Skip to main content

tv   Politics Nation  MSNBC  July 31, 2022 2:00pm-3:00pm PDT

2:00 pm
good evening and welcome to
2:01 pm
politicsnation. tonight's lead, 100 days to election. a lot is on the line. who will take control? right now, america's going towards a milestone election. the culmination of a mid term cycle defying uncertainty of -- over the economic shocks still really roaring or nation. over the supreme's court decision overturning roe versus wade. and the political upheaval still playing out over a year after the january 6th insurrection. the struggle is real for democrats trying to hold on to their majorities in the senate,
2:02 pm
and in congress. both of which hanging by a thread while the biden administration has to fight off -- out from midterms, trying to promote its and the parties considerable accomplishments despite the president's dismal approval ratings. the injuring influence of president trump and his big lie on the republican side. hanging in the balance, the future of the congressional january 6th investigation, republicans having vowed to dissolve it, along with the biden legacy to this point. of course, i care about both the big picture and details among democrats. they must give details of, because black voters will expect to see and hear the details bergeron, so that
2:03 pm
they're voting rights will be enhanced. how civil rights will be defended from a conservative majority supreme court that has signaled nothing is safe and as democrats prepare to give millions of dollars to police departments through reconciliation, we'll communities of color finally see federal policing reform that we were promised just two years ago? a lot at stake in just 100 days. all we will impact all of it tonight on politicsnation. let's get started. joining me now, congressman, sean patrick maloney, democrat of new york chair of the democratic congressional campaign committee. congressman, thank you for joining us. 100 days. 100 days. three months and a week out from what is shaping up to be a definitively midterm election. there are primaries dog in five states this tuesday that will
2:04 pm
go a long way and setting up the rest of the field for november. we will have complete coverage along with the results here at msnbc. but ahead of that big, wet big is the dccc's case for why voters should help democrats, keep, if not grow their congressional majority? >> well, thank you for that question. that is the question. particularly for folks watching the show, they should know that if democrats dug are perfect -- but if you remember with gorman said at the inauguration, she said we are not broken. we are just unfinished. we have some work to do. but we have done real work on the infrastructure bill, that will rebuild our communities and repair communities that were divided by racism. -- that's a huge impact for communities of color. some of the work we did just this week in the house and we could do next week to get a
2:05 pm
prescription drug costs down at the cabin sullen at $35. when people know the good work that we have been doing, they supported. we need to know with the other side has been doing as well. the other side has taken away 15 years of reproductive freedom so that women will be able to make those choices themselves. some politicians are the governments going to make it. that's the mega republican choice. that is terrible for our country. of course they're doing nothing about the gun violence that has ripped apart communities like we saw in buffalo with the tragic shooting at the top supermarket. maga republicans will do nothing about that. in the house, we just passed an assault weapons bans on new sales just this week. there are clear differences. we saw the other president trump trying to take away peoples voting rights. trying to storm the capitol with his supporters. we are the only ones holding people accountable for that. big democrats aren't perfect. we have work to do on voting rights. you better believe it. on the john lewis voting rights act, and on other issues of
2:06 pm
real importance. but we are not broken. we are just unfinished. >> with such a crucial election looming and a documented decline in the president's approval ratings among black voters, what is the dccc doing to bring those voters back to the poll for turnout? you have to turn people on to turn them out. >> i hear you say that and i love that expression. it's true. you gotta put your money where your mouth is, because when people are serious, they put it in their budget. so what we did a year ago is we said, we're going to take $30 million. never been done before. $30 million. we're going to invest in our most reliable voters. you know those are african american voters -- big [inaudible] were going to do direct engagement in those communities with culturally competent folks from the community, and that's what we're doing and you see it as recently as this week where
2:07 pm
we're rolling out a new ad defining the issue for folks on choice where the maga republican stands to take away reproductive freedoms, where we stand to protect roe v. wade. but doing it in a way that is from the community and in the community. things like black radio, having trusted voices in the community, and doing it much much earlier, so we don't to show up that election day. we have nikema williams, the rising star from georgia who was running our voter protection efforts, because we have to protect peoples votes. we are investing in that to make sure people -- with these new voting laws big, their vote will count. we have to put our money where our mouth is. that is what we are doing. >> this close to november, how are congressional democrats preparing for potential reelection by donald trump? big one which could reportedly happen any day now? big with that necessarily big -- the democrats trying to keep
2:08 pm
the house for republicans from trying to take it. would you think would benefit the most big if trump were to announce before november? >> the republicans are scared to death that he's going to step all over them and announced his presidential campaign before the election, so i don't know what's going to hug, but i know they're afraid of it. with they're really afraid of is being accountable for not just trump, but all the stuff that came with it. overturning roe v. wade. doug the epidemic of gun violence, mass shootings, that the maga republicans will do nothing about. trying to take away peoples voting rights. trying to go after the most vulnerable people in our country. that's with the maga republican movement representatives. trump dog -- he will remind people of that. i think it will hurt him. he's going to do what he thinks is best for donald trump. what we are going to do is make sure that people understand we are going to protect your
2:09 pm
rights, your benefits, your freedoms. we're going to get you a good shot, cheaper health care, get the costs down, build a country where everybody counts and there's justice. accountability. we will invest in that. doug >> we're out of time, but quickly, house democrats passed legislation friday to ban assault weapons for the first time in 20 years. the vote was strictly along party lines. it's not expected to pass the senate due to republican opposition, and it is unclear also if senate democrats have the votes they need at this time, regardless of that big after buffalo, uvalde and other shootings. i would imagine that democrats want to keep the gun issue front and center in november. am i right about that? >> well, what we have seen is tragedy after tragedy, and in every community. big it was african-american people trying to do their shopping. in buffalo it was latino kids, and uvalde, texas --
2:10 pm
look, none of us is safe from this gun violence, and yes, we can do things about it. we think that future sales of ar-15s, these assaults seil semiautomatic rifles are part of the problem. we're going to do something about it and we've also passed other gun legislations that will help with mental illness, red flag laws, making sure that kids have to get real background checks and wait longer before they get weapons. we are not powerless to do something. it's just the big money and big gun companies nobody picks the way they are. and the maga republicans will not do anything about it. we will. >> thank you, congressman sean patrick maloney. big from a federal national to a local race, but with huge implications joining me now is north carolina democratic senate candidate cheri beasley. former chief justice of the north carolina supreme court. judge beasley, very happy to have you with us tonight.
2:11 pm
doug you are dog -- you are a republican opponent in north carolina in this race for u.s. senate. congressman ted budd was endorsed by donald trump. he objected to the certification of the election results in joe biden's favor, even after the january 6th attack. since then, -- he has attacked the january six committee. still, it's been cast as a tight race. and as i just discussed with congressman maloney, the senate's makeup hangs in the balance. doug your race, possibly determining with that balance would look like after november. can you tell our audience what is at stake here? >> reverend al, i'm really excited about this race. i'm excited about where we are in this race. i have served as a judge and chief justice of the supreme court of north carolina, and i've been in service to the people for nearly 30 years,
2:12 pm
working hard to respect the rule of law and uphold the constitution and protect peoples rights. my husband and i are the proud parents of twin sons who are now 21 years old. i know how washington has failed families here in north carolina. i also know that there's a real opportunity for north carolinians to have a change, to have someone in the senate was going to stand up for a strong economy and make sure we are bringing good paying jobs to the state, and to make sure we are fighting really hard to lower costs. my opponent ted but is doing very opposite. he's voted against lowering gas prices. he's voted against capping insulin. he's voted against a strong economy and so much more that is good for the state. the reality is people are beginning to see the truth. they do want to know that the next senator is going to fight hard dog -- she will stay strong, stand for what's right and call out what's wrong.
2:13 pm
>> the idea his is we have a democratic candidate dog who was the head of supreme court as a judge, and stands by the law. you're a law and order candidate. he supporting insurrection. i mean, the irony is that the democrat is the one fighting the main thing -- after the states appeals court's decision, voting rights were restored to thousands of previously incarcerated fellows in your state of north carolina this week after a court decision in march struck down the state and on felon voting, phony racially balanced. what does that mean in terms of the politics of your state ahead of november? >> well, message edge, i can tell you that it means that the court found that those who are on probation, and those who are employing and post british and can now eligible to vote. it is important to understand
2:14 pm
with the stakes are in this election, that everyone still is eligible to vote understand the magnitude of this election, understands what's at stake and that they exercise the opportunity to vote. we know how important that is, and we do encourage everybody. -- who's eligible to vote to do so. >> why we have time, yours would certainly be a historic victory should you prevail to become north carolina's first black and black women senator. right now, more black women are seeing election to congress than ever before. according to data dog from this university, 133 black women running for the house egg of four fold increase from 2016. in a joint 21 black women running for the seat, yourself included. in addition to the number of women serving in congress now, is it possible to point to a
2:15 pm
cause for this historic surge among black women? big before you answer, i might say you made it clear, you don't want people to vote for you because you are a black woman, that you don't want them to vote against you because you are black women. why this surge among black women running around, running all around the country? >> reverend al, representation really does matter. it matters that the people who offer ourselves for service are representative of diversity, talent, experience of those who live in north carolina. i think as you note the increase of black people running for office, i think you also note the disparity in my race in particular hug around the dichotomy in this race big. while it's experience and diversity that's important, yes
2:16 pm
i am running for all of north carolina it is important to note and to distinguish myself for my opponent who has against law and order. his own who called a mob to storm the capitol and attacking law enforcement officers, patriots. he's the one who is voting against lowering big costs, against bipartisan legislation on gun safety. he's the one who's voting against the interests of the state. it's time for us to have someone in the senate who's going to stand up for what is right and stand up to lower costs and stand up for the interest of the people of the state. quickly, judge beasley, we are at a time. in my conversation earlier in the show, what would you say is democrats most effective message to black voters right now, ahead of november? >> it's important that we reach out to all voters. african american voters are certainly important. we are traveling all across the state.
2:17 pm
we are traveling to communities, diverse communities. it's important that we talk with african american voters and latino voters, with the api voters, and that we help them to see that they really do have a choice in this election. they can choose mediocrity, and they can choose someone who is not going to stand up for their values, or they can to someone who shares their values, who will stand up from lowering costs in the senate, who's going to make sure everyone has an opportunity to do well in north carolina, that we are bringing good paying jobs, we stand for a strong economy, that we respect each other and that i'm fighting hard to protect our constitutional rights. that is deeply important, crucial in this election cycle. people need to know that there is a clear choice here. >> sherry beasley, thank you for being with us this evening. coming up. 100 days until the midterms. i will tell you how to rise up and make sure your voice is
2:18 pm
her. but first, my colleague, cory coffin, with top news stories. cory. >> here's the stories we're watching for you at this hour. president biden has tested positive for covid-19 for a second straight day. that's the latest from the white house physician, who still considers the presidents test results to be a rebound case, after his bout with the virus last week. in a statement, the doctor says president biden continues to feel fine, and is continuing to observe isolation measures. and the legend bill russell has died at the age of 88. russell's career with the boston celtics began in 1956. he quickly emerged as one of the first black stars of the nba. he has won eight straight titles and 11 overall for the south. except we are learning late this afternoon about the passing of groundbreaking actress michele nichols. she rose to fame playing lieutenant -- in the original star trek series. she was one of the few black female leads on tv at the time. she was 89 years old. more politics nation with
2:19 pm
reverend al sharpton after the break. nally launching themselves into space? welcome to the club. i've been putting people into spaces for years. millions of people into millions of spaces. and that must be why apartments.com is the center of the rental universe. tippy tippy toe. tippy tippy toe. that's a big turkey! wait a minute. wait a minute. there's one going up now! how many of these guys are there? apartments-dot-com. the place to find a place.
2:20 pm
2:21 pm
at xfinity, we're constantly innovating. and we're working 24/7 to connect you to more of what you love. we're bringing you the nation's largest gig speed network. available to more homes than anyone else. and with xfi complete, get 10x faster upload speeds. tech upgrades for your changing wifi needs. and advanced security at home and on the go to block millions of threats. only from us... xfinity.
2:22 pm
in order for small businesses to thrive, they need to be smart. efficient. agile. and that's never been more important than it is right now. so for a limited time, comcast business is introducing small business savings. call now to get powerful internet for just 39 dollars a month. with no contract. and a money back guarantee. all on the largest, fastest reliable network. from the company that powers more businesses than anyone else. call and start saving today. there are 100 days left until comcast business. powering possibilities.
2:23 pm
the midterm elections. as i travel across the country, in my capacity on this program, and as an international action network, i often ask my folks if they are individual votes matters, or whether it's worth taking the time to support candidates who have not always lived up to expectations. i often hear these questions from black americans. a lot of them will call my radio show, who know all too well the lofty campaign promises and don't materialize after the election is over. i share many of their frustrations. over the past two years, i would have liked to see the george floyd justice and policing act become law. or a voting rights act a bill
2:24 pm
that defines our democracy become law. but let's consider what we got this past week. potentially historic deal on a bill that would, among other things, invest 369 billion dollars in fighting climate change. 64 billion in strengthening and extending the affordable care act. 288 billion in reforms to lower the cost of prescription drugs. all while demanding that billion dollar companies pay at least a 15% tax. these would be significant achievements that absolutely would not have happened had americans not turned out to vote in 2020. another reason to vote. the most anti-democratic forces in this country don't want you to. we have seen throughout the january 6th select committee
2:25 pm
hearings, this summer, that trump and his supporters operated with the complete and total disregard for the record 81 million americans who voted for joe biden. they knew they had no evidence to overturn the vote. they even admitted to themselves privately any electors they brought forward would be fake. they kept going anyway. even republicans who didn't specifically endorsed the big lie took advantage of the situation, with 19 states passing 34 laws to restrict voting access in 2020 went, according to the brennan center. i encourage all americans, as the calendar counts down to election day, rise up and take the time to research the candidates, read up on the election rules in your state, some of them have changed. make a plan to vote.
2:26 pm
we need what we can get. and we get it if we vote. and if you can, take a friend along. there are many challenges facing this country right now. but not voting won't solve any of them. we will be right back. ill be right back. i'm greg, i'm 68 years old. i do motivational speaking in addition to the substitute teaching. i honestly feel that that's my calling-- to give back to younger people. i think most adults will start realizing that they don't recall things as quickly as they used to or they don't remember things as vividly as they once did. i've been taking prevagen for about three years now. people say to me periodically, "man, you've got a memory like an elephant." it's really, really helped me tremendously. prevagen. healthier brain. better life.
2:27 pm
before treating your chronic migraine— 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting 4 hours or more you're not the only one with questions about botox®. botox® prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine before they even start—with about 10 minutes of treatment once every 3 months. so, ask your doctor if botox® is right for you, and if a sample is available. effects of botox® may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms. alert your doctor right away, as difficulty swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems, or muscle weakness can be signs of a life-threatening condition. side effects may include allergic reactions, neck and injection site pain, fatigue, and headache. don't receive botox® if there's a skin infection. tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions,
2:28 pm
and medications, including botulinum toxins, as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. in a survey, 92% of current users said they wish they'd talked to their doctor and started botox® sooner. plus, right now, you may pay zero dollars for botox®. learn how abbvie could help you save on botox®. nurtec odt is the only medication that can treat my migraine right when it strikes and prevent my next attack. this nation and black america don't take if allergic to nurtec. most common side effects, in less than 3%, were nausea, indigestion/stomach pain. treat & prevent - all in one.
2:29 pm
2:30 pm
in particular lost to not one but two of its luminaries today. pearl basketball legend bill russell who led not just the integration of the nba that also one of its most dominant franchises in a 1960s. the boston celtics. he died earlier today at the age of 88, and more living history left us this weekend, we are learning the actress nichelle nichols confirming
2:31 pm
hours ago hub least the pathway to the stars on the 1960s run of television star trek passed away last night at the age of 89. for black america in the 60s these people or bigger than the basketball court or the silver screen, especially for black children like myself at the time. may they rest forever in power. joining me now is astrophysicist neil degrasse tyson and msnbc's own versailles and my little sister, joy reid, a joys readout. joy, let's go to you first. bill russell stood for several human rights before it was trendy. in fact, when he did do it, it was risky. i remember in kids -- he stood against the war in vietnam. bill russell was one of the few
2:32 pm
that would go near him and stand with him. that was risky. there was no he was risking his franchise. -- to talk about people that take stands that will have to and would probably hurt them more than it would help them. president obama tweeted a few moments ago saying in court, perhaps more than anyone else, bill new when it took to win and what it took to lead on the court. he was the greatest champion in basketball history. off it he was a civil rights trail blazer. standing with muhammad ali. magic johnson called russell his idol and the greatest winner the game has ever seen. he says, quote, he was one of the first athletes on the front line fighting for social justice, equity, equality and civil rights. your thoughts, joy?
2:33 pm
>> rev, always great to be with you. i would say that is somebody who grew up in the 70s. i was both a nerd and a tomboy. my two things or like, sci-fi and sports. today is hard for me. these are two of the greatest ever. mohammed ali is like my idol. i would have to agree with president obama that other than mohammed ali, probably the most formidable force in terms of pushing for the rights of black people in this country from this platform and sports was bill russell. i say this as i was a tremendous admirer of him. i got lucky. lawrence o'donnell introduced me to him. i got to meet him back in 2016. it was a while ago. they were honoring him in boston. this guy was such a kind kind cool guy. so smooth. just a smooth brother. he is not as a die hard nick fan. me and your friend, spike lee,
2:34 pm
we are like nick vance for life. but i was always a fan of the wrestle the man. but he is a human being, other than ali, he pushed hard at a time when the economic risk was for higher. he was not making lebron james money, not even at scale. this is a guy who risked his career at an era in basketball in the 1960s when it could have been over for him. you think about with olympic athletes went through just putting their hands up at the olympics. he risked all of that to say no. i'm standing with muhammad ali. i'm standing for the right to black americans to be equal. i'm standing for the right to black athletes to be local. think about what kaepernick was going through. think about that in the 1960s. >> and doing it and boston where we were still fighting cases of segregated schools. he still did it. it's ironic i became as you know, pretty friendly with mohammed ali from when i was a
2:35 pm
teenager in the 70s on. ali has talked about bill russell all the time. the last time i saw russell, ironically, he was going to the white house to have been -- let's talk about nichelle. she was more than just the start of a science fiction tv show. she helped advance space exploration in real life. back in february 2020 when we talked on this show about a documentary called women in motion and told a story of how nichols led nazi recruitment efforts to bring more women and people of color in the 1970s. the doc featured you, n.i.l.a. grass tyson and among others, tell us about the impact? >> well, we have to back up just a little bit and realize that she wanted to be a broadway hover, singing and nsync as part of her professional acting career, but
2:36 pm
this opportunity came up in california to do this space opera, soap opera thing. she did not know what it was. she goes to do it. she ends up on the deck of the star ship enterprise, which was a hugely diverse collection of people the likes of which you never saw on television at the time. and not only that, she had the rank of lieutenant. little known fact, she is in the succession rank to be captain of the ship, although that never happened in those episodes. the fact is, to see a woman of such rink on tv at the time, she did win season and said okay, that's enough, let me try to go back to do it i really want. she was at a party in los angeles. she met martin luther king, and he says what are you doing? she says i'm acting. i'm going to leave. he says you can't do that. she said why not? i want to follow my dream. no. we all gather around the tv to
2:37 pm
watch you as a representative of a community of disenfranchised people out here, and it is the finest moment of our week. you cannot leave for the sake of the nation and the fate of black people. so she stayed on the show. she became a spokesperson for our future in space. just as you described as detailed in the documentary. she helped nasa transition from that, oh i have to be white with a crew cut and i have to be male, to the rainbow of people that nasa ultimately put into space. she led that effort. >> actively led that effort as the documentary, joy, let's get your take on nichols. not only was she in one of the first black female leads on television, but a performance was iconic. in 1968 she shared an on camera
2:38 pm
kiss with william shatner, which is sometimes referred to as the first interracial kissing on television. although, it truly wasn't. even the first such kiss on the show. what was it about this character that nichols first played over 50 years ago that resonated all the way to the present age? >> guess who's coming to dinner might be in the conversation as well, but i have to say growing up as a kid in the 70s, i loved sports and comics, and sci-fi. if you wanted to pretend to be like wet is charlize angels? your little kid. there's no one for you to be. who are you going to be if you are a black girl living in denver, colorado? but if you wanted to play star trek. if you was a kid wanted to play star trek, there was someone for you to be. nichelle nichols was someone i could be. she was somebody who said i could be on that star trek
2:39 pm
enterprise. okay. captain kirk is running around with the green lady, that he might actually dig someone like me. i am somebody that is important. that is attractive. that is intelligent, the leader of the communications on the star ship enterprise. i'm important. she looked like me. this is so profound. i think a lot of people get mad about the quote, wokeness of hollywood. why is everybody hispanic? why is their gay character? why does it have to be every kind of character? because when a little kid watches a show like star trek, i love all the new star trek's, but og star trek is my star trek. there is someone for each of us to be. george decay provided it. michelle michaels provided something. -- a genius i only saw echoed in the shull excessively street. that said the key to making every kid love a tv show and love a concept like space and science is to give every kid
2:40 pm
someone who reflects them. someone who lets them aspire, because that someone looks and feels and sounds like them. she was one of the most important people in my life growing up as a kid who left tv and left star trek. i went to comic-con in 2016. i was hoping i would see her. i trust in my outfit. i hoped she would be there. i love this woman. i'm sorry i never got a chance to meet her ali is my. other idol, but i love these people. i'm so sad, -- i'm so glad they existed. >> you never made a secret of the fact that you are a bit of a tricky. talk about your earliest memories of this show and with -- the lieutenant character meant to you? >> when you see someone like that over many seasons echoing some of what joyce sentiment said, it normalizes what is possible. the first season is like, wow,
2:41 pm
oh my gosh. of course, yeah. that can happen. when you normalize what is possible, then dreams become real rather than these unreachable stars that people tell you to have, but deep down you know that it'll never happen. my favorite moment with nichelle, i had her on my star top podcast. i tweeted a link to it if anybody is interested. i tweeted it at neil tyson. we're doing the interview and she's telling me about nasa and martin luther king. we did talk about that first interracial kiss on television. there were some in the movies, of course, but i am pretty sure it was the first. she said, captain kirk, by the way there is some spell that forced them to kiss. >> they had to be under a spell at that time. >> they had to be under a spell. she told us about the mail -- she got mail about that. there is no southern guy that
2:42 pm
says i don't like the racists getting together, but if i had to kiss a black woman, it would be you. >> lowe. wow. wow. >> on my show. on my show. she said, have you ever had a racial kiss? i said what are you talking about? she kissed me on the show. >> on the show? wow? >> so you hear a little smack, but that is my cherished moment. >> one of my producers pointed out that we as news hosts and anchors, we naturally are going to look at the wider history of russell and how he impacted the country. it was russell's impact on the game of basketball that gave him that platform. like muhammad ali, he was the greatest. in no small -- he was the baddest, so for a kid watching lebron or curry,
2:43 pm
or any of the nba stars, where it is russell fit in that evolution? which made him special, joy, as one who grew up living sports? >> i mean this is the thing. the impact that black folks had on basketball, because remember, when black people were excluded it was just a harlem globetrotters who opened for the all white teams and basketball. but with the harlem globetrotters did was they had the theatrical. they had the swag. when people came for the pregame show, they didn't even stay for the full game. when the nba finally realized we need to put those black folks on the court, it raised the level of basketball. bill russell was a tactician in terms of his athletics, but he was also an artist. he brought the artistry to the boston celtics. he had a way of going to the paint that was just knew for with people were used to seeing in the 1960s.
2:44 pm
he was so dominant. he was just so interesting to watch. he was so theatrical. he was also so smooth. you have to put him in his era in that lebron category, michael jordan category. i'm a baylor fan. it's what he meant at that time in that era. it's not like there were a bunch of different lebron's big. or different michael jordan's. they were the ones who were in that era, the ones who completely changed the way that the game of basketball looked. the way the nba looked and felt and the way it was experienced. they completely changed the game. bill russell did not just change the world in terms of his civil rights advocates see that he changed the game. >> he changed the game. >> i just want to echo a point you made. i'm going to remind people, just as you did, over that time, the race tension in boston was ready to explode.
2:45 pm
that famous pulitzer prize photo of this father with an american flag ready to stab parents and children that are getting off a bus from the busing rules to try to integrate the schools. that took place in boston. >> and he stood up anyway, and so did nichelle. they both deserve all of our gratitude and wishing them to rest in peace and power. thank you joy and neil hug for being with us. >> live long and prosper, neil. >> i wanted people that are noteworthy to be put in perspective. the star icons that we lost today. thank you both. coming up, the origins of the big lie. how donald trump's deceptions got started long before the 2020 election, and how to keep them out of our politics in
2:46 pm
years to come. r politics i years to come. awesome. no regrets. for you and emily. these are... amazing. thank you wayfair. how's the puppy? puppy's perfect. yeah great decision! ♪ wayfair you've got just what i need ♪ >> tech: when you have auto glass damage... choose safelite. we can come to you and replace your windshield. >> grandkid: here you go! >> tech: wow, thank you! >> customer and grandkids: bye! >> tech: bye! don't wait, schedule now. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪
2:47 pm
2:48 pm
♪ you ain't seen nothin' yet ♪ ♪ b-b-baby, you just ain't seen n-n-nothin' yet ♪ ♪ here's something, ♪ ♪ here's something you're never gonna fff-forget, baby ♪ get a dozen shrimp for only one dollar with any steak entrée. only at applebee's. we are 100 days away from the
2:49 pm
midterm election. while we have been talking a lot about various candidates, many voters are also thinking about political leaders are not on the ballot. every mid term isn't part a referendum on the current president. this year, the previous president also looms large. last week, former president trump visited washington d.c. for the first time since the administration ending to give a speech about his own peculiar brand of law and order. he called for drug dealers to be executed and homeless people to be rounded up and placed in encampments. the event took place less than two miles from the u.s. capital. 18 months ago trump supporters
2:50 pm
dug fought violently with police and nearly upended edward democratic order. driven by trump's claim the elections had been stolen from him. my next guest is author of a new book titled, the big lie. it examines how trump's lifetime habit of deception is still affecting our politics. joining me now, jonathan amir, white house bureau chief for political and host of msnbc's way too early. jonathan thank you for being with us. as you know you -- every morning i work out watching you. i make sure i'm up at five in the morning and you bring me through. your book, and i read a lot of articles and analysis of the big lie, and going back into trump's background. your book is a must read. it really is big in a world of
2:51 pm
its own. a category of its own and breaking down donald trump. the book, the big lie, and we think of january six as conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. you point out in the book, trump has been telling almost the exact same lies throughout his time in politics. tell us more about that. >> rev., thanks for your kind words about the book. great to see you. i'm glad our 5 am program inspires you on your treadmill. as a celtic fan and star trek fan, thinking of the two legends who passed today, you are right about donald trump. his whole lifetime, even his career was based on lies. remember the lies he told about central park five. remember how his political career was born on the back of a racist lie. -- claimed that barack obama was not born in the states and not
2:52 pm
eligible to be president. people think of the big lie as connection to 2020 and january 6th, but as the book traces, it started well before that. in fact, it was a rally in august of 2016. a rather unremarkable one otherwise in columbus ohio. i was there. then candidate trump set for the first time, and he thought the general election would be rigged and not be conducted fairly. he planted the seeds and the rallies that followed were amplified by some of his aides like roger stone, i discovered an overlooked interview with stone, that fall of 2016 in which he suggests that trump should just claim victory, and if he loses, if he denied the victory there would be a violence. it was a foreshadowing of what came four years later. the book traces how trump, of course he won in 2016, the lines did not stop. throughout his time in office he told lies both big and small, and he hijacked both the republican party and the conservative media to go along with them and amplify them. there, for his supporters were
2:53 pm
ready to act when he finally got to the big lie in 2020 when he claimed the mail-in ballots, that that election was rigged and of course, those words inspired violence carried out in his name on january 6th. >> one of the things i am struck by is the influence trump has had on his current crop of republican candidates. one of your colleagues at politico put out a story recently about figures such as erica greens, her shot walker, doug mastriano, who had not only embraced trump's idea but his neck for playing the victim against a supposedly corrupt system whenever a scandal arises, is this going to be a permanent feature on american politics know? and what will that mean for the country? >> i fear that it could be, at a minimum, it will be this
2:54 pm
cycling from 20 to 22 for -- the big lie did not end on january 6th. didn't end when trump finally left office. as you will know, reverend sharpton, the republican -controlled state legislatures in nearly two dozen states across the country used lies as an excuse as cover to tighten voting, laws to restrict access to ballot largely that would disproportionately impact those people, the young, the elderly, the poor, minorities who tend to vote democratic, we know that in effort to preserve, strengthen federal voting rights protections failed. we know this has challenged the biden white house. we know that there are a number of republican candidates from the big lies of the litmus test. they want trump's endorsement, they back his lies suggesting that this year's election may not be conducted fairly. >> jonathan lemire, thank you. the book is called the big lie.
2:55 pm
it's a must read. let's go and explore which has impacted the politics as we go into the midterms. up next, my final thoughts. stay with us. final thoughts stay with us stay with us kids don't always take the best care of school supplies. so save money shopping back to school on amazon. while they... 0oh... uh... figure their stuff out. i recommend nature made vitamins because i trust their quality.
2:56 pm
they were the first to be verified by usp... ...an independent organization that sets strict quality and purity standards. nature made. the number one pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand. for people living with h-i-v, keep being you. and ask your doctor about biktarvy. biktarvy is a complete, one-pill, once-a-day treatment used for h-i-v in certain adults. it's not a cure, but with one small pill, biktarvy fights h-i-v to help you get to and stay undetectable. that's when the amount of virus is so low it cannot be measured by a lab test. research shows people who take h-i-v treatment every day and get to and stay undetectable can no longer transmit h-i-v through sex. serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a buildup of lactic acid and liver problems. do not take biktarvy if you take dofetilide or rifampin. tell your doctor about all the medicines and supplements you take, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. if you have hepatitis b,
2:57 pm
do not stop taking biktarvy without talking to your doctor. common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. if you're living with hiv, keep loving who you are. and ask your doctor if biktarvy is right for you. when i heard today of the
2:58 pm
passing of nichelle nichols and wrestle, i thought about how growing up in my preteen years
2:59 pm
in the 60s, and later in the 70s to have join the civil rights movement, how significant it was for stars like them in their respective fields, to be breakthrough people. they were the ones that helped to pioneer impassable and in dealing with television and space, but at the same time, identify with look of fighting racism and inequality. long before it became trendy. when we, as people, look up to people today, some of whom are making crazy money, and sometimes me tweet something relevant, they have the fruits, but the fruits will not be there if it was not for the roots. and the roots of doing that or people like michele nichols and bill russell. don't discard the roots and
3:00 pm
just enjoy the fruits. had there been no roads there would have been no branches and there would have been no fruits for us to enjoy today. thank you for watching. we will be back with american voices with alicia menendez right after this. >> rib, thank you so much. so well said. hello to all of you. i'm richard louis. alicia menendez will be back next weekend with american voices. this hour msnbc reports a special look at the midterms and we just have 100 days ago as of today congressional races across the country -- will determine which party will control congress for the rest of president biden's first term. for republicans, they're hoping for a red wave in the party's quest there to gain majorities of both house and senate. for democrats, they are hoping to have a renewed debate over abortion rights in