CSPAN3 — Sen. Cory Booker Stand
20260816 000700 UTC
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[00:00:00] PROGRAM AND ALL OF OUR BOOK PROGRAMS ANY TIME ONLINE AT BOOK
[00:00:03] TV DOT ORG.
[00:00:06] HERE'S A LOOK AT WHAT'S COMING UP ON BOOK TV.
[00:00:09] DEMOCRATIC SENATOR CORY BOOKER
[00:00:11] OF NEW JERSEY TALKS ABOUT HIS BOOK STAND AND REFLECTS ON
[00:00:14] AMERICAN IDEALS AND LEADERSHIP. AFTER THAT.
[00:00:17] IN A RARE INTERVIEW, C-SPAN'S BOOK TV SITS DOWN WITH AUTHOR
[00:00:20] ROBERT CARO AT HIS NEW YORK CITY HOME AND OFFICE TO DISCUSS HIS
[00:00:24] WRITING PROCESS AND BIOGRAPHIES OF ROBERT MOSES AND LYNDON
[00:00:27] JOHNSON AND NEW YORK TIMES WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS MAGGIE HABERMAN AND JONATHAN SWAN
[00:00:32] REVEAL BEHIND THE SCENES STORIES FROM INSIDE THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE.
[00:00:35] THAT ALL BEGINS NOW ON BOOK TV.
[00:00:38] WE WELCOME SENATOR CORY BOOKER,
[00:00:42] WHO IS THE SENIOR UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW
[00:00:47] JERSEY. HE SERVED AS MAYOR OF NEWARK BEFORE BECOMING NEW JERSEY'S
[00:00:50] FIRST BLACK SENATOR AND ONLY THE FOURTH POPULARLY ELECTED BLACK
[00:00:55] SENATOR IN U.S. HISTORY. FROM MARCH 30TH 1ST TO APRIL 1ST
[00:01:00] OF LAST YEAR, HE SET A NEW RECORD, A NEW RECORD, FOLKS, FOR
[00:01:03] THE LONGEST INDIVIDUAL SPEECH IN
[00:01:06] THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
[00:01:11] SENATE.
[00:01:12] THAT SPEECH WENT ON FOR 25 HOURS
[00:01:17] AND FIVE MINUTES, JUST SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN TONIGHT'S PROGRAM.
[00:01:23] NOW, TONIGHT, HE'LL BE SPEAKING ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK, STAND OUT,
[00:01:26] WHICH DRAWS ON HISTORY AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO CALL FOR
[00:01:30] RESILIENCE, SOLIDARITY AND A RECOMMITTING TO OUR SHARED
[00:01:35] IDEALS. HE WILL BE JOINED BY CHERRI GREGG, WHO IS CO-HOST OF WHITE
[00:01:39] WIVES FLAGSHIP DAILY RADIO NEWS SHOW STUDIO TWO.
[00:01:42] SHE IS ALSO THE EXECUTIVE
[00:01:44] PRODUCER AND CREATOR OF THE EMMY
[00:01:46] AWARD WINNING GOOD SOULS PROJECT. W H Y Y IS EFFORT TO HIGHLIGHT
[00:01:50] INDIVIDUAL WORDS SERVING AS ROLE MODELS FOR COMPASSION,
[00:01:53] GENEROSITY AND SERVICE. PRIOR TO HER CURRENT POSITION,
[00:01:56] CHERRI COVERED CIVIL RIGHTS, SOCIAL JUSTICE, RACE AND PUBLIC
[00:01:59] AFFAIRS ISSUES IMPACTING MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
[00:02:03] SPENDING NEARLY A DECADE AS THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS REPORTER FOR
[00:02:06] KW NEWS RADIO ALSO REPORTING FOR
[00:02:10] CBS THREE EYEWITNESS NEWS. FOLKS, I KNOW YOU ARE AS EXCITED
[00:02:13] AS WE ARE FOR THIS PROGRAM, FOR THIS CONVERSATION TONIGHT.
[00:02:17] PLEASE JOIN US IN WELCOMING SENATOR CORY BOOKER AND SHERRY
[00:02:25] GREG.
[00:02:34] IT'S GREAT. THIS IS A GOOD CROWD. AND YES. OH, MY GOODNESS. WOW.
[00:02:37] IT'S SO GOOD TO BE HERE, EVERYONE. THANK YOU. YEAH. WELL, WELCOME BACK TO FILL IT OUT.
[00:02:41] IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK. SO THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BOOK. THANK YOU.
[00:02:45] IT'S LOVELY. THANK YOU. WE WERE JUST ADMIRING THE PICTURE ON THE FRONT.
[00:02:49] YES, IT'S AMAZING. THAT'S ACTUALLY FROM THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON.
[00:02:52] AND MY MOM WAS IN THAT CROWD. SHE WAS WORKING AS AN ORGANIZER
[00:02:56] OF THAT DAY. WOW, THAT'S AMAZING. AMAZING PIECE OF HISTORY.
[00:02:59] SO THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A BOOK, IT WAS CALLED UNITED. YES.
[00:03:03] AND THAT WAS TEN YEARS, ALMOST 11 YEARS AGO. YEAH. YEAH.
[00:03:06] AND NOW YOU'VE WRITTEN STAND WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS
[00:03:09] MOMENT THAT MADE YOU SAY, I HAVE TO WRITE THIS BOOK?
[00:03:13] WELL, I THINK THIS BOOK REALLY IS A RESPONSE TO PEOPLE WHO
[00:03:17] EVERYWHERE I WENT OVER NEW JERSEY AND THE NATION WERE
[00:03:19] ASKING ME, WHAT CAN I DO? I'M SO UPSET. I'M ANGRY.
[00:03:23] I'M HURT AND I'M AFRAID AND IT
[00:03:26] REALLY INSPIRED ME TO WRITE A
[00:03:28] BOOK THAT ANSWERED THAT QUESTION. AND SO WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS
[00:03:32] TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT VIRTUE, WHICH MIGHT SEEM TOO ABSTRACT,
[00:03:36] BUT I SAID, ACTUALLY, VIRTUE IS NOT ABSTRACT.
[00:03:38] IT'S STRATEGY, IT'S STRENGTH. IT'S HOW WE'VE OVERCOME.
[00:03:42] AND SO I WANTED TO WRITE A BOOK
[00:03:44] WITH HEROES FROM OUR HISTORY AND OUR PRESENT, NOT PEOPLE
[00:03:47] NECESSARILY IN HIGH PUBLIC OFFICE, BUT TO SHOW WHAT WE ALL
[00:03:50] HAVE THE POWER TO DO AND I THINK THIS IS A VITAL, URGENT MOMENT
[00:03:54] IN OUR HISTORY. BUT I ALSO THINK WE ALL HAVE A
[00:03:58] CHOICE ABOUT HOW DO WE MEET IT. AND THE REASON WHY WE ARE HERE
[00:04:01] TODAY WHERE WE ARE IS BECAUSE PEOPLE IN GENERATIONS, IN DARK,
[00:04:05] DARK TIMES MADE THE CHOICE TO SHOW THE BEST OF OURSELVES IN
[00:04:08] THE WORST OF TIMES. YEAH, YOU HIGHLIGHT IN THE BOOK
[00:04:11] WHERE AND THE VERY BEGINNING OF A REFRAIN THAT MANY OF US GREW UP HEARING.
[00:04:15] IF YOU DON'T STAND FOR SOMETHING, YOU'LL FALL FOR ANYTHING.
[00:04:19] HAVE YOU HEARD THAT? YEAH. YEAH. EVERYBODY. MY GRANDMA TOLD ME. MY MAMA TOLD ME.
[00:04:23] AND WHAT HAS THAT COME TO MEAN TO YOU AT THIS POINT IN YOUR
[00:04:27] LIFE? WELL, I'LL BE HONEST. I HAD.
[00:04:29] HEY, I.
[00:04:31] YOU KNOW, COMING UP IN POLITICS
[00:04:34] IN NEW JERSEY, I KNOW I HAVE TO
[00:04:36] WATCH WHAT I SAY ON THIS SIDE OF THE RIVER.
[00:04:41] BUT, YOU KNOW, I CAME UP IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, IN THE TOUGHEST IMAGINABLE.
[00:04:46] IMAGINE. WELL, POLITICS. IT WAS ROUGH. WE DON'T CALL IT BRICK CITY FOR
[00:04:50] ANYTHING. IT'S TOUGH. IT'S HARD.
[00:04:52] AND I CHALLENGE THE INCUMBENT
[00:04:54] MACHINE AND HAD A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES. AND I TELL YOU THIS, IF YOU'RE
[00:04:58] GOING TO HAVE SPECTACULAR FAILURE IN YOUR LIFE, HAVE A DOCUMENTARY TEAM THERE TO
[00:05:01] CAPTURE IT BECAUSE. MY FIRST AWFUL LOSS TO THE
[00:05:06] MACHINE WAS CAPTURED IN AN OSCAR NOMINATED DOCUMENTARY THAT THEN
[00:05:09] WOULD GO ON AND LOSE TO MARCH OF
[00:05:11] THE -- PENGUINS.
[00:05:14] MY WIFE AND I ARGUE, AM I CUTER THAN A PENGUIN?
[00:05:18] AND SO SO I IT WAS NEWARK WAS A
[00:05:24] TIME OF HIGHS AND LOWS, A CITY
[00:05:26] THAT BROKE ME DOWN AND BUILT ME
[00:05:28] UP TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
[00:05:30] AND SO I HAD THIS MOMENT WHEN
[00:05:34] THIS PRESIDENT WAS ELECTED, I
[00:05:36] HAD A MOMENT WHERE I THINK ALL OF US WERE FEELING SHOCKED.
[00:05:39] AND HE DIDN'T COME IN LIKE HE DID LAST TIME. THIS TIME HE CAME IN WITH THIS
[00:05:44] BIBLE ABOUT HOW THEY WERE GOING
[00:05:47] TO TRANSFORM OUR SOCIETY, AND THEY STARTED DOING IT RIGHT AWAY.
[00:05:50] AND SO SUDDENLY WE HAD VETERANS COMING TO OUR OFFICE WHO SAW THE
[00:05:54] MASSIVE CUTS IN VETERANS SERVICES AS PEOPLE COMING BACK
[00:05:58] FROM FIGHTING EBOLA ON THE FRONT LINES.
[00:06:01] SUDDENLY, USAID WAS A VISCERAL.
[00:06:03] DID PEOPLE JUST WERE WORRIED AND AFRAID. AND SO IN THOSE FIRST MONTHS I'M
[00:06:06] IN NEWARK WHERE PEOPLE HAVE THIS
[00:06:10] WONDERFUL WHOLE HABIT OF TELLING ME EXACTLY WHAT'S ON THEIR MIND.
[00:06:13] YOU KNOW, I'M JOGGING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND PEOPLE SLOW
[00:06:17] DOWN AND GO, HEY, HEY, MAYOR,
[00:06:19] YOU ARE GAINING WEIGHT, MAN. AND I'LL BE LIKE, I AM NOT YOUR
[00:06:24] MAYOR OR AND BEN AND JERRY ARE
[00:06:26] LIKE, MY BEST FRIENDS.
[00:06:31] SO.
[00:06:31] SO HERE I AM IN IN A SUPERMARKET
[00:06:35] I BROUGHT INTO A FOOD DESERT WHEN I WAS MAYOR. BUT NOW I'M THE SENATOR. I'M WALKING THERE AND THIS GUY
[00:06:39] CORNERS ME AND HE CORNERS ME IN IT IN A IN A CHILLING PLACE FOR
[00:06:43] A GUY WHO'S PLANT BASED. IT WAS IN THE FROZEN MEAT AISLE.
[00:06:45] YOU GO AND YOU GET HIM AND HE
[00:06:49] JUST STARTS LAYING IN TO BE LIKE, WHY AREN'T YOU DEMOCRATS DOING MORE?
[00:06:51] AND I SAID, WE'RE IN THE MINORITY. AND HE GOES, WELL, WHY AREN'T
[00:06:55] YOU CALLING HEARINGS? I SAID, WE CAN'T. AND I WAS EVERYTHING.
[00:06:58] HE SAID TO ME. I HAD AN EXCUSE WHAT WE COULDN'T DO. AND THEN SUDDENLY HE JUST LOOKS
[00:07:02] AT ME AND HE MAKES A JOKE THAT I CALL IT DAD JOKE.
[00:07:06] HE GOES, ARE YOU AN AMERICAN OR AN AMERICAN? OUT.
[00:07:09] AND AND THEN HE GOT SERIOUS. HE LOOKS AT ME AND HE GOES,
[00:07:12] WHERE'S THE GUY WHO BEAT THE
[00:07:16] MACHINE? WHERE'S THE GUY THAT DID A TEN DAY HUNGER STRIKE IN THE
[00:07:20] PROJECTS TO GET US ALL MOTIVATED TO DO MORE? THERE WAS A GUY THAT MOVED INTO
[00:07:23] A MOBILE HOME AND PARKED ONE OF THE WORST DRUG QUARTERS IN OUR
[00:07:27] CITY AND JUST HELPED PEOPLE. WHERE'S THE GUY? AND HE JUST WENT THROUGH MY
[00:07:30] CAREER. HE GOES, I'VE BEEN VOTING FOR
[00:07:34] YOU SINCE 1998. WHAT THIS COUNTRY NEEDS RIGHT NOW IS THE GUY I KNOW, NOT THE
[00:07:38] GUY I'M HEARING.
[00:07:39] AND SO I WENT BACK TO TO TO
[00:07:45] WASHINGTON. AND MY CHIEF OF STAFF'S HERE AND
[00:07:47] MY MY SOUTH JERSEY DIRECTOR,
[00:07:49] AMAZING WOMEN THERE ON MY TEAM.
[00:07:51] AND WE JUST STARTED THROWING AROUND IDEAS AND SOMETHING HAD
[00:07:55] STUCK IN MY CLOTH FOR A LONG TIME, WHICH WAS THE FACT THAT
[00:07:57] THE RECORD FOR THE LONGEST SPEECH HAD BEEN A RACIST RANT BY
[00:08:01] A SEGREGATIONIST STROM THURMOND.
[00:08:04] AND THAT'S WHEN WE DECIDED THAT THAT WE WOULD START TRYING TO
[00:08:07] DUST OFF THE OLD NEWARK PLAYBOOK. AND START DOING THINGS DIFFERENT TO CHALLENGE THAT.
[00:08:11] AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY OF YOU WATCHED CORY BOOKER,
[00:08:15] SENATOR HERE AS HE DOES A LONG
[00:08:18] TIME TO TALK? YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LONG TIME TO TALK.
[00:08:22] BUT THIS WAS AND BUT YOU I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY
[00:08:26] UNDERSTAND ALL THAT YOU HAD TO
[00:08:27] DO IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS TO
[00:08:31] BREAK THIS RECORD. SO TO EXPLAIN, LIKE PHYSICALLY
[00:08:33] HOW CHALLENGING IT WAS AND WHY YOU DECIDED TO TAKE THAT ON.
[00:08:37] BECAUSE BY THE WAY, WE ALL HAVE A COUSIN PAM BECAUSE YOUR COUSIN PAM. YES.
[00:08:41] WHO'S A DOCTOR, BY THE WAY. YES.
[00:08:43] WAS A WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS FOR YOU? YEAH. SHE'S WORRIED ABOUT SOME OF THE
[00:08:47] THINGS I DID AND WHAT HEALTH RISKS THEY MIGHT BE.
[00:08:51] BUT I WANT TO STIPULATE BEFORE I TELL YOU WHAT I DID TO PREPARE.
[00:08:53] BUT RIGHT NOW, YEAH, IN AMERICA,
[00:08:56] THERE'S IN THIS REGION AND THIS
[00:08:58] I KNOW I'M ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER. THERE'S SOMEBODY ON THEIR
[00:09:01] SECOND, MAYBE THIRD SHIFT AT A DINER. YEAH, BECAUSE THEY DON'T DO THAT.
[00:09:05] IF THEY DON'T CATCH THAT EXTRA SHIFT, THEIR FAMILY IS NOT GOING TO STAY. THERE'S SOMEBODY IN A HOSPITAL
[00:09:10] THAT'S NOW DOING HUMBLE WORK
[00:09:12] CLEANING BEDPANS OR BEING A
[00:09:17] CAREGIVER THAT THEY'RE ON A 24 HOUR SHIFT. SO I JUST WANT AS MUCH AS PEOPLE
[00:09:20] HAVE FOLKS A LOT OF ATTENTION ON WHAT I DID. THERE ARE PEOPLE IN AMERICA
[00:09:24] EVERY DAY WHO ARE GOING AROUND THE CLOCK AND SOMETIMES WE DON'T
[00:09:27] EVEN COUNT IT AS WORK, BUT WE KNOW IT'S WORK. IF YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF A BABY
[00:09:31] AT HOME AND GOING AROUND THE CLOCK.
[00:09:33] SO WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO WAS TO DO A SPEECH IN WHICH WE
[00:09:37] HIGHLIGHTED AMERICANS AND BROUGHT IN THEIR STORIES.
[00:09:39] BUT PREPARING I HAD SOME WORRIES.
[00:09:43] I HAD THE WORRY OF THIS, THE PHYSICAL TEST.
[00:09:46] AND SO I SAID, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN I MAKE SURE I CAN WORK THROUGH,
[00:09:49] YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S NO BREAKS, NO BATHROOM BREAKS.
[00:09:52] WE HAVE TO BE CONTINUOUSLY TALKING. YES, YOU COULD TAKE A SIP OF
[00:09:56] WATER, BUT. YES, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW THIS YET. WHEN YOU GET TO BE IN YOUR 50S,
[00:10:00] YOU HAVE TO GET UP LIKE 2 OR 3 TIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF NIGHT TO
[00:10:01] GO TO THE BATHROOM AND AND SO SO
[00:10:07] WHO YOU HAD TO PREPARE, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE. LIKE, HOW ARE YOU NOT GOING TO GO TO THE BATHROOM?
[00:10:11] SO I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE
[00:10:13] A MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT. SO SPIRITUALLY, I'M A I'M A
[00:10:17] PERSON OF A FAITH AND A LOT OF
[00:10:20] PRAYER, A LOT OF CENTER, A LOT OF ASKING FOR PRAYERS FROM
[00:10:24] COLLEAGUES OF MINE WHO ARE PRAYER WARRIORS LIKE RAPHAEL
[00:10:26] WARNOCK AND LISA BLUNT, ROCHESTER AND ANGELA, ALSO
[00:10:30] BROOKS. THEY WERE AMAZING. LISA FROM ROCHESTER BROUGHT ME TO TEARS BY LAYING HANDS ON ME
[00:10:34] RIGHT BEFORE I STARTED THE 25 HOURS. THERE WAS THE MENTAL
[00:10:38] PREPARATION, WHICH WAS ALL MY STAFF.
[00:10:40] THEY PREPARED A 12 BINDERS FULL
[00:10:44] OF STORIES AND LETTERS FROM
[00:10:46] PEOPLE, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRAT. SO WE WANTED TO BE INCLUSIVE
[00:10:49] SPEECH AND THEN PHYSICALLY I HAD TO FAST THREE DAYS TO MAKE SURE
[00:10:52] I SHUT DOWN THAT SYSTEM. AND THIS IS WHAT FREAKED MY
[00:10:55] COUSIN OUT WAS JUST NOT DRINK FOR MORE THAN A DAY.
[00:10:58] SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM BECAUSE AS MUCH AS WE
[00:11:03] TALKED ABOUT WEARING A DIAPER, PEEING ON NATIONAL TV WAS NOT DO
[00:11:06] THAT, CAN'T DO THAT, CAN'T DO THAT. I JUST DIDN'T THINK I COULD DO IT.
[00:11:10] YEAH, YEAH. BUT THEN YOU DID IT AND IT BROKE
[00:11:14] THROUGH BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH
[00:11:16] NOISE IN NEWS AND POLITICS AND
[00:11:18] JUST THE INTERNET. AND YOU BROKE THROUGH.
[00:11:21] PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS
[00:11:25] AND YOU INCLUDE THIS STORY IN YOUR VERY FIRST CHAPTER CALLED
[00:11:29] AGENCY. YES. EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEAN BY AGENCY
[00:11:33] AND WHY THIS WAS YOUR WAY OF
[00:11:37] SORT OF TAKING YOUR POWER BACK, TAKING POWER BACK AND AND TAKING
[00:11:39] A STAND. RIGHT.
[00:11:42] WELL, I AGAIN, ALL THAT WE ARE IS THE INHERITORS OF A LEGACY OF
[00:11:46] OUR ANCESTORS. AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING IF YOU LOOK AT AMERICAN HISTORY WAS
[00:11:50] SHAPED BY AMERICANS WHO RECOGNIZED THEY HAD POWER, AS
[00:11:54] ALICE WALKER SAYS, THE MOST COMMON WAY PEOPLE GIVE UP THEIR
[00:11:58] POWER IS NOT REALIZING THEY HAVE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
[00:12:01] AND SO WHAT I WHEN I LOOK AT OUR HISTORY, REMEMBER, CHANGE DOES
[00:12:05] NOT COME FROM WASHINGTON. AS MUCH AS I'M PROUD OF THE SENATE OR THINGS THAT WE'VE
[00:12:09] DONE. CHANGE DOESN'T COME FROM WASHINGTON. IT COMES TO WASHINGTON.
[00:12:12] WE DIDN'T GET SUFFRAGE BECAUSE A BUNCH OF MEN ON THE SENATE FLOOR ALL PUT THEIR HANDS IN AND SAID,
[00:12:16] OKAY, FELLOWS, ON THE COUNT OF THREE, LET'S GIVE THOSE WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
[00:12:19] IT DIDN'T HAPPEN THAT WAY. IT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE
[00:12:23] CREATIVITY OF THE PERSEVERE
[00:12:25] SCIENCE, THE STRENGTH OF WOMEN MOSTLY IN OUR COUNTRY, WHO
[00:12:29] BELIEVED THAT THEY COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND SO WHAT I WANTED TO DO IN
[00:12:32] THAT VERY FIRST CHAPTER IS PROVE
[00:12:35] TO PEOPLE THAT ONE PERSON CAN SHAKE THIS COUNTRY.
[00:12:39] AND THE BOOK HAS LOTS OF STORIES
[00:12:41] OF INDIVIDUALS NAMES I DIDN'T FULLY KNOW.
[00:12:44] I KNEW THAT THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT WAS STALLED IN
[00:12:48] CONGRESS, WASN'T MOVING. AND I REMEMBER THAT THERE WAS A
[00:12:50] LITTLE GIRL, NINE YEARS OLD, WHO
[00:12:54] WANTED TO DRAMATIZE THAT, THAT THE CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES
[00:12:58] OF AMERICA, A SACRED CIVIC
[00:13:01] SPACE, WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE. SO SHE THREW HERSELF OUT OF HER
[00:13:06] WHEELCHAIR AND CRAWLED ON HER ELBOWS AND HER CHIN, SCRAPING
[00:13:09] HERSELF UP, CRAWLED UP THE CAPITOL STAIRS, AND THAT THAT
[00:13:13] BECAME A NATIONAL PHOTO ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY.
[00:13:16] INDIVIDUALS, WHETHER IT WAS A TIME THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO
[00:13:20] SHAME AND BLAME LGBTQ AMERICANS IN THE AIDS CRISIS.
[00:13:25] COURAGEOUS AMERICANS FORCED A PRESIDENT NOT TO LOOK AWAY IN A
[00:13:29] DIFFERENCE, BUT TO CONFRONT IT AND GOT INCREDIBLE CHANGE.
[00:13:32] THAT'S OUR STORIES AND THAT'S
[00:13:34] WHAT WE WANTED TO ELEVATE.
[00:13:36] AND I'LL BE VERY DIRECT TO YOU
[00:13:38] MY FAVORITE STORY FROM HISTORY
[00:13:42] AND IT'S VERY MOVING TO ME BECAUSE, I MEAN, I WASN'T EVEN ALIVE.
[00:13:45] IT WAS THE 60S.
[00:13:46] AND THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN, 26
[00:13:50] YEARS OLD, JIMMY LEE JACKSON,
[00:13:53] WHO HIS MOTHER WAS TRYING TO VOTE.
[00:13:56] THIS IS WHY THE SAFE ACT THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO PUSH THROUGH,
[00:14:00] IT TRIGGERS SOMETHING IN ME ABOUT THAT RIGHT TO VOTE.
[00:14:02] AND HIS MOTHER GOT INTO A CONFRONTATION LIKE WE'VE BEEN
[00:14:06] SEEING IN SOME OF OUR PLACES LIKE MINNEAPOLIS, WHERE A POLICE
[00:14:10] OFFICER EXCUSE ME, A STATE TROOPER THROUGH HIS MOTHER DOWN,
[00:14:13] HE RAN TO HELP HIS MOTHER. AND AND THE ALABAMA STATE
[00:14:17] TROOPER SHOT AND KILLED THIS 26 YEAR OLD CHILD.
[00:14:21] NOW, THE COMMUNITY WAS IN MOURNING. A MASSIVE FUNERAL.
[00:14:25] MARTIN LUTHER KING FLEW IN AND SAID THIS, THIS YOUNG MAN WILL NOT DIE IN VAIN.
[00:14:29] AND A BUNCH OF YOUNG PEOPLE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE NOT
[00:14:33] WAITING. WE WERE GOING TO MARCH OVER THE EDMUND PETTUS BRIDGE, GO TO THE
[00:14:35] CAPITOL, AND PROTEST.
[00:14:38] AND THEY TRIED TO MARCH, LED BY
[00:14:40] ANOTHER 20 SOMETHING NAMED JOHN LEWIS, A HERO OF MINE, THAT ONE
[00:14:44] DAY WHEN I WOULD SERVE WITH HIM IN CONGRESS WOULD BECOME MY FRIEND.
[00:14:48] AND THEN THEY WERE STOPPED AND BEAT DOWN. BUT HERE'S THE POWERFUL PART OF
[00:14:51] THE STORY THAT TO ME IS JUST
[00:14:54] UNMATCHED ON THAT DAY, MOST OF
[00:14:57] AMERICA, THAT EVENING WAS
[00:14:59] WATCHING A TV SHOW CALLED JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG.
[00:15:03] AND THIS WAS BACK WHEN THERE WAS HEART.
[00:15:06] IF YOU'RE NEXT TO A YOUNG PERSON, HOLD THEM FOR A MOMENT BECAUSE THERE WAS A TIME IN
[00:15:09] AMERICA WHERE WE ONLY HAD THREE
[00:15:11] CHANNELS OF HOPE FOR YOUR
[00:15:15] NEIGHBOR.
[00:15:16] IT WAS HARD AND WE WERE ALL IN
[00:15:19] BETTER SHAPE BECAUSE YOU HAD TO
[00:15:21] GET UP AND WALK TO THE TV.
[00:15:25] THAT'S LIKE 10,000 STEPS RIGHT THERE.
[00:15:28] DAY AND THIS IS WHY THIS IS THE JOKE.
[00:15:30] MY MOM TELLS ME TO STOP TELLING. BUT THE BIRTH RATE WAS SO MUCH
[00:15:35] HIGHER BECAUSE AT 10 P.M. TV WOULD GO OFF. YES, IT WOULD BE LIKE THE NATIONAL.
[00:15:39] YOU HAD TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO? NO. THEN WATCH AND THAT'S WHAT WOULD
[00:15:43] A LOT MORE KIDS BORN BACK IN THOSE DAYS. AND SO HERE IS THIS GUY IN NEW
[00:15:46] JERSEY ON HIS COUCH WATCHING TV. YEAH.
[00:15:49] AND HE IS SO UPSET BY WHAT HE'S
[00:15:52] SEEING THAT HE GETS UP AND SAYS, I GOT TO GO TO ALABAMA.
[00:15:56] BUT HE HAD JUST STARTED HIS LAW FIRM POURED ALL HIS MONEY. HE COULDN'T CLOSE HIS COULDN'T
[00:16:00] AFFORD A TICKET. SO HE SLUMPS DOWN AND THEN HE
[00:16:03] DOES SOMETHING THAT IS SO
[00:16:05] AMERICAN, IT IS SHAPED OUR COUNTRY.
[00:16:08] THIS DECISION. HE SAID, I AM NOT GOING TO LET
[00:16:12] MY INABILITY TO DO EVERYTHING TO
[00:16:16] UNDERMINE MY DETERMINATION TO DO
[00:16:18] SOMETHING, TO DO SOMETHING IN
[00:16:20] THE CAUSE OF MY COUNTRY. AND SO HE DOES A MEAGER WHAT YOU MAY THINK IS A MEAGER
[00:16:25] CALCULATION. BUT THIS IS WHAT WE DO TO
[00:16:27] SABOTAGE OURSELVES.
[00:16:29] HE SAID TO HIMSELF, IF THAT'S THE PRESIDENT, CALL AND TELL HIM
[00:16:33] I AM BUSY.
[00:16:36] YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE DOING THAT
[00:16:38] RAT ALWAYS TRIES TO TAKE MY.
[00:16:46] I MEAN, HE SENT STEPHEN MILLER
[00:16:50] TO PULL THE FIRE ALARM WHEN I WAS IN MY 25 HOUR SPEECH.
[00:16:53] NO, BUT HE SAYS HE CAN AFFORD
[00:16:56] ONE ONE HOUR A WEEK MORE PRO BONO WORK. JUST ONE HOUR.
[00:16:59] HE CALLS AROUND NEW JERSEY AND FINDS THIS YOUNG WOMAN NAMED LEE
[00:17:03] PORTER, WHO'S HEAD OF THE NORTH
[00:17:05] JERSEY FAIR HOUSING COUNCIL, AND
[00:17:07] SAYS, CAN I HELP YOU NOW, LEE PORTER, I INTERVIEWED HER.
[00:17:11] SHE JUST DIED LAST YEAR IN HER 90S. STILL HEAD OF THE NORTH JERSEY
[00:17:16] FAIR HOUSING COUNCIL. AND THEY COME UP WITH A SCHEME
[00:17:19] THAT WAS NOVEL AT THE TIME,
[00:17:21] WHICH WAS TO SEND BLACK FAMILIES INTO WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS IN NEW
[00:17:25] JERSEY. WE WERE A VERY SEGREGATED STATE
[00:17:27] AND IF THEY WERE TURNED AWAY AND TOLD THE HOUSE WAS SOLD OR
[00:17:30] PULLED OFF THE MARKET, THEY WOULD SEND THE WHITE COUPLE TO TEST TO SEE IF IT WAS A LIE.
[00:17:34] AND THEY GOT THE WHOLE THING GOING AND THEY EXPOSE ALL OF
[00:17:38] THIS RACISM, DISCRIMINATION,
[00:17:40] HOUSING BARRIERS. AND HE SAID THEY GOT REALLY GOOD AT IT.
[00:17:44] AND THEY GOT IT IN THE NEWSPAPER AND SHAMED PEOPLE INTO DOING THE RIGHT THING.
[00:17:47] BUT THEN ONE DAY, YEARS LATER,
[00:17:50] 69, NOW HE GETS A CASE FILE FROM A FAMILY.
[00:17:53] IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATED COMING UP
[00:17:54] FROM THE SOUTH, FATHER, MOTHER, TWO YOUNG KIDS, AND THEY GO TO
[00:17:59] HELP THEM. THEY SEND THEM OUT TO LOOK AT A HOUSE. THEY FALL IN LOVE WITH THE HOUSE.
[00:18:02] THEY'RE LIED TO, TOLD IT WAS SOLD. THEY LEAVE. WHITE COUPLE COMES, OF COURSE,
[00:18:07] THE HOUSE IS STILL FOR SALE. WHITE COUPLE PUTS A BID ON THE
[00:18:09] HOUSE BID ACCEPTED PAPERS WERE DRAWN UP.
[00:18:13] CLOSING WAS SET AND THE REAL ESTATE AGENTS OFFICE.
[00:18:17] AND ON THE DAY OF THE CLOSING THEY WALK IN. NOT THE WHITE COUPLE.
[00:18:21] THE THE THE BLACK MAN AND THE LAWYER, MARTY FRIEDMAN.
[00:18:25] SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE A GOOD JOKE. A BLACK MAN AND A -- WALK INTO A REAL ESTATE AGENT.
[00:18:28] OH, MY GOODNESS. AND THEN HE AND THEY CONFRONT
[00:18:32] THE LAWYER WHO THEN DOESN'T
[00:18:34] CAPITULATE AND SAY, YOU GOT ME.
[00:18:36] I'M IN VIOLATION NOW OF 68 FAIR HOUSING LAW.
[00:18:39] NO, HE'S SO ANGRY THAT THEY DID THIS.
[00:18:41] HE STANDS UP AND PUNCHES MARTY
[00:18:43] IN THE FACE AND SINGS A DOBERMAN PINSCHER ON THE BLACK MAN.
[00:18:47] AND THEY HAVE TO FIGHT THEIR WAY OUT AND THEY GET OUT A LITTLE
[00:18:51] BIT, BEAT UP, BUT THEY GET OUT, WRITE LEGAL LETTERS.
[00:18:54] THE OWNERS OF THE HOME FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON THERE. MORTAR, MORTIFY.
[00:18:57] THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT. THEY SELL THE HOUSE TO THE BLACK FAMILY.
[00:19:00] THE BLACK FAMILY MOVES IN. MOTHER, FATHER, TWO YEAR OLD AND A LITTLE BABY.
[00:19:04] IT'S STILL IN THE CRIB.
[00:19:06] AND THEN 44 YEARS LATER, THAT
[00:19:09] BABY IN THAT CRIB 44 YEARS LATER
[00:19:12] GOES ON TO BE A AMERICA'S FOURTH
[00:19:15] BLACK PERSON EVER ELECTED TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
[00:19:18] AND SO AND I JUST WANT TO SAY,
[00:19:22] WHEN I READ THIS, I TOLD YOU BEHIND STAGE LIKE A LITTLE TEAR
[00:19:26] POPPED OUT MY EYE WHEN I WAS READING YOUR BOOK. THAT WAS THE MOM. YES.
[00:19:29] I WAS LIKE, WHAT? YES. AND SO LOOK AT THAT LINE OF CONNECTION.
[00:19:33] WE ARE ALL SO INTRICATELY
[00:19:35] CONNECTED IN THIS COUNTRY IN A
[00:19:37] LATTICE THAT IS SO BEAUTIFUL. AND WE STAND UP FOR
[00:19:41] RIGHTEOUSNESS. WE STAND UP IN PROTEST.
[00:19:43] WE STAND UP WITH OUR CREATIVE.
[00:19:46] YOU SHAKE THAT LATTICE. AND IT MAY BE GENERATIONS, BUT
[00:19:50] YOU ARE SENDING OUT ENERGY THAT IS GOING TO AFFECT THINGS THAT
[00:19:52] YOU DON'T EVEN REALIZE AND ESPECIALLY WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO
[00:19:56] DO IS YOU'RE GOING TO INSPIRE OTHER PEOPLE WHEN YOU ACT TO DO
[00:19:58] SOMETHING THEMSELVES. YEAH, I LOVE THAT STORY, BY THE WAY.
[00:20:02] SO IT'S NOT LOST ON ME THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM OUR
[00:20:07] REGION WILL HIT THE STREETS FOR THE THIRD. NO. KING YES.
[00:20:10] PROTEST THIS WEEKEND? UM, PROBABLY SOME OF THE PEOPLE
[00:20:14] IN THIS WORLD.
[00:20:16] AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN OUT IN
[00:20:19] THE COMMUNITY AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO FIGHT.
[00:20:21] THEY WANT TO FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE. BUT YOU HAVE MADE THE ARGUMENT
[00:20:27] THAT HOW WE FIGHT WILL DETERMINE
[00:20:29] THE KIND OF VICTORY WE HAVE. YOU MADE THAT ARGUMENT.
[00:20:33] YEAH. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS YOUR VISION OF THE TYPE OF FIGHT THAT
[00:20:37] NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW?
[00:20:41] SO I ONCE RAN FOR PRESIDENT AND
[00:20:44] I'M IN IOWA AND I'M RUNNING FOR
[00:20:48] A DEBATE STAGE AND I'M A FORMER TIGHT END.
[00:20:50] AND IN THE THEN PAC TEN AND THIS
[00:20:54] GUY OR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAGE LOOKS LIKE HE'S A FORMER LINEBACKER FOR IOWA STATE.
[00:20:59] AND THE PROBLEM IS, IS I'M NOT IN MY 20S ANYMORE. AND WHEN I GET UP A HEAD OF STEAM, IT'S HARD TO STOP.
[00:21:02] YEAH, BUT THIS GUY STEPPED RIGHT UP TO ME AND I HAVE TO PUT ALL
[00:21:06] MY BRAKES ON TO STOP. AND HE GETS RIGHT IN MY FACE. HE GOES, DUDE, I WANT YOU TO
[00:21:10] PUNCH DONALD TRUMP.
[00:21:14] THE FIVE PEOPLE THEY WANT. AND I'M LIKE, DUDE, I'M LIKE,
[00:21:17] DUDE, THAT'S A FELONY.
[00:21:21] AND HE LAUGHS AND I SAY, HEY, MAN, CAN I JUMP UP ON THE STAGE?
[00:21:25] AND TEASE YOU A LITTLE BIT? HE GOES, YEAH.
[00:21:27] AND I HAD I JUMP UP ON THE STAGE AND I SAY, WHAT?
[00:21:30] HE SAID. BUT BEFORE I COULD GO ON, I QUOTE HIS LINE.
[00:21:34] HE SAID, TOLD ME TO EVERYBODY, CHEERS. TRUMP PUNCHED HIM IN THE FACE
[00:21:38] AND I'M JUST LIKE, NO, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE SHORTEST
[00:21:41] PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN EVER. BUT THAT'S YOU'RE ALL WRONG.
[00:21:45] I SAID, LISTEN. I SAID, THAT'S HOW WE LOSE.
[00:21:49] WE MAY WIN AN ELECTION, BUT WE'RE GOING TO LOSE OUR COUNTRY IF WE'RE DOUBLING DOWN ON THE
[00:21:53] DARKNESS. I SAID TO THINK ABOUT THE LEADERS IN AMERICA IN THE WORST
[00:21:56] OF TIMES. THINK ABOUT THE CHOICES THEY MADE.
[00:21:59] THEY KING AND JAMES BEVEL AND DOROTHEA COTTON AND FRED SHUTTLESWORTH.
[00:22:03] THEY DIDN'T WIN IN BIRMINGHAM BY BRINGING BIGGER DOGS AND BIGGER
[00:22:06] FIRE HOSES.
[00:22:08] WHAT THEY DID DO IS THEY TURNED TO SOME OF THE VIRTUES I
[00:22:11] HIGHLIGHT HERE THAT THAT BECAME STRONG IMAGES, UNBELIEVABLE
[00:22:17] WEAPONS THAT ENABLED US TO WIN THE HEARTS FIGHT.
[00:22:20] YOU SEE, KING SAID IT SO ELOQUENTLY.
[00:22:23] PEOPLE THINK THE FIGHT IS TRUMP. THEY WANT TO CENTER DONALD TRUMP
[00:22:27] IN THE AMERICAN NARRATIVE RIGHT NOW. HE IS NOT THE MAIN CHARACTER IN
[00:22:32] OUR STORY. WE ARE THE MAIN CHARACTER AND
[00:22:35] KING KNEW THAT. HE KNEW THAT HIS BIGGEST PROBLEM
[00:22:38] WASN'T THE RANTING HATE FILLED
[00:22:41] RACISTS THAT WERE BLOCKING SEGREGATION.
[00:22:44] HE SO DO THE REAL PROBLEM WAS US, HE SAID.
[00:22:47] WHAT WE WILL HAVE TO REPENT FOR IS NOT JUST THE VITRIOLIC WORDS
[00:22:51] AND VIOLENT ACTIONS OF THE BAD PEOPLE, BUT THE APPALLING
[00:22:55] SILENCE AND INACTION OF THE GOOD PEOPLE. AND SO WHAT THEY DID IN
[00:23:00] BIRMINGHAM IS THEY DIDN'T FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE.
[00:23:03] THEY SAID, HOW ARE WE GOING TO AWAKEN THE CONSCIENCE OF THIS
[00:23:07] COUNTRY? HOW CAN WE CALL IT THE MORAL? IMAGINE NATION OF A NATION RIGHT NOW?
[00:23:10] AND THEY TO SOMETHING THAT TAYLOR BRANCH I'M IN A SACRED
[00:23:14] CIVIC SPACE, A PUBLIC LIBRARY.
[00:23:16] GOD BLESS THE FREE PUBLIC.
[00:23:18] THIS IS AN AMAZING INSTITUTION. IT IS WHAT IT IS.
[00:23:21] AND AND AND THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS OF ALL TIME IS
[00:23:26] TAYLOR BRANCH'S PULITZER PRIZE WINNING PARTING THE WATERS, AND
[00:23:28] THIS CHAPTER HE CALLS THE
[00:23:30] CHILDREN'S MIRACLE BECAUSE THOSE
[00:23:33] TWO YOUNG ACTIVISTS, BEVEL AND COTTON, GO TO KING AND SAY,
[00:23:36] YOU'VE GOT TO CHANGE YOUR STRATEGY. YOU GOT TO LET THE KIDS MARCH.
[00:23:40] AND THEY THEY CONVINCE HIM AND WHEN THEY MARCHED IN FRONT OF
[00:23:42] BULL CONNOR AND THE SPECTACLE OF THESE HUGE MEN HITTING THEM WITH
[00:23:46] FIRE HOSES, ARRESTING THEM ALL THE FIRST TIME IN THE MODERN
[00:23:50] CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, ALL THE JAILS OF THE CITY WERE FILLED
[00:23:54] AND THEY WERE FILLED WITH PEOPLE AT YEARS AND YOUNGER.
[00:23:56] AND IT SO BECAME THIS, THIS, THIS.
[00:24:00] IN FACT, THE SOVIET UNION EVEN HAD THE PICTURES ON THE FRONT
[00:24:03] PAGES OF THEIR NEWSPAPER THAT
[00:24:06] THAT AMERICA RESPONDED. AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS EVEN A
[00:24:09] RENTAL CAR LEFT IN THE AIRPORTS
[00:24:12] BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE, -- GREGORY, JOAN BAEZ, THOUSANDS OF
[00:24:16] AMERICANS CAME DOWN TO BIRMINGHAM AND THE SEGREGATION,
[00:24:18] THEY SAID WAS IMPLACABLE, INVINCIBLE.
[00:24:20] SEGREGATION FELL IN 12 DAYS.
[00:24:23] THAT'S THE POWER WE HAVE IN THIS MOMENT.
[00:24:27] EVERY THING THAT, IN FACT, FREDERICK DOUGLASS SAID THIS.
[00:24:31] THE LIMITS OF TYRANNY IS PRESCRIBED, LIVED BY THE
[00:24:34] ENDURANCE OF THOSE WHO ARE IMPRESSED.
[00:24:36] WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SAY COLLECTIVELY, I'VE HAD ALL I CAN
[00:24:40] STAND AND I CAN'T STAND IT NO MORE?
[00:24:42] YES, I QUOTED POPEYE.
[00:24:46] THIS IS THE MOMENT WHERE WE SHOULD BE TRYING TO NOT MATCH
[00:24:48] THEIR FREQUENCY, BUT CHANGE IT
[00:24:50] FOR THE WHOLE NATION. AND THAT'S WHAT THE NO KINGS RALLY IS REALLY ABOUT.
[00:24:54] YEAH. AND YOU ORGANIZE THE BOOK AROUND
[00:24:58] TEN VIRTUES AGENCY BROWN AND
[00:25:00] GONE NEVER ABILITY PATRIOT TISM TRUTH HUMILITY COMMUNITY
[00:25:04] CREATIVITY PERSEVERE PERIENCE
[00:25:07] GRACE AND VISION AND SO YOU'RE A
[00:25:11] DEMOCRAT VISION GOD BLESS DOES
[00:25:13] THE DOES YOUR PARTY HAVE A VISION? YEAH.
[00:25:16] NO, I WANT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. I'M. I HAVE I HAVE A LOT OF ANGER.
[00:25:20] AND ANGER IS A NEUTRAL FORCE.
[00:25:23] IT COULD SELF EMULATE YOU. IT COULD BURN YOU UP OR YOU
[00:25:25] COULD USE IT AS FUEL IN YOUR TANK TO FIGHT HARDER TO GET UP
[00:25:29] AND BE MORE DETERMINED, MORE GRIT. AND SO I HAVE A LOT OF ANGER NOT
[00:25:33] JUST TOWARDS DONALD TRUMP. HE IS AGAIN, HE DOES NOT CAPTURE
[00:25:36] THE FULLNESS OF MY SPIRIT. I'M ANGRY AT MY PARTY AS WELL
[00:25:40] BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'VE COME UP SHORT.
[00:25:42] I'VE COME UP SHORT. WE HAVEN'T MET THIS MOMENT IN HISTORY.
[00:25:46] THIS IS A GENERATIONAL MOMENT IN AMERICA.
[00:25:50] THERE ARE THESE TWO GREAT GENERATIONS THAT PRECEDE ME.
[00:25:52] THE GENERATION OF MY GRANDFATHERS AND GRANDMOTHER
[00:25:55] THAT BEAT THE NAZIS, THAT HAVE THIS INCREDIBLE STORY OF
[00:26:01] COLLECTIVE ACTION AND THE GENERATION OF FDR, THESE
[00:26:05] EXTRAORDINARY PRESIDENTS AND PEOPLE BELIEVE OR MOVEMENTS SO
[00:26:09] MUCH MY PARENTS GENERATION, THE CIVIL RIGHTS GENERATION, THE
[00:26:13] REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS GENERATION, THE LGBTQ RIGHTS, THERE'S SO
[00:26:15] MANY THINGS THAT THEY ACHIEVED. BUT THIS IS THE LAST BABY BOOMER
[00:26:19] PRESIDENT. AND I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE THE LAST BABY BOOMER HEADS OF THE
[00:26:23] SENATE. YEAH, WE SEE MILLENNIALS.
[00:26:27] WE SEE MILLENNIALS, XERS COMING UP.
[00:26:30] EVEN SOME GEN Z IS NOW GETTING INTO THE ACTION. AND THE QUESTION IS, IS WHAT
[00:26:34] WILL WE STAND FOR NOT WHO WE'RE
[00:26:37] AGAINST, BUT WHAT ARE WE FOR?
[00:26:39] AND I JUST WORRY AT THE VERY
[00:26:42] MOMENT WE NEED VISION IN THE DARKEST PERIOD OF THE CIVIL
[00:26:45] RIGHTS, MY MOM TOLD ME ABOUT SO MUCH ABOUT THIS DAY AND SHE LOVED THE FACT THAT MARTIN
[00:26:49] LUTHER KING DID NOT COME UP THERE AND SAY, I HAVE A 15 POINT
[00:26:53] POLICY PLAN. NO, NO.
[00:26:57] HE DIDN'T COME AND SAY I HAVE A
[00:26:59] BUNCH OF HATE FOR BULL CONNOR OR
[00:27:01] NO, HE CAME AND CALLED PEOPLE WITH A VISION THAT WAS
[00:27:06] IRRESISTIBLE ALL TO THE IMAGINATION OF OUR NATION.
[00:27:08] AND SO MY TEAM AND I ARE STARTING TO SAY, FORGET THE
[00:27:12] DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOR A MOMENT. YOU'RE IN THE ARENA.
[00:27:16] YOU'VE GOT TO START TALKING ABOUT A VISION FOR OUR COUNTRY.
[00:27:18] THAT'S WHY THE LAST CHAPTER
[00:27:20] TALKS ALL ABOUT VISION AND
[00:27:22] DOESN'T JUST SAY WHAT MY VISION IS. AND MY TEAM AND I ARE NOW
[00:27:26] ROLLING OUT WHAT WE THINK THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY SHOULD STAND FOR. BIG IDEAS.
[00:27:29] THE FIRST ONE WE ROLLED OUT WAS
[00:27:32] THAT THE THE THE COUNTRY HAS A
[00:27:34] TAX SYSTEM THAT IS SO RIGGED
[00:27:36] AGAINST WORKING AMERICANS.
[00:27:38] AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT
[00:27:40] IF YOU ARE VERY WEALTHY, SUPER WEALTHY, AND BY THE WAY, I'M NOT
[00:27:44] A DEMOCRAT, THAT HATES WEALTH, I WANT YOU IF YOU INVENT SOMETHING, IF YOU RISK YOUR
[00:27:47] CAPITAL AND START A BUSINESS, IF YOU'RE MADAM C.J. WALKER, I WANT
[00:27:50] YOU TO BE A MULTI MULTIPLE MILLIONAIRE. BUT I DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE A
[00:27:54] TAX SYSTEM WHERE YOU PAY AN EFFECTIVE TAX RATE LOWER THAN
[00:27:57] THE NURSE THAT I TOLD YOU ABOUT
[00:27:59] OR THE FIREFIGHTER.
[00:28:03] SO WE WE HAVE A VERY SIMPLE THING.
[00:28:05] LET'S UN RIG THE SYSTEM, STOP ALL THAT TAX AVOIDANCE, TAKE ALL
[00:28:08] THAT SAVINGS AND SIMPLY LIFT THE STANDARD DEDUCTION SO THAT
[00:28:12] NOBODY IN AMERICA PAYS SEVEN
[00:28:14] MORE MORE THAN TAXES ON YOUR
[00:28:17] FIRST $75,000 OF FAMILY EARNINGS, IT WOULD GIVE CLOSE TO
[00:28:20] 90% OF AMERICANS ALLOW THEM KEEP MORE OF THEIR TAX DOLLARS, WOULD
[00:28:23] CUT THE OUR PLAN WOULD CUT THE CHILD POVERTY RATE IN HALF JUST
[00:28:27] BY MAKING WORK PAY.
[00:28:29] AND I'VE SAT WITH TABLE FALLS OF OF NEW JERSEYANS.
[00:28:32] WE HAVE A LITTLE TAX CALCULATOR AND YOU SHOULD SEE PEOPLE'S EYES
[00:28:36] POP. YOU KNOW THAT SINGLE MOM MAKING
[00:28:38] $60,000 A YEAR WITH IT WITH A
[00:28:40] SMALL CHILD WILL GET $6,000 MORE. AND THEN I ASK THEM, WHAT WOULD
[00:28:43] YOU DO WITH THAT? OR A FAMILY? MAKE A $150,000 A YEAR.
[00:28:46] BUT THEY HAVE TWO YOUNG KIDS IN NEW JERSEY.
[00:28:50] YOU ALL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PENNSYLVANIA, BUT IT
[00:28:52] IT'S HARD TO STAY AFLOAT WITH INCOME LIKE THAT.
[00:28:55] AND THE COST OF KIDS, YOU'LL GIVE THEM 10,000 MORE DOLLARS
[00:28:57] AND IT WOULDN'T COST IT WOULDN'T RAISE THE DEFICIT AT ALL BECAUSE
[00:29:01] WE'RE PAYING FOR IT BY GETTING RID OF THOSE ARE THE BIG IDEAS. LET ME GIVE YOU ONE MORE REAL QUICK.
[00:29:05] YEAH. WE'RE ABOUT TO ROLL OUT A VERY
[00:29:08] BIG ON THE BUS BILL. MY CHIEF OF STAFF IS SHE'S GOING
[00:29:11] TO NOW HECKLE ME BECAUSE SHE SAYS, DON'T CALL THE OMNIBUS BILL.
[00:29:14] BUT THIS WAS MY GREAT IDEA.
[00:29:16] THE THE ANTI CORRUPT BUS, ONE OF
[00:29:21] THE BIGGEST THREATS TO OUR DEMOCRACY RIGHT NOW.
[00:29:24] AND I, I, I CANNOT I CANNOT
[00:29:29] EMPHASIZE THIS IS PERHAPS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO OUR DEMOCRACY
[00:29:33] IS THE CORRUPT ACTING POWER OF
[00:29:37] MONEY IN OUR POLITICS. AND.
[00:29:43] AT EVERY BILL THAT I SEE, THERE
[00:29:47] ARE WEALTHY INTERESTS THAT HAVE A SCALE OF WEALTH THAT WAS EVEN
[00:29:51] IMAGINED. 20 YEARS AGO. REMEMBER ALL THE MONEY SPENT ON
[00:29:55] DONALD TRUMP? IT WASN'T ALL OUT OF HIS CAMPAIGN.
[00:29:57] DARK MONEY PAC AFTER DARK MONEY
[00:30:01] PAC TEN PEOPLE, TEN PEOPLE WHO
[00:30:04] SPENT WHAT WERE 44% OF THE SPEND
[00:30:07] ON DONALD TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN WERE JUST TEN PEOPLE.
[00:30:10] AND I PROMISE YOU, THOSE TEN
[00:30:12] PEOPLE GOT A GREAT RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENT.
[00:30:16] AND I SEE THIS WITH BILLS. I'M NEGOTIATING A BILL RIGHT NOW
[00:30:18] IN CRYPTO CURRENCY. I THINK THAT WE'VE GOT TO REGULATE IT AND CREATE
[00:30:22] PROTECTIONS FOR CONSUMERS.
[00:30:25] BUT AS VERONICA AND I ARE NEGOTIATING THIS BILL, THE
[00:30:28] CRYPTO INDUSTRY ROLLS OUT A A
[00:30:35] ALMOST $200 MILLION PACK. FOR TEN YEARS AGO, THERE WAS NOT
[00:30:40] A $200 MILLION PACK BILLIONAIRES DON'T EVEN NEED TO SPEND THE MONEY ANYMORE.
[00:30:44] THIS IS A CORRUPT OUR SYSTEM'S GOT NOW THEY CAN JUST SAY, HEY,
[00:30:47] IF YOU DON'T DO WHAT I WANT YOU
[00:30:49] TO DO, I WILL PUT $20 MILLION IN
[00:30:53] A PRIME AGAINST YOU AND PEOPLE
[00:30:57] CAPITULATE TO THAT. YEAH. AND SO WE WANT TO DO A BIG BILL
[00:31:01] TO FINALLY, ONCE AND FOR ALL, GET RID OF ALL THE CORRUPTION,
[00:31:03] ALL THE MONEY, UNDO CITIZENS
[00:31:06] UNITED, AND THEN PUT THE LEADERS LIKE ME. YEAH.
[00:31:10] ON A SHORT LEASH. SENATORS SHOULD NOT TRADE
[00:31:13] STOCKS.
[00:31:15] WE A SENATOR OR PRESIDENT SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FORM A
[00:31:18] CRYPTO COIN AND HAVE FOREIGN
[00:31:21] NATIONS PUT LITERALLY OVER $100 MILLION BRIBING YOU WHEN YOU'RE
[00:31:25] MAKING DECISIONS THAT AFFECT THAT FOREIGN COUNTRY. SUPREME COURT JUSTICES, THE
[00:31:29] HIGHEST COURT IN THE LAND, SHOULD NOT HAVE THE LOWEST
[00:31:32] ETHICS LAWS IN THE LAND.
[00:31:38] IF WE GOT RID OF THAT, IT WOULD
[00:31:40] BRING SO MUCH MORE SENSE AND SENSIBILITY BACK TO OUR POLITICS. SO I'M GOING TO END BY QUOTING
[00:31:46] JEFFERSON. HE SAID IT VERY SIMPLY. HE SAID, IF THE PEOPLE ARE
[00:31:51] AFRAID OF THEIR GOVERNMENT, THERE IS TYRANNY.
[00:31:54] IF THE GOVERNMENT IS AFRAID OF THEIR PEOPLE, THERE IS LIBERTY.
[00:31:58] THERE ARE POLITICIANS RIGHT NOW IN THE SENATE THAT ARE MORE
[00:32:01] AFRAID OF DONALD TRUMP THAN THEY ARE OF THE PEOPLE THAT THEY
[00:32:05] REPRESENT. AND UNTIL WE CHANGE THAT, WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH THE
[00:32:09] DEMAGOGUERY THAT'S FUELED BY BY
[00:32:12] UNGODLY AMOUNTS OF MONEY IN OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM. YEAH.
[00:32:20] AND THAT IS A VISION THAT I
[00:32:23] THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN GET BEHIND. SENATOR.
[00:32:26] BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE CALLED FOR MORE COURAGE IN THIS MOMENT. YES.
[00:32:29] THAT VISION CANNOT BE EXECUTED WITHOUT COURAGE.
[00:32:33] SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE INSIDE OF CONGRESS, ESPECIALLY
[00:32:36] WHEN A LOT OF US HAVE BEEN SORT OF SITTING BACK. YES.
[00:32:40] LOOKING AND WE'RE THINKING, OH, WOW, CONGRESS IS NOT DOING THE
[00:32:44] JOB THAT THEIR CONSTITUTION ONLY TOLD TO DO.
[00:32:49] SO WHAT DOES COURAGE LOOK LIKE FOR CONGRESS SO THAT THAT VISION
[00:32:52] THAT YOU HAVE. YES. COULD BECOME REALITY? SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
[00:32:56] BUT THEN YOU GOING TO LET ME I WANT TO TURN IT BACK ON THE FOLKS HERE, BECAUSE THERE IS
[00:32:59] THIS IDEA SOMETIMES THAT DEMOCRACY IS A SPECTATOR SPORT.
[00:33:03] AND IF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THAT CONGRESSIONAL ARENA AREN'T
[00:33:06] DOING THEIR JOB, WE COULD YELL BOO, WE COULD CHEER WHEN THEY DO.
[00:33:10] BUT AS I MAKE IN THAT CHAPTER VISION, I TURN IT BACK ON.
[00:33:12] WHAT IS YOUR VISION?
[00:33:14] AND SO FIRST FOR US, LIKE WE ARE
[00:33:17] IN AN UNPRECEDENTED MOMENT, MOMENT IN AMERICA, 250 YEARS.
[00:33:20] WE'VE NEVER HAD A MOMENT LIKE THIS. AND I CAN'T BLAME IT ALL ON
[00:33:24] DONALD TRUMP BECAUSE IT BEGAN IN MY LIFETIME WITH THE BUSH
[00:33:28] ADMINISTRATION. AND WHEN WE STARTED TO GO TO WAR
[00:33:31] AND NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES.
[00:33:34] NOW, BUSH DID IT. WHAT MANY OF YOU DON'T KNOW
[00:33:36] THIS, BUT WHAT GEORGE BUSH WAS THE FIRST TIME EVER WHEN WE WENT
[00:33:39] TO WAR AND TRIED TO MAKE IT NOT
[00:33:43] TRY TO SAY THAT AMERICA, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SACRIFICE ANYTHING
[00:33:46] FOR THIS WAR. IT'S ONLY GONNA BE A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE IN FACT,
[00:33:50] WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A TAX CUT AS WE GO TO WAR. THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE EVER
[00:33:54] WENT TO WAR WHERE WE SAID TO AMERICANS, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
[00:33:58] WE'RE GOING TO RUN UP TRILLIONS
[00:34:00] OF DOLLARS OF DEBT AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU
[00:34:03] PLEASE GO OUT AND SHOP. MORE WITH WHAT BUSH SAID.
[00:34:06] BUT WAR IS IS IS EVIL.
[00:34:11] AS ONE GREAT GENERAL ONCE SAID, SOMETIMES IT'S A NECESSARY EVIL.
[00:34:13] BUT DON'T FORGET, IT IS STILL EVIL.
[00:34:18] AND YOU'VE SEEN SINCE THAT BUSH
[00:34:20] ERA OF OF. 911, CONGRESS IS BEGINNING TO
[00:34:26] SAY, I'M NOT GOING TO DO OUR JOB BECAUSE EVERY PRESIDENT SINCE
[00:34:30] BUSH HAS USED THESE AUTHORIZED ACTIONS TO SAY, I'M JUST GOING
[00:34:34] AFTER TERRORISTS, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS IN THAT OFFICE HAVE
[00:34:39] BOMBED OTHER COUNTRIES AND DONE A LOT. AND THE CONGRESS HAS NOT CLAWED
[00:34:42] BACK ITS POWER. AND WHEN YOU SET UP A MOVEMENT
[00:34:46] LIKE THAT, YOU ARE ASKING A
[00:34:48] DEMAGOGUE PRESIDENT WHO SEEKS
[00:34:50] AUTHORITARIAN POWER TO COME IN
[00:34:52] AND WAY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
[00:34:55] SO UNLIKE OBAMA OR OR TRUMP IN
[00:35:00] HIS FIRST TERM, WHAT DONALD TRUMP HAS DONE RIGHT NOW IS SUCH
[00:35:03] AN A VISCERAL VERSION OF THE
[00:35:06] CONSTITUTION, BECAUSE NOW WE'RE IN THE BIGGEST MILITARY CAMPAIGN
[00:35:09] SINCE THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN. IT IS AFFECTING 15 DIFFERENT
[00:35:13] COUNTRIES NOW, HAVE EITHER BEEN DIRECTLY ATTACKED OR HAD THEIR
[00:35:17] BASES IN THE REGION ATTACKED. IT HAS SENT THE BIGGEST OIL
[00:35:20] SHOCK TO OUR COUNTRY MORE THAN TWICE THE 1973 OIL SHOCK.
[00:35:24] IN TERMS OF THE EFFECT ON AMERICANS AND THE REST OF THE
[00:35:27] WORLD, HE HAS LITERALLY RELEASED
[00:35:32] SANCTIONS ON OUR SOME OF OUR BIGGEST GLOBAL ADVERSARIES.
[00:35:35] HE'S GIVING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO RUSSIA.
[00:35:37] AND I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS. YOU'RE AT WAR WITH A COUNTRY AND
[00:35:41] THEN YOU GIVE THEM BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN OIL SALES AT THE SAME TIME.
[00:35:45] IT HAS COST US ALL MONEY AT A
[00:35:48] TIME THAT WE'VE TAKEN AWAY OUR HEALTH CARE COSTS AND MORE.
[00:35:51] BUT I'M NOT DONE YET.
[00:35:55] 200 AMERICAN SOLDIERS.
[00:35:59] MORE THAN 200 SOLDIERS HAVE PHYSICAL INJURIES NOW, SEVERE
[00:36:01] ONES, MANY OF THEM. AND THOSE INVISIBLE INJURIES THAT HAUNT YOU.
[00:36:06] AND THEN 13 OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS HAVE DIED. AS WE ARE MOVING MORE SOLDIERS
[00:36:09] INTO THE REGION.
[00:36:11] NOW, THE CONGRESS HAS A JOB IN ARTICLE ONE, SECTION EIGHT, A
[00:36:16] JOB ONLY WE CAN DECLARE WAR.
[00:36:19] THE PRESIDENT'S OPENLY CALLING THIS A WAR, BUT HE HAS NOT COME TO CONGRESS.
[00:36:23] HE'S LIED TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE JUST IN THESE CONTRADICTIONS
[00:36:25] ABOUT WHAT THE PROVOCATION FOR WAR WAS. HIS STORY HAS CHANGED MULTIPLE
[00:36:29] TIMES, AND HE HASN'T TOLD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE OR PEOPLE IN CONGRESS.
[00:36:33] AS NOW, REPUBLICANS ARE STARTING TO SAY, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OFF RAMP IS.
[00:36:36] THERE'S NO CLEAR OBJECTIVE HERE.
[00:36:39] AND WHAT HAS CONGRESS DONE? WE ALL HAVE SWORN AN OATH TO
[00:36:43] UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION.
[00:36:46] WE SEE A PRESIDENT VIOLATING IT.
[00:36:48] IF YOU READ OUR FOUNDERS ON THIS 250TH ANNIVERSARY, MAYBE I'M
[00:36:51] SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME LOOKING AT THE FEDERALIST PAPERS.
[00:36:53] BUT FEDERALIST 47, SAYS CLEARLY ONE OF THE JOBS OF THE UNITED
[00:36:57] STATES SENATE IS TO CHECK THE ABUSES OF AN EXECUTIVE THAT IS
[00:37:02] OVERSTEPPING THEIR AUTHORITY. AND WHAT HAVE WE DONE?
[00:37:05] NOT ONE PUBLIC HEARING.
[00:37:07] NO OVERSIGHT, NO CHECKS AND
[00:37:09] BALANCES, NO ACCOUNTABILITY.
[00:37:11] WE ARE FAILING THE VERY CONSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE AND
[00:37:16] VIOLATING THAT WAS SET UP AND VIOLATING OUR OATH. AND SO WHAT I'VE DONE NOW WITH
[00:37:20] FIVE SENATORS, WE JUST VERONICA, ARE TALKING TODAY, A NUMBER OF
[00:37:23] OTHER SENATORS HAVE JOINED US TO SAY WE CANNOT LET THIS BODY
[00:37:26] CONTINUE AS BUSINESS AS USUAL. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO GUM THIS
[00:37:30] UP WITH THE PROCEDURAL LEVERS WE HAVE, WHICH IS TO FORCE OVER AND
[00:37:33] OVER AGAIN. REPUBLICANS HAVE TO COME TO THE
[00:37:36] SENATE AND VOTE IN FAVOR OF CONTINUING DONALD TRUMP'S WAR
[00:37:39] THAT'S LOSING POPULARITY. AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP DOING
[00:37:43] IT. AND I TOLD PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, LIKE LIKE LIKE MOTHER TERESA,
[00:37:47] SHE'S THEY ASKED HER, HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS? AND SHE SAID, I WAS NOT CALLED
[00:37:50] TO BE SUCCESSFUL. ALL I WAS CALLED TO BE FAITHFUL.
[00:37:54] WE WERE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FAITHFUL FIGHT FOR OUR CONSTITUTION.
[00:37:57] AND I BELIEVE IF YOU HAVE STRONG
[00:38:00] SENATORS LIKE THE SIX OF US, SOON TO BE 8 OR 9 STANDING UP
[00:38:03] AND TRYING TO FORCE THE SENATE TO HAVE DEBATE, HAVE HEARINGS
[00:38:07] AND MORE COMBINED WITH MOBILIZE
[00:38:09] THESE PEOPLE DEMANDING THAT
[00:38:12] THEIR GOVERNMENT DO ITS JOB,
[00:38:16] DEMANDING ACCOUNTABILITY, THE POWER, THE PEOPLE IS GREATER THAN THESE PEOPLE IN POWER THAT
[00:38:20] THAT TOGETHER CAN ACTUALLY BRING THIS WAR TO AN END.
[00:38:24] BUT I WANT TO SHIFT THIS TO YOU BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
[00:38:28] YOU CAN'T JUST SIT BACK AND BE OUTRAGED.
[00:38:31] YOU HAVE TO GET OUT WORKING. YOU CAN'T JUST BE ANGRY.
[00:38:35] YOU'VE GOT TO BE USING THAT AS A FUEL TO MAKE YOU A MORE
[00:38:38] EFFECTIVE ACTIVIST.
[00:38:40] I ADMIT A LOT OF MY MISTAKES. IT'S A LOT OF STORIES FROM
[00:38:44] HISTORY, AND THAT'S WHY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR DORIS KEARNS
[00:38:47] GOODWIN, JON MEACHAM, HENRY LOUIS GATES FOR WRITING PRAISE FOR THE BOOK BECAUSE OF ITS
[00:38:51] HISTORY. BUT I PUT IN A LOT OF THESE
[00:38:53] CHAPTERS MY OWN FAILINGS,
[00:38:55] BECAUSE EVERY MOMENT OF OUR LIFE WE HAVE TO HAVE A BOLDER VISION
[00:38:58] FOR OURSELVES AND OUR COUNTRY. BUT IT ALWAYS COMES BACK TO WHAT WE ARE DOING.
[00:39:02] AND SO LET ME JUST SHARE WITH
[00:39:04] YOU ONE OF MY FAILINGS.
[00:39:06] AND IT MAY SOUND SMALL, BUT THIS
[00:39:08] IS WHAT IT TAKES TO HIT THAT
[00:39:11] LATTICE AND HAVE IT REVERBERATE OUT.
[00:39:13] AND IT'S A SHAMEFUL MOMENT FOR
[00:39:15] ME BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU
[00:39:17] ALL HAVE THESE IN PENNSYLVANIA. WE HAVE THEM IN NEW JERSEY.
[00:39:20] I WAS DRIVING PAST ONE. WHEN I SAY I'M DRIVING, THAT'S
[00:39:23] WHAT SENATORS SAY WHEN SOMEBODY
[00:39:24] WAS DRIVING THEM AND I WAS BEING
[00:39:29] DRIVEN BY THIS PLACE.
[00:39:34] I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE IN HERE. IT'S CALLED MCDONALD'S.
[00:39:36] AND AND THE GUY THAT'S DRIVING
[00:39:38] ME IS GUY NAMED KEVIN BATTS.
[00:39:40] WHO WHO'S BEEN WITH ME IN THIS
[00:39:43] IS A DETECTIVE IN THE NEWARK POLICE DEPARTMENT.
[00:39:45] AND NOW HE'S ON MY SENATE STAFF. WE'VE BEEN IN THE CAR TOGETHER
[00:39:49] FOR GOD 20 YEARS AND WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEAK TO EACH OTHER.
[00:39:53] HE CAN JUST LOOK IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR AND SENSE THAT I'M IN ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS WHERE I'VE GOT
[00:39:57] TO DO WORK. I GOT TO READ DOCUMENTS, WHATEVER. AND SO HE AS WE GET READY TO
[00:40:00] PASS THIS MCDONALD'S, HE LOOKS IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR AND
[00:40:04] IMMEDIATELY, QUICKLY LURCHES INTO THE DRIVE THROUGH BECAUSE
[00:40:08] HE, USING HIS TELEPATHIC POWERS, LOOKED IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR
[00:40:12] AND SAW THE LOOK OF SHAME ON MY FACE.
[00:40:14] AND HE KNEW THAT I NEEDED A PHYSICAL ADDICTION HERE.
[00:40:19] I NEEDED SOME MCDONALD'S FRENCH FRIES, OF COURSE.
[00:40:21] WELL, NOW I AM THE LEADER IN THE
[00:40:25] SENATE FOR SCHEDULING MARIJUANA,
[00:40:27] BUT WE SHOULD SCHEDULE ALL MCDONALD'S FRENCH FRIES.
[00:40:31] I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY PUT ON THEM. I THINK IT IS AN ILLEGAL
[00:40:35] SUBSTANCE. I'M SAYING IT'S A IT'S IN THE SALT.
[00:40:38] IT'S IT'S IT'S. SO WE GO THROUGH THIS AND I
[00:40:41] ORDER MY TWO FRIES WITH SHAME IN MY VOICE. I GET THESE TWO FRIES AND I'M
[00:40:45] HOLDING THEM LIKE I'M FROM THAT MOVIE LORD OF THE RINGS, MY
[00:40:50] PRECIOUS. AND. AND AND. AND THEN I LOOK AT HIM.
[00:40:54] HE DOESN'T NEED ANY COMMUNICATION. HE STARTS DRIVING OUT OF THE
[00:40:57] DRIVE THROUGH AND I'M HAPPY. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN HE PUTS ON THE BRAKES.
[00:41:01] HE KNOWS THIS BECAUSE I SEE A
[00:41:03] GUY DIGGING IN A TRASH CAN AND I
[00:41:05] AND I ROLLED OUT MY WINDOW AND I GO, HEY, MAN, WHAT'S UP?
[00:41:09] AND HE WAKES ME AWAY AND I REALIZE IMMEDIATELY THE TONE IN
[00:41:12] MY VOICE DID NOT RECOGNIZE OUR
[00:41:16] EQUAL DIGNITY AND SO I SOFTENED MY VOICE A LITTLE BIT.
[00:41:19] I GO CIRCLES. SCUSE ME. I'M SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, BUT DO YOU NEED ANYTHING?
[00:41:23] IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO FOR YOU? AND HE TURNS AROUND AND HE SAYS,
[00:41:27] I'M HUNGRY NOW.
[00:41:29] I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR FAITHS ARE. WE HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT FAITHS, I'M SURE REPRESENT IN
[00:41:33] THE ROOM. BUT IN MY FAITH, I KNOW JESUS SAID SOMETHING LIKE, IF YOUR
[00:41:35] NEIGHBOR HAS NO MCDONALD'S FRENCH FRIES AND YOU HAVE AND
[00:41:39] YOU HAVE TWO MCDONALD'S FRENCH FRIES, I THINK IT WAS THE SERMON
[00:41:42] ON THE MOUNT I'M SORRY LAST THAT
[00:41:45] JOE HAD PROMISED. AND AND SO I KNOW WHAT I HAVE TO DO.
[00:41:50] I KNOW MY FAITH. I REACH IN THE BAG AND I PULL
[00:41:53] OUT ONE OF MY TWO MCDONALD'S FRENCH FRIES, AND I HAND IT TO
[00:41:56] HIM AND HE RECEIVES IT WITH JOY.
[00:41:59] HE SMILES AT ME AND MY KNEES THANKS ME.
[00:42:03] HE STEPS AWAY FROM THE CAR, BUT THEN HE LEANS BACK IN.
[00:42:05] HE GOES, HEY, MAN, YOU WOULDN'T HAPPEN TO HAVE AN EXTRA PAIR OF
[00:42:09] SOCKS THAT I COULD HAVE. WOW.
[00:42:11] AND I KNEW IMMEDIATELY THAT HE
[00:42:14] WAS ASKING BECAUSE HE HAD A REAL
[00:42:17] NEED AND ANYBODY WHO'S WORKED WITH FOLKS WHO ARE UNHOUSED THAT
[00:42:21] THAT'S A POPULAR REQUEST.
[00:42:23] AND I, I KNEW I DON'T CARE EXTRA SOCKS BY CAR BUT I VAINLY LOOKED
[00:42:26] LEFT AND RIGHT AND I GO, MAN, I'M SO SORRY.
[00:42:29] I DON'T HAVE ANY SOCKS. AND SO HE STEPS BACK AND SORT OF
[00:42:32] GIVES ME A CHEERS WITH THE FRIES. I TURN TO KEVIN, LET'S DRIVE
[00:42:36] BECAUSE I LOVE MCDONALD'S FRENCH FRIES, BUT NOT COLD MCDONALD'S FRENCH FRIES.
[00:42:40] I NEED TO GET HOME. AND KEVIN, THOUGH, DOESN'T
[00:42:43] TELEPATHY SINCE BROKEN, HE DOESN'T MOVE.
[00:42:47] AND I'M STARING IN THE REARVIEW
[00:42:50] MIRROR LIKE, DUDE, BRITISH BAKING SHOW. I NEED A BUCKLE.
[00:42:54] MY PANTS SIT ON MY COUCH AND EAT THESE FRIES. BUT HE DOES NOT. HE DOES NOT HERE.
[00:42:57] AND THEN HE DOES SOMETHING TO ME THAT INSPIRES ME TO THIS DAY.
[00:43:03] HE PUT THE CAR IN PARK, REACHES
[00:43:05] BETWEEN THE STEERING WHEEL AND
[00:43:07] THE SEAT KICKS OFF HIS SHOES,
[00:43:10] TAKES OFF THE SOCKS HE'S WEARING, FOLDS THEM SO
[00:43:14] RESPECTFULLY AND HANDSOME OUT THE DOOR WITH THE SORT OF NOD
[00:43:17] LOWERING OF HIS HEAD. THE MAN RECEIVES THEM LIKE
[00:43:20] RECEIVING A BAR GOLD BEAMS A
[00:43:23] SMILE, AND WE DRIVE OFF. THAT IS VISION.
[00:43:27] YEAH. IN THAT MORAL MOMENT, I MY VISION WAS NOT BROAD ENOUGH TO
[00:43:31] KNOW HOW I COULD HELP ANOTHER, HOW I CAN SUPPORT ANOTHER.
[00:43:34] AND AS I SHOW IN THIS BOOK, YOU MAY NOT EVEN REALIZE WHAT THAT
[00:43:38] ONE ACT OF KINDNESS DOES, BUT I
[00:43:41] PROMISE YOU IS INFECTIOUS. AND AT THIS TIME, WHEN THERE'S
[00:43:44] SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE FEELING FEAR AND YOU MAY BE ONE OF THEM
[00:43:47] OR FEELING HURT AND YOU MAY BE
[00:43:50] ONE OF THEM, I'VE LEARNED IN MY LIFE YOU ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO
[00:43:54] ADDRESS MY INJURY, MY HURT, MY
[00:43:56] FEAR IS TO TENDING TO ANOTHER.
[00:43:59] AND PERHAPS THAT KIND OF VISION ULTIMATELY COULD PREVAIL IN OUR
[00:44:03] COUNTRY. AND IF IT DOES, WE ARE GOING TO
[00:44:05] LIVE UP TO THE HOPES AND DREAMS
[00:44:07] OF OUR ANCESTORS.
[00:44:16] SO.
[00:44:20] WE HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FROM PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE. I LOVE THAT.
[00:44:23] AND SO LET'S GET THESE IN.
[00:44:26] EMILY COHEN ASK, IS EMILY COHEN
[00:44:28] HERE STILL HERE WHERE SHE. HI, EMILY. HOW ARE YOU?
[00:44:32] EMILY, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO NEW
[00:44:38] JERSEY. OH, 25 YEARS. SO YOU COULD NO LONGER VOTE FOR
[00:44:43] ME. NEXT QUESTION. OH, NO, I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD.
[00:44:46] THIS MAY HELP SOME. THIS MAY HELP. OKAY. SEE, EMILY ASKED.
[00:44:50] SHE SAYS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, DESPITE ALL ITS
[00:44:54] EVILNESS, SHE IS GREAT AT NAMING EVERYTHING THEY DO.
[00:44:57] WE AS DEMOCRATS DO A REALLY POOR JOB OF THIS.
[00:45:00] AND ONE EXAMPLE IS DEFUND THE POLICE.
[00:45:03] HOW DO WE AS A PARTY BETTER
[00:45:07] POSITION WHAT WE BELIEVE TO THE MEDIA AND PUBLIC? THEY ALWAYS USE OUR WORDS
[00:45:10] AGAINST US AND WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MESSAGING.
[00:45:13] HOW WOULD YOU SUGGEST WE UNIFY
[00:45:16] THE DEMOCRATS IN THIS MISSION
[00:45:18] THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
[00:45:22] SO I HAVE ONE OF MY FRUSTRATIONS WITH THE DEMOCRATS IS
[00:45:27] COMMUNICATIONS AND I THINK WE
[00:45:29] ARE WE'VE DONE A REALLY BAD JOB COMMUNICATING AND MY PARENTS
[00:45:33] WOULD TELL ME, DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING UNLESS YOU'RE WILLING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT
[00:45:37] IT. SO I COMPLAINED TO CHUCK SCHUMER
[00:45:39] ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS AND IT WAS
[00:45:41] IT WAS LIKE TWO CYCLES AGO NOW.
[00:45:45] BUT BEFORE DONALD TRUMP WAS ELECTED AND I SAID TO HIM THAT
[00:45:49] THERE'S THREE THINGS ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS IS IMPORTANT. IT'S THE MESSENGER.
[00:45:52] THE MESSAGE AND THE MEDIUM. AND I WAS JUST UPSET WITH HIM
[00:45:57] THAT MY COLLEAGUES, I'M THE ONLY
[00:46:00] I MEAN, THE ONLY JOB THAT YOU COULD BE IN YOUR 50S AND BE
[00:46:03] CONSIDERED VERY, VERY YOUNG. THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
[00:46:07] AND I SAID THE PROBLEM WITH OUR
[00:46:09] COLLEAGUES IS I THINK THEY HAVE A REALLY GREAT THINGS TO SAY,
[00:46:12] BUT THEY ARE NOT USING THE FORMS
[00:46:15] OF COMMUNICATION THAT MOST
[00:46:17] PEOPLE ARE USING TO GET THEIR NEWS AND INFORMATION.
[00:46:20] SO WE WERE NOT USING DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS AT ALL REALLY AS
[00:46:24] A SENATE. AND I SHOWED HIM THE NUMBERS. YOU CAN NOW MEASURE THIS.
[00:46:27] MOST AMERICANS NOW GET THEIR NEWS FROM THEIR HANDHELD DEVICES ON THEIR OWN.
[00:46:31] AND SO I TOOK ON THE JOB FOR MY
[00:46:34] CAUCUS AFTER I SHOWED THE REPUBLICANS WERE OUT COMMUNICATING.
[00:46:38] A SENATOR, POUND FOR POUND, COMPARING THEIR AVERAGE REACH IN OURS.
[00:46:43] BUT WHAT WAS WORSE THAN THAT IN
[00:46:45] THE 20 THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL
[00:46:50] ELECTION FOR EVERY TEN PODCAST ON LOADS THAT DONALD TRUMP HAD,
[00:46:55] KAMALA HAD WON. WE WERE NOT SHOWING UP WHERE
[00:46:57] YOUNG MEN WERE ON THINGS LIKE DISCORD AND STITCH.
[00:47:01] THESE ARE GAMING PLATFORMS AND SPORTS.
[00:47:04] THEY WERE PAYING INFLUENCERS AND MIXED MARTIAL ARTS AND OTHER
[00:47:08] THINGS. AND SO HOW DO YOU CHANGE THAT? BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN WORKING
[00:47:11] OUTSIDE THE REPUBLICAN CAUSE, HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, THIS
[00:47:15] CREATING THIS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A LONG TIME. AND DEMOCRATS ARE BEHIND.
[00:47:17] SO WE WERE WAY BUT WE WERE WAY BEHIND THE SENATORS. BUT I BASICALLY STARTED TEACHING
[00:47:22] MY COLLEAGUES HOW TO USE THESE
[00:47:25] PLATFORMS, BRINGING IN INFLUENCERS THAT THEY HAD NEVER
[00:47:28] HEARD OF, LIKE AARON PARNAS, WHO EARLIER LAST.
[00:47:32] SOME OF YOU KNOW WHO HE IS. HE'S A GUY THAT GOT MORE ENGAGEMENT ON HIS ONLINE
[00:47:36] PLATFORMS THAN DONALD TRUMP DID BACK IN JUNE AND JULY.
[00:47:38] A GUY NAMED JUAN CARLOS OSPINA,
[00:47:42] WHO IS WHO IS THE OPRAH OF I
[00:47:44] SHOULD SAY THAT BECAUSE HE GETS
[00:47:47] MILLIONS OF MORE VIEWS AND OPRAH DOES. BUT HE'S ONE OF THE TOP ENGAGED
[00:47:52] INFLUENCERS IN THE POLITICAL SPHERE. AND I BROUGHT THESE PEOPLE IN.
[00:47:55] I BROUGHT PLATFORMS IN, AND SLOWLY WE INCREASED OUR REACH.
[00:47:59] IN FACT, WE HAVE NOW SO SURPASSED THE REPUBLICANS.
[00:48:03] IF YOU IF YOU TAKE OUT TWITTER, WHICH IS A DYING PLATFORM,
[00:48:06] FRANKLY, BUT YOUTUBE IS EXPLODING, TIKTOK IS EXPLODING,
[00:48:11] INSTAGRAM IS EXPLODING. WE SEVEN EIGHT ARE SEVEN TIMES
[00:48:13] MORE ENGAGEMENT OF MY SENATE.
[00:48:17] AND SOME OF THEM SOME OF YOU REMEMBER THIS OTHER BOLD NEW
[00:48:19] JERSEY AND NAMED MARK KELLY.
[00:48:21] HE'S FROM JERSEY, BUT HE'S ARIZONA SENATOR.
[00:48:25] HE'S IN THE NEW JERSEY HALL OF FAME.
[00:48:27] I AM NOT.
[00:48:29] HE'S AN ASTRONAUT OUT OF THIS WORLD.
[00:48:32] I GO HOME TO NEWARK. AND BUT MARK KELLY, MOST OF
[00:48:36] AMERICA KNOWS THAT HE SOLD HIS HIS TESLA.
[00:48:40] IT WAS AMAZING. VIRAL VIDEO. THE FIRST IN HIS FIRST WEEK, HE
[00:48:43] EARNED MILLIONS OF VIEWS ON TIKTOK.
[00:48:45] SO THE SENATE CAUCUS NOW GETS
[00:48:48] MORE ENGAGEMENT THAN DONALD
[00:48:50] TRUMP DOES ON HIS PLATFORMS. AND SO WHAT I'M SAYING, THERE'S
[00:48:54] ALWAYS A STRATEGY OF COMMUNICATIONS.
[00:48:56] I AM UPSET ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. BUT BEFORE I GET UPSET AT THEM,
[00:49:00] WHAT AM I DOING TO CHANGE IT? I'VE TAKEN ON THE CHALLENGE OF
[00:49:04] MY 47 DEMOCRATS, BUT I'M ALSO TRYING TO TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE
[00:49:07] OF WHERE OUR PARTY IS GOING TO GO IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
[00:49:10] AND SO YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR A
[00:49:12] LOT MORE CREATIVE COMMUNICATE FOR ME AND WHAT IS I HOPE
[00:49:16] HAPPENS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS
[00:49:17] IS THAT THERE IS A MARKET PLACE
[00:49:21] OF IDEAS AND COMMUNICATION.
[00:49:23] AND WHEN THIS NEXT GENERATION, THE FIRST NON BABY BOOMER
[00:49:27] PRESIDENT WE'VE HAD IN A LONG TIME, THE FIRST NON BABY BOOMER HEADS OF THE SENATE, I HOPE THEY
[00:49:31] ARE MASTER COMMUNICATOR BECAUSE
[00:49:33] I'M WITH YOU IN POLITICS IS
[00:49:38] PROSE. I'M A NERD. I CAN TELL YOU MORE ABOUT HOUSING POLICY THAN YOU MAY WANT
[00:49:43] TO KNOW, BUT IT'S ALSO THE
[00:49:45] POETRY ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY
[00:49:48] CAN DO FOR YOU. WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FEAR
[00:49:51] ITSELF WITH MALICE TOWARDS NONE,
[00:49:54] WITH CHARITY, TOWARDS ALL. WHEN I BECAME MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEWARK.
[00:49:57] YEAH, I KNEW IT WOULD TAKE ME
[00:50:00] YEARS TO BEND THE CURVE OF CRIME.
[00:50:03] NOT WHERE I WANTED TO GO. MONTHS BEFORE I COULD DROP THE
[00:50:06] MURDER RATE AS I JUST CAME IN IN JULY.
[00:50:08] BUT I KNEW MY MY RESIDENT AS WE ALL HAD.
[00:50:11] I NEEDED EVERYBODY'S HELP ON CRIME. AND SO WHAT DID I DO?
[00:50:17] POETRY? I SAID, I'M GOING TO SHOW FIRST.
[00:50:18] AND SO I HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE
[00:50:21] IN THE MOST DANGEROUS SECTOR OF
[00:50:23] THE CITY WHERE MY NEW POLICE
[00:50:25] FORCE SAID TO ME, THIS IS WHERE THE MOST SHOOTINGS ARE.
[00:50:28] CORY IN NEWARK, I HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE THERE AND I SAID,
[00:50:31] EVERYBODY, WE ARE IN THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE.
[00:50:35] ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACES IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
[00:50:38] AND I'M YOUR MAYOR.
[00:50:39] AND I POINTED TO A A APARTMENT
[00:50:42] AND I SAID, I'M MOVING INTO THIS APARTMENT.
[00:50:46] AND THEN I SAID, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, IT'S LIKE 15 POLICE
[00:50:50] OFFICERS TO PROTECT THEM. DO YOU HAVE 15 POLICE OFFICERS
[00:50:53] PROTECTING YOU? YEAH. AND I GO, THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S
[00:50:57] UNFORTUNATE. SO I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS COMMITMENT TO YOU UNTIL WE CAN
[00:51:01] BEND THE COST CURVE. I'M GOING TO WORK MY FULL DAY IN
[00:51:03] CITY HALL, GO HOME AND HAVE A
[00:51:05] LITTLE BIT OF DINNER, MAYBE HANG OUT WITH BEN AND JERRY.
[00:51:09] YEAH, BUT THEN I'M GOING TO GO PATROL THE STREETS WITH MY
[00:51:13] SECURITY DETAIL UNTIL 3 OR 4 IN THE MORNING.
[00:51:17] AND MY RESIDENTS SAW ME CHASED DOWN A BANK ROBBER THAT WE
[00:51:21] CAUGHT SHOWING UP WHEN PEOPLE CALLED THE POLICE.
[00:51:24] BY THE TIME WE GOT TO THREE
[00:51:27] MONTHS IN OUR MY APPROVAL RATING. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT'S IMPORTANT.
[00:51:30] THAT JUMPED TO ABOUT 80% BECAUSE OF PEOPLE REALLY BELIEVE BUT I
[00:51:34] WAS GETTING NEWARKERS TO DO
[00:51:36] THINGS THAT THEY HADN'T DONE BEFORE.
[00:51:39] I WAS GETTING MORE ORGANIZED HOUSING, MORE VOLUNTEERING, MORE
[00:51:43] PEOPLE WILLING TO BE A PART OF THE EFFORT. I SHOWED PEOPLE THAT IF THERE'S
[00:51:47] LESS TRASH ON THE STREETS, I SHOWED PEOPLE THAT IF YOU REPORT
[00:51:51] THINGS LIKE LIGHTING OUT AND HELP ME IMPROVE THE
[00:51:55] NEIGHBORHOOD, THIS COUNTRY, WE
[00:51:57] ALL ARE BENEFITING FROM THE VISION OF OUR ANCESTORS.
[00:52:01] WE ARE WE INHERITED SO MUCH.
[00:52:04] BUT NOW IT'S OUR TIME. YEAH.
[00:52:07] SO I HOPE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY FINDS ITSELF. IT'S LOST ITSELF.
[00:52:11] AND THE ONLY WAY THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, NOT WITH ONE SENATOR,
[00:52:13] BUT WITH ALL OF US BEING VISIONARIES FOR A PARTY THAT
[00:52:17] HELPS TO CHANGE IT AND BRING IT INTO WHAT I THINK IS THIS NEXT
[00:52:20] GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP. SO NEW SET OF LEADERS.
[00:52:22] THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO WRAPPING
[00:52:26] UP TONY COFFEE, AS DO YOU FIND
[00:52:30] BEING A SENATOR IS MORE OR LESS FULFILLING THAN BEING A MAYOR
[00:52:33] AND YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT DID ALL THE THINGS YOU WERE ABLE TO
[00:52:37] DO AS MAYOR, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE YOU'RE ABLE TO TO ROUSE
[00:52:41] PEOPLE IN THE SAME WAY AS A CENTER? WELL, THE MOST FULFILLING
[00:52:45] DECISION I'VE MADE IN IN MY LIFE OF RECENT WAS TO MARRY ALEXIS
[00:52:49] LEWIS, WHO'S HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.
[00:52:55] AND. I TO EVERYTHING.
[00:52:57] THERE'S A SEASON I LOVED MY JOB
[00:52:59] AS MAYOR.
[00:53:01] IT I LOVE WHERE NEWARK IS GOING. THEY'VE GOT A GREAT MAYOR THERE NOW.
[00:53:05] I LOVE THAT. I WAS PART OF A OF OF A CITY
[00:53:08] THAT REVERSED ALL OF THESE TRENDS.
[00:53:11] BUT I FEEL RIGHT NOW THE PLACE I'M MOST CALLED TO BE IS IN THE
[00:53:15] UNITED STATES SENATE BECAUSE I
[00:53:18] IT'S OFTEN HARDER TO MAKE CHANGE.
[00:53:21] BUT WHEN YOU DO ON A MUCH BIGGER SCALE, LIKE WHEN DONALD TRUMP'S
[00:53:25] FIRST TERM, I HELPED THE AUTHOR
[00:53:27] THIS BIG BILL TO TRANSFORM OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
[00:53:30] THAT IMMEDIATE LEAD LIBERATED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM UNJUST
[00:53:34] INCARCERATION, NOT JUST IN NEWARK, BUT ALL OVER MY STATE AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
[00:53:37] AND I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THOSE
[00:53:40] MOMENTS WHERE I WANT TO BE A
[00:53:42] PART OF A NATIONAL CONVERSATION THAT GETS OUT OF THIS LEFT,
[00:53:45] RIGHT DIVIDE AND BEGINS TO BEGIN IN A DIFFERENT TYPE OF DIVIDE.
[00:53:49] THE PAST AND THE FUTURE AND AND
[00:53:52] I THINK THAT WE NEED LEADERS ON
[00:53:55] THE NATIONAL SCENE THAT THAT WORK FOR THAT. YEAH. YEAH.
[00:53:59] AND LAST QUESTION AS WE WRAP UP. I KNOW THAT YOU'VE SAID, YOU
[00:54:03] KNOW, THAT YOU ARE NOT THINKING
[00:54:05] ABOUT YOU NOT SURE YET.
[00:54:09] YOU HAVEN'T MADE THE DECISION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU'LL RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2028.
[00:54:12] BUT YOU'VE ALSO SAID YOU'RE A LOT ANGRIER NOW. AND I WONDERED LIKE, WHAT ARE
[00:54:16] YOU THINKING ABOUT AS YOU GO FORWARD AND YOU START THINKING
[00:54:20] ABOUT THE FUTURE AND DECIDING.
[00:54:27] WE HAVE SUCH A SHORT TIME, LIKE
[00:54:31] THE ONE THING AGAIN, THAT THE PERSPECTIVE OF BEING MIDDLE AGED
[00:54:34] SCUSE ME NOW IS HOW QUICKLY IT ALL MOVES.
[00:54:39] AND I HAD THIS MOTHER THAT THE
[00:54:45] OLDER YOU GET, THE LESS YOU THINK YOUR MOM KNOWS UNTIL YOU
[00:54:47] HIT ABOUT YOUR MID TO LATE 20S. THEN SUDDENLY YOU REALIZE HOW
[00:54:51] BRILLIANT THEY ARE AND I WAS.
[00:54:53] I'VE HAD A LOT OF PERIODS IN MY LIFE WHERE I WAS REALLY STUCK
[00:54:57] AND I MET THE RIGHT PERSON AT
[00:55:02] THE RIGHT TIME. AND I THINK ONE OF THE TIMES I WAS MOST STRUCK WAS I WAS COMING OUT OF LAW SCHOOL.
[00:55:06] I KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH MY LIFE.
[00:55:08] AND MY MOM ASKED ME PERHAPS THE
[00:55:10] BEST QUESTION THAT'S EVER BEEN ASKED FOR ME IN MY LIFE.
[00:55:13] SHE SAID TO ME, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH YOUR ONE LIFE?
[00:55:17] WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU KNEW YOU COULDN'T FAIL?
[00:55:20] I WANT YOU TO DO THAT.
[00:55:24] AND SHE GAVE ME LATITUDE TO TAKE RISK AND I DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY
[00:55:28] WHAT I WANTED TO DO, BUT I DECIDED TO MAKE A LIST OF ALL
[00:55:30] THE PEOPLE I LOVED AND ADMIRED IN AMERICA, AND THAT INSPIRED ME MOST.
[00:55:34] NONE OF THEM WERE IN ELECTED OFFICE. THERE WERE PEOPLE LIKE MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN, PEOPLE LIKE
[00:55:38] BRIAN STEED EVENSON.
[00:55:40] BUT THE GUY THAT AFTER FOLLOWING
[00:55:43] A LOT OF THESE FOLKS AROUND THE GUY THAT I DECIDED I WANTED TO
[00:55:46] PATTERN MY LIFE ON WAS A GUY NAMED GEOFFREY CANADA, WHO STARTED SOMETHING CALLED THE
[00:55:50] HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE. AND I WAS GOING TO BE NEW
[00:55:53] JERSEY'S GEOFFREY CANADA AND THE
[00:55:55] BEST WAY TO BE GOD LAUGH REALLY.
[00:55:59] OH, WOW. YEAH. WELL, WELL, THERE ISN'T A NEW
[00:56:05] JERSEY ONE BECAUSE I. I THE BEST WAY TO MAKE A LAUGH
[00:56:08] SOMETIMES IS TO MAKE PLANS FOR YOURSELF. YEAH. AND AND SO I WANT TO END BY
[00:56:12] TELLING YOU LIKE, LOOK, I COULD
[00:56:15] LAY THE BEST LAID PLANS FOR 28
[00:56:19] OR WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT THIS
[00:56:22] UNIVERSE HAS A WAY OF KNOCKING YOU ON YOUR --. IT HAS A WAY OF FLIPPING YOU ALL
[00:56:27] AROUND. MY MOM HAS THIS SAYING ABOUT ME. SHE GOES BEHIND EVERY SUCCESSFUL
[00:56:31] CHILD IS AN ASTONISHED PARENT.
[00:56:38] SO LET ME, LET ME END WITH THIS
[00:56:41] LAST STORY AND JUST TELL YOU WHAT MY HOPE IS FOR MYSELF.
[00:56:45] AND MY HOPE IS FOR YOU.
[00:56:47] AND IT'S IT IS ACTUALLY ONE OF
[00:56:51] THOSE TIMES THAT THE UNIVERSE BEAT ME DOWN SO LOW THAT I
[00:56:55] THOUGHT IT WAS OVER AND IT WAS IN THIS SPACE. AND I WROTE ABOUT SOME OF MY OWN
[00:57:00] MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES AFTER I
[00:57:02] HAD LOST THAT ELECTION AND THEN
[00:57:04] LOST THE DOCUMENTARY TO PENGUINS.
[00:57:09] AND IT WAS A FOUR YEAR PERIOD WHERE I DID SOME DUMB THINGS,
[00:57:13] BUT I HAD A REALLY HARD THING THAT HAPPENED TO ME WHEN I WAS
[00:57:16] IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THERE WAS A SHOOTING RANG OUT AND
[00:57:22] TRIED DESPERATELY TO STOP A TEENAGER FROM DYING FROM GUNSHOT
[00:57:27] WOUNDS. AND IT WAS VERY TRAUMATIC.
[00:57:29] AND THE HEAD OF THE POLICE, WHICH WAS MY OPPONENT'S POLICE
[00:57:33] CHIEF, POLICE DIRECTOR, HE STILL TELLS ME THIS DAY, HE GOES, YOU
[00:57:37] LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE SHELL SHOCKED. AND I'M COVERED IN THIS KID'S
[00:57:41] BLOOD AFTER HAVING TRIED TO STOP HIM, THE BLEEDING TO DEATH.
[00:57:43] AND I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER HOW I GOT BACK TO WHERE I WAS LIVING,
[00:57:46] BUT I MOVED INTO SOME HIGH RISE
[00:57:48] PROJECTS IN THE CITY AND I REMEMBER GETTING INTO THE
[00:57:53] BATHROOM AND TRYING TO SCRUB
[00:57:57] THIS BOY'S BLOOD OFF MY HANDS. AND THEN SOMETHING INSIDE OF ME
[00:58:01] RUPTURED THAT NEVER HAD BEFORE.
[00:58:05] I JUST FELT SUCH OUT OF CONTROL
[00:58:09] RAGE AND HURT AND ANGER AND
[00:58:14] HELPLESSNESS. I HAD TRIED SO HARD TO LEAVE THIS CITY AND I FAILED.
[00:58:16] I DIDN'T EVEN GET ELECTED.
[00:58:18] AND NOW I JUST FELT ANGER AT AMERICA.
[00:58:22] WE SWEAR AN OATH. WE DO IT SO ROUTINELY WE FORGET
[00:58:27] EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING. BUT WE'RE MAKING THIS PLEDGE THAT THIS COUNTRY WILL BE ONE OF
[00:58:32] LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. BUT AT THAT POINT, ALL I SAW
[00:58:35] WITH THE INJUSTICES THAT WERE
[00:58:37] CHOKING MY COMMUNITY, STEALING
[00:58:39] MY CHILDREN, POISONING MY
[00:58:43] PEOPLE, AND I JUST FELT SUCH ANGER.
[00:58:45] AND I REMEMBER GETTING IN THE SHOWER AND TURNING ON THE WATER
[00:58:49] AND PRAYING THAT MAYBE THE THE
[00:58:52] THE HURT OF THE SCOLDING WATER WOULD MAKE THE INSIDES OF ME STOP HURTING.
[00:58:56] AND I AND I WENT TO BED FITFULLY.
[00:58:58] IF AT ALL, AND JUST GOT UP THE
[00:59:02] NEXT MORNING. I JUST HAD TO GET OUT. I WANTED TO RUN.
[00:59:06] I WANTED TO GIVE UP ON IT ALL.
[00:59:08] I WAS DONE AND I AND I IN THESE
[00:59:11] PROJECTS HAD THESE RICKETY ELEVATORS. AND EARLY IN THE MORNING, AS THE
[00:59:15] SUN'S COMING UP, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GOING. I JUST WANT TO RUN.
[00:59:18] I COME DOWN ON THESE ELEVATORS AND I START TO WALK THROUGH THE
[00:59:21] LOBBY OF THESE PROJECTS, AND THEN IN THE BACK OF MY MIND,
[00:59:25] BARELY EVEN A MEMORY. IT WAS THIS UNDERSTANDING OF ANOTHER KID IN THE 80S.
[00:59:29] IT WAS SHOT HERE. IT WAS THE SON OF THE TENANT PRESIDENT.
[00:59:33] SHE WAS A TENANT PRESIDENT IN THE 80S. HER SON WAS MURDERED.
[00:59:36] SHE WAS DRAGGED DOWN INTO THAT LOBBY WATCHING HER SON, JUST
[00:59:40] LIKE I DID WATCHING A YOUNG MAN
[00:59:42] BLEED OUT AND SHE NEVER LEFT.
[00:59:49] SHE STAYED. TENANT PRESIDENT. WE'RE HER WORST TRAUMA, HER
[00:59:53] WORST LOSS. AND I REMEMBER ASKING HER ONCE, WHY DID YOU STAY IN THE 80S AFTER THAT HAPPENED?
[00:59:57] AND SHE LOOKED AT ME WITH A WRY SMILE AND SHE GOES, BECAUSE I'M IN CHARGE OF HOMELAND SECURITY.
[01:00:02] ONE AMERICA DIDN'T NEED A PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT.
[01:00:05] YOU NEED A CABINET POSITION. SHE STAYED. AND AS I WALKED THROUGH THAT
[01:00:08] LOBBY, LOST FEELING LIKE I'M DROWNING UNDER 100FT IN WATER.
[01:00:12] I GET INTO THE COURTYARD AND AS IF GOD HAD A PLAN, THE ONLY
[01:00:15] OTHER PERSON IN THAT COURTYARD UP THAT EARLY IN THE MORNING WAS
[01:00:19] THAT TENANT PRESIDENT, MISS VIRGINIA JONES.
[01:00:21] AND HER BACK WAS TO ME.
[01:00:23] AND I STOOD THERE LOOKING AT HER
[01:00:26] AND AS IF SHE HEARD ME SCREAMING
[01:00:27] UNDER THAT HUNDRED FEET OF WATER, SHE TURNED AROUND.
[01:00:30] NOW THIS WOMAN IS FIVE FEET TALL.
[01:00:34] ELDER WOMAN, AND SHE LOOKS AT ME ACROSS THIS COURTYARD AND DID
[01:00:38] EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED. SHE SAID NOTHING.
[01:00:40] ALL SHE DID WAS OPEN HER ARMS
[01:00:43] AND I RAN ACROSS THAT LIKE A LITTLE BOY TO HIS MOTHER.
[01:00:47] AND WHEN I GOT TO HER, SHE
[01:00:48] HUGGED ME AND HELD ME AND SORT
[01:00:52] OF RUBBING MY BACK AND SAYING
[01:00:54] SOMETHING OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO
[01:00:57] COMFORT ME, TO WORDS THAT I THAT
[01:00:59] WERE LIKE A LIFELINE TO WORDS
[01:01:03] THAT I WOULD LATER USE AS MAYOR
[01:01:05] DURING MY TOUGHEST DAYS. AND SEE THEM. I SEE THEM NOW ON THE SENATE
[01:01:09] FLOOR WHEN I FEEL LIKE I'M BANGING MY HEAD AGAINST
[01:01:13] IMPLACABLE WALLS OF RESISTANCE
[01:01:14] IN THE SENATE, THAT WOMAN HELD
[01:01:17] ME, RUBBING MY BACK AND SHE
[01:01:20] SAID, STAY FAITHFUL, STAY
[01:01:24] FAITHFUL, STAY FAITHFUL.
[01:01:30] 250 YEARS HURT AND PAIN,
[01:01:34] WRETCHEDNESS AND DARKNESS. BUT WE'RE HERE BECAUSE OF THOSE
[01:01:38] WHO DID NOT GIVE UP, WHO DID NOT FALTER.
[01:01:42] EVEN WHEN THEY FELL ILL, THEY GOT BACK UP AGAIN AND STOOD UP
[01:01:48] FOR THIS COUNTRY. THEIR FAITH IS HOW WE GOT HERE,
[01:01:52] AND NOW IT'S OUR TURN.
[01:02:02] THANK. ALL RIGHT, SENATOR CORY BOOKER,
[01:02:07] THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK SHERRY FOR THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[01:02:14] YES. HERE'S A PORTION OF A RECENT PROGRAM ON BOOK TV.
[01:02:19] YOU WROTE A BOOK CALLED NICE. I DID.
[01:02:22] THAT IS A PART FROM A 30 PAGE
[01:02:28] INTERLUDE THAT'S IMAGINED, WHICH
[01:02:30] IS A CONVERSATION BETWEEN YOU
[01:02:32] AND YOUR ATTACKER.
[01:02:34] OH, IT IS. SO FACTUAL.
[01:02:38] OR AT LEAST SO REAL SEEMING THAT
[01:02:42] IT WAS ALMOST UNBEARABLE FOR ME TO READ IN PARTS.
[01:02:46] WAS IT ALMOST UNBEARABLE TO WRITE?
[01:02:49] IT WAS FIRST OF WAS FIRST OF ALMOST UNBEARABLE TO WRITE AND
[01:02:52] THEN IT WAS ALMOST UNBEARABLE. NOT TO WRITE. WHAT HAPPENED IS AFTER THE
[01:02:58] ATTACK, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS GOING TO HOSPITAL, THE LAST
[01:03:02] THING ON EARTH I WANTED TO DO WAS TO WRITE ABOUT IT.
[01:03:04] AND I REMEMBER MY AGENT, ANDREW,
[01:03:06] COMING TO SEE ME AND HE SAID, OF COURSE YOU'RE GOING TO WRITE A
[01:03:10] BOOK ABOUT THIS. AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, ANDREW, I THINK I'M NOT GOING TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT THIS.
[01:03:14] HE SAID, NO, YOU'RE GOING TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT THIS. AND HE WAS RIGHT.
[01:03:18] I WAS WRONG. BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED IS, DID HE
[01:03:22] FEEL YOU NEEDED TO HE UNDERSTOOD
[01:03:24] WHICH I WHICH I TOOK TIME TO
[01:03:28] UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO DEAL WITH
[01:03:30] ANYTHING ELSE UNTIL I DEALT WITH
[01:03:32] THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I
[01:03:35] FELT BETTER AND I WAS HOME AND BEGAN TO THINK MAYBE I'M A
[01:03:39] WRITER AND I SHOULD WRITE.
[01:03:42] THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THAT MADE ANY SENSE TO THINK ABOUT.
[01:03:46] I HAD, YOU KNOW, I AFRICA THE
[01:03:48] FILE OF LATER THINGS WHERE I WRITE DOWN LITTLE SCRAPS OF
[01:03:52] IDEAS AND THINGS AND NONE OF IT
[01:03:56] SEEN IT ALL SEEMED RIDICULOUS. KNOW YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH THIS
[01:04:00] HALF OF THE ONLY WAY OF GETTING
[01:04:01] PAST THIS IS TO GO THROUGH IT.
[01:04:04] AND AND THE VOICE IN THAT BOOK
[01:04:06] IS STRIKINGLY DIFFERENT FROM ANY
[01:04:08] OF THE NARRATORS OF ANY OF YOUR
[01:04:11] FICTION THAT I AM. YEAH, IT'S VERY STRICT. IT'S VERY STRIPPED BACK,
[01:04:15] STRIPPED DOWN, STARK,
[01:04:20] RELENTLESSLY FOCUSED ON THE THING RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. YEAH.
[01:04:23] I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING AS DRAMATIC AS
[01:04:28] THAT TO WRITE ABOUT, YOU DON'T
[01:04:31] NEED TO MAKE IT DRAMATIC. IT JUST ENDS.
[01:04:34] ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TELL IT. AND YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT IT.
[01:04:39] BECAUSE THE BOOK IS I MEAN, ACTUALLY ONLY THE FIRST CHAPTER
[01:04:42] IS A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT HAPPENED.
[01:04:45] THE REST OF IT IS A KIND OF THINKING ABOUT IT.
[01:04:49] IT'S A LOVE STORY. IT'S A STORY OF RECOVERY.
[01:04:52] IT'S A STORY ABOUT, I THINK WHAT
[01:04:59] USE ART HAS IN THE