the flames and free the driver and passenger who survive, thanks to some determined atlanta police officers, who even after reaching the limits of everything they had went beyond the call. martin savidge, cnn, atlanta. >> god bless those officers. now to the next story. the mississippi civil rights
4:53 am
museum will open tomorrow, but john lewis and thompson say they will not attend. joining us is the mayor of mississippi. mr. mayor, thank you for being here. >> good morning. thank you for having me. >> how do you feel about donald trump coming down for the opening of this museum? >> i believe the decision of president trump to come for the opening of the mississippi civil rights museum is ill considered. i think that this is a necessary history that has to be told. i think that, you know, we are aware, obviously of the great sacrifice and struggles it took to bring us to this point and president trump and the policies he espouses are disrespectful to the legacy and history to be betrayed in the museum. >> he's the president of the
4:54 am
united states, shouldn't he be here for this opening, this ground-breaking moment? >> i think if president trump is sincere about the recognition of civil rights, and one kwo imagine being at a museum could demonstrate that, the policies that you implement each and every day, your continuing commitment to advancing civil rights is a greater salute to a sincere effort to support a civil rights movement. i think he fails to accomplish that on a consistent basis. >> this is what john lewis and benny thompson say about why they will not attend this. after president trump departs we encourage all mississippiens and americans to visit this museum. mr. mayor, will you attend the opening ceremony of the museum n >> i will not be sharing the
4:55 am
stage with president trump. i join the congressmen in asking individuals to actually visit the museum and to celebrate this history. but, you know, the legacy of the individuals that fought in this movement and continue to advance civil rights in our country and throughout the world, that legacy will not allow me to stand with president trump, who shows a blatant disregard for that movement. >> mr. mayor, isn't this a time for dialogue? isn't this a time for coming together? i understand that you have very significant differences with president trump, but isn't this the moment, particularly the opening of the museum for fence-mending, for open conversation about all of this? >> i absolutely believe it's a time for progress and a time for moving forward and that's what we are pushing forward in the city of jackson and in the state of mississippi for that matter. but when there's a consistent
4:56 am
demonstration of a lack of appreciation from our national office, a lack of integrity from our national office and disparaging comments that go to support a lot of hurt and harm within our society, then showing up for a museum opening is inconsistent with the actions that our president demonstrates on a daily basis. >> what do you mean? what specifically are you objecting to? >> say that one more time. >> specifically, what is it that you are objecting to that is so significant that it won't allow you to go to the museum opening? >> well, i am objecting to, you know, a president who has demonstrated a wanton disregard for civil rights, a president who not only has done the things that congressman thompson and congressman lewis have eluded to, a president who has sent a
4:57 am
department of justice under his administration sent a letter to the city of jackson suggesting that we are a sanctuary city, where we just put forth a policy of anti-racial profiling, a president who continues not to denounce the alt-right that supports him. i think his actions, his decisions, are consistent in that he does not uplift or push forward any effort for a civil rights advancement or human rights advancement, a president who disrespect the rights of women and considering the sacrifices of the great people who are listed and who will be recognized in this museum, that legacy will not allow me to stand on a stage with a president that continues to disrespect their work. >> the white house talks about those sacrifices and here's
4:58 am
their statement. we think it's unfortunate these members of congress won't join the president in honoring the sacrifice civil rights leaders make. what do you want to say to the white house on that front? >> i would say that the president does not have to remind us in mississippi what this movement is about. we are very clear about what this is about. we are very clear about the positive direction and uplifting those sacrifices, supporting our mississippi martyrs and veterans of the civil rights movement. what we have issue with is a president that does not demonstrate the words in which he suggests in that statement each and every day. that's our concern. until he shows a consistent effort towards advancing civil rights, human rights and women's
4:59 am
rights, then any effort to stand on a stage, and based on those ideals is disingenuous and ill considered on his behalf. >> we appreciate you coming on and sharing your perspective on all of this. >> thank you so much. we are following a lot of news this morning so let's get right to it. >> we say zero tolerance for sexual harassment in the halls of congress. >> republican friend franks making a surprise announcement. >> i am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the oval office. >> it was a follow-up and there was nothing there to follow-up. >> so far we have not seen any follow-up that touched trump junior. >> why have you not told the
5:00 am
truth in if nothing happened? welcome to your "new day." it's friday, december 8th, 8:00 in the east. chris is off and john berman joins me. we have a lot to do in the next hour. >> we sure do. >> three lawmakers in three days resigning amid sexual conduct issues. trent franks announced last night he was stepping down after democratic senator, al franken caved to pressure from his party and he plans to leave congress within weeks. franken took a shot at president trump and roy moore. >> and then the sexual misconduct scandals rock congress. pensacola, about as close as you can humanly get to the state of alabama where there's a key senate

154 Views

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on