LIVE NO KINGS DAY SPECIAL WITH JIM, DON LEMON AND JOY REID

Summary

The Jim Acosta Show: LIVE NO KINGS DAY SPECIAL with Jim Acosta, Don Lemon, and Joy Reid

Release Date: June 14, 2025

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Introduction

In the No Kings Day Special, hosts Jim Acosta, Don Lemon, and Joy Reid converge to discuss the escalating political tensions in the United States. The show is a collaborative effort streamed live across multiple channels, aiming to provide unfiltered, independent media coverage amidst a backdrop of widespread protests and political upheaval.

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Overview of Today's Event: Protests and No Kings Day

The episode kicks off with Don Lemon setting the stage for a day marked by significant protests against President Donald Trump. Jim Acosta introduces Jolly Good Ginger, a correspondent near the White House, who reports on the surge of protesters marching from the former Black Lives Matter Plaza towards the White House. Jolly notes:

"[...] several hundred, I would say 5, 600 people minimum, materialized down what used to be Black Lives Matter Plaza and marched all the way up to the White House."
[00:16] Don Lemon

Joy Reid adds context from Lafayette Square, drawing parallels to the George Floyd protests and highlighting signs that condemn Trump as a "fascist" and a "coward." She emphasizes the significance of the day as the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, contrasting the celebration with Trump's actions.

"This is Washington, D.C. folks, and of course they are going to show up."
[02:01] Joy Reid

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Tragic Events in Minnesota

A somber tone is introduced when Don Lemon updates the audience about the targeted shootings of Minnesota lawmakers. Representative Melissa Horton and Senator John Hoffman, along with their spouses, were killed in an apparent political assassination. Don elaborates on the suspect's actions, noting the discovery of a hit list that included "No Kings" protesters and abortion providers.

"Donald Trump has tried to co-opt all of this and make this part of his dictator birthday bash."
[05:09] Don Lemon

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Experiences from the Field: Interviews with Veterans

The hosts introduce veterans present at the protests, such as Matthew Gordon, a Marine Corps veteran, who recounts his peaceful protest experience and subsequent detention by Capitol Police. Matthew emphasizes their commitment to defending the Constitution against what they perceive as Trump's authoritarian tendencies.

"We are out here fighting for the American people still."
[09:03] Matthew Gordon

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Deployment of National Guard and Legal Aspects

A critical discussion unfolds around the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the use of the military in domestic law enforcement. Ezra Levin, a former federal prosecutor, explains:

"The Posse Comitatus act, the military cannot be deployed to enforce civilian law."
[06:02] Ezra Levin

This legal framework is scrutinized in light of Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles and other cities, raising concerns about potential overreach and threats to constitutional rights.

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Nationwide Protests: Diverse Locations and Demographics

The episode delves into protests occurring across the country, from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and Oklahoma City. Recy Colbert and Clay Kane share their on-ground experiences, highlighting the unity among diverse groups, including veterans, federal workers, and everyday Americans rallying against Trump's policies.

"A lot of veterans, a lot of federal workers that lost their jobs... Everyone is pissed off."
[05:31] Recy Colbert

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Interactions with Counter-Protesters

Tensions escalate when Joy Reid and Jolly Good Ginger encounter counter-protesters supporting Trump. An interaction with a Trump supporter unfolds, revealing deep ideological divides and heightened emotions among attendees. The confrontation underscores the polarized nature of the current political landscape.

"But she's the only counter protester I see... She's the only counter protester I see."
[23:25] Joy Reid

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The Role of Independent Media in Coverage

Recognizing the limitations of mainstream media, the hosts emphasize the importance of independent journalism in providing truthful and unfiltered coverage. Joy Reid and Ezra Levin advocate for sustained, peaceful protests as a means to effect political change, drawing inspiration from historical movements like Black Lives Matter and the women's marches.

"A protest is a tactic... persistent engagement at the grassroots level."
[157:02] Joy Reid

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Challenges and Concerns: Authoritarianism and Public Trust

The discussion intensifies around the perceived authoritarian drift in Trump's administration. Recy Colbert highlights the mainstreaming of hate and extremism, while Ezra Levin warns of the dangers of relinquishing checks and balances. The hosts express deep concerns about the erosion of public trust in institutions and the military's role in domestic affairs.

"This cannot be accepted... We have only one party that is embracing extremist ideology."
[152:52] Recy Colbert

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Conclusion: Sustained Action and Media Support

In closing, the hosts reiterate the necessity for continuous, peaceful activism and the critical role of independent media in holding power accountable. They call on viewers to support their efforts by subscribing, following, and engaging with their content to ensure the dissemination of truth in a politically charged environment.

"We the people are not going to take this lying down. We the people are going to stop him."
[164:31] Joy Reid

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Notable Quotes

• Don Lemon [00:16]:
  "It is revolutionary. And let me throw it right to my buddy, Don Lemon."

• Joy Reid [02:01]:
  "This is Washington, D.C. folks, and of course they are going to show up."

• Matthew Gordon [09:03]:
  "We are out here fighting for the American people still."

• Ezra Levin [06:02]:
  "The Posse Comitatus act, the military cannot be deployed to enforce civilian law."

• Recy Colbert [05:31]:
  "Everyone is pissed off. Everyone is angry about this administration."

• Joy Reid [157:02]:
  "A protest is a tactic... persistent engagement at the grassroots level."

• Don Lemon [04:29]:
  "The suspect in the Minnesota Lawmaker shootings has been identified as 57 year old Vance Belter."

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Key Insights and Conclusions

• Polarization and Protest: The U.S. is witnessing significant political polarization, with large-scale protests against President Trump reflecting deep societal divisions.

• Violence and Political Assassinations: The tragic murders of Minnesota lawmakers signal a dangerous escalation of political violence.

• Legal Boundaries: The deployment of the National Guard in domestic settings raises serious legal and constitutional questions, particularly concerning the Posse Comitatus Act.

• Media Representation: There's a critical discourse on how mainstream media portrays protests, often diverging from ground realities, thus fueling the need for independent media outlets.

• Sustained Activism: The hosts advocate for long-term, organized, and peaceful activism as essential for effective political change, drawing lessons from historical movements.

• Role of the Military: Concerns persist about the politicization and militarization of protests, which could undermine the integrity and public trust in military institutions.

• Importance of Diverse Voices: The inclusion of various demographics in protests underscores the universal desire for constitutional integrity and democratic values.

• Independent Media as a Counterbalance: The special highlights the growing reliance on independent media sources to provide unfiltered and truthful reportage in contrast to traditional media biases.

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Final Thought:
"The No Kings Day Special" serves as a potent reflection of America's ongoing struggle with political extremism, media portrayal, and the resilience of democratic activism. The hosts emphasize the imperative of unity, truth, and sustained peaceful protest in safeguarding the nation's foundational values against perceived authoritarian threats.

Transcript

[Don Lemon]

Everybody, this is the day. It is the day that the Lord has made. But I don't know how much the Lord is in it. A lot of what's going on. Welcome to America Fights Back. This is the super show. This is myself, the great Don Lemon, the great Jim Acosta. So proud to be here with them, live streaming on all of our channels simultaneously. It is revolutionary. And let me throw it right to my buddy, Don Lemon. Don, how are you doing?

[Jim Acosta]

I'm doing great. I'm doing great. I'm glad to be here with the best in the business. We've got a lot of folks here. We're going to get to Jim Acosta, our great Jim Acosta, in just a minute because he's near the White House. Michael Fanon is in Leesburg, Virginia. But I want to get straight now to Jolly, who's in the field. Jolly, you're near the White House, and there's some action going on. What's happening right now?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

So at first it was real quiet. It didn't seem like there was going to be a protest here. And then almost out of nowhere, several hundred, I would say 5, 600 people minimum, materialized down what used to be Black Lives Matter Plaza and marched all the way up to the White House. If you look at the fence behind me, I'll show you the fence right here is actually around the White House. And this crowd marched up to the White House. It looks like they've got planned speakers. There's people speaking right now for us, please. What's that?

[Jim Acosta]

Can you turn the camera horizontal for us?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Yes.

[Jim Acosta]

Thank you, sir.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

You got it. And so we got speakers speaking. We got a pretty large crowd. Security responded by pretty quickly to it. I don't think they were planning on having anybody here. And so this is all around the White House. It's pretty, pretty large crowd. Somewhere between 500, 1,000 people, easy.

[Jim Acosta]

All right, Jim Acosta, our other co host today. Jim, take it away. What are you seeing?

[Joy Reid]

Yeah, I might be pretty close to where Jolly is. I am right next to St. John's Church. I'm standing right by Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C. were just outside the fencing that's gone up around the White House complex. Basically, we're outside Lafayette Square where you saw those George Floyd protests and the. The cranked up, batshit crazy response from the Trump administration during his first time in office, when they fired tear gas, when they fired chemical bullets on the crowd during that time were basically in the same area. And as Jolly was just saying, I mean, I think there are a lot of people who were hoping there wouldn't be a lot of protests in D.C. today. But this is Washington, D.C. folks, and of course they are going to show up. And so as you can see behind me, there are, as Jolly was saying, probably hundreds of people in this portion of Lafayette Square that has not been fenced off by the Trump administration. But I mean, just over to the side, you can see we just move the camera around over here, this fencing that goes up all around Lafayette Square, all around the Andrew Jackson protest or statue, I should say. You remember that from last time around, guys, when there were concerns that the protesters might topple the Andrew Jackson statue. But basically, you know, you're starting to see some of the signs starting to show up. Here's one right here that says Americans Fighting Tyranny 1776, 2025. Here's another sign that says cowards in Congress. Do your job. Reign in your king. There's a lot of protests down here. Obviously, I mean, we should mention at the top, this is also the 250th anniversary of the US Army. We commend all of the folks in the armed services for their service. But as you guys know, we've been talking about this for days. Donald Trump has tried to co opt all of this and make this part of his dictator birthday bash. And that is what has fueled these protests. And I think this is just the beginning. If it's only 3 o' clock right now, Joy and Don, imagine what this is going to be like over the next several hours. I suspect that this is going to keep building and building and the question is going to become how the authorities respond to all of this, because they, I suppose they were planning for it, but I just, we just don't know how big this is going to get because this was not anticipated. The indivisible folks were saying, hey, don't protest in DC Go to places like Philadelphia and so on. But DC being dc, you had to expect that folks were going to come down here.

[Don Lemon]

Guys, thank you so much. Jim. I want to, I want to throw this in. Bring in Michael Fanon, who is also standing by. You can see him up in the upper part of your screen. Because I think the point that Jim made is really important. D.C. has been the source of a lot of anxiety and anguish in our lives since January of 2021 and really since before that, when Donald Trump has used these spaces to aggrandize himself, in one case, holding a Bible upside down in the Capitol, trying to sort of make himself look like he's some, you know, the sort of leader of a military junta. And then of course, the January 6th insurrection where, which you were unfortunately very much involved in. Talk about the vibe there in D.C. today when people are there to declare we do not have a king, but Donald Trump is going to throw what sure looks like a Kim Jong Un style military parade later today.

[Joy Reid]

So, Joy, I'm actually in Leesburg, Virginia. I'm at the courthouse here. And I got to tell you, because where I'm at right now doesn't do it justice. So I'm going to take you guys around. There is easily 4,000 plus people here and they are fired up.

[Ezra Levin]

And I've been talking to folks here.

[Joy Reid]

A lot of veterans, a lot of federal workers that lost their jobs. Everyone is pissed off. Everyone is angry about this administration. They're angry about the abuses of power. They're angry about Donald Trump translating on the Constitution.

[Ezra Levin]

And they are.

[Joy Reid]

And they are mobilized and they are ready to go to work.

[Ezra Levin]

So let me give you guys a overview.

[Don Lemon]

I think Michael's sound is breaking up there. Michael, we're gonna give you a pause for a minute. Keep those pictures coming. But the sound is not sounding. So let's go back. Don, let's go to. Should we go to Jim Acosta and see what he's looking at?

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, Jim, take it away. What do you have for us out there? Where you are, Jim, is muted. You're muted, sir. There you go.

[Joy Reid]

I know. Well, we're workshopping this, right? It's community effort. It's people, power, people coming together, the cast of thousands, maybe minus 995 or something like that. But no, Joy, you were just mentioning where Donald Trump held up the Bible. That's literally at the church that's across the street from where I'm standing right now. I mean, that's literally where we're standing right now. So just to set the scene, and this is why I was saying earlier, you had to expect that protesters were going to show up down here. That's literally where Trump did his dictator part. One moment back in the first Trump administration where he held the Bible upside down. I don't think he's going to be doing that today. He's. They've got him inside the freedom cages, as I like to call them. But we're down in Lafayette Square and if we just turn around over here, I mean, you can see people already starting to gather in this park and it is only 3 o' clock in the afternoon. You've got this sign right here. Trump rapist, fascist, coward. I mean, this is just beginning right now. There's a sign over here that says no to Trump's fascist military parade. You know, this was to be expected. Obviously. The no Kings rallies are taking place all over the country. It's a wonderful expression of people's First Amendment rights to free speech and so on. But here in the nation's capital, people have been pissed off. And Joy, you were just mentioning this a few moments ago. You've had thousands of federal employees laid off, doged by Elon Musk and his and his minions. You have whole agencies like USAID shut down. Those federal workers are pissed off. I mean, let's just be honest here. They're pissed off and they want to make their voices heard. So it stands to reason you're going to see all types of folks down here protesting today. You're going to see folks who are just generally anti Trump type folks. You'll see a lot of veterans down here. There are a lot of veterans who don't like the idea of Donald Trump co opting the 250th anniversary of the US army to sort of put on this Kim Jong Un style military parade birthday bash. And then you're just gonna have regular folks.

[Jim Acosta]

I want to get now Jolly, who's not far from where Jim is. Jolly. I see. Is that a veteran? You have someone with you?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Yes, Jim brought up veterans. This is one of the veterans who stormed the Capitol steps last night and actually was arrested. Spent 10 hours in Capitol Police custody with zip tie, denied water, all for a simple act of nonviolent civil disobedience.

[Joy Reid]

Yeah, hi, my name is Matthew Gordon.

[Jim Acosta]

I'm a United States Marine Corps combat.

[Joy Reid]

Veteran deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in.

[Jim Acosta]

Support of OIF and oef.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I came out yesterday, wanted to go.

[Joy Reid]

And protest against what I'm seeing here happening in our country with this fascist.

[Jim Acosta]

Takeover of the United States by Donald Trump, the Heritage Foundation, Peter Thiel, tech billionaires.

[Joy Reid]

And I wanted to do it in a way that was going to be.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Meaningful, and I wanted to do it.

[Joy Reid]

In a way that was going to be peaceful.

[Jim Acosta]

And so when we went up to.

[Joy Reid]

The steps, we sat down, started chanting and were peaceful the whole time.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

And that was important to all of.

[Joy Reid]

Us was to say that veterans are.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Not just out here supporting Donald Trump. Veterans are out here supporting the Constitution.

[Jim Acosta]

We're out here fighting for the American people still.

[Joy Reid]

You know, I'm not as lean, I'm not as mean as I was when I was in the Marines.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

But I'm going to keep doing what.

[Joy Reid]

I do anyway and I'm not going.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

To stop until we fix this country.

[Joy Reid]

For everybody and not just Donald Trump.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

And his tech bronies.

[Jim Acosta]

Hey, Jolly, we were showing some of the video last night of.

[Joy Reid]

You work on this or should these.

[Jim Acosta]

All arrested last night. Can you hear me, Jolly?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I can hear you a little bit loud here. What'd you say?

[Jim Acosta]

We're showing some of the video last night of, of the folks like him being arrested. Tell us what they did, did they detain him? Where did they go? What happened?

[Joy Reid]

Yeah, so we were detained probably about twenty hundred last night and moved to a kind of like a motor pool where they had their vehicles for the Capitol Police stage. We sat in this kind of warehouse esque area on pull out chairs, zip tied, no water, no food for about 10 to 12 hours last night. They released us yesterday or early this morning.

[Jim Acosta]

I don't even know what day it is.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Early this morning with charges, some of.

[Joy Reid]

Us got charges for crossing a police line. So we'll see what happens there. But yeah, we were, we were detained.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

For about 10 to 12 hours by the Capitol Police, zip tied the entire time.

[Recy Colbert]

And we're talking everybody from 10, you.

[Jim Acosta]

Know, 30 years old all the way.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Up to 82 years old.

[Jim Acosta]

Hey, Jim, who do you have?

[Don Lemon]

Can we really quickly go back to Jim Acosta, Don, because it looks like he's got somebody else to talk to as well, to stay there. Jolly good. Ginger, we're coming back to you, but let's go to Jim.

[Joy Reid]

Sorry, sorry, Jolly, I'll throw it back to you as soon as I can. I'm with Sam. Sam was in the U.S. army. You're now out of the military and you're from Minnesota and you came all this way to be a part of this protest today. Is that basically it? And you were just telling me a few moments ago you're a little bit taken up, a little bit in shock because of what took place in your state, in your hometown earlier today. Can you talk about that?

[Ezra Levin]

Of course. I grew up in Champlain, Minnesota.

[Jim Acosta]

Have him get closer to you, Jim.

[Joy Reid]

Can he, can you guys hear it? Can you hear Sam?

[Don Lemon]

Yeah, we're having a little bit of an audio problem there.

[Joy Reid]

How about that? Can you hear him now? Can you, Sam? Say that again.

[Ezra Levin]

Oh, I was just saying I, I grew up perfect.

[Joy Reid]

Yeah.

[Jim Acosta]

Jim, we can't, we can't hear him.

[Joy Reid]

We'll try to work that same. Was just saying he didn't, he didn't realize he would be from a hometown that was the scene of a political assassination. And you know, Sam, Sam was just telling me a few moments ago that he came down here to protest because he can't believe that, that Donald Trump basically would take over what is supposed to be an anniversary for the US army. Which you were a part of. Exactly. Yeah. And so what do you think's going on in this country right now? What's your sense? I think it's a symptom of his faith.

[Jim Acosta]

Damn. It's going to be tough with the AirPods.

[Don Lemon]

It's going to be tough. If I could just update the audience. And those of you who have not had the television on today. There were two state representatives or two state officials in Minnesota and one of their spouses. Both of their spouses who were shot. Two are dead. Representative Melissa Hortman, who used to be the speaker of the Minnesota House, and Senator John Hoffman were both shot. The authorities say these were targeted shootings. Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were both killed. Senator John Hoffman and his wife are undergoing treatment in the hospital. And we should note that the man who came to the doors of both of these officials, who was dressed as a police officer, had a car that was made up to look like a police vehicle shot. Both of them fled from the second house, got into a firefight with police. And according to officials, there was a hit list found in his car that also named the no Kings parade as well, or the no Kings protests and also names abortion providers and apparently some other politicians. And so for that reason, Minnesotans were being asked to not attend the no Kings protest in their state. We're not sure if they're going to follow advice, but that is the update on that news. And let's just see if Jim can get a, get his, his guest back.

[Jim Acosta]

And Mike Walls, I just want to say before we get back to Jim, stand by. Let's play what Mike Walls had to say and then we'll get back to Jim and Michael Fanone and Jolly. We have our teams are out in the field. Here's Governor Walls.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

We're here today because an unspeakable tragedy.

[Joy Reid]

Has unfolded in Minnesota. My good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Horton and her husband Mark were shot.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

And killed early this morning in what.

[Joy Reid]

Appears to be a politically motivated assassination.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Our state lost a great leader and.

[Joy Reid]

I lost a dearest of friends. Speaker Hortman was someone who served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, humor, and a sense of service. She was a formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

She woke up every day determined to.

[Joy Reid]

Make this state a better place. She is irreplaceable and we've been missed by so many.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Minnesota's thoughts and prayers are with her.

[Joy Reid]

Family, her loved ones, her children and her parents.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

My prayers.

[Jim Acosta]

So that was Governor Mike Walz earlier today. What a tragedy that this turned out to be. Joy, let's see if we can go.

[Don Lemon]

On very quickly before we jump back to Jim, I apologize. I just have an update from NBC News. There's an update that the suspect in the Minnesota Lawmaker shootings has been identified as 57 year old Vance Belter. B O E L T E R according to three people familiar with the investigation. That's just an update that's coming through right now. We'll keep you all updated as these go on. Go ahead, Don.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. Back to Jim, our other CO anchor out in the field handling the field anchor duties today like a pro. Jim, what do you have for us?

[Joy Reid]

No, I mean I listen, we were going to be live in a nearby hotel. I won't mention the name.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Did they kick you out?

[Jim Acosta]

Jim?

[Joy Reid]

They didn't kick me out. I've been kicked out a lot of places that did not happen yet. But we might go back up there later depending on how things go.

[Don Lemon]

But and Jim, we have time to hear the story of why you were kicked out. So if you want to share that with all of our viewers, we don't.

[Joy Reid]

Have time for that. It's no King's Day. There's a lot of important stuff to talk about. But I mean, I would tell you we're also seeing some MAGA supporters down here, some Trump supporters down here. There was a guy who is, I mean, I've got my photographer Zach with me right now. This guy was like standing right next to me a few moments ago and it was sort of like he was listening in. So I don't know what that was all about. But you know, my concern is at this point is that we do have a little bit of a mix of different types of things going on down here and hopefully this is all going to stay peaceful. I mean you can hear the protest going on right now. Maybe let's walk in a little bit closer. There's, there's a protest going on right now. You can hear speakers starting to go. I don't want to go too close and, and mix up the audio again. But I mean I would just tell you right now so far this is peaceful. People are behaving, they're, they're making their voices heard, no question about it. But I Wouldn't say there's anything happening here that's out of the ordinary. But I will tell you, I see some of my friends and my old friends in the White House press corps who were staged down here, I have to assume, just in case, joined Don, you know, the thing starts to get unsettled and I, you know, we don't want that. We want this to be peaceful and all of that. We encourage people to be peaceful, but you just have to assume when Trump takes over a military ceremony like this, like the 250th anniversary of the US army, and people are saying tanks. We just remember Don and Joey, just the other day we saw a video of tanks rolling into D.C. that's going to piss people off. People are going to say, what is going on in this country? You got the US Marines in la, you got tanks rolling into Washington. It sounds bananas. And so obviously people are gonna get pissed off about it. If you spin this around over here, guys, you can see you have a protest gathering here in Lafayette Square, the same place roughly where we saw the great Floyd protest breakout in 2020. I was here at the White House at that time. And it doesn't take a whole lot, guys, for it to get a little, a little messy down here. We hope for the best, obviously. Help them save pizza. If you can see right here, some of the signs, Money for veterans, not for age. America has nothing. America needs no king. Your oath is Constitution. And this is up against defenses. These fences went up around the White House perimeter and Lafayette Square in the last 48, 72 hours. And it brings me back to when I was covering the White House the first time around, guys, because, I mean, you know, it is something about Donald Trump. It is something about Donald Trump where they have to fortify the White House compact so he can act like a dictator inside. And it happened the first time around and it's happening again. And that's why you're seeing these people showing up. People are upset. They want to make their voices heard. And honestly, I mean, how can you blame it? You know, this is. This is America in 2025.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, right on, Jim.

[Don Lemon]

Indeed. Yeah. Can we go back to Michael Fanone? I mean, and these are such great points to Jim. And I want to go back to Michael because he is talking with some of the people who are exactly what you're talking about. People who are going to be pissed off by seeing those tanks and they're having to deal with it. And of course, Virginia, they had to un. Moth ball some tanks from and Roll them across bridges to get them into DC because normally there aren't. Michael, let's see if we got your audio back. Who are you talking to.

[Ezra Levin]

Right now?

[Joy Reid]

That. We've got some speakers, but I'm just intermingling through the crowd.

[Ezra Levin]

Can you guys hear me?

[Don Lemon]

We got.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, you're good?

[Joy Reid]

Okay. Yeah.

[Ezra Levin]

So I'm, I'm in Leesburg, Virginia. I don't know if you guys caught.

[Joy Reid]

That before, but I, I actually gave some remarks earlier. Like I said, there's a good sized crowd here, about 4,000 plus. They've been here en masse since about 2 o' clock this afternoon. And I believe this event is supposed to continue on until 4. But we've got a great mix of veterans pissed off about Trump's. The way they phrased it was his military exploitation parade. And there are a lot of fired federal workers and just average everyday Americans who are deeply concerned about what they see as a misuse and abuse of Trump's authority and of his, of his power and his administration's power. As far as counter protests, there were.

[Ezra Levin]

Probably about maybe two or three agitators.

[Joy Reid]

But they had been drowned out despite their best efforts, by the raucous cheers and chanting of this crowd. So thank you, sir.

[Ezra Levin]

Thank you.

[Joy Reid]

We need leaders like you. That's quite simple. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[Recy Colbert]

What did he say?

[Jim Acosta]

We need more people like you said.

[Joy Reid]

They need more people like me. He's got a side up. Nobody is above. No one is above the law. And I assume you're referring to hands off philosophy. What was your name, sir?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

We have counter protesters.

[Joy Reid]

Jose.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Looks like we got some counter protesters here.

[Joy Reid]

Very nice to meet you. Are you here?

[Ezra Levin]

Are you here? Are you here?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Are you here to counter protest?

[Recy Colbert]

I'm here for a military parade. You're here for honor our army.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Okay, hang on, hang on. Question, but question, question. If you're here to honor the army, why are you carrying a flag that says Trump?

[Joy Reid]

Because Trump is the president, United States.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

But that's not the army. But Trump's not the army.

[Clay Kane]

Twice.

[Don Lemon]

Oh, that's a big word.

[Recy Colbert]

Go ahead and tell me how He's a fascist.

[Don Lemon]

Mr.

[Ezra Levin]

Learn.

[Recy Colbert]

Tell me how he's a fascist.

[Don Lemon]

You're an idiot.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

But if you're here, if you're here to support the army, why are you carrying a flag that says Trump on it?

[Recy Colbert]

Because I love President Trump.

[Don Lemon]

I love what he's doing for him.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

You love a president?

[Don Lemon]

I sure do. I've loved many presidents.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Name another one.

[Don Lemon]

I voted for Him.

[Recy Colbert]

Name another one you love Insurrectionist, too.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

How about that? You were in January 6th.

[Recy Colbert]

I sure was.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

What was your role at January 6th?

[Recy Colbert]

As a patriot. Announcing how the. The whole election was rigged and we've.

[Don Lemon]

All come to fruit that it was. Didn't. Why aren't we?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

We were not. What did you do at January 6th?

[Joy Reid]

I was there with my granddaughter listening.

[Don Lemon]

To the President United States speak.

[Recy Colbert]

That's what I did.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

You said you're an insurrectionist. What does that mean?

[Don Lemon]

Right. Because the FBI came to my front.

[Recy Colbert]

Door even though I never stepped foot on the Capitol. How about that? Because I post a picture of me and my granddaughter in front of the Capitol. I have FBI at my front door.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Do you believe you had a right to be there and protest?

[Recy Colbert]

I wasn't. Yes, I had.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Of course. So do you believe these people here today have a right to be here in protest?

[Recy Colbert]

And you have the right to counter.

[Don Lemon]

Protest if you want.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Right. So I'm just wondering why you're carrying a flat. It says Trump on it.

[Don Lemon]

I've already told you three times.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

You love him.

[Recy Colbert]

Question.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Get out of my face.

[Jim Acosta]

Jolly, can you hear me?

[Ezra Levin]

Jolly?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I can hear, yeah.

[Jim Acosta]

You asked her if there was another president she loved and she did not name one.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

She could not name one. Correct.

[Jim Acosta]

You want to. You have any other folks out there you want to question if you want to go back to her or you're done with her?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Oh, well, I'm going to kind of keep an eye on her because it looks like the crowd's not very happy with her being here. She's solo counter protesting here. She's the only counter protester I see. Actually, there might be a second one now. Let me go here and find out. Let's go. Look at this. Hang on.

[Don Lemon]

Please do keep walking. And while you're doing that, jolly good Ginger. And it is really fun being on with you. By the way, I will note that in the definition of fascism, for those who are tuning in to this America joint podcast between Jim Acosta, Don Lemon and myself, cultural personality. Fascist regimes cultivate images of their leaders as great figures to be loved and admired. This cult of personality is often perpetuated through mass media and propaganda. So loving the leader of your country is different from being patriotic towards your country. Loving the leader. That's definitional fascism. Just wanted to point that out.

[Jim Acosta]

And really just ultra nationalism at that. Joy. Joy. I just want to tell the folks. Listen, folks, if you're watching on, we have you on socials. If you're watching on tick tock if you're watching us on Instagram or Facebook, this is it. If you want to.

[Joy Reid]

Are you seriously putting up or you.

[Jim Acosta]

Have to go over to Substack. Okay, so this is the end for socials. Come to YouTuber Substack and you're going to continue our coverage. Jolly, what do you have?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Hey, it's going down over here.

[Joy Reid]

Literally.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Are you literally co opting the POW flag? Are you seriously co opting the POW.

[Jim Acosta]

Flag for 1-6- insurrectionist?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Are you out of your mind? Yeah, I know it's working.

[Joy Reid]

So what happened was she pulled out.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

To give you a back brief. She pulled out a flag that was the POW MIA flag. But in place of POW, they had put J6. And several of the veterans that were standing around became inflamed by the idea that you're comparing J6 insurrectionist with. Oh, God, the crowd's moving. Let's go catch them.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah, please catch him. And jolly good. Ginger was the gentleman you're talking with. That's Angry Veteran on Tik Tok, right?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Us. Yeah, Joanne, you're correct. It's USMC Angry Veteran. He was arrested last night in the crowd. He's also one of the ones that was inflamed by the. The flag. This guy looks like he wants to. He's arguing with. With Matt. USMC Angry Veteran.

[Joy Reid]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jim Acosta]

How interesting that the unrest would be.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

So basically what you're witnessing here, just in case you can't tell through the chaos, the, the lady I was talking to who had the Trump flag, she seems to have maybe a son or nephew or something with her who also was working or looking to agitate the crowd. The crowd's now basically chasing them out of the area. Now, let me clarify. They're chasing them peacefully. We're simply counter, you know, giving them a counter to their rhetoric, but they're practically running. We got park police now showing up to escort them out, and it now seems that they've kind of broken through. I don't know the other guy with them, but. So they're. They're gone now. And I'll keep you up to date if anybody else comes through.

[Jim Acosta]

Let's bring in now. Thank you. Let's bring in now Jim Acosta. Jim, we have Olivia, Troy and Glenn right now here.

[Joy Reid]

Yeah, we're in the same area as where this protest was going down just a few moments ago. This clash me. So I can see Jolly right over here. He was right on top of this. But I can tell you when I was. When I was right up next to these guys, it was starting to get, it was starting to get mixed up.

[Ezra Levin]

A little bit between the pro Trump.

[Joy Reid]

Protesters who were here and obviously the Noem Day protesters who were here. Guys, I, I, I'm telling you right now, if it's 3 or 4 o' clock in the afternoon in Washington, D.C. at this park, and this stuff is already starting to go down, I think the authorities have to start paying attention to this area. And protesters have been concerned about this area. They're jolly right there. But listen, I'm telling you guys right now, I've been in this area before. In this area during the George Floyd protest that took place with the Trump industry cracked down on them with tear gas and rubber bullets. I would not be surprised if you see over the next couple of hours, police trying to clear some of this area out because this party's starting to get a little messy down here. January 6th, insurrection. To get around her and start talking to her about what she was saying. So I'm just letting you know we're starting to see both sides here, kind of not using both sides.

[Jim Acosta]

Can you hear me? Jim, can you hear me? Jim, can you hear me? I guess he can't hear me.

[Ezra Levin]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Jim Acosta]

Hey, hey. Jim Acosta. You can hear me, right?

[Joy Reid]

Yeah, I got you.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Yeah.

[Jim Acosta]

Just when you use that mic, I need you to eat it, like, right in your mouth, man, just so we could hear you. Yeah, that's it. Perfect. Thank you. Hey, Jim, we have some guests that you wanted. As a matter of fact, Olivia Troy and Glenn Kirschner are here, and they can talk about, I mean, you know, Olivia knows all about national security, Glenn knows about the law. What will happen to these people if they do end up causing skirmishes? Where will they go? Olivia and Glenn are here. Jim, go ahead.

[Don Lemon]

We're losing you.

[Joy Reid]

Losing me. Can you hear me now?

[Don Lemon]

I think your signal, it might be your signal. Maybe take a little bit of a walk just so we can see. We can get you in a cleaner signal. Try again.

[Jim Acosta]

So, Glenn, let's bring Glenn in, and let's bring in Olivia Troy, because we can't hear. Jim Glenn. Olivia, thank you so much for joining us today. We really appreciate it. You're a national security expert, Olivia. Glenn, you are a master of the law. We've got two sides clashing here. What are the possibilities, Olivia? First.

[Recy Colbert]

Well, I think my concern is that the Trump administration wants this, right? They've set up the optics for this. They want to see clashes like this happen. But look, I can tell you I'm at the no Kings rally. And it is nothing but American flags here. No King's Chance. Pro democracy vets attending. I've got retired generals on stage speaking about the power of standing together and what's happening across our country. So I think this is. There's more than 1500 people here right now, and we're in Northern Virginia. And so I think this is proof that there is the power of the people and that we're going to stand together.

[Don Lemon]

Glenn, can you talk a little bit about. I mean, we know that Donald Trump is deploying the military at the same time. They're claiming that they are celebrating the army today, but he's deploying U.S. marines and National Guard against the will of the governor of California. Can you just describe the Posse Comitatus act so that people can understand what are the legalities of deploying the military into civilian populations in the United States? You're muted.

[Ezra Levin]

It ain't legal because you cannot use the military to enforce civilian law. And I don't care what they say about how little the military will do when they're out there, you know, in tandem with ICE agents who are running through fields trying to grab up undocumented folks, folks who we all know by and large are paying taxes, they're paying into Social Security, they're paying into Medicare, they're paying into unemployment, and that's money they will never see. Those are benefits they will never see. So this is a special kind of insanity. But the Posse Comitatus act, the military cannot be deployed to enforce civilian law. And any way you cut it, that's what they are doing when they are standing there and either emboldening or participating with ICE agents and other federal officers. To do what? Enforce civilian law. But let me say something else, Joy, because as a prosecutor in D.C. for 24 years, I work protest cases. And what happens when people get arrested, Those cases get presented to us, the prosecutors, and we have to make the decision what to do. And let me tell you, in 90% of the cases, don't quote me on that fact, but over the years, I think that's a fairly accurate number. 90% of the cases, there are no paper, no charges brought because it's very difficult to make cases in the setting of arrests that are made during a hectic protest, sometimes devolving into a.

[Joy Reid]

A riot.

[Ezra Levin]

We still need proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Now, if somebody's busting store windows, looting, setting things on fire, assaulting officers, and they shouldn't do that because this should always remain peaceful, we may be able to bring those cases and prove them in court beyond a reasonable doubt. The only reason I say this, Joy, is because I've been urging, you know, we're out here at the Loudoun county rally. I was here with my friend Mike Fanone. We both addressed the crowd and we urge everybody be peaceful. And this may be counterintuitive, but if a law enforcement agent applies force to you, tries to flex cuff you, don't resist, don't fight back. It's hard because our adrenaline surges and that's what causes problems, including in officer excessive force cases. But you know what? It's probably going to work out. These cases are probably not going to be be papered. No charges are going to be brought. The only caveat I'll say, Joy, is that with, you know, U.S. attorney Pirro, maybe all bets are off because I'm not confident he will be exercising sound prosecutorial discretion. But first and foremost, don't fight, don't resist, but speak up and speak out and do not let them silence you or intimidate you into not exercising your right to speak and your right to assess.

[Don Lemon]

Can I just stay with you for a second, Glenn, for one quick we did see that the gentleman follow on tick tock, who's known as US Veteran, former Marine, was arrested yesterday and a group of veterans, about 60 apparently were arrested in D.C. we also saw the senior senator from California, Alex Padilla, not arrested but detained when trying to question Christine Noem. What I, what I would say to that, Glenn, is that in the past, in the 1960s, people who were doing civil rights protests took months of training in order to learn how to do what you're saying, in order to learn how to take birth baths and get spat on and get, and get hurt and get arrested violently and not resist. And that was something that they were trained to do. A lot of the people that are out here protesting for no Kings, they are not trained activists. They have not had that kind of training. How do we talk to people about how to emulate what they're trying to emulate, but to do it in a way that doesn't give Trump the pictures and the visuals he wants in order to trigger the Insurrection Act?

[Ezra Levin]

It's a great question, Joy. And let's be honest, there will be pockets of violence. There will be folks out here who are legitimately protesting, exercising their constitutional rights, but there will be violent incidents and clashes. And what we need to remember is that as the judge in California just said in ruling against Donald Trump's seizure of the California National Guard, that just because a few protesters or a small fraction of the people out here exercising their constitutional rights might engage in violence, might break the law, guess what? It does not deprive the rest of us, the overwhelming majority of us who continue to get to exercise our First Amendment rights. But all I can say is, Joy, listen, I've been in tough spots. I was in the Army. I was in a federal, you know, a federal prosecutor. Adrenaline surges are very real and are very hard to tamp down when you experience them. And you're right. You know, one of the reasons, Joy, we don't let the military engage in civilian law enforcement is because they're not trained to deal with those situations. It's a recipe for disaster, and it's a recipe for the. For the feds to run roughshod over our constitutional rights.

[Don Lemon]

Amen.

[Jim Acosta]

Glenn. Thank you for that. Enjoy. I just want to tell everyone this is the power of independent media you're joining. You're watching now. America Fights Back with Joy Reid, Don Lemon, and Jim Acosta. Along with us, you have the great Glenn Kirchner, Olivia Troy, and also Jolly good Ginger is with us, Michael Fanon as well. Jim, I understand, I know that you wanted specifically you had questions for Olivia Troy. You said, make sure we get Olivia.

[Joy Reid]

Troy on this show. Well, no, I. And by the way, we've gone back into the crowd here. I just want to point out there, there are American flags here. You know, the other day, Trump and his people were trying to say they don't have American flags at these protests. Case in point, right here, we have American flags at this no Kings protest outside the White House. And, you know, remember on January 6th, they were carrying Confederate flags. They were carrying Trump flags, like the insurrectionist lady who was here a little while ago talking to Jolly. So I just want to point that out. But I did want to ask Olivia because I thought she made a really good point a few moments ago. I was able to listen even though my audio got a little hinky. Olivia was making the point that Donald Trump wants a confrontation day. This is why Glenn was making these very important points a few moments ago and saying you have to be careful in the way you react to law enforcement moving you out of a situation. Glenn's very right about that. But, Olivia, your thoughts on that? Because you and I were talking about this on the show the other day. I, I think that they, they, they might even be watching this right now. I'm sure they're watching the coverage right now, and they want a Confrontation so they can go and practice some skulls like they did before.

[Recy Colbert]

Yeah, no doubt that they are, but, yeah, what I would say is that if something happens, don't engage and just cooperate. But I'm going to say this right now. I am not seeing people that are aggressive here. I want to focus on that because I feel like a lot of coverage in the past week, you know, national media was covering on violence, violence, violence. I'm sitting here in a crowd of 1500 people who are standing neck and neck with each other with all these signs. Only butterflies should be monarchs. They're kings. We don't need yes men. We need strong women. I've got Donald Trump is wrong. And I mean, there's all these immigration signs here. So I just want to focus on the fact that, like, Trump wants to focus on the bad optics. He wants to bait people because they want to use that footage to push the law and order narrative. And I'm telling you this because I lived it in the White house firsthand in 2020, where that was all a manufactured thing. And they're doing it again at the same playbook that they played the first time around. And so I think it's important for us to say, you know, yeah, no, we're actually here exercising our First Amendment rights, which, by the way, as someone who came up through conservative Republican politics, I strongly believe it. But I believe in the First Amendment rights for everyone, not just when it's convenient. And so I think that is critical here today.

[Joy Reid]

Yeah, and, and our cherished represent rights are on display right now. And, you know, if you take out what we saw a little while ago, where that one lady was, you know, mixing it up with some of the no king's protesters here, this is very much by and large, a peaceful, just very calm, very orderly protest. People are making their voices heard. But that's, that's democracy in action. That's what this is all about. That's what people could be able to do in this country. And, you know, I think you hit the nail on the head. Olivia and I joined on. I've been talking about this. Glenn can chime in on this, too. One of the reasons why Trump is doing this, he's trying to incite and provoke, is because he has no wins right now, as I've been saying for days. Where are the wins? Donald Trump, you have no wins. You've been in office since January 20th of this year. You have no wins, you have no legislative wins. The only thing you can do is manufacture what you, you believe to be wins by cracking down on immigration and terrorizing Latino people in this country, by rounding up abuelas and mixed status families and sending out of the country perhaps somebody who's undocumented, who is a mother with a child, who is a US Citizen. To Stephen Miller and Donald Trump, those are the wins. And so to Olivia's point, they think they can get a win on Fox and all the other bullshit places that they settle their stuff if they can mix up, get a crowd so mixed up, so riled up that things go into disarray and the police have to come in. He wants those optics playing out on the national network. He wants those optics going out all over the world because he believes, and I know this because I covered them, he thinks when he responds to those things, that's a win for him. And so I think Glenn Kirchner, what you were saying a few moments ago is so important. It is the whole ball game when it comes to do Kings Day. People have to keep peaceful. People have to stay focused. As I was saying earlier today when I was previewing this, this is just the beginning. This is a marathon. This is not a sprint. Donald Trump is not going to be deposed today. He's not going to be dethroned today on no Kings Day. So keep in mind, the way you behave today could very much affect the headlines and the narrative that they play on Fox and all these other places moving forward. I think the point, Don and Joy and Glenn and Olivia of today is to perhaps show the country and even folks in MAGA world that there is another way in this country. You don't have to go down the road of the dictator. You don't have to go down the road of the king.

[Don Lemon]

It is such a great and perfect point, Jim, because if you want to talk about the lack of winds, the tariff policy was a bust to the point where Donald Trump is being mocked on Wall street at Taco. Trump always caves on tariffs when you look at foreign policy. Israel has launched strikes against Iran and Marco Rubio is saying we didn't know anything about it and which means that our closest military ally is acting without giving a heads up, maybe, or giving or maybe getting a heads up to the Trump administration, but ignoring their apparent advice that we've heard reported not to attack Iran. The world is going on without the United States. Countries around the world are figuring out how to reconfigure their economies without us in them. Canada has told us to f off when it comes to tariffs. I could go on. Yeah, yeah, I'm Losing my people.

[Joy Reid]

And he doesn't have a big, he doesn't have his big beautiful bill. What happened?

[Jim Acosta]

We are reconfiguring our own economy here. Look at what's happened to the stock market and you know, look at what's happening to the economy here. Glenn, do you want to weigh in on. On what? Joy or Olivia? Because you know, Olivia and Olivia for sure.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah, yeah.

[Recy Colbert]

No, I think, I think one thing that I'll also wanted to add to this is, I mean, look, they're not getting any wins right now. This administration is failing. They're not even winning at immigration. Right. I mean, they're starting to lose the backing of the public on an issue that they really feel like they really want on. Right. But when you're going in and terrorizing communities where you're taking hard working, tax paying people and basically behaving like a secret police force, which is what's happening. And I'm saying this very upfront because this happened to a very close friend of mine. They took her husband away. Like five unmarked cards showing up in front of her house. And so I'm learning this firsthand like everyone else is. And so this is, this isn't okay. And I think they're going to continue to push these boundaries. But again, you know, I was, you know, I talked about this with Jim about this yesterday. Some of these images and also that they want, don't forget there are violent people out there, people that are looking to stir the pot on purpose. And so that's why we keep saying be careful with how you're engaging. The proud boys were posting online, they've been posting on social media, they were on telegram. I've been monitoring those channels. They've been talking about the fact that like, you know, they, they were sending out gun tutorials and things. So I mean it's important to pay attention to things like that. And look, the violence in many of these situations is coming to the Proud of the right.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. Standby. I want to bring in some, some folks here who are in the zeitgeist always. And that is the hosts of the I've had it podcast that you can catch on YouTube and that is Jennifer Welch and Angie Pump Sullivan. Thank you ladies for joining us. You happen to be at rallies today. So I want to take it to the grounds to as we say, we know that we're reporters and you know, Glenn's an expert and Libby's an expert, but you guys are just everyday folks, so to speak, if you know what I mean. And you're out there. How were the rallies where you were? Because you both attended a rally in Oklahoma, am I correct?

[Joy Reid]

Yeah.

[Recy Colbert]

Yes. We went to the rally in downtown Oklahoma City at 9am this morning. And Angie and I go to Oklahoma City Thunder games all the time. The arena holds 18,000 people, so we know what it feels like to have about 20,000 people downtown. I think it felt like double or triple. It was insane. It was peaceful. It was organized. People were united. And the best thing about it is it felt like I was in America again for the first time since, like, January 20th. It was like, oh, here it is. This is our country. These are our people. And the most poignant moment was we were rounding a corner and there was a Latino woman standing, filming us. And she kept. I mean, she was crying, and she said, thank you, gracias. Thank you, gracias. And she was so moved that people were marching for everybody. And it was just. It was something that I personally needed to see and to witness. And I thought it was Glorious Palms. I was shocked by the turnout, how excellent the turnout was. And I told Jennifer this while we were marching, you saw old people, young people, millennials. The group that is missing the demographic that I'm so disappointed is is white women my age. I feel like they have completely dropped the ball and will look back on not fighting for their daughters and not fighting for constitutional rights and democracy and be really sorry.

[Joy Reid]

I.

[Recy Colbert]

Because it. It's sad that ours is the demographic that's letting everybody down.

[Jim Acosta]

Why do you say that, Angie? Ange?

[Recy Colbert]

Well, I. I have kids in college, and I know these women, and I am just like, how are you not outraged and horrified? But what I see is if it's not happening to me, then I don't have to worry about it. My daughter. We're privileged, so we can, you know, do whatever we need medically and, well, immigrants should be deported, even though the same immigrant has claimed, clean their house for 30 years. I mean, there's just an undercurrent of racism and misogyny that is so prevalent in this state. Homophobia, obviously, but it's just. I'm very disappointed with my peers.

[Jim Acosta]

And, Jen, your. Your podcast, your work now focuses on that, and you take us actually behind the scenes of people. You say, they say things to you as a white woman that they wouldn't dare say publicly or to anyone, and you are just floored and. And insulted by it.

[Recy Colbert]

Yeah. I mean, I think if every white American were truly honest and really spoke out. We've all been in spaces around Groups of other white people where off color and racist things are said. And it's happened our entire lives. And it's happened so much as you grow up and you enter adulthood. It wasn't until probably I was in my late 20s that I realized like, this is really effed up. Like this is pretty gross. And as my world became more diverse, I became more and more aware of it. And I think this type of racism that shared secretly elbow to elbow among white people is the most insidious type of racism because it allow. They know it's racist because they self edit. They don't say the things that they say to Angie and me. They wouldn't say that in front of Joy or you, Dawn. They know enough to know that they can't say it in front of you. And it's going to take white allies like Angie and me and educating our children to stand up always and say, nobody is free until all of us are free. You leave everybody vulnerable and on the table unless you combat this at every step. And it starts within our own communities and as white people, it's something that we can do in our own communities every single day, all day. It happens, especially in red states like ours. You hear off color things all the time. And I have made a commitment that I will stand up against this. I, I will not have it spoken around me. And I think it is. Everybody asks, what can we do right now? What can we do right now? Because the federal government seems an impossible mountain to climb. What we can do in our own communities are micro changes. If somebody is racist, draw a boundary with them and tell them that is a deal breaker. I know I've known you for 20 years, but I am not going to be friends with you until you educate and enlighten yourself. And those are the ways that we can make subtle changes. You can to overcome this big mountain we all have to climb. That manifested itself. All of the worst things of American culture have manifested itself in this horrific person, Donald Trump. But after Trump, all of this shit will still remain unless we start fixing it on a personal level in our personal spaces.

[Don Lemon]

Can I ask you this question really quick, Jennifer? It's interesting that you're, that you are, you know, illuminating this for a lot of us. Are people aware and is this something that you hear people talking about, this fear that white Americans are going to become the minority? Is that what's motivating this kind of hysteria against undocumented immigrants?

[Recy Colbert]

You know, yes, it's both covert and overt Joy. Like I heard somebody say to me, the other day, they were using a phrase like don't blame the Indian, blame the arrow or something. I can't remember what it was. And then he followed up and said, oh, am I allowed to say that anymore? And there's this, like, white people in general, I think that they are so used to the system being completely rigged for them all of the time to see visible, successful minorities and members of the LGBTQ community is very threatening. And so it's easier for them to nitpick about, oh, I can't say this anymore. And you know that famous quote about the Wall street finance bro that said, oh, we can finally say pussy and the R word again. There's this they feel like they're being caged in by minorities, but yet they love to exploit minority labor. There's always this talk like, well, and I'm just going to be candid. I live in Oklahoma, I'm an interior designer when I'm not a podcaster. And if I'm in a client's house and we're talking about getting a painter, they'll say, well, can't we just get some Mexicans to do that for a lot cheaper? That kind of thing is said all the time. I guarantee you it's been said already multiple thousand times a day today. Right now, this is something that is said all the time on construction sites. People don't have any problem exploiting the labor, and they know that the immigrant laborer is going to work harder and for less show up time, show up on time, less breaks. And they just say it very candidly, just like that. Joy.

[Don Lemon]

Wow.

[Ezra Levin]

That's right.

[Jim Acosta]

I hear it as well with, especially with people who own farms and they will be huge Trump supporters. And I know some of them, I mean, two, some Trump supporters and talk about illegal immigrants and all of those things, and they have undocumented immigrants working in their farms. This might. My question is for both Angie and Glenn, and it's a legal, it's a legal question. This also spills over into the legal system. What, what you and, and what Jen are talking about, this racism and this discrimination spills over into the legal system. And people don't understand that in this country, how the system is rigged against some people. Angie?

[Recy Colbert]

Well, I think it's rigged against poor people from jump because if public defenders generally are very good lawyers, but when you have more cases than 10 lawyers could work, the work is going to be substandard. So I think it starts with poor people and then there's just such people are okay with minorities being put in jail at a higher rate with poor women. You know, Oklahoma City or Oklahoma had one of the highest in incarceration rates for women because they think it's okay because you're less than. And I think it starts with, with poverty and then moves all the way up. But Glenn would have more, he has a lot more experience. You're muted, Glenn.

[Jim Acosta]

Go ahead, Glenn.

[Don Lemon]

I think.

[Ezra Levin]

Can you, can you hear me?

[Jim Acosta]

Yes, we can.

[Ezra Levin]

Okay, Donald, what was the question? I'm sorry.

[Jim Acosta]

We're talking about how the racism in the country and how this is all, it's prevailing here. We're seeing it playing out with immigrants and also it, it happens within our legal system, not just with immigrants, but with people of color.

[Ezra Levin]

Yeah, well, listen, there's one thing that I Learned over my 30 years as a prosecutor and I think we've seen it most acutely in the age of Trump. The criminal justice system doesn't seem to have an appetite to go after what I call the ruling class criminals, the folks of privilege and power and influence and connections and wealth, most often white males. And you know, the system will bend over backwards. I mean, I think I recently saw that they were debating leaving Bob Menendez on At Liberty, not locked up, pending appeal. And you know what, if you're prosecuting some, you know, underprivileged kid who snatched a purse or sold a rock a crack, you are not only not going to be allowed to remain at liberty in the community after you've been convicted, but you may very well be put in pretrial detention. One of the things that I'm trying to focus on in my professional chapter two, having retired from the Department of Justice is criminal justice reform. Because in my opinion we should probably turn the criminal justice system's priorities on their head.

[Joy Reid]

Why?

[Ezra Levin]

Because that guy who snatches a person or sells a rock a crack. Now there may be victims, especially in a purse snatching case, and I would not want to be disrespect, disrespectful of victims rights. But guess what? The ruling class criminals, whether they are political, whether they're big oil, big tech, big Hollywood, big pharma, the military industrial complex, you know, we damage to large or Trump. Yeah, they do that. Or Trump of the American population. Population. And when we catch them, when we, when the feds catch them committing crimes, you know what we do? Not me, but you know what the feds do? They give them non prosecution agreements and they let them pay their way out of criminal responsibility. We have our priorities in the criminal justice system are upside down right now. So, you know, we need wholesale reform because the system does not work fairly. And that's felt more most acutely by those folks who are not wealthy, connected, influential, powerful, and typically white men.

[Don Lemon]

Can I. Can I just bring in Olivia? Because Olivia is Mexican American. We have somebody who's. This is her ethnicity that's being discussed. And, you know, Olivia, you see it on both sides, right? Because you are a person who I think a lot of people would not know. I didn't know until you told me your background. And so you probably hear a lot of messages that people think they can say to you because they don't know your background. But can you just talk a little bit about this from your point of view and also the president who you serve? Well, you worked for Mike Pence, I should be clear. But you worked in the administration. Do you sense that that was the mindset even then, that you discovered the mindset being it's easy for us to go to war against these brown people and to target them because our base responds to it.

[Recy Colbert]

It.

[Jim Acosta]

And, Olivia, you're muted. There you go.

[Recy Colbert]

Oh, absolutely. I mean, given the comments that were made during cabinet meetings at the time and the things that were said, I really thought. I really think that they thought that the public would rally with their base and on this issue. But, Joy, you. You nailed it. I have been hearing these comments my entire life. People feel at very liberty to say things to me, not understanding that I am daughter of Mexican immigrants. Can you hear me?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Okay.

[Jim Acosta]

All right, Olivia, thank you. Angie, Jennifer, thank you guys so much. We appreciate you joining us. Make sure you follow those ladies over on the I've had it podcast. Oh, my gosh.

[Recy Colbert]

It's like cardboard cut out of Don Lemon.

[Jim Acosta]

Oh, my gosh. Angie.

[Recy Colbert]

Thank you.

[Jim Acosta]

Where did you get that?

[Recy Colbert]

One of our listeners mailed it to us. Mailed her a Don Lemon and mailed me a Larry David, and they arrived at the office yesterday. Angie, you're on mute.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, I got. I unmuted. Angie, unmute.

[Recy Colbert]

Yeah, yeah, no, we got. I got it from a fan that sent Jennifer, Larry David, and me, Don Lemon, because they know how much I love you, Dawn. I love you more, Don. Okay, Keep doing the work you're doing. And thank you so much for having us on. With love, all of you.

[Don Lemon]

Thank you.

[Recy Colbert]

It's a great day to be an American. Let's keep fighting.

[Don Lemon]

Amen.

[Jim Acosta]

Thank you very much.

[Don Lemon]

So much.

[Jim Acosta]

Thank you so much.

[Don Lemon]

Can we run back to Jim real quick? Because I know Jim is out There in these streets doing the all the things. Jim, tell us what you're seeing.

[Joy Reid]

Well, I'm going to tell you right now, the scene that we saw earlier, 15, 20 minutes ago, it's changing now because the protest that was here right now, it's starting to break up. A lot of these protesters are starting their head, I think north. And so the sort of, you know, heightened atmosphere that we were all experiencing about, I don't know, half an hour ago, that is starting to dissipate. And so maybe this is going to be okay at least down here in front of the White House for the moment. It seems like the tension level has come down a little bit now. You know, we saw the protests just gather here in front of the fencing in front of Lafayette Square just a few minutes ago. And you know, they were rallying around this cause of no Kingsville. They were making their voices heard. And I think they're going to start taking this other parts of the district and we'll see where it goes from here. But you know, this is what the day was supposed to be about, right, guys? It was about to be. It was supposed to be about non violent, peaceful protesting. And that is 99.9999% of what we just witnessed over the course of the last hour. Yeah, we saw some pro Trump people. They were far outnumbered by the no Kings forces down here. And so, I mean, that in and out of itself could be a message to the guy inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue over there. As much as the folks around the country wanted this to be sort of contained outside of D.C. you know, there are still, there's some forces here, there's some folks here who want to get their, their voice out. No question about it. Sorry, Don.

[Jim Acosta]

If you're just joining us, you're watching America Fights Back with Joy Reed, Jim Acosta and Don Lemon. And you see we have our folks out in the field. There's Michael Fanon, I believe it's Michael, maybe that's veteran. And there's also Glenn Kirschner there and also Jolly Andy. The pictures that are up on the right, is that Los Angeles that we're looking at? We saw people out on the streets, correct? And we have. Yes, this is la. That is la. And then we have video or at least live pictures from folks from places all over the country. I just want to check in before we get to some of our other guests. This one is. Where are we looking now? Is this New York? That's New York that we're looking at. Okay, great. And Then again, all over the country, we have Philadelphia, Chicago, and not just in major cities. You saw in Oklahoma. We have our Tara Settmeyer, who's out there. Tara has been going on. There she is. Tara, you have been out at a protest rally yourself, Correct?

[Recy Colbert]

Can you guys hear me?

[Jim Acosta]

Yes, we can hear you. You're driving on the road.

[Clay Kane]

I am.

[Don Lemon]

I'm driving on the road here. Coming back from the Philly rally, and it was unbelievable. I've never been to a protest before, and it was a sea of humanity. I cannot begin to tell you how unbelievable the energy was to see all. All of those people. I mean, I'm telling you, folks from.

[Clay Kane]

Every walk of life, young and old, incredible signs.

[Don Lemon]

Like, I. It was. I was emotional. It brought me to tears.

[Recy Colbert]

It was unbelievable.

[Don Lemon]

There had to be hundreds of thousands of people out there in Philadelphia.

[Jim Acosta]

No skirmishes or anything?

[Don Lemon]

Oh, no, no.

[Clay Kane]

Absolutely not.

[Don Lemon]

There was no sign of.

[Clay Kane]

Of instigators or anything like that.

[Recy Colbert]

There was.

[Don Lemon]

The police officers were. You know, there was a police presence, but they weren't really trying to do.

[Recy Colbert]

Anything to inflame a situation.

[Clay Kane]

You know, the police officers in Philadelphia.

[Don Lemon]

Did a great job.

[Clay Kane]

Crowd control was great.

[Don Lemon]

There was no agitators whatsoever at the.

[Clay Kane]

Point that I was there.

[Don Lemon]

I mean, I was there from the very beginning along the parade route.

[Clay Kane]

We marched all the way along Ben Franklin Parkway.

[Don Lemon]

And if anyone was out there during.

[Recy Colbert]

The Kamala Harris rally the night before the election, it was along the same.

[Don Lemon]

Area there, that beautiful part of Philadelphia that goes to the rocky steps at.

[Clay Kane]

The Museum of Art.

[Don Lemon]

And it was. It was completely peaceful, and people were.

[Clay Kane]

Very energized to be there for our democracy.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, that's my former city, Philadelphia. I worked there as a news anchor in Philadelphia. I've been on those steps a lot. But Philly can be really rowdy. Tara Settmayer, standby. I'm gonna jolly. I want to bring in what. Do you have something. Are you trying to show us there? Where are you?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Oh, no. Well, I was showing you. So what I've done is I've made my way to the other side of the city from where we were previously at where the protest was at. This is the actual parade entrance. So I'm here where people are entering the parade. I just kind of wanted to get an idea to, you know, what things look like, how many people were here. It turns out this is very interesting. I didn't know that this. There's two entrances. There's a parade entrance, and then there's a festival entrance. And I Asked the guy, I said, what's the festival? I didn't hear about a festival. He said, the festival's for the army. But I was like, I thought the, I thought the parade was for the army. So I'm doing a little investigation to figure out. Wait a minute, has, you know, have they pulled a bait and switch, which, let's be honest, we all knew the military pray, was for Trump the whole time. But I'm literally being told I can go one of two directions here, hang on right here into the parade, which is a pretty skim line. You can see the lines moving pretty fast. Or over there, where I was at a minute ago, I can go to the festival, which I'm being told the minimum of a two and a half hour line to get in. So one almost for Trump and ones for the army, apparently. Surprise, surprise.

[Jim Acosta]

Jim, how's the security there? Is it. Because I heard earlier that it was really tough to get in even if you were going to the parade, especially if you're, you know, a protester. But is it, was, is it inhibiting people from going? And you said the line is pretty scant. Jolly.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Oh, I apologize. I thought you said. Jim, I do apologize.

[Jim Acosta]

I may have. Sorry.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

It's no problem. Security is pretty tight. There's about four entrances. You got special guest entrances, press and media entrances. I tried to get through press, media, you got to be pre cleared by the Trump administration. So I'll never get in there. And then there's a general entrance as well. But like I say, for the parade, getting in lines moving pretty fast. It's not, I mean, it's a lot of people, but it's not like really backed up. But this other entrance that I'm not sure makes any sense is a much longer wait line to get in. Seems like you had to have some pre cleared tickets to get in that. So it seems like they've got people going to celebrate Trump on one side and people going to this army parade on the other side.

[Don Lemon]

Wait, people wanting to celebrate Trump? Jolly, can you explain? They're celebrating. What about Trump? His birthday. Is that like a birthday celebration? Are they singing happy birthday to him? What is going on?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Well, I can only imagine from. Oh, I apologize. I can only imagine from, from, you know, the time I spent studying North Korea and collecting intelligence in North Korea and how cultist regimes work, that they're just celebrating Trump because he's their cult leader. And I asked two or three people while I was walking, you know, hey, what are you here for? You know what, why Are you here? Oh, Trump. We love Trump. And I'm no one, no one has told me yet here. We're here to celebrate the Army's 250th birthday. So that's not. That's not an answer. As a matter of fact, ask some people right now. I mean, I'll be happy to ask some people. Hey, could you mind. Do you mind telling me, you know, what you're here for today?

[Jim Acosta]

I'm here to join in the celebration.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Of 250th military anniversary.

[Jim Acosta]

Coincidentally, it's the President Trump's birthday.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I'm here from Baltimore and I, my grandfather, my uncle, my nephew, my brothers.

[Jim Acosta]

Served in the military.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Okay.

[Ezra Levin]

And.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

And I'm here in honor of them.

[Joy Reid]

Giving service to this country.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Okay. So. So it doesn't really matter that it's President Trump's birthday. It more matters this, the Army's birthday.

[Joy Reid]

Well, it matters he's the president. And coincidentally.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Did you, did you celebrate Biden's birthday?

[Joy Reid]

No, I didn't.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Okay. No, I didn't. I didn't. In fact, I didn't even celebrate former President Obama. Right.

[Jim Acosta]

And I didn't celebrate former president, President Bill Clinton.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Sure. So why Trump?

[Joy Reid]

Well, I'm not celebrating Trump's presidency.

[Jim Acosta]

I'm here to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the military.

[Joy Reid]

I love the military.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I'm proud to be an American of.

[Joy Reid]

A country that has a strong militia.

[Jim Acosta]

And so that's 95% the reason why I'm here.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Okay.

[Don Lemon]

Hey, can you ask him, can you ask him if he knows? Jolly, ask him if he knows any other president's birthday? Can he name any other president's birthday?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Can you, can you name, do you know any of the other president's birthdays? Like what date they were? Not exactly the exact date and year.

[Jim Acosta]

No.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I only know that his President Trump birthday from the new news media. Sure.

[Joy Reid]

Watching the news.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Sure. That it's on June 14th. It's given the appearance that this president is, you know, like you said, using the news media to push out his birthday where every other president, you know, was humble and didn't do that. Does that bother you?

[Jim Acosta]

Oh, of course it does.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Okay.

[Joy Reid]

Because right now it disturbs me that.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

He'S operating in the.

[Joy Reid]

In the image of a dictator.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Oh, okay.

[Joy Reid]

Yes, pretty much.

[Jim Acosta]

I'm going to be honest with you. I watch countries like China, Japan, Russia, they celebrate the military in their honor.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

And I'm disturbed about that. Yes. Okay. Enjoy the parade.

[Jim Acosta]

Can you ask him another question? Jolly, One more question. Can you ask him if he has any issue with Donald Trump federalizing the National Guard, Marines, U.S. military on the streets of America, possibly up against Americans, its own citizens?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

So the question is, do you have any issues with the president federalizing U.S. troops on the street of America, like the Marines and the Guard in la? Yes, I do.

[Jim Acosta]

Yes, I do. It takes me back to, I think it was what Kent State University, when.

[Joy Reid]

The students protest, he used the National.

[Jim Acosta]

Guard and I think a few people was killed.

[Joy Reid]

I don't agree, because it's not ironic.

[Jim Acosta]

That January 6th, he didn't call the.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

National Guards out to quell the January 6th riot.

[Joy Reid]

So he, he did just the reverse in California.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

And I disagree with that.

[Jim Acosta]

He's using military for his own personal.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Bodyguard, so to speak.

[Jim Acosta]

Dolly, can you get that man's information? I want to have him as a guest on the show, get his contact.

[Don Lemon]

He surprised us. We thought he was going one way.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

And it was me, too. Same. I'm on Live with Don Lemon and Joanne Reed and Jim Acosta, and they're curious if you'd like to be a guest on the show in the future. If I can get your contact information. Yes. Hello, Mr. Don Lemon.

[Joy Reid]

I watched you when you was on CNN.

[Jim Acosta]

Thank you very much. You need to watch us now that we're on YouTube and I appreciate you. I know, I heard about that. You're a veteran, right?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

You're a veteran?

[Jim Acosta]

No, I never served.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

My brother served.

[Joy Reid]

My uncle served. I was in college.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. Well, thank you and your family for their service and thank you for appearing. You're a very polite man and I love it when people have different, you know, we differ on some things, but you're very polite and respectful, and I like that.

[Don Lemon]

Don Lemon, thank you for very much, sir. We appreciate it. Talking to you. We appreciate you. I believe we do have it. There we go. Harry Dunn, former. Thank you, Mr.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Yes.

[Don Lemon]

We had a little challenge here, but we've got him now. Harry, how you doing, my friend? Welcome to the broadcast.

[Joy Reid]

Hey, y' all.

[Ezra Levin]

Joy, Don, everybody. Tara, good to see y' all.

[Don Lemon]

So talk to us. What are you thinking about on today? Given the fact that Donald Trump is putting tanks in the streets of the city that you used to control and the capital you used to protect, Your thoughts on that, Harry?

[Ezra Levin]

It's, it's a slap in the face, but it's, but, but it comes as no surprise to what he's doing. Is anybody really surprised by what he's doing? There is no bottom to what this individual that's Occupying the White House right now will do. There's no load that what he'll stoop to. But for let me back up for a second, I got to take a minute to acknowledge the, the lives that was lost in Minnesota this morning with a horrible thing of political violence. And it just shows the contrast of. I was out in Maryland earlier at these peaceful protests. People are fired up, people are passionate, but there wasn't any violence. There wasn't any. There was anger towards an administrator, I mean towards an administration to want to be dictated towards the king, but it wasn't any violence. It was a lot of as much hate that was out there. There was a equal amount of love that was there also. So my thoughts are with that meaningful thoughts and prayers are with the families of the people affected in Minnesota today.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah, indeed. Ours as well. Ours as well. And thank you for saying that. And the frightening thing about it is that you do have this atmosphere of hatred and violence in the country. We do know that there is a suspect whose name is a 50 some year old man who was dressed as a police officer, particularly pretending to be. We don't know if he has any sort of law enforcement background, but he was pretending to be or at least posing as a police officer, including a car that looked like, like it was an officer's vehicle. Which is probably the only reason that these two lawmakers opened their doors. And then of course, both couples were shot. One is a state House member, the former speaker, the other being a senator. So it is frightening and we definitely wish deepest condolences to the families of both of those folks.

[Joy Reid]

Yeah.

[Ezra Levin]

One of the other things that you just said, Joy, and that goes back what ICE is doing, they're just showing up in jeans and a T shirt and a little mask, a shisty mask and with jeans and a T shirt. I mean these policies that are led, that are being led by Kristi Noem and this administration not enforcing even the simplest of a dress code. So you talk about all this reverence about military, about our service members. How about making them even look decent? I mean, like you couldn't come into. If your shirt's untucked, you're already out of order for the military. So it's just unfortunate what's happening. Hopefully we don't see more of this, but you know, my heart tells me that we are going to see more of this type of targeted violence.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. Hey, Joy and Harry, can we. Harry, can you just wait a little bit? Because I want to get to someone who's out in the Field, and we'll get back to here and we'll bring Dulce Sloan in as well. But Tara Palmeri is here. Tara is our. Our eyes in the field, Tara. And we don't want to see more umbrella than we see you. I know you don't want to get.

[Recy Colbert]

Yeah, I know.

[Don Lemon]

I'm trying.

[Recy Colbert]

I just don't want myself.

[Don Lemon]

You're in the New York rally.

[Jim Acosta]

Tell us about the New York rally.

[Recy Colbert]

You know, it's actually like a parade. It feels more like a parade than anything else. Very peaceful and, you know, patriotic. Like a lot of American flags, little ones. And I think it was to make a point that, you know, there's obviously a military parade in Washington, but that. That these obviously people who are resisting the president and what he's. And his agenda, you can see from the signs that they, too, are patriotic people, you know, despite their differences about what patriotism looks like. And I think, you know, you see a lot of signs, like, pro Mexico, Free Palestine. One of them, I got a kick out of it, said, break up with your Republican boyfriend. There's one that says, you know, MAGA is fascist, and it's all over the place. But I noticed a lot of people coming with friends, you know, a lot of rainbows. It kind of seems like it makes up the whole range of the Democratic coalition people. All different people. I could talk to someone if you want. Right. That a lot of it says, you know, some of it is a little inflammatory as well, and not even a little. A lot inflammatory, but, you know, everybody from all different political persuasion is going to come out, but it's very heavily armed as well. I'm going to show you some of the police officers right here. Hold on. I mean, it's really heavily armed, so I think it'll be mainly contained. And I don't.

[Jim Acosta]

Where are you marching to? They march from Bryant park to where? Tara.

[Recy Colbert]

I'm sorry, what was that?

[Jim Acosta]

Where are you marching to?

[Recy Colbert]

Oh, I'm marching down Fifth Avenue. I'm on 35th and Fifth. Okay, here's a sign. How do you say hate in Spanish? Stephen Miller. So, you know, there's a lot. There's a lot going. There's a lot of trolling going on out here, so. And, you know, I'm really surprised by how many people showed up. It's not like a downpour, but it's not exactly comfortable out here. I mean, my rain boots gotta. You know, and everyone else seems to be just down with that. I've never seen this flag before, but I think you could see. Fuck Donald Trump, but all different ages.

[Jim Acosta]

Oh, I've seen those.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I have two of them.

[Recy Colbert]

Who is that?

[Jim Acosta]

That said I have two of them. Is that Naveed?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

That's jolly.

[Recy Colbert]

That thing for the movement is as long as it stays, you know, deportized.

[Don Lemon]

I think as long as the.

[Recy Colbert]

As long as these marches, you know, remain, like, civil, it's a sign that, you know, people can congregate without having violence. And if it's a special thing in our country, we should be celebrating, I think.

[Jim Acosta]

Well, Tara, Paul, Mary, thank you for joining us. Be safe and try to stay dry out there.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah.

[Recy Colbert]

I'll keep you posted if anything dramatic happens, but I'm hopeful that it doesn't, because.

[Jim Acosta]

Thank you.

[Don Lemon]

You know.

[Recy Colbert]

Okay, bye. Cheers.

[Jim Acosta]

Bye. Thank you. Back to Tara and Dulce. I mean, Harry and Dolce.

[Clay Kane]

Hello.

[Jim Acosta]

Hi, Joy. Take it away, Joy. Ms. Joy Reid.

[Don Lemon]

Hey, Dulcie, why don't we go ahead and get you to talk a little bit about what, you know, what this day kind of says speaks to you. How does it speak to you?

[Clay Kane]

Hello, friends. I am Dulce Sloan. How is everyone? Hello, hello, hello. I think it's very interesting that a draft dodger is having a military parade and people are showing up. I think anyone who. I am very interested that people who served and risked their lives to protect this country would show up to a parade for someone for. To celebrate his birthday, for, you know, service that he didn't even do. The way he's spoken about people in the military, the way he used to speak, speak about John McCain truly was very interesting. But I'm also. I think the thing that is. Was so odd to me was I had friends on the east coast and friends back home that were asking about the riots in la, and I was like, these aren't riots. They're not riots, and this is coming from other black people. And so I was like, they're not riots or riots is what. When there's civil unrest, when the citizens are attacking, you know, each other and they're attacking the law enforcement and they're, you know, tearing. We've seen riots in LA before. These weren't riots. They were being attacked by ice, and they were being attacked by the, you know, by the police and by the military. And so I don't. But the fact that the Tulsa massacre was referred to as riots for almost a hundred years, and that was citizens being attacked by other citizens and by law enforcement. So we have to make sure that. We make sure that the media is using the correct terms for things when we talk about how people are being treated. And so, like, I have family that is, I think, all documented. I think most of my family is documented that I have back. But I, again, I don't know. You don't have to tea stuff like that. But it's.

[Recy Colbert]

We're all.

[Clay Kane]

We all have friends and we all have family that we're all concerned about. But the fact that you're taking, you know, you're going to take people's legal citizenship away to then make them illegal, I got. I guess I don't understand who this is for. I guess I don't understand this because what, the same people who will tell you they have ancestors that are from England and France and Germany and Italy, none of those places are America. So the same people that say, my parents came over here illegal way. Your parents. Your parents and your grandparents came over with Ellis island and all Ellis island was United States took a census. So how many black people were there in this country? And then they said, we need white reinforcements. That's all Ellis island was was. They went to Europe and sent boats and said, bring us as many whites as you can because we're expanding west and we have to make sure it's not black people out there. So you can't come up to me when the United States invited all of these white people in from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, and there wasn't. It wasn't about the legal way. They weren't filling out documents, they wrote their name down and then they went somewhere. So you can't run in this mindset of, well, we did this, we did that. When you have the model minority myth and the way that Asian Americans have been made to meet, become these representatives of what every minority should be doing, but then you're also starting to deport them as well. Well, if they're the model, then why are you kicking them out? And so we have to see what's the next step of things. Because I didn't read all the project 2025 because I don't like to have nightmares. So what is the point of all of this? Because it's. Because I was talking to my mom about it, and people are saying, oh, it's the way to kick out all of these undocumented people. And she said, yeah, but people aren't thinking about the next step. So if you think about the Midwest, if Everybody ladies on TikTok, she's like, we voted for Trump, but none of our employees are coming in. They're undocumented. And either they self deported back to their own country or they're afraid to come to work. So now we can't, we can't harvest our grain, we can't get rid of usaid. You can't harvest your grain, you can't sell to the government. So all of these people voted against themselves. And she said when he said he was sending undocumented people back, he didn't think, we didn't think he was talking about our employees. And that's the main issue. They never thought that he was talking about them. But that is the issue with his voters. That is the issue with white people in this country. They never think somebody's talking to them.

[Jim Acosta]

That is the cognitive dissonance of a lot of the Trump supporters in this, in this country. Stand by. One second, please. Jolly, I want to get Jolly back up. Jolly, you had someone, you said you wanted to. Jolly there, wanted to speak to someone who was in the crowd. I don't know if he can hear us because he's texting me. Go ahead.

[Clay Kane]

His mic is muted.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah.

[Don Lemon]

Oh, Jolly, put your mic on. We can, we can sort of see your camera, but we don't hear you.

[Jim Acosta]

All right, let's get back to Harry Dunn. Joy, you got the V shot here.

[Don Lemon]

I do indeed. Harry, I want to let you get another comment if you want to respond to what Dulce had to say. Because, I mean, the reality is you had a lot of people with that same mentality show up for what they called a protest on January 6, but that was just a mob action. Those were people who also are not trained protests. They didn't know how to protest. They just figured, we'll just crap in the Capitol and smash the windows and beat up some police officers. They think that's a peaceful protest. But Donald Trump is trying to portray what we just saw in New York, what we're seeing in la. We can see the pictures, we're putting them on your screen to show you. Donald Trump calls this an insurrection, Harry.

[Ezra Levin]

Well, not, not just him, but his, his flunkies and cronies in Congress. I mean, what they're saying, what's happening in LA is an insurrection. And I just love the opportunity to use a good Webster's definition. And the definition of an insurrection is a violent uprising against the government or authority. So we have to stop real quick and examine the components of that real quick. How can you have a violent uprising is by the government, not against the government. It's ice out there, beating people's intent and cracking people's windows.

[Joy Reid]

And stuff.

[Ezra Levin]

So it's not an insurrection because the government is the one doing the violent uprising on January 6. It was the people that did a violent uprising against the government. So, I mean, listen, I don't give Mag a lot of credit. Like, they're not smart, but those lawmakers, they're not that dumb. They know how to understand what a. A definition is, but all they're doing is pandering to their base. And the last thing I'll say real quick is I got some text messages from officers that are out there working right now, and they said they have Trump supporters coming up to them saying, thank you for your service, thank you for being here.

[Jim Acosta]

These are the same people who defended.

[Ezra Levin]

The Capitol on January 6th. But you got all people, Trump supporters coming up to them and thanking them. And it's just Danny Hodges is out there working right now in this humidity. And I'm just praying that that brainstorm makes its way a little bit further south from New York right in time for that parade. So.

[Don Lemon]

And the parade is later. You notice we're on before that parade.

[Clay Kane]

Has something happen yet? It's 4:30.

[Don Lemon]

It has not happened yet. It's supposed to happen at about 6:30, but, you know, we don't care about it. But, I mean, we do care.

[Clay Kane]

This is already ridiculous.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah. And I will note that we do respect, respect the United States army, and we do want to wish the United States army a happy 250.

[Clay Kane]

Can y' all hear me?

[Don Lemon]

We can hear you. Yes, we can. Dulce, let me, let me go ahead and introduce very quickly before we come back to you, Naveed Shah. He is himself a US army veteran, and he is from Courage for America. I wanted you to come in and just talk a little bit about your perspective on Donald Trump throwing what he's claiming is a celebration of the Army's 250th birthday. But it's really about his birthday. And he really wants to be like Kim Jong Un, and he wants to be like the dictators who get to have military parades. Putin. But also he kind of envies Emmanuel Macron, maybe not the getting slapped by his wife part, which maybe might happen to him too, at some point. But he rec. He, he, you know, he loves the Bastille Day parade. He wanted one of his own, and now he's got one. Your thoughts on that, Naveen?

[Ezra Levin]

Hey, Joy. Thanks so much for having me. And you know, it's such a slap in the face to every service member that he's doing this this way. I would as an army veteran. I would love to celebrate the Army's birthday. I'm really proud of my service. I'm proud of the soldiers I served with in Iraq and all over the world. But the thing is, when Donald Trump is doing this, he is putting on this pomp and circumstance for it, really for himself. And to turn around and decide he's going to cut 15% of the Department of Veterans Affairs 83,000 jobs that are going to. And who's going to be impacted by that? Veterans and military families who rely on the VA for their health care and for their benefits. So on the streets is having a parade, but behind the scenes, the Trump regime is planning to cut veterans benefits without any regard for the people that they're going to be hurting.

[Don Lemon]

And when you talk to your fellow veterans about this parade, because I have to say, one of the more despicable things that I've seen in the last couple of days is, is the way local news is covering this event. They're covering it like it's perfectly normal for the president of the United States to be putting tanks in the streets of the nation's capital and have and sort of showing off our military might, not to another country, but to the American people and threatening a violent response if people protest. This is being covered as if it's perfectly normal. And I wonder what you make of that, Naveed.

[Ezra Levin]

Well, Common Defense recently did a poll of veterans across the country, and we found that even among Republicans and independent veterans, 70% of them across the board do not like this parade that Donald Trump is doing. And more importantly, in light of what's happening in Los Angeles, we're seeing him not just throwing a military parade, but throwing the military at peaceful protesters, putting 4,000 National Guard members, 700 Marines at least in California so far. And now we know that governors like in Texas and in Virginia are following suit, activating the National Guard to go after protesters. The militarization of the police state against, you know, peaceful civilians who are exercising the First Amendment right is a very dangerous prospect. And again, this parade in D.C. that he's doing today is just a sideshow to all to what's really happening.

[Jim Acosta]

Joy Ruth, Ben Guillot is joining us as well, American history professor and political commentator, a scholar on fascism. We need her today. And authoritarian leaders. He's also a professor of history and Italian studies at New York University. Ruth, thank you for joining us. Talk to us about what's happening today. Does this fit the definition of your expertise?

[Recy Colbert]

Yeah, you know, it's been really disturbing A third of my book is about military coups. And, you know, this. This kind of totally, wildly disproportionate, unfortunate mobilization of force with a battalion, infantry, battalion of marines who served in the global war in terror now on the streets of Los Angeles. And, you know, it struck me that one of the reasons for this is that they want to produce images of a domesticated military. And that's the parade. Fine. And these federalized National Guard troops and stuff, but they want to banish images that are too threatening to them.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Them.

[Recy Colbert]

And that is ordinary people who've been coming out, not just today, which is the no Kings protest, but they've been coming out in neighborhoods to try and stop these ICE thugs from doing their arrests. And that kind of show of solidarity and helping the vulnerable is very threatening to authoritarians because they want to always divide us and break those horizontal bonds of solidarity. And so that's one reason, I think, all of they didn't expect this kind of response among people, which has happened spontaneously all over the nation. And so they've got, like, this mega force, and they're using Los Angeles as a test case.

[Jim Acosta]

So standby. Ruth, I want you to stand by. I'm going to bring in. Jolly is out there in the field. Jolly, you said you have someone you want us to talk to and unmute, please, sir, so we can hear you. Go ahead, Jolly.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I'm here with Riley. Riley, you want to explain to us? I see you walking. You got the uniform, you got the flag. What's the message?

[Don Lemon]

Eight years ago, I was.

[Recy Colbert]

I graduated from West Point and was discharged, Denied my commission because I'm transgender. It's happening again.

[Don Lemon]

Eight years later.

[Joy Reid]

There are three cadets from Air Force.

[Don Lemon]

Academy, another one from West Point that.

[Recy Colbert]

Have a discharged because they're transgender. And I'm here to let people know.

[Don Lemon]

That that's fucked up. It is indeed. Bluntly said.

[Jim Acosta]

Bluntly said. Right, Joy.

[Don Lemon]

And factual. I mean, can I ask you a question? What made you want to join the United States military? Why did you sign up?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

What made you want to join the military? Why did you sign up?

[Don Lemon]

Oh, a number of reasons, as corny.

[Recy Colbert]

As it might be. I wanted to be the best person I could develop myself into.

[Don Lemon]

I wanted to see what I could.

[Recy Colbert]

Do with my life. And it was a good opportunity. And I got into West Point. I was very proud of that.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

And you made it all four years. It sounds like I did.

[Recy Colbert]

I made it all four years, graduated, got a degree in mathematics. I would have branched into the Air Defense Artillery.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Wow.

[Don Lemon]

And John. No, no. Go, John. You go.

[Jim Acosta]

What does this do for the Martin morale? Because if you listen to Pete Hegseth and you listen to Donald Trump and folks in the administration, they think that lowers the morale, right? It hinders the morale of the folks in the military, the men and women in uniform, and our transgender brothers and sisters as well. But what does it really do to the morale, especially for members of the LGBTQ + community who have fought and served this country?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

It's a good question, Don. Ask Pete Hexath claims that having transgender soldiers in the military lowers the morale of the unit, but what do you think that it does for the morale? And especially, what message are you sending to the LGBTQIA community by kicking people out simply for being transgender?

[Recy Colbert]

If you talk to any of hundreds of trans service members, you will know that they only better the unit and that, look, if there's a bad trans service member, if they are not cut out for military service, kick them out.

[Don Lemon]

I will be the first to say that.

[Joy Reid]

But what I want everyone to know.

[Recy Colbert]

Is that give us an equal chance. We deserve an equal chance. There's nothing wrong with being transgender that affects your military service in any way.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Would you have been if after West Point, had you got commission and not been kicked out? By the way, what year did that happen?

[Recy Colbert]

2017.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

2017, had you not been kicked out, would have got commissioned, you still would have been in during some of the conflict. Would you have been willing to. To go in your uniform overseas and fight those wars and fight those conflicts?

[Joy Reid]

I planned for that, yeah.

[Recy Colbert]

Air defense artillery gets forward deployed all the time. I was expecting that. I was hoping for that.

[Joy Reid]

I planned for that.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

And so when you joined, to be fair, the country had been at war for going on 20 years. So you knew what you were getting into?

[Jim Acosta]

Absolutely did.

[Recy Colbert]

All my professors were Afghanistan veterans or Iraq veterans. We studied all sorts of case studies from Iraq and Afghanistan. Also the moral, ethical situations that arises for officers.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

So walking around here now, because I see a lot of, you know, make America Gradient hats and Trump shirts and that. Have you gotten any feedback on your flag? Have you had any comments? Have you any conversations that stand out to you?

[Recy Colbert]

I've had a couple looks, but only positive comments.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

That's amazing. Okay, great. And are you here specifically for the Army's 250th birthday?

[Don Lemon]

Well, look, I was in the army.

[Recy Colbert]

Too, so it gets to be my birthday, too.

[Don Lemon]

I'm not going to let Trump take.

[Recy Colbert]

That away from me.

[Jim Acosta]

Very well. Jim, you have something? You got a question?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Thank you so much.

[Ezra Levin]

I appreciate.

[Joy Reid]

Well, I, you know, a couple of things. I'm going to just bring up the point since we're talking about Pete Hegseth and he's made all these comments about merit based and so on. If we're going purely on merit based, should Pete Hegseth be the defense secretary? I mean, honestly. Let's just put that out there. Can we just say that? Let's, let's just state the obvious, make sure it's on the record here. The other thing is I just heard from the crew here in D.C. just a few moments ago that we're expecting possibly 3 to 4 inches of rain at about 7 o' clock this evening. That is what's in the forecast right now. Andy. I don't know. Harry. Done. I heard was doing a rain dance or something out in the Virginia somewhere. But whatever he did, you know, he's a big guy when he starts rain dancing.

[Don Lemon]

I'm saying that Indian people can use prayer to cause bad weather. But I'm also not saying that we cannot use. Because we, we, we do. We do commune with Jesus. I'm not.

[Joy Reid]

We could just come together right now, hold hands. Ver May.

[Don Lemon]

That's it.

[Clay Kane]

You know, there's always a drought. Joy. You're gonna always pray for rain. There's always a lawn. It's been warm. You can always say my landscaping is just parched. And it's.

[Joy Reid]

Democracy is parched.

[Don Lemon]

Is. And sometimes he'll just do it.

[Clay Kane]

Won't he do it?

[Don Lemon]

He won't.

[Clay Kane]

Won't he always 1600. They're just, they're out here being thirsty. Okay. There's just been just a cloud upon them of just foolishness. And the clouds need to be pushed away to the. Just the cleansing rain that we need. Also a nighttime parade. Who in the history.

[Recy Colbert]

Yes.

[Clay Kane]

Starts a parade at a p.m. we all know parade is an AM situation. What is happening over there? They can't find the tanks on. So you make no sense.

[Joy Reid]

And, and keep in mind, don't forget guys, Donald Trump does not like the rain. Remember that situation in France when he didn't want to go to the cemetery because he was worried that that orange stuff on his head was going to get all matted up. You know, it's like a raccoon in a, you know, in a wind tunnel when that happened.

[Recy Colbert]

Giuliani situation.

[Joy Reid]

Remember?

[Jim Acosta]

You read my, you read my mind. That he would have orange stuff rolling down his face and that would not be. Be pretty, not cute.

[Joy Reid]

That's going to happen.

[Jim Acosta]

You said Three to four inches of rain. Is that what you said?

[Joy Reid]

That's what we just heard. That's what we just heard. That. That's the. You know, if you trust these weather apps on these phones and stuff, which.

[Clay Kane]

You know, I mean, we have to. The weather service got defunded, so somebody has to tell us something.

[Joy Reid]

That's true.

[Jim Acosta]

Jim has become our. Our meteorologist here. Hey, everybody, stand by. Can you take us through some of the shots that we have, the pictures that we have up now, Andy, and tell us where we are? Because we're looking at protests all over the country. Some of them have ended, others are still going. I believe this one. Is this Philadelphia that we're looking at right now, or is this Los Angeles?

[Recy Colbert]

That's Philly.

[Jim Acosta]

This is Philadelphia. Still going on in Philadelphia. There seems to be a pretty big crowd there, and it looks like they may be outside. I can't really tell the picture. Maybe outside of the museum. What else do we have going on around the country? Andy, take us somewhere else. Los Angeles, the feed just ended.

[Joy Reid]

I'm gonna grab a new one.

[Jim Acosta]

Okay, so. And also, it's still going on in Los Angeles. We saw San Jose. Quite a bit of people out there. Enjoy. It's not in. Jim, it's not just in major cities. You know, we had Jen and Pumps on, and they were in Oklahoma. And it's in small towns, you know, Connecticut, Mississippi, Louisiana, even in red states. You see people from all over protesting today. No kings. No kings. No kings. It's not just no kings. They're protesting. They're pro democracy and pro Constitution.

[Don Lemon]

And, Ruth, I would love for you to comment on that, because the thing is, you've said, and we've all interviewed you and you've talked to all of us on our show, individual shows in the past, about the fact that public and physical resistance is actually an important point of fighting autocracy. How important is it that you've got, as Don said, peaceful protests all over the country despite Donald Trump's threats that people. That people not protest?

[Recy Colbert]

No, it's really key. And I think that, you know, when we think, when we see, when we see shots of big resistance abroad, sometimes it's centralized to, like in Warsaw or the capital of Georgia. And I think the future of resistance, including a country the size of the US it's going to be decentralized. It's going to look like this. And it's really, really important to be together because the sites, the experience of being together also encourages people to come back again. We have to think of this as one step in a collective movement. We're building a new. It's a new chapter of building a movement. And we shouldn't forget that. Like in 2017 with the women's March and especially Black Lives Matter, that was the largest protest movement in American history. So, so we can do this. And the other thing is that we're standing up to show that. Tell the, you know, tell people that we feel the government, it's not acceptable what they're doing. It's not who we are. And we're kind of, when you come together in public also, you're transforming your individual outrage into kind of a collective moral force. So it's collective action and bringing your values into action and showing others that they can come out and do it, too. So it's really important.

[Don Lemon]

Amen.

[Jim Acosta]

Can I ask Jim a question? Jim, you've traveled with many presidents. You and I have both covered many inaugurations and presidential events for. And I can't remember. I just know that I remember during the Obama inauguration, it was just cold as hell. And that sounds weird, cold as hell, because hell is. Hell is hot, as far as, you know, you know. But so then what happens? What is the rain sitch there? What is the backup plan? Do you know, in these situations?

[Joy Reid]

Well, keep in mind, Don, I, I remember it. I covered Barack Obama's first inauguration. I was down there in the National Mall for that. And that was colder than what it was during Donald Trump's second inauguration. Remember when they went inside?

[Recy Colbert]

Yep.

[Joy Reid]

They had to go inside because, well, you know, he was worried that the crowds are going to be small outside. If we go inside the arena, the, you know, the crowds aren't going to be that smile. But I think in terms of, I think this is a rain, you know, no rain. Whatever happens, weather permitting, you know, they, they go for it. And I do believe, based on what I've heard, just talking to folks, you know, heading into this, I talked to some law enforcement folks heading into this. There were some concerns about the, some of the flyovers. What happens with sending the tanks in, sending some of these military vehicles around, how does that work if, if everything is totally saturated like this? But this is, you know, I'm not, I don't want to exaggerate, but 3 to 4 inches of rain in Washington, D.C. on a Saturday evening, that has the potential to cause a lot of problems. And I have to assume that the people down on the National Mall, when that happens, people are going to start scattering, they're going to start going under trees and so on. And this is going to be a big mess for Donald Trump, you know, maybe.

[Don Lemon]

And you can't take the tanks helping. You can't take the tanks inside, Jim. You can't. 7,000. It's an estimate of 7,000 troops. He is forced to come to D.C. rather than do what they normally do with their time. There are supposed to be flyovers. We're talking about them marshaling an armada of tanks of military vehicles of all kinds. I've spoken with sources inside the National Park Service who said they have unearthed mothball tanks. Tanks that don't even run anymore because they're so old. Because he wants, he wants hundreds of tanks. He.

[Joy Reid]

Yeah, he. His dad didn't get him enough GI Joe or something.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah, he won't. Kim Jong Un style parade.

[Clay Kane]

You have tanks hydroplaning in the National Mall. Is that what the goal is?

[Joy Reid]

It's just to see it. And keep in mind they shut down National Airport. They shut down Reagan National Airport for a period of hours today to get all of this set up.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. Hey, Joy and Jim, by the way, Joy, you, you had fed into us some of the protest. I mean, excuse me, some of the rehearsal video from the. Them rolling the tanks in. And also. Can we play that? Yeah, this is the rehearsal video that Joy and her team had sent into us. And this is. I don't know if you were there yesterday, Jim. I don't know. But look, look at this.

[Joy Reid]

This is. Yeah, I believe dance.

[Jim Acosta]

This is like North Korea, guys.

[Recy Colbert]

It's like North. Yeah, it's like North Korea. It's like all the dictatorships that, that I study. And it's just unbelievable. It's this boundless need for adoration and choreographed bodies and feeling that he's the big man. But there's no end to it. It's from a deep insecurity and a deep fear. In fact, I did some research on parades.

[Don Lemon]

That's North Korea, by the way, we're showing now. Just, just let, you know, cut you off. That's North Korea. Go ahead.

[Recy Colbert]

But though some of the dictators, if they've been around long enough and they know how hated they are by their people, they can have like Saddam Hussein, he would have birthday parades, but he wouldn't show up because he was afraid something would happen to him if he actually showed up. This is after being, you know, it's, this is like a symptom of this egomania of the dictator. And it's really, it's really unbelievable that we have to have these Scenes now in our nation's capital.

[Joy Reid]

And what's gross about it, Ruth, is, remember, Donald Trump is the guy who was reported, and I confirmed, others confirmed it had referred to people who serve in the military as suckers and losers.

[Recy Colbert]

Yeah.

[Joy Reid]

And he's the one who is using the United States military, military using the 250th anniversary of the US army to puff out his chest and feel like a dictator. It's, it's disgraceful.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Also, if I can interject into that conversation, you know, I, I joined them. I joined the military. And nine, 11 happened two days before I graduated basic training. So Iraq and Afghanistan was my entire military career. 13 years. I was there. It was the global war in terrorism the whole time, from the day, from the two days before I graduated basic, I got out. And something that was a very big part of our training, our quarterly requirements, our commanders and our purs would talk to us about it. And it was, our job's not to be political. Our job is to stay apolitical. Don't do politics in uniform. I'm sure you all remember 2003, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. That time period, lots of protests around the country against the Iraq war after, you know, it was revealed that there was no weapons of mass destruction. So there was a lot of that. And soldiers were inclined, soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marine, were inclined to have an opinion. And it was, it was, we were, we were reminded that your political opinion is yours privately. You will not do it as associated with the Army. You won't do it in uniform. So now I'm seeing the politic, the politicization of our military. And it's, it's absolutely disgusting. One, it's antithetical to everything I learned in my 13 years in the Army. And I'm, I'm gonna say what I said the other day. This is going to cause the military, cause the public to lose trust in the military. When you start politicizing the military, going to Fort Bragg, giving stump speeches on Bragg, I couldn't believe it. When you're, when you're filtering the troops that are there to make sure they align with your political, political views. When you're selling Trump merchandise to soldiers in uniform. If you did any of these things while I was in, you were getting reprimanded, if not kicked out. Politics were not allowed in uniform. And now I'm starting to have trouble deciding what's politics and what's uniform. And this is going to cause us to erode public trust in the military.

[Don Lemon]

Indeed.

[Clay Kane]

Party has always used the military has always taken the military, military and stood them in front of us. They've always said that they supported the troops. And the entire time we're taking resources and services away from veterans. They are the main party that will go. We love the troops. We care much about the troops. Thank you so, so much for your service. And they are the main ones that will defund the va. They are the main ones that will make sure that they're taking. They are taking their. All of the services they're taking. They're not allowing, you know, black servicemen to be. Or black service people serving service who were black to be able to use the GI Bill. And that was the entire time. So this entire time, the Republican Party has always stood behind the American military and been like, this is our show of might. This is our show of force. They're the first ones to go to war and then the last ones to help veterans. This is always, this has been the game the entire time. They have always played in the military space. So for me to have to look up if, you know, we all had a grandfather who was in World War II because he had to, because we had the draft, but to currently have friends who've had to leave the military or were kicked out of the military or for any reason to say we can't politicize that, you're telling them you can't be political in uniform, but yet the Republican Party has always made the military part of their party and the identity of their party. That's a huge slap. That has to be a huge slap in the face.

[Jim Acosta]

Look what he did at Fort Back for Fort Bragg last week with members, our service members standing behind him, doing.

[Joy Reid]

A call and repeat.

[Jim Acosta]

And also, you know, selling merch at the event. Yeah.

[Don Lemon]

Which is unheard of. Like, why are you selling merch to the troops? And by the way, for those who didn't see that video, and we have a little bit of that video here, if we, I don't know if we want to tee it up. He mocked the mayor of Los Angeles and the governor and again claimed, like Kristi Noem did, that they're going to, quote, liberate Los Angeles from the people who elected to lead it. He mocked the press and got the troops. It was the, I think it was the 82nd Airborne and got them to mock the media with him, to hoot and mock the leadership, the civilian leadership of California with him. He got them to participate. And as Don and Jim have reported, and I've seen this reporting elsewhere, they vetted those Troops, not just for their ideological views, Ruth, but also for their appearance. I don't know what that means, but I assume they mean they wanted them to mostly be white.

[Recy Colbert]

Yeah, yeah. And fit and white. And. No, this is, this is obviously, this is so, so dangerous. And all along, you know, Trump has made no secret of that.

[Clay Kane]

He wants.

[Recy Colbert]

He has a different model of the military in mind. That's why he said to his chief of staff, General Kelly, that he liked the way that Hitler's generals were with Hitler. And then Kelly had to remind him that actually some of the high officials tried to assassinate Hitler. But he's like, no, no, they were obedient. And so he has this image of the military as loyal to his person, which is not the way it's supposed to work. And it's very sad because ultimately, even the storied information infantry battalion of Marines who, who are very tough and served all over the world, and they are going to lose their integrity if they're asked to be, you know, doing stuff to civilians. And so the military, when it's, in all the stuff that I've written about, when a military serves an authoritarian, it doesn't have to be as extreme as Pinochet's Chile, where they were, like, literally torturing, you know, civilians, but they lose their integrity and, and they come to stand for just, just oppression. And so it's a losing thing. He's setting. He's putting the military in a very difficult situation. And that's why it's even more sad that the, the, that there's not more people speaking out.

[Jim Acosta]

Well, Ruth, thank you so much for joining us. Dolce, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate, appreciate it. And we will see you guys back here soon on the Don Lemon show, on the Joy Reed show, on the Jim Acosta Show. So thank you very much. I want to bring in now Reese Colbert and also Clay Kane to the stage. And there's a reason that I'm doing this, and I'm going to leave Jolly up as well. Jolly, put your face in here because what I want to tell you is that these are.

[Don Lemon]

You're our correspondent on the scene. We don't want to lose.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I'm here. Yes, I am here.

[Jim Acosta]

I am going to be shameless here. And say you guys mentioned merch. We, we have a merch store. Our merch store is up and running because that's how we stay viable out here on these streaming streets. Okay, so go to donlemon.com and check out our merch or go to our Home, our show page on YouTube and you can get our merch there as well. Also, I just want to say, if you are watching us right now, you are watching all independent journalists up on the screen right now. And the reason, the way that we stay, I shouldn't say on the air, the way that we stay streaming is, is if you support us. So make sure you hit the like button, make sure you subscribe, make sure you become a member. You follow me, you follow Joy, you follow Jim, you follow Clay, you follow Reese, you follow Jolly on our substack, on our YouTube, on our social media, because we give it to you without corporate influence, we don't have the big corporate support. And so again, I am shameless. I will tell you, in order to keep the lights on, we, we need you guys to support us, become a member, follow us. And when we say hit the like and subscribe, it does matter because it affects the algorithm and people become aware of our channels. And let me just tell you, by the way, I've been doing this for, for, you know, over a year now. Jim has been doing it for what, about four months? Joy is new to this. What we're doing right now is extraordinary. This, we're doing network style coverage in independent media and giving it to you without going, filtering it through a producer and saying we got to do this and we don't have to get to the commercial break. Okay. And so.

[Don Lemon]

Come on.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. And so anyways, you got. I, I've said my piece. Delicious. Yes.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

But also, but also, Don, keep in.

[Joy Reid]

Mind, I was gonna say, I was gonna say, I. To, to echo your point, Don, what a treat it is to be live with you and Joy at the same time. Yeah, I mean, it really is. I know we kind of talked about this at the top of this, but I just respect the hell out of both of you and the way you guys have just been fighters in this business for some time. And listen, I think we're all kind of made for this moment. And this independent media revolution that's happening in this country right now is made for this moment. This corporate media bullshit where they're, you know, settling lawsuits with Trump, they're paying bribes to Trump, they're getting rid of correspondence because they tweet something in the middle of the night and people are tired of this crap. And so the reason why they're going to support you, Don. They're going to support you, Joy. They're going to support me, support Jolly, is because this is, this is changing right before our eyes. The landscape is Moving. The tectonic shift is happening as we speak. And I think it's a very healthy thing for this guy. It's very much in line with no Kings Day. And I think these protests are going to continue. This thirst, this hunger, this craving for independent media, independent voices is going to continue. And so I just wanted to say that because it feels great to me. It's invigorating to me. Like, I woke up this morning, charged up, because I was so excited to be with you guys and doing this today.

[Don Lemon]

Well, I have this, and I have to add my voice to that.

[Clay Kane]

I'm sorry.

[Don Lemon]

We're going to do this whole. We're going to do our mutual admiration society, because, look, I could never. I mean, listen, just a year ago, even I would not have been able to be on the same screen with Jim and Don because we were at rival networks, Right. And the way the network system is set up is that it is this sort of, you know, friendly rivalry. But we were all cool behind the scenes. But you're. What you're getting now is the best of all of the coverage of all of the former networks. We used to work with all of our acute, accumulated journalistic experience, but we can actually now do it together. And we can do it, as Jim said, without the filter of corporate bosses saying that you can't have this guest. I would have loved to book Jolly Good Ginger on my show. I would have probably gotten pushback because they'd say, well, he's from social media, because I tried to book people from social media, and it was always a fight. But now we're finding out that some of the best journalism is actually happening on. Is one of the best out there. We have Clay, who's doing this on. On radio and. And independently. And you can take these independent voices and we. And look at this screen right now, you've got three. On the top of your screen, you've got three former cable news heads. And at the bottom of your screen, you have three of the best independent content creators in the world.

[Jim Acosta]

Yes. Amazing. You said Reese.

[Don Lemon]

We do want to hear what they have to say.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. And look, your feed cut out a little bit. We did say she said Reese, but it was when the feed cut out. Reese, but stand by. Jolly wants me. I think Jolly is a guest. Jolly, is that true? You're saying get to him. Stand by. We're gonna get Reese and Clay on it. Just a second. Go ahead. Jolly.

[Don Lemon]

Yep.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Can you hear me?

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, we got you.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I. Look, I want to show you something, so keep in mind, this is supposed to be a 250th army birthday parade. Right? That's how this was advertised. This is a parade to celebrate the Army's 250th birthday. This right here, this we're in front of, this is the line that you have to go through to get to the parade on general entrance. Look at this. Make sure. Get the whole thing, Greg. This is a giant flag that says January 6th was an inside job. It's got another flag here calling J6 hostages. This is 150 Trump propaganda conspiracy theory memorabilia at the general entrance of what we're being told is merely a parade for the Army's 250th birthday.

[Jim Acosta]

Wow. Can you talk to any of these folks and ask them about it?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Yeah, let's ask. Let's ask. Let's find somebody. Hey, what's going on, man? Do any of you guys have an opinion on this flag here? I'm curious what you think of. This is an army parade. What's the flag mean? Anybody have an opinion on that? Do you think J6 was an inside job? What do you think? I can attempt to speculate. Can't tend to speculate. No. What do you guys think? Do you guys think that this flag is appropriate for army birthday? What do you guys think? No, no opinion. Silence is compliance. Yeah, looks like silence is compliance today. It looks like that. You know, although everybody here knows the truth. Everybody knows this isn't an army birthday parade. They're not willing to say it out loud.

[Don Lemon]

Jolly. There's no. Is anybody standing near the flag who might take ownership of putting it there? Any idea?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

No. Maybe I can ask this lady. Do you know what this flag is about here?

[Joy Reid]

J6? Political prisoners.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

So J6 were political prisoners?

[Recy Colbert]

Yes.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Do you think that's appropriate to be up at the army's 250th birthday?

[Recy Colbert]

Yes, I think it is.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Why is that?

[Recy Colbert]

What do you mean? Why should.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Well, so I'm. I'm an army veteran. Right. And I should.

[Recy Colbert]

You're against Trump?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Yes, of course.

[Recy Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

So are you about to ask me if I'm really a veteran? What are you a liberal? No, I'm a leftist. But what's that?

[Recy Colbert]

Exactly.

[Joy Reid]

So your views are not going to be the same as ours?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

No, that's fine. We're not allowed to have different views. Okay. I thought. I thought that's what I fought for. But I could have been lied to. Okay, so I did. Okay, so then. So my question is, what does a J6 flag have to do with the Army's 250th birthday.

[Joy Reid]

It's because I'm here and I'm selling.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Oh, so this is your flag. Oh, I didn't. Okay, so that answers our question there. So do you feel like that's appropriate and insult to veterans to fly something like this? That has absolutely nothing to do with being in the Army.

[Ezra Levin]

So part of the proceeds that I collect today.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Yeah.

[Jim Acosta]

Are going to.

[Joy Reid]

Are going to Bart Shibley.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

He is. He was.

[Joy Reid]

He is a J6er.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Got it.

[Joy Reid]

He is right.

[Jim Acosta]

Right now on hospice. He's about to die after this.

[Joy Reid]

I'm going up there to see him.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Okay, that. I mean that nobody wants to see anybody die. I get that. But what does this have to do with the army's birthday? I'm an army veteran and I'm insulted by it. So I'm asking you.

[Joy Reid]

Great.

[Jim Acosta]

And I, I talked to.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I talked to 100 vets and I said, hey, yeah, we're not a monolith. Of course.

[Jim Acosta]

And does this.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Does this insult you and every single person besides yourself? Right. So I'm 101. 101 said it does. But I'm asking you. So did you serve? Okay. Did you serve? No. Okay, so then you couldn't even understand why a veteran will be offended by it. Well, so I don't care. I don't care. I wasn't there with 100 people. You asked.

[Joy Reid]

It's a great. It's a great.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

It's a great way how you. How you have an interview, you ask a question, you don't get an answer, and then you just answer the. Your own question.

[Joy Reid]

So goodbye.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

What do you jolly.

[Joy Reid]

I. I got a question for that guy. If he's still. Why does he think.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I apologize, Jim, go ahead.

[Joy Reid]

Why does he. Why do you think January 6th is an inside job? We all.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Why do you think the Gen 6 is an inside job?

[Jim Acosta]

January 6th was an inside job.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

We're asking how do you know My discovery, for one. Interesting. There were.

[Ezra Levin]

What's the discovery protests at.

[Joy Reid]

Oh, you can get my discovery.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Here you go.

[Ezra Levin]

It's live.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

No, it's on a Google Drive. You want my discovery?

[Joy Reid]

I'll give it to you.

[Ezra Levin]

I'll give it to you right now.

[Don Lemon]

You're talking to tens of thousands of people. Just tell.

[Ezra Levin]

My discovery one was 1.75 terabytes, not including the videos.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

So what?

[Ezra Levin]

1.7.

[Jim Acosta]

It was over 5,000 files.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

But we're asking of what. That's all of J6.

[Don Lemon]

What's on the video.

[Jim Acosta]

CIA was involved.

[Joy Reid]

How.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

How the.

[Don Lemon]

CIA was involved in what.

[Ezra Levin]

Can you ask him involved in FBI agents?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

None of all of this have been Deb.

[Joy Reid]

FBI.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

There were. It's not just because I'm not rolling over and say, well, you got 175 terabytes. I'm telling you. There was a commission by the United States government January 6th. Commission.

[Joy Reid]

Your commission's a joke, bro.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Why? Why?

[Joy Reid]

Here's the thing, Johnny.

[Jim Acosta]

Why don't you.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

You don't trust Trump either. I trust the government.

[Joy Reid]

No, see, see, the.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

The great thing about this is how Colts work.

[Ezra Levin]

Hold on.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

The great thing about Trump is. And you know why I was a supporter of Trump? Was. Not anymore. No, I. I was back then.

[Recy Colbert]

Okay.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Are you still now?

[Ezra Levin]

Absolutely, Absolutely, I am.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

However, you know why I was a supporter of Trump back in 15 and 14. Okay.

[Jim Acosta]

Because he pissed off both the Republicans and the Democrats.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

That's why I was a supporter of Trump. Okay, what was your question?

[Joy Reid]

Right, but my question.

[Don Lemon]

Is his possession of terabytes of data matter. What is his expertise about.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Yeah, good question. Joanne Reid would like to know what's your expertise handling the data that you have on your 1.75 terabytes. Common sense.

[Don Lemon]

So he. So, so basically he thinks he's a greater expert than all.

[Recy Colbert]

That were killed.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

No, no, no.

[Ezra Levin]

Now you change the question. What cops were killed on January 6?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

The cops died as a result of.

[Clay Kane]

Can we just point out that the inside gun government at the time was Donald Trump's government. Donald Trump was president.

[Ezra Levin]

Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. Hey.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Hello.

[Joy Reid]

Are you just all gonna just speak.

[Ezra Levin]

Over each other or what she said?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Well, it was Trump's organization. Correct.

[Ezra Levin]

Okay, now let me break it down.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

All right, Break it down.

[Ezra Levin]

Trump asked for Nancy Pelosi and Mayor.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Bowser to accept 20,000 National Guardmen.

[Joy Reid]

Not true.

[Ezra Levin]

Oh, and thank you for getting this, because.

[Joy Reid]

We'Re live, dude. Okay, here's the reality. Situation.

[Ezra Levin]

No. And you're just going to continue to.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Argue, but when does. Why would Nancy Pelosi. Okay, listen to me again. Why would Nancy Pelosi have any authority over the National Guard? She.

[Joy Reid]

She is in charge. Sen. The National Guard.

[Ezra Levin]

She is in charge of the actual security of that day.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Why would Nancy Pelosi have any. Who's in charge of the. Who's in charge of National Guard? Who's in charge of National Guard?

[Ezra Levin]

Mayor Bow.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

The President. Mayor Bowser. Wrong. Mayor Bowser.

[Joy Reid]

Wrong.

[Ezra Levin]

Mayor Bowser.

[Joy Reid]

Wrong.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

The President. The Commander in chief is in charge of the D.C. national Guard. And the governor of Virginia is in charge of the Virginia National Guard. You are just wrong.

[Joy Reid]

The President.

[Ezra Levin]

The President. President said, let me bring in 20,000 National Guard.

[Joy Reid]

My brain hurt.

[Ezra Levin]

Mayor Bowser said, we don't want it.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

This is factually untrue.

[Joy Reid]

It's actually.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

And by the way, your president has proven that just because the mayor says he don't want it, he'll still bring in the National Guard. Because you know who also said they don't want it? The Mayor of la. And he brought those National Guard in without hesitation. So that's actually proof that you're telling a lie, even though Mayor Biden said no, he should have did what he did in LA. Did it? LA's burning because of your president.

[Joy Reid]

No, no. LA's burning because of Joe Biden bringing.

[Ezra Levin]

In 20 million illegals in four years.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

That's why this looks factually untrue. Okay, guys, all right, you can keep on saying it. So basically, we're hearing the same un. We're hearing the same debunked disproven rhetoric that we've been hearing for four years.

[Jim Acosta]

All right.

[Joy Reid]

Sounds like John leaving this guy is. I talk about Trump Derangement Syndrome, you know? Okay.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Yeah. He's asking, why do you have Trump Derangement Syndrome?

[Joy Reid]

Why do I.

[Ezra Levin]

Why do you?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Well, Trump Derangement syndrome would be despite having facts in your face, you still lick the boots of Donald Trump and deny facts.

[Joy Reid]

Lick the boots.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Your hat says Trump 2028, bro. What does Trump 2028 mean? That's not even legal.

[Don Lemon]

Definition.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

That's not even legal. You know, the Constitution doesn't allow for that. Right? It's not legal.

[Ezra Levin]

Guess what?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what.

[Joy Reid]

I think I see Joe Biden support the. Oh, two of them.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

No, let's not bring kids. Don't bring kids into it. Don't bring kids. Yeah, I didn't bring it. Don't bring a kid into it. Be a grown man. Be a grown man.

[Jim Acosta]

Sir, can we mute. Okay, so here's the thing, Jolly guys, I hate talking over. Sometimes I just like to let those people talk talk so that you can hear how they don't make sense instead of just jumping in on every word. And I know that you, you know, it infuriates you, but I just want to hear him so then we can have a discussion about it afterwards. Obviously, he had no evidence. Obviously his. It's a conspiracy theory. It is akin to QAnon. But now you see the perils of journalism when you go out on the street as we do, and you actually talk to people. You hear this all the time. And it becomes extremely frustrating because they don't. They don't have the evidence, but they think they do. And people like Donald Trump and the MAGA cult convince them a lie is true and it is not. So that was my frustration. That's why I wanted to jump in, just let him talk and then let him go, and then we could give the folks the facts. But go on. Are you guys speechless now?

[Joy Reid]

No, John, I completely agree with you. I experienced this time and again out on the campaign trail when I would go to those Trump rallies, rally after rally after rally. And many of his supporters are trapped in a cult. They're trapped in an information silo, disinformation silo that is whipped up by conservative media, whipped up by Fox News, whipped by Donald Trump. And unfortunately, there are a lot of people in this country who are suffering from the same, I call it Trump derangement syndrome, when they just completely ignore the facts as that man was doing with Jolly, and just spout these conspiracy theories. And I mean, the thing that has to be said, in my view, and I've said this on my show umpteen times, if Donald Trump had just been a man and accepted that he lost in the 2020 election, there never would have been January 6, the Nancy Pelosi, National Guard, Muriel Bowser bullshit. All of that washes away. Hey, Jim, if you just go back to that.

[Jim Acosta]

Jim, you said it, and we were thinking the same thing. He's saying that the President of the United States did not have authority on January 6 to send in the National Guard. The President of the United States did have authority to send in the National Guard to California for something that, for. For throwing gas on an ember. You know what I'm saying? So, yeah, it doesn't make no Donald Trump crazy.

[Joy Reid]

Donald Trump is trying to test the law right now by sending in the National Guard to LA over the objection of California Governor Gavin Newsom. I mean, you're supposed to do it in concert with local authorities, in concert with the governor. And it states clearly in the law that he can't do that. And that's why the state of California is taking Donald Trump to court right now. And this is, this is a very big moment, what's taking place in California, because if this goes all the way to the Supreme Court, you got to think that's what Trump wants to do. That's his get at a get out of jail free club. The Maga Supreme Court. If they give Donald Trump carte blanche like they did with immunity, if they give him carte blanche with the use of the military for domestic law enforcement purposes, you know, folks, that is not the United States of America that I grew up in. It's just not. And it's very disturbing if you listen.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

To what that guy just said. Even though obviously we know he's a wackadoodle and everything he's saying is provably false. The fact is, the reason it's important, some people say to me sometimes, jolly, why do you waste your time on these people? Because those people are not few and far between. They're easy to find. I come across them in rallies like this. I come across them at parades and Trump rallies. I've been to a lot of them. And the fact is, even though it's probably provably false, they're going to believe it. And you look at what just happened in la, the mayor said, I don't want the National Guard, but he brought the National Guard in. But the narrative from January 6th is Trump said, here's the National Guard, and mayor said, no. So, like, did is both sides of your mouth independently, like, have muscles? How do they move at the same time? Because you're literally debunking yourself in the same statement.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah, let's bring in Recy Colbert. I want to let Recy get in on this. And also Clay Recy first you and then Clay. Your thoughts on just all of these things that we're seeing on today?

[Clay Kane]

Well, Chad, it's a day. It's a whole lot going on. But the thing that is first on my mind is it's gonna rain on your head because the storm is coming through on DC Autumn tanks. I think that Donald Trump will be wearing a hat. You don't want his little hairline to get messed up. So I do appreciate that there's going to be a little bit of karmic justice in the weather and raining on this really ridiculous frivolous parade. And it can't look any more frivolous on the day where we have politically targeted assassinations, when we have a Middle east conflict with bombs raining down on Iran and on Israel. And then we have protests around the country because of this authoritarian regime that has completely suspended the Constitution as much as they possibly can, while they have the audacity to parade the army around, where we have Marines in Los Angeles detaining a veteran trying to get to their veterans appointment, when we have a US Senator who was violently attacked and thrown to the ground for exercising his oversight of duty. So this is supposed to be projecting strength when America looks like weak ass bitches? Right now we are in complete turmoil. The President had, has no control whatsoever and it's only going to get worse. And the last thing I would say is I wouldn't care about that goofy ass man and them ugly ass overalls, them ridiculous boots and that stupid cowboy hat, in his opinion, but for the fact that that side has the guns. So do I need them to be anti Trump? No, I just need them to calm down, simmer down a little bit. Okay, if y' all have yellow group chats, whatever. But hopefully somebody is monitoring them because when shit hits the fan, I want to be as far away from them as possible and I want them to be as, as, as, as unweaponed or whatever. They just unmanned as possible because that is dangerous. It might be funny to some degree. It is ridiculous and I don't think we're going to win them over. But in this combustible climate that we have right now, it is serious business that these people have been indoctrinated to this degree. And that is my biggest concern. Not this stupid ass parade, not Trump's birthday. I will not say happy birthday. I hope you have the worst birthday ever. It's the state of America right now.

[Don Lemon]

And by the way, though, Reese, they don't have all the guns. Some of the left have them too.

[Clay Kane]

The wrong people got the guns. I've been saying the wrong people.

[Don Lemon]

Some of the right people have them too. I'm just saying not everybody on the left is. Let me, let me get clan.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, more guns than people in America.

[Ezra Levin]

Well, first and foremost, happy birthday to Marla Gibbs. She is 94 years old. So I want to say happy birthday to Marla Gibbs. That is the only birthday and the army that I am celebrating 227 Ain't no Place like home. So I want to say this and, and a lot of folks may be upset with what I'm going to say, but I'm on independent media and I could, and we could say this. I'm happy to see these protests. It's great to see, but this is the energy that I wanted in November. There was a massive turnout for this protest in Philadelphia. Y' all know I'm from Philly, Don, you spent time. Philadelphia had some of the lowest voter turnout that we saw in November. There was just an election in Philadelphia in May. It had 16% voter turnout. So for everybody out there who was protesting, that's great. But if you didn't vote in November. You were part of the problem. We could have avoided all of this. This did not need to happen. And the one thing I'll say about that unhinged Trump support supporter, he was crazy. He was deranged. But you know what? He voted. He showed up.

[Jim Acosta]

This should be.

[Ezra Levin]

And I, I thought, I thought people got it after Covid. I hoped people got it after January 6th. I thought people got it after 34 felony convictions. And here we are, the no Kings protest. We didn't need to be here. And I just hope wherever you're protesting right now, I hope you bring it to that voting booth. I hope if we have a serious election for the midterms, I want to see all these protests at the voting booth. We didn't have to be here. I have friends who are scared, friends who have lost their jobs, friends who are concerned about their Medicaid. And while this is great to see, there is a. I'm frustrated because we literally could have avoided all of this. Kamala Harris would not be doing this right now. Would not be doing this. So it's great that you're protesting. And if you protested and voted, great. But if you're part of the 90 million, if you're one of the people because you didn't like the way Kamala Harris answered the question on the View or you didn't like the way Joe Biden handled so and so. Now look where we are. Iran, tariffs, Medicaid, waste, fraud and abuse. We're about to waste $45 million on a military parade in Washington, D.C. so this is cute and that's great, but as I've always said, if you don't do politics, politics will do. You bring all this energy to the next election.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Can I just say really quick?

[Don Lemon]

Go ahead.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

There's one more birthday that is really important to me today. Besides the two that Clay mentioned. It's my mom's birthday, too. Happy birthday, Mom.

[Jim Acosta]

Sorry. She has the same birthday, though. Oof.

[Don Lemon]

It's okay. We ignore it. We just like Marla Gibbs and Jolly good Mama. That's the all we care about. And the Army. Happy birthday, US Army. I think that's such a great point that you made, Clay, because the challenge is for a lot of the 92%. And I know Reese is about to give me an amen on this, is that they look at days like today and say, as black women, we voted 92% for Kamala Harris. And so a day like today will not include us. And I don't know if Jolly can tell us if he's looking at the demographics of these crowds, if you see a lot of black women there. But you know, there's a great reluctance to get on board in these protests or to stand up for these undocumented brown folks when they know a lot of brown folks voted for Trump. And I wonder, Jolly, can you tell us, do you see a lot of diversity in the crowd today?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I mean, there. No, not in like you would expect, not what would actually resemble America. And to your point, Joy, I've literally been to Trump rallies all across the country and those crowds are by and large predominantly white crowds. And in fact, I witness at the Trump rallies, they'll go through, they'll have the people that are working the rally go through and pick out people that are not white. Hey, you come stand behind the stage. Hey, you come stand right up front. Because there's not enough diversity in the crowd for them to take the chance of it looking non diversity. So they have to pick out the people that show up that's not white.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah, yeah. And so recently when you look at this and you see that, you know, and I've had a lot of folks in my, when I posted that this live was going to be happening, I did get some responses that said, miss me with that. I'm not supporting these people. America made its choice and it wasn't had nothing to do with me. What do you say back to folks.

[Clay Kane]

Who say that, you know what I mean? 11-6-7, whatever. I was like, y' all chose a size stand in and stand on business. Like that's what y' all wanted, that's what y' all gonna get. Watch how it works out for you. So a lot of it is some, some I told you so energy. However, as a person of conscience, as a mother of a black daughter, as a wife to a black husband, this is something that very much concerns me. My citizenship is something that concerns me the world. My daughter gets to grow with climate change and all kind of if she gets to still have bodily autonomy, you know, the, the police being empowered to have National Guard, Marine, all kind of people and now walking streets. This is very much my fight too. Now I'm going to Erykah Badu concert after this. That's why I'm hop off in a couple minutes. So it's not my fight today at this exact moment, but in theory it is my fight. I'm not gonna, you know, philosophically and politically check out because this country chose this path. What I think my charge is, and I And what I challenge black women to do who do feel disaffected from the choice that was very clear, very clear cut is to. Is. Is to. Is to hold those closer to you. Don't turn inward and don't turn apathetic, but at least make a difference in your community. It's a lot of people talk about what they ain't gonna do. You don't need an announcement. You can go ahead and. And take. Be peaceful. You can go.

[Joy Reid]

I'm.

[Clay Kane]

Go to the. Go to the concert with me. Clack your fan, have boots on the ground, go to your Juneteenth picnics. But what you cannot do is don't go to sleep. Because the whole before me, they before the Republicans stole stay woke. We had it because we knew what was at stake. And so there is no comfort that anybody should feel. Black woman, black man, any race, creed, anything. There's no comfort anybody should feel in the state of this country right now. You can mind your business all you want to, but Clay just said it. Politics is going to do. You and black women have been on the forefront, and many of us still are. So I just want us to understand that as much as rejection that we felt, as much vindication that we feel for everything we warn people about happening, we still have to at least stay woke.

[Don Lemon]

Amen. Amen.

[Ezra Levin]

Let me just add, Clay. I. I completely agree, but I also want to add when we thought. We think about the 92% number, that's the number of folks who came out to vote. But in Philadelphia, in Detroit and a lot of areas in the south, what it appears early on is even our voter turnout numbers were way too low. And yesterday I was working a panel of Jasmine Crockett for the late documentary on Barbara Jordan. And I think about, she was the first black woman elected to Congress from Texas. And I think about the sacrifice that she put in and the advocacy that she put in. So I want us to show up. Not to save democracy, to save ourselves. I was in Philadelphia the day before the election, speaking at the Community College of Philadelphia, where I once attended. And I said, something's wrong here. Something is wrong here. I was texting you, Reese. I said, something's going on. So I want us to also understand that these things are going to have an impact on us. And whether you're out there or not, if you didn't show up, if you didn't show up, if we have an actual election next time, I really hope that people get what's going on right now. I have friends. We're in Pride month right now, I have friends in the black LGBT community.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

You may have saw, too.

[Ezra Levin]

Donnie said, oh, I'm not going to vote for so and so because of this. I'm not going to vote for so and so because of this. Look what's happened. Look at the Supreme Court. I mean, everything is on the line, and we didn't have to be here. Now the 92%, the black women and black men that did show up, that's beautiful. But I want us to care in Texas. I want us to care more in Mississippi in all these areas where we have so much power. And I want us to capitalize on.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

The power that we have.

[Clay Kane]

Yeah, well, can I just add one quick more thing?

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, one quick thing. Yeah. Well, you know, you can add it, but I just. Let me get this. And I want to respond to Clayton. Of course you can finish. You're right. And when I spoke to the folks out there, a lot of people were saying, I voted for third party or I'm not going to vote at all. I'm not going to do this. And I'm like, are you out of your mind? Sorry, Reese, go ahead.

[Clay Kane]

No, I just. A lot of black people, I feel. And we're on. We're on SiriusXM. So we hear people call in on the time. A lot of black people feel like this is more of the same. And that's why they feel like, well, we've been through it before. We'll get through it. You know, we already know how this goes. This is not more of the same. This government is being dismantled brick by brick. So the things that our ancestors and people who are still with us today, built to protect us so that we get to the point of comfortable where we felt like when we voted, that's all we had to do. When that our. The people a couple decades ago, that wasn't all they had to do. They had to do a whole lot more. It is not more of the same. It is more dangerous than any point we have seen in our lifetimes. So this isn't just the same old racist America, the same old America where it's rigged against black people. It's not when they are dismantling our health care, they're dismantling our civil rights, they're dismantling the programs that keep people housed, that put food on people's tables, people who work hard, people who have no capacity to get the money to afford these things any other way. That's not more of the same. When Covid happened, the government got in. They said, you can't kick people out of their homes, whether they're renting, whether they have a mortgage. They said, you get more unemployment. They said, okay, everybody gets free shots. That shit is over. That's gone. That's done. This administration has no intention of doing what the government has always been there for people, maybe not to different degrees, to do, to protect people from its own doing. So I just want people to understand this is not more the same. This is not. I'm not saying it's not. It hasn't been worse in the past. But what they're marching down with Project 2025, 42% done according to Project 2025. Observer is not more of the same people. It's not. That goes for black people and everybody.

[Don Lemon]

Amen.

[Jim Acosta]

Reese and Clay, thank you guys so much. Make sure you catch their show. Tell. Tell the folks where we can get.

[Ezra Levin]

You guys over at Clay Kane. The Clay Kane show airs every Monday through Friday at 12:00pm Eastern Standard Time. And pre order my next book, Burn Down Master's House. It's really relevant for right now. I'm burning it down.

[Don Lemon]

Okay. Amen.

[Clay Kane]

I'm Risa Coburn on socials. I have the recent cover show. It just aired before I got on here. That's Saturdays on SiriusXM Urban View. I'm on Clay show Tuesdays and Thursdays. Roland Martin on Thursdays as well. And my new game, Am I Tripping? And my tripping game is for sale right now. Okay, thank you for having us.

[Jim Acosta]

Yes, thank you.

[Don Lemon]

We love y' all. Thank you both so much. Really appreciate it. Don, we got two more guests coming up. You want to intro them or shall I?

[Jim Acosta]

No, go for it, Joy.

[Don Lemon]

Okay, well, let's bring on Margaret Wang, and she is the current president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Very relevant on today. And our dude, Ellie, I take personal credit for his hair being as it is, he did try to cut it. He'll tell you the story separately, but thank you both for being here. I want to start with Margaret. Thank you so much. I know y' all been backstage a minute.

[Jim Acosta]

Hi, Margaret. Hi, Ellie. Welcome.

[Ezra Levin]

Hi, guys. How are you?

[Recy Colbert]

Hey, y' all. Good to be here.

[Don Lemon]

Margaret, talk a little bit about the context that we find ourselves in today. We did see tragic political assassinations in the state of Minnesota this morning. And then we will close this evening with a Kim Jong un style birthday parade for Donald Trump with tanks rolling in the streets of America. Your thoughts?

[Recy Colbert]

Yeah, it's pretty amazing, Joy. We released our annual Year in Hate and extremism report just three weeks ago. And we have seen just incident after incident of violence and repression since that time, all led by this White House, of course, the assassinations that you talked about from earlier this morning. We've also seen the military parade and the threat to harm protesters who might object to this parade and this president's views. And we've seen the tearing apart of families, of immigrant families and communities across this country in really unspeakable ways. So this has all happened in the last three weeks and is really a reflection of the complete mainstreaming of hate and extremism into our politics, into the White House, led by this president.

[Don Lemon]

It's really frightening. And you know, Ellie, to add you to the conversation, we've also seen a use of the military that we've never seen before. It's been since 1965 that the National Guard has been deployed in American state, and that was to Alabama because of John Lewis and others being beaten on the Edmund Pettus bridge. But now it is to threaten, you know, fellow California citizens if they dare to protest against ICE dragging people off to God knows where. But also we've seen what sure does look like a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act. We talked to Glenn Kirschner about that earlier by having Marines literally in the streets of California, of Los Angeles. Your thoughts on all of this?

[Ezra Levin]

Yeah. First of all, thank you so much for having me. Hopefully I will say something that will get you guys kicked off of another platform.

[Jim Acosta]

Good luck with that. Good luck with that.

[Don Lemon]

They love us on YouTube. And substance.

[Ezra Levin]

Gonna try my best. Yeah. So I wrote about the Posse Comitatus act in the nation earlier this week. One of the things that people need to remember about Posse Comitatus, it's that it's a white slaveholder law. It is. It is a law that was passed as part of the end of reconstruction, meant specifically to prevent the president from using the military to enforce voting rights laws in the south. That's why that law is here. So when people say that this hasn't been violated or used since 1965, again, that's not exactly true. Because when LBJ deployed the National Guard against the will of the state governors of Alabama, the way that he did that was to first invoke the insurrection act and then deploy the troops to the troops. The insurrection act short circuits Posse Comitatus. Trump hasn't done that because there is no insurrection. So Even in the 1965 context, what Trump is doing is unprecedented. But Posse Comitatus does have, as I wrote some holes in it, some wiggle room in it, because it's a slaveholder law. And during the 60s, both JFK and LBJ overcame that to protect the rights of black people. I've been telling people all week, much as you might not like what Trump is doing now, let's remember by getting around pasta comitatis, that's why Ruby Bridges didn't get lynched on the way to school. That's why we just have pictures of people yelling at her because she, because we needed to have troops then. So one of the things that I've been doing and one of the things I've been trying to do, generally from 30,000ft during the Trump administration, is to focus and look on how he is using power maximally and then ask, maybe now that we've seen this, Democrats could do the same damn thing when they get power, right? So what he's doing right now with sending troops I enjoy. I argued on your air that Biden should have sent troops into Texas to provide abortion services after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade because the military is not subject to the state laws banning abortion. That would have been an example of Democrats using power maximally. So that's an, that's an example of what we're seeing here. Trump always uses every shred of power and then some, every inch of power and then the full mile. He always uses everything he has to the maximum effect. Now, from my perspective, it's a horrible effect. But if this is the world we're living in now, right, and it's the world that we've been living in for well over a decade, and I could argue for over two decades, because Bush W also used power for fairly maximally when he was in charge. So if this is how Republicans are going to play the game, if this is how Republican presidents are going to play the game, I implore Democrats, if they ever are allowed to get power again, which given the military, given the fascism that we're seeing, I'm not sure that's going to happen. But if they're ever allowed to get power again, use power maximally. To quote one of my favorite movies, Ned Yost, in Remember the Titans, you blitz every down and you don't let the Republicans gain another yard.

[Jim Acosta]

Ellie so let me ask you then, why can't Democrats do that? Why, why is the purity test so stringent on the Democratic side? Look who is leading the government now. People who are very flawed. People who on any, if they were, if they were in the Democratic Party, they would not be considered. They would be banished to the back room. And but some of them, let's be honest, they're the loudest and the strongest voices for their party, whether you agree with what they say or not. Why can't, why don't Democrats do that? Why can't they learn their lesson? ELLIE oh, Don.

[Ezra Levin]

Because if we did what they did, we'd be no better than them, is their pathetic argument, right? Is that they think that the difference between Democrats and Republican is the structure in which we use power. They don't like to admit that the difference is in what we use it for. So I again, the Democrats don't want to use every shred of power that Trump is willing to use for better means. They think that it's the use of power itself that is the bad thing because they don't like getting into these arguments where Trump is, where Trump can say, well, I'm just using this to, to hurt people that most of my supporters hate, right? And so they think they're going to lose that argument. I'm saying we should lose power to protect the people that we like to protect the people that need protecting. That's why we should be using the power. That's why I brought up the abortion example. Don't send troops to face stomp protesters. Send troops to provide medicine. That is a Democrat maximal use of power. And that makes the Democrats not like them even if they're using the same levers. Right? LBJ sent the troops not to bust the face of John Lewis, to protect John Lewis. That's the difference between Republicans and Democrats. But Democrats have have decided that the way they play the game is the difference as opposed to what they're playing the game for. And that is why the party failed.

[Don Lemon]

Can I ask you, Margaret, because I know you have short time, but I want to make sure that I get you in here because what we've seen in Minnesota is exactly to the point that Ellie is making. Democrats, including the governor there just made a massive compromise that people on the right in right wing social media are trying to use to shove off this shooter onto the left because one of the people that was killed, the woman who was the former speaker of the House, voted with Republicans to repeal a law that allowed undocumented people in Minnesota to gain access to Minnesota's version of Obamacare. And that was the law. Since Obamacare passed, it is no longer the law. And Governor Waltz signed that bill because it was a compromise. It's a very closely divided House and I think like a one seat majority Senate, it's very close now. Both of the lawmakers who are killed did not vote that way. The other gentleman in the state senator did not vote for that. But the right is already running with it to try to claim that this shooter is on the left because.

[Joy Reid]

Aha.

[Don Lemon]

This woman voted with the right in order to punish immigrants, essentially punish undocumented people. And so they're trying to use that. It's bullshit, because everything they say is bullshit. But what do you make of the underlying fact here that Democrats are more likely to vote for something that they don't even believe in. Right. Even if it means that immigrants get less protection. And it doesn't even protect them from somebody who puts them on a hit list, because they get on the hit list anyway. You see where I'm going. It feels like we're fighting a fascist movement, but Democrats are trying to compromise with it in pieces, thinking it will protect them when the worst of the worst happens. Even when they give in and harm the people that they're supposed to be caring about, the bad things happen anyway.

[Recy Colbert]

You know, Joy, for a very long time, supporting civil rights and hating organizations like the Ku Klux Klan was not a partisan issue.

[Don Lemon]

Right.

[Recy Colbert]

You didn't pick your side because you were a Democrat or a Republican. People knew what was right, and that was protecting rights for everyone. And people knew that those who tried to deny rights to people of color or women or the LGBTQ community, they were wrong. And somewhere over the last 60 years, we have gone terribly astray. We have only one party that is embracing extremist ideology. We have only one party that is pushing for a theocratic fascist state. We have only one president who is actively calling for violence, is promoting violence, and, of course, has pardoned violence by pardoning all the January 6th criminals who were prosecuted and detained and arrested because of their actions. There's only one party that's doing this. And so we have to be very clear where the threats are coming from. Whether a particular individual who does a bad act has a particular political affiliation. Doesn't matter. In an environment where the president himself is calling for and urging violence on a daily basis. And that's the reality that we're living in right now.

[Jim Acosta]

Sorry, I just want to bring someone in, and then. And then I'll get you. I want to bring in Ezra Levin, who is in the waiting room, and he just. I just want to bring him in as well.

[Joy Reid]

I don't want to stop Ellie from. I want to hear what Ellie was going to say.

[Jim Acosta]

Oh, Ellie, we're Gonna. Ellie's gonna go right back to it. I just wanted to bring you into the conversation. Go ahead, Ellie.

[Ezra Levin]

Hi, Ezra. I was just gonna say, if they find out that the shooter was a Republican, are we sure that Trump won't pardon them?

[Don Lemon]

No, we're not sure of anything he'll do.

[Ezra Levin]

That Trump won't pardon a shooter who shot Democrats on purpose.

[Don Lemon]

In this world, we don't know. And I will note just really quickly so I can just bring some news, because we're keeping you all up to date on everything that's happening in the country. Neither one of my producers just sent this to me. Texas State Capitol was evacuated after a credible threat toward lawmakers. And there was a credible threat ahead of the planned no Kings protests that were meant to be held Saturday in Austin. The Texas Department of Public Safety evacuated the Capitol. There were no further details, but we do know that several Texas lawmakers and members of Congress were scheduled to speak at that protest in Austin as part of the no Kings protest. So we're seeing already the reverberations from what happened in Minnesota. Ezra, go ahead.

[Joy Reid]

Look, this is a president that instigated a violent attack on the Capitol and given the first opportunity, pardoned those violent insurrectionists at the Capitol earlier this year. I think it's no surprise to us that this guy is not somebody who embraces peaceful participation in the political process. But what we know from the fight against authoritarianism worldwide is there is only one effective response to chaos and political violence, and that is broad based, ideologically diverse, geographically dispersed, mass peaceful, people power. That's what works. So it is our responsibility in this moment and to see that chaos and meet it with overwhelming, peaceful, organized, effective protest. And that's what we're seeing all over the country today with these New Kings protests.

[Jim Acosta]

You think this will be. Go ahead, Ellie. No, Ellie, go ahead.

[Ezra Levin]

I would just add that it needs to be sustained. Right. One of the reasons why the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of COVID were so effective until Biden won and then didn't pay them back. One of the reasons why they were so effective was because they lasted also.

[Joy Reid]

Yeah.

[Ezra Levin]

It's because when people need to know that it's not just. It's not enough to go out on one day on. On one weekend. You have to show up again and again and again and again and again. And it's the. And it's the. It's the grinding of the protests that really start to have polit. Political winds change. We see it in every successful movement. It's not just one day of action. It's months of action.

[Joy Reid]

100%. Look, a protest is a tactic. It is a tactic. That is not how you accomplish your goal. A tactic should fit in within a strategy, and the strategy is how you achieve your goal. And you are exactly right, Ali. We need persistent engagement at the grassroots level from now until our democracy is secure. Which isn't coming this week, it's not coming next week. It's going to be sustained over a long period of time. I will say this isn't our first rodeo. On April 5th, four hands off. We had then the largest single day of protest in 1300 communities all across the world. Today we were in 2,169 across 20 countries. So we are building a muscle. The movement is growing every time we show up and bring in new communities. We've just got to. I agree with you, Ellie. We got to keep on building.

[Don Lemon]

Jim Acosta, your thoughts on all of this and do you have. I want to let you weigh back in. Oh, do we still have Jim?

[Jim Acosta]

Jim, can you hear us?

[Don Lemon]

Can you hear us, Jim?

[Jim Acosta]

He can't hear us.

[Don Lemon]

Oh, no, I don't think he can hear us. Ezra, let me ask you this question. First of all, how did you get London to get involved in no Kings Day? I mean, they literally have a king. What is happening?

[Joy Reid]

Actually, Joy, a funny thing that's happening in, in Ottawa, in London, in places where there are kings. What we saw is these local protesters. They put in no tyrants or no tyrannical kings. It was pretty.

[Don Lemon]

No bad kings.

[Joy Reid]

I just want to. That's what we were doing. And so the crowd are shitting. Can you hear Guys, hear me right now? I can hear you.

[Don Lemon]

Can you hear me now? We can hear you out. Yeah, we got you now, Jim. Go for it.

[Jim Acosta]

I think Jim is on a huge delay. I think is what's happening. I think he needs to dial back in. So let's. Let's. Yeah.

[Don Lemon]

In the waiting room and let him dial back in because I don't think we got him.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah, so.

[Don Lemon]

No, so. So you've gotten Ottawa and Canada. I mean, Ottawa and London to, to agree. No kings, but just. Just the net. Just the bad kind.

[Joy Reid]

Well, here's the beauty of the story. I didn't. I didn't get these people to do it. These are normal, everyday people who said, I don't want a tyrant, I don't want a king. What do I do in this moment? And this great thing happens when you create a framework where people aren't just Consumers of politics, but they see themselves as active participants in politics. They start to do stuff, and that's what we need. That's what we need.

[Ezra Levin]

And the overreaction of the administration is also something that works to the advantage of the activists. Right. I was in Brooklyn the other day and I, and I said to a crowd of predominantly white folks, don't forget that the kind of dumb, in intemperate, racist, stupid white man that Trump is is exactly the kind of white man Martin Luther King was looking for. That's exactly that. Trump is just bull. Connor 2.0. Right. And there is value. There is dangerous. It's dangerous and it's frightening. But there is value from an activist perspective of having, of going up against the government that is inclined to overreact violently to your peaceful protests. It is what turns, to go back to something that Clay was talking about earlier in the previous segment. It is what turns those hundred million people who sat on the couch, it's what makes the them understand that they have to choose a side. Clay was kind of saying, like, if you are protesting but you didn't vote, you know, that's a bad job by you. I am sure that everybody out there processing today voted. I am sure of that. Protesting is, is the harder thing to do than voting. I'm sure Most, you know, 90% of them showed up to vote. It's when you see these protests and when you realize that you're sitting on the couch isn't allowed anymore because now you have to choose a side. That's what works so well for the civil rights movement. That's what works so well for the gay rights movement. Right. Once they, when, when the racists and the supremacists start violently overreacting, that's what gets people up off the couch. Right? So that's. I, I hate to say that, because I'm not putting my black ass out in front of the tank. Right? Like, Right like, that's, that is not my highest, best use. But there will be people who do that and there will be martyrs made in these moments from this violent, aggressive president. And that is also part of the reason why fascists overplay their hands, because they go straight to the violence and straight to the oppression, and it's what helps these movements grow even larger.

[Joy Reid]

And there are martyrs right now. There are martyrs being made right now. They are disappearing Americans. They are taking kids off of the street. They are surprising families when they can't get in touch with their kids at universities because they find out that they've been taken to an ICE facility and they can't reach them. Trump is overplaying his hand right now. Ali, I think you're exactly right. One of the reasons we saw the protests today be as large as they are is because people are talking about overreach. So for those of us who are fighting for democracy, this is an opportunity, because folks who before, maybe even might have agreed with elements of Trump's immigration policy, or maybe we're interested in blowing up the system because they don't think politics works right now, they're being turned off. And it's our responsibility as organizers to welcome them into this movement and say, great, you weren't with us before, but you're here now. Let's build together.

[Don Lemon]

I want to ask you real quick about the media's role in this, because I think one of the things that. When you talk about how that Ellie mentioned the, you know, the regiment goes too far and fascists go too far, I feel like they messed up on LA and they messed up on California while we were there. It only takes about 10 minutes of being in Los Angeles yourself as a journalist. Do you guys remember that time when it was an. Unfortunately, it was an NBC News reporter was supposed to be reporting on a flood. I can't even remember her name. The poor young lady. And she was standing in, like, about, like three inches of water. And when you zoomed out, you realize, ooh, what she was doing is kind of bullshit. Right? It was embarrassing, but it's like the media keeps playing the same picture of the same electric vehicle burning and that one guy standing on top of a car, and they just keep. And then if you watch it long enough, you're like, oh, wait, that's only this. You're showing the same footage because you go three blocks from there and there's nothing happening. And meanwhile, you've got the ICE agents from this regime in the parking lot at the Disneyland to the point where that's getting out. There's no gang members in the parking lot at Disneyland, just tourists. And so as they start to overdo it on la, do you think that that might finally trigger the media to go, okay, this is.

[Jim Acosta]

That was Michelle.

[Joy Reid]

Yeah, it's a great question, Joy. Honestly.

[Jim Acosta]

That was Michelle Kaczynski, who worked for NBC.

[Don Lemon]

Yes.

[Jim Acosta]

Ended up working for Michelle Kazinski, CNN as well. But go ahead, Jim. And I want to ask a question. I want to talk about California, too, when you're done, Jim, go ahead.

[Joy Reid]

No, no, I mean, the thing I was going to say is, listen, what Joy is saying is absolutely right. It's the curse of the cable news control room. It's sort of like, well, what do we go to next? Let's throw up some wallpaper video of a wayo on fire. And the message that is sent out to the country is that, oh, all of LA is burning to the ground. It's the, It's Rodney King all over again. Christ's sake, people, get a hold of yourselves. Try to report that the news as it, as it, as it is happening in the world of reality. And I think one of the reasons why people are turning to independent media, people are tuning into us today by the tens of thousands. People are showing up in the streets to support Ezra's efforts and the indivisible organization's efforts to have these no Kings protests across the country is that people are tired of being trapped in sort of this a dystopian information bullshit loop. And what people want right now is the truth. The fucking truth. And the fucking truth of the matter is, is that Donald Trump is trying to be a dictator in this country. And we the people are not going to take this lying down. We the people are going to stop him, and we're going to do it in part by giving people the truth. And I have to, I'm sorry, pardon my language, I feel, you know, perhaps it's. It's been a long day and it's getting a little salty in here. But you know what? Sometimes people need to hear it. And I, My, my attitude is that when free speech is under attack, the solution is more free speech. And I, you know, I want to give a huge pat on the back to Ezra and his team's efforts today. I mean, I was out there earlier this afternoon, right, right out in front of St. John's Church, and it looked a little chippy out there. I was concerned that things were going to go sideways. And guess what?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

It didn't.

[Joy Reid]

And people were heeding the warnings that the last thing you want to do at this point is do something that plays into Donald Trump's hands. And I think people are wising up about this. And it's exactly what Ezra was saying a few moments ago. This is a marathon. This is not a sprint. Donald Trump is not going to be deposed today. He's not going to be dethroned today. But you're absolutely right, Joy. A big chunk of this, a huge, massive chunk of this, it's the reason why people are flocking to Don, flocking to you, flocking to independent media sources, is because they are fed up with what's being spoon fed to them by these corporate media outlets that, let's be really honest about it, Donald Trump has cracked the code to hurt them and to put them under his thumb. And people are figuring it out. And I think that the truth is coming out, Joy. I really do think it is. And it's one of the reasons why you're seeing people out in force today because they know what the truth is, they're wise to this, they understand what the stakes are. And what Clay was saying earlier is right. Yes, people should have voted more, they shouldn't have been on the couch and so on. But you know, it's that old line from Jurassic park, nature finds a way.

[Don Lemon]

That's right.

[Joy Reid]

And I think people right now are waking up to the reality of the situation that we're in. And we're in it for the long haul here, folks. And Donald Trump has laid the mousetra. He's laid the trap out in of front front of us. He's hoping we'll spring the trap. But the problem for Donald Trump is we went through this with him the first four years. We saw him lay the traps the first four years. We're smarter now, we're more sophisticated now. We're on to him, we're on to Donald Trump, we're onto him. And so the trick is, I think over the next couple of years is just to continue to be smart, work together, mobilize, and continue to bring the truth to the American people.

[Jim Acosta]

Than you guys are. And not quite as optimistic. I, I'm a glass half full person. You know, my glass is half full, camera off to go get a glass of water. But let me just tell you why, because I'm out in the streets a lot and I go out and I talk to people. And I think that you're right, Ezra, that, you know, this is an opportunity. But I'm a little bit concerned when, when you say that, you know, this is who, whoever said that this is really good for Democrats or people who don't support Donald Trump. The Republican Party thinks it's Donald Trump's actions over the last couple of, since he's been in office and obviously over the last almost 10 years now, because they've elected him twice. They like this, they like this strongman approach. They like what he's doing in California. And so while, you know, we sit here and maybe they sit around on cable news panels and they say, oh, look at all the people who are out there. We've seen, seen you remember the hat One demonstration, the women's march after. Right. Lots of people out there. And then all of the, the, you know, excitement and people thought that folks had galvanized around Kamala Harris. And then all of a sudden, you see, she loses. We can talk about that in the, you know, whether we thought it was rigged or not, but whatever. But I am just not as optimistic because I think there is an apathy that Donald Trump sort of pushes out into the ethos and into the universe and it sort of, it captivates and I think it diminishes the enthusiasm of Democrats. And I think, and I know that it empowers Republicans or MAGA people. So I would, I hope that you're right, Ezra. I hope that this is an opportunity, but I have seen this movie before and I'm really nervous and afraid that, you know, come 2028, we'll see a bird Donald Trump, if not a version of him back in the Oval Office or at least during the midterms, we will see all of the people who we don't want elected into these offices elected again.

[Don Lemon]

Let me, can I just say, Don, real quick, because I, you know, I'm a, I'm generally a glass half empty person, even though my name is Joy, my name is super ironic. And so I tend to be very pessimistic. I do not, I don't believe, believe in this whole trust the voters thing because they just literally will let you down every time. Like the Knicks. Damn you, Nicks.

[Jim Acosta]

Like Joy, I'm hearing a lot of Trump.

[Don Lemon]

No, I know you were saying that she was going to lose, and I was like, no, I think she's going to win. So that was, that was me being unusually optimistic. Okay. I knew Joe Biden was going to win because I know how people feel about their money. And Donald Trump messed with their money in his first term because he caused a recession. And generally people vote their pocketbook. And I knew, that's why I knew Obama was going to win, especially when he put the old white guy, Joe Biden on. I was like, yeah, he's going to win because Donald, because George W. Bush screwed the economy up so much that, you know, white folks were like, you mess with my money and they just vote like that. Right? But in this case, I have to say I'm a little bit more on Jim's side on this. And I'll tell you why. Because what's happening is, is that immigration over enforcement, enforcement is messing with people's money. You now are seeing people who own construction companies say, whoa, hold on a second. You mean you're going to deport my workers? You're seeing farmers say, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. These tariffs, hold on. No, usaid, that's where I sold my stuff.

[Jim Acosta]

But he's changing it, Joy.

[Don Lemon]

No, no, no, it doesn't matter because he's. What he's not changing is he's on the drug of, of mass deportation. He's let Stephen Miller run completely wild with his administration. And Stephen Miller must have had every Latina girl in his high school turn him down because he seemed to really hate. And he's obsessed with them, right? It's an obsession. And I think that they've, I do think they've tipped over the, they've gone a little too far in the aggression because now Kristi Non showed up to the deportation of a pregnant woman. They're taking Dr. Phil with them on ride alongs as they're deporting people. It's becoming a joke to where people I know that are not political are talking to me about it. People who are not really Trump haters are like, what in the hell is going on? People find out la, they're at Disneyland and they go, what? And I think that, no, I don't think Democrats have done a single solitary thing to make themselves more attractive to voters. I think they are completely incompetent in their response to, to it. But in this case, the Democrats are just going to be the recipients of people's desire to stop the bleeding. And so I don't know if we're going to have free and fair elections. I don't necessarily trust that we're not going to have our elections undermined to the point where no one can vote in 2026. I think Trump will try to stay in office in 2028. I think he won't leave willingly. I think we're, I don't know what kind of a crazy constitutional crisis we're in. I think we're in a Poland moment. I think we're in a mo. You know, I mean like the guy in Venice, in, in El Salvador, he ain't leaving. He's not, he's supposed to be gone too. So I don't think we're going to be rid of Trump and I don't think Trump can be replaced. JD Vance can't be Trump. This is a cult of him. He, it's his cult. It belongs, he's Jim Jones in this, in this, in this. You know what I mean?

[Joy Reid]

And Marco Rubio wants it too. And they, they ain't gonna Go for Marco Rubio.

[Don Lemon]

His name is Marco Rubio.

[Joy Reid]

They're not going to for it.

[Recy Colbert]

Never.

[Joy Reid]

I'm sorry.

[Clay Kane]

I've been telling people.

[Joy Reid]

I don't think so.

[Don Lemon]

Never. His name is Marco Rubio. No matter how he tries to hate his own people, he brown.

[Jim Acosta]

And he's never going to be president, the shape shifter. And I would not be.

[Ezra Levin]

I would not have no cold.

[Jim Acosta]

I know, at this point.

[Joy Reid]

Well, that's why if we could go to our friends in Denmark and say, you know, give us northern Greenland. Give us Northern Greenland. Let Donald Trump. Don Jr. J.D. vance. He can bring his eyeliner with him. Carve that out. There's. There's a lot of white up there. It may be snow, but there's a lot of white. A white that might be attractive to them.

[Don Lemon]

And by the way, can I give you one more piece of data before we go? I know we're supposed to leave. Joe Rogan is starting to criticize Donald Trump's immigration policy.

[Joy Reid]

Go.

[Don Lemon]

That is the signal.

[Jim Acosta]

Criticizing his freedom of speech on college campuses.

[Don Lemon]

Okay. And you've got Tuckum's going at him on letting Israel start World War Three. They see something in their own listeners that's going askew. So that's a sign to me that Trump ain't on a winning page at this moment. We just have to see how much destruction he does before he goes into his dotage.

[Jim Acosta]

Can I play something? I want all of us to respond to this because I like hearing from the people. Okay. And so I'm going to play some things that you guys have talked about in all this discussion. I'm, like, producing in my phone here, you guys. Everybody's like, why is Don not talking? What's he looking at? So this is a man from a family from California that I want you guys to listen to. Okay, here it is. How do you guys feel about what's happening with the protest in Los Angeles?

[Joy Reid]

Well, first of all, it breaks your heart. And then you come outside of Los Angeles and you see what people are.

[Ezra Levin]

Seeing on the news and how it's not reflective of what's really happening.

[Joy Reid]

Somebody just poked the beehive and made it what it really isn't.

[Ezra Levin]

You know, it's very ingrained, ingrained community.

[Joy Reid]

And so just. It just breaks your heart and it's unnecessary.

[Jim Acosta]

What do you mean, poke the beehive? Who did that?

[Joy Reid]

The administration, Donald Trump, Stephen Miller?

[Ezra Levin]

There was no reason to go in there and do that.

[Joy Reid]

Yanking families apart, tearing cities apart, it's bad for this country. It's Bad for all of us.

[Jim Acosta]

What do you think about your death?

[Ezra Levin]

I 1000% agree. It's awful.

[Jim Acosta]

Was there any reason to send in the National Guard or the Marines?

[Joy Reid]

Zero. None.

[Recy Colbert]

It made everything worse.

[Ezra Levin]

It made people panic.

[Joy Reid]

It makes the country turn against la.

[Ezra Levin]

It was absolutely none.

[Joy Reid]

No.

[Ezra Levin]

No reason to do that. That's what I mean by poking the beehive.

[Joy Reid]

He just stirred everything up for no reason.

[Jim Acosta]

Thank you. Yeah, nice to meet you. Go ahead, Jim. You were shaking your head.

[Joy Reid]

That's a good one. That's a good one. I'm telling you. I. I agree with what Joy's analysis was saying about, you know, people, their ox getting gored, economically speaking, because of the mass deportations and so on. But I also do think, at the end of the day, and I know it sounds Pollyannish and so on, I do think there's a decency in the American people that is going to reject the cruelty and the harshness and the nastiness of these mass deportation roundups. And I've been saying this on my show and I've been saying, I'll say it until I'm blue in the face. The biggest lie of the 2024 campaign is that we're going after the gang members and the criminals.

[Don Lemon]

That's right.

[Joy Reid]

And they're rounding up abuelas, they're rounding up mixed status families, they're knocking out windshields and car windows and dragging people out, off to the ICE detention centers. And people are absorbing that information, they're absorbing those visuals and they're saying, I didn't sign up for that and that maybe I voted for it, but that's not what I want and that's not who I am as an American. And I just don't think we're that kind of people. I just don't see it happening. And I think unlike Nazi Germany, unlike 1930s fascism that we saw in the 20th century, we have these. We have these, we have TVs, we have media around us at all times. And when that cruelty is put up to our faces, I think by and large, human beings, no matter their nationality, reject that kind of cruelty. Stephen Miller, when he goes to his Batcave at night, hangs upside down and. And drinks the blood of puppies that are killed by Kirsty Noem. He may, he may be okay with all that shit, but most Americans are not. Most Americans do not want that kind of shit going down in this country.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah, I mean, he's no tarot. He feels that way. But. And I have to say one more thing.

[Joy Reid]

Really quick.

[Jim Acosta]

And tell Jim that, you know, he's going to be suspended from this network pending an investigation on his.

[Joy Reid]

Oh, sorry. Maybe I should have tweeted that like Moran.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah, like big ups to Mr. Moran who's gone independent as well. But no, I have to say, Cube, the leader of Latinos for Trump, is now condemning not just Trump, but Marco Rubio calling he. There are signs up, there are billboards up in Miami a traitor because he's turned on his own Venezuelans and Cubans and he's claimed like there is a rapper. My favorite story in this whole nightmare is El Funki. El Funki is a, a rapper from Cuba who is, who's been very anti Castro. And El Funke is about to get El deported and El Funky is a big Trump supporter. And if you go deport El Funkey and you're not seeing Marco Rubio step forward to defend El Funky, I think he might have his case installed. I think he might be able to stay in the country. But all El fans are like. And so I think you're right. And lastly, if the, if, if Stephen Miller, Nosferatu and friends don't start showing Fox some gang members soon, if they don't start showing mass murderers and cannibals soon, they're, they're only showing people who work. They're showing abuelas, they're showing mommies, daddies, pregnant women. That ain't enough. And sending Dr. Phil to watch the mommy's daddies and abuelas get deported and watch, you know, construction workers get dragged off construction sites being at Disney. Those pictures ain't gonna help. I used to work in local news. We've all worked in the local news business. They thrive on images. And there's no images of gang members.

[Jim Acosta]

That's what MAGA wants. That's what, that's what the people who support Donald Trump want. They don't care. The cruelty is the point.

[Don Lemon]

I agree with that. They don't care. The base, his base doesn't care what.

[Joy Reid]

The Cubans in Miami are thinking. Joy to your point. I do. My dad came from Cuba, 1962, three weeks before the Cuban Missile crisis. He came to a country was much more welcoming than what we're seeing right now. And to think that, that the Republican Party is going to turn back on refugees coming to this country, seeking asylum from totalitarian, communist, I mean, Ronald Reagan, the whole bunch of them spinning in their graves because that is, that is some fucked up shit that, that is happening right now to the Cubans and the Venezuelans right now. And I have to think minds are being changed in Miami. It might not happen overnight, but I think it is starting to happen.

[Jim Acosta]

Can I weigh in here? And I want to play this because. Do you guys know, Annette. Look, Jim, that many of the immigrants who are here don't even believe that they are immigrants? Do you guys know that they don't consider that they don't consider themselves immigrants. Andy, can you play the guy in the baseball cap with the Golden State T shirt on? Are you an immigrant?

[Recy Colbert]

No, I am not.

[Jim Acosta]

You're not an immigrant, but you said you lived here 45 years.

[Joy Reid]

Yeah, well, I came here with my.

[Don Lemon]

My visa.

[Jim Acosta]

You came here with a visa?

[Joy Reid]

Oh, absolutely.

[Jim Acosta]

So you're an immigrant?

[Joy Reid]

Probably.

[Jim Acosta]

What do you think about the protests going on? They're happening all over, but mainly in California Point.

[Recy Colbert]

Horrible, because, you know, there's a lot.

[Joy Reid]

Of people breaking windows, ripping off stores, and I think it's. It's horrible.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. You think. Does it seem like a big thing that's out of control to you when you see it?

[Joy Reid]

Yes, absolutely. And it's going to probably get worse by the.

[Don Lemon]

By the 14.

[Jim Acosta]

Yeah. Do you understand? Do you realize that it's like just a small area in Los Angeles that it's happening in?

[Joy Reid]

No, it's not.

[Recy Colbert]

It's not all over, but there's, you.

[Joy Reid]

Know, a specific part of the city.

[Don Lemon]

That is going on right now.

[Joy Reid]

That is what I think.

[Jim Acosta]

You know, what do you think about the military parade happening in Washington D.C. i don't agree with. You came over from a visa. Where did you immigrate from?

[Joy Reid]

From?

[Jolly Good Ginger]

From Chile.

[Jim Acosta]

Why not Chile?

[Ezra Levin]

Chile.

[Recy Colbert]

I love my country, but, you know.

[Joy Reid]

I'd like to be here much better.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Than Chile, because more action here, you.

[Ezra Levin]

Know what I mean?

[Jim Acosta]

Also, we have the right to protest here, which is why it may be desirable for you to come here.

[Joy Reid]

Probably.

[Recy Colbert]

Yes. You know, this is a very difficult situation.

[Joy Reid]

You know, there's different viewpoints from people, you know.

[Jim Acosta]

Could you protest in Chile like that?

[Ezra Levin]

Yes, you can.

[Recy Colbert]

And there is a lot of nasty.

[Joy Reid]

Protests going on in Chile very often.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Which I don't agree, because they just.

[Joy Reid]

Destruction, you know what I mean?

[Jim Acosta]

Why are the people protesting in Chile?

[Joy Reid]

Got some wine?

[Don Lemon]

Because the politicians, you know, they are most corrupt politicians.

[Joy Reid]

Politicians everywhere you go. So.

[Jim Acosta]

Corrupt politicians everywhere.

[Joy Reid]

Sure, everywhere you go.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

You know, I've been in France, I've.

[Recy Colbert]

Been in London, in Spain, and everywhere.

[Joy Reid]

Is the same story, you know.

[Jim Acosta]

But that's why people are protesting here as well.

[Joy Reid]

Maybe. Yes.

[Jim Acosta]

So I say that, Ellie And Ezra, I played that because now we understand why there are many Latinos in this country who support Donald Trump because number one, they don't consider themselves as immigrants, especially if they, they went through the process, as they say, and they came here legally. They consider the immigrants to be the undocumented people.

[Ezra Levin]

You want to start, Ezra?

[Joy Reid]

And I go, well, I, there are a lot of threads here that I want to pick up on. And one, Don, you were saying that you've seen this movie before, that we've been through this before. Look, Kamala Harris lost. Donald Trump won again. How did we get to where we are now? Obviously we're going to face the same challenge. 2025 is not 2024. The moment that we're in now is not to re litigate the 2024 political environment. The way I view it, the status quo lost in 2024, the status quo is not an option in 2025 or 2026. Donald Trump is bulldozing through our society and is steamrolling over public opinion to implement the least popular political agenda I've seen in modern American history. When you talk about, forget about every, all of the immigration and attacks on our, on our freedoms. Cutting Medicaid has a 15% approval rating in any congressional district in this country. Marjorie Taylor Greene's district doesn't support cutting Medicaid by more than 15%. So I, I disagree that we've seen this movie before and we're destined to just lose again because we lost in 2024. What I saw in 2017, when protest was the new brunch was the largest midterm margins in the history of the republic that produced a blue wave. I don't think you can look at 2024 and say protests like we're seeing in the streets now are not going to have immediate political impact. And I got to be honest, I'm not thinking about 2028 right now. I'm trying to live to fight another day. We cannot guarantee we're going to have free and fair elections. What I, what I do believe is something Joy said. I don't think Democrats are doing very much to help themselves right now. They are the beneficiaries of overreach and deeply unpopular agenda by this administration. But where we are headed is somewhere I'm very troubled about because I think we are the odds on favorite to take back the House next year. And I also think Democrats are entirely unprepared to use the power they will win in the House of Representatives when they get there. What is Hakeem Jeffries, if he becomes speaker, going to do on January 4, 2027. I don't know what the hell he's going to do. I would bet nobody on this panel knows because we're not talking about it. Where are the subpoenas going to fly? When are the hearings going to start? What kind of testimonies are we going to see? Who are they going to haul in front of Congress? I don't know, but we should be talking about that right now, both so that it happens, but also so we send a message to everyone around the country that this era of blatant autocratic overreach is temporary and is going to be replaced by an era of accountability. Because I want people changing the behavior now, not in 2027. And we've got to push the Dems to start adopting these positions right now.

[Ezra Levin]

So I agree with Don in that I absolutely think that the violence and the authoritarianism is what Trump's people voted for. They are thrilled. They articulated when he sends in the military, when he sends into the Marines, when they crack skulls. This is what those 77 million people voted for. And it really is a situation of promises made, promises kept. He promised he was going to run. He was going to govern like an authoritarian bully. He is governing like an authoritarian bully. And his people clap like seals every time he does it. So I look at 77 million as the bar. We have to get over 77 million Trump. I do not operate from the perspective that Trump is ever losing votes. I only operate from the perspective, can we gain enough votes to overtop the votes that he has? And I see Ezra shaking his head like, I hope that he's losing votes, sure. But I'm not strategizing around Trump losing votes. I'm strategizing around getting more votes than he already has. Right. And that brings me to my second point about the utility of these protests and the potential utility of Trump's violent overreach. Right. Is that a event earlier this week and a person said to me, you know, that kind of classic you're in public event. Oh, my God, Ellie. Everything's so terrible. I feel like I just want to jump off a bridge. And I was like, don't jump off a bridge. If you got that in, you lay down in front of a tank. Because that's actually what make your death useful, if that's where you are in your life right now. Right. Because that is the kind of energy that we're kind of seeing today that we've kind of seen in the past. As Ezra was talking about. And Trump's overreach might make us see that more and more and more and more. And when you look at how authoritarian regimes fall, Ezra was saying they always fall through massive protests. He's exactly right. Massive power of the people protests. But they also fall for another reason. And it's something that I've said ever since Trump was reelected. It is easy to inspire people to violence. It is easy to get people to hate and get people to be willing to punch their enemies in the face. Trump can do it. Quite frankly, the Democrats can do it. If they could get their head out of their ass long enough, they could do it, too. But the thing that breaks regimes is when people are not just willing to fight, they're willing to die. It's when you've got those protesters in Selma that are willing to die for it. Not fight, not. Not go. You know, everybody wants to get in the boxing ring. No, these people were willing to lay down their lives to stop the fascist regime in the south in the 50s and 40s and 30s. And when we get to that moment here in this country, I don't know that we're there at that moment right now, but I can see it from where we are. We can see it from where we are. And when we get to that moment that people are willing to die to stop him, that is when the regime breaks right now. I still think that our biggest ally in this moment is the Big Mac. Right? Like at some. Like we're one coronary away from having, you know, a different kind of.

[Joy Reid]

I will tell you, Ellie, Fidel Castro lived a very long life.

[Don Lemon]

I was just gonna say, you can't.

[Joy Reid]

You can't count on the Quarter Pounder with cheese.

[Don Lemon]

And by the way, the more evil you are, the more the devil keep. Props you up and keeps you alive.

[Ezra Levin]

And he's like our biggest ally is the mortal coil. But.

[Jim Acosta]

Elliot, Ezra, we gotta go.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

We gotta go.

[Joy Reid]

La. To be continued.

[Jim Acosta]

Great conversation. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[Don Lemon]

Can we get one more live report from Jolly Good Ginger before we wrap this?

[Joy Reid]

Yeah.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

I wanted to give you guys some breaking news. This is like. This brings me the most Joy. I'm in D.C. right now. The skies have turned very morbidly gray. Rain has started. And it occurred to me that in this white Christian nationalist movement, that God is quite literally about to rain on his parade. So, breaking news. God hates Donald Trump.

[Joy Reid]

I'm looking down here, there's a lot of people walking by the White House right now, so you might be right. Jolly I think they're leaving the mall as we speak. You might be right.

[Jim Acosta]

Let me just say this. It was an honor and a pleasure to work with all of you. I appreciate and respect. Do you guys know what we did?

[Don Lemon]

This is pretty revolutionary.

[Joy Reid]

Yes. This was cool. I gotta run Stream of Palooza.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

It was an honor for me to be a part of it. I appreciate you guys so much.

[Don Lemon]

Jolly good. Ginger, I've been obsessed with you for a very long time. It's been so much fun finally getting to talk to you and have you on as our intrepid correspondent in the streets of D.C. you can do that anytime on any of our shows. I think we all agree you're a fantastic correspondent and a gentleman. We appreciate you all. But I got to say, Jim Acosta, you know, I'm a super fan. Don Lemon, you know, I'm your. I'm your shadow publicist. You two are the best in the business, and I'm so glad that all three of us. That all three of you were able to be here. And this was awesome. This was an honor. Thank you all very much.

[Joy Reid]

Yeah.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Thank you for having me.

[Joy Reid]

Enjoy your amazing. Jim.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

You're amazing.

[Joy Reid]

Done.

[Jolly Good Ginger]

Love you guys.

[Jim Acosta]

Thank you, Jim. Bring your doggy next time.

[Joy Reid]

I will. I gotta bring.

[Don Lemon]

My dog's upstairs. Yeah. Where's Nala? Oh, there. She's here.

[Joy Reid]

Nala, my part.

[Don Lemon]

Yeah, my dog's asleep.

[Jim Acosta]

We.

[Joy Reid]

We put her, guys.

[Jim Acosta]

And so I love you guys.

[Joy Reid]

Love you, Joy. Love you.

[Jim Acosta]

Full screen of the America Fights Back. You have been watching America Fights Back with Don Lemon, Joy Reed, and Jim Acosta. And we are. I'm just so happy that we did this, and I appreciate all of you for watching. Thank you to all of our new members, and we'll see you next time. As. And I always say. Put it back on me here. Us here. As I always say when I leave this feed. Okay, you guys know what I say? You don't have to sit in front of the television all day. You can be informed without being inundated. You don't have to sit in front of the TV and get the outrage porn. And here's what I want you to do. Turn the TV off. Thanks, everyone, for watching. Your support means the world to us. So make sure you hit the like button and you subscribe. Subscribe to our channel to make sure that you never, ever miss a video. We're live every day, 10am Eastern time. We drop even more content at 2pm Eastern and 5pm Eastern. And if you want more Don Lemon show content, we'd love for you to become a member of the Lemon Community where you will receive access to special community posts. You'll get exclusive content and members only live shows. So head over to our channel page or click the join button on this video. Again, thank you for watching. We appreciate your love and your support and we will see you next time.