Trump Loses Bid to Put Troops in Chicago

Summary

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The Beat with Ari Melber – “Trump Loses Bid to Put Troops in Chicago”

Date: October 17, 2025
Host: Ari Melber
Featured Guests: James Carville, Leah Greenberg, Ambassador Andrew Young

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on a major legal defeat for former President Trump, whose attempt to deploy troops in Chicago was blocked by a federal appeals court. Ari Melber leads a discussion about the legal, political, and societal ramifications of the court’s rebuke, the implications for American democracy, the ongoing protests against authoritarian policies, and a look forward to upcoming elections and civic action. The discussion features sharp insights from Democratic strategist James Carville, activist leader Leah Greenberg, and a moving perspective from civil rights icon Ambassador Andrew Young.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Court Blocks Trump’s Use of Troops in Chicago (00:30–05:47)

• The Court Ruling:
  Trump’s bid to deploy troops in Chicago, under the guise of a “rebellion,” was struck down by a powerful appeals court. The court ruled that political opposition doesn’t constitute a rebellion, affirming that democracy and protesting are not grounds for military intervention.

• Legal and Political Implications:

  • Trump’s only remaining legal route is an appeal to the Supreme Court, where Justice Barrett declined to offer immediate relief.
  • Ari notes the “political strategy of flooding the zone” with crises is being tested: “when people fight and the law holds, you can’t just have endless troops in the streets and an endless sort of military vibe in our country. That’s still not America.” (02:39)

• Takeaway:
  The rule of law stands firm, reminding the public that not all of Trump’s strategies prevail and that the legal system can act as a check on executive overreach.

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2. Weaponization of DOJ & Targeting Political Foes (05:00–09:46)

• John Bolton’s Indictment:
  The DOJ indicts former Trump official John Bolton for alleged mishandling of classified documents. Multiple high-profile figures on Trump’s “enemies list,” including Bolton and Comey, are targeted. This prompts claims, including from conservative sources like the Wall Street Journal, that the prosecutions are politically motivated.

• Quote:
  “If you work for the president and he sours on you and you criticize him, you’re not safe… the underlying motivation for the Bolton prosecution is retribution.” (Paraphrased from Wall Street Journal, cited at 05:20)

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3. James Carville’s Political Analysis (05:47–16:02)

A. Democratic Momentum & Upcoming Elections

• Optimism for Democrats:
  Carville expresses confidence in Democratic resolve—especially regarding the budget standoff and state races in Virginia and New Jersey:
  “There is zero appetite to give in. Even if they wanted to, they couldn’t because Democratic voters come out of the woodwork.” (06:21)

• On Recent Polls:
  “AP-University of Chicago poll has Trump at 37%. I’m sorry, guys, you’re hooked up to a loser and we just have to keep making them pay.” (07:20)

B. Joe Rogan & Defections from Trump

• Ari plays a Joe Rogan clip voicing concerns over military action against civilians.
• Carville notes: “He told you he was going to be all about retribution... all he cares about is trying to get back at his enemies and that’s where he spends all of his time. And I’m sorry, a lot of people just made a bad bet in 2024.” (08:14)

C. Weaponization of Government

• On John Bolton:
  “If you lie down with a skunk, you’re going to smell bad. And John Bolton made a decision to lie down with a skunk.” (09:46)
  He chastises Trump’s focus on vendettas instead of people’s real problems.

D. Urban Politics & Zoran Mandami

• Carville praises Mandami’s focus on issues like rent stabilization, affordable housing, and transit:
  “If I could have one guest to demonstrate to my students how to communicate, I think I would pick him. That guy stays on message.” (11:35)

• Carville highlights that Mandami’s strength is his ability to make constituents feel seen:
  “In politics, two thirds of it is not what you do, it’s what you see. And if you tell people I see you, they’re going to give you a lot of time and a lot of leeway to try to help them.” (15:12)

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4. Protests, Civic Action, and 'No Kings' Movement (16:02–33:05)

A. Mass Protests and Patriotic Dissent

• Carville supports the no Kings protests:
  “I think this is the most American patriotic thing that you can do… I’m not just going to participate in this. I’m going to bring some food… might even bring an ice chest full of adult beverages…” (17:04)

• Carville on protest’s emotional impact:
  “It’s cathartic. At least people feel like, you know, I’ve just been sitting here, I’ve been taking it… It will do some good. If it does no good, you will feel better at the end of the day.” (18:28)

B. Supreme Court & Voting Rights Concerns

• Frustration with the Supreme Court’s alignment:
  “The Supreme Court is a Republican court. It is an adjunct of the Republican Party… You gotta follow them because they can come arrest you. But never ever respect these people.” (19:43)

• On racism and recent voting rights cases:
  “I’m panicked. I live in Louisiana. I heard the Chief justice… saying racism is gone in this country. It no longer exists. What are you talking about?” (20:58)

C. Misinformation and Government Response to Protests

• Ari and James play clips of right-wing figures mischaracterizing the no Kings rallies as “I Hate America” rallies, and cover efforts like Texas sending the National Guard to protests in Austin.
• “There is nothing more American than a political protest.” (24:10)

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5. Leah Greenberg and The Grassroots No Kings Movement (28:24–33:05)

• Leah Greenberg (Indivisible) discusses the broad base and energy of the no Kings protests:
  “This movement is a big tent. It is everyone collectively across this country who is standing against Donald Trump’s authoritarianism, his corruption, his attacks on our neighbors and on our rights, and who is coming together collectively to say enough is enough.” (29:03)

• Greenberg emphasizes the movement’s local, grassroots character:
  “This is not just for people who are political… You want to get into community with other people who are standing up.” (30:47)

• On Trump’s poll numbers and strategy:
  “[The Trump team] is trying to bully and cow everyone… and create the sense that he is inevitable… What something like no Kings does… is we break that spell. We push back against that fundamental lie that he is all powerful...” (32:15)

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6. Historical Perspective from Ambassador Andrew Young (38:10–44:03)

• Young recounts his experiences growing up in the Deep South amidst racism and the Nazi presence:
  “The Nazi party was 50 yards from where I was born on Cleveland Avenue just off Canal street in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1932. They were heiling Hitler… I had to learn to get along in that neighborhood.” (39:09)

• On endurance and optimism:
  “Martin Luther King always said, ‘Truth crushed to earth will rise again. And truth forever on the scaffold, wrong, forever on the throne. But the scaffold sways the future.’ And behind the dim unknown standeth God within the shadows, keeping watch above his own.” (42:19)

• On reconciliation:
  “Growing up in the south and in New Orleans and Atlanta, I had a lot of dealing with people who were serious racists, and they ended up working with us in Atlanta... All of them ended up my friends.” (43:47)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ari Melber:
  “That’s still not America.” (02:39)

• James Carville:
  “If you lie down with a skunk, you’re going to smell bad.” (09:46)

• Leah Greenberg:
  “You don’t have to be someone who follows politics a ton to know that what is happening right now is wrong and you want to stand up.” (30:47)

• Ambassador Andrew Young:
  “If you lose your temper in a fight, you lose your fight, you lose the fight.” (40:20)
  “Truth crushed to earth will rise again.” (42:19)

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Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Quote | |------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:30 | Melber summarizes Trump’s loss in appeals court regarding troops in Chicago. | | 06:21 | Carville on Democratic backbone and poll numbers. | | 09:08 | Bolton on DOJ retribution; Carville on Bolton’s choice. | | 11:35 | Carville praises Mandami’s clear, people-focused messaging. | | 17:04 | Carville supports no Kings protests as deeply American; personal plans to join/provide food. | | 19:43 | Carville critiques the Supreme Court as a GOP tool; follow but don’t respect them. | | 24:10 | Carville: “There is nothing more American than a political protest.” | | 29:03 | Leah Greenberg: Explanation of the movement’s big tent, grassroots nature. | | 32:15 | Greenberg on breaking the illusion of Trump’s inevitability. | | 39:09 | Ambassador Young: Growing up near Nazi party in New Orleans; early lessons on overcoming hate. | | 42:19 | Young: “Truth crushed to earth will rise again.” — MLK quote. |

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Conclusion

This episode of The Beat provides both a timely update on setbacks for Trump’s hardline governance and an expansive discussion about the state of American democracy. Carville’s energetic analysis, Greenberg’s activist insights, and Andrew Young’s historical wisdom create a tapestry connecting today’s events to America’s broader civil rights struggle. The episode, ultimately, is a clarion call for civic engagement, robust protest, and vigilance against authoritarian drift—urging Americans to see, to act, and to hope.

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Transcript

[James Carville]

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[Ari Melber]

This is Jeff Lewis from Radio Andy live and uncensored. Catch me talking with my friends about my latest obsessions, relationship issues and bodily ailments. With that kind of drama that seems to follow me, you never know what's going to happen. You can listen to Jeff Lewis live at home or anywhere you are. Download the SiriusXM app for over 425 channels of ad free music, sports, entertainment and more. Subscribe now and get 3 months free offer details apply. Welcome to the Beat, everyone. Happy Friday. I'm Ari Melbourne. We have James Carville here to kick off our show to end this week, lead this segment. He's going to be in our leadoff segment. You can see he's in a beautiful place. So, James, we'll check in on your vibes in a couple moments. We're tracking a new court laws for President Trump. Another court now stopping his bid to try to seize powers and put troops in the streets, something that has been, of course, controversial with a lot of protest. Trump has been trying to claim the power, deploy troops, and he's done it under the authority of what he calls rebellion. That's even when governors oppose using their state's guard that way. And even when there's no apparent rebellion, not one that anyone has seen. Well, judges have rebuffed Trump and this powerful appeals court is blocking Trump's plot to put the troops in Chicago as unlawful. A court telling Trump that he's wrong. He does not have this power. And when it comes to this factual question that I just mentioned of, well, does the rebellion clause kick in? This appeals court ruling that democracy and political opposition are not an organized rebellion, reinforcing Trump's prior losses in the lower courts on the abuse of this same type of power. So Trump is losing on the law. This is not rebellion, the court says. Now, the language and precedent are pretty clear there. So Trump's only legal path to still trying to get his troops back into the streets here would be to get the Supreme Court to bail him out, something they have done on other issues. So he's asking the high court to overrule this loss. Justice Barrett today did not order the type of stay that Trump wants. So instead, no emergency immediate action today, which means he is still on the losing side of this. Illinois officials can respond by the end of the day Monday, the beginning of next week, if you are keeping track. This is another loss where Donald Trump has, of course, some agents and some troops in the streets and some level of concern, fear, and even among some people, a kind of despondent feeling that, well, I guess he's getting away with it all. And on some things he is, but on this one he's not. And so the political strategy of flooding the zone or taking the L's and hoping people just focus on other things is being tested because it turns out when people fight and the law holds, you can't just have endless troops in the streets and an endless sort of military vibe in our country. That's still not America. Now, then there's Trump's doj, which continues to grind through these indictments. They've now turned this week to a Trump official from the first term. And today, John Bolton we saw walking in to court where he pled not guilty to these charges of mishandling classified documents stemming from the security access he had in Donald Trump's first term. The wider context is that Trump has been using the DOJ to go after individuals who all have one thing in common. I mean, here you have people from different parties from different parts of the country, state and federal officials. What do they all have in common? They are currently on Donald Trump's enemies list. And while there are some differences in the Bolton case, and we covered that when the news broke, when you look at the focus on what are factually older incidents, you have to get your calendar out and go back and years to find out what they're talking about with Comey and Bolton. Well, that adds to the skepticism, the questions raised about whether the Bolton case is also, even if the facts are stronger, part of Trump's vendetta. So here, take one outside view from Rupert Murdoch's media empire, which, as you know, includes Fox News, Wall Street Journal. And they've backed many Trump policies. And yet in the Journal here, they're saying if you work for the president and he sours on you and you criticize him, you're not safe. There's little doubt Rupert Murdoch's Journal notes that the underlying motivation for the Bolton prosecution is retribution. The calls are now coming from inside this conservative alliance. Fox News, you might say, is not as strong as the Journal on that issue about what the Journal says is Donald Trump's unlawful prosecution of foes. But Fox News this week also joined all other major news outlets in resisting the Pentagon crackdown from one of their own former employees, Pete Hegseth, who had said, go with the autocratic plan. You have to submit everything for their authorized authorization before you publish it. Fox said no, and the Journal's saying no, and the judges are saying no. It's a lot of no's, even in an environment where people feel like Trump is getting away with stuff. And, and so we turn, as promised immediately to James Carville, legendary Democratic strategist, Ragin Cajun guy with a pretty good view heading into the weekend. Welcome back.

[James Carville]

Thank you. I'm delighted to be back. Always fun Friday afternoon, my favorite time to be on the show.

[Ari Melber]

There we go. And I know on the east coast people are having their drinks, getting ready for dinner. Let's start with the losing, because you have long said if people don't know about it, it's not going to matter that much. And you got to get the word out. What does it mean to you and to the party that I know you support in fighting Trump, that I just went through a list of losses and do you get that out to the country? Does that calcify the backbone going into these weekend protests?

[James Carville]

Well, a couple of things that we're going to get out to the country because they're going to be stopped getting out of the country. First of all, the Democrats are not going to cave on this budget thing. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't. There is no appetite among Democratic voters to give in. I don't think there's any appetite among Democrats on the Hill, both the House and the Senate. Secondly, we're going to win in Virginia and we're probably in all likelihood going to win in New Jersey. So that is going to change the entire dynamic of the coverage. And I mean, I'm sorry, Cynthome or Speaker Johnson can go out and do all the talking points they want. You better prepare your caucus for a long haul because the Democrats feel they're winning this fight. They feel like they're not going to lose it. They feel like they're on the right side and there is zero appetite to give in. If they wanted to, they couldn't because Democratic voters come out of the woodwork. You better brace yourself for what's going to happen in November because this is the first time that voters are going to go to post. And we've had special elections. And every one the Democrats have outperformed by over 15 points. So the moment of reckoning cometh and it's not that far away. And now we have the AP University of Chicago poll has Trump at 37%. So I'm sorry, guys, you're hooked up to a loser and we just have to keep making them pay. It's that simple. It really is.

[Ari Melber]

I mentioned the breadth of the opposition. I want to play Joe Rogan here, who of course hosted Trump on his podcast, speaks to many millions of people. Here's new rogue.

[James Carville]

Right.

[Ari Melber]

But does that mean that you support everything that they're doing now? Are they kicking people out? No, no. This, this, this storming into Home Depot and arresting people. No, no. That's not cool either. The military in the street I think is a dangerous precedent, James.

[James Carville]

Well, look, I don't know Joe Rogan. I really don't know. Show us really not in my demographic wheelhouse, but he's obviously a very talented guy. Mr. Rogan, you didn't know this was going to happen when you endorsed him. You didn't know he was in loan of vengeance to it. You didn't know he was going to try to arrest his enemies. He told you he was going to be all about retribution. I mean, I understand where you're coming from. I'm very happy that you see the light. And all of the other people that said, well, maybe he'll do something about prices. He doesn't care one word about prices. And by the way, nothing has been done about prices. I all that he cares about is trying to get back at his enemies and that's where he spends all of his time. And I'm sorry, a lot of people just made a bad bet in 2024. I've been on the wrong side of a trade in my life before. I know how it feels. And all of these guys made a really, really bad bet.

[Ari Melber]

Well, you mentioned the focus on his enemies. John Bolton's a longtime conservative. He's now in the sauce with the rest of them, and this is what he says. I become the latest target in the Trump weaponizing of the Justice Department. These charges are not just about his focus on me or his he mentions his diaries. But the Trump effort to intimidate opponents to set and disagreement are foundational to America's constitutional system, vitally important to our freedom. James, we're in the early days of these cases. We don't know if Trump will win any of them, although they have a huge effect on people's lives, careers, money, Even if Trump loses, what do you think of Bolton there?

[James Carville]

Well, I mean, Bowdoin got caught up in it. And you know, if you get in, you know, your parents tell you and you hear it all the time, if you lie down with a skunk, you're going to smell bad. And John Bowden made a decision to lie down with a skunk. Okay. He understood at some point what he was doing. I suspect that he'll beat this. But all of the other people that were just doing their jobs that are being here, but it's to Trump. All right? It's all, it's not about people getting ahead. It's not about people struggling, trying to pay bills. It's not about people wanting an education. It's about getting the people that he doesn't like to use the power of the government to get even with him. And this is not going to work. People want a presidency and they want a government about their lives. And they get, they're not getting that at all. We get it about Trump's grievances and it's going to start paying up. They're going to start paying a price. And we should be the benefit. Fresh air as it is.

[Ari Melber]

I want to get you on Zoran Mandami. We talked about him early on. You talked about his economic message. He squared off in this debate last night. You mentioned Virginia. The, you know, the election we have is going to be Virginia. There's also New York City and there are going to be people looking to what this says about the party here he was last night. Well, I'm proud to say that I, yes, will freeze the rent for more than 2 million rent stabilized tenants. And I will also build 200,000 truly affordable homes across the five boroughs over the next 10 years. We will have dedicated teams of mental health outreach workers in the top 100 subway stations with the highest levels of the mental health crisis and homelessness. I'm proud to have a comprehensive plan to bring new ideas to this city. If you want more of the same, vote for Andrew Cuomo. Is he the face of the Democratic Party if he wins this race?

[James Carville]

Well, I will say this. I talk communications at the college level. Four years of community college, nine years of Tulane, Ford, lsu. If I could have one guess to demonstrate to my students how to communicate, I think I would pick him. That guy stays on message. You cannot, you cannot get him out of talking about affordability. You notice what he was talking about? Rent stabilization, building more houses. He talks about transit and it's just a real tutorial. And People keep saying, well, you said this about Palestine, or you said this about this. And he just keeps bringing it back to it as the focal point. And Mandami does something that is very important. He tells people, I see you, I see what your life is. Look, may he not be my ideological compadre, or maybe some different. But I tell you what, that guy can communicate.

[Ari Melber]

Well, you're not known.

[James Carville]

Somebody can do that.

[Ari Melber]

You're not known as a young leftist.

[James Carville]

You know, who hadn't said stupid things in their 20s.

[Ari Melber]

Okay, all right.

[James Carville]

Or done stupid things in the 20s. He's actually. The more I see him when it started out, I'll be honest with you, I wasn't for him. And a lot of my friends of my generation, of my persuasion of politics said, james, you don't get it. This guy's got some talent. He's got some freshness about it, and he's kind of what the city needs. And, you know, my friends were more right than I was. And he's going to win, obviously. And what he's not. He's not focused. What. He's focusing on people's lives. So he's focusing on a cost, what he's focusing on. You know, I do live in New York. I spend a lot of time there. These people that live in, like, Queens or Brooklyn or Bronx or something like that, man, they. Staten island, they have a hard time. I mean, every price increase that they get, it's like a shock to their system. And this guy sees it. And I think he's got a lot to teach us. I really do. I think he's way more to teach us about him. That's really good, right?

[Ari Melber]

He's speaking about a city, and there are a lot of urban centers that have a different bundle of benefits and challenges to live there. And affordability is one. And James, the way you're talking about his quest, you reminded me of a lyric. It is Friday night. I don't know if you know this one, but it's a rap lyric where the artist says, you know, I told my friends I'm gonna make it in New York. And they said, you ever even go there, don't you know you gotta be rich just to be poor there? And you've got. You got that dynamic where. And it's not just New York, of course, a lot of these cities are expensive. And so you can have a decent life and a decent job and feel like those are problems, because obviously if Mondami. And this is something Democrats are talking about, and you can. You can respond. If Mondavi was only speaking to the call it the the lowest 20%, right. Then, right. In an election, you'd only have those 20% interested and you need to get up to 51. So there are people who aren't totally broke or looking for quote, unquote, government assistance, food assistance, who still also seem to find his. His view resonating.

[James Carville]

Well, come on, man, it's expensive. I went to New York a rich man. I left in the middle class. I mean, I joined a great American middle class after spending four days. But it's the greatest city in the world. But it's also expensive. And most people that experience it don't have a car to pick them up at the airport. They have to take the transit. They got to come in. They have to walk the streets. They have to live the life. They have to, you know, shop for groceries. They have to live that. And they live there because there's opportunities, cost. And I think what he's just telling people is I see you and I see your struggles. I mean, I don't know if his city grocery stores are going to work, but he's telling people that your grocery prices are too high. I don't really know if he can build 200,000 housing units and alleviate housing costs, but at least he's saying, I see you. I know this is your problem. In politics, two thirds of it is not what you do, it's what you see. And if you tell people I see you, they're going to give you a lot of time and a lot of leeway to try to help them. They really will. And I think this guy's got some credibility now. You know, it's a tough job and there's a long way to go here. But I'm encouraged by what I'm seeing. I got to be honest with you.

[Ari Melber]

I want to get your view on these protests. Tonight on msnbc, Rachel's doing a special show. She took her time to produce this new film that looks back at the MLK victories, the struggle and Andrew Young, who you know, any day we have Carvel's a big day, James. But with all respect to you, we are also very excited by the end of the hour, we have the great ambassador Andrew Young here. And so what I want to ask you about is that middle ground between the activism and the protests, which can sound very highfalutin, and the electoral part, which you were just briefing us on in Virginia and elsewhere. So going to stick around, right?

[James Carville]

Correct.

[Ari Melber]

Okay, we got James. We're going to get into those no Kings protests and the legacy of that protest movement. We're back together in 90 seconds. We're back with James Carville. People out in the streets tomorrow. These are big no Kings protest plans. Your views on the power of this and how it may or may not affect the turnout and what the Democrats are trying to build?

[James Carville]

Well, I'm gonna get up in the morning, I'm gonna go to the supermarket and buy about four dozen sandwiches and I'm gonna bring them to the protesters. I think this is the most American patriotic thing that you can do. And I think this is a wonderful thing that people are sort of taking this in their own hands. I mean, will there be certain people with different ideological agendas there? Yeah, of course they will. But by and large, 90% of this are going to be people that are scared for their country, is scared to death about the fugitive country. They watching troops on our streets that, you know, there's the first time in our history where the payment on a debt is now higher than we spent on defense. And I wholeheartedly, and I promise you, all right, I'm not just going to participate in this. I'm going to bring some food, I'm going to bring some stuff. I might even bring a ice chest full of adult beverages there for the people if they want it. But I think what these people are doing is a, is a wonderful thing and I'm going to find the one closest to me and I'm going to join them in any way that I can.

[Ari Melber]

James Carville tailgating at a political protest.

[James Carville]

I'm not going to. I got to hurry up and get back because we got an early kickoff against Vanderbilt. It's noon eastern so I can't stay out there too long. But I can show the flag.

[Ari Melber]

Does it impact the coming elections and midterms or too. Too early to tell.

[James Carville]

I hope it does, but it's cathartic. At least people feel like, you know, I've just been sitting here, I've been taking it up and reading about this. I've been angry. Just all of this pent up demand that a lot of people feel in the country, myself included. And you know, it's a nice time of year. Generally the weather down here, it's great. I hope it's great in most places and I hope people show up and if it does no good, you will feel better at the end of the day. I think it will do some good. I think they're scared. They're trying to say it. I don't know that Lennon is somehow another behind all of this, or you know, George Soros, which is always that. But I think the way to deal with this, I'm going to go out and I'm going to be very proud and very happy and feel very good. I'm going to bring some goodies along for the other people that are out there. I really believe it's a good thing. Yes, I do.

[Ambassador Andrew Young]

Yeah.

[Ari Melber]

And when you look at the Supreme Court, I mean, so many of these issues land back there. And again, Trump ends the week with another setback, limiting the troops power. But then you, it's all headed back to this court. And I'm curious what you think about that and what the Democrats are supposed to say because it can be enervating if they keep beating him. And then the court seems to take these away as Pyrrhic victories.

[James Carville]

So Louisiana is a state that's 1/3 black. We have six congressional districts. They seem to be about to rule that you can draw them anywhere you want to. They're talking about bringing the legislature back in special session. So we may not even have a single blacks in Louisiana or one third of our population may not have a single black person representing the state and the United States House of Representatives. The Supreme Court is a Republican court. It is an adjunct of the Republican Party. You do not need to respect what they do. You don't need to like what they do. You gotta follow them because they can come arrest you. But never ever respect these people. Never ever think that they conscientious of the law and they try to decide something along the basis of Constitution. They could have one wit about the Constitution. And every American needs to know that. You just, you got to follow them, but you do not have to respect them at all. And you can feel free to tell them what you think because I've just had the opportunity to tell them exactly what I think.

[Ari Melber]

Yeah. So you sound like you're concerned that this, the voting rights case this week, which connects with what I was mentioning. Go ahead.

[James Carville]

I'm panicked. I'm panicked. I live here. I live in Louisiana. I'm in Mississippi right now. I heard the supreme, the Chief justice of Supreme Court saying racism is gone in this country. It no longer exists. What are you talking about, man? Would you like to just come walk into Walmart with me? Okay. Do you think there is a single black person within a 500 mile radius of me that thinks there's no racism in the United States? You gotta be kidding me. Of course there is. And of course people know it. And there's a lot of people that don't like it. I think I'm one of them.

[Ari Melber]

Yeah. It's funny because we were having that conversation coverage the day the court hearing and it was almost like they'd prepped these arguments in some other time and they said, oh, well, aren't we past all of this? Which isn't something that people on the right would say. They've been saying that things are out of control, anti woke and we're in it. And it's not something that people on the left are saying. So it felt very much like the justices were in some kind of bubble.

[James Carville]

All right, you have J.D. vance, the Vice President, United States, being an apologist for Nazism. You have people talking about lynching people. You have people talking about gas chambers and you have him saying, oh, it's just Himmler and Eichmann and Goring and all the boys cutting up and snapping towels in the locker room. That's the vice President. You had the President of the United States, Donald John Trump in 2016, who wouldn't say anything negative about David Duke. And you and I know the reason. Every person listening to the show knows a reason. They think they need their votes. They are scared to offend them. That's why Vance was like, oh, that's no big deal. It's just some people cutting up on the Internet and John Roberts is totally fine with that and other people are not. But that's the country we live in. Hopefully tomorrow somebody will get a message and a lot of people will come out, show people what we think of our country. Not just with John Roberts or Donald Trump or J.D. vance or a bunch of congressional snot noses trafficking some kind of racist, anti Semitic garbage.

[Ari Melber]

Clear as day where you stand. We appreciate. No, we appreciate you weighing in. Enjoy your tailgating tomorrow. James Carva. We appreciate it. Thank you, sir. I'll tell folks what's coming up. I mentioned it's a special night here at msnbc, a warning about this agenda, including the anti democracy movement from our colleague Rachel.

[James Carville]

I think they are trying to impose one party permanent rule, getting rid of American democracy and all, for all intents and purposes and having an authoritarian takeover of the country.

[Ari Melber]

We have more on that coming up. And Mike Johnson, why he looks scared. We have one of the leading no Kings organizers getting ready for tomorrow next. So just to be clear, peacefully protesting a wannabe dictator means you hate America. Attacking the Capitol to overturn an election. Patriotic walking tour.

[James Carville]

There is nothing more American than a political protest.

[Ari Melber]

The American American Revolution was a no Kings rally. The American Revolution was a no Kings rally. That's the end of the punchlines, but of course it's simply true. And we're ending another one of those weeks where you look around at what's happening. Very aggressive ICE raids out in our country, efforts to put troops out in the streets. As we began the show with that coverage, a government shutdown that's continuing. And now these civic protests, some of them long planned, to exactly what was warned about even before Trump won the November election, that while he may have had ideas and pitches that were appealing to some people, James Carville was just referencing that. He was very clear about an anti democracy autocratic agenda which he had embraced, of course, previously on the infamous January 6th attack. So these no Kings rallies, this movement which really congealed in the past summer, has, according to These estimates, about 5 million people engaged, signed up or intending to come out to protests which are scheduled across the country. This is not some red blue thing. They are scheduled for all 50 states this weekend. In fact, it's not 100 or 300. It's over 2,000 locations, some of them in rural areas, smaller, some of them quite large. Saturday, here you see the map. Organizers say the number of people who've signed up is already double what their baseline was for those very effective June protests. And in a sign that it's working. Politics is usually a fight. The worst thing you can have happen is to be ignored. You put some small event together, nobody cares. Well, that ain't this. There are MAGA leaders and of course the sitting president who seem rattled by this movement, who know it's making an impact and they are now trying to to either rebrand it or lie about it.

[James Carville]

They're going to descend on our Capitol for their much anticipated so called no Kings rally. We refer to it by its more.

[Leah Greenberg]

Accurate description, the Hate America rally.

[Ari Melber]

You look at this no Kings rally and there's considerable evidence that George Soros and his network is behind funding these rallies. The Democrats think this is a political stunt for their no Kings protest next Saturday.

[James Carville]

It's pretty grotesque.

[Ari Melber]

We'll see mobs of radicals at the.

[Leah Greenberg]

I Hate America rally and you'll see them across the country.

[Ari Melber]

Of course, it's not a, quote, I Hate America rally. So even in this supposed warning, you have government officials who are supposed to have some responsibility lying about what the name of the thing is and what's happening there in Texas, the Republican governor looking to send the National Guard and law enforcement to Austin ahead of the Protest there. Democrats see this as both a kind of political elixir, an energy around this, because when you do something and everyone else is responding well, you are setting some of the agenda. That's something that Donald Trump has been effective at with pr. He does all this stuff and everyone else is responding here. The activists have done something that has D.C. responding before they even get at it this weekend. And remember, protest free speech. These are fundamental American rights that of course go to whether we have a king or not, whether we can have free speech, whether we still have a First Amendment.

[James Carville]

Millions of Americans in cities, towns, villages.

[Ari Melber]

Rural areas across the country will exercise one of the most fundamental rights under the Constitution. Showing up to express dissent against an out of control administration that's as American as motherhood, baseball and apple pieces. What you'll see this weekend is what patriotism looks like. That's the back and forth. So how does this all work? We actually have one of the lead organizers of this no Kings movement here next.

[James Carville]

I'm going to bring some stuff. I might even bring a ice chest full of adult beverages there for the people if they want it. But I think what these people are doing is a, is a wonderful thing and I'm going to find the one closest to me and I'm going to join them in any way that I can.

[Ari Melber]

Democratic statist James Carville sharing his tailgate plans for tomorrow's protests. Now we turn to someone inside the action. Leah Greenberg is the co executive director of Indivisible, one of the organizers involved in what have become these rather large nationwide no Kings protests. Welcome.

[Leah Greenberg]

Great to be here tonight.

[Ari Melber]

What are you doing this weekend?

[Leah Greenberg]

I will be at the D.C. no Kings protest along with many, many, many other people and enjoying the incredible footage coming in from across.

[Ari Melber]

And what is the goal here for people who've heard about it or. Okay, no Kings, sure, but what are you trying to get across through this movement?

[Leah Greenberg]

Well, this movement is a big tent. It is everyone collectively across this country who is standing against Donald Trump's authoritarianism, his corruption, his attacks on our neighbors and on our rights, and who is coming together collectively to say enough is enough. And what we are seeing is that people are responding to that message everywhere in the country. This is not just about blue cities or blue states. This is everywhere. Everywhere. Red cities, rural areas, places where there's never been a protest of Trump or Trumpism. They're all coming out right now. That's how bad it is.

[Ari Melber]

Yeah, you're emphasizing that it's not just blue or a focus that way. And that's, I think striking because I've mentioned tonight MSNBC here is working with this Rachel Maddow film looking at the civil rights movement, which was also, people sometimes forget, highly open minded in trying to recruit anyone and recruiting people across party lines if they were consistent on those core issues. And so I want to play from TikTok. We have people talking about these protests and engaging in it, which seems different from sort of a top down or D.C. democrat thing. Take a look.

[Leah Greenberg]

That incredibly patriotic pro America event that's happening.

[Ari Melber]

Make your own kind of music. We're going to use our vote to.

[James Carville]

Try to stop maga, but we'll use our voice to try and build our community.

[Leah Greenberg]

Make a funny sign, meet some people. Even if you're like, oh, Keela, I don't do politics. Baby politics gonna do you, do you live in this country? Okay, you need to do some politics right now.

[James Carville]

Have a blessed day and see you at the rally.

[Ari Melber]

What are you seeing in your personal experience about the interest you have, the recruitment you have? And what would you say to somebody watching or listening to this, who's thinking, oh, that's cool. But I don't know if it's for them. I don't know if they'd go and I don't as, you know, advocate one way or the other. But what would you say to them?

[Leah Greenberg]

Well, I think what you see in those videos is the beauty of something that is really locally owned, locally led, and that millions of people feel like they are a part of and have part of. Right. This is not just for people who are political. This is, you don't have to be someone who follows politics a ton to know that what is happening right now is wrong and you want to stand up and that you want to get into community with other people who are standing up. So what I see there is the magic of a movement that is owned by everyone all over the country.

[Ari Melber]

When you look at Trump's actual standing, I don't know about you, but it really seems odd sometimes it will put up the number. He's one of the least popular presidents after an election in history. He did win, he lawfully won the election last year, but he is not popular in the country now that people see what he's doing. And as I think you and many of our viewers know, because we have politically informed viewers, there's usually what's called a honeymoon period. If you win an election in that first year after usually do better and later you tend to have problems. He's already burnt up whatever honeymoon there was. 37 is bad. My question for you as a, as a leader in this is why doesn't that seem to be more widely understood? It sometimes feels like in the discourse and in the vibe, oh, he's, he must be doing better, or, oh, he has support. And then you have to look at the number and remind yourself, no, he doesn't.

[Leah Greenberg]

Well, I think that goes straight to the strategy that they've used, right? Which is straight out of the authoritarian playbook, which is that they have been trying to bully and cow everyone in public life into submission over the last 10 months. They have gone after corporations, billionaires, they've gone after law firms and higher education. They've gone after elected officials and state officials. What they are trying to do is kind of consolidate their power, push back on everyone and create the sense that he is inevitable, that he's backed by an unstoppable, powerful movement, that he will inevitably consolidate power and what something like no Kings does, what is causing them to freak out right now is we break that spell. We push back against that fundamental lie that he is all powerful, that he has this extraordinary backing and we show that opposition to Donald Trump is big and it's beautiful and it is growing and it is everywhere.

[Ari Melber]

Really interesting to get your perspective from inside the movement. Leah Greenberg. Thank you. When we come back, that warning I shared, brand new from Rachel. You'll hear it here. Are you curious about the hidden side of everything? Then I have a podcast for you. I'm Stephen Dubner, host of Freakonomics Radio. Each week we hear from some of the most fascinating scholars and thinkers as we tackle big topics like how whales became the face of environmental activism, how to succeed at failing, and whether public transportation should be free. Go ahead, listen to Freakonomics Radio wherever you get your podcasts.

[Leah Greenberg]

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[Ari Melber]

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[James Carville]

What we've got right now, what the movement is right now that Americans on the other side are up against, is a movement that is deathly afraid of the fact that there.

[Ari Melber]

Are no longer, there is no longer.

[James Carville]

Going to be a white majority in this country within 20 years.

[Ari Melber]

They want to guarantee all white rule.

[James Carville]

And to the extent they can, one party rule in this country in a way that is impervious to those democratic changes.

[Ari Melber]

They do not want people who are.

[James Carville]

Not white and people who are not on their side of the issues to have a shot at political power anymore.

[Ari Melber]

This is not a new idea.

[James Carville]

This is not some innovation of the 21st century. This is simply a return to the.

[Ari Melber]

Kind of politics that kept Jim Crow in force. You can call it politics, you can call it discrimination, in some cases, you can call it the autocratic threat to our democracy itself. As you hear there, Rachel is very clear eyed about what is happening and why. It is a return to parts of our history we have tried collectively to defeat, to fight and face. Tonight she has this powerful film about exactly that history and what we might learn from it.

[James Carville]

I think the Trump administration, people who are working for him know what they're trying to do. I think they are trying to impose one party permanent rule, getting rid of American democracy and all for all intents and purposes and having an authoritarian takeover of the country. Like I think, I think they know what they're doing. What are you doing in a meeting? That could have been an email.

[Ari Melber]

That's right, you're losing interest.

[Leah Greenberg]

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[James Carville]

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[Ari Melber]

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[James Carville]

In giving you more. So how much interest could you earn? Find [e-mail] cashplus offered by Vanguard Marketing.

[Leah Greenberg]

Corporation member FINRA and SIPC.

[Ari Melber]

Hey, this is Jeff Lewis from Radio Andy live and uncensored. Catch me talking with my friends about my latest obsessions, relationship issues and bodily ailments with that kind of drama that seems to follow me, you never know what's going to happen. You can listen to Jeff Lewis live at home or anywhere you are. Download the SiriusXM app for over 425 channels of AD, free music, sports, entertainment and more. Subscribe now and get 3 months free. Offer Details Apply.

[Leah Greenberg]

Dogs deserve the best and that means fresh, healthy food. Unlike other brands, Ollie offers five flavors that are as nutritious as they are delicious, all made in US kitchens without harmful fillers or preservatives. Head to ollie.com, tell them all about your dog and use code HappyPup to get 60% off your welcome kit. With a bonus you'll get a storage container for a mess free experience and it comes with a 30 day money back guarantee if your dog doesn't lick the bowl clean.

[Ari Melber]

Tonight, MSNBC is debuting Rachel Maddow's new MSNBC documentary, Andrew Young the Dirty Work. This is just some of the scenes from the documentary focusing on someone who has etched his life's ambition and hope for equality into not only American history, but quite specifically American law. Young was, of course, one of MLK's closest confidants in the civil rights fight. He began working for King as far back as 1957. He would write answers to letters for King. He would consult on not only the movement's goals, but, as this documentary explains, certain things other people at the time could not or did not want to do. They're joined by the great civil rights icon, Ambassador Andrew Young. He is the star and subject, of course, of this film Dirty Work. He's the former ambassador of the United nations appointed by President Carter. He's a former congressman. Just some of what you have done in your life. I have to say it is an honor to have you with us tonight. Thank you for being here.

[Ambassador Andrew Young]

Well, and I'm very proud of you to have me here and to give me a chance to say thank you for letting me have access to the news media to tell the story of the ups and downs of my 93 years of life. I grew up in New Orleans and I grew up in the midst of this very kind of life. The Nazi party was 50 yards from where I was born on Cleveland Avenue just off Canal street in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1932. They were heiling Hitler and my aunt lived two doors down and there was no air conditioning. So I'd listened to them as a little boy singing Deutschland Uber Alles. And I had to learn to get along in that neighborhood. And my Daddy always said, look, don't get mad, get smart. If you lose your temper in a fight, you lose your fight, you lose the fight. And he said that your mind is the most powerful weapon you have. And if you get emotional, it blunts your mind and the blood rushes to your fist or your feet and you want to run a fight. And so those were lessons that I got at 4 years old. And they've stuck with me and they've worked for me. And I, I'm grateful to you because my children and grandchildren, my children listen to me, my grandchildren are still not sure. And my great children, great, great grandchildren, I'm not sure about which way they'll go. But this is, this is an answer to some of my prayers because there are generations that fall into the categories of my children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. And I'm very well, I'm a preacher, too. And as an old hymn, my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus love and righteousness. And I just hope and pray and believe that this country is really too solid to bow down to baal.

[Ari Melber]

Well, Ambassador, you know, you say thank you. Rachel wanted to do this project and everyone will get to see it who chooses to tonight and in the days ahead. You mentioned coming up in an environment like this, coming up with what you just referenced Nazi party, the anxiety, the threats. And so I'll warn you as a, as a speaker yourself, I got about two minutes here for you. But what do you say to people who look at this and do feel afraid or discouraged? What do you say based on your history, the courage of you and the people you worked with?

[Ambassador Andrew Young]

Well, that we've been here before and we've been here time and time again. And Martin Luther King always said, truth crushed to earth will rise again. And truth forever on the scaffold, wrong, forever on the throne. But the scaffold sways the future. And behind the dim unknown standeth God within the shadows, keeping watch above his own.

[Ari Melber]

And.

[Ambassador Andrew Young]

I think we're going to make it. I don't have any doubts or anxiety about the strength of this nation morally and spiritually. And growing up in the south and in New Orleans and Atlanta, I had a lot of dealing with people who were serious racists, and they ended up working with us in Atlanta. Actually, it was the chairman of the Coca Cola foundation that got Martin Luther King Sr. And Calvin Craig of the Ku Klux Klan to sit down together and agree to co chair Economic Opportunity Atlanta. And that was one of the first things in the 1960s that got Atlanta started.

[Ari Melber]

Where.

[Ambassador Andrew Young]

We realized we could accomplish more together. And all of the governors we've had were pretty much segregationists, but all of them ended up my friends.

[Ari Melber]

Wow. And that's sort of both sides of it in the best sense that there is real threat out there. You're giving everyone a history lesson. But in coming together and reaching across what are sometimes seemed like completely unbridgeable chasms, there is still the hope and the progress I think your life has lived that. I'm going to show people here the doc. I'm going to say Ambassador Andrew Young again, thank you for being a part of this project. Thank you for joining me tonight. And I'm going to put up on the screen everyone could see. Rachel is anchoring tonight, a special edition at 8pm Eastern, so we recommend that. And then, as I was just discussing with the civil rights icon and ambassador Andrew Young, the documentary is Andrew the Dirty Work and it debuts tonight at 9:00pm Eastern on MSNBC. It has been our privilege to hear from the ambassador and to remind everyone that, yes, we think that project from Rachel Maddow is very much worth your time tonight. Thanks for spending time with us on the Beat with Ari Melber. Have a good weekend as well. This ad is brought to you by Vive Healthcare, the makers of Dobito, Dolutegravir, Lamivudine. If you're living with hiv, look ahead. Do chase a dream. Do consider how you stay undetectable. Do learn about Devato. Divato is a complete HIV treatment by prescription only for some people 12 and older. Your doctor will determine if Devato is right for you. Do find out how many medicines are in your HIV pill. Most HIV pills contain three or four.

[James Carville]

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