him and my heart goes out to the peop of south dakota. he was a true servant. our prayers go out to his entire family. his successor in the senate rights, tim johnson served his home state of south dakota and public office for more than 35 years. his love for southaka was undeniable. in a statementrosenior south dakota senator known for his tenacity a wk eth was a steadfast lead w dedicated his life to serving the people of south dakota with integrity and compassion. heought tirelessly for rural america and leaves a legacy that will have a lasting impact for years to come. former south dakota democrat senator tim johnson was 77. welcome back. we are going to talk about women voters and campaign 2024. our guest is christian nunes,

national organization for women president. explain the organization and with the goals are in the funding is. guest: national organization for women is the oldest and largest women's organization in the u.s., grassroots membership organization made up founded in 1966 and made up of state and local chapters throughout the u.s. and also in puerto rico. our work is around making sure we are having an approach to look for rights and equality and we do this right focusing on six core issues, constitutional equality, economic justice, violence against women, lgbtqia rights, racial justice and reproductive rights. when we look at this, wait make

sure we are acknowledging every woman has different issues that impact them and work to advance advocacy and awareness. host: regarding the presidential campaign, what are you doing? guest: we are working to make sure we are helping to get women elected into office and by endorsing federal candidates into office, including throughout our state and wait make sure we are looking for candidates who have a feminist agenda in what i mean is they are voting for women's rights in issues that pertain to women and will benefit women's equality in safety. host: you wrote an opinion piece with kamala harris is the best choice to represent women. why do you think that is the case? guest: kamala harris has

demonstrated how she understands the issues of women and has demonstrated her leadership and understand she is relatable to the common cause of women are experiencing right now in this country. when she is setting policies and programs and her opinions and plans, she is letting us know she is keeping women in mind. we haven't seen in a long time anyone who has that agenda that focuses on including women and women's rights in security and kamala harris has been doing that from the beginning. host: you can start calling in for our guests. republicans (202) 748-8001, democrats (202) 748-8000, an independents (202) 748-8002. we are talking about women in the election.

what role do you think women will play in this election and how do you foresee it being different from the 20 16th election when hillary clinton was running? guest: it is a great question because women have always played an important role in all elections for democracy. i believe we will see women turned out even more than they have ever done. we do know women are the primary voters for this election and we will see more women voting for issues and things that impact their lives so we won't see so much division on political affiliation and partisanship. they will vote for the candidate they feel will make sure they are having their rights in line. host: i want to show you a clip of melania trump, the former first lady talking about her

book and her position on abortion and i will have you respond. [video clip] >> i believe in individual freedom. i want to decide what i want to do with my body. i don't want government and my personal business. i think it is very important. it is a very well explained in the chapter, what does really it might body my choice mean. i reach people to read it because we live in the world that everybody should have individual freedom. host: it was interesting about this in the book before a presidential election. >> that was not written in the

last week or month. that book was written months before and it was in print months before so it is my belief and i wanted to put it in a book because i want to be authentic and i want people to read the book because they could find out a lot of things that have never been discussed. i am very selective at what i do and whether i am doing interviews or not and this is my story and my perspective and the truth. there is a lot of misinformation about me and written about mia. so that book, "melania" will

bring the truth. host: how do you think president trump will handle this? guest: he knew my beliefs and knew it would be in the book. he let me be who i am and believe what i believe. he lets me me in own person and hate respects that i respect that. i let him be his own person. host: what do you make of that? guest: i believe she is communicating with many people believe it is that women should have autonomy and personal agency and can have the right to make those decisions. what we are hearing and seeing is the issue about health care with access to abortion is not a political issue what about women

having the right to make choices for themselves and she said that very quickly. host: are you advocating for any restrictions? guest: we advocate for the bodily autonomy and women to make choices for her own self. we think that should be left between a women and hurt medical provider. we not state restrictions but support full access to abortion rights and what that means for that person. host: let's take calls. lets talk with donald in west virginia, independent. caller: i would just like to know why your organization will not stand up against men in women's sports. guest: thank you for the question. we don't believe -- well, first of all, we believe women who identify as women are women and

i want to say that clearly. so one of the court issues, -- core issues, that includes transit women. we are going in as transgender has been inclusive that it is inclusive of all women and how they identify. it is not our job to tell a person how to buy but our job to protect women's rights from harm and oppression or violence occurring. host: in maryland, democrats. caller: two questions. is this the best opportunity you feel for a woman to become president and what do you think

abortion rights are going to play in this election? guest: thank you for the questions. i believe this is a great time for a woman to become president. we are seeing huge momentum across party lines, voter turnout, young voters coming forward, and voters are excited about the change and the possibility of electing a woman to office. the candidate we have now is important. we need to agree that women have always found they have leadership skills and have demonstrated it before and this is the time we need to support women and show them that we back them and as for your second

question, abortion will be an issue and we know there are 10 initiatives in different states to try to enshrine abortion rights into their constitution. this is an important issue. 60% of voters. women should have a choice and it will be a major issue this election. host: some women are very focused on immigration and border security. you believe that the errors-walls proposals are enough -- harris-walz proposals are enough? guest: i think they do have some on immigration and safety. they want it for all women and what safety and security it looks like in different forms. i would say that there will be

nothing a perfect fix in the very beginning but the clans -- plans are clear and we have to believe in their plans and give them an opportunity to show how they plan on securing and protecting and making sure it is inclusive with humanity and dignity. host: this is charlie in jonesboro, arkansas, republican. caller: with all respect, i would like to say when bill clinton did his improprieties with monica linsky, none of the women's organizations said anything about that. bill clinton exposed you for being a hammer for the democratic party to hammer on your democratic opponents. you people aren't serious. what would you say to a regular citizen who did what he did? i feel like people would be met if it was a republican.

guest: first i would say that i can't speak for what happened before i became elected president of the organization but what i can say is we have always been for ending violence against women consistently. we have always spoken out about that. that is what we do as an organization and we want to believe that victims and survivors and we will believe them. host: nancy in ohio, democrat. caller: good morning. every organization has been getting complaints about voter suppression. have you been getting calls and

complaints on voter suppression? guest: we are not a voter protection organization but what we do know is there are a lot of laws that suppress the vote and women are one of the main groups that are marginalized and have received their votes being oppressed the most. for our work with women's organizations, it is important we are doing everything in our power to advocate for legislation that will help advance voting rights and protections including free and fair election access, eliminating voter suppression rules in different states. i want to say that we support making sure everyone is informed and that is making sure people are communicating and let people

know your informed and creating a voting plan and reaching out to voter protection plans when you find whose votes are being suppressed think it is really important. it is work with all have to do to make sure we are protecting our votes and we will continue to do that and we do understand the importance of women and making sure is challenged. host: do you think women specifically get their votes suppressed more than men? guest: yes, i do. and the reason i say that is because women are a marginalized group. and when we look at certain groups of women, not all women, but we look at those who are getting votes suppressed and some states required id laws where your name has to appear a

certain way. avoid all women who have had changes in their name due to family dynamics, when you have the restrictive voter id laws, it has a large impact on women. that is one way we definitely see that. and because of the hours and polling locations, we know that women also are a lot of times working full-time and of the breadwinners of their homes and trying to work and manage childcare if they choose to have children and also working and having a job. we don't have affordable childcare and it was women in a position to not be able to exercise their vote. and when we eliminate polling locations and not make

assessable mail-in ballots for early voting, all of those are different ways that voter suppression occurs and has major impact on women. host: down his favorability. what is your response? how did you feel when you heard his comments about maybe people with biological -- without violence with children shouldn't have the same access in determining the country's future? guest: he has demonstrated a disregard and respect for women by making an statement and comments and misinformation about women and hyperbole they are using to try to convince people. i think it does not surprise me

based on past comments but i think it is more important than ever to continue the challenge and correct the misinformation and statistics and data that say that jd vance is not being honest in trying to create panic and chaos. host: dennis in maryland, independent. you are caller: next. caller:-- you are next. caller: i heard a guy called and asked what do you think about women in sports that men that identify as women in sports. i heard you say that as long as they identify as a woman that that is fine with you and i have no problem with that but to each his own. my wife is a woman and she has an issue, not a problem, but in issue and whenever somebody says

something about it i think it is a problem but it is an issue. your issue is, ok, if she is out with my daughters in the go in the bathroom and you have a guy that wants to use a bathroom because he says he is a woman so you are ok with all of that is what i am hearing. that doesn't take away from europe women's movement or whatever. and i heard you also say something about the violence and i'm not even saying anything about violence. what i'm saying is your movement, so if i could tell you i am a woman and you could -- i could join your organization? guest: our organization is a feminist organization and that is that we women deserve equality and equal rights in the country and globally. our organization is not just

made up of women. we are called the national organization for women because we are for advancing women's rights and equality. we have members who are men and we have a diverse membership and we believe if you are for advancing women's equality and protections in safety then you can be a part of now. and your beliefs in the bathroom, i want to make sure we don't buy into misinformation about trans individuals and believing that they are statistics saying harm is created. it is part of the fear rhetoric about trans inclusion and we have to push back against that. there are no statistics and information and research that says that trans individuals will become harmful in the bathrooms.

and we have many places going to engender neutral bathrooms. i think the question of trans inclusivity and part of the movement when it is inclusive because we believe in supporting rights and that is something we don't want to go in that direction. host: he mentioned sports. there are people that believe there is inherent unfairness when you have a man's body even if you identify as a woman competing with a woman who has a woman's body. guest: i have heard that quite often. i think they are exaggerating what can happen. there are rules and regulations and it is not that simple where people feel they are fearful of what they think will happen with

trans inclusion in sports and i just don't believe that is the case. i believe that is for title ix and the courts and reporting organizations to decide if there are rules for having inclusivity. host: caroline in baltimore, independent line. caller: i am calling in and a trans social worker and someone who has worked closely with pregnancy resource centers and i wanted to ask the guest about how now works to undermine the good work of pregnancy resource centers which offer support services for women in unplanned pregnancies, everything from physical resources to emotional

resources to parenting support before and after they have the baby and now has worked closely with planned parenthood to make abortion the number one issue and to rhetorically run legislatively undermine and destroy pregnancy resource centers which actually are doing good work of trying to help women in difficult situations. i think your organization has done a good job of sanitizing the language around abortion using euphemisms like reproductive health and not describing what happens in abortion which is that you basically offer women the knife, suction apparatus or poison pill and you don't offer them resources to help them have their baby which is what most baby want -- most women want. i have worked with many women

who only want support and live with the anguish of abortion for the rest of their lives, the market anniversary of the abortion and the baby's expected birth and coping women in crisis in pregnancies. guest: i would say that i want to be clear about reproductive rights and justice. it is inclusive of all reproductive health care, maternal mortality, internal health, hope and providing services and making sure women have decisions and making sure they have maternal mental health access and access to ob/gyn care and birth control and that also

includes family planning if you decide that is something that you want. let me to be clear, our position is for reproductive rights and justice and the woman has that decision to make for herself, she has the full autonomy to make the decision and also to act and that is what we support and will continue supporting that. i understand the importance of providing resources and we do a great job of doing with that and working with organizations for funding and making sure it is taking into consideration all types of productive -- reproductive services. host: let's talk to kelly, texas, republican. caller: how are you doing? guest: i am great. how are you?

caller: i am wonderful. what are your feelings on --, what are your feelings about facing discrimination and the jobs market. i have been out of work for just over three years. and i have a 23 years experience and i just want to know, what are your feelings on this? guest: we are not for any form of discrimination at all and job discrimination would be against our core issues. if individuals are not allowed,

women are not allowed to go out and get jobs that can help them thrive in support themselves and are discriminated against because of the difference, that is not what we are continuing to advocate for. and looking at the widening the gender wage gap. we know that is an area where we need to put more effort in and support behind. host: i want to ask you about an act called the take it down act that is pushing for passage. can you explain what it is and why you are supporting it? guest: one of the things we have seen over the past few years is huge increase in social media types of silence and what -- one is artificial intelligence generated deepfake sexual abuse or nonconsensual sex imagery. we are seeing an outrageous rise

in people taking images in people's likeness in taking snapshots or photos and making them into nonconsensual sexual images. this is a huge problem. and we know once it goes up it is extremely hard to take down. women are 90% -- 97% the victims in these deepfakes. there are thomas involved lots of issues and the take it down act is making sure everyone is being held accountable to push back on deepfakes and that includes holding platforms accountable and developers accountable for when this happens they will have to take those images down what it has been identified that it is a i. host: this -- it is ai. host: this is an article that ai

born should be a federal crime. they say deepfake fakes should be federal crime. guest: i think there should be different levels of crime but it definitely has to be federal that we push forward legislation because if we do not, right now there is no accountability and people can create images and walked past you and take a snapshot of your face and it allows them to create ai generated deepfake images. this is very dangerous. effects of sexual violence and assault online and in prison are the same on that person. and also research says when it happens on line the perpetrator could start attacking the person in life. we cannot allow this to continue to happen. host: on the into patent -- on

the independent line, you are next. caller: i have two questions. the first one is, if a woman has a right to do with her body as she pleases, doesn't that make prostitution legal? host: and what is your other question? caller: i forgot it. i am 89 years old. host: that is ok. we will take that question. guest: women have a right to do with their body and in the industry what is considered sex work, it is not for us to tell people what they decide to do with their bodies but we continue to do say they have a right to make decisions for themselves. so we have to keep going back to that. we don't want anyone telling us

what choices to make him what jobs to choose, what choices to make regarding health care decisions or anything in our lives but for some reason we see everyone so strong and bringing up charges and interrogating women and this is where we have to stop. a person has the right to make decisions for themselves. it helps increased them to be productive and we do not need to be the ones for anyone who stands in the way of taking away that autonomy. host: kathy in michigan, republican line. caller: i want to respond to the other colors question. the biden-harris did say that people do not have a choice to put the vaccines in their body that is not what i called about.