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tv   Politics Nation  MSNBC  May 15, 2021 2:00pm-3:00pm PDT

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indoors. we'll see how that changes. the governor promised an update yesterday afternoon. 24 hours later it's still status quo. i'm yasmin vossoughian, i'll be back here tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. eastern. "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpton begins right now. good evening and welcome to to "politicsnation." tonight's lead, a state of denial. right now the entirety of the congressional gop is shedding any legitimacy it could hope for, and its new skin is just as ugly as the old one. even though the head is missing. yesterday, seven months after the general election, another one of donald trump's loyalists
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was elevated to the house republican leadership for literally repeating his delusion. the pageant came four months after that delusion ignited a coup that led to the deaths of five people and even threatened the loyalists themselves. it's no wonder their constituents thrive in conspiracy theories. their elected leaders now deny an insurrection that was filmed from multiple angles, including police body cameras. but then, as the nation struggles toward a standard of law enforcement that doesn't include unnecessary killings of black and brown americans, the synergy is holding up the most meaningful police reform in american history. as usual, the inertia buildings in congress while our cities look for leadership. i'll talk to the mayor of
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houston shortly about the push from hundreds of black mayors he leads to reduce police fatalities in their cities while trying to increase vaccine distribution and pushing back against voter suppression specifically targeting their urban residents. the starkest example, of course, being in florida. currently the prototype for jim crow 2.0 is the state's gubernatorial races shapes up to take ron desantis down. former senator charlie chris joins me shortly with his plan to save the sunshine state, this time from the governor's mansion. but first, the police reform push, this time from the mayor's office. joining me now, sylvester turner, mayor of houston, texas. mayor turner, i'm glad we were able to have you on the show tonight because this week you became the head of the african-american mayors
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association, now representing some 500 black mayors who, among other priorities, are attempting to reform their police departments or at least having that conversation. do you think black mayors across the country are dealing with the issues of police reform, voter suppression, and social justice differently than their peers are? >> i think the answer is yes. reverend sharpton, let me say it's an honor to be with you, to be with you again. it's an honor now to be leading the african-american mayors association. there are well over 500 of us across the country. and i think we are dealing with things differently. we're more focused. we're certainly bringing attention to it. many of us african-american mayors come from some of the same neighborhoods that have been underserved and underresourced for decades. i grew up in one. i still live in the same
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neighborhood that i grew up in. so we understand the importance of investing in these communities that have been underserved so that you can reduce the amount of attention that has to be focused on policing them. we understand, for example, when people have been denied the right to vote. people have died. blood has been shed, and now there are over 360 bills in 47 states to restrict, suppress, and intimidate, even in the state of texas, my own state, senate bill 7 is right now in conference that will restrict and intimidate and suppress. so yes, we're handling them differently than many of our peers, but we recognize that we have to be collective, we have to be together, and we have to push because every attempt is being made to go back in time and not to move progressively forward. >> now, mr. mayor, you've been pushing an overall of your own
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police department in houston, specifically, civilian misconduct review board, which makes recommendations when police misconduct claims are filed. >> right. >> what else are you implementing in the city of houston in terms of training and funding for crisis intervention? >> reverend sharpton, the very day after we buried george floyd in houston for the funeral, the next day i signed an executive order that requires de-escalation, it eliminates choke holds, it requires verbal warnings for deadly force is being used where possible. it requires reporting of deadly force. that was the day after. then i assembled a 45-civilian task force, no elected officials on this task force, to come up with recommendations that came
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up. i agree. just two weeks ago we announced, for example, that we are eliminating these no-knock warrants, especially when -- in misdemeanor situations. we're eliminating that. i just appointed the deputy inspector general that will have the authority to investigate and review complaints, not just from the houston police department, but from outside. we allow people, for example, to make anonymous complaints. they don't just have to file those complaints with the houston police department. they can file them with the naacp, with the lgbtq organization, with the greater islamic association. we're putting up five dashboards, interactive, that will provide a lot more information about the houston police department's complaint files. one of the major pieces is that we're investing $25 million over
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three years on crisis intervention so that we can redirect calls when people are suffering from mental behavioral health issues, substance abuse, homelessness, away from classified and put counselors and people that will have expertise so that they can come and interface with these persons first before the police department. so those are some of the things that we're already putting in place because we're not going to wait on the state, the capital of texas to take the lead. we're not going to wait on congress. we are pushing. but cities, mayors across the country are taking the lead and saying we need to do this because we are the ones that's closest to the people and we know we need police and community on the same page moving in the same direction. >> i remember after george floyd's funeral there in houston that you mentioned -- i did the eulogy and you were present. you announced you would do a
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comprehensive plan. and i know from reverend ralph west and terry anderson, head of national action network. you've been doing that. , in fact, a week from today i'll be in houston for a rally on the one-year anniversary of the killing of george floyd who was from houston, who lived in houston a large part of his life. and you just said that -- >> i'll be there. >> i'm looking for you there. you just said that negotiations drag out over the george floyd act in the senate. is there anything in that act that would immediately be helpful to your reform efforts at a local level? >> i think it's important forth to be a registry. for example, when police officers have been dismissed from one law enforcement, one department, for example, in one city, so that they don't go to another city and get signed up. i think a national registry would be very, very helpful.
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you know, the emphasis on crisis intervention is critically important. i think banning choke holds and no-knock warrants, even though we've done those things in the city of houston, i think it's important to have that uniformity across the board because, quite frankly, we are pulling police officers from all over the country. so to have a system-wide, nationwide set of standards, i think, improves the process everywhere. the reality is, reverend sharpton, as you well know, if a situation happens in minneapolis or if it happens in chicago, l.a., or atlanta, it is as if it is happening right here in the city of houston. okay? so with her all influenced and things happen. we're responding to things whether they happen in your city or not. so it's important even though cities are taking definitive steps, it's important to have national standards so that
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everyone understands the importance of uniformity as it relates to policing and policing in communities especially of color. i don't care what city you're in or how small it is. we all have communities that have been underserved, underresourced, and we all have situations where things can happen at a moment's notice a flash point, and we're all brought into the equation. so national standards, we need those national standards. >> now, mayor turner, briefly before i let you go, i know you've created a strategy. i talked to bishop james dixon. you created strategy along with your health department to do more engagement in black and brown communities to increase the number of people being vaccinated against covid-19. what is that strategy, briefly, please? >> that is, we've gotten away from the big mega sites. that's not attracting people from these communities who need
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the vaccines. we're going directly to the faith-based institutions either on a sunday after church or before. we're going to the restaurants where the traffic is, like we were yesterday. we're going to the clubs, the bars where the people are. wherever the people are, we're going to where they are and what we're finding is that people are getting vaccinated if the you make it very convenient, if you eliminate the excuses, and then their peers who have already gotten the vaccines are encouraging them to take the vaccine. so we're going directly where they are with the mobile units and even with going to people's homes who really cannot leave their homes. the health care department is going to their homes and giving them the vaccines. >> all right. thank you so much, houston, texas, mayor sylvester turner. congratulations again on your being elected. >> see you next week. >> looking forward to it. we turn to florida where the state's republican power structure is really living down
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to the example set by the former president now holed up at his club in palm beach. joining me now is charlie chris, the one-time governor of florida who switched parties and now serves the state's 13th district as a democratic congressman and is currently running for governor. congressman, your career trajectory is unique. but it reminds us that this hard right turn by the republican party isn't. you gave interviews in 2014 that might as well have taken place last week, saying republicans are, quote, so hard right now, they won't cooperate with the president on anything, end of quote. what's different between 2021 republican party and the party you described seven years ago? >> that's a great question, reverend. great to be on your show. thank you, sir. i think the differences is, rev,
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it's metastasized, this political virus, if you will, that ravages the republican party. it's sad to say so. you know, unfortunately this is what we're dealing with today. i mean, just look what happened to liz cheney this week, being ostracized and removed from her position simply for telling the truth. is that what we've come to, at least in part of the republican party. i know there are good republicans in america but those who are in leadership positions castigating a fellow member for being honest and forthright, that's appalling and hard to imagine that that's where we have fallen to, but that's where we are. >> congressman, florida has passed one of the more draconian voting laws in the country targeting mail-in voting and ballot drop boxes, as well as allowing for partisanship from poll watchers. this is also happening in
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arizona where republicans will purge inactive voters from the rolls and in several other states with so many of these laws targeted to impact voters of color, young people, and other core constituencies. what should other states be doing? >> absolutely, reverend. the law the governor signed last week is appalling. it is strictly targeted at suppressing the vote. one of the things you talked about, the fact that they want to make it harder for our voters to use mail-in ballots, one of the main reasons for that, obviously, is 600,000 more democrats voted by mail than republicans in the last november election. think about this too. my 88-year-old father, my 86-year-old mother really joy mail-in ballots. it's so much more convenient for
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senior citizens. this law is anti-senior. you talked about the boxes being placed in different areas of the community and not so many in the inner city. this is a real target at keeping black and brown people from voting as much or hispanics. and it's unbelievable that this is happening in this day and age. and it hearkens us back to things that might have happened in the 1950s in america. but systemic racism is alive and well in america, and certainly in my florida. it pains me to say that. but i don't think that reflects the majority of floridians. i don't think it represents the majority of americans, reverend. i think people are better than that. i am a hopeful, optimistic person, and i believe in the goodness of god, and i believe more people are going to get upset at having their votes suppressed, and they will voice that anger when it comes to going to the polls in november of '22. i look forward to it.
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>> the republicans did everything they could last year to ignore the will of their voters who had restored former voting rights. now governor desantis plans to pardon anyone who put public health at risk by violating covid restrictions this year. what does this contrast say about the republican party? >> well, the governor doesn't believe in science. it's amazing. earlier last week he signed another law -- these things are rolling out every other day now down in florida -- that said local governments can't have their own rules establishing with how they deal with covid, this pandemic, and now he's saying that he's going to pardon people who didn't adhere to rules that relate to the pandemic and not spreading it. you know, over 36,000 of my
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fellow floridians passed away from this disease, this dreaded pandemic, and over 2.2 million floridians have gotten this coronavirus. you know, if florida were a country, we would rank about 20th in the world in how many cases we have. it's that rampant throughout the state. yet he's cutting back on these things. it's hard to believe. >> now, the republican party has decided to ignore voters not just in florida, in missouri, the republican legislature has defied a ballot initiative to expand medicaid. in mississippi, the state supreme court has overturned another ballot initiative, this one to legalize medical marijuana. what kind of political system can we have in this country if one party has abandoned the foundational principle of listening to the will of the voters? >> you're hitting the nail on the head, my friend. i really believe that. this is aboutthe foundation of
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our democracy. this is about being straightforward with the will of the people. you know, a great president once said that our form of government should be of the people, by the people, and for the people, abraham lincoln. pretty good words. what we're seeing in today's republican party, certainly in florida and other states, is shirking and dismissing, if you will, the will of the people. it's appalling. it's sad. but people are smart. i think they'll rise up. i think you'll see florida go blue in '22, i hope so, and i think that's going to happen because of you and other journalists getting to the truth and making sure that our fellow americans are aware of what's going on. it's very important. >> thank you very much, congressman charlie crisp. republicans have come up with a new attack on low-wage workers, but the details don't add up. later, more and more americans are getting vaccinated, so why is it that communities of color are still
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lagging behind? my next guest may have some answers. but first, my colleague, richard lui, with today's top news stories. richard? >> rev a very good saturday to you. some stories that we're watching for you this hour, many americans are celebrating a mask-free weekend. the cdc this week said vaccinated people do not need face coverings in most places. minnesota and virginia quickly dropped mask mandates, but others, including california, new york, and new jersey, for instance, will not make immediate changes. israeli and palestinian conflict intensified today. an air strike destroyed a building that housed media outlets including al jazeera. since monday, hamas has unleashed thousands of rockets at israel's popular city of tel aviv. meanwhile, israeli air strikes killed ten gaza civilians overnight. china says it has
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successfully landed a rover on mars last night. it is now second nation in history to do that. the probe will look for signs of life. more "politicsnation" with reverend al sharpton right after a short break. can you be free of hair breakage worries? we invited mahault to see for herself that new dove breakage remedy gives damaged hair the strength it needs. even with repeated combing hair treated with dove shows 97% less breakage. strong hair with new dove breakage remedy. ♪ ♪ we know it's going to take many forms of energy to meet the world's needs while creating a cleaner future for all. at chevron, we're lowering the carbon emissions intensity of our operations, investing in lower-carbon technologies,
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for this week's gotcha, i want to talk about the sudden abandonment of once-cherished free market principles by republicans and big businesses across the country. you might have seen signs like this one either online or out in your community posted on the doors of fast food restaurants or similar establishments bemoaning a so-called labor shortage or whining that, quote, nobody wants to work anymore. but it's simply not true. a year ago we called these people essential. it was true then and it remains
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true today. this country cannot function without fast food workers, custodians, and grocery store employees, and they deserve workplace protections and a living wage. unfortunately, many of these businesses complaining they can't hire or even keep their workers are offering low and stagnant wages. according to "forbes," wages are up a scant 1.2% in the last year, so the free market as spoken. there are plenty of workers, but they decided that they do not want to risk their lives for $7.25 an hour, especially during a pandemic. of course, some republicans are howling about this, whining about the so-called laziness of low-wage workers, many of whom are black and brown, who
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withhold their labor, and without fail, they have moved in the opposite direction. the gop consistently blocks any increase to the minimum wage, which has remained unchanged for over a decade. and that's not all. during the pandemic alone, republicans tried to shield big corporations from legal consequences for putting their workers at risk of covid. they attempted to gut the operating budget for occupational safety and health administration, and they refused a to fully fund the kind of health and safety measures needed to reopen schools and child care facilities, forcing working parents into an impossible situation. the republican party has long been fundamentally opposed to expanding rights for workers, passing union-busting
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legislation across the country over the past few decades and fighting tooth and nail against attempts to lift up american labor, like the democratic-sponsored pro act currently under consideration in the house. labor unions were once the bedrock of a strong middle class in america, the power of worker disability ended child labor, ensured safer working conditions, and ushered in weekends and 40-hour work week. the republican attempt to dismantle the corrective power of american labor and the american labor movement have been decades long in their crew said. but we're seeing a resurgence of collective action right now in restaurants, in grocery stores, in workplaces across the country. i stand with underpaid essential employees in their fight for fair working conditions and the vast majority of americans do
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too. so to republicans and giant corporations maligning the american worker, these people put their lives at risk over the last 14 months to keep this country fed, informed, and cared for, and now you have the audacity to call them lazy for demanding safe work spaces and fair wages? well, unfortunately for you, the free market has spoken, and said what i say, i gotcha. te. (brother) there's a road right there. (brother) that's a cat. wait, just hold madi's headpiece. (sister) no. seriously? (brother) his name is whiskers. (bride) what happened to you? whose cat is that? (brother) it's a long story. (sister) oh my gosh. (farmer) whiskers! there you are! (avo) the subaru crosstrek. the adventurous s-u-v for adventurous people. love. it's what makes subaru, subaru.
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welcome back to "politicsnation." the pandemic has put a spotlight on physicians of color, particular african-american doctors, who this year watched as covid-19 disproportionately ravaged black communities. in a combination of factors, including cultural trauma led to
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gap in vaccine distribution that public health workers are still trying to close. in addition to all of that, black doctors must still contend with the nation's original plague, racism, in this case, the only one medical field itself. and for that, there is no proven cure. joining me now from illinois, twin sisters, psychiatrist dr. brandy jackson, and internal medicine doctor, brittany james. doctors, i want to start with your shared experience. i don't know it's fully appreciated that black physicians face challenges that compound an already difficult job, whether it's racist patients who don't believe you are actually the doctor, or administrations that don't always care. to that end, you've certainly founded the institute of
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anti-racism in medicine, which has a unique approach to educating physicians about institutional racism in your industry. what does that education entail, and what led to its creation? dr. james, you first. >> first of all, thank you so much for having us. i will say, you know, with the pandemic, it's like something finally snapped. you know, what the world is becoming aware of, which is profound disparities across racial lines in just about every dimension, the thing for america was covid. for me, it was working on the south side of chicago treating my patients who are 100% black, seeing disparities -- differences in their health outcomes, diabetes, high blood pressure, maternal and infant mortality, cancer, every single major chronic disease is worse for black and brown people, and i think it took this pandemic to
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really, what i say radicalize me, the answer is not in our institution or medicine. we have to build something brand-new and envision a new type of way to deliver health care, and that starts with educating doctors and health care providers who cotton understand the reality of what it means to be black in this country to get health care. >> as a psychiatrist, dr. jackson, we've seen a move from some public health groups like the american medical association recently to approach racism as a public health risk. and i've read where you broke down crying in a class you were teaching over the murder of george floyd last year. we talk a lot on this show about health effects of environmental racism, where tangible things like air pollution and toxic waste make black people sick. but what about intangibles, like being bombarded by the images of police killings of black americans?
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what does that do to the mind, and, from that, the body? >> the effect on the mind seeing murder in real time, this is hitting home. it's incalculable. i want to make a big, positive step in calling out suppression. i trust that the intention is there, but, of course, it's accountability. we'll be there for the accountability piece because that's very, very critical. >> you know, one of my producers, d eja, flagged this story that blew my mind this morning. florida secretary of health revealed this week that nearly 40% of white florida residents have been vaccinated compared with only 20% of black
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residents. but what's brutal to even think about is only 7% of the total vaccinated population is black. that's about 658,000 people out of roughly 9 million. your thoughts? first dr. james. >> this is so telling. oftentimes we talk about this great recovery that happening from covid. we're largely leaving out black and brown people. what we're talking about is that white people have been able to get access, have been able to, especially if they're not in a rural area have been able to have that access. we look at places like california, though, w.h.o. gotten their rates down to 1%. they've gone to the most vulnerable communities, coming up with innovative strategies to get the vaccines into black and brown communities and unfortunately we haven't seen that nationally to the same degree. and so we're getting numbers like this. i think it's important that if
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we're talking about how to come out of this pandemic, we can't leave black and brown people behind. we need to make sure that we're focusing in on those numbers to understand that we have a lot of work to do and a long way to go the before it's normal for our communities. >> even in a pandemic, to see this racial divide when everyone should've been equally alarmed and equally concerned, as many of us, if not most of us saw loved ones impacted by this, dr. jackson. but even in a pandemic we see this racial divide? >> you know, it really does boggle the mind, but i have to say as a student of human history, i think if we don't fight very actively against it, there is a tendency to group off and look for those who you identify as your circle. i think it's time to move past that. i think the institute of anti-racism in medicine, we focus on restorative justice, we
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focus on healing because we are healers. this is for the soul of medicine. we're here to tell the truth. >> you know, dr. james, we tell our people, our youngsters, go to school, be somebody, be a doctor, and then they face the racial barriers that you and your twin sister have faced to even practice there. ask i don't think many white americans understand that even though we try to put those principles and that ambition in our kids, we have to have the conversation, but you're going to have to go across hurdles that others in your profession won't have to face. >> it's absolutely true. you know, i've been -- so many times, you know, questioned to be cleaning staff, house staff, and there's nothing wrong with that, but i'm a physician, and people can't bring themselves to envision that that's true. but, you know, i think if you're
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just focusing that, even that pales in comparison to the racism, the systemic racism just to survive medical education that it brings about, the trauma of being taught by professors that black and brown bodies are inherently diseased, that there's something wrong with us, if that if we're sick, it's our own doing because we didn't work hard enough. and then you see this, you know, even in getting promoted in rank in academic medicine and getting research grants, the racial oppression is throughout, and it doesn't stop when you get your m.d. and i think if people understood that, they wouldn't be surprised to know that i don't particularly think that we're unique or particularly special. in fact, many of my patients on the south side are absolutely brilliant, brilliant. and they don't get the same chance to be physicians because the world doesn't think that they're valuable. and so, you know, we're not that different. but the difference is our
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survival has been in a hostile system, just like many black and brown people do. >> i'll have to leave it there. thank you both for all that you do. i have this feeling that we will see you again on "politicsnation." up next, now that republicans have shown liz cheney the door, what does the future look like for the gop? we'll cover that in the rest of the day's political headlines after the break. ♪ ♪ the best part of stepping into the spotlight isn't the awards ♪ ♪ or the acclaim. the best part of stepping into the spotlight is helping others step into theirs. ♪ it's time to ignite ♪ ♪ i'm making a fire ♪ ♪ na na, na-na-na-na ♪ so you want to make the best burger ever? then make it!
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welcome back to "politicsnation." we have a lot to talk about with my panel. joining me now is political strategist and nbc news "think" contributor, ashley pratt, and msnbc political analyst and democratic strategist, juanita tolliver. ashley, today is new york congresswoman elise stefanik's first full day as gop conference chair after her colleagues elevated her to that position yesterday after ousting representative liz cheney from that role earlier this week. stefanik is known to be somewhat moderate in her political views, but increasingly vocal in her support of former president trump. what kind of leadership figure do you expect her to be now that she's been elevated to the republican inner circle? >> she's just going to be
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another mouthpiece for the trump campaign. this is all setting him up for 2024, which many of us who have left the party, myself included, left back in 2016 because i saw no hope. i saw there was a chance to potentially rebuild and reform, and when he became the nominee for president, the rhetoric, the disgusting, despicable things he had done prior to joining office and now leaving office, you know, creating and inciting a violent mob to storm the capitol, these are all things that the republican party is now owning, that elise stefanik is now owning herself. i fear with the ousting of liz cheney, what we're now seeing is a complete embracing of full trumpism into the republican party's future, which means that there is no home for moderates in the republican party anymore. it is now the party that is willingly embracing violence and lies, and you cannot fix that. you cannot reason with it. you cannot rationalize it. it is wrong and they need to
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either form a new party in which they think the moderates can have a home, or, like me, join the democratic party, because at this point it's more representative of my values. >> well, juanita, help me with this. congresswoman liz cheney has been stripped of her gop leadership position, but she hasn't gone quietly. in fact, she's spoken to numerous media outlets in the past few days. take a listen to what she had to say to nbc's savannah guthrie. >> i think it's important for all of us, republicans and democrats, to get back to the days where we engage on substance and where we don't treat our political adversaries as enemies. i think that the nation demands that and the nation deserves that. >> now, help me with this. what do you think congresswoman cheney's trying to accomplish at this point? and do you think she could be successful, juanita? >> i think she's trying to firm
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up her platform here where she's going to continue to call out the lies, continue to call out the cult of personality and try to drive that same intention that we saw those republicans sign on their letter saying we need to refocus here. we need to focus on the crises facing this country and return to a party that puts up issues and solutions instead of focusing on these culture wars. but because trump did is he turned the republican party into a reality tv show. it's what he did prior to politics and that's how he led. in creating that cult of personality, he corralled a base around him that now the republican party feels beholden too. so when you see cheney up here trying to combat that, or you see these republicans trying to combat that, it raises a question because let's keep in mind the republican party has decades and decades' worth of infrastructure, network capacity that a new party wouldn't. and so i think it raises a question of, okay, you're
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creating a new party, but what impact will you have? i think liz cheney provides an alternative to republicans who completely want nothing to do with trump at all, who are turned off by his cult of personality, who are turned off by the lies that led to the insurrection on the capitol building, and they're looking for a home. i'm just not sure a new political party is going to be effective. >> juanita, the chairman of the homeland security committee who will be appearing on "politicsnation" with us tomorrow, he said yesterday he had worked out a deal with the republican ranking member to create an independent commission to look into january 6th attack on capitol hill. however, within moments of that announcement, minority leader kevin mccarthy said he hasn't signed off on the agreement and has issues with it. how does this ongoing fight over how to investigate the january 6th insurrection relate to the
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internal struggle within the republican party right now? >> look, we see the republican party continuing their drum beat of lies. we heard multiple members talking about how, oh, it seemed like a normal group of tourists if you thought it was tourists s armed or harmed. we know people died as a result of the insurrection. officers were beaten. tear gassed. in this quest for the truth it is important that speaker pelosi maintain a degree of control of how to do that, whether it is through subpoena power, making sure that people come forward and tell the truth and face the reality because we all saw it and watched it in realtime and knew how dangerous it was, how frightening it was and the impact on the democracy. making sure that there are -- this commission and this committee is set up in a way that it can't be undermined by
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the lies is essential to the success and for the public as we stand for the truth. >> thank you both. up next, my final thoughts. the lexus is. all in on the sports sedan. lease the 2021 is 300 for $369 a month for 36 months. experience amazing, at your lexus dealer. not all 5g networks are created equal. ♪ lease the 2021 is 300 for $369 a month for 36 months. t-mobile. america's largest, fastest, most reliable 5g network. there's interest you accrue, and interests you pursue. plans for the long term, and plans for a long weekend. at thrivent, we believe money is a tool, not a goal. to learn more, text thrive to 444555, or visit thrivent.com. wanna grab pizza? bad move, guys! get a freshly made footlong from subway® instead!
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next weekend the nation will mark the one-year anniversary of the killing of george floyd by
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former police officer derek chauvin and three others. i will be with the family in houston and minneapolis next saturday and houston next sunday in minneapolis as they mark a year of pain and even with the conviction of chauvin a year of continued movement that will never fill the hole in their heart. we can correct the hole in how we deal with the abuse of police. that is why it is important that the george floyd justice in policing act pass the u.s. senate as it has passed the congress. president biden has said he would like to see it on his desk by january 25th which is a few days after next week the actual anniversary date. we have marched and rallied. the largest of which was may 25th, i'm sorry.
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may 25th is the anniversary. we have marched and rallied throughout the year, largest of which is 205,000 people joined mart lut king iii and i calling for on the anniversary of the "i have a dream" speech calling for the george floyd act to pass and john lewis voting right act to pass and unless we make legislation we will keep going back to the george floyds and other cases over and of again but we want a bill that really will begin the end of what's happening to commemorate the death of people at the hands of those that we thought were there to protect them. we'll be right back.
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that does it for me. thanks for watching. i'll see you back here tomorrow for another live hour of "politics nation." my colleague picks up the news coverage now. >> thank you so much. hello, everyone. first up for us, the gop charts a new path forward doubling down on trump