← The Beat with Ari Melber
The Beat with Ari Melber
Political Violence Escalates Amid Trump's Crackdown
00:40:57
The FBI is now taking the lead in the criminal investigation into the spray attack on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. MS NOW's Ari Melber reports.
Loading summary
Transcript90 lines
- [00:01]
A
We've been the trusted experts since 1960 because nobody knows tires better than we do. And with over 90 tire brands, we have an abundance of options in stock for your vehicle. Buy and Drive today@discounttire.com Let's get you taken care of.
- [00:16]
B
Taxes was feeling unwelcome.
- [00:22]
A
Now taxes is an open door, literally, to new TurboTax stores. Meet our experts in person.
- [00:28]
C
Hi, welcome in.
- [00:30]
A
They're powered by smart tech and ready to do your taxes for you. Get real time updates while you go about your day. Confident your taxes are done. Right now, this is taxes intuit TurboTax. TurboTax store is opening soon. Real time updates only in iOS mobile app. Thank you very much. Welcome to the program. We begin with the escalating threats, the violence we're seeing in America. Some of it coming from Donald Trump's federal government, some of it coming from elsewhere. The big news today is something that no one wants to see in the powder keg of Minnesota, but a brand new attack on a lawmaker. Now, that's bad no matter what. If that's all you heard, that should be enough to know that's a bad thing. And there have been times in the past few decades where people would all acknowledge in leadership that that was bad. But because this is a Democratic lawmaker, this government has had a different type of response. The president, who has talked about, quote, a slight de escalation or changing his tone, isn't doing that. And we measure these things over time. You don't get to dial up the pressure, the rhetoric, the violence. Unleash actual violence against American citizens. Two now slain, then take a break for a day or two, claim that's de escalation, and then go back to attacking people in ways that are misleading and incendiary. When we have these open probes, there is also no indication that these federal agents, operating under Trump's orders, ice, DHS and the rest are scaling back. There's heat. In Minnesota, Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar attacked last night at a town hall. As you see here, this man sprayed her with an unknown substance. If you are on the receiving end of something like that, it is, at a minimum, extremely scary because you actually don't know what you're being hit with. You can see how it unfolded. This was moments after she was calling for Kristi Noem's resignation. Here's the moment.
- [02:22]
C
And DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment.
- [02:37]
D
I don't know. Oh, my God.
- [02:41]
A
He sprayed something on her. That was the scene there's a close up of what looked like a syringe with the substance. Again, thankfully, she seems to be okay and we have that reporting. But in the moment, what we're talking about here is a very menacing act and you don't know what's in it. He's been arrested and charged with third degree assault. The congresswoman says she is okay and she will not let these kind of attacks win. Our colleague Chris Hayes is in Minnesota where he has been reporting. He just interviewed the congresswoman, a very newsworthy interview and he joins us in our coverage here on this program in a few moments. The president would not lower the temperature or afford her any the kind of the grace that he has called others to treat his side with when they have faced horrific attacks or even violence. Violence or in some cases killings recently, which are all abhorrent. Instead, he didn't live up to his own test and he made statements that I'm not going to report on in detail here just except to tell you that they were evidence free. But as for what they were, they don't make our standards as reporting part of our news coverage because they have no basis in truth. But you should know that he's being dishonest about what happened on the very first day it happened, failing his own tests and any normal leadership. And of course, he's in charge of the federal government that is supposed to prosecute any violence, whether it's against the American people or their lawmakers and elected officials. More on that in a moment. MAGA fans have been spreading misinformation. All this after federal agents shot down two Americans. Protesters slain in broad daylight. The Trump administration says the agents involved in the Predis shooting have now been placed on leave. And there's a lot of pushback. There are Minnesota business leaders and companies calling for the federal government to at least do the bare minimum of the normal cooperation with state officials into what happened because avoiding or defying that makes it look like a cover up. And these officials, these business leaders are concerned that that means we won't necessarily get to the bottom of this. A handful of Republicans also raising their voices.
- [04:53]
D
Americans don't want to see people killed in the streets and Americans don't want to see the kind of hunting down.
- [05:00]
A
People in a way that really demeans the process.
- [05:06]
D
No American believes that he was assaulting the officers.
- [05:09]
A
In fact, the opposite appears to be true.
- [05:12]
D
So we have to get some rules of the game. Stephen Miller never fails to live up to my expectations of incompetence.
- [05:21]
A
None of this happens In a vacuum, we have data that the threats against lawmakers jumped not 10 or 20%, but about 58% in the last year. And so how did we get here in America? What is happening now? Well, one giant obvious problem is that the President of the United States has come out for political violence repeatedly. And he's come out against the safety of police. He's come out for the convicts who attacked police and for the convicts who tried to threaten, menace, hurt, hang, assassinate or kill lawmakers in both parties. The president would have people believe and wants everyone to see this as some partisan war, blue states in red. But it's not even that. And by the way, all violence is wrong if it targeted a Republican or Democrat or for whatever reason. But it happens that a lot of this violence has been waged against both parties, against Mike Pence, for example, and against Nancy Pelosi. And the president blessed the attacks. He pardoned those Jan6 convicts, remember Senator Josh Hawley, who, like Donald Trump, had made a public show of being open to what those Jan6 protesters were planning. And that was, of course, before they actually stormed the Capitol, sending him and other Republicans running quite literally for their lives. Thank goodness. We don't know what would have happened if the angry mob found lawmakers or found Republican Mike Pence or found Democrat Nancy Pelosi. Again, the titles and parties don't matter except to remind you that this was violence against all kinds of elected officials. As the violence today still needs to be investigated. The wider context is that Donald Trump not only encouraged, blessed, rewarded, cheered this on, but literally freed people who had many years left to serve in prison. That's why Donald Trump is one of the most anti police presidents we have. And if that kind of cuts against how he talks, well, remember, he's been caught lying about all kinds of things. So he may have messaged something else. He's also very much against free speech, trying to cancel the shows of people he disagrees with, trying to abuse power that way, suing everybody. He's one of the most anti First Amendment presidents we've had. At least in the first year of the second term, we can measure these things. So you have to put aside the PR propaganda and remember, this is a president who has taken the side of criminal, convicted violence against lawmakers and taken the side of those against police. Is it any wonder we have a public safety problem in this country that is coming from the federal government or that we have people who think some of them I can't speak to exactly today, yet that investigation's Ongoing. But in general, you can find message boards in the Internet full of people who think that violence is okay because their president said so and he pardoned them last time and maybe he'll do it again. That's the wider context when punishment is gone, deterrence is gone. We have a president who is anti police, is for government violence against the people and has failed in one of the prime duties of any president, one he said he would try to fulfill law and order, law enforced equally to prevent and punish violence so that we might have ordered. And as about 58% plus of Americans have noticed, we don't have order in the places where Donald Trump is most involved in putting agents in the streets. What we have as a factual matter are slain Americans and questions of a cover up that goes to the top of this White House. I want to bring in a special guest to lead off our coverage tonight. Chris Hayes will join us in a few minutes. As mentioned from the ground in Minnesota, but Reverend Al Sharpton is here. He's founder and president of the National Action Network. I mention that context because while we still have more fact finding to do in many of these cases, the record is clear of where Donald Trump stands.
- [09:16]
E
Record is very clear. And it's also a blatant contradiction. First of all, we have seen the state and federal government work on many cases and it is the competent way to get to the end of the of an investigation. Find out what you have and decide in many cases they decide whether the feds are going to take the case or the state based on where the evidence brought them and to disrupt that is absolutely smells of you trying to have the feds cover up something for the feds, that's one. But the ugliness of Donald Trump saying today that what he said about the congresswoman and you contrast that how all of us who've been very much opposed to Donald Trump, how we responded when there was an assassination attempt on him and the guy caught before he got that far. We all got out and I certainly didn't denounced it said this can't happen. We praying for the president. He turns around and we still don't know what sprayed on her and said oh, she might have set this up. I mean this kind of ugly contempt for people based on politics is something that this country shouldn't tolerate at, at the highest level of government.
- [10:40]
A
And the complete disrespect and possibly slanderous attack if it were litigated on for example, the, the protester who was just killed, that doesn't sit well with most people. That's before you get to the more complex question, one you've worked on, of when police and federal agents exceed their authority to a criminal degree. That's over here before you get there. We've seen leaders in both parties throughout history say, well, it's a tragedy that any American lost their life, not this administration. And not Kristi Noem, who some Republicans I report tonight are talking about whether she should resign. Tucker Carlson has been all over these issues. I don't think he has a consistent record on January 6th, but he just recently went as minuscule a step as to say, well, yeah, you don't demean the American who was killed. Take a look. It was just outrageous that the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, just got up there and trashed Alex Preddy. You know, clearly it was unbelievable. I agree. Yeah. It was just obviously what she was saying was false. And I, I don't understand it. I mean, I found it dehumanizing and gross. I think I agree.
- [12:00]
E
I mean, this is absolutely beyond the pale. If Tucker Carlson and others can say this. Where are we when you have the President of the United States and his upper staff people calling this man a terrorist? The man had what they claim they support, a legal gun. I mean, where's the NRA and others saying on this he had a legal gun that they didn't even know he had? And they're going to justify multiple shots on a man who did a Good Samaritan deed of trying to help a woman who had been pushed down? And now you not only kill him, you discover a gun late after you shoot him, you're going to demonize him and make him a terrorist. This is inexcusable. And, and it's something that I think even Republicans of some stripe say, wait a minute, that's a bridge too far.
- [12:52]
A
Yeah. And this is a time where some people are getting very discouraged. We've seen great courage and bravery and we've seen people in the streets and in the cold. Others, though, commenting, and you see this online, some people say, gosh, well, what can you do when the government is arrayed against you? What's the point if they're not even following the rules? Almost. Almost a kind of a lamentation. And yet you have been a part of these movements for decades. And you go back far enough were around learning from and marching with heroes. And some of them did courageously have to risk life and limb. It shouldn't be that way. But I wonder what we can learn from that. And so I wanted to, I wanted to ask you about that which is a bigger picture question of resilience and activism tactics. I know you've agreed to stay. We're going to get into that when we're back with Rev in 90 seconds.
- [13:41]
F
There have been many examples where federal.
- [13:44]
A
Officials have been charged by state prosecutors for committing crimes.
- [13:49]
F
I say I really do believe that the vice president and other official, other leaders who said absolute immunity are truly miss serving ICE and border patrol agents because there is no absolute immunity. Friends, you have to obey the law and, and you can be held accountable.
- [14:07]
A
Attorney General Ellison speaking about the possibility with the foundation of indicting federal officials in that state. Reverend Chardon's back with me on what history might teach people today.
- [14:18]
E
Well, what history should say when we talk about some people becoming disillusioned and saying what's the point? We must remember the generation before me, Dr. King and that generation, they fought against the laws that said that they were less than having the capacity to exercise rights. They didn't have the rights and they fought and sacrificed anyhow. The law is on our side in this case. In these situations, we just need to force them to go by the law that is there. So all of this wringing of the hands and it's no use and I don't see no hope to me is a coward's way out. We've got to do what the people are doing there in the streets of Minnesota because they had Morgan King and Rosa Parks had they were fighting the laws. We're fighting to make them enforce the laws. The laws are clear that you cannot shoot and kill an unarmed woman in a car and put two bullets or three bullets in her head. The law is clear about they don't have unqualified immunity. So we're not trying to change the law. We're trying to enforce the law against a president and an administration that seems to want to say those laws don't apply to us. They're giving out immunity. You can't give out immunity. The law is the law is the law. And the way the states and the federal government have worked in the past, there is no legal reason they can't work that way now.
- [15:47]
A
And that brings me to another question about the intersection of communities that have more experience with this or less. We both deal in learning and knowledge. I always think of it, there's what you want to know and what you have to know and over policed communities, neighborhoods where the government might come in and be a threat. There's some stuff you have to know we have communities that have it's sometimes called the talk or how young do you have to teach someone about how trigger happy some police and agents can be and now other people learn about that. Where does this fit into the fact that I think a very sad way more Americans now have to know that you're not guaranteed safety sometimes with some armed police and government officials. So you learn how to deal with that. But you also then through that learning say maybe this is wrong, this needs to change.
- [16:39]
E
I think that you hope that people deal with what they have to deal with and then turn to this has to change because now you're teaching kids, you're going to have to teach children or you began teaching children that you see some of the federal officers and we don't know if they're going to grab you and hold you for two or three days until you prove you're a citizen or not. You've got to fear the people that we told you are going to protect us. And they are saying we have the immunity to do whatever we want with you. In fact, we don't care what you say. We're going to throw you at hole taking 5 year old kids. How do you explain to your 5 year old child or 7 year old child that you could be a target tomorrow? So we don't know if we want you to play a kindergarten game or with your friends. This is an atmosphere we've not seen in decades. Those that come out of that era that train people like me and the next generation has said, yeah, but imagine what they, they bombed Dr. King's house three or four times. We're not there yet and we need to stop it before it gets there. If we allow them to get away with, they've got away with, gotten away with so far in Minneapolis, then we will be in a place that is of no return.
- [17:56]
A
Reverend Al Sharpton on these stories. Thank you tonight for joining us tonight. We also have a firsthand report about some of what is driving the President and the bombshell claims from a story that the White House would like everyone to forget. New accounts from an Epstein conspirator Maxwell as Trump's DOJ breaks the law on the document release. I'm going to have a special report on that later tonight. But next as promised, Chris Hayes reporting from Minnesota. When we come back.
- [18:30]
C
Sniffle season happens and when it does, your skin deserves comfort. That's why Kleenex lotion tissues are made with moisturizing Ingredients and offer 3 in 1 skin loving benefits helping protect, soothe and moisturize your skin. So whether you're at home, on the go or just living life, keep Kleenex lotion close for a little extra care that makes a big difference for whatever happens next. Grab Kleenex.
- [18:55]
B
Bob Evans Creamy Mac and cheese and buttery mashed potatoes are made for the moments you can't plan, like last minute school costumes, glitter explosions, or when little Liam brings three friends for dinner. No plan, no problem. Say hello to Plan B O B from Bob Evans because when you bring out the Bob, you can take comfort in knowing you'll always have something delicious on the table, no matter what the day brings. When you need comfort, bring out the Bob available now in your refrigerated section.
- [19:25]
C
Why are there so many cat litters? Maybe the litter companies want you to have something to switch to every time you don't find the one. Or you could find Boxy. Boxy Pro is the first probiotic powered litter. Yep, probiotics are right in there where they stop the bacteria that cause odors. They keep your cat's paws cleaner too. Something to think about as he stands on your face. Find out more at boxycat.com podcasts that's B-O-X-I-E-C-A T.com podcasts and enjoy 30% off your first boxycat.com Order with Code podcast.
- [20:01]
E
Do you trust Tom Holman?
- [20:03]
B
Well, look, this is a tough one and what I said to folks here and folks on the street were saying this and I agree with them, is that I said Tom Holman is more of a professional. But the fear I have with that.
- [20:14]
F
Is we going to get more of.
- [20:16]
B
The same but more efficient.
- [20:20]
A
Minnesota Governor Tim Walls there speaking in an Ms. Now exclusive with Jacob Soboroff. As part of the all in special this evening, Chris Hayes is continuing his reporting on the ground for Minneapolis. The show, we should mention, also features what is now a both sad but newsworthy interview with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar after that attack, which we will get to welcome. Chris, what do you think is important from what Governor Walz was saying there and what you're seeing on the ground and you're reporting tonight.
- [20:52]
D
Everyone here, I mean no one extends any benefit of the doubt to the Trump administration after what they've seen over the last month. And you know, I talked to a state senator who represents Columbia Heights, which is a sort of entering suburb that that Liam Ramos, that five year old boy, is in that school system along with three other children who were taken, one of whom had actually come back. And I said have you seen any kind of change in the tempo, in the tactics? And she said, no, so far we haven't. I talked to Elliot Payne, who's the city council president here in Minneapolis. He said the same thing. So right now everyone's operating like nothing is going to change. And until, you know, ICE gets leaves. And I think I understand why they're doing that. There's a kind of steely resolve here. They built up all this infrastructure, but the real question is going to be like, they tried all a lot of these tactics in Los Angeles. They've done some. They did them in Chicago and in both of those places, deportations. And some of the tactics have stayed after the kind of operation ended. But there was a real palpable difference in Chicago, I know, from many people I know there, after operation so called mid wavelets ended. And so far we have not seen something similar here in Minneapolis.
- [22:07]
A
I mentioned your interview. We have a excerpt to that. So let's take a look. This is new Chris Hayes exclusive with the congresswoman. I remember feeling like someone was saying something close to me and I looked up and there was a man plunging towards me and. And there was like some liquid thing that I at the moment thought it was like a spit. And so I, you know, instinctively tried to like punch him, basically, for trying to spit on me.
- [22:40]
D
You thought he was spitting on you? Yes. So you thought a guy had come up and spit at you?
- [22:45]
C
That's what I thought.
- [22:46]
A
And then I heard.
- [22:48]
D
Which is why you did this?
- [22:50]
C
Well, I mean, that was, you know.
- [22:53]
A
I was raised with three brothers who are older than me. And so, you know, you, you learn that maybe taking the first punch when somebody is bigger than you yields you better results. A natural human moment there. What else can you tell us about your interview and how this is feeling in Minnesota, where thankfully it wasn't worse, but it fits into what's been a horrific and escalating time.
- [23:22]
D
I gotta say that the. What people here have experienced has, has set people on edge. There's sort of a really interesting combination of like Minneapolis, Midwestern cheerful and welcoming and polite. And also people are scared and they're nervous and they're on edge. If you roll up to a location and you are sitting in an unmarked car, people are going to come up and be like, what's up, man? What are you doing? Because they think you're ice. The experience of having, what is this mass secret police force rolling around unmarked vehicles, which again, it's a very strange experience for most Americans. It's not one people have had, you see cop cars, see police officers in uniform. These are this kind of ambient malevolence that just sort of hangs over everywhere, every school and workplace. And so what it does is it makes people on edge really palpably and noticeably so. And I think it's, you know, a testament to the security folks there that, you know, nothing happened other than he was just tackled. She later said to me in that interview that he was saved by security from her decking him, basically which is what she was going to do if he had not been tackled to the ground. And, you know, she has lived in a threat environment for years now where I think she has just kind of gotten used to that being the reality of her life. She holds a monthly town hall meeting with her constituents. And that's what that meeting was before he interrupted it.
- [24:52]
A
You mentioned the, how people are feeling, you know, out in the, in the public square. That's by design. We've covered many different situations. And you've been out in the field before where there is an almost escalating or provocative mode of some government forces. Is there kind of the center holding where people say, well, we know actually we're being provoked indeed terribly with the killing, with the misuse of pepper spray, with the taunting and the unprofessional, normally grounds for firing of these federal officials and people saying, but we don't want to tip over into giving them the response that Trump and some clearly want.
- [25:38]
D
Yeah. And, and in some ways it's not even talked about in those terms because so much of what is happening is this kind of, you know, like the iceberg under the water line, mutual aid and, and, and, and sort of neighborly help. So, you know, we went by the Whipple Federal Building today where there's protesters and the protesters have bullhorns and they're, you know, jeering the, the DHS folks and they come driving out. 99% of what's happening is people in safety vests are walking around schools at pickup and drop off. People are getting groceries together. There are doctors who are providing medical care, including delivering children in basement apartments to people that, that don't want to leave. And so it's, it's hard to describe because it's not a pro. You use the term protesters, not protest in that traditional sense. By and large, 99% of it. And so the idea that like people are going to get violent or engage in property damage, first of all, it's freezing here. But second of all, they went through 2020 and that produced some real trauma here. And also produced some real resilience that people built up in the wake of it. And number three, there is, what is happening here is something different than how we traditionally think of protest as protest. It is, it is like the logistical day in, day out, task based work of protecting people from their own government in whatever form that takes.
- [27:05]
A
Yeah, understood. And an important distinction when we, when we understand what folks are up against there. Chris Hayes, thank you. I hope everyone there, including you and your team, stay safe. These interviews tonight that we just showed you some of, you'll see them in full with Governor Walz and Representative Omar on this special edition of all in 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific. We have a lot more in the program. The Trump DOJ breaking a different law that Trump just signed on Epstein. I have an update on that. And as Chris was just telling us about how it feels in Minnesota and we see the revolt against ice. There is something brand new. Bruce Springsteen speaking out with a new song.
- [27:51]
E
I hear your voice crying through the bloody mist.
- [27:58]
D
We'll remember the names of those who.
- [28:01]
A
Died on the streets of Minneapolis. An important story that Donald Trump doesn't want in the headlines, but he's not in control. The DOJ breaking the law, failing to release the Epstein files that the law requires. There is a sort of a slow going process they say in near term they will finally comply with the law they're currently breaking. The deadline is over a month ago. There are more questions about the COVID up. And although there's not a ton of credibility, we can also report that Maxwell's, Ghislaine Maxwell, I should say Epstein's co conspirator is trying to get more lenience. She already got a kind of special treatment from the administration. She makes references in a recent bid to try to get out of prison to quote 25 men and 4 co conspirators that she claims reached secret settlements connected to Epstein's abuse and who were not indicted. Now let me make a clear point about that. She is not very credible. She is a convicted co conspirator of Epstein, a sex trafficker. So saying those words doesn't mean a ton. If however she can point to evidence that the government under any party failed to pursue those people, that there's paper, that there's sources, well, that would matter even though she obviously has a credibility problem because she might say anything she can to get noticed, get Trump's attention, try to get out of jail. Whether President Trump wants to compound the Epstein scandal, his cover up, his misstatements and now his complete illegal violation of the law he signed to release the materials. Whether he would compound that with any extra help for her, well, only he knows. I want to share something that our colleague Lawrence o' Donnell has been tracking, pointing to all of the ways that Donald Trump appears to want to go into any topic, even ones that clearly hurt him to avoid his Epstein scandal. Imagine Joe Biden for 31 days violating a law passed by Congress requiring him.
- [30:03]
D
To hand over documents. That's what Donald Trump is doing.
- [30:06]
A
And he didn't get a single question.
- [30:09]
F
About that today because almost every question was about Greenland, exactly as planned by Donald Trump.
- [30:18]
A
Lawrence o' Donnell knows his way around Washington, and he has been a very vocal, clear, courageous reporter, anchor member of the media dealing with Donald Trump for many years. So when Lawrence reminds everyone this is how Trump works, that's a piece of analysis that makes sense. And while the Greenland story gained importance as our own European allies worried about a invasion, Lawrence's point there was not that that story doesn't matter, but that Donald Trump engineered a situation where there were no questions about the ongoing law breaking of the Epstein scandal, which is a matter of public import that even Donald Trump claimed to agree with. Now, this is another story where the Trump administration is underwater. Two thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump's hiding the Epstein files. Now against the law. As for the top Republican on the key committee, here's what he had to say.
- [31:12]
F
I'm confident President Trump's going to have to answer, you know, more questions from you all.
- [31:18]
D
You're very curious under oath by your committee.
- [31:20]
F
Well, you know, there's never been a sitting president come under oath in an Oversight committee hearing. But we'll see what, you know, how this, how this plays out. We want to get the truth.
- [31:35]
A
We'll see. We want the truth. We're speaking in slow motion. The vibe there is very different from about six weeks ago when Mr. Comer and other top Republicans claimed they had a plan, they were going to get the documents. They failed to get the documents. So the question is, do the people who voted to get them care that their will is carried out at all? And why does President Trump and so many of his top officials at the doj, why are they more willing to break the law and get in this trouble and drag out the story than share what's in the Epstein files in court? They'd call that a leading question, and that's on purpose because it leads to some questions of their own or likely answers that are important that the survivors want answered. And that may look bad for Donald Trump. We'll stay on this story. Now when you go widen out to what's happening in Minnesota and beyond, we have something very special by the end of the hour as well as next the world stage recoiling from Trump his state of mind. What one lawyer from the first Trump term told us was his declining mental state. I have an update on that next.
- [32:48]
B
I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self injecting with the Vivgard Hytrulo pre filled syringe, which contains fgar, tigamide Alpha and Hyaluronidase cubicle ivfc. It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space on my time. It's my treatment, my way. Visit vivgardmyway.com that's V-Y-V-G-A-R-T myway.com and talk to your doctor about Vivgard Hytrulo Brought to you by Argenics this message is.
- [33:19]
A
Brought to you by Apple Card Apple Card members can earn unlimited daily cash back on everyday purchases wherever they shop. This means you could be earning daily cash on just about anything, like a slice of pizza from your local pizza place or a latte from the corner coffee shop. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app to see your credit limit offer in minutes subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch terms and.
- [33:44]
B
More@Applecard.Com you're listening with Athletic Brewing Company this time of year, everyone talks about going dry. Cool. We're skipping that because we prefer going Athletic, which isn't dry at all. From crisp goldens to hoppy IPAs and limited releases in between, you'll find something that fits your style. Every single non alcoholic brew is packed with flavor and the same craft experience you love. So yeah, you could call it dry, but there's really nothing dry about it. Find your new favorite near beer@athletic brewing.com Athletic Brewing Co. Fit for all times Donald Trump faces.
- [34:18]
A
Sagging, polling and protests at home, but abroad it's even more severe. Political reports. The Slovakian prime minister has told EU leaders that at a moment in a meeting earlier this month, there was concern about Trump's psychological state that he had dangerous and out of his mind type words and behavior. Prime Minister, we could tell you, now denies that he ever said that. Others have questioned Trump's mental state. As promised, here's what his White House lawyer from the first term told us. I think there's been a significant decline.
- [34:51]
F
He's always been driven by narcissism, but I think the dementia and the cognitive.
- [34:56]
D
Decline are palpable, as do many experts, including many physicians. I don't think there's anybody outside of the United States who believes that Trump is sane.
- [35:07]
A
That was Tsaikov's view. He returns tomorrow and some reporting backs up his supposition. Now writ large in America, we have Trump's deportation policies driving a wide revolt. People are opposed to all this, and yet at the same time, Americans have embraced Spanish music from the charts to the Super Bowl. What is this American paradox from what's happening in Minneapolis, which we've been covering all night, to this revolt, and yet this interest in diversity. Diversity. I'm gonna get into that next. There's a lot to take in across the nation while music's biggest night returns this weekend. The Grammys, as artists continue the tradition of bringing people together and expressing themselves through art. Rolling, yeah rolling on our river Squeeze on my heart now baby.
- [36:08]
D
To want.
- [36:08]
A
To be an American idiot I remember when we were driving Driving in your car. From familiar classics to newer voices like Bad Bunny or Sabrina Carpenter, this year's Grammys are drawing a lot of interest. We'll show you some of the new nominees. It's important for me to be able to, to really bring live music back.
- [36:43]
F
To the, to the, to the popular sc.
- [36:55]
A
I feel it quietly.
- [36:56]
E
We're just trying to raise the bar.
- [36:57]
A
For the game, period. If this world was a man I'd take your dreams and make em multiply and tonight on the beat we turn to the man in the center of the action. A Grammy nominated songwriter, producer, and now CEO of the recording academy that hosts the grammys. Harvey Mason Jr. Welcome back.
- [37:17]
F
Thank you, Ari. Appreciate it. It's great to be back. Those songs and the videos you just played are exactly why I'm so happy every day working at the Grammys. The show this weekend is going to be incred. I love all the artists you showed, all the music. So excited.
- [37:31]
A
Yeah. What's the, what's the theme or the vibe or a general momentum you feel going into this weekend?
- [37:37]
F
You know, it's nervous energy. A lot is happening. We're planning. Right behind me is the Grammy stage and the work that's being done to make the show possible, but also just working with all the different artists and their teams and selecting songs and performances and the staging. So it's, it's an intense time right now, but it's the best time. It's Grammy week.
- [37:56]
A
Yeah. And some of these artists, of course, have surged in ways that they're on everyone's mind. I know you love all the artists and nominees equally. Part of your job. But Bad Bunny is big. Nobody denies that going into a potentially historic super bowl performance as well as the Grammys. Let's take a look. What does Bad Bunny mean this year? And for some of our viewers who may be less hip to it, what do you think he's tapped into?
- [38:37]
F
Oh, the cultural zeitgeist. He's moving the needle. I, I honestly, even some of those little dance moves, I got to have some of that in my game. I don't have that. But I'm loving what's happening with music in general. Just the globalization. It doesn't matter where you're from or even what language you're singing, people are resonating with music all around the world. And for me, like, what's better than that?
- [38:58]
A
Yeah, I mentioned that you're a songwriter, and I think a lot of artists appreciate that about you. And you came up from a time that a lot of people recall, which was work. Radio performing tours build over time. That's change. Everybody knows that. We see that. From news to music. If you look at someone, some of your nominees right now, like Addison Rae or Alex Warren or folks who have really used social and TikTok first, how does that fit into to the diversity you're showing this weekend?
- [39:32]
F
I think it's great. It shows and means that it doesn't matter how you come up. It doesn't matter what technology or what tools you use. It's all about the creativity and what you come, how you, how you give your art form in a delivery, in a song, in a lyric. I don't care if you've spent 10 years crafting it or if you've done it in a shorter period of time, if you've come up on TikTok or if you've gone the traditional route. It's all about the art and the art form. And that's why I'm proud of the work we're doing at the Grammy. Organization is we're lifting artists regardless of where they're from or how they've done it.
- [40:02]
A
Yeah. Genres come and go in different ways. And the Grammys are interesting because it shows some level of what the peers and what the experts kind of think is hot. You know, hip hop had a, had this resurgence here on the beat. We love that. But this year, there's been a lot, a lot with pop. What we Might just call the mainstream, you know, pop. Taylor, Billy, Ariana, Bruno Mars had one of the biggest songs of the year, global Lady Gaga up for awards. What does it tell you or how do you view the really preeminence of pop this year among some of your nominees?
- [40:41]
F
It tells me we've got a prolific group of creators writing those songs, producing those songs, performing them. But I also don't see it as specifically look at our general feel. We have Latin, we have hip hop, we have all this diversity even in just the general field category. So yes, pop is having a moment and there are some just, you know, incredible artists and songs in, in that genre. But what excites me is that we're seeing people from all different types of genres all being considered for a lot of our awards.
- [41:10]
A
Yeah, we check the odds and as with sports, it doesn't tell you much. But when you look at album of the year, for example, the odds are Bad Bunny high, Kendrick in the middle there, Lady Gaga and Sabrina. I got a two part question. One, do you look at this as fun and indicative of anything or more of a distraction? And then two, a real question for someone in your position where there is power and interest on the line. Do you have to make sure that there's super confidentiality in everything else? Because like sports, you want it all to be fair and not be gamed, obviously.
- [41:45]
F
Yeah, and we're very careful about that. We don't want to share any of the results before they come out on Sunday and most any of us don't know any of those results. Deloitte knows probably coming up here in the next couple days, but no one else does. So I'm pretty confident there. As far as, you know, people trying to predict, I think it's great. I think it's a lot of fun. It shows people are interested, people are excited and people are looking forward to the show. So all good with me.
- [42:08]
A
Well, you just said something interesting that, you know, peaks my journalist ears. You're telling people don't realize this. You're telling everyone right now you're the boss, you do a lot of important planning, but you're telling us as of this moment even you don't know the winners because of that process you guys use.
- [42:25]
F
I don't. We keep that totally separate from the Grammy organization. The accounting, the tabulation of the votes and the ballot is all handled by a third party, actually one of the biggest accounting firms in the world. So I like to be able to sit back and I do find out a little bit before Everyone else, but it's nice to just kind of appreciate the process and see who's going to win.
- [42:44]
A
Yeah. Fascinating. Finally, one of the things I've always loved about the Grammys is that it is a concert. You watch the Oscars, there's not a lot of acting, there's a lot of speeches. You go to the the Grammys and especially the last few years. I mean, you've taken over here the last few years and I think it's fair to say people have talked about you revitalizing it, broadening it. It's a great concert. You can't give away everything. But what are the acts and the things you are excited about on the concert side, the performance side this weekend, Man.
- [43:14]
F
Ari, you are challenging my restraint because I want to share everything with you. And you've been such a great fan and supporter of music and the work we're doing. I would love to give you all the info, but right over my shoulder they are building a crazy stage that's going to host so many amazing artists. And what I'm excited about is the diversity. The young, the up and coming, the next superstars, the icons, the legends, the surprises, the moments we're going to like, you know, and party and sing and jump up and down on our chairs and then the moments that maybe we cry and we think and we consider what's going on in the world. So that's all gonna be on this show on Sunday, February 1, 5 o'.
- [43:49]
B
Clock.
- [43:50]
A
There you go. Well, I think a lot of people can agree that music still has this power. It does bring us together. And when different artists use it to push us to think or take in the world around us, that's a special thing, too. So we'll be watching. You know that here on the Beat, people at home can decide for themselves. Harvey Mason Jr. Thanks for coming on.
- [44:09]
F
Thanks, Ari. Always good.
- [44:12]
A
Harvey said. From dancing to crying. And we end tonight with how free expression is important. It's still one of our key rights. And this paradox, an anti immigrant, sometimes anti Latin agenda against a backdrop where if Bad Bunny were to win this Sunday, it would be the first ever Spanish language album of the year Grammy. He's headed to the Super Bowl. We are a diverse nation. There are ways we can still come together around culture. We end on that note tonight.
- [44:43]
B
You're listening with Athletic Brewing company. This time of year, everyone talks about going dry. Cool. We're skipping that because we prefer going athletic, which isn't dry at all. From crisp goldens to hoppy IPAs and limited releases. In between, you'll find something that fits your style. Every single non alcoholic brew is packed with flavor and the same craft experience you love. So yeah, you could call it dry, but there's really nothing dry about it. Find your new favorite near beer@athletic brewing.com Athletic Brewing Co. Fit for All Times.