team usa is ready for the olympic games... ...and so are mike and eddie! show me the olympics. they easily catch every single event with the award-winning xfinity voice remote. show me bmx racing! show me swimming. track and field. shot put. skateboarding. water polo. climbing! discus. surfing. dressage. dressage? it's horse dancing. magnificent. with the best of the olympics, and everything else you love, it's a way better way to watch! cheer on team usa with xfinity x1. say "show me the olympics in 4k" so you can watch in stunning 4k ultra hd. thanks for watching. "don lemon tonight," with its big star, d lemon, starts now.

>> how is it going, sir? >> peachy. >> i, still, am flummoxed by -- um -- the misinformation over the vaccine. people refusing to get vaccinated. and also, refusing to wear masks. um, every day, seems like it gets worse. and i don't mean that. i am talking about the people who are dying, who are actually coming down with it. especially, the children. if you saw martin savidge's report tonight. just heartbreaking. >> people who are seen with significant cases and hospitalizations are getting younger. part of the metric here is ignorance. but part of it is, also, arrogance. this misplaced sense of righteous indignation and resistance that they believe is a false manifestation of freedom. this is not an issue of freedom. of course, you ever the freedom to make choices about your own body. let's put to the side the irony that so many of these people don't want to afford that freedom to women. but what we're saying is, does it mean it's the right choice? and these suggestions. uh, i think the vaccine is safe,

but -- you have the freedom not to take it. but i don't know that the science lines up. but i don't know why they're changing the guidance. these suggestions fuel resistance, and i think it's a mistake. >> you -- you know what we don't talk about? and maybe, you've talked about it on your radio show. or maybe, you have talked about it on your show, before. i don't get to see every second because i am trying to actually get in the seat and get ready for mine. but just the -- the effect that it has, the toll that it takes on hospitals. taking up space in hospitals. people, who are coming in, now. the cost. the medical bills that people are getting. much of it, going unpaid. the uninsured putting -- taking a toll on the medical system. there -- there are lots of things that we don't talk about. or people -- that people don't consider when they are vaccine resistant or vaccine hesitant. when they just don't get the vaccine. there are lots of factors. more than just it's my body and it's my freedom, i can do what i want. >> well, look. and again, i think that my body, my freedom, okay. but i think that we're seeing

here is a little -- first of all, you're right. in terms of the strain on the system, it's very real and that's why so many leaders, right now, are freaking out and trying to get resources into hospitals before we go through the same cycle of being overwhelmed that they were, before. but you also have vaccine gaps, within medical staff. you know, people -- the unvaccinated aren't just, you know, outside the medical world. they're in the medical world. >> they are. they are. >> because a lot of pethem have political feelings, as well. and that's my concern and that's why i am having members of the right on to be reasonable. and tell your people there is no advantage in resisting, as some show of defiance. if you don't want to take it because, fill in the blank, your doctor, your family, your history, whatever. but as an -- as a -- you know, going like this to the government. or giving the bird to people in power. you don't get to control me. that's a problem. and i think it's being fed by people on the right, and that's a problem.

>> yeah. well, you know, a problem that we're going to deal with and our time is going to be short is the treatment some of these guys are getting. all of them, really, after their testimony. i have this gentleman, right here, this hero, who is going to join me, in just seconds. >> ah. >> there he is. officer dunn. >> officer harry dunn, yeah, to talk about his experience testifying. and his experience, since first interview since yesterday. >> i want to tell you something, and let -- i don't know if -- if the officer can hear me. he really got through to my kids. generationally, he broke through multiple generations of my family. my mom. me and the wife. but my kids, in terms of the pain of how he was approached, and how he was spoken to. and that the uniform had always been insulation from that kind of animus, but not on that day. >> not on that day. >> and what that meant to a big -- listen, dunn checks -- i don't know if he can hear me but he checks every box of tough that there is, that we have, right? >> you should see the -- you

should see the picture of him standing next -- he is a big dude. he's a tough guy. >> and what does it take to talk about pain and vulnerability and sensitivity? strength. so, god bless him for the message that he gave. >> yeah. you want to respond? >> thank you. thank you, chris. i appreciate those words. thank you. that's all i got. appreciate you. >> don't thank me. thank you for keeping our capitol safe. thank you for protecting people, and thank you for showing restraint. >> it's my job. >> towards the people who were coming after you. you know, i saw a lawmaker last night who said, hey, i think if i had a gun, i would have done pretty well against them. i don't know what the rules of engagement were. that's stupid thinking thachlt h. that's why the guy doesn't wear the uniform. you showed mercy towards people who weren't showing it toward you, and that's why you are the best of us. >> i was talking about restraint because he wants to respond to everyone, and i told him take the high road. don't even read it. don't respond to that. he's -- he is better than that. so i'm glad you are giving -- you're saying the same thing to him. thank you. >> one second, one second, one second. who picked up the check? put dunn back on.

>> dunn? >> who picked up the check? >> tell him. >> not him. >> there it is! there it is! >> tell the truth. who picked up the check? >> of course, he did. of course, he did. >> can't hear ya. >> actually, the boss picked up the check. >> love you, d lemon. >> i love you, too. see you later thank you very much. this is "don lemon tonight." america seems to be backsliding on this pandemic. cases up, 65%, since last week. 65%. and across the country, more and more people, more and more people, just plain sick of a belligerent minority who won't follow the rules. ruining all the hard run gains for the rest of us. why? the cdc wants everyone in schools to wear masks, even if they are fully vaccinated. yet, anti-mask protests are spreading, like this one. this is outside a school-board meeting in broward county. take a look at your screen. i don't consent. no ma -- no more masks. this is where they set masks on

fire. anger spreading to capitol hill, where the resident doctor ordered the house to re-mask to prevent the spread of covid, among members and staff. kevin mccarthy tweeting, masks are not based on science. and making the ridiculous claim that government officials want to live in a perpetual pandemic. i want you to listen to the house speaker, nancy pelosi, what she has to say about that. >> leader mccarthy's -- leader mccarthy says it's against the science. >> such a moron. >> that, as on the house floor, republican lauren boebert reportedly threw a mask back at a floor staffer, when she was offered one as she walked out, maskless. she then sat on the house floor, the only member refusing to wear a mask. today. and that's what this is all about. it's because so many people refuse to save their own lives, while the rubber is about to hit the road. okay? because president biden, about to announce a requirement that

all federal workers be vaccinated, or submit to mandatory testing. just should have to do it. but, okay. companies, like google and facebook, requiring vaccines for all office employees. one of the largest real estate developers in new york city telling employees, they will be fired if they're not vaccinated by labor day. yes. some people are angry about putting masks back on. just when they were getting used to going without them. some people are even angry, frankly, about the spread of the delta variant. and counting on masks to protect them and their unvaccinated kids from the people, who just don't seem to care. and speaking of not caring, to follow the rules, there is republican, andrew clyde, who according to one of the gop colleagues -- his gop colleagues -- has been evading thousands of dollars in fines for refusing to wear a mask. you may remember him from calling capitol rioters

tourists, which is weird, because look how he welcomed those tourists on january 6th. right there. he also got into a heated exchange with jamie raskin, late-last night, over his insurrection-denial comments comparing the attack at the capitol on january 6th to, what he called, quote, a normal-tourist visit. now, congressman raskin getting him to admit that he still stands by that, even after four hero police officers testified, under oath, calling the rioters at the capitol terrorists. here's how it went down. >> i want to ask you this. they were asked the question, by several of our colleagues, including ms. cheney. um, about statements that you made saying that the january 6th violent insurrection against congress was akin to a normal-tourist visit. and those officers said they weren't tourists, they were terrorists.

do you stand by your statement, that they were tourists? >> um, i would like you to quote my exact statement. not your interpretation of my statement. >> okay. watching the tv footage of those who entered the capitol and walked through statuary hall showed people in an orderly fashion, staying between the stanhions and ropes, if you didn't know the tv footage was from january 6th, you would actually think it was a normal-tourist visit. those are your words. >> and i stand by that exact statement, as i said it. >> okay. do you agree or disagree with the officers who spent four or five hours battling that medieval mob that had baseball bats and lead pipes and so on? do you stand by the statement that the people that they were fighting were tourists? or would you agree with them that they were terrorists?

>> that statement did not say that those people were tourists. >> okay. but, the fact is the statement said you would actually think it was a normal-tourist day. what -- dude, what does that mean? if it's a normal-tourist visit, rather, a normal-tourist visit. you would actually think it was a normal-tourist visit. that means you thought they looked like tourists. and what kind of logic -- okay. whatever. officer daniel hodges said this to the select committee, yesterday. >> why do you call the attackers terrorists? and what do you think about our colleagues, who think we should call them tourists? >> well, if that's what american tourists are like, i can see why foreign countries don't like

american tourists. but i can see why someone would take issue with the title of terrorist. it's gained a lot of notoriety, in our vocabulary, in the past few decades. and we like to believe that, no, that couldn't happen here. >> yeah. might like to believe it couldn't happen. maybe, we should call them tourists. or just terrorists. maybe, we'd like to believe that it couldn't happen here but those four officers who fought, nearly to death, they know the truth. they know the price of freedom. real freedom. right? not just the performative, fake freedom, freedom, liberty, democracy. they know the real price of freedom, of dmemocracy. and the price that they paid, the physical and emotional

wounds. physical and emotional price they are, still, paying to this day. so, it's really disgusting that some people are calling their bravery into question. mocking them for a perceived lack of toughness. right? people can sit, you know, protected by the tv studio or keyboard warriors or, you know, security guards and all that. over on the fox-propaganda network, people like tucker carlson and laura ingram, who love to tell you just how patriotic they are. performative. fake. how they support law and order performative fake. transactional. well, it seems that they have just forgotten all about that when it comes to those four police officers who risked their lives to defend our democracy from the attacks by blood-thirsty trump-supporting rioters, terrorists, on january 6th. insurrectionists, not tourists.

just listen to tucker carlson mocking sergeant aquilino gonell. he is an iraq-war veteran, by the way. >> watch as gonell compares what happened on january 6th to the iraq war. >> and we were not letting them in. they -- they tried to convert us. they tried to persuade us to let them in. my time, compared to iraq, totally different. this is our own citizens. people who we've sworn an oath to protect, but yet, they are attacking us with the same flag that they claim to represent. um, it was bad. >> actually, what happened on january 6th, according to the video we do have, does not look a lot like iraq. i >> this, from someone who has

never served a day in uniform. someone, who will never know the kind of bravery it takes to put your life on the line for democracy. and how about i show you another piece of video? how about you take a look at -- at what it was really like, for the police who fought to stop the mob of rioters who stormed the capitol. the mob, who hunted lawmakers and the vice president in the halls. and i want you to listen to this guy. this guy is scoffing at mike fanone for being brave enough to talk about the trauma that he is, still, suffering nearly-seven months after that horrible day. >> watch fanone cite the psychological trauma he endured, as an excuse for ditching our bill of rights. >> i have been left with the psychological trauma and the emotional anxiety of having survived such a horrific event. >> trauma. and as i said, i am going to

show you -- i thought we were going to this one. i want to show you another piece of video. laura ingram. mocking those hero officers with a disrespectful gag award show. and i do mean gag. >> ate ward for blatant use of partisan politics when facts fail, the angle award goes to capitol police officer, harry dunn. >> i am a law-enforcement officer. and i do my best to keep politics out of my job. but in this circumstance, i responded. well, i voted for joe biden. does my vote not count? am i nobody? >> that is some twisted you know what. and that is what her audience, obviously, wants to see. you know what she left out of officer dunn's testimony? you know what happened next,

right? you know -- you know -- i know you remember. officer harry dunn was subject to an onslaught of vile, racist abuse. and if you think this is tough to hear, if you are offended by this racist language, well, you should be. >> one woman in a pink maga shirt yelled, you hear that, guys? this nigger voted for joe biden. then, the crowd, perhaps around 20 people, joined in screaming, boo! fucking nigger. no one had ever, ever called me a nigger while wearing the uniform of a capitol police officer. in the days, following the attempted insurrection, other black officers shared with me their own stories of racial abuse, on january 6th. one officer told me he had never, in his -- his entire 40

years of life, been called a nigger to his face. and that streak ended on january 6th. yet, another black officer, later, told me he had been confronted by insurrectionists in the capitol, who told him, put your gun down and we'll show you what kind of nigger you really are. >> hey, laura ingram, tucker carlson, cowards. officer harry dunn is an american hero. and i am proud to say that he is here with me, now, in his first interview since that hearing. he's going to tell all, next. there's a world where every one of us is connected. everyone. everywhere. where everyone is included. where everyone has access to

information, education, opportunity. ♪ ♪ ♪ when everyone and everything is connected. that's really beautiful. anything is possible. good morning. cisco. the bridge to possible. you need an ecolab scientific clean here. and here. which is why the scientific expertise that helps operating rooms stay clean now helps the places you go too. look for the ecolab science certified seal.

go with simparica trio it's triple protection made simple! simparica trio is the first and only monthly chewable that covers heartworm disease, ticks and fleas, round and hookworms. dogs get triple protection in just one simparica trio! this drug class has been associated with neurologic adverse reactions, including seizures. use with caution in dogs with a history of these disorders. protect him with all your heart. simparica trio. [swords clashing] - had enough? - no... arthritis. here. new aspercreme arthritis. full prescription-strength? reduces inflammation? thank the gods. don't thank them too soon. kick pain in the aspercreme. welcome to allstate. (phone notification) where we've just lowered our auto rates. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

and savings like that will have you jumping for joy. now, get new lower auto rates with allstate. because better protection costs a whole lot less. you're in good hands with allstate. click or call for a lower auto rate today. capitol police officer, harry dunn, speaking out about the racist attacks he endured while defending the capitol on january 6th. and i am honored to talk to officer dunn, tonight, about his powerful, emotional testimony before the select committee. thank you for doing this. >> thank you. >> thank you. it's -- it's good to see you. and to -- to spend time with you, in person. i wanted to spend time with you,

in person, and stay here so that i get to interview you, in person, instead of -- to interview you in person, instead of by satellite. hearing you describe what happened, rioters calling you the n-word on january 6th. it was a powerful moment, and it shows that, obviously, there is a clear-racial aspect to this insurrection. and you wanted to get that across yesterday. >> i can't believe that -- you know what hurts more than or just as much as what happened on january 6th, the attacks? the attacks on our credibility, and that we're lying and that we don't love our country. and we're fake-police officers. and we're not real cop -- like -- like, just the stuff that you were just playing there. the laura ingrams and the tucker carlsons and -- an act? that was an act? wow. thanks?

it's frustrating. it's -- it's -- it's more than frustrating. it makes you so angry. but unwaivered, and i am still going to do my job tomorrow just like i do for the last 13 years. >> you were speepless when i played that and you said to me, in the commercial break, i wish i had worn my usa shirt today. why? >> we're not americans because we don't agree with their political views. everybody's allowed to have a different political view. that's what makes america, america. that's what makes america a democracy. what are they doing to preserve democracy? i know what i am doing. i know what i did to preserve democracy. i protected republicans, democrats, and independents for the last 13 years of my life. and i'm going to do it for 13 more, god willing. this is my country, too. i'm allowed to have a political opinion. that's what makes america great.

makes america great, right? that sounds familiar. >> yeah. when -- when they say, you know, you've heard the -- you've become, you know, from right-wing media. you've really become a punching bag. people who say, well, you're not like everyone else. and you're not -- basically, saying that you're not a real police officer or -- it's like, almost, you're not a real american. >> i'm not a street cop. i'm not -- i'm not going to pretend to be. these -- the officers in portland, in minnesota, and seattle, and across the country that went through hell. my heart goes out to them. i -- they didn't deserve any of the stuff that they went through. and a lot of people want to say, well, what about those guys? they are freaking heroes, too. they deserve credit. they deserve honor. they deserve respect. every single cop, this summer, that was met against antifa and the vicious rioters this summer. they, absolutely, deserve the credit and respect. those officers do. they don't deserve it. just like on january 6th.

it seems like it can't be this and this. it has to be this or that. >> uh-huh. >> it's both of them. why can't both things exist? both things are true. >> you think they're shifting the blame? or shifting -- at least trying to shift the focus from what happened? listen. there -- we can deal with many things in this country, at the same time. and if something happens, it doesn't mean that you go, oh, well, what about this? what about that? can't we focus on what happened on january 6th where our democracy was in jeopardy? >> we should be. >> this -- this weren't just people who were -- who were exer exercising -- some of them were exercising their right to protest. others went way too far. that's a different story, than trying to undermine democracy and stop an election. >> and that -- and that's kind of what -- what bothers me, a little bit. even just the footage that they just played and that you showed from the fox-news clip. laura ingram showed footage and tucker carlson showed footage of the individuals walking through the stanchions. but they didn't show the footage of the outside. the tens of thousands of hours

of footage of the brutal combat that officers faced. i am so fortunate. i am so fortunate, that i was not physically assaulted. i didn't get my ass whooped and i am so thankful but you know who did? so many of my co-workers. so many of the mpd guys. there's guys that are still out of work because they got their ass whooped, physically. >> uh-huh. >> like, what -- if i came here with my arm in a sling or a bandage around my head, would that give me a little more credibility? sorry, i can't put a -- a band-aid on my -- my emotions. or my brain. my psychological -- my mindset. i can't put a band-aid on it. >> uh-huh. >> all i got is my words. >> this is the -- the new republican talking point, when i talked to officer michael fanone, tonight. is that it was -- you know, it was only 100 violent people at the capitol. you know, they are still downplaying it. but we all saw and we lived -- what -- what difference does it make, if it was 100, 200, or 300, or a thousand? it was still people doing what they did, beating up police officers with blue lives matter

flags and american flags. bear spraying officers. pepper spraying them. it, still, happened. so, what is -- what do you think of that new-talking point? oh, it was just a couple hundred -- or a hundred people? >> one -- 100? 1,000. like you said, it doesn't matter. they goal was to disrupt democracy. how many -- how many terroristic acts are carried out by one person that defined the -- the -- the way, going forward, for countries. the way they operate. one person can change the whole direction of countries. >> uh-huh. >> 100? their goal was -- think about this -- think about this. think about this. what if they succeeded, though? that's the thing. like, what -- what if -- everybody said, well, it wasn't that bad. okay. what if they did get to mike pence and pelosi and the congressional -- the -- the votes, the electoral college votes? what if they got to those? were they just going to say, yeah, we did it.

see, look, guys, this is a warning. we could have done this but we didn't. shouldn't that be taken serious? at what point, does it come, all right, guys. i don't know. i just -- i don't even know what to say, man. it's -- it's infuriating. >> you know what i noticed about spending -- listen, i thought it was important to come to d.c. during the hearings. and to meet you guys because i had never met you in person. i met you on television. and just actually, spend time with you guys. and the more i spend time with you guys, i have realized that this is -- this is 24 hours, a day, for you. you are constantly getting, on your social media, messages from people. hate. people are finding your phone numbers. people are reaching out to you, in ways. people are saying things to you. this is -- it's not over, for you. this is 24 hours, a day. and you're not used to that sort of attention. you asked me. you said, don, how do you handle these -- all this criticism and these hateful messages? you're not used to that. >> no. >> this is -- this is 24 hours, for you? >> you asked me at dinner, are you hungry?

because i literally started picking up my phone, and scrolling through the hate. the hate messages. the -- the ats, the mentions that i'm a traitor, i'm a coward. i had -- i had to turn it off. like -- >> do you -- >> it sucks, man. >> go on. >> it -- it sucks, like, but mike -- mike said something great that -- that once -- i think he said it this morning. about once they're at their end, and they have nothing else left -- >> he said it tonight. >> was it tonight? yeah. >> he said that people were -- and i believe the same thing -- is that the -- they are fighting, tooth and nail, because it's a dying breed. >> uh-huh. >> it's, basically, a dying breed. >> and we can't give up, now. we got to keep fighting for democracy, justice, for everybody. everybody. the right-wing people, left-wing people, and the -- everybody's allowed to have their own opinion. and nobody should be kcriticize

or called less of americans because you have a different-political belief. like, it's -- it's -- that's not democracy, right? >> yeah. um, and he was talking about the -- the racists and the bigots saying that they are fighting, tooth and nail, right now because they -- they realize that their time is up, soon. and i -- i -- i have said the same thing but it was very profound that he even recognized that. i want to play this for you, and then i'm going to ask you about it, after we come back from break. let's play it. we'll go to break. and then, i'm going to ask offer harry dunn about this moment, in his testimony. >> if a hit man is hired, and he kills somebody, the hit man goes to jail. but not only does the hit man go to jail, but the person who hired them does. there was an attack, carried out on january 6th, and a hit man sent them. i want you to get to the bottom of that. ugh, these balls are moist. or is that the damp weight

of self-awareness you now hold in your hand? yeah-h-h. (laugh) keep your downstairs dry with gold bond body powder. hey lily, i need a new wireless plan for my business, but all my employees need something different. oh, we can help with that. okay, imagine this... your mover, rob, he's on the scene and needs a plan with a mobile hotspot. we cut to downtown, your sales rep lisa has to send some files, asap! so basically i can pick the right plan for each employee... yeah i should've just led with that... with at&t business... you can pick the best plan for each employee and only pay for the features they need. the sleep number 360 smart bed is on sale now. it's the most comfortable, body-sensing,

automatically-responding, energy-building, dually-adjustable, dad-powering, wellness-boosting, foot-warming, temperature-balancing, recovery-assisting, effortlessly life-changing... proven quality night sleep we've ever made. and now, save up to $1,000 on select sleep number 360 smart beds and adjustable bases. plus, 0% interest for 24 months. only for a limited time. at philadelphia, we know what makes the perfect schmear of cream cheese. the recipe we invented over 145 years ago and me...the world's best, and possibly only, schmelier. philadelphia. schmear perfection. icy hot.

ice works fast. heat makes it last. feel the power of contrast therapy, so you can rise from pain. only 6% of us retail businesses have a black owner. that needs to change. so, i did something. i created a black business accelerator at amazon. and now we have a program that's dedicated to making tomorrow a better day for black businesses. ♪ ♪ i am tiffany. and this is just the beginning. ♪ ♪

back, now, with officer harry dunn, who defended the u.s. capitol on january 6th and testified about it before the select committee yesterday. so um, officer dunn, i just want to play that important moment, again, from your testimony yesterday. and then, get your response. here it is. >> if a hit man is hired and he kills somebody, the hit man goes to jail. but not only does the hit man go to jail, but the person who hired them does. there was an attack carried out, on january 6th, and a hit man sent them. i want you to get to the bottom of that. >> the hit man and the person

who hired them. who sent them there, you think? >> i'm not one to speculate. i like to stick to facts. there was literally a rally at the white house, saying to go down to the capitol, fight like hell. that's not my words. um, and that's what they did. >> are you confident that this committee is going to get to the bottom of the answers that you're looking for? >> i mean, call me crazy, but i kind of believe in government, in the long run, being successful. and being able to -- even if i disagree with the outcome, like, if this committee investigates it. and they say, you know what? we -- everybody did -- the people who attacked, we're prosecuting them. the people who may have agitated them, it's not enough to -- okay. i can accept that. but i can't accept is the brushing off of it and nothing happens. like, look at it. and -- and i've been painted at

this left-wing activist, or whatever. that's what tucker carlson said. their talking point was nancy pelosi was responsible for capitol police and the failures. okay. okay. say that she is. investigate it. and if she was wrong, accountability needs to be held by any and everybody. not just the left, not just the right. any and everybody, who had anything to do with the failures of january 6th needs to be held accountable. >> do you -- do you want the committee to subpoena trump and -- and his allies on capitol hill? >> that -- i don't know. i don't even know how that works. i don't know -- that's the -- that's the -- i got nothing. i could talk about what i know, and what happened to me. i just hope that they -- they know what they're doing. that's why they are on the committee. so -- >> you know, we were talking about whether, you know, folks were armed or not, right? and, you no, and this whole thing about, well, people weren't armed with firearms, right? but they were armed, as you guys said, with other weapons,

besides firearms. there's this virginia police officer, who was fired after storming the capitol. um, and he was jailed, today, because he ordered a large stockpile of guns and ammunition after his january arrest. and posted support for future-political violence. and you spoke, yesterday, about all the people who still believe the lies that led to january 6th. how much danger do you think that we are, still, in now? >> i said this, and i continue to stand by it, that as long as people are emboldened by people in power, then there's still a threat for things to happen. that's why we need to make sure we're prepared. and we continue to shoot down all rhetoric that could, possibly, lead to violence. like i said, it's okay to have different opinions. but don't fight like hell or march down to the cap -- that's -- first amendment protest is what this country is about. first amendment. the constitution. like, that's the democracy of it. but once you start attacking

people, attacking things, then that's wrong. and that -- and you know what? that goes to the riots this summer. that were wrong. if you peacefully protest, then sure. but the riots and the -- the violence and the damage, this summer, it's -- they were wrong. >> uh-huh. >> they were wrong. and that's the exact same thing that happened at the capitol. but their goal was to overthrow democracy, which is a bigger threat to america. >> yeah. the department of homeland security is warning about the possibility of more violence, in the next few weeks. because, as you know, there -- there is this white -- right-wing conspiracy theory out there that is saying, oh, trump's going to be reinstated in august. do you think that we are prepared, after january 6th of this year? >> i'm no security analyst. i'm not. i'm not even going to pretend to be. >> but you work there. >> i'm not.

the officers i work with, the first responders unit, those guys will be ready to come -- to face whatever is thrown at them. that's a brave, heroic bunch of guys. and i am so proud to work with those guys. and we will be out there, ready to serve and protect democracy. and take -- fulfill our oath that we took so -- >> yeah. i want to play something for you because i -- we talked a bit about that at dinner. but officer michael fanone, last night, talked to me who also testified yesterday. that he says that he felt that he wasn't being -- um -- protected or supported by the fraternal order of police. um, my colleague, jake tapper, spoke with the national president, patrick yost, earlier today, take a listen to this. >> maga media maga politicians are smearing police officers, who are members of your union. they're smearing harry dunn,s the capitol police officer. do you feel that you cannot be

as supportive of the capitol police officers, of the metropolitan police department officers, as you would want to be because trump supporters make up most of your union? >> i do -- i don't -- i don't recognize or accept that -- that characterization. i can tell you, and i can provide documentation if you'd like, of just how involved that -- that the labor committees and the nationals been involved. i don't think a week has gone by since january 6th that we have not been engaged in meaningful discussion and actions on behalf of that -- that -- that incident on that -- that day. so, to suggest that, somehow, we're ignoring it is not true. >> there was -- jake went on to ask him -- i wish we had played that part. jake went on to say but ayou ar not doing it publicly. you issue statements on behalf of police officers who are -- you know, who may be getting -- um, unfair treatment in the media. but you haven't really done that, when it comes to these

police officers. and you guys have been vilified, in the media. do you think you're getting the support that -- that you need? >> no. um, and i don't say that to be an ass or nothing. but like -- like you said, they -- people make statements, all the time, about we support. i mean, let's be -- let's be -- let's be frank. in 2016 and 2020, the fop put their support behind a presidential candidate. so, they interjected their selves in politics. so, when you don't want to mix police or political pawns now. well, yeah, we injected ourselves and i say we because i am a member of the fop. i am a dues-paying member of the fop so i say we. we injected ourselves into politics. and you can't have it one way or the other. keep it consistent. if something is wrong, come out and support people that

you're -- you're supposed to support. you know? >> supporting the wrong people? >> they're not supporting anybody. silence is -- silence -- what's -- what's the phrase? silent -- your silence speaks volumes? something? by them not saying anything, we're -- we're forced to make our own assumptions. >> and that assumption is? >> we're not being supported. >> anything else you want to say? you going to be all right? >> i did three, four hours of testimony yesterday at -- i said all i had to say. >> you are a good dude. >> thanks, man. >> i -- it's really an honor to meet you and to spend time with -- thank you so much. thank you for what you have done for the country. thank you for the person you are. thank you for serving. thank you for just -- thank you. >> thank you. >> all right. >> appreciate you having me on. >> officer dunn and his fellow officers, all, demanding an investigation into what happened on january 6th and who was behind it. w what will this investigation say

about the state of this democracy? we will talk about that.

this is the greatest idea you'll ever hear. okay, it's an app that compares hundreds of travel sites for hotels and cars and vacation rentals like kayak does for flights. so it's kayak. yeah, like kayak. why don't you just call it kayak. i'm calling it... canoe. compare hundreds of travel sites for thousands of trips. kayak. search one and done.

[♪] looking to repair dry, damaged hair without weighing it down? try pantene daily moisture renewal conditioner. its color-safe formula uses smart conditioners to micro-target damage helping to repair hair without weighing it down. try pantene. there's an america we build and one we explore. one that's been paved and one that's forever wild. but freedom means you don't have to choose just one adventure. you get both. introducing the wildly civilized all-new 3-row jeep grand cherokee l

♪ watch the olympic games on xfinity ♪ ♪ root for team usa and feel the energy ♪ ♪ 7000 plus hours of the olympics on display ♪ ♪ with xfinity you get every hour of every day ♪ ♪ different sports on different screens ♪ ♪ you can watch it anywhere ♪ ♪ and with the voice remote ♪ ♪ you never have to leave your chair ♪ show me team usa. ♪ all of this innovation could lead to some inspiration ♪ ♪ and you might be the next one to represent our nation ♪ ♪ this summer on your tv, tablet, or any screen ♪ ♪ xfinity is here to inspire your biggest dreams ♪

so, there is an infrastructure deal in the senate. you heard that right. the vote, 67-32 # to move forward with debate on president biden's $1 trillion infrastructure bill. 17 republicans voting with all 50 democrats. is it a sign of things to come in washington? a lot to discuss, now. matthew dowd is here. the former-chief strategist for president george w. bush. thank you, sir. good to see you. um, before we talk about the -- the infrastructure and all that, i have to get your reaction to officer dunn. made it crystal clear, in his testimony, that what happened to him and other officers of color on january 6th was a racist attack. the abuse that he is receiving, after sharing his story. racist. the big lie is racist. all the restrictive voting laws targeting cities with large-minority populations, racist. where does this end, matthew?

>> well, i don't think it ends. first, great interview with -- with officer dunn. and for him just standing up and speaking truth to power is phenomenal. just is what we need, in this country. i don't think it ends, until we till the soil and get the poise ount because this has been something as great as america has been and as a wonderful experiment in democracy as it's been with our u.s. constitution, in our soil of our country has been racism. and until we remove that, scrape the soil and remove that poison from our soil, we're going to be dealing with this. we fought a civil war over this where more than a million people died. we've had past amendments on this. we've had civil rights on this. we've given women the right to vote. every step of the way as the country becomes more diverse -- and it doesn't only have to do with race, don, it has to do with a country becoming more diverse in every way, from sex to sexuality to race to belief in different religions.

as it becomes more diverse there's a backlash, and we're seeing it again. >> is this what you said because saw something that you said recently that there's always been a significant portion of america that has resisted full democracy and freedom. and equality. can you elaborate to my audience on that? is that what you were saying before? or does this go beyond what you were just saying? >> sure. i think we have to look at our history. that's what i'm talking about, the history in the soil of our history. keep in mind, during the revolutionary war, a third of the country wanted to support the monarchy against the revolution. during the civil war a third of the country wanted to keep slavery as it was and fought a civil war and tried to break up the union. during women's -- the push for women to get the right to vote, a third of the country was opposed to it. during civil rights, a third of the country was opposed to civil rights. as we've expressed and tried to get equality for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters a third of the country was vehemently opposed from any

expansion of rights for those folks. so we've had in our history a third of the country that's pushed back against what is not them, which is usually white anglo-saxon protestant heterosexual. and that is something that is -- where we're facing now. until we remove that and sort of -- establish once and for all that all men and women are created equal we're going to be fighting this battle over and over and over again. >> matthew, politico has a report detailing how "america is not racist." it's becoming the mantra for gop politics going into 2024. what do you think of the gop capitalizing on this slowing sxn do you think it's going to help them win? >> well, i'm a person who believes countries aren't racist but people are racist and there's parts of -- groups of people in a country that are racist. there's no way they can deny that's existed in our country and there's been systemic

problems of racism in our country. this is just another one of these things to feed the -- sort of their base, this raw meat to their base in the midst of this. i don't think it's going to work in this. most americans are open-minded, want to accept -- want the broad values and rights of america to apply to everybody. but it does help feed the base of the republican party in this time. and i think easily to easily counter this is it's funny, they don't want to deal with the fact that whatever the number of people in this country that are racist, pick a number, 20%, 25%, 30%, but they want to deal with less than 1% of the country that commits violent crime. so they don't want to deal with 30% of the country that are racist and are trying to keep the institutions selected for only certain people to do it but they constantly talk about the 1% of the country that are involved in violent crime. i don't think it works politically but it helps them with their base. >> also something that may be helping them with their base, may not, we shall see, but i want to talk about what's going on with covid in this country,

the variant and the rising numbers of people who are getting sick and entering hospitals including younger people. when we come right back, matthew. >> okay. great. perfect schmear of cream cheese. you need only the freshest milk and cream. that one! and the world's best, and possibly only, schmelier. philadelphia. schmear perfection.

after my dvt blood clot... i was uncertain... was another around the corner? or could things take a different turn? i wanted to help protect myself. my doctor recommended eliquis. eliquis is proven to treat and help prevent another dvt or pe blood clot. almost 98 percent of patients on eliquis didn't experience another. ...and eliquis has significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. eliquis is fda-approved and has both. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection

while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. what's around the corner could be worth waiting for. ask your doctor about eliquis. so what's going on? [dog] i'm a talking dog. the other issue. [dog] oh...i'm scratching like crazy. you've got some allergic itch with skin inflammation. apoquel can work on that itch in as little as 4 hours, whether it's a new or chronic problem. and apoquel's treated over 9 million dogs. [dog] nice. and... the talking dog thing? is it bothering you? no... itching like a dog is bothering me. until dogs can speak for themselves, you have to. when allergic itch is a problem, ask for apoquel. apoquel is for the control of itch associated with allergic dermatitis and the control of atopic dermatitis in dogs. do not use apoquel in dogs less than 12 months old or those with serious infections.

apoquel may increase the chances of developing serious infections and may cause existing parasitic skin infestations or pre-existing cancers to worsen. new neoplasias were observed in clinical studies and post-approval. most common side effects are vomiting and diarrhea. feeling better? [dog] i'm speechless. [dog] thanks for the apoquel. that's what friends are for. ask your veterinarian for apoquel. next to you, apoquel is a dog's best friend. we're back now with matthew dowd. and as promised, matthew, i want to talk to you about the covid frustration really boiling over right now. almost everybody's upset about the guidance we're getting on masks. you're going to have to mask up again for different reasons. the people who never wanted masks are losing it, some even burning them. and the vaccinate folks who wanted to get back to normal are angry that it didn't help. so what's going on here? where do we -- we're divided on

everything, even mask wearing. >> well, i think all of these things are related. what's happening on voting rights, what's happening on democracy, what happened on january 6th and what's happening in our public health. and it has to do with this, don. democracy is basically supported by two pillars -- the common good, the ability to get to the common good, and a common set of facts. and we're in the midst of this pandemic and we can't get people to agree onto a common set of facts. namly the republicans with a common set of facts of what statistics say and medical science says. and an inability to get to the common good. they believe individual liberty is more important than the common good. i would tell them to read the first few words of the constitution which says "we the people in order to form a more perfect union and then provide for the general welfare." they put emphasis on the i. and we need to put emphasis on the we when we're talking about public health. but until we come together and establish something that is related to the common good and we agree on a common set of facts we're going to constantly be having this battle.

>> listen, there's always a first, right? where you see things start to bubble up. there are companies that are saying get vaccinated or don't come back. what do you think of that? >> well, i think companies have a perfect right to say that. not only do they want to protect the community that they're in and they have an obligation to customers but they have a definite obligation to their employees. so i think all companies should consider that and go toward that. again, we're not going to beat this pandemic until we all agree that the common good of public health requires suss to do certain things. whether that means get vaccinated -- and if you don't want to get vaccinated wear a mask and follow certain protocols. but until we get people off the i and more on the we we're going to be in the midst of this fight all the time. >> matthew dowd, always a pleasure. thank you, sir. >> thanks, don. the senate voting tonight to advance president biden's bipartisan infrastructure bill.