and that does it for me. i'm richard lui. now i turn it over to al sharpton and "politics nation." good evening and welcome to "politics nation." this week, we talked about the race factor in american politics at the national action network convention. we had most of the democratic candidates for the nomination there talk very frankly and in detail about what they would do to close the race gap in the economy. blacks at a low level of

unemployment, but still doubly unemployed the whites. the race gap in education, in health care, and in the criminal justice system. it is the idea to not leave the racial divide that has been a real part of this presidency by his not addressing it. and by his not dealing with it. and not dealing with racist and bigoted rise in crime bringing it into mainstream political discussion. no one should be president if they cannot be president for all americans and fight for equality at all levels, no matter the race, gender or sexual orientation of the citizen. joining me now is juanita tolliver, campaign director for the center of american progress action fund and christopher

metsler, republican strategist and author. let me start with you, juanita. it has been some that say we should get away from identity politics. we should not be talking race or gender. and the candidates did otherwise this week. your feelings on why this is or is not necessary. >> it's absolutely necessary, right? historically, it's been proven that african-americans and particularly african-american women, have been the most reliable voting base in the democratic party. so to have candidates come out and speak directly to this audience at the conference was important. and to have them really dig into some of the concrete policy issues they take stands on was even more important, because what we're looking for in this election cycle is a candidate who is not only going to say reparations are right, but here's the legislation i'm going to sign. here's my platform to dismantle some of the structurally racist institution and policies that impact people of color daily, whether that be policing, criminal justice reform, payday

lenders or housing practices, as well. so them coming out to address this conference was key. and now that they have spoken, it's important to see that action, right? when they roll out their platforms. >> absolutely. you know, christopher, the -- this was something we do every cycle. in fact, the immediate former president, barack obama, was among all the candidates that came to the same national action network conference in 2007. let me show you what he said. >> i am proud to be a candidate for the presidency of the united states of america. i wouldn't be here if it had not been for reverend al sharpton running for president and carol moseley brown running for president and jesse jackson running for president and shirley chisolm running for president. they paved the way. >> the fact that he ended up winning and gave credit to folks

that went toward that, christopher, we don't have anyone that said that president obama helped lead the way to this -- they're being able to run and even possibly be victorious. but we do have a president that told blacks they have nothing to lose voting for him. what is his black agenda? what is his black program? is it that he's telling them they have nothing to lose? it seems that we're losing a lot. >> well, you know, on the one hand, i'm hearing we want a president who is president of everyone and then on the other hand i'm hearing there is a black agenda. so let me be clear. as it relates to this president of the united states, i ask us to look at a couple of things. one, from an economic standpoint, the work that is coming up on enterprise

opportunity zones, i would ask people to look at that. i would and ask people to look at the number of young black conservatives who have been attracted to this party and will continue to push for the president's re-election in 2020. >> what is the president doing when -- in terms of -- wait just a minute. let me get the question to you. him getting conservative young blacks is not his saying that i'm doing these things. the enterprise zones we're seeing there, but we have not seen where the results move the dial in terms of inequality, blacks are still doubly unemployed. we have the gap in health care. we still have the gap in criminal justice. i'm asking, what is the president doing? >> okay. well, did we see the enterprise zones have an impact or opportunity zones on the obama administration? >> we saw unemployment of blacks cut in half under obama, yes. >> we see unemployment being

substantially among blacks cut under this president. >> but it is still double that of whites. >> okay, but the president did not create this doubling in three years. okay? that means that prior presidents created that. >> but he has not solved it either. i'm asking what is his program for that. >> well, and i'm trying to answer the question without interruption. so from an economic standpoint, i would urge you to look at the work that's being done by the small business administration across the country. i will ask you to also look at from an economic standpoint, yes, there is still work to be done. and yes, the president is working on that. but it seems like we're saying he's been in office three years, everything should be solved within the course of three years. >> the fact is -- the people that you spoke about that gave

their proposals at the n.a.n. convention gave their proposals, and as you said, we want to see what they do. i'm not saying that this president should have solved anything in three years. i'm saying, what is his plan? and after two tries, i cannot get what the plan is. >> you don't like the answer. >> no, you didn't give an answer. the plan. i want to know, when you say, juanita, they gave specific answers, legislation and other things, i want to know the specific plan and legislative plan this president would have to close the gap. is that not something that all americans would want? it's good for everybody, juanita. >> i think it would be good for everybody to be able to benefit from a booming economy or even high-quality education. but the fact of the matter is, that is not the case in this country. especially for people of color and people experiencing poverty who are also people of color e

president expands or invests in, he's also trying to strip away access to health care for people who are applying for public assistance programs through working reporting requirements and other practices. so it's just not panning out. >> christopher, can you explain why many of the black republicans like michael steele and others have been critical of the president? these are black republicans saying that he has not come up with a plan and has not moved the dial in terms of -- small business does not address these issues. criminal justice matters, the matters of police reform. he's privatized prisons. i mean, give me specific goals, even if he's not achieved them. goals that he has articulated and laid out that would address the inequality. >> okay. first of all, i can't -- there is within the republican party and particularly within black

republicans and black conservatives, we're not a monolith. >> right. >> so chairman steele is a very good friend of mine. chairman steele is voicing his opinion. the republican party has a tent in which to voice contrasting points of views. as to plans and as to what the president needs to do from the standpoint of economic, it is extremely important that he continues to ensure low unemployment for everyone. that, of course, includes blacks. so that's number one. number two, from the opportunities zones, there is the issue of investment. there is the opportunity of bringing black investors into the opportunity zones, so that needs to occur. >> has that happened? >> it has not happened, because the final guidelines still have not come out. >> so you -- enterprise zones,

you're talking about something that you hope will bring in black investors. you cannot sit here and say that they are involved. you use it as the example of what he's done. >> okay. >> but now you're saying that it has not actually happened yet. >> no, that is not what i'm saying. that is not what i'm saying. i own nine medical businesses in the state of florida. and as a result of opportunity zones and as a result of being able to push those businesses into those zones, black unemployment in that area will, in fact, move forward. >> we will see that. you said black investors. >> yes. >> black investors. you said it has not happened yet. >> of course. well, because the guidelines -- the president has only been here three years. >> no, but -- you say. >> i'm only going by what you say. >> no, you're trying to confuse what i say. >> no, you said that black investors will be brought in. i asked whether they have been. you said not as of yet.

>> well -- >> you brought up reparations. let me show you what the candidate said about reparations. >> congress should convene a study on the best way to provide reparations. >> if you are elected president, would you sign that bill if it came across your desk? >> when i am elected president, i will sign that bill. >> the issue of reparations. this is a conversation that is long overdue. so i want to let you know where i stand. i firmly support congresswoman jackson lee's bill to create a commission to study reparations. >> if you are elected president and such a bill was passed, would you sign the bill for reparations? >> yes, i would. i already support that bill. go hr-40. >> hr-40, by congresswoman

sheila jackson, establishes a commission on reparations. it seems the candidates were firm that they would support the establishment of that commission. is it too much to ask a sitting president to say what legislation he would support and would enact and whether or not that is written in? because even in the enterprise zone or opportunity zones, we do not see in there there's a mandate to make sure there are black investors or that there is inclusion of people that have been excluded, juanita. >> no, i think it's not too much to ask whether or not this president would do that. i don't think any of us should be surprised by the response if he was asked would he sign that legislation into law. because the reality is, this is someone who avoids at every opportunity the chance to not discuss race relations in this question, even while he's stoking a number of racist sentiments through his policies, his actions and his words. i mean, this is someone who said there were good people on both sides in charlottesville. this is someone who called mexicans racist when he

descended down the escalator to announce his presidency. so don't be too shocked by his action. but it is exciting to see all these candidates come forward and say they support this investmeio research committee. i do think the only other point here is how many of these candidates are going to carry that sentiment forward, again, in dismantling some of the racist policies and institutions that govern this country. >> all right. my panel is staying for more. but coming up first, a 2020 presidential candidate who could not come to the national action network convention, will make his case on "politics nation." governor jay inslee is next. ver.

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as the 2020 democratic presidential field gets more crowded, the diversity of ideas that candidates are running on is also jam-packed. but one candidate is singularly focused on the issue of climate change. governor jay inslee of washington state says addressing environmental issues will also work to advance public health and social justice. but is his vision on climate enough to stand out from the crowd? governor jay inslee was unable to attend this week's n.a.n. conference, but i'm glad he could join us today and make his case. welcome to the show, governor. >> thank you. sorry i missed it. i had to be governor for a while.

so thanks for having me on your show, reverend, appreciate it. >> we understand. let me ask you, climate change is a central part of your campaign, and you say it also impacts social justice and other areas. explain what you want to see done about climate change and how it also affects the areas of social justice and, for that matter, the underprivileged and people of color who disproportionately live in a lot of the areas that are most impacted by this. >> well, yes. i think what we know is very clear that we are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change, and we are the last generation that can do something about it. and i am the candidate in the race that is saying that defeating climate change, building a federal government around the organizing principle that we but build a clean energy economy. and while we do that, we must

build in central tenets of economic justice and racial justice into our effort to build a new economy. and this is central for two reasons. number one, we know that the first victims of climate change are usually front line marginalized community. communities of poverty, communities of color. these are the first victims who are living next to freeways with their kids breathing diesel smoke, getting hurt in hurricanes like in katrina and puerto rico. these are the first victims. and they deserve our protections. and second, when we build this transition to clean energy economy, and it will be a transition over the next several decades, we need a just transition. not just a transition. that means we have to embed policies that help these communities that have been so marginalized by centuries of racial injustice. and we're doing that in my state right now. and we're building our clean energy policies on things like the h.e.a.l. act, which will

target these communities as our first places for investment. so this is invested with the idea of justice, as well as health. and i'm committed to getting that job done as president. >> now, what would you do differently if you were president today, as opposed to the present president, around the issue of climate change in general? because this is something that goes beyond race. we all suffer some disproportionately as you and i both have said. but this is something that we don't have an option. we're going to have to deal with this. >> well, what i would do differently than donald trump is virtually everything, from the first day to the last. he has embedded hatred and division almost every single day from the first day he ran, which was based on racial disparity, when he attacked barack obama and argued he was born in kenya. and he has followed that insidious, evil path ever since. i would be a president to try to

unite us around a common mission, and i believe this nation is capable of doing big things and tremendous things. and one of the most tremendous will be to lead the world to a clean energy economy. to put people to work by the millions, doing the jobs we know that need to be done. number one, we've got to guarantee americans clean electricity that doesn't come from polluting industries. we need 100% clean electricity. number two, we need to put millions of people to work across this country. i'm going south carolina here in a couple of weeks to look at one of their efforts to develop brown fields. number three, we need to embed justice throughout this issue, because this is an avenue, a means of attacking racial disparities that have been so chronic in our community. and fourth, we need to, you know, stop shelling out billions of dollars of subsidies to the oil and gas industry.

look, that gravy train is over. we need help to early childhood education. we need to have kids that are not having success in school early in life to have the help they need. we need to make those investments a lot more than shelling out to the oil and gas companies. so there's kind of a four-point quick walk of the things i want to do. and i think this country is ready for a little inspiration and hope and optimism. >> i've been to your state several times on cases, causes and to preach at churches. i don't remember if you have any windmills, but if you do, do you have any evidence that where windmills are in your state that it causes cancer? because that is what the president said. >> well, the president has said that. and that's probably in the top ten of idiotic things he has said. because what we know we've done in our state is we've gone from zero wind turbines to a $6 billion industry of 3,000 really

clean mega watts of electricity. and we did that because we were optimistic enough to realize that we're kind of a can-do people in washington. we're a can-do people in america. we knew we could build an industry that is now providing electricity. and donald trump argued that your television wouldn't work if you use wind turbines. what a bunch of hogwash. we have a stable system and we're continuing to build out. we have more capability now. what we have learned is that in america and washington, when we put our minds to it, we can build whole new technologies as we have done in washington state. i got in an argument with meghan mccain a couple weeks ago. she said democrats are going to get rid of planes and trains and cars. i said, that's ridiculous. i've got a shiny blue new general motors all-electric bolt in my driveway. so anyway, american workers -- putting americans to work with clean energy. that's the destiny for this country if i'm president of the united states.

>> all right. thank you, governor inslee. >> you bet. coming up next, payments to women who complain of sexual harassment, accusations of groping, allegations of extra marital affair. sounds like someone trump would promote, right? my gotcha moment when we come back. otcha moment when we come back you wouldn't accept an incomplete job from any one else. why accept it from your allergy pills? most pills don't finish the job because they don't relieve nasal congestion. flonase sensimist is different. it relieves all your worst symptoms, including nasal congestion, which most pills don't. it's more complete allergy relief. and all from a gentle mist you can barely feel. flonase sensimist helps block six key inflammatory substances. most pills only block one. and six is greater than one.

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this week's gotcha. as you've seen former vice president joe biden has been under fire for his physical interaction with women as he gets closer to running for president or not. and president trump, best known for his modest conduct around and comments about women found the time to throw a twitter shade at the former vp this week. sharing a doctored parody video of biden's recent apology and telling reporters that he himself was, quote, a very good messenger to women voters. that pesky act says hollywood tape be damned. to drive the point home with maximum irony, president trump also announced his pick for the

federal reserve board this week. former pizza company executive, herman cain, who you might remember for his failed gop presidential nomination contest six years ago. a bid tore papedoed by sexual harassment, infidelity, even after some accusers received monetary settlements from his former employer. a pity, really, because his campaign was going so well. >> 999 means jobs, jobs, jobs. that's what i'm talking about. becky, becky, becky, stan, stan. i believe these words came from the pokemon movie. oh, chuckie ducky! >> yep, it all makes him a perfect fit for trump's team.

given its track record of hiring racists, russian assets to do the most important business of running the country. but don't take my word for it. >> i recommended herman cain. he's a very terrific man. a terrific person. he's a friend of mine. i have recommended him highly for the fed. i've told my folks that that's the man, and he's doing some prechecking now, and i would imagine he'd be in great shape. he's a highly respected man. he's a friend of mine. >> and right there is your whole administrative style, mr. president. a friend of mine. because it's never been professionalism. just proximity. usually some sycophant's lips to political posterior. and while we're talking optics, i'm sure you can't wait to show off your friend as another one, and i do mean one of your

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the fight between the white house and congressional democrats over the president's tax returns continues to heat up. just three days ahead of the deadline set by the ways and means committee for the irs to release six years of the president's personal and business tax returns. today the white house chief of staff says, no way. >> democrats will never see the president's tax returns. >> oh, no. never. nor should they. keep in mind, that's an issue that was already litigated during the election. voters knew the president could have given his tax returns. they knew he didn't, and they elected him anyway. which, of course, is what drives the democrats crazy. >> democratic congressman dan kildee is insisting the law allows his committee to request any tax information it desires. >> we are looking very carefully right now as to whether or not the irs is properly auditing and

enforcing tax law on the president of the united states, and we're considering legislative changes toward that end. it is not up to president trump. it is not up to some lawyer that president trump hires to determine whether or not this coequal branch of government has the tools available to it to make the deliberations necessary in order to make policy. >> the president's attorney, jay sekulow, repeated the claim this is a political attack. >> this idea you're using a hearing, a ways and means hearing, of irs. enforcement, as a way to get to the president's private, individual and business tax returns makes no sense both constitutionally and statutorily. and look, this i think is going to be -- if necessary, we're at that point yet. if it has to be litigated, it will be litigated. >> so who is right and who is wrong? back with me, juanita tolliver of the center for american progress action fund. and christopher metzler,

republican strategist. christopher, why the resistance in the president adhering to a legitimate legal claim by a congressional committee, house ways and means, to give them his taxes for the last six years, business and personal? >> well, you know, first of all, this is not the tea pot dome scandal. number one. number two, if, in fact, the democrats want to see the president's tax returns, then i think they should begin impeachment proceedings and get it from there. what is the legitimate purpose that they're trying to get the tax returns for? as jay said, the american people knew that the president did not release his tax return. that has been litigated. and, you know, if they want to take this up to the supreme court and have them rule on the constitutional issue, be my guest. >> well, juanita, a lot of people are saying they want to see if he has some things

that -- in his tax returns would say whether he's had engagement with foreign governments. whether he is done with his lawyer, michael cohen, testified that he inflates and deflates figures based on trying to get some insurance deals. there are a lot of reasons that one could think of why they would want to see his tax returns. >> that's exactly right. and house ways and means committee has full authority to request those tax returns from the irs, as they have done. now, what's interesting is trump's pivot here, right? on the campaign trail he said, oh, i'll release them once the audit is done. even when he had news that house democrats submitted their request to the irs, he was like, oh, after the audit is done. of but only now is there this even more emphatic desire to not have these tax returns see the light of day. and it's raising even more flags, right? to your point, reverend sharpton, what is he trying to hide here? is there evidence in these tax returns that he acted under the need for his personal financial

considerations, was he under the influence of a foreign entity as it relates to his personal or business dealings? and i think the american people want those answers, right? because the fact still remains, less than half the country voted for this man. so americans still want to know. this is something their representatives are taking up at their bequest. >> christopher, the fact that there's been allegations made, even by his own attorney testifying before congress, wouldn't you think it would just solve all of it if he released this and say there's no interest here that i have that would have in any way influenced what i did and do as president? and every republican before him has released their tax returns. even richard nixon. what's the big deal, unless there is a big deal? >> well, number one, i don't have any reason to believe that there is a big deal. and number two, it is -- this in some way reminds me of all the

faith that was put in the mueller investigation in which mueller will come out and tell all. it seems to me that the assumption here -- the underlying faulty assumption here is that the tax returns will somehow paint a road map into alleged foreign corruption. that's not how these tax returns work. >> but just put them out and we'll see for ourselves. and by the way, we've not seen the mueller report. we've only seen a four-page summation by the attorney general. we don't know what mueller said. >> well, and that's fine. but in any event, the president has made the decision not to release them. and if this committee wants to get them, begin impeachment proceedings. let's take it from there. >> you know, juanita, i think it's really kind of interesting that they keep quoting a mueller report that no one has seen. >> no one has read it. i haven't read it. and i think even mueller's team coming out this week to multiple publications saying that

attorney general barr mischaracterized a number of findings sparks fuel about what mueller's report actually included. to the point where tens of thousands of americans took to the streets in 300 towns and cities last week demanding the report. so as more disconnect starts to emerge between what attorney general barr release and had what mueller teams actually -- mueller's team actually reported, that's going to continue to be a topic of discussion and interest for the american people. >> the president himself said that he wanted it all out there. put it all out. >> he thought it exonerated him, right? >> now he's saying maybe he wants to see them first. what happened to let everything out. and while letting everything out, why not, christopher, let his tax returns out? >> look, as i said -- >> i am quoting the president correctly. he did say that. >> he did say that. >> okay. >> as i said, this is not the teapot dome scandal.

>> no, it's the trump possible -- >> no, no -- >> maybe not. we'll see. >> absolutely not. but. >> we don't know that yet. >> begin impeachment proceedings. there's a procedure for that. >> there's a procedure for asking for tax returns. and they're doing that. >> and it has been denied. the president has said he's not going to do it. they've asked for it. so litigate it. >> well, i think, juanita, that it is interesting that even -- and i can empathize with christopher. it's hard to defend somebody saying, let it all out and then he says no, i'm not going to let some things out. it's kind of hard to reconcile a complete opposite action after you said something yourself. >> exactly right. and i think he has a number of people working in his corner to help try to keep the lid on things, right? you have mitch mcconnell, who ultimately blocked a bipartisan resolution from the house that had all support from democrats and republicans to release mueller's report.

and so you have mcconnell being a barrier. you have barr mischaracterizing mueller's team's findings, so he has a number of people doing his bidding now. but if the american people keep paying attention, i think the truth is going to come out here. >> i think also there was a study by the "new york times" raising questions about some of the business practices and dealings with banks. people have the right to know what their president has done, whether or not that influences how he's acting as their president. thank you, juanita and christopher. >> my pleasure. >> thanks. up next, a new podcast series on civil rights and the civil rights movement, as we remember martin luther king jr., assassinated this week, 51 years ago. be right back. back. let's be honest. it's kind of unfair that safe drivers have to pay as much for insurance... as not safe drivers! ah! that was a stunt driver. that's why esurance has this drivesense® app.

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tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. be there for you, and them. ask your gastroenterologist about humira. with humira, remission is possible. thursday marked the anniversary of the reverend dr. martin luther king jr.'s assassination in memphis, tennessee. at the time of his death, dr. king's fight for equality was beginning to focus on repairing the country, reparations and washington's lack of investment

in the black community. 51 years later, an unprecedented number of 2020 presidential candidates are weighing in on that same issue, and how they would address it. joining me now is jonathan capehart, a pulitzer prize winning opinion writer for the "washington post" and an msnbc contributor. and host of the podcast series, "cape up." which features a special series right now titled "voices of the movement." jonathan, the voices of the movement that you've had on your podcast so far, 51 years later after many of them were on the front line of the civil rights movement in dr. king's era. what have you gleaned from them as they look at where we are now and the battles they fought 50 years ago? >> well, rev, thank you very

much for having me on the show and for highlighting this. the thing that comes through in all the interviews that i have done between january and march with these civil rights icons and leaders is that they're still fighting. they're still in the work of the civil rights movement, of social justice, of nonviolent change through nonviolence. but in the gatherings that i've been to, there is no doubt that they feel that a lot of the things they worked for, they fought for, that you've been a part of, have been sliding back. that they're watching all of their gains being eroded, not just by this administration and its policies, but by really a complicit congress, especially when both houses were in the hands of the republican party. >> now, as you know, i was raised and mentored by some from that generation, and have tried to continue that fight in our

own ways. and one of the things that is striking to me, many of them in their late 70s to their early 90s, is that they still have the fire in their belly and they still are are out there. and i think a lot of it is what you said. they see a lot of what they did gain, not nearly all they wanted. even that is being rescinded. but how do you deal with and did you get them on any of the podcasts to talk about how do they keep that hope, that figai to keep going, even though some of those things are now under attack. >> i think that's just what it is rev. it's hope. when i talk to mini brown who was part of the little rock nine, she said that, you know, this is a life sentence. she said that with a smile on

her face. this being in the work of civil rights, this being in part of nonviolent change of the country, that once you start down the road of this kind of work, no matter how many years go by, no matter the zig and the zag of history, you are still hooked. you are still in it. andrew young, ambassador young, dr. young, said something that was very -- >> who was very close to dr. king. >> yes, and he was there in memphis with dr. king on the day he was assassinated. he told me that dr. king told him at a meeting once most of us won't make it to 40, but if we make it to 40, we'll make it to 100. for andrew young who turned 87 this year, he said i don't know how many more years i have left, but i am going to keep going, keep pushing to achieve a lot of the goals that he's trying to achieve. you hear it in his voice in the

first episode about memphis. you'll hear it later in the podcast episode. but you also feel it from him. here's this man who feels he knows that his time with us is drawing short, but he has so much work to do. >> now, you i've known for many years, and this seems like a personal mission of yours. you're a pulitzer prize winning writer, yet you always seem to want to raise the issue of the progress made and the progress threatened in the fight for equal protection under the law and equal opportunity. is this personal to you, jonathan, as one who has lived under prerogatives of what a lot of people you're talking to fought for? >> absolutely this is personal. as i say in the podcast, the people that i'm talking to, the people that i've been around for this last -- these last few months but also over the years of my career, without them,

there is no me. without their hard work and their sacrifice and the sacrifices and blood and lives that were lost, that were sacrificed so that this country could live up to the ideals that are written in our constitution, were it not for them, rev, you and i would not be having this conversation on national television because we would still be back in a time of segregation, of jim crow laws. that's not to say that everything is better, that everything is -- we're living in a utopia. but were it not for dr. king, andrew young, mini jean brown, carolyn tricky, j.t. johnson, all of these people, dorothy cotton, so many names of people who are still with us and who are gone, were it not for them, this country would not be as great as it is right now. >> well, it's an exciting series

and i am exciting about you doing it. thank you jonathan. >> thank you so much. >> up next, my final thoughts. stay with us. a leaf is a hint that is connected to each person in your family tree. i learned that my ten times great grandmother is george washington's aunt. within a few days i went from knowing almost nothing to holy crow, i'm related to george washington. this is my cousin george. discover your story. start searching for free now at ancestry.com introducing miracle-gro's next big thing: performance organics. this new organic collection of soil and plant food is what you've always wanted. no compromise. twice the results. guaranteed. miracle-gro performance organics.

you know reliable support when you have it, and that dependability is what we want to give our customers. at comcast, it's my job to constantly monitor our network. prevent problems, and to help provide the most reliable service possible. my name is tanya, i work in the network operations center for comcast. we are working to make things simple, easy and awesome. >> as i said throughout the show at the annual convention this week, we had most of the democratic presidential candidates. but we had notable speakers not

running for president, not now, and among them was stacey abrams and congresswoman alexandria ocasio-cortez. i noticed some of the right wings tried to mock the congresswoman saying she spoke with a southern drawl and she did something with the audience which was not her normal speaking style which i found curious because i've spoke to her several times and she spoke at the convention with the same kind of speech she talks all the time, that i've heard her speak, and i've heard her speak in conversations. i guess if you don't want to address the content of what someone's saying in the case of congresswoman ocasio-cortez, her green new deal, her talking about climate change and

environmental racism, talking about bigotry against blacks and la tee knows and women and lgbtq communities, that you try to distract it by talking about some imaginary way she speaks so you can't and won't address what she's speaking about. i think that most of us are not confused when people try and distract us from the real point. and the real point is the issues that are being raised and being articulated. some of them don't know the difference between the south and the south bronx. as for the president calling her a bartender, she said very proudly yes, i was a bartender. yes, she used to serve drinks. now, she's a congresswoman serving the citizens of the country. and mr. president, she's on the

judiciary committee. she may be serving you some subpoenas. that does it for me. thanks for watching. i'll see you back here next saturday and sunday at 5:00 p.m. eastern. up next "meet the press" with chuck todd. >> this sunday, the democrats debate, joe biden responds to criticism he touched women in ways that though not sexual made some not comfortable. >> i get it. i hear what they're saying. i understand. >> but declines to apologize. >> i'm not sorry for any of my intentions. i'm not sorry for anything i've ever done. >> and jokes about it in a public appearance. as the list of candidates grows, democrats debate whether biden is the right choice or whether it's time for a new generation of leaders. >> you couldrg