nation talks about the biden presidency, 2022 midterm elections and the news of the day. join the discussion. washington journal is next. host: former president trump harshly criticized president biden. the former president harshly criticized the democratic party saying -- when it comes to the term mag a, we invite you to call the program and tell us

what maga means to you. democrats are at (202) 748-8000. republican at (202) 748-8001. the washington examiner highlighting that speech last night in pennsylvania. they write that the former president pulled no punches. he targeted president biden and other top democrats in the nearly two hours speech. he held the rally to work candidate of choice in the midterm. the former president endorsed

both of their highly competitive races. it will decide which party will control the senate. it was both president biden -- you member him talking about it, but president trump last night with his make america great again. here is a portion of his speech from last night. mr. trump biden thinks making america great again is bad for our country. can you believe it? that was in his speech. he said we have to stop maga. that is when i defined it because i do not think he understands what it means. stop make america great again. he thinks make america great again is a threat to our

country. no, it is great for our country. there is only one party waging war on american democracy by censoring free speech and criminalizing dissent. disarming law-abiding citizens, issuing lawless mandates and unconstitutional orders, imprisoning political protesters. weaponizing the justice department and the fbi like never before. breaking into the homes of their political opponents. i wonder who that could be. republicans in the mac at

movement are not the ones trying to undermine our democracy. we are the ones trying to save our democracy. very simple. very simple. the danger to democracy comes from the radical left, not from the right. not from the right. this november, we are going to stand up to this rising tierney of sickness, lawlessness and debt, and we are going to take back our country. host: that speech, you can see it online, on our at, if you want to watch it there. that is former president trump in pennsylvania talking about issues in philadelphia.

here is a portion of another speech from last week. president biden: we must be honest with each other, and with ourselves. too much happening in our country today is not normal. donald trump and the maga republicans represent and extremism. i want to be very clear and upfront. not every republican, not even a majority of republicans are maga republicans. i know because i have been able to work these mainstream republicans. it is intimidated by donald trump and maga republicans.

these are hard things, but i am an american president, not a president of red america or blue america, but of all america. i believe it is my duty to level with you, to tell you the truth, no matter how difficult or painful. in my view, this is what is true. maga republicans do not recognize the will of the people. they refuse to accept the results of a free election and they are working right now, in state after state, to give power to partisans, cronies, and powering election deniers.

negative forces -- they are determined to take this country backwards to an america where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception or the right to marry who you love. they fan the flames of political violence that are a threat to our personal rights and the pursuit of justice, to the rule of the comment to the very soul of this country. host: again, it is (202) 748-8000 four democrats. (202) 748-8001 for republicans. for the independent mind, it is (202) 748-8002. derek in washington, starting us off with the question of what does maga mean to you?

caller: it is plagiarism from ronald reagan. ronald reagan was a racist, just like trump. he studied his campaign in philadelphia where three civil rights leaders were slaughtered. it is a racist term and trump has picked it up. black people have been through this. they are antigovernment. they tried to overthrow the government. you cannot put a swastika -- host: do you apply that to all republicans? caller: yes. you voted for him, you know what he did.

they support this to a different degree, but all of them. this is white supremacy. host: ok. that is derek in washington. caller: i monitored cnn this morning and msnbc, and they did not mention anything about it. hello? host: you are on. go ahead. caller:mg -- maga is just a term. we keep calling each other names. it is just too much misinformation on both sides. i'm a republican because i

believe in their values. now democrats believe differently and that is fine, but let's have a clean election and move forward. host: d think it goes beyond being just a term? caller: he is saying that we are all racists or homophobes or xenophobes, which is ridiculous. for him to sit there and say these things, obviously these things are protested. i've had about all of this stuff. they think it will peel away certain amounts of it. that is all it is.

host: let's hear from eddie from lawrenceville, georgia. caller: how are you doing? you know what? when i woke up this morning and listened to c-span, i saw donald trump on there this morning. that kkk rally -- he is a maggot. they are a bunch of maggots out there, listening and hearing him talking about people. he is not talking about politics. if we get him back in this office in 2024? we better all get well, get some jobs and take care. he is going to make everybody work because he is going to take everything. he is going to take social

security and everything. we will not have anything. the economy is going to be so bad. we cannot have him back in office. host: let's hear from a viewer in connecticut. this is the republican line. caller: good morning. i listened to both speeches, trump and biden, and biden was a disgrace, like he has been since he got in. i am 86 years old and everything was great with trump, but now your gas went up and your oil and upcoming your food went up. it is really hard to live when you are 86.

biden is disgusting and what he has done to trump, him, clinton and obama, i do not know why they do not impeach him and his son. host: what does maga mean to you? caller: it means make america great again because it is not great right now. host: madison, wisconsin, republican line. caller: it is a thinly veiled racist term. where women do their place and gay people knew there late -- their place. that is what it means. host: how did you come back to that conclusion? caller: they constantly use racism to without their supporters. republicans are racist.

they are also very authoritarian. donald trump has encouraged violence. he wanted to use the military on the george floyd protesters at lafayette park. he is wanting to use the military against any protest. if he is president again, he will use the military or find a general who will use the military on people. host: recently, the editors of the gazette had this as part of their editorial, talking about the concept of negative republicans. they do not hate the american system, but they are not seditious.

casting them as enemies of the state -- it is more characteristic of a demagogue then a statement. this was from pittsburgh editorial board. a sovereign nation. globalization will not make our country strong. it will fail here as well. limiting free speech is what voter suppression is all about. they want to limit free speech. this is from a viewer in maryland. from new york, saying anybody who reads into it is a divisive america hater.

some of you choosing to tweet. you can also pick up the line and call on the line that best represents you. this is maryland on the democrats line. angela, go ahead. caller: i think the main difference is anybody who cut donald trump loose after what they saw him due on january 6 and they said, this is enough, this is to fire. i am a republican but not for overthrowing an election and ripping up the constitution to do it. now, your other voters, one used something that john adams wrote to imply civil war is ok.

another quoted -- one said that the president should be shot, talking about biden. that would be a maga republican. even their own party members who disagree with trump, they call them. they get death rates to their family. that is the voters. elected official side, there are some good republicans. in maryland, i voted for a good republican, larry hogan. he does not support maga or dan cox to be the next governor. and nobody should. host: next up. caller: how are you doing over there this morning. host: good, thank you. caller: it means what it means.

make america great again. i do not know why the democrats are so hateful this morning. i do not hate the president. what is going to happen to the woman killed on january 6 and the capitol? i did not hear a word about that. host: you do not think there is anything underlying? caller: listen to what she said and why she is so angry. i am not angry. i do not care for biden one bit, but i do not understand why the democrats are so upset by this term. host: they wrote that president biden took pains to make sure that he was not talking about all republicans.

he said donald trump and the maga republicans represent extremism that threatens our democracy. he invited all americans to unite against that extremism. he was criticizing the anti-democracy maga supporters. they are now preparing to challenge whatever result they do not like this year. it goes on from there. that is their editorial board talking about that speech from president biden last week. those speeches are still available on our website. can find it there. if you want to check out those full speeches, what it means to you, brad is in michigan. ahead.

caller: is a term used by the ignorant like the elderly woman who called in blaming certain things on the president, as if he has any effect on inflation in the world. it is easier to point to him to rile people up. host: why apply the ignorant and shortsighted thing to everybody on that? caller: it is not everybody. it is only the far right that want to blame him and only point to the negatives. joe biden is doing all these things that the people one and that is what is making them mad so much. it is easier to point at the

thing he has no control over. host: we will hear from tom in florida. you are next step. hello. caller: good morning. i just have a few things to say. i have lived through a lot of sequences and election cycles. i just had to say what it means to me. i will go back to one of the democrats greatest presidents. he said, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. that is what it means. that is what donald trump is all about. americans have to stop looking from within. i am a first-generation generation american and i know what it is to live under

socialism. i noted days to live under fascism. i know it is to live under hitler's because my family told me firsthand what it was. this country is better than that and the people who do not open their eyes, look to other countries and see how their people live. it is all taking for granted. host: president biden spending a lot of time in pennsylvania. labor day, tomorrow, he will be in pennsylvania for a speech on labor. he will make those remarks around 5:30 in the afternoon. you can view that on c-span.org. brian from buffalo, new york.

caller: thank you for having me. to me, it is the slogan of building a fascism in this country. fascism, all of its forms throughout history, but it's basic, essential component is the promise of a mythic past being revitalized, if you follow . make america great again hits on every part of that. it calls to this mythic past. it is purposeful. if you only follow donald trump down the insane rathole he brings you, we will be brought back to this unspecified era of greatness. it is a fascist slogan and

unfortunately, a lot of republicans have been caught up and it, and i do not even know if they know that they have been caught up in it, which is the sad part. you talk to people on a daily basis. i work with republicans and trump supporters. they do not hate immigrants, but the president, they supported, very clearly. they ran a campaign of saying that mexicans are racist. and you know, for people who have been registered republicans their whole life, they may not be in tune to that development and how scary it was living under him. i do not think they know that they are being taken for a ride. for those of us who watch c-span

and meticulously pay attention, it is scary. it is a symbol of solidarity with that growing fascism, in my opinion. host: republican line. go ahead. caller: it means quick take america great again. kind of like you figure out now, it does not make any sense. we are at each other's throats always, and now, it is just how it all works. what i want to know is why kamala harris -- cats are totaling their thumbs. why does that not come up?

host: ok. there he in ohio. caller: how are you doing today? host: very well. thank you. caller: i used to be a democrat along time ago and what they have done to this country is horrible. it means make america great again. i am 76 years old. i have seen too much and i have seen exactly what this democratic system has done. i am not blaming it all on biden because i do not think biden knows where he is at. but what i have heard is nothing but hate from the democrats. they have come on here and not said anything good about republicans. they denigrate every one of them. they need to go back and see what both democrats and

republicans have done to this country. host: when you say the term make america great again, what do you mean by great? what is great, as far as it applies to that term? caller: i grew up a lot in the 1960's. the people themselves -- you could go out -- you can leave your doors unlocked and go to town. if it started raining, your neighbors would come over and close your windows. we remembered who god was in this country. that is the biggest part of the problem. the people do not realize who god is to them. jesus christ. they need that. that is one of the biggest problems in this country. i know people do not believe. there are a lot of people who do not believe in the bible, but if

the bible is real and we live by the bible, how much better with the world be? host: giving us his thoughts on maga. pick the line that best represents you. we have three options. the lead up to the november election. the new york times highlight how republicans are dealing with money and spending. it was early 2021. senator rick scott wanted to go they. a mind to modernize the place. mr. scott installed a new team and led an enormous wave of

spending to promote -- to discover more small contributors. already spent more than 95% of what was brought in. less than half of what's in it democratic committee had for the midterm elections. now they are beginning to ask, where did all that money go? it had been a costly financial flop and 2022, according to those who were briefed on it. it will pick up speed after labor day tomorrow. in brooklyn, maryland, democratic line. we are talking about what maga

means to them. caller: biden gave a great speech. he was talking about the report -- the maga republicans. there are decent republicans and democrats. they just are not the same people. as i'm watching the speech he is giving, he had a couple military guys behind him and trump is just sitting there, screaming and yelling at people. it is like a child. they have the one token black guy in the back getting paid. trump is a colt, and he is their leader. host: washington post picks up

on president biden's speech. separating from the mainstream. the question is whether he can successfully isolate them. more than 74 million americans voted for president trump and 2020. jan that, it is not clear who qualifies even though biden seemed to narrow in on those who challenged election results. it was friday that he said, i do not consider any time supported to be a threat to the country.

it is in the washington post and we will hear from terry. caller: it was funny to hear people say that joe biden was inclusive, and talking about his speech. he was anti-american. does he not like hillary clinton, stacey abrams or all the democrats in 2000 or 2004 when they lost? host: the question is, what does it mean to you? caller: it means make america great again. it was a slogan used by ronald reagan. host: what does it mean to you? caller: protect our borders, support american, support our

troops, support the police that they tried to defund for so long and hated, including the fbi. they screwed up so many times. they are so political. now they are angels because they are going after president trump? the democrats do not care about what the fbi is doing right now. host: ok. independent line. caller: i am a former republican and i did not leave my party. my party left me. maga is a cult of personality. host: are you there? are you there?

ok. i think kelly hung up. let's hear from scott. sorry, folks. let's hear from scott in san diego. caller: hello. i hope kelly comes back. i want to hear what she had to say. i have to to address something that is of the l said earlier about democrats not having anything positive to say about republicans. i'm 68 years old and here is my positive thing about republicans. once upon a time, they were firmly rooted in a/v atlanta-based reality. you cannot say that about many republicans today. so there is that. maga looks nice on a nice, chinese made red all caps.

trump, god bless him made many bucks on the deal, but make america great again has a built in presumption that america is not currently great. they say make great again. i am a liberal and a lifelong democrat. i grew up in the d.c. area. i love this country, and i love it so much that i feel free to speak up and speak out when i see it headed the wrong way. if we learned nothing from the trump years and presidency, we were going the wrong way. hopefully, we will continue to stay on course and stay true to our values. to me, that is what american greatness is about. host: let's hear more from president biden from last week.

that speech in philadelphia, talking about the republican party, particularly those that he deemed mag republicans -- maga republicans. pres. biden: they brutally attacked law enforcement. they see their failure to stop a peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election as preparation for the 2022 and 2024 elections. they tried everything last time, to nullify the votes of 81 million people. this time, they are determined to succeed in thwarting the will of the people. that is why, conservative have

called trump an extreme -- and maga republicans a clear danger to our democracy. i want to say as clearly as we can that we are not powerless in the face of these threats. we are not bystanders in this ongoing threat to democracy. there are far more americans, far more americans from every background to reject the extreme ideology. and people, it is within our power. it is within our hands to stop the assault on american democracy. i believe america is at an inflection point.

determining the shape of everything that is to come after. now america must choose to move forward or to move backwards, to build a future, or obsess about the past, to be a nation of hope, unity and optimism or a nation of fear, division and darkness. they have made their choice. they embrace anger. they thrive on chaos. they lived not in the light of truth but in the shadow of lies, but together, we can choose a different path. we can choose a better path forward, so the future. a future of possibility, a feature to dream and hope. we are on that path, moving ahead.

host: you can see that speech on the website and our c-span now at. republican line. caller: thank you for taking my call. it means make america great again. i come from a third world country, indiana. i came in the 1970's. john f. kennedy was a democrat and an excellent president. ronald reagan, and the greatest president today that i can think of is mr. trump. so, india, i left the country because it was a socialist country, but india has gotten much better now. i want to be america greater than india. there is nothing wrong with being great, and that is what trump is trying to do. host: what does it mean to be

great? caller: everything. freedom, strong in the military, strong economically. millions of people are coming in and we do not know is coming in. look at the inflation and gas prices. everything was perfect under president trump and i am so upset. host: we will hear next from henry on the independent line. caller: good morning. no, all republicans are not maga. you can just look at liz cheney and others who stood up for the truth. i think america has amnesia. let's go back to 2008, when god showed america who she really

was. a man by the name of barack obama. because -- trump ran around saying obama was not born here. so once barack obama's presidency was over, all of a sudden, let's make america great again because this colored man has taken america in a different direction. let's make america great again. when was america great? was it during slavery when others could not vote? was it during the civil right movement, when blacks had to get industry and march for voting right? taking america great again means

taking voting rights away from certain people and gerrymandering districts around the country so that the minority can control the majority. my last word, there is no comparison to the two speeches. what trump did last night was a circus. if america does not know what is going on, and the book of james, it says, ask god for wisdom and he will give it to you. that is what america needs. host: let's hear from georgia from audrey. caller: thank you for taking my call. tammy, it means, let's go back to slavery. we were dirt -- we were great during slavery when we had them working for us. donald trump woke up hatred and racism in this world.

host: what specifically connects that term to slavery in your mind? caller: as for the high prices, people do not realize is that these high prices come from recovery from the pandemic. as for the woman that was killed january 6, if she had stayed at home and minded her business, she probably would have lived, but she got what she deserved. host: a viewer is saying it means having a fair election. another is saying it means republicans becoming bullies. they are threatening americans with hateful rhetoric. they are the jim jones cult on

steroids. it is that simple. let's go to debbie in florida on the republican line. caller: good morning. first of all, thank you. obama started the corruption of the fbi. that is to the people on the call before me to understand and open their eyes and read, and listen. to all you democrats and independents, and some republicans who do not understand what it means. it means make america great again. that means get the fbi out of their that is protecting hunter biden with his corruption. biden is corrupted. everyone and his administration is covering up his dealings with china and iran. host: why is that connected to

the concept of make america great again? caller: wise that connected? trump and trump's followers are not a cult. i am from tennessee and i love my country, but all these democrats you want to say that it means hate? host: let's go to dale in utah, independent line. caller: i have been listening to the back and forth about making america great again. unanchored is great. it is a great part of god's country. host: as far as the term is concerned, we are asking people what the term means to them. it is people helping each other. if you see your buddy have a

flat tire come he stopped to help him. if your neighbor has nothing to eat, you feed them and if your neighbor is broken down, you help him out. that is what i call great. i am 81 years old. and this back-and-forth, let's change the mascots. host: democrats line, debbie, you are at next. caller: to me, it is the angriest group in america. that is exactly what it is. i think that they need to stand

back and look at what has happened and what is happening. i cannot believe that there are so many people in the u.s. that really are this angry. host: do you think that they are angry without cause? caller: i think they are angry without cause. but is making them angry is this idiot getting up there and absolutely spreading the anger. he keeps staring it up. he is not the president of the u.s. and he has not been reelected. joe biden is our president. it is not mr. biden. it is not joe biden, it is the president of the u.s., and debbie in florida? i had to say that is your

perfect example. the anger that was coming out of that woman. host: we will hear from joe in florida on the republican line. you are next. joe, in florida, hello? one more time. hello? all right. we will hear from another -- we will hear from jill on the republican line. hello? one more time? ok. we will keep on with your calls and the remaining time that we have. we want to show you a little bit more from the rally last night.

you can still see it on the website. here is a little bit more of him talking about the idea of maga. mr. trump: in conclusion, our make america great again movement is by far the greatest political movement in the history of our country. together, we are standing up against some of the most menacing forces, entrenched. despite great outside dangers, our biggest threat remains the sinister and evil people from within our own country. no matter how corrupt the fire left democrats are, we have to make the much less powerful, but we will never allow anyone to forget that this nation does not belong to them.

this nation belongs to you. this is your home and your heritage. our american liberty is your god-given right. from allentown to johnstown, from harrisburg to pittsburgh and from philadelphia to scranton pennsylvania, we stand on the shoulders of american legend who poured out their blood, sweat and tears. they were so great. pennsylvania is where our founding fathers declared american independence. it is where the army weathered a -- a brutal winter. it is where our union was saved by the immortal heroes at

gettysburg, where generations of pennsylvania minors, factory workers forged the greatest nation in the history of the world. but now we are a nation in decline. host: here is joe in west virginia on the independent line. caller: good morning. the thing is, you are asking what the word great means. it is such an obvious word. it is as silly as asking what a woman is. they want to dissect. it is really simple. common sense. when i wake up today and my stocks are worse than they were

yesterday, that is not good. that is horrible. i am on social security. i get less money than an illegal immigrant gets when it comes to this country. they get my social security and that is not good. democrats think that is good. i think gray is reversing all the garbage that has been put out there. i used to be a democrat and it is not because i am pro-trump, it is because what the democrats are doing is ridiculous. there is nothing that they have done that makes any sense at all. it is not great. it is not even good. it is horrible. you are asking us to define what the word great is. great blade mean go back to something that makes sense. host: that is joe in west virginia. donna, hello.

caller: all this speaking out for trump is making me physically ill. while he was in office, my son was killed because of the hate that he was spewing. when aretha franklin died, he claimed she worked for him. she did not work for him. she worked for herself. she was an entertainer. host: the term, make america great again, what does it mean for you? caller: it means that everybody has the right to do what they want, when they want, as long as it is within the laws of this country. he was not within the laws of this country. when he first got into office, any delegate that came here from

another country, he would send them to his hotel. that was money in his pocket. when he went to england, you could see it. when he was in england, he showed nothing but disrespect for the queen of england. he walked in front of her, when he should have been walking behind her. that man is a thief and a habitual liar. every time his mouth moves, he is lying about something. host: up next and pennsylvania on the line. caller: i am proud to be a republican. 100% proud to be a u.s. citizen and 100% proud to be white, caucasian. for the woman who called in about five to 10 minutes away

saying that the white woman deserved to die, she should be ashamed of herself. host: the question is, what does maga mean to you? caller: it is more. it is massive. host: what do you mean? caller: making america great again? getting trump back as president is what we need. we need him as president again. host: what would that do to add to the greatness of america? caller: jobs. being a strong country again. right now, we are looking like fools. i do not think biden has done anything for us. i think we need trump back, 100%. host: independent line. go ahead. caller: i'm sorry.

it is -- the question is, what does maga mean to you? i will sum it up as a movement of people, of intellectually lazy people with a cognitive decision, who follow a very, how should i say it, ignorant man, as their so-called leader. i just do not understand -- i do understand that it is people. people are going to be people, but you cannot wake them up, so i do not know what you can do, but hope for the best and

prepare for the worst. host: patricia, from georgia on the democrats lying. you are next. caller: i will tell you what it means. it means hate, greed and endurance. all did was spew hate about different races, about different people. all he said was that he was going to build a wall, and he never did anything for the people. right now, they are trying to diss -- to destroy medicare and social security. this is not hearsay but a fact. there are plans to destroy medicare. i will tell you one thing. these are the same people -- i do not know why they hate obama.

he had the farmers doing well. the people who keep saying that we had giving illegal aliens our money, that is not true. and another thing, you know, you are the same people that were leaving church with a bible in your hands, and going to the square, and lynching black folks. you are the same people that hung pregnant women and cut the baby out of the womb -- host: you are claiming it is all republican? caller: let me tell you why. talking about biden's speech the other night? this man has never said anything good about anybody. he makes a mockery of the veterans.

he makes a mockery of the disabled. he violated women. his own sister and his niece speak about how evil he is. host: this is john on the independent line. go ahead. caller: i will try to be quick. it means, relatively little. the republican party is split right now. i'm not sure i like the leader, but what it means to me, the federal government is getting so big, it is going to socialism. the fbi -- there is no doubt

that they are corrupt. the swamp is getting bigger and bigger. one white thing i would like to say really quickly is that half of your colors are black and they are all democratic. host: i do not know how you can define that just by their voices alone. caller: it is pretty easy. you can tell as well as i can. but they do not -- thousands of people are coming across the border. i believe in equal opportunity but not equal outcomes. host: thank you to everyone who participated. president biden will be making a speech tomorrow on labor day. to be a guests joining us.

we'll hear from our guest. how it applies to current debut. later, the editorial director and publisher of the nation. political news of the day as well. those conversations and more coming up on washington journal. >> middle and high school students, it is your time to shine. you are encouraged to take part in the documentary competition.

for tips and a step-by-step guide, go online. >> live today on in-depth, steven hayward will be our guest. he is the author of several books. greatness and patriotism is not

join in the conversation with your phone calls, facebook comments, texts, and tweets. and steven hayward at noon eastern on book tv on c-span 2. >> there are a lot of places to get political information, but only at c-span do you get it straight from the source. no matter where you from or where you stand on the issues, c-span is america's network. unfiltered, unbiased, and happening here come or anywhere that matters. america is watching on c-span. washington journal continues. host: our first guest is with the bipartisan policy center. also writes columns of the washington examiner. we are taking a look at how the

former president is investigated. a little bit about the bipartisan policy center for those who are not familiar. guest: it was founded about 15 years ago and the idea is to find bipartisan solutions to take senior republicans and democrats and see if they can work through problems and finances. i worked there on the presidential leadership initiative where i focused on the institution and finding ways to both bolster and maintain our important institutions. host: the examiner column takes a further look at how they investigated. it is probably obvious, but what sparked your interest in writing about this? guest: i have long said when people ask me about writing books and articles about the president, when people say unprecedented, i look for precedent. that is my thing. i decided to see, have they been

other presidents who have been investigated? and we have never had something like the spectacle at mar-a-lago, but we have had investigations that included presidents after they were no longer president. host: i'm sure they have taken different forms compared to what we're seeing today as far as how the president has investigated for certain angst. guest: some has been posthumous, but it has happened before that a president or restriction gets investigated after leaving office. that with the interesting twist. host: and we start with ulysses s grant. guest: grant is in a somewhat scandal-plate administration. a scandal which had to do with railroad pricing. he was basically found guiltless, blameless in that, but one of his aides was involved in that. grant kind of escape that one,

after he was no longer president, the firm that he worked for, a wall street firm, goes bankrupt because of the malfeasance of his partner. the partner ended going to prison. grant loses all his money but once again is found blameless. he gets off the hook and both of these investigations. host: we will take a look at other presidents, but the idea of getting off the hook and going out unscathed, how often does that happen for presidents who are looked at was typing presidency? guest: in the recent era, it seemed the independent counsel is there to find something on the president or the administration. one of the reasons why both democrats and republicans in 1999, there was a sense that independent counsel would have to end some kind of indictment.

justice is if you look at the issue and find something, you are right and if you don't find anything, then you exonerate. host: independent counsel, you also mentioned former president clinton. can you elaborate? guest: bill clinton, there were multiple independent counsel admin -- investigations in his administration. looking into whitewater, this inappropriate relationship with monica lewinsky, and so the investigation took a different turn looking at a different thing. clinton was guilty of lying about it, but the american people and congress did not see fit to convict him on it, so he remained in office for the rest of his presidency, but the

investigation into clinton continued beyond his presidency, including a deal where he had to give up his ability to practice in the supreme court to stave off further investigation. there is another investigation with clinton with a very questionable pardon that he issued at the end of his administration of a tax cheat billionaire whose ex-wife gave a lot of money to the democratic party. what happens there is that the fbi does launch investigation for four years after clinton is no longer president. in 2016, the fbi under james comey issues a very strange and somewhat unprecedented statement 15 years ago into the investigation.

host: you can call in, (202) 748-8000 free democrats. (202) 748-8001 for republicans. (202) 748-8002 for independents. if you want to text as, you can do that at (202) 748-8003. what is the motivating factor to keep investigating even after someone leaves office? guest: that is a great question and it doesn't have an easy answer. on the one hand, you would think it is justice. if someone commits a crime, that person should be prosecuted for the crime. but i think what we have seen in the post-watergate era on both sides of the aisle is that you have this idea of what is called the criminalization of political differences. the sense that we want to get the person on the other set of the aisle. and i don't think it is healthy for democracy or for our country

, but that desire to get someone from the other side is something we have really seen emerge. and watergate was an example of that? well no. watergate, the president had obviously done the wrong thing. nixon did things that he should not have done and he tried to cover them up, which was worth -- worse. but i think watergate kind of was the starting buildout for this whole idea that we believe got this guy on the others, and maybe other people can embarrass the other side. out of watergate, we now hear about the presidential records act a lot these days. remind me about how that fosters inaction of the presidential records act it is really interesting. before watergate, they were the property at the president which

sounds odd to us today, but it is only after watergate which was in part passed by the post-watergate democratic congress, as a waitress or to punish nixon but establish this new regime where now, all presidential records for the property of the united states government and they have a process for taking those documents and looking through them and a lot of these presidential libraries that didn't always exist. when i was in the white house, i served in the george w. bush administration, and we have very strict rules that what we could do. if i took notes in a meeting, those were not mind to take home. they are sitting there in a box right now. i don't know if people can decipher my handwriting, but they are there in the george bush library. you talk a lot about history in this piece. talk about the modern-day as far as records and looking at president trump about these records.

what do you see? this is a hard one. i can look after we have gone through everything, and we have all the information. it does seem that if there is classified information in mar-a-lago, that should not have been there. i don't know what kind of negotiations went on between trump and his lawyers and the justice department, but you cannot take classified information with you and that is against the presidential records act. and it is a problem. i understand why we have this issue and bill barr is pretty adamant on this issue over the weekend. the actual prosecution objects from the department of justice, we can keep looking at it from a historical perspective.

when you hear president trump talking about the classifying these things, what do you think of that argument and what would you think of that defense as far as those who criticize that? it is not like the president has a magic wand and he can say "i declassify." these documents were classified. there was never a time where he had this classification ceremony. it seems like he is trying to look for things plus factor -- post-facto. host: we will hear from mark in hawaii, independent mind. go ahead. caller: i saw a speech the other night from president biden. i have never seen it, the vitriol was there.

he indicted every trump voter as being potentially violent and he ignited, i would say, throwing down a goblet for civil war. masquerading in calm, he basically indicted everybody in america who doesn't support him. and for someone who is covering up his son's criminal behavior and covering up obama's trafficking, whose cover net money laundering, who is covering up so many crimes on his side of the aisle -- host: what is the question? caller: what i am wondering is

-- and it looks to me like -- host: we will leave it there. guest: i did not like the biden speech. i did not think it with the right approach, i did not like the venue, and i also did not like the conflation worry he calls the republican people who delight dash diet elections or people who have different political beliefs as he does. i don't think that biden and his team handled that speech well. and there was some discussion in the press this morning that biden wants to give these each as well. i don't think that speech was a wise thing to do and what i found very notable was the washington post editorial they criticized him for that speech in yesterday's paper. i think there is bipartisan disagreement for the way he approached it. host: georgia, democrats line,.

caller: hi. an investigation after a president of the u.s. left the office, retrieved -- from the office. that is what happened. you talk about making america great again, america is no greater than it is today. guest: let me say that in my peace, i did not just say that mar-a-lago was one of the investigations, but there were multiple investigations going on against them in trump and that includes looking into previous post-presidential investigations. georgia, the new york attorney general. the january 6 hearing. there's multiple investigations going on.

host: we will talk about january 6. what do you think as far as what is being looked at, what is being presented to the public? guest: i'm curious to see what happens in september. i do wish they could have worked it out, that it was a more bipartisan investigation in terms of republicans and democrats, because there are some republicans on the panel but they are not the ones that majority republican caucus were able to pick. i think that harms the investigation because it allows people on the other side to say this is not a fair investigation i'm going to continue to watch with great interest. host: would that have been a better approach, do you think, people outside this event rather than those in congress? guest: i think that might've

been a motivation, and i'm not sure with the outside group get. we would have to see what the alternative was. host: david in florida, republican line. caller: good morning, thank you for c-span as always. my comment actually is when the fbi investigated clinton over the marc rich pardon scandal, did the fbi go into clinton's houses? did the fbi tumble everything, go into his private rooms and go through his clothing? this is not a real investigation as we are seeing today president trump. this was a sham investigation.

and who was involved in it? combing. -- comey. this is terrible. guest: jim comey with the person who prosecuted mark rich, so he obviously has strong feelings on mark rich. and then, jim comey is the fbi director who announces that this investigation took place. later that year, he also is the one who announces a letter to congress that investigates the hillary clinton mail scandal. he's got this strange ability to raise bipartisan ire against him. host: the way the president trump is being treated and then in hillary clinton, do you think there is fair comparison there?

guest: i think both seem to have mishandled classified information. as someone who has worked in the white house with a high clearance level, i look this favorably on people who mishandled -- dis-favorably among people who mishandled classified information. host: samantha, go ahead. caller: yes, i have one statement. maga means to me policy of pre- world war ii which keeps black americans, flatlined and jamie dimon has admitted this in congress. host: this is from the president's speech last night. guest: i don't know jeannie

dimon's determination of what maga is, but c-span did a great podcast about the use of maga, not the acronym, but the word, make america great again by politicians on both sides of the aisle, and it is only when the former president started using it that it suddenly became a much more controversial term. but if you're looking at the podcast, the archival footage, you hear bill clinton talking about make america great again, and reagan saying it. it has been a stock phrase in american politics for a very long time and only recently became super controversial. host: you write about richard nixon and you also write about the actions of gerald ford. impact overall as far as not only the president himself, but also president ford. guest: people often think of the investigation of nixon ended

with his pardon, but the truth is that the pardon staves off additional investigations of what happened. that is the reason why ford did it. there is every expectation at the time that investigations into nixon would continue and order. that those continued investigations with tear apart the country, and that is why he issued this very controversial and literately damaging pardon. robert hartman told him not to do it. he said why do it now? why not at christmas, why not later? and forward i think correctly thought that this was necessary for the nation to heal. and it hurt him, he lost a very close election to jimmy carter that he might have won had he not issued the pardon, but the nation would have been any worse situation. host: did president ford ever express regret about his

actions? guest: not that i am aware of, and it is an important part of his legacy. he really isn't known for very much. president ford is forever known for those words. our national nightmare is over. those were the words that he issued when he gave the pardon. and i think that it reflects well upon him. caller: i just wanted to make the comment about president biden, what he said about the maga supporters. i agree with him wholeheartedly. i think trump has done nothing but divide this nation. i've had neighbors threatened me and tell me that i should be dead because i am a democrat. trump campaign for four years attacking the democratic party. we are not the party of kennedy. we are true patriots, and the

riot that happened in the street, the protesting for the insurrection of the capitol, threatening the vice president while this president idly stood by and did nothing. host: ok, as far as the investigation of presidents, do you have anything prior guest? -- for our guest? caller: yeah, i would like to know why he is not in jail right now. [laughter] guest: look, these investigations take time. andy mccarthy suggests -- all this.

we had a judicial system with rules and laws for a reason. you heard senator lindsey graham talk about the idea that if this happens, there would be bias in the streets, or at least that is a possibility. guest: i think senator graham was overstating things, but let's see what they have. if you look on the first day at the raid of mar-a-lago, you might think this is outrageous. but as time goes on, you learn more information that may change your opinion. if the justice department does issue an indictment, i think that they will have to have these very strong cases that they make public at the time because this is not just a judicial the system -- decision, but also a political decision. basically trying to indict a former president on jaywalking, they would not get support for it.

if they had something more serious, then they could. host: washington state, republican line. caller: hello, yes, i am a tribal member. i am calling to say what america great today means to me and is really simple. donald trump explains it thoroughly when he is speaking and if you listen carefully, you hear the defamation to reinstate the respect between citizens and police and to stop taking the money away from them. not the defunding, but to fund the police department and to strengthen our military and to stop throwing trillions and billions and millions of dollars to other countries when we need to do our own infrastructure and

fix our own country up and those sort of things are some of the things on the list, a larger list than that about make america great again. host: we got your point, thank you. the list that you have as far as investigating past presidents including warren harding. remind our viewers what that was and the impact it had. guest: it was super interesting and there was an investigation into it. harding died somewhat mysteriously in 1923. only two years into his presidency. there were some rumors at the time that perhaps harding might have even poisoned him so that he would avoid being investigated and implicated in the scandal. he was younger, in his 50's at the time.

but the investigation continues for years after harding is no longer alive. and in 1927, you have a supreme court case that makes the determination that congress can compel witnesses to testify. in 1929, you have the first cabinet secretary to go to jail. and the third really interesting thing to come out of this is that the bureau investigation at the time seems to have mishandled the investigation which leads to a reshuffling and as a result of that, j edgar hoover becomes the director of the investigation, and he is still the director of the fbi would richard nixon is resident. this investigation continues after harding is. host: taking a look at former

president's who are investigated. many on this list, obviously including ronald reagan. guest: ronald reagan obviously is the most famous, a scandal where the u.s. is negotiating secretly with the iranian government to get some hostages who have been taken by terrorists in the middle east. and in part, they sell arms the iranians to get the hostages out. they didn't actually successfully get the hostages out, but the money from the arms sales within funneled to a nicaraguan insurgency group. congress had explicitly forbid the u.s. from appropriating funding for that purpose. and so it becomes this big scandal that blows up in 1986,

and reagan is investigated and they eventually believe that he did not know he ended up in the details of this, but people in the administration did know more about it and an investigation is led by one of these independent councils and he continues his investigation beyond the reagan administration, into the bush administration, and even into the clinton administration. and the real controversy here is that on the eve of the george w. bush's reelection attempt in 1992, he issues an indictment of the secretary of defense under reagan and this is seen as a black mark against bush and harmsen politically right as he is about to run for reelection, and bush and his campaign chairman are irate at walsh for what he has done and later the institute a parting of the six people in the scandal.

this creates a lot of republican anger. host: what are the large differences? guest: the editor of the washington examiner, i am like you asking that question. the independent counsel is different in that it has less of a reporting nature, less of a reporting relationship with the department of justice and the independent firm. the special counsel appointed by the attorney general and then ultimately to the president.

part of that is that it sometimes creates these independent systems and you don't have it where you can say this investigation is not finding any name, the pursuit of justice is not about just fighting an indictment, is about investigating with their something worthy of indicting or not. host: michelle in maryland, independent line, good morning. caller: good morning, a fascinating topic this morning. thank you for putting it on and thank you to the guest. we look at the investigations and the outcome, but we have is a conclusion in the past when today, this issue with trump being so confused by just the lies and the social media. just the documents he should not have had. and the government tried to give them -- get them back from him for over a year.

and he retained a sum and they had to search his property. so it is a pretty straightforward set of facts. what i am very disturbed about was, you know, if we look at this issue, our callers call in, there is no fact checked even in c-span, and i'm very concerned about that. i think you do a good job of presenting issues from all sides. we are pertaining to issues not only republican and democratic over the course of things, but when they presented these issues, it is very important to retain that even in the c-span forum.

i don't know if there can be someone who can actually state facts when callers call in and just state outrageous things. host: appreciated. the format is a long-standing one for us that allows the facts. guest: i celebrate c-span, i think c-span is terrific. yes, the callers are not back-check, but i think that is the appeal of hearing from the american people. they are saying what they are hearing, reflecting what is coming out from their social media pages, their local communities. and then you have a post and you hope that that is more of a rigorously fact-check thing. if you get something that i said incorrect, i will correct -- politely correctly. i don't think it is c-span's job to fact check every caller but i think c-span does a great service and having those callers

and having that conversation, because you get a sense of what people are thinking. host: mary, philadelphia, democrat line. caller: good morning, c-span. i noticed that under president trump, all our investigations of department heads retired when he got into office. and we need to investigate not only the president and vet them thoroughly, but also the senate and congress. i worked for the government for 45 years. i had a high security clearance. thanks to president reagan, we had bipartisan laws that were in place at the states are not adhering to.

that was when we mandated that if you hire or rent to a person in this country, you had to verify. and place the person on the tax roll. this is why our country is in the state that it is in today. host: thank you very much. is there a danger of investigation culture emerging from washington as far as calling for investigations not only of presidents, but of senate and members alike? guest: obviously anyone can be investigated but one thing i had not been concerned about is the criminalization of political differences. there are by port -- important bipartisan agreements in ronald reagan's term as well as the reform act, so it seemed like a

somewhat different era. host: you are not sure where the path forward is when it comes to investigations. can you elaborate? guest: i am not sure what the rules of the road should be, but i am sure we are going to see more of these investigations. the first 150 years our republic has had many 1, 2 investigations. the frequency of investigations is increasing. i'm not sure that a president from this era is more problematic, but maybe we have a more investigative culture. we have some kind of bipartisan rules of the road that are based on precedent, propriety, and recognizing that a former president deserves a level of respect but at the same time, nobody should be above the law.

host: we heard mccarthy and other leaders say in november that you're going to see investigations of this white house. does that concern you? guest: i think congress has important oversight authority, but you have some of the more marginal republicans wanting to impeach biden. i don't see any basis for impeachment at this point. i think that you need to go forward carefully and there is a gung ho investigative approach and they were expecting to gain seats in the 1999 midterm election and they actually did like poorly in that election in large part because they are focused more on the investigations than the american

people. host: north carolina, republican, good morning. caller: yes, good morning. i have a question about something i was reading about. it said something about watergate and the records act. lawmakers did not include criminal enforcement provisions. the justice department now believes in a second statute which criminalizes the removal of concealment of government records. can you explain that? thank you. guest: it is true that the original records just designed to make sure they were treated at the property of the united states government. then there are later these

additional policies that were imposed in a later statute but also ossified information is handled differently with a different statute. if there are, indeed, classified documents that should not have been there, there are multiple statutes under which to prosecute. host: indiana, independent line. caller: yes, i noticed you talked about several presidents. has there been any instance of a foreign power accessing these documents and something that is happening? have they been any incidents? guest: i am not aware of any. i think that kind of thing would make the papers if it happened, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't treat these documents incredibly carefully.

newspaper articles usually don't require classification, but there are some things that are incredibly private and we should not be sharing that information. i am quite wary of anyone who mishandled documents. host: eric in north carolina, democrat line. caller: thank you so much for taking my call. i just wanted to ask basically you say a raid on someone, this is after 18 months and a subpoena is issued. i think it was more or less just a legal search warrant but also in question, how do you feel about the stall tactics? basically the whole gop party not really listening to subpoenas?

guest: i think subpoenas are subpoenas. i don't think the situation where people can ignore subpoenas without penalty. if you're going to be subpoenaed and choose not to appear before investigative body, you need to be held accountable. host: bipartisan policy, the website if you want to review his work. thanks for your time today. we will return to the question we started with this morning. what does the term maga mean to you? (202) 748-8000 free democrats. (202) 748-8001 for republicans. independents, (202) 748-8002. we will take those calls when "washington journal" continues.

♪ announcer: in 2019, reported -- discovered the remains of the slave ship cotilda in a swamp. he talked about his book, "the last slave ship" which features the history and how and why it transported 110 slaves to alabama in 1850, more than 50 years after the transatlantic slave trade was outlawed. >> the whole story serves as sort of a proxy for everyone in the united states and in the world whose families arrived in whatever country they are in and the hulls of a ship. most of those people know nothing about that because their stories were not recorded.

so for these people who were stolen from africa, that is really what is so unique about it. there was a whole story of slavery encapsulated in one piece, and we know everything about these people and what happened. >> you can listen to q&a and all of the podcasts on our new c-span now app. >> listening to programs on c-span through c-span radio just got easier. tell your smart speaker to play c-span radio and listen to washington journal at seven clock and eastern and other events throughout the day. listen to c-span anytime.

just tell your smart speaker to play c-span radio. announcer: washington journal continues. host: your thoughts on what the term maga means to you. you can text us at (202) 748-8003, post on facebook.com/c-span, our twitter feed is @c-span.comwj. president trump in pennsylvania talked about his speech that president biden made last weekend president biden talks at length about what he called maga republicans. here is former president trump's criticism of that speech. trump: as you know this week, joe biden came to philadelphia, pennsylvania to give the most vicious, hateful and divisive speech ever delivered by an american president, vilifying 75

million citizens, probably 75 to 150. we have to be accurate about it. as threats to democracy and as enemies of the state. you are all enemies of the state. the enemy of the state is him and the group that followed soon which is circling around him. you had better do this, joe. i think for the delafield was a great choice to make this age of hatred and anger. his speech was hatred and anger. by the way, the next morning, he forgot what he said. you saw that. i don't think i said that, did i? i did like the red writing behind them, like the devil. but coming out here was a great

choice because the cities being devastated under democrat will host: that is former president trump from last night. you can see that speech on our c-span now app or go to c-span.org. what does the term maga mean to you? if you called in the last 30 days we hold off -- ask you to hold off on doing so today. caller: this is i think the best thing i heard today the term intellectual -- in a think it is very appropriate. if you are a follower of --, you are a maga republican. if you believe the election was stolen, you are a maga publican. if you believe that minorities and immigration is not good for this country, you are a maga

republican. if the shoe fits, wear it. if you heard that speech and it did not apply to you, you are not a maga republican. but if you are, you are listening to things that he said that you should believe in, you are a maga republican. i like to think that the collars on this line are smarter than donald trump because you're calling c-span, you are not calling joe rogan but i do like to believe that we as americans can do better. you know who you are. don't pretend that you are not. if you meet the criteria, you are a maga republican. host: let's hear from paul in vermont, republican line. caller: well, i actually totally agree with the last caller, everything that you said. the only thing i don't understand, i am a conservative republican. and i believe that donald trump

is the worst republican president on the planet ever. and if he is guilty, the justice department is corrupt because if he is guilty of obstruction, what they should do right now is put him in handcuffs in an orange jumpsuit, throw them in the super max and leave him there before he damages this country anymore. host: ok. independent line for massachusetts, hello. caller: i just want to say amen to that last gentleman, a republican actually speaking the truth. maga to me is exactly what that woman just said. intellectually lazy. people don't want to know the truth. these republicans, they believe what they want to believe. i think donald trump actually said that. don't believe what your own eyes and ears are telling you because

it is really not what is going on. people actually tell you what you should believe, and they also believe exactly what he says. i just want to say, donald trump on tv, he is either lying or crying and i cannot believe that israel can actually believe every single thing he says. it is just sad. thank you so much. host: lexington kentucky, republican line, you are next caller: good morning. maga means common sense, intelligence. i never realized the power of the president of the united states of america. they have the power to kill every single one of us if they choose to do that.

whenever the president says that could kill someone in the middle of times square and nothing could be done about it, that is the power of the presidency. he says he wants these documents to be declassified or he wants to take them home, his presidential power follows through and do his private life. and if they want to negotiate for those things, those documents back, that is what they do, they try to negotiate, because he has the power through the previous presidency to do what he did legally and logically. host: let's stick on the topic at hand as far as you telling this about the definition of maga. how did you come up with those conclusions? caller: well it is obvious that the president has the power. when he pardoned nixon, that

parted stood. you can't take that back, no one should take that back. when the president pardons someone. host: new jersey, democrat line. caller: good morning, america. the maga movement is a hypocrisy, fascist movement wanting to take things in the united states and make it right again. i listened to the speech last night because i wanted to hear it six use for having classified, top-secret documents at mar-a-lago. especially after having -- the same weekend in new jersey. to me, these people have been brainwashed and they are suffering from stockholm i

didn't see one black or colored person out of all those people that were there at his rally last night, and the hatred and the lies and the rage and all of these maga babies is so sad to me. host: when you define them as "these people," who are you referring to? caller: the people that are supporting him. they have been brainwashed. they believe this man. why would you support him? why would you support a man who tried to overthrow the government, who tried to kidnap the vice president of the united states, and who led the people there and encouraged the whole thing? anyone else would be in jail. if this was obama, he would be in jail right --

host: let's remind you of labor day, the events that you can see on c-span including the each by president biden. that will be talking about labor day issues. 5:30 tomorrow on c-span, c-span now, and our website. what does maga mean to you? we will go to north carolina next. independent line. caller: good morning, thank you for taking my call. maga was the acronym that the former president used in the beginning of his campaign. and it meant make america great again, on its face.

but it expanded, to mean violence which started to occur during his campaign speeches. it continued with support for violence. it means guns. it means white supremacists. it means that those who despite obvious lawbreaking or suspicion of lawbreaking, no consequences for individuals matter. it is a very frightening time and it is a concern for those law-abiding citizens who desire peaceful resolutions to the many

concerns that we have in our country. host: las vegas, republican line, go ahead. caller: i am one of those individuals who i don't believe the election was stolen. i don't believe that black and brown people are bad for this country. they are a part of it. what i believe is that maga refers to a time during ronald reagan when this country was really thriving and i support donald trump's policies, however, i do not support the ways in which he tries to implement those. i am a highly educated individual. the first caller talked about intellectual integrity. yes, some on the other set of the aisle have that. we are just stunned by the delusion that the democrats have that they are the party of law and order. when you look at cities like los angeles and chicago and detroit,

they are some of the worst places for crime, homelessness. these democratic policies are not working. if they were, a black and brown cities would be some of the wealthiest and well-off people in the country. thank you. host: president biden be from last week is still available on our website, talking about those he defined as maga republicans, specifically referring to the events of january 6. biden: look at the mob that stormed the united states capitol on january 6, brutally attacking law enforcement. not as insurrectionists who placed a dagger to the throat of our democracy, but they look at them as patriots. they see their maga failure to stop the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election as preparation for the 2022 and 2024 elections.

they tried everything last time to nullify the votes of 81 million people. this time, they are determined to exceed that succeed in -- one of the people. that is why respectable conservatives called trump and the extreme republicans a clear and present danger to our democracy. while the threat to american democracy is real, i want to say as clearly as we can that we are not powerless in the face of these threats. we are not bystanders in this ongoing attack on democracy. there are far more americans -- far more americans -- coming from every background and

believe who reject the extreme maga ideology than those who accept it. [applause] it is within our power, it is in our hands, yours and mine, to stop the assault on american democracy. i believe that america is at an inflection point. one of those moments that determine the shape of everything that is to come after it. and now, america must choose to move forward or to go backwards. to build a future obsessed about the past, to be a nation of hope and unity and optimism, or a nation of fear, division, and a darkness. republicans have made their choice. they embrace the anger. they thrive on chaos. they live not in the light of truth, but in the shadow of lies. but together, together we can

choose a different path. we can choose a better path. forward to a future a possibility to build and dream and hope. and we're on that path moving ahead. host: that was president biden. the hill is saying that president biden is concerned, they have a story that he has spent more time in pennsylvania during his presidency than any other state besides his home locale of delaware. democratic party operatives and insiders say he's clung tight to his first state for a first reason. it's home to a pickup opportunity for democrats in that rice between the lieutenant governor john fetterman and republican mehmet oz. it's also pivotal to the win, as well as democratic victories in the 2018 midterms and the losses in the 2016 election that put former president trump in the

white house. but more than anything, democrats say that "scranton joe" has a special understanding of voters in the keystone state. pennsylvania is personal to joe biden. it's not a coincidence that he spent so much time there, that's the former chair of the democratic national committee. take joe biden out of pennsylvania, you can't take scranton out of joe. again, that's the hill writing as far as how that relates to events you will see when it comes to the midterm elections in the next couple of weeks and months ahead. again, what does maga mean to you? we're asking you to tell us what you think, 202-748-8000 for democrats. 202-748-8001 for republicans. 202-748-8002 for independents. michael in tennessee, democrats line, you're next, go ahead. caller: yes, thank you for taking my call this morning. a lady several calls back talked about racial injustice and

equality and then another caller talked about things were good with reagan. i'd like to remind everybody that ronald reagan got into office because he cooked up a deal with iranians to hold the hostages until after he won the election. and then we had iran-contra, and then we had george bush, who invaded iraq. and the only president who's had this country in the black financially when he left was president clinton. host: so all that aside, the term maga, what it means to you? caller: let me make my point. host: ok, go ahead. caller: let me make my point. all the republicans know how to do is to divide and conquer. that's what it's all about. you tell people what to be scared of, and then you tell them who's responsible for it. richard nixon said, when he talked about jack kennedy, he said when they look at kennedy,

they see who they want to be. its when they look at me, they see who they are. host: so how that defines what maga is? caller: yes, maga is donald trump. you know he breaks the law. he in and outs law. he's all powerful in his mind. he can be do anything he wants. the rule of law be damned and decency, and that's the way those people are. it's just how they are. hillary clinton called them deplorables, and she was right. host: ok, we'll leave it there. drew in martinsville, virginia, hi. independent line. caller: i'm going to tell what you maga means. it means misguided, angry, gullible americans. that's what misguided is, that's what maga means. host: what do you mean by that? caller: most people that believe it, they don't fact check. the one caller said you need to fact check all these callers that tell things that aren't true. like the last caller, he knew what he was talking about. these people just listen to

rhetoric that's untrue. they don't want to follow up and find out where the sources came from and how they got this information and is it real. this election wasn't stolen, and donald trump is a liar. host: jackie is next. go ahead, finish your thought. caller: and all does he is divide this country, since he's been in office, since donald trump got in office, there's been unrest in the street. i swear to god when he came out of the white house to do the photo op in front of the church. i mean, come on, really. host: do you think president biden's speech was divisive last week because of how he refers to maga republicans? caller: i mean, joe -- i'm originally from scranton, pennsylvania, so i'm going to let you know that joe hit it on the head with these people, too. i think he's had a little more diplomacy towards it, but i mean, it's what it is. these people, in this base

republican party, is trying to divide this country. they're not trying to make america great. when was america great last? when we won world war ii? host: ok, that's drew there in virginia. we will hear next from jackie. jackie -- actually, from jackson. jackson, good morning. caller: good morning. host: you're on, go ahead. caller: well, you haven't heard from an actual maga republican voter yet, i don't think, and i am one. and i believe in the constitution. i believe in the rule of law. i don't recognize myself in anything these people are saying against maga. and i think what they do not understand is donald trump does not tell us what to think. we have been thinking it for

decades. we are grateful that he has stepped up to be our voice. he came into office. he said he would fix the problems. he did. he brought back jobs. he secured the border. he's very much in favor, as we all are, of legal immigration. my parents came here legally. host: as far as the term maga is concerned, what do you think it means? you talked about things, is that what it means to you? or are there other things it means to you? caller: i just told you what it means. it's just traditional american values. host: traditional by whose stands? caller: i have many friends who tell me what they believe, and i think they're maga people, but they don't know it, because the media tells them, and biden tells them, the opposite of what maga is. and all your callers have told you the opposite of what maga

really is. host: jackie is in colorado, republican line, you're next up, hello. caller: southeastern colorado, sir. host: are you in colorado? caller: yes, southeastern colorado. host: ok. caller: and maga means make america great again, just like the lady said before. it's not hard, you know, to understand. now, maga, for the democrats, is make a giant alcohol drink for pelosi. all the pelosi. host: so as far as the actual term you define the slogan, what does it actually mean to you? caller: make america great. it's not hard to understand. host: how do you define that? caller: pretty simple. make america great. host: ok. let's hear from michael. michael in reno, nevada.

democrats line. go ahead, you're next. caller: yes, what maga means to me is, unless you are a maga republican or a trump supporter or have the backing of donald trump, you have very little chance of winning a primary. as we see with the republican congressmen who voted to impeach trump the second time, i believe four have retired instead of facing a maga-based challenge in the primary. four have lost their primary bids, including liz cheney, who's highly conservative. i think it's the end of any type of reasonable or moderate or even highly conservative republican having any chance not only to get to the general election, but winning their own primary. i think that's important. as a democrat, i'd love to score, i love challenges, i love issues, and i think we're going to see the end of that and it's just going to be maga versus the democrats. we need to have more --

host: do you define maga republicans and republicans the same? caller: no, i do not. host: are there certain characteristics that define them? caller: the characteristics are basically the trump philosophy. i think if you can have the courage to defy that and the courage to go against that, i think that will ad some point resonate with republicans, because i think they're in kind of a internal crisis right now. host: when you say the trump philosophy, what do you mean? caller: well, the whole make america great again philosophy, the divisiveness, calling out enemies, dislike, and just basically not having facts. just name calling. basically what he did in his career before he ran for president. that's kind of taken over in the political realm as well. and i think that name calling and conspiracies and social media battles, that's become the

work of the day, instead of just basic political discourse. we can agree to disagree on any kind of issue, but now it's just name calling, and basically hatred. host: ok, tammy is next in texas, independent line. caller: yes, i think maga means make america affordable again for everybody. host: what do you mean by that? caller: not just the democratics and the poor people got to live, too. and we don't want to live on the government. we want to live on our own. we don't want our jobs taken away by illegals. and they are paying a lot of legals. i know. i worked at one. holiday inn. you know what they did? they paid me cash or a personal check, and then said, no, we got some more people over from the border. what does that mean? host: tammy, finish your

thought. caller: i just think we want our life back the way it was before when life was affordable and the poor people got to make it. i mean, we couldn't afford college. i got a college, and i went there, and then the school closed down, and i still had to pay $10,000 after three months of school. and i had to pay it. host: tammy there in texas. this is unrelated to the topic at hand, but just to let you know if you follow issues of nasa, they've delayed that launch of the space launch system and the capsule saturday. according to ax i don't say, it won't be able to launch before late september or october, opting to stand down to fix the issues that scuttled the liftoff. under the why it matters section, they add that nasa is hoping to use it to one day return people to the surface of the moon since the 1970's, and the space agency decides to call

off the launch after a hydrogen leak popped up during fueling that they were not able to correct in time to get off the pad. you remember the launch that was scheduled for last weaken countered same issues there. keep than eye on that. 80's axios reporting. a few more calls. we'll hear next from amy in georgia, democrats line. caller: good morning. maga is a slogan about making white supremacy acceptable again. so in essence, it's a white grievance. host: how do you come to that conclusion? caller: a lot of people, it's because president trump makes them feel seen and understood. he thinks the way they think so. else the things they say and believe. he validates those feelings. and those are feelings that they haven't really been able to express for a very long time, but with him, they were given

permission. they were emboldened to do so. so it is a railing against the changes in our country, it's a railing against pluralistic democracy. it is a way of thinking that is insurrectionist. we have this country where we want it, we will burn it down, and we will use violence and chaos in order toe achieve that. that's what maga is to me. host: david in south carolina, republican line, you're next up. caller: thank you. america, in any country, is great from within. the people have to be strong. and the reason, one of the reasons that trump was elected was -- and i'll say many conservatives were probably warm in their heart that obama was elected, feeling good for people that waited so long. but then they had eight years of identity politics. so imp trump's election was a reactionary movement wanting to make individuals on their own merits strong again, and that's the kind of message he brought.

and rather than the government taking care of people cradle to grave, you recall john kennedy and his famous inaugural speech, ask not what your country can do, what you can do for your country. that slipped 18 on in a democratic party. you have to have strong borders. you have to have a strong military. but the driving factor behind strength in america is like a lady said before, belief in america principles, hard work, strong parents, supporting your family wherever possible, it's not always possible. and as a head of a mixed race family, i resent being called a racist, and i was by all of the democrat leaders. it's really the press and the democrat has divided the nation even before trump was elected office. host: from philadelphia, this is susan on our independent line. i'm sorry, this is moreen, new jersey, independent line. caller: hi.

maga was a slogan of make america great again, only the country was never great in the first place. there were times when we have, but we allowed trump to get into office was decades in the making. the republicans and democrats, it's a one-party kind of deal. they were both more business, also options and for all the commercialization and distraction for people, the illiberalism came hammering down mother with reagan coming in, and it's just brought people disillusion, angry, and that was their way of doing it. people no longer fought like they did for protesting, for their rights, the way for an actual free press where it wasn't just corporate media. when people think the "new york times" is liberal, they're not that liberal. i mean, those are for elites and

business elites as well. it's been hijacked and people are getting more and more angry and divided, and it does have everything to do with the media and with the politicians all for power and games. but when we all feel the same. host: that's maureen in new jersey. here's more from president trump last night. >> in conclusion, our maga movement, make america great again, is by far the greatest political movement in the history of our country. together we are standing up against some of the most menacing forcep frenched and vicious opponents our people have ever seen. despite great outside dangers, our biggest threat remains the sick, sinister, and evil people from within our own country. but no matter how big or

powerful the corrupt, radical left democrats are, and they are corrupt and they are powerful, we have to make them much less powerful. we will never allow anyone to forget that this nation does not belong to them, this nation belongs to you. [applause] this is your home. this is your heritage. and our american liberty is your god-given right. from allentown to johnstown, from harrisburg to pittsburgh, and from philadelphia to scranton, p.a., we stand on the shoulders of american legends who poured out their blood, sweat and tears for our rights and for our freedom. they were so great. pennsylvania is where our founding fathers declared american independence. it's where the army weathered

its brutal winter at valley forge, where general george washington led his men on a daring mission across the delaware. and where our union was saved by immortal heroes at gettysburg, and this is the state where generations of top, strong pennsylvania miners, factory workers, steel workers forged the greatest nation in the history of the world. but now we are a nation in decline. host: "washington post" reports this morning on president trump's plans for going into november and beyond, or at least leading up to the november election, saying that the former president plans to be more engaged in october than in september by appearing in rallies, robocalls, and potentially on tele town halls

and fundraisers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. the former president's political team has told others they want to be cooperate and i have helpful, focusing mr. trump on rural areas where he has strong support. talks have also included the south and upper midwest among others. the story add being but the risk is acute that his presence could distract from what the g.o.p. has sought to make his central message, that voters should fire democrats who have presided is over rising costs and violent crime. former president trump, who is under multiple federal and state investigations, continues to falsely claim the election was stolen and that has asserted without evidence the f.b.i.'s seven of his mar-a-lago estate was part of a political attack, rhetoric that democrats have sought to keep in the spotlight. again, "the washington post" picking up that story. the president in pennsylvania last night, particularly in support of those senate candidates, for that senate race, the open senate seat there and others. you can see more of that if you wish at our c-span website. continue on your calls about the

term maga, what it means to you. on our republican line in florida, this is andy. hello. andy in florida, hello? caller: yeah. host: you're on, go ahead. caller: maga means truth, because nobody's telling the truth in politics. and that's why trump said he's going to drain the swamp. that's what it is. it's maga. if you want america back the way it was and truth, that's what matters. thank you. host: when you say truth, what do you mean? he hung up. let's go to emma in missouri, democrats line. caller: hi. maga means make america god again, and that is the problem. the problem is that man is a stupid creature. god did not give you a country. god gave you life. and you didn't know who you were, where you were, or what you were when you were born.

and i challenge anybody to challenge that. everything in this world is learned behavior, and we better stop and think. host: exactly how does that apply to the maga term as we've been talking about? caller: it's applied -- it's god's country. not trump's, not biden's, not anybody's but god's. we are going to have to learn to do the right thing, and to do the right thing, the right thing comes to you. when you do the wrong truth, that's exactly what you get back. host: los angeles, independent line. caller: yes, i agree with the caller that came on earlier, that maga, it the letters represent make america great again. the only thing i could add to it is that there's -- hello?

host: you're still on, go ahead. caller: there's actually an organization that is an older group of young men, and they're caucasian, and they are calling themselves make america great again, so there's an actual organization that exists, that represents maga, make america great again. and they happen to be white supremacy. host: ok, from los angeles, california. again, we showed you a little bit during the course of the morning, but president biden last week in philadelphia talking about maga republicans, and he had the speech at independence hall. here's a portion of that. president biden: but first, you must be honest with each other and with ourselves. too much of what's happening in our country today is not normal.

donald trump and the maga republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republican. i want to be very clear. very clear up front. not every republican, not even the majority of republicans, are maga republicans. not every republican embraces the extreme ideology. i know, because i've been able to work with these mainstream republicans. but there's no question that the republican party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by donald trump and the maga republicans. and that is a threat to this country. these are hard things. but i'm an american president. not a president of red america, blue america, but of all america. and i believe it's my duty, my duty to level with you to tell

the truth, no matter how difficult, no matter how painful. and here's in my view is what is true. maga republicans do not respect the constitution. they do not believe in the rule of law. they do not recognize the will of the people. they refuse to accept the results of a free election. and they're working right now as i speak in state after state to give power to the side elections in america, to partisans and cronies, empowering election deniers to undermine democracy itself. maga forces are determined to take this country backwards, backwards to an america where there's no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love. they promote authoritarian leaders and fan the flames of

political violence that are a threat to our personal rights, to the pursuit of justice, to the rule of law, to the very soul of this country. host: lake forest, california, republican line. alex, hello, you're next. caller: yes. appreciate the "washington journal," what you guys do. i really feel that democrats really don't understand that we as people that believe in make america great again would have never had to happen if donald trump had somewhat support from the media, somewhat support from moderates in any way situation. this is the first president that literally started no wars, supported almost every community, and that speech just now that you had with biden on

it, i mean, he literally said to marry the people that you love. donald trump supported that way before the clintons did. so it's one of those things that i think the media pushes this narrative, not you guys, but the media pushes this narrative that it's really the negative from the beginning and the end, and at this point, to really demonize what a whole group of people really think, we want to be left alone, work hard, and support latinos, blacks, native americans, it supports everyone that wants to be prosperous, wants to be free, wants to have no war. that's what maga means. host: ok. that's alex there in california. and ed is next in bowie, maryland, democrats line. caller: thank you for taking my call. so basically maga is not an

original thought. you had gerard followed using make america great again. you had ronald reagan stating make america great again. it's just a copy. and you don't have that many original thinkers in the whole trump spectrum. they just go back in history and bring it back to your day like they originated it. they didn't. so my thinking is this. basically make america great again, who was it great for initially? was it great for the native americans? when was it great for native americans? when was it great for hawaiian americans? when was it great for african-americans? if it was that great, why did reverend dr. martin luther king put his life on the line knowing he was going to get killed? why did he go through all of that? why did so many people go through that? my feeling is the democrats should start their own slogan, which is make america great for

all americans. because make america great again only pertains to primarily rich, initially rich white males, then middle class white males, and after 1957 it incorporated some females. but originally make america great was just for the rich, white men, the oligarchs and all that, and everybody else working to keep them richer. host: washington, d.c., independent line. caller: hi, thank you for taking my call. one of the things that i think happens sometimes is that people think that greatness and profession mean the same thing. and i think america has always been a great nation, not a perfect nation, but a lot of imperfections that need to be worked on, so we don't need to make anything great, because it already is that.

but i think what has happened is there has been a huge disconnect with middle america, and here is someone who was able to come in. he's an entertainer. he's a new yorker, born and raised, so i know trump my whole life to know that he's not a great businessman. we know all of the lawsuits that he has had over the years by people who are not from new york. they don't know these things. and he's a businessman. and he used business to come in and fool a lot of people into thinking that he was doing something for them and i think a lot of times, when i think of it, i think about after the civil war and a lost cause movement, and i think that is what is happening, when you see some people.

equality is happening more and more, but it is an infringement of other people so they assume their rights are being lost. we are just giving it to everyone who is here. when you get that feeling -- he came in and he prayed on people's emotions. host: we have one more call. jeff in nebraska. caller: good morning. i believe that maga represents the hatred that the republican party has for other americans. i believe it is a hatred because they hated hillary clinton so much. they voted because they hated obama so much. i am a fellow american. ia do not hate them, but i believe -- host: would you define that as

far as all republicans? caller: it is a majority of republicans. there are republicans like liz cheney who represent a middle ground,, but if you look at the way they vote in congress, the senate, they voted right behind trump and loved everything he represented. the only legislation he got through was a tax break for the wealthy. i thought the demographic is exactly what a republican should be, but i'm not. there is a reason for that. i see both sides. they voted for hate. they voted for the hatred of their fellow american. host: that is just in nebraska, finishing off the question of what maga means for those of you

in the audience. for those who participated, thank you for doing so. we will have to reschedule our interview with katrina vander lewin. we will open it up to our open forum. (202) 748-8000 for democrats. (202) 748-8001 for republicans. and (202) 748-8002 for independents. we will take those open forum calls when washington journal continues. ♪

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>> middle and high school students, it is your time to shine. you're invited to participate in this year's c-span camera -- we ask this year's competitors to make a 6 minute video. do not be afraid to take risks with your documentary. amidst of the $100,000 in cash prizes is a $5,000 grand prize. visit our website at studentcam.org for roles, resources -- rules, resources, and a step-by-step guide. ♪ >> in 2019, ben raines

discovered the remains of the slave ship click tell that outside of mobile, alabama. as we showcase some of the best and q and a mr. raines details the histories of could tell that and how and why it transported slaves to alabama, years after that transatlantic slave trade was outlawed. >> you have the whole story and it serves as a proxy for everyone in the united states whose families arrived in whatever country, they are in, in the hold of a ship. millions upon millions, we do not know about because their history was not recorded. that is really what. -- that is really what is so unique about it. we know everything about these

people. >> ben raines with his book the last slave ship tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span's q&a. you can listen to q&a and all of our shows on the new c-span now app. host: the wall street journal highlights the fact that federal oil leases done by the administration -- according to an analysis by the wall street journal, president biden's department has leased thousands of acres to be drilled. and no other president since richard nixon leased out fewer

than 4.4 million acres at this stage in his first term. larry truman was the last president to lease out fewer acres. offshore drilling was just beginning and the government did not yet control deepwater leases. there is a chart too hiding's earning -- hiding certain administrations. you can see that in the wall street journal. you can highlight these issues and open forum, if you wish in our final half-hour. california, democrat's lien, james -- line, james, good morning. caller: i would like to put together several different ideas. first of all, the maga concept.

former president trump talked about standing against certain types of americans. that is not united. the dunning-kruger effect is a psychological bias against expertise. if you look at the issues of climate change and borders, and m people who do not believe in climate changeaga, and believe - - maga, people who do not believe in climate change and believe we need to have closed borders is an example of the dunning-kruger effect where they have limited confidence and they are overestimating their own competence relative to their peers, which are the scientists and people who know things.

what we have is a generation of americans whose cognitive bias is such that through limited understanding and anger against those with expertise and understanding of what is going on in the world, they are constantly arguing against their own self interest. what we need is a society of people who want to save the biosphere, do not have fossil fuels polluting. host: that is james in california. in indiana, this is alan, republican line. caller: i end up getting up at 6:00. i got to admit, i really enjoy your show. it is fantastic. i marvel at the people who do not realize that biden is just saying everything.

he is really scared. republicans are going to get in undercover on all the dirty deals he has done. he is not a mother teresa. i wish you would wake up. that one woman who called and said she did not see a black person in the audience, i think she needs glasses. the person right in front of him had assigned. -- had a to sign. i used to be a hard-core -- had a sign. i used to be a hard-core democrat. biden said for the supreme court justice he wanted a black woman. he didn't say asian, he didn't say a white, he said a black, because the blacks will vote for him. host: that is alan in indiana.

russians who came to look for -- mourned the man who gave him hope. president putin claimed to attend -- to be too busy to attend. mikhail gorbachev had precipitated the breakup of the soviet union, which putin had called the tragedy of the 21st century. " i want to thank him for my childhood of freedom, which we do not have today" -- that was one mourner. " i m a -- i am a child of perestroika." stacy is calling on our independent line.

you are on. caller: the house of representatives in washington dc -- it was a political goldmine, you see. i know wide washington republicans are like. the president of russia announced -- anyone who got them files in the early 1990's -- monica lewinsky sucked his -- host: you will have to watch your language. conrad in tampa, florida. caller: good morning, america. i believe we have got to bring back the draft to make a better mix of people serving our country. we have chicken hawks wanting to go to war.

i'm a veteran, honorable discharge. i also believe that it's sunday, and i'm wondering these christians that call in about everything, do they know who jesus is? who christ is? i wish people would pretend he is at their side. i get too much feedback from the media only because they are trying to sell papers. i believe there is a lot of capitalism involved in that. host: we will leave it there. let's go to randy in michigan, republican line. caller: i'm just calling to say, the word jealousy has not come up. you see trump's children's

character? there is no drugs, no bad media on them. the democrats are so jealous you can raise children like that in the world today, they cannot deal with it. 4 years prior, until now, it is night and day what is going on now. a five-year-old could figure it out. host: in fredericksburg, virginia we will hear from tanya on our independent line. caller: thank you for taking my call. the thing that i see is that a lot of people who are republicans, these people are not very well informed. you have to get off the social media. like a couple of callers, you have to call in and know the facts.

is independents, we read the new york times, we read the wall street journal, we read conservative papers, into liberal papers to. you have to know the facts. you cannot just follow one man and think that he is the be all for everything. a lot of people are blinded. some of them probably have stockholm syndrome. some of them are mentally l with some of the people -- ill with some of the people coming in. i used to be a military recruiter. you cannot draft everybody. you have to be morally and physically fit to get into the military, and not everybody can do that. remember, this is a good country, the best country in the world. we have to pray for each other. host: in alabama, we will hear

next from harold on our democrat's line. caller: thank you for taking my call. i was calling when trump was running for president. he made a statement that was not true. he said he did not have to ask god to forgive him because he does not sin. i have been a minister for years. what i do not like about the situation is taking sides. god so loved the world that he give us everlasting life. when he got elected, they do not speak to black folks no more, and i do not know why. i want to say something to the whole of america -- we are all god's children, whether you like it or not. i'm going to say this and i will be through -- what do you think

will make america great again? when we have slaves? that's not right. host: downers grove, illinois. hello. caller: thank you for taking my call. i only have one word, and that is projection. i am wondering how many of your viewers understand that word. host: what do you mean by it? caller: ok, projection is when people are doing exactly what they are accusing other people of doing. the project what they feel onto other people. for most of this morning, and i listen to you almost every morning, for most of this morning, i have heard projection. host: from arthur in california. he is on our independent line. go ahead.

caller: good morning, pedro. i have been watching for a few hours this morning, and i am harking back to the maga segment. this is the new religious movement in our country because of the wealth gap. we have a tremendous amount fo dissatisfied -- of dissatisfied and angry americans who took to the flag of the maga and donald trump as the spiritual leader of change. are you still there? -- host: are you still there? caller: yes. host: finish your thought. caller: we need change in this country. i do not think donald trump was the actual person to lead that change, but we have a tremendous amount of people, 33 million people who believe he is the agent of change. there are a lot of things wrong.

the wealth gap is possibly what has promoted a lot of what is going on, but politics have been corrupt for as long as we have been a country. host: that is arthur in california, speaking about former president obama. he won an award yesterday for his part in the near reading a documentary series. he was nominated for narrat -- president obama was nominated for an me in july, for his role in the documentary series. it explores our changing

relationship with wilderness, according to producers promoting the series. this is open forum for the next 10 minutes or so. bobby in tuscaloosa, alabama. caller: i am calling as it pertains to student loan forgiveness. i think it is wrong to forgive student loans. i'm speaking from experience. i had 2 daughters. i paid off one of my daughter's loans. the other got more free money. it goes directly to their education. some of them are buying cars with it. i'm retired. i paid back part of my loan, and i did not pay the minimum. they tried to start off on the top. when they get out of school, they should get a job. if they want to buy a home,

don't try to buy the most extravagant and upscale neighborhood. i think it is wrong to forgive the student loans. what will happen going forward? students will not have to pay back loans? will it be free money? free education for everybody from here on out? you have too many old people who have paid taxes. they should make health care more affordable for those who have worked and paid their taxes. i think it is wrong to forgive the student loans for those who have not taken the money and used it for their education. host: thank you very much. that is bobby in alabama walking about student loans. servicers of student loans are being flooded by refund request from certain users. " while most of the nearly 42 million people covered by the

student loan policy have not made payments of about 9 million borrowers in good standing cap sending money. borrowers have one year to apply for a refund, the agency has confirmed that eligible people who paid off summer all of their debt in the last two years could still qualify for cancellation, if they meet the income threshold. there is nothing on the website saying as much. that should give her a worse cause. -- give borrowers pause. if you want to read more about that story, that is in the washington post this morning. in kentucky, republican line. we will hear from colleen. hello. caller: good morning. i want to say, in the past i have been a government word for 11 years. i was taken out of my personal

well-being of lifestyle because i have heard about certain things i participated in port over nine years ago, the transaction - -court over -- court over nine years ago, the transaction has been coming through july and august of this year, and i believe that president biden for the student loans is celebrating a financial movement our country is embarking on right now. host: david is next in independence, louisiana. caller: good morning, sir. how many people do you think it takes to beat up truck? everybody -- trump.

everybody, apparently. my middle name could be maga because i am sure that in china they have chinese brainwashing and in russia they have russian propaganda and in this country they have unfiltered democrats because all you callers seem to have everything bass ackwards. they are the ones who are guilty of doing it. he said, " if you are for violence, than you are against this democracy." how many democrat policies call for violence? he said " if you do not denounce violence -- i" can think of the same group who have never denounced it. it is really mind-boggling that

these people see a completely different -- i don't get it. i'm so sad it hurts. host: this is pamela in leesburg. democrats' klein -- line. caller: prime minister on the murder and we have to take care of their -- i am an astronomer. we have to take care of the planet. i recommend people get on the nasa website about the climate and read it. it is a serious situation. people have got to educate themselves. pick up a book. read some content on the nasa line because we are not going to have a planet and we need to grow up.

we a -- look at the telescope photos and see how small we are. we are not taking care of our people on earth. they are starving. we have a ridiculous war for russia, then you have the mega people -- maga people who are in another dimension. educate yourself. -- educate yourself. thank you. host: this is ron from iowa. caller: make america great again -- how many times do you ever bring out the joe biden? never. pedro, why don't you americanize yourself and get with it? host: what do you mean by that ? he hung up. let's go to ben in woodstock,

connecticut. you're the last caller of the morning. caller: i just got some observations over the last year and a half. china attacked us with a bioweapon. that was the pandemic. then we had a vote where you had counties with more than 100% voted. there is something wrong there. now you have biden in there who has done everything to destroy this country, and we know where his alliance lies. just to at hunter. this -- just to look at hunter. just look at hunter. -- just look at hunter. they want to take over the world. biden is part of that. if you do not get him out, you will all be slaves. host: last call on this topic.

that is it for open forum. president biden will speak in pennsylvania, deliver labor day remarks. you can see that at 5:30 tomorrow afternoon on our c-span now app or on c-span.org. another edition of washington journal comes your way tomorrow at 7:00. see you then. ♪ >> ben raines discovered the

remains of the slave ship clotilda. mr. raines talks about his book " the last slave ship," which details the history of the clotilda and how and why it transported 110 slaves in 1860 after the transatlantic slave trade was outlawed. >> we have the whole story and it serves as a proxy for everyone in the united states whose families arrived in the place where they are in the hold of a ship. their stories weren't recorded so the clotilda is a proxy for that histories of these people who were stolen from africa. it it is the story of slavery encapsulated in one piece, and we know everything about these people. >> ben raines with his book " the last slave ship

8:00 -- " the last slave ship," tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern. ♪ >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more, including cox. >> homework can be hard, but squatting in a diner for internetwork is harder. we are providing lower income students access to affordable internet so homework can just be homework. ♪ >> cox along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. ♪ >> c-span's washington journal. every day we are taking your calls live on the air on the news of the day and we will

discuss policy issues that impact you. monday morning we talk about campaign 2022 with the managing editor -- then washington post labor reporter on unionization efforts on issues impacting american workers this labor day. watch washington journal live at 7:00 a.m. eastern every morning. during the discussion with your facebook comments, phone calls, texts and tweets. ♪

texts and tweets. ♪ at (202) 748-8000. republican at (202) 748-8001. the washington examiner highlighting that speech last night in pennsylvania. they write that the former president pulled no punches. he targeted president biden and other top democrats in the nearly two hours speech.