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A
Okay.
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Two days before Halloween and the frights have already begun. Good evening, everybody. Welcome to the Joy Reed Show. Big up to everybody listening and watching on YouTube, the stack and wherever you get your podcasts. By the way, this podcast is available across the podcast universe from itunes to Spotify. We're looking a sideways askance a little bit. It's about Spotify Spotify these days. So we're going to keep a weather eye on them. But hello to everybody listening there as well as everyone else. Team TJRS members, I see you. Y' all have already started acting up in the chat. We love it. We love it. We gotta. Let's go. From Keisha Johnson. Appreciate that. I want to make a special announcement. Tomorrow, Thursday we're going to be running a special edition of the Joy Reid Show. It is an interview with Dr. Robert P. Jones, who's the co founder of the Public Religion Research Institute. And he is the leading pollster and expert on the spread of Christian nationalism in the United States. He his and Pew Research, PRRI and Pew Research, I pretty much just stick with them for polling. But he's actually, he's in the basement. Robbie is coming to the basement. They've got new data and we wanted to talk with him about this really insane spiral of Christian nationalism, specifically white Christian nationalism in the U.S. so we brought him here to the basement. That's going to run tomorrow evening right here on this channel. So be sure to like and subscribe. Hit that share button, maybe hit the little bell, the notification so you'll know when new content comes up. So you never miss a thing. We don't want you all to ever miss out. Also, Friday's Halloween, we have a special Halloween night episode of the show. I may even be in costume so you don't want to miss that. You can also catch us after you trick or treat with your kids. We're going to talk zombies and also our real life zombies and witches and wicked witches that are making this evil regime, making this regime super evil. We're going to talk about that. We want you all to be safe out there. We are hearing internally that ICE is planning to be on the prowl, including on Halloween. We already are hearing that they are targeting food distribution centers, donation centers and food banks so that they can find new places to terrorize people. We've already seen the goons show up at to tear gas a neighborhood. We talked about that on Monday's show ahead of a Halloween parade. Children, evil never sleeps. So we need to also stay woke. But let's start by talking about Hurricane Melissa. Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a Category 5. It's already laying waves. This is some video of what's happening with Hurricane Melissa. This was actually on Tick Tock. This is from a news outlet, an independent news outlet showing what's happening there. It's actually pretty terrifying. You can see that pop down and let that cook just for a little bit. Oh my God, guys, it is absolutely terrible right here. It's terrible. There you go. Scary stuff, scary stuff. So praying for everybody that's out there. We also have a report, a specific report about hurricane. That was from Global News, by the way. That's from Global News. So big ups to them on Tik Tok. Please follow them now. Let's listen. I mean, I'm sorry, that wasn't from Globe News. This is from Global News. Let's listen to their, their noon report from today. Hurricane Melissa continues its punishing churn over the Caribbean humanitarian relief organization Global Medic is now activating to get much needed resources on the ground in Jamaica where the storm made landfall as a category five. We're joined now by Raul Singh, Global Medics founder and executive director. Raoul, great to see you again and thank you so much for joining us. Oh, no, no thanks. Yeah, we are actively responding now into Jamaica as a result of Hurricane Melissa. And what is the latest update you've been given as to the extent of the damage? Oh, look, it's pretty widespread. Right. Look, there's about 1.6 million people in Jamaica that are impacted of it. You see 1% of them, you know, 15,000 folks are in shelters. That's a high number of folks in shelters. Of course they're from low lying areas and kind of some of the poorer areas. A lot of the region, especially the coastal regions is pretty flooded. There's still areas that are underwater. It's that southwestern part of the island that's like heavily, heavily impacted. You know, also the same region that was hit by barrel, one of the same regions is pretty saturated by the October rains. We're hoping that Manly opens up in the next few minutes as the big airport in Mobile open up tomorrow or the next day. They're just doing their assessments now, but I think we're giving the green light into Manly and you can see a lot of the aid behind me. We've got trucks that are coming in now. We're grabbing it. Our friends at Air Canada are so kind. They've got a couple of wide body aircraft on the schedule for tomorrow to go down into Jamaica. They're giving us their cargo bellies and we're putting the family emergency kits down. Along with that. Another team will go down with portable water units to install and we've offered the Jamaican government our drone program as well to go map out their area. Much needed relief and I guess truly the true extent of the damage and I guess casualties sadly won't be known until that water recedes. But. And so that is from Gold News. The previous video was from the News movement on TikTok. Please follow them as well. So praying for everybody in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Cuba about to also get hit as well. Category 5, that's Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Maria level. So really terrifying. Hurricane Maria previously hit Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, the man who would be your king is out there on a six day jaunt to the Asian continent where he spent his time to doing the arms only nursing home dance. You know when somebody does the arms only nursing home dance, there he is in Malaysia doing that. They have at a good old time on the receiving line in Malaysia doing the arms only nursing home dance. He's also dancing. He also danced in Japan. We're going to show him dancing also in Japan. He danced for the troops, also doing the arms only nursing home dance. You're just going to have to hear YMCA in your head because you can't play music on YouTube without getting your video cut off. So there he is doing the arms only nursing home dance there as well. He also had a little wander while he was in Japan. You know, Donald Trump is an elderly gentleman, so like Biden before him, he did a little wander. There he is, King Grampy Poopy Diaper. He seemed to get a little confused. You could see he's saluting. We're not sure who he's saluting. I don't know that you have to salute. They're playing the national anthem of Japan, sir. So. And then you can see the his designated nurse for the day. Japan's first woman prime minister, right wing leader Naiku. Sorry, Daijin. Trying to get him together. She's like, no sir, you got to go this way. Then he starts trying to greet the people he brought. You see grandpa, that you brought them so you could you, you can walk on by them. Keep going, Grandpa. You got this. You got this. It might be the kitten heel. You notice he wears a little kitten heel. So it might be the kitten heel that's tripping him up a little bit, making it hard for him to saunter. But Grampy did. Grampy Poopy Pants. Poopy Diaper. Finally made it to the dais. Really sort of sad. Where's Jake Tapper? Can we get Jake Tapper on this? Jake. Jake Tapper, you want to come get on this? Because, you know, he's obviously. That's why he had a second mri, right? Clearly, something's going on up there. And Trump's not new to the dementia wander. Here he is doing the dementia wander in Saudi Arabia during his previous trip there. He did the wander there, too. There he goes. He's walking up. There you go. The crown prince says, hey, let's go this way. And he goes, well, I'll just keep walking. I'm going, okay. So Trump is having a great time in Asia, apparently also plotting to meet with Kim Jong Un to score a 177th peace deal between north and South Korea. He thinks he can solve that. They're technically still at war, but apparently he's going to get his. His latest Nobel Peace Prize there. Also, his regime has shuttered Radio Free Asia, which is one of the four federally funded news organizations the administration has aimed to shut down. That shuts down on Friday. The outlet has operated since 1996 as a source of independent journalism in Asian countries that have limited press freedoms. Now Trump is doing all of that while Americans are about to go hungry, with the regime refusing to release the SNAP contingency fund that I told you about on the previous show. $5 billion they could help, and they could help people with today, before Thanksgiving, they could release that Speaker Johnson saying there's no point to negotiating with Democrats since they refuse to go along with what Republicans want, which are steep cuts to spending on regular people rather than the $40 million US taxpayers are giving Argentina. And also whatever it costs to demolish the East Wing of the White House. We're going to show that again because I can never show it enough. You paid for that. Donald Trump claims $300 million to rebuild it will come from his private billionaire donors. But we know you paid for that, and you're probably going to have to pay for the. Whatever they put there as well. There's also the 300, and that, of course, is the. We're calling that the Epstein Ballroom from now on. Also, the billions were paying ICE to tackle brown kids on their way to school. Like what happened to a teenager and his dad in Houston. The kid was going to school and this happened to him as they stopped in the store to maybe get food. The dad was arrested. The kid is saying that he and his father were beaten and were called racial slurs. Is a teenage and he just says, I was going to school. You can see him there crying. So apparently not safe to go to school anymore in America. Happy pre Thanksgiving. So the ICE Feds involved, I should remind you, are also eligible to have their student loans canceled if they did go to college. And you're not eligible for that. There's also the money to fix the Obamacare premiums that are about to skyrocket next week. You can't have that either. And Trump had Pamela Joe put two federal prosecutors on leave for daring to seek a 27 month prison sentence for a January 6th insurrectionist who Trump granted clemency, who then later turned up armed outside former President Barack Obama's house. The prosecutor's crime apparently was saying in their court documents that the insurrectionists had been among a mob of rioters who stormed the Capitol in an effort to overturn President Trump's loss in the 2020 election. Apparently that statement is a disciplinary offense, if not a firing offense. But back to Trump's Asia trip. While continuing to lie about the economy, he seemed to finally admit that despite Steve Bannon's promise of a Trump third term, that that's actually unconstitutional. Here he is admitting that.
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C
There'S no.
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B
Time to amend the Constitution to allow you to serve a third term. Is that an accurate representation of the Constitution?
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C
I don't want to even talk about.
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B
That because, you know, there's the sad thing is I have my highest numbers that I've ever had. As I said, I ended eight wars. And we have the greatest economy in history. And by the way, energy prices are way down. Everything's way down. Beef is a little bit high.
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C
We're going to get beef down too.
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B
But prices are down and the economy's up. The only thing that's not down is the stock prices. And 401ks are through the roof. Everyone's 401 case getting great records. So we have the greatest economy we've ever had.
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D
I have my high small numbers than I've ever had.
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B
That's also a lie based on what I read. Lots of lies. So we'll see what happens. Lots of lies. I don't think he said that.
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D
I don't think he do said.
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B
Yeah, he said that. If you couldn't hear that, he is answers the question, which was kind of a dumb question that Speaker Johnson, per the questioner, has said that Donald Trump cannot serve a third term due to the Constitution. Is that inaccurate? You're asking Donald Trump is that inaccurate? Like he's a constitutional scholar. He then goes into his Litany of lies about the economy. Everything's down. We're going to get beefed down really soon. All lies. Everything's way, way up. And then he says, and then he's the, the questioner retorts, well, you know, didn't Speaker Johnson say that you're just trolling when you say you're going to run in 2028? He says, no, he didn't say that. Let's play Speaker Johnson literally saying exactly that.
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A
There is the 22nd Amendment. I spoke with the President about an hour ago. It's late in the evening in Japan. He's working around the clock serving the American people. He doesn't stop talk about someone who works around the clock. And as Chairman Pfluger mentioned a moment ago, and as we've reiterated in here so many times, you're looking at the split screen because under President Trump, the Republican Party party has delivered. I mean, you're talking about reducing taxes, reducing regulations, cutting fraud, waste and abuse, ended the border crisis, ending the crime crisis, resolving conflicts, wars around the globe and working on these amazing trade agreements. It's been a great run, but I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about the constrictions of the Constitution as much as so many. The American people lament that the Trump 2028 cap is one of the most popular that's ever been produced.
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B
Yeah, it's popular.
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A
A good time with that.
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B
He's trolling.
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A
Trolling the Democrats.
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B
Okay, we can leave that. He's trolling. So, okay, so there was, there was Speaker Johnson saying that Donald Trump is actually trolling. And that's what Trump said. He didn't say. And then you notice the things he says that Republicans have accomplished. Did you, did you peep that? He said reducing taxes on the super rich. He said reducing regulations, which is what rich people want. And he did not talk about reducing the cost of living or that's what Donald Trump promised he would do. The cost of groceries. Not done. He didn't even mention it. Speaker Johnson's not even trying to say that because what's actually happening is that people can't afford to eat snap. And SNAP is controlled both by the United States Congress and by the administration, which again, could just release the SNAP emergency fund. Let me let you hear what federal workers are going through right now waiting in long lines at this food bank in Southern Maryland. I would have never thought in a million years that I would have been in this position to have to go to a food bank. Denise Blake says she drove over an hour to get here. When she finally arrived, they had run out of food.
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E
We have a cart ready for you out front.
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B
Fortunately, she did not leave empty handed. But she still faces the harsh reality of nature not knowing how she's going to feed her family while she's not getting paid during the government shutdown. I don't want my daughter to see me crying. Blake's story is like so many others were waiting to get paid as Congress stalls to pass a new spending plan. I haven't gotten a paycheck this month, so the free groceries is very important, very helpful. More than a million federal workers are not receiving pay right now. Many miss their first full paycheck Friday, while others will feel the loss early next week, depending on the agency. Well, there we have it. Joining me now is Senator Andy Kim of the great state of New Jersey. Senator Kim, thank you so much for being here. I do want to start right there with the fact that you now have federal workers who have good jobs. They thought now having to stand in food lines. What are the Republicans on the other side telling you about why it is that they're not willing to to push the administration, the Department of Agriculture, to just use that emergency fund for SNAP so that people can be helped or to do something to reopen the government, meaning agree to let the Obamacare premiums supports continue.
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F
Yeah, thanks, Joy, for shining a light on this because, you know, this is really tough for so many in the federal government writ large. You know, I used to be a federal civil servant. I worked as an officer at the State Department. I worked through a previous shutdown, showed up to work every day without getting paid. So this is something that's very personal to me and to so many others, which is why we should be doing everything we can to be able to negotiate to try to get this solved when it comes to delivering healthcare, delivering a budget that represents what the people need. And I can't tell you how frustrating and upsetting it is every time I go to the Capitol and I see half of the Capitol completely empty. You know, the fact that it's been about 40 days since the House of Representatives has last come into session. You know, we're not able to negotiate if they're not even there to talk to us about this. So, you know, I hope the American people see, you know, this is exactly what Trump said. He said he doesn't want to deal with the Democrats, he doesn't need them. And now we're just stuck in this situation where they're refusing to negotiate while you know, the Republicans in the House are getting a paid vacation. Meanwhile, all the resources that we have available to be able to address snap, it's there. In fact, the Trump's Department of Agriculture previously said they can use the contingency funds to be able to keep it going. And then now, all of a sudden, that part of the website is deleted, and there's now saying, oh, something completely different, of course, because they are using hunger, weaponizing it as a means to. For political retribution. And I just find that to be disgusting. You know, people are struggling. We have the resources. That's what it's there for. They are legally responsible to be able to use that contingency fund, and they're choosing not to. And they're choosing to do real harm to so many.
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B
Let me play one more video. Jason. This is a 13. Let's a 13. This is what's happening at food banks that are saying that they can't handle this on their own.
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A
How long is this sustainable?
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Wow. It's not. It won't be from the first day for every meal that a food bank provides. The SNAP program provides nine. There's no way we can meet that gap. There's no way we can replace every single one of those meals. It is not sustainable for food banks to fill this gap. We were not built to do this. We will stand out there and we will do our very best. So it appears to me, because, just correct me if I'm wrong, Senator, the House obviously controls the power of the purse, theoretically in the Senate, but the administration administers the Department of Agriculture, and it is the Department of Agriculture that has a $5 billion emergency fund that they could simply release. Do they need Congress to do that?
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F
No, they have that authority. And in fact, they. They are required to be able to do this. And that is something that they are now abdicating. And Republicans in Congress are refusing to step up, and that shows just how feckless their leadership has become. We've basically got to a point, Joy, where we do not have three functioning branches of government anymore. We have one branch of government, the executive branch, that's literally just bending the other two branches to its will. And Speaker Johnson, for instance, you saw him, he's somebody who basically is acting like a Cabinet official in the Trump administration rather than a leader of a separate branch of government. He's refusing to stand up for the Constitution. And as a result, the collateral damage is the American people. And you were talking about these federal workers struggling right now. I talked to a federal worker in New Jersey. That said something to me that was so powerful. He said their problems didn't just begin on October 1st with this shutdown. He said their problems began on January 20th. That, that this administration, since day one, has been attacking and going after public servants, firing them, treating like them like they're criminals. You know, defaming them and, and insulting them on social media. You know, that is one federal workers that they feel targeted. They wake up every morning feeling like they're being portrayed as the enemy. Talked about the shootings at the center for Disease Control and attacks against federal workers. So, yes, this is something where we see a systematic effort to gut federal workers, to gut public service, because this president can't imagine that anyone would actually just want to serve this country for the sake of service, not trying to profit off of the Oval Office like he is.
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B
There's also, you know, sort of conspiracy theories out there that Russell Vogt, who is the head of the Office of Management and Budget and also a key architect of Project 2025, we're going to be playing some video of him later in the show that they want this shutdown to continue because it gives Russell Vote. And Trump put out this weird AI video portraying Russell vote as the Grim Reaper, essentially indicating that. And Trump has said this, that they see this shutdown as an opportunity to out and out cancel Democratic favored programs. Things like meals on wheels, food stamps, just cancel them altogether. Is that what you think is happening here? That they're using the shutdown to eliminate those programs without Congress?
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F
Well, they're certainly trying to. And we see that, for instance, in New Jersey, New York, with Trump saying they're terminating the Gateway tunnel project, which is something that is so important right now more than ever to so many millions of people. Trump is holding that hostage, saying he's terminating it to be able to basically attack Democratic leaders and seek political retribution. I had this one independent voter in New Jersey talk about this, and she said that she would want to tell Donald Trump that this is our money. This is not his personal slush fund. This is the American people's money. And the fact that they are going after and targeting these programs, trying to use these programs and weaponize taxpayer dollars. Again, I hope the American people see that for what it is, which is that these are mob boss tactics. You know, this is exactly how a mob boss is trying to engage. That's no way to govern. That's not democracy.
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B
Well, and just really quickly, can you just confirm. Because my understanding is that if this CR were to even pass, let's Just say Democrats caged, which I hope you all won't. This Congressional, this what they call continuing resolution for those in the audience, is just basically saying we're just going to keep funding the government for a little while. Isn't that supposed to expire on November 21? Are we not arguing about something that would expire anyway, even if it passed on November 21st?
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F
Yeah, that's right. I mean, look. And we could have been using all this time to have the negotiations that we should have been having all along. And there's a reason why we're not. There's a reason why the House is not in session, which is that there are actually Republicans that want to extend the, the ACA tax credits and the subsidies here. But Speaker Johnson is refusing to negotiate, refusing them to be able to talk to us, and he's trying to silence them because they know that they're on the wrong side of the American people On this. Nearly 80% of Americans believe that we should be continuing the support, support for healthcare that I told you is going to increase prices in New Jersey. 174. That's what it's going to be. 174 increase. So, yes, you know, this is something where, where we need to be able to negotiate. This isn't just about kicking the can down the road. And even, as you said, the CR would only get us to right before Thanksgiving, you know, we should be doing everything we can to be able to step up. And I hope the American people press furiously to get the House of Representatives back into session.
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B
Let's do two more questions. One, I want to play for you, and this is me characterizing it, not you. You're. You're a much nicer guy than I am. I want to play for you, who I believe personally, and this is with Marsha Blackburn alive, the dumbest United States Senator of them all. This is a 12. Jason, this is Tommy Tuberville, who I, I think is the dumbest of them all. Here he is. Senator, is it constitutional for President Trump to run for a third term? He's teasing that, you know, if you read the Constitution, it says it's not, but if he says he has some, some different circumstances that might be able.
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G
To go around the Constitution, but that's up to him.
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B
We got a long way to go. But you're open to it? Well, I think that there's going to be having to have to be an evaluation from President Trump's viewpoint to the Constitution. There'll be a lot of legal aspects to it.
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G
Will it happen is very unlikely. But don't ever close the book on President Trump.
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B
What would be the different circumstances, Senator, that would allow Donald Trump to evade the constitutional limit of two terms? And what negotiations would those be? What is he talking about?
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F
I mean, basically, he's talking about the end of democracy. Right? I mean, he's basically talking about just a circumvention and the demise of our Constitution. And that's, you know, look, it's so sad to think about just the challenges that we're facing on this front and just why is it so hard to just say no? No. Just say no, you cannot do a third term. And that should just be, you know, that. That's not a political question. You know, it's just literally our, our Constitution. So. But again, it shows you that we're in a constitutional crisis moment. And as I told you, like, we don't have three functioning branches of government. Donald Trump is someone who demands not just loyalty, but fealty. And this is what you're seeing there. What you're seeing in that clip and other clips is again, just the demise of our Constitution, demise of Article 1. But we gotta make sure that we fix this.
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B
I know you said on some committees that overlap this. I really do wanna ask you about these attacks on citizens and non citizens alike. People who are working hard in this country, the ICE and other federal agencies, or even non feds, we don't know who they are. Mask men showing up in immigration court, showing up at people's workplaces, they love to show up at Home Depot, apparently now applauding to show up at food distribution places, at food giveaways, they've tear gassed a Halloween parade for kids, on and on and on. And racially profiling black, white and Asian American people. That Chinatown raid, unprecedented. Does the Senate have any oversight role to play here? Because we know that when members of the House tried to do oversight over that private prison in your state of New Jersey, Lamonica McIver was arrested and, well, not arrested at the time, but charged with a felony for trying to do oversight. Does the Senate have some role to play here?
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F
Absolutely. I mean, we have to, because right now the lawlessness that we're seeing is rampant and so scary. You know, I went and did an inspection at that same facility that Congresswoman MacGyver was at. You know, we need to make sure that we're using our oversight capabilities. But we also know that this is an administration that's constantly hiding, hiding whether or not, you know, Homan took $50,000 in cash, in a kava bag, hiding, you know, whether or not they are trying to basically incite violence and riots in the streets so they can try to suspend habeas corpus. I mean, a lot of actions that they're taking that are going after our community. And as you said, you know, it's affecting American citizens, too. I've talked to a number of American citizens in New Jersey that are saying that they carry their passport around with them now because they're worried about the potential of just being caught up in one of these raids. Like, what kind of America that we're in now. You got got to carry your papers around like it's, you know, World War II. I mean, this is such a dangerous moment. And unfortunately, you know, what we see right now is a level of lawlessness. Black Hawk helicopters over the skies in Chicago. Things that I never thought that I'd see. So, yes, we have to use every tool we can, but we also need to make sure that we're stepping up at other levels of government. We need a new governor in New Jersey. We need Mikey Sherrill to be the governor rather than a Trump acolyte like Jack Cittarelli who will just open the front door for in New Jersey for the National Guard and ice. You know, we need to make sure we're taking every step to win back power in the midterm elections. And I say that someone who stepped up and won in 2018, flipped a Republican seat and got back to gavel. We need that again to be able to have the kind of leverage needed to step up against this craziness.
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B
Senator Andy Kimmen, thank you for adding that reminder. I was going to ask you about that race, that governor's race. Y', all, please make sure that you vote. It's too late. The primary is over. If your favorite case candidate did not win in the primary, too late. Now you have to vote for democracy in the state of New Jersey and in the country. Senator Andy Kim, thank you so much for being here.
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F
Thanks, Joy.
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B
Thank you very much. All right, I want to take a quick ad break here to try to introduce you to one of our new sponsors. I want to know that this episode of the Joy Read show is being supported by the Defending Our Neighbors fund across the country. Immigrants, as we just discussed, are facing family separation, wrongful detention, and deportation without due process or access to legal support. In 2024 alone, get this, there were more than 2.5 million immigration court cases without legal representation. 2.5 million. That means millions of people were denied the most basic protections that we expect from our justice system. The right to a fair process powered by people like you, though. The Defending Our Neighbors fund is providing access to life saving legal aid for families in crisis. But they urgently need your help to meet the unprecedented demands we're seeing today. The government is pouring billions and billions of your taxpayer dollars into enforcement while slashing funding for legal aid. That makes your support more urgent than ever. So help defend your neighbors and keep families together. You can donate now@defendingour neighbors.org fund that's defending our neighbors to you can see it right there, right there on your screen. So please give generously. We know that the Team TJRS folks are very generous. So please do that. Okay, back to the show. So time now for your timely reminder that the Supreme Court is currently deciding on whether racist gerrymandering is legal or illegal. And if the bad guys win, it could allow Republicans who currently have full control, meaning state legislature and the governor's mansion, control in 23 states versus the 15 that Democrats have full control over and 11 that are mixed and therefore have and are there are mixed. They have some Democrat and some Republican like the legislature is one way, the governor goes the other way, meaning that Republicans have the ability to theoretically gerrymander any of those 23 states that they want to any of them. And there's an estimate that at least 19 they could do it in order to lock in Republican, meaning Trump administration control for the foreseeable future. Joining me now are Representative Ro Khanna representing California's great 17th congressional district, and Representative John Jackson of Illinois's 1st congressional district, which I believe used to be the Obama district. Thank you all for being here, where he came from. Thank you both for being, being here. Let's get started with you, Representative Ro Khanna. We've talked about this, I think before, even on my old show about this sort of threat to democracy we're seeing looming writ large. In your view, what are the stakes of this Supreme Court case, the Calais vs. Louisiana case?
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D
Well, they're extraordinary. And Jonathan Jackson has been the leader in the Congress sounding the moral alarm for months on this. I mean, let's take the example of Jim Clyburn in South Carolina. For 95 years in South Carolina, there was no black representative. And the reason was that the black vote would all be diluted Even after the 1965 Voting Rights act and they basically denied African American representation. What this case wants to do is to go back to a pre1965 era. It would mean the elimination of many black seats, black majority seats in the south and vote dilution to deny representation for things that Dr. King Jonathan's father, Reverend Jackson, John Lewis fought for. I mean, it is, it should be the number one issue that we're talking about. They were literally trying to reverse civil rights.
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B
And Representative Jackson, let's talk about that because I think a lot of people are not really necessarily feeling the urgency of this gerrymandering case. You know, everyone's watching the Prop 50, you know, question in California where Gavin Newsom, Governor Newsom has said we're going to, you know, gerrymander back. We'll gerrymander on our side the same way that Texas gerrymandered for Trump. But do you get the same sense that people in your district, and of course, you come from a very prominent family that has fought for this for a very long time. Do you get the sense that people understand the stakes of this? Regular folks? No.
- [32:18]
C
No. Joy, thank you so much. This has been an era of mass distraction. And how can you not be distracted when you see the president with a bulldozer taking out a wing of the White House? And of course, there's soybean issues, there's health care issues, there are premiums coming up on this the first day. So, yes, people are distracted. But what happens in this case is this decision can upend every election across the country if it starts just with in principle. This isn't about a line and a map. This is about our voices, whose voices have the opportunity to be represented if they start gerrymandering on the race and excluding people and ethnicities from having equal access and opportunities to the ballot boxes. It can happen on income, it can happen on gender. It just doesn't stop. So we're talking about proportional representation. That's the true spirit of a composite nation on bringing people together.
- [33:14]
B
Do you think that to stay with you for a moment, Representative Jackson, do you think that Democrats have been a little bit shortsighted, essentially admitting in advance that this gerrymandering is political? Because it seems to me that John Roberts, Chief Justice John Roberts has been been pretty clear that he doesn't have a problem with political gerrymandering. He thinks that should be legal and constitutional. But if you prove racial gerrymandering like was proved in Alabama, then he there's a chance he'll rule in your favor. Do you think that Democrats should just be more open that this is racist gerrymandering?
- [33:44]
C
Oh, absolutely. And you've got to use the word not necessarily discriminatory, but Racist. I think sometimes they've been a little bit too soft on giving it a pass. When you have Africa saying that they were discriminated against in South Africa, when they're built into the Constitution and you lie upon the president of South Africa and say it was a genocide going on, that's racist behavior. When you start using these lines and this rhetoric to and it's coded, it's more sophisticated. It starts off with woke, it goes on to diversity, equity and inclusion. They weaponize the term dei. And after all the doge talks of cuts and other things, the net, net net effect is fewer African American women are working, more have been kicked out. The debt is higher, the deficit is higher. So what was the net net effect? It was very racially targeted. And this is the life work, the crowning achievement of the Justice Roberts Supreme Court. He wants to gut overturn all of the work of the Reverend Martin Luther King. King. Some people, and there were these people in the 60s and in the 50s who were shouting against racial progress. Who were the parents, who were the children and grandchildren. Well, they've never stopped coming. And some people oppose Reverend Martin Luther King in life and they've continued to fight against all of the racial progress after his death. And so we have to make sure that doesn't happen anymore.
- [35:06]
B
Let's talk about California. Just a minute, Representative. It does seem like at least Politico's reporting is that the Republican opposition to Prop 50 has basically collapsed. And Prop 50, for those not paying attention, that is the bill that Governor Gavin Newsom proposed that would gerrymander California against Republicans in response to Texas. It doesn't feel like the Republicans really are fighting that hard anymore. Am I? Am I? Is Politico getting that wrong or do you still see a big fight against that? Or have they given up?
- [35:35]
D
Well, I'm very confident the entire California delegation is supporting it. The polls look good, but as you know, Joy, we've got to fight till the last day. And I don't want people to be complacent. So please make sure that if you haven't turned in your ballot, you do. Because ultimately it's about turnout. But I do want to just pick up on one thing that Representative Jackson said, and that is these mass layoffs that are taking place place right now on Amazon, on target, on usps. One of the things that's not being talked about is the biggest disproportionate hit of these layoffs are black women. And if you look at the unemployment rate that has spiked in the African American community. It's extraordinary. And so when you're talking about disenfranchising voices, it's not just a issue of politics, it's also an issue of race. And we need to be very clear, clear that there was a lot of fight against the Republican Party and Democratic Party so that African Americans could actually get representation and talk about things like jobs impact on them. And that's what's at stake in this country. It's deeper than even Trump or Democrats. It's fundamentally civil rights.
- [36:46]
B
And I think it's pretty clear that that's deliberate. Right. That the whole DEI argument gives companies an excuse to enthusiastically lay off black people. Representative Jackson, you seem to be giving me an amen, so I'm gonna let you weigh in because it does feel like it's targeted, right? They're like, once you say, I'm out of the DEI business, it's an excuse to say, I'm just gonna lay off all the blacks.
- [37:04]
C
I mean, let me tell you, I can't thank Congressman Ro Khanna enough. He's been on this from day one. He's been expanding opportunities with these tech giants to go into South Carolina. He's recognized genius and brilliance in the African American community. And he could smell that there was something very much foul, not just in the DEI and the woke and all these other things. And he started calling it out from the beginning and all the way up to the point of Mr. Charlie Kirk saying that you had taken a spot of a Caucasian man at Harvard, and First Lady Michelle Obama had taken a spot of a Caucasian man at Harvard, and Congressman Sheila Jackson Lee had taken a Caucasian man at Harvard, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, our justice. I mean, these are just veiled racist tones. And I think it's time for the Democrats to call it out. We're all grown folks. We're too grown to play this game. We know what they're saying. We know what they're doing. And today there are fewer African Americans at all of these elite, if you will, Ivy League institutions. That's what their goal was. So we're not going to suffer in silence. We're going to call it out and we're going to do it in a very decent way. We're going to have huge humanity in the face of their bestiality and inhumanity. There are, if I can put one more thing in there, we have 30,000 Ukrainians to come to Chicago. We open them. The largest population of Polish people outside of Poland are in Chicago. We welcome them with big arms. But when ICE comes to Chicago and the president, United States says we're going to declare war on its own citizens, on its own soil. He's going after black and white brown people. It doesn't stop there. So we have to stop. He's not rounding up Caucasian immigrants that have come from anywhere. So let's just take the gloves off, call it for what it is. Let's grow in love and expand peace and prosperity, not going backward with hatred and segregation.
- [38:56]
B
Well, well, I mean, he's got a lot of white South Africans advising him, big tech lords and so that he's sort of making the country more comfortable for what they're used to, you know, meaning apartheid, making it comfortable for them. Exit question to you, Representative Ro Khanna there. I was listening on SiriusXM yesterday to a show in which folks were talking about the question of whether Speaker Mike Johnson might be refusing to reconvene the House, not just to prevent there being enough of a quorum to a 218 votes to force the Epstein files to go public, which is clear that he doesn't want those to come forward, but also that he might be wanting to keep the House closed for another reason, which is to effectively strip the House itself of the power of the purse by allowing the Office of Management and budget, meaning Project 2025's Russ, vote to control the spending, to cut programs and to do this without Congress. And that the speaker might actually be, you know, he might actually be deliberately keeping the House closed as long as possible for that purpose. What do you make of that?
- [39:55]
D
It's embarrassing. I mean, Steve Banning Bannon is joking that we're the Russian Duma. How can anyone with self respect in Congress debase the institution? And I think it's both reasons. It's the fact that Thomas Massie and my may have this discharge petition and we know 218 votes are going to force the release of the Epstein files. He doesn't want that because 50 to 60 Republicans would vote for it and it would be the first day of Donald Trump becoming a lame duck. And secondly, because he doesn't want Congress to have a say in the spending. He wants Russ Boyd, who wants to cut everything and undermine the New Deal to be making the decisions. But you know, we can argue the politics, but the truth is after Halloween on Friday, kids, 16 million kids are going to start to go hungry in America because SNAP runs out. And shame on, shame on the governing class that that's happening in modern day America. While my district is producing, producing $14 trillion of wealth. It's unconscionable. And what Speaker Johnson says, he's a man of faith. You know, I'm of the Hindu faith, but I've read enough of the Bible. I don't understand how you have 16 million kids go hungry.
- [41:03]
B
Well, I think Jesus was pretty clear on that in the red letters of the Bible. But there is such a thing as apostasy and there is a such thing as idol worship. And if you worship an orange God rather than the Lord, you might be an idolater. That's me saying that, not you. Representative Ro Khanna and John Jackson. How's your dad? Representative JACKSON he is doing absolutely great.
- [41:23]
C
Thank you, Joy. He really appreciates you watching you now. And I would like to be affiliated with all of your comments on what you just said. Appreciate my friend, Congressman Ro Connor. Keep up the great work, brother.
- [41:34]
A
I love it.
- [41:35]
B
I love it when people keep real, keeping it real. That is my ministry. I love it. Thank you so much, Representatives Ronna and John Jackson. Thank you.
- [41:41]
D
Thank you.
- [41:42]
B
Thank you. All right. Let me give you all your timely reminder of why we're here. And this is courtesy of the center for American Progress. Just your reminder of what got us here. And that, of course, would be Project 2025. We're going to get there. C1.
- [42:04]
D
This is why we're going to go.
- [42:05]
B
After the administrative state, not just the 2 million basic billets in the civilian side of the government, also the contractors, a million contractors, of course, going after all of it. And we're going to take it apart. And we don't care what the mainstream media thinks about that. Shut down the FBI, shut down the ATF, shut down the CDC, shut down the U.S. department of Education, fire 75% of the federal bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. and send them home packing because they never should have had that job in the first place. Actually, that was now this. Thank you for that. Now this. Joining me now is Representative Raja Krishnamoorthy representing Illinois's 8th congressional district, the Great Eight. He is also running in the Democratic primary for U.S. senate to replace the soon to be retiring Dick Durbin. Welcome, Senator.
- [42:53]
H
Thank you, Joy. Thanks for having me.
- [42:55]
B
Thank you so much for being here. We're going to get to your, your, your race in just a moment. But I want to start by asking you about the debate over reopening the government first. What you just heard, and that was old video you saw. Vivek Ramaswamy was in there talking about slashing the federal government and this plan, neither of those two men are in government, but it does seem what they wanted is being done. How much of Project 2025 are you seeing implemented on the watch of the President?
- [43:23]
H
Unfortunately, we're seeing way too much. And I think that, I think the people that I talked to have had enough of Project 2025. I think Project 2025 is really what Doge was up to. And you see that Doge is extremely unpopular. Of course, Elon Musk still elicits one of the biggest applause lines when you talk about how you oppose. We oppose what Elon Musk stands for and his approach to government and what Doge brings to government. So to me, Project 2025 needs to lead to a Project 2026 that is taking back the House and Of course Project 2028 taking back the White House.
- [44:04]
B
But isn't that going to require that we have a free and fair election? How confident are you that that's going to happen?
- [44:09]
H
Well, I think that we're being tested right now, Joy, as you know. And that test involves how are we going to respond to National Guard troops being placed in different cities such as Chicago? How are we going to respond to what the President is trying to do with regard to mid decade redistricting and voter suppression efforts that he's trying to engineer in other ways through gutting the Voting Rights Act? We Democrats have to stand up to all of these things. And I think that at the end of the day, I think Donald Trump is a populist. He's not an ideologue. Meaning I don't think he stands for anything. I don't think he believes in anything except for money and power for himself and his family. Okay, so we have to shift public sentiment. We have to shift what people think about Donald Trump and these issues in our favor as much as possible. And that means shining a light on them. That means joining litigation, doing our oversight in Congress, and of course holding people accountable, including on the other side.
- [45:16]
B
Yeah, I think if he thought being a woke liberal would get him to be a billionaire, he'd do that. Like he'll do whatever. He's just self interested. Let me play you a piece of it. This is not new. This is something I was actually listening in the car to Sirius XM and the Dan Abrams show was on one of the dials. And I was listening to one of your colleagues who I think was actually being honest and telling the truth. And this is a guy named Rich McCormick. He represents a district in the state of Georgia. And he was asked a very, I think, interesting and prescient question about why the Temporary tax cuts of 2017 which cost $4.7 trillion to make permanent, why those got renewed at a cost of another $1.7 trillion. And why the 0.3 trillion, the $300 billion extensions to the Obamacare subsidies, which were also temporary, why those can't be renewed? This is, see Democrats are warning. Can you explain to us why exactly you voted to increase spending by 4.2 trillion on the Trump tax cuts for the billionaires. So, so let's, let's first of all realize that the, it wasn't new tax cuts. It was locking in what Biden had all four years he was president. You hear this, we reduce the tax rate. Someone asked him the original budget process where we cut the amount of tax.
- [46:43]
C
Corporate tax rates, we ended up with.
- [46:45]
B
What, an increase or decrease in revenue. You would know as a reporter it.
- [46:49]
C
Was an increase because people started expanding their businesses.
- [46:52]
I
They, they didn't hide their money.
- [46:54]
B
That's a lie. If we increase taxes, good chance because we've seen this in the past, they were meant to be temporary increase revenue. So it's not going to end up with greater or less deficit spending now.
- [47:05]
C
In this next year.
- [47:06]
B
Year. You're right, it expanded by $416 billion in spending. I was against that, but it was the best. He's not answering the question. He's lying and not answering the question. Answer the question. He doesn't answer the question. And he justified, you know, before I turned the recorder on, he justified allowing the Obamacare supports to expire, which again those would cost 3 trillion, mean 300 billion, whereas the tax cut extension cost $4.67 trillion. But he said that's fine because that's revenue creating. But he claims that the Obamacare subsidies have to be allowed to expire. Are they being honest behind the scenes? Because in front of the cameras they're all claiming it's you guys fault that the government's saying, oh, but isn't that the real argument here, that they don't want to extend those subsidies even though they are a fraction of the cost of the tax cuts?
- [47:53]
H
I think that's right. And that's why, by the way, a lot of us are saying, you know, not so fast when they say, oh, let's open the government, let's open the government and then deal with the Obamacare tax credits. Because we don't believe them. You know, many of us, including myself a decade ago were here when they basically tried to repeal Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, 50 times in one Congress. And so to believe them now is basically to, you know, basically to forget everything that they've done in the past to gut the very program that they claim that they want to support. Now, after we reopen the government, let's.
- [48:37]
B
Talk about your run, your run for the United States Senate. First of all, what grade would you give the Democratic Senate minority right now on their fighting stance vis a vis Trump and autocracy?
- [48:49]
H
I think it's above average. I think this is the way that we should continue to use our leverage. Look, the status quo is not acceptable. If you were to go along with a continuing resolution right now with no changes, that would be ratification of the status quo, and it's not acceptable. So I think what the leader is doing in the Senate, along with his Senate colleagues, is the right way to go at this present time until and unless we, we get some concessions with regard to Obamacare tax credits, at the.
- [49:20]
B
Least, do you think Chuck Schumer should remain leader? If you become a United States Senator, would you vote for him again?
- [49:26]
H
I'd like to hear his pitch. I'd like to hear his pitch. I want to know what he wants to do about the priorities I care about. To me, there are two things above all. One, we must address the economic pain points of working families. They can't afford groceries, they can't afford their gas, they can't afford to buy a house, they can't afford to educate their kids, retire, their health care or taking care of their kids. This is all on the table that we have to address as U.S. senators and members of Congress. The second thing is we have to stand up to Trump. We have to hold this administration accountable and make sure that we never go through this period ever again. Joy, this is a horrible moment for our democracy, and we can't ever have this again. So those are the two big defining questions that I would have for him. What are you going to do on these two issues?
- [50:18]
B
I like to say that flexibility. I'm not just ratifying the current leadership. Let's play your ad. This is C4. This is the ad that you are running as you campaign.
- [50:28]
H
That American dream is slipping out of the grasp of millions of people. Trump has unleashed a huge set of tax cuts for the wealthiest, funded by cuts. The social safety net. Anger and fear are natural. I feel those emotions as well. But we gotta channel it into action. I want an Illinois where everyone has a chance to succeed, regardless of the color of their skin or the number of letters in their name. There are 29 in mind. I'm Raja Krishnamoorthy and I approve this message.
- [50:56]
B
Raja Prasanne, you've caught a little of the ism, a little of the racism. I like that you talked about the number of letters in your name. There was a House Republican who decided to have a go at you over your name and essentially to say that, basically the question sort of your Americanness, can you talk a little bit about that? And your response to him was, don't worry about the number of letters in my name. I'm just gonna call you racist. Let me actually talk about this. This is. Congressman Raja Krishnamurthy just chided Florida politician Chandler Langevin, who had targeted and mocked him, saying his name is unpronounceable. Taking the mocking in stride, Representative Krishnamurthy said that he could be called by his first name, Raja, if Krishnamurthy is harder. But Chandler Langevin can only be called racist for his unrelenting hatred toward Indians. Good, good response. But is that the kind of racism that you're getting on a regular basis from Republicans? Because. Wow.
- [52:00]
H
So this, this individual, a floral Florida elected official, called, of course, Florida, yeah. Deporting all, all Indian and Indian origin people. And I call, I called it out and then he came back at me and you know, look, some people might want to deport me. I'm not going anywhere, Joy. And that's true of countless people across this country. And yes, in answer to your question, yes, there's an increase in vitriol, prejudice, hatred, animus, and I think it's fueled in part by the racial profiling and the tactics used by ICE and dhs. Let's call a spade a spade. And when they basically say that they are going to stop people who look like a brown colored person or a black person or whatever, that gives license to others to say and do what they will. And that's Donald Trump's America, unfortunately.
- [52:55]
B
I mean, when they do that, they're just kids, according to J.D. vance. I mean, if you're racist and you love Hitler, you're just a boy. You're just a boy doing boy things. Let's talk about the. What do you have a comment about that? What do you make of the Vice President of the United States? Who? The President of the Senate. You want to be a senator, he'd be the president of the Senate. And he seems to have no problem with even attacks. In that group chat that with the I love Hitler guy, there was also somebody saying, never trust an Indian, ever. There were people who effectively were mocking Vice President J.D. vance's own wife basically. And he seemed to be okay with.
- [53:26]
H
It, that's the part that, it makes me very sad, Joy. I mean, look, Usha Vance is an Indian American. He has three kids who are basically Indian Americans. I would consider them such.
- [53:39]
B
One of them is named Vivek.
- [53:41]
H
Right, Vivek. You know, I think that what makes me sad is like, I want J.D. vance to stand up against that hate, that prejudice, that fear, that anger, that animus. And he's not willing to do so. He wants to cozy up to these people for political purposes. And when you do that, you're basically emboldening them and you're basically encouraging them. You know, the other day, you know, I, as you know, we've talked about this before. I disagree with Kash Patel on 95% of everything having to do with public policy. He wrote Happy Diwali on his Instagram and that basically triggered a flood of anti Indian hate. And Donald Trump didn't say anything, okay? Nobody came to his rescue. Nobody said anything like, hey, cut it out. That's wrong. It's un American to do any of it. And so what I would say to my colleagues on the other side, Republicans of any stripe, is, look, we might disagree about a lot of things, but you've got to, you've got to put your foot down on this issue because you, if you ride that tiger, it will eat you up.
- [54:55]
B
Okay?
- [54:55]
H
I don't care who you are.
- [54:57]
B
Well, by the way, they're not going to do that. Let's play Vivek Ramaswamy, the other Vivek, not the, not Vivek Vance, who is the child, who is the child of J.D. vance, but Vivek Ramaswamy, who, like Cash Patel, thinks that he's white adjacent enough to be able to ride with the pro Hitler folks and also with the Turning Point kids. Here are two Turning Point kids. This is C3, letting Vivek have it. Jesus Christ is God and there is no other God. He's part of the Holy Trinity. And any other God is a demon and it's false. How can you represent the constituents of Ohio who are 64 Christian if you are not a part of that faith?
- [55:33]
H
If you are an Indian, a Hindu.
- [55:35]
B
Coming from a different culture, different religion than those who follow founded this country, those who grew this country, built this country, made this country the beautiful thing that it is today?
- [55:43]
H
What are you conserving?
- [55:45]
B
You are bringing change. I'll be 100 honest with you. Christianity is the one truth.
- [55:50]
D
Christian voices should be the main voice of America.
- [55:53]
B
And I want to know basically why you seem to be and I don't mean to be horribly offensive, but why? You seem to be masquerading as a Christian familiar with the Ten Commandments. You call yourself a Hindu, but you also call yourself Christian. I don't call myself Christian. I call myself a Hindu. I'm not running to be pastor of Ohio. I'm running to be governor of Ohio.
- [56:14]
H
And I didn't run to be pastor of America.
- [56:15]
B
I ran to be president of the United States of America.
- [56:18]
H
What's your faith?
- [56:19]
B
I'm a Christian follower of Jesus. Great.
- [56:22]
H
Do you believe in the. In the Holy Trinity, the Father, the.
- [56:26]
B
Son, and the Holy Spirit? I think. I think a lot of people here do, so. Good. And.
- [56:31]
H
And that doesn't make you a polytheist, does it?
- [56:34]
B
Probably not, no.
- [56:35]
D
Great.
- [56:35]
H
And so in my faith, I believe there's one true God.
- [56:38]
B
He resides in all of us, and.
- [56:40]
H
He appears in different forms, but it's one true God.
- [56:42]
B
So I'm an ethical monotheist. That's the way I would describe my faith. Do you think it's inappropriate for someone who's a Hindu to be, say, a U.S. president? No, I think it's. No. Well, you'd be honest. Isn't Hinduism because you're an Indian? I can ask yourself that.
- [57:00]
F
Hinduism believes in Shiva. And what is it?
- [57:06]
C
The.
- [57:06]
G
The flute. The flute.
- [57:07]
C
God.
- [57:08]
F
I forgot. I forget.
- [57:09]
C
Right.
- [57:09]
B
Krishna.
- [57:09]
H
Who's you're thinking of?
- [57:10]
B
Yeah, Krishna. But isn't Charlie Kirk's organization founded on Christian values as well? And isn't the United States of America.
- [57:17]
F
Also, you know, Based on what Protestantism.
- [57:20]
B
Is it based on?
- [57:20]
F
Based on how those values are?
- [57:24]
B
Wouldn't that contradict what your beliefs are?
- [57:27]
H
Like I said, I'm not here to justify my faith to you any more than you are to me. But what I do share is the.
- [57:31]
B
Value set this country was founded on. And I think that it's really important that we not reinvent the founding of this country and what it was actually all about. You know what? I'm gonna give Vivek Ramaswamy credit for not running from his faith. Right. I'm gonna give him credit for standing up for him standing up for himself in that moment. I still think his voice is incredibly annoying. Listening to him actually gives me the jeebies. It's just the tone of voice irritates me. And when he raps, it's even worse. But I give him credit for that because I honestly am not sure that J.D. vance is teaching his son to stand up for himself the way Vivek Ramaswamy just did. Right. But I think what is interesting, and I don't know if you have a special insight into this, being from the Indian American community, what is it about folks like Vivek Ramaswamy who, despite the open racism he's getting from the actual youth of the party, he still thinks that's his home. And he thinks they're going to ever believe he's one of them.
- [58:27]
H
I don't know. I think he maybe has a confidence that he might be able to change their minds. He might be able to persuade them differently. But I actually like you. I'm glad that he stood his ground in terms of. He didn't say, you know, you're right, I'm going to change my religion today. He didn't pull a Bobby Jindal or something like that. But I think that. I personally think that we're kind of in this moment where I wish that other Republicans would come to his aid and basically say, you know, what. What Vivek said or what whoever Kash Patel said was the right thing. And this is like out of bounds. And by the way, you know, I think we have to be very clear that, you know, when you say certain things that are just wrong or that are bigoted, that it gets called out as such. And you have to be willing to kind of stand shoulder to shoulder with whoever is going through it to say that. Because if we don't, we're just going to be, you know, kind of left to ourselves and then, you know, cast aside. And that's. That's a pretty lonely, dangerous place to be.
- [59:45]
B
Indeed. Give your website where people can go if they want to Support your campaign.
- [59:49]
H
Www.r a j a f o r I l.com raja4il.com Sounds good.
- [59:59]
B
Best of luck in your campaign. You are welcome to come back here anytime, my friend. Thank you very much, friend.
- [60:03]
H
Thank you.
- [60:04]
B
Thank you so much. Roger Krishna Murthy. It's easier, it's easy to pronounce. And by the way, people had trouble pronouncing my name. And my name is Lomana. It literally is L O M E N A. When I made a name and people were like, what is. How do you pronounce that? Lomina. Lomina. Lomina. People call me Lomina. I was like, whatever, man, you could pronounce Lomina. And you're gonna have trouble with Krishnamurti. You have problems in America. Lots of people have more complicated names than Smith. But, you know, to pull up Bobby Jindal. Bobby Jindal's name is not Bobby Jindal. Its name is Paiush, but he was like, I'm not going to let y' all call me that, but at least I'm going to give Vivek Ramaswamy credit. He didn't change his name to Bobby, which he could have. Coming up in our next hour, the New York City mayor's race has surprisingly, weirdly enough, unleashed a storm of racism and Islamophobia shocker right in America. And in case your mean ex wife who got all your money, Megyn Kelly, if you thought that she could stay out of it, she's right in the middle of it because that's always where she is when there's racism afoot. So we're going to talk about her, her jumping in the middle of that racist cesspool. Of course she did. With Wajahat Ali, our my favorite Trump triggerer. He is back. We're going to discuss that alongside Representative Andre Carson, who is one of just four Muslim members of the United States House Representatives. So that's going to be coming up actually now because we are here. Welcome to hour two of the Joy Reid Show. If you have not yet hit like and subscribe, now is your chance. What are you waiting on? Please also share this episode Hit that little bell thingy so that you can be notified whenever we go live. We appreciate everybody in the chat. Racism is expensive, says shites. S I s H I T s. Thank you very much for that comment. It's true, it is expensive. Because you know what? You got to do a lot to try to avoid the brown people. You got to figure out where you can shop where there's no brown folks. You got to figure out what to watch tv. You won't see any people of color. It's going to be tough. I want to start off this segment by playing this is D1. Just a reminder, just a level setter on what Project 2025 had in store for us all along. This is D1.
- [61:55]
E
Whole notion of independent agencies.
- [61:57]
B
There's anathema for the standpoint of the Constitution.
- [61:59]
D
We have taken a meat cleaver to DEI.
- [62:11]
B
Project 2025 would dismantle democracy as we know it. What we're doing is systematically preparing to march into office and bring a new army of essentially weaponized conservatives ready to do battle. The whole big part of Project 2025 is actually going into the apparatus, the the post constitutional leviathan and start to take apart the Ministry of State brick by brick. We are in the process of the second American Revolution which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to Be that is from the center for American Progress, reminding us that the goal, the main goal of Project 2025 is to make the United States Senate the House and the United States House of Representatives the executive branch, Article 1 of the Constitution, subordinate to Article 2 of the Constitution, meaning the presidency. They want the presidency to be the chief executive, like a CEO, and govern the country basically as a king, and have the legislature, meaning the House and Senate, be essentially a Duma, like they have in Russia, where they simply do as they're told and where they take direction from the president. And so the power of the purse, which is the key to legislative supremacy, Right. This government that the founders, the vaunted founders put together, was based on legislative supremacy. They meant that, yes, you have one president, but that president is subordinate to the United States Senate and House. They are the people's governance and that they have primacy. And the way that they keep primacy is they have the power of the purse. Whoever controls the money controls the House, controls the country. Right. So that power was given deliberately, not even to the Senate, the 100 members now, two for each state, but the House, which is actually closest to the people, they're the ones. The United States House is supposed to control the money. But right now, the guy in charge of the House is saying, we don't want to do that. We want to let the administration do it. And the United States Senate is effectively saying, we don't want to do it. We're fine with letting the administration do it. That means they're giving away their constitutional power to run the country as the people people see fit. So who's in the United States House and Senate really matters? Right. When you have a right wing Christian nationalist speaker who is a. An idolator who worships Donald Trump and believes him to be God's man on earth, and therefore that's who he takes direction from, the House is cooked. The power of the purse is given away. And then when you have a United States Senate where nobody ever sees John Th, what does he even do? Changing the Senate actually matters. And to do that, you have to start to switch out some of these vulnerable House members. And Susan Collins. Susan Collins is kind of the worst. Let me play a main constituent attempting to question Susan Collins. She's the one who says, I really just want to give Donald Trump a second chance. She whiffs. When it comes to protecting women's rights, she doesn't want to go ahead and vote for things that will allow women to have the rights over their own bodies. She whiffs on the nominee. She says, oh, Trump promised me he'd be good. She therefore, I'm going to go ahead and vote for his nominee, for this nominee, for that. She gives in every time. Let me let you listen to a Mainer. Do we have that? Do we have that? That piece? Okay, let's play it.
- [65:39]
C
Excuse me, Senator Collins, My name is Andrew. I'm a constituent of yours. I was hoping to talk to you about some of my concerns about the aca. Hi there.
- [65:47]
D
Hi there.
- [65:48]
B
How can I help you today?
- [65:49]
C
My name's Andrew. I'm a constituent Senator Collins, and I was hoping to talk to her about the Affordable Care Act. My name is Andrew Volk, and I'm a Mainer as well as a small business owner and a father of two. And I'm here Today in Washington, D.C. to ask Susan Collins why she is failing small business owners and why she refuses to extend the tax credits for the Affordable Care Act. Yeah, I mean, my biggest concern is seeing those tax credits expire. And, you know, I'd love to understand where Senator Collins stands on that if she's. You know, I think that with the uncertainty in the economy, with the uncertainty, with the government shutdown and the tariffs, there's a chance that those tax credits expire and for, in my opinion, not very good reason. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So interesting. They. I haven't seen Senator Collins fighting the administration. I haven't seen her fighting for Mainers, and I. I haven't seen her fighting to bring down the costs that small businesses in Maine experience every day. So my boss has said that she's concerned about the impact. Sure, rightfully so.
- [66:55]
B
She's also concerned about the fact the government has always concerned. Opened up. Yeah.
- [67:00]
C
And she's expressed concern about the rising cost to health care as well.
- [67:05]
G
Sure.
- [67:05]
C
So all those things working together, I mean, I understand the concern. I guess from my position, I don't see the action. Yeah, I just got out of Senator Susan Collins office trying to meet with her and was not able to. Clearly, her aide saw that I was waiting for her and did everything in their power to make sure that she was able to avoid me. Excuse me, Senator Collins?
- [67:27]
B
Ah, he found her.
- [67:28]
C
My name is Andrew. I'm a constituent of yours.
- [67:30]
B
Can you talk to Andrew, please?
- [67:32]
C
How are you?
- [67:33]
B
Great, how are you? I'm concerned.
- [67:34]
C
I was hoping to talk to you about some of my concerns about the aca. I'm a small business owner and a father of two. Okay. Do you have just a moment to chat?
- [67:44]
B
Thank you.
- [67:45]
G
I'm sorry.
- [67:45]
F
We gotta go vote.
- [67:46]
C
Have a great day, Senator.
- [67:47]
B
Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Okay, we can leave.
- [67:48]
C
I'm so sorry that I'm just trying to reach you today.
- [67:50]
B
Yeah.
- [67:52]
C
She wouldn't make time to meet with a constituent like myself, but instead was getting lunch with President Trump and cozying up to the administration. She doesn't hold town halls, she doesn't make time for her constituents, and she doesn't seem to be taking any action to assist Mainers, small business owners and those on the Affordable Care Act.
- [68:10]
B
She exists.
- [68:11]
C
I've never seen her in 20 years.
- [68:13]
B
Okay, well, there you have it. That's she is the worst. But she's got some potential challengers. One of them is the current governor, Janet Mills. Here is a brief interview that she did with the one decent member of the Fox News crew on her podcast. Why do you feel that she's particularly vulnerable this time? And why are you perfectly suited to run against her? Everyone we've run against her in the past against Susan Collins has been untested, truly. And I've run and won two statewide races and won by increasing margins. I beat a former governor, Paula Page, who said he was Trump before Trump. I beat him by 13 points. I beat him in his hometown by a couple thousand votes. I beat him in the town where he was May he had been mayor by a couple thousand votes. I can take this fight to her because I'm experienced. I've delivered for many people. I've won two statewide elections, and I've actually stood up to Donald Trump. I'm the only one in this primary who's actually stood up to Donald Trump to his face. Okay, that is just Janet Mills, and that was Jessica Tarloff's podcast. Now let's listen to another one of the contestants on the Democratic side, Graham Platner.
- [69:28]
I
Susan Collins hasn't held a town hall meeting since Bill Clinton was president, which is now why she's getting surprise town halls. If anybody's seen the video, we're not going to do that. We're going to hold town halls. We're going to hold town halls in the campaign. We're going to continue to hold town halls all the way through. I don't believe that you can represent working people by only interacting with constituents when they have to go to fancy fundraising dinners in Portland. Seems to me that people up in Madawaska or East Machias or Millinocket, they're not going to be able to go to those things.
- [70:00]
B
Okay, we can leave that.
- [70:01]
I
So if you want to talk to working people and find out what they.
- [70:06]
B
He'S getting. He gets a little bit long there. We're going to leave it there because there is one little issue with Graham Platner, although he is really quite ahead in the polls, that he might have a wee problem with some former tats that might have been a little bit Nazi adjacent. Let's listen to his explanation that. That's D5 here.
- [70:24]
I
I want to talk to you about something. In 2007, when I was a young infantry sergeant in the Marine Corps, myself and some machine gunners I served in Fallujah, Ramadi with were on our third deployment. We were in a naval vessel and we pulled in for a liberty port in Split, Croatia. We went ashore to do the thing that young Marines do, which tends to be carousing and sometimes getting tattoos. We wanted to get something that represented our jobs, our service, fighting in Fallujah and Ramadi as machine gunners. We went ashore, we found a tattoo parlor after a fair amount of heavy carousing, and we found a tattoo on the wall, a piece of flash that looked like a terrifying skull and crossbones. We thought it looked cool and so we got it. I have had this tattoo for the last 18 years. I reenlisted into the United States army with this tattoo where I was screened for hate and gang related tattoos. I worked for the State Department as a contractor, where I got a full physical, which included screening my tattoos. I've gone through life with this thing, taking my shirt off, having photographs taken, videos taken. I've been very, very open in my life with the fact I had a skull and cross reveal was coming my chest, because that's what I thought it was. It's come to my attention that it has a stark resemblance to a symbol that is used by neo Nazis. And I want to say that was not the intent at all. And the idea that I've been going around with something like that utterly horrifies me. I know that symbols like this can be incredibly damaging to people. And the idea that I've had it all these years and it could have been read like that is incredibly troubling. I have lived a life dedicated to anti fascism, anti racism and anti Nazism. I think that racism and anti Semitism are a long scourge on our society and a long scourge on our politics. And I think it has no place in our world. For that reason, I have gone and gotten it covered up. Last night I went to a tattoo parlor and I got this to cover up the skull and crossbones. It's a Celtic knot with some imagery around dogs. Because my wife Amy and I have two wonderful dogs that we love a lot. This far more represents who I am now than even the skull and crossbones did.
- [72:46]
B
Okay, we'll leave it there. That is Graham Platner's explanation of the tat, and he's covered it up. He did a reveal. Sorry, I should have warned y' all there was going to be some slight nudity. But there is a third candidate in this race who may beg to differ with some of that. And here's an ad from candidate number three, Jordan Wood. This is D6.
- [73:04]
A
Believe this is. I truly believe this is a make or break moment. We've got a wannabe dictator in the White House stomping on our rights, shredding alliances and handing Elon Musk a chainsaw. And Susan Collins. She says she's worried that she's concerned. Maine needs more than concern. We need fighters who work for us, not the billionaires and elites. For decades, Washington's worked great for the rich and the well connected. Now Republicans are ignoring the Constitution and selling us out, and too many Democratic leaders are just rolling over. We can't wait on Washington to save us. We need to stand up to bullies like we always have in Maine. I was born and raised in Lewiston. My dad was a pastor, my mom a teacher. Now I'm raising my family right here in Maine. I spent the last decade taking on the powerful, fighting to get corporate money out of our politics, holding CEOs accountable as Katie Porter's chief of staff and defeating election deniers. I'm running for U.S. senate to take our country back from the rich and the well connected, the extremists and the cowards who let it happen. I won't take any money from corporate PACs or lobbyists, and I never will. I'll hold town halls in every county across our state in the coming months because I won't be bought and paid for. I'll only be accountable to you. It's time for courage, not concern. I'm Jordan Wood and I hope you'll join me.
- [74:31]
B
And joining me now is Jordan Wood, who is running for the United States Senate in the great state of Maine in the Democratic primary. Jordan, thanks for being here.
- [74:40]
A
Thanks for having me. Joy.
- [74:42]
B
I want to start because Graham Platner is getting a lot of ink, obviously due to the tattoo situation. What do you make of his explanation for the tattoo and covering it up with a. A dog tattoo?
- [74:54]
A
Yeah, Well, I. You know, the disclosure about the Tattoo that he made, I guess it's last Monday, came after a number of Reddit posts that were coming out by the day that he's made over the past 10 years. And a lot of those are very disturbing. So I would say I put a lot of thought into trying to understand how to interpret this event. And, you know, I, I have a hard time with the explanation that, that we need to just forgive and move on. I believe very much in forgiveness and grace and that we need more second chances in our politics and that it would make it a better, better for everybody. But it's become very clear that he's known for a very long time what this tattoo is and kept it for 18 years. And I, if you look up what a Nazi SS Totenkopf is, it's not a symbol that could be confused as Nazi. It's a very specific emblem that the SS wore who were in charge of running the death camps. I'm married to a Jewish man. We are gay. We are two of the many marginalized groups that were exterminated at these camps. And so it is not just offensive, it's very threatening for families like ours. And I have a hard time reconciling, just as a voter in Maine, that I could ever consider a candidate like that.
- [76:14]
B
Let's talk about the other candidate in the race, and I'll take your explanation again, he would have to defend himself on that and the Reddit post. We're going to let people Google that. I'm not sure I want to read a lot of those on this show, but Janet Mills is the other candidate who is actually polling out for front. She's pulling way ahead. I think there was a, it was a closer race before you started to hear more about these tattoos, etc. Janet Mills is 77 years old. She's a very popular governor of Maine that's five years older than Susan Collins, who's 72 and retiring. Do you. I mean, she seems like a decent, a good person, a good human being, but what do you make of the fact that the leading candidate right now in this primary and, and we love our seniors, we love a seasoned citizen. But what do you make of the fact that she's the leading candidate?
- [77:00]
A
You know, disappointing that she got into this race. I mean, our Governor Mills has served our state tirelessly. She was my district attorney, actually, when I was born in Androscoggin county, first woman elected district attorney, I think all of New England. But I really think that voters, and this is what I've heard the six months We've been on this campaign at town halls and events across the state is, is that voters of every age are really looking for the next generation of leaders to step up in this moment of crisis. And I think, as a young person, I'm 36, I think I can speak for a lot of us under 40. That I understand why young people have lost faith in democracy, is that it hasn't solved problems, it hasn't delivered for us. And it is so important, I think, that we have more representation in the U.S. senate, more young people that have lived through the crises of climate change and gun safety, that, that, that know what it means to get universal health care, because we've lived our entire lives with a broken health care system. But so many of these issues, I think it matters having candidates that are elected to the Senate who, who have lived those, have experienced those, and are going to make them priorities.
- [78:07]
B
What do you make? I mean, there are. There. I've had people even email me about Graham Platner and say, we need to look away from. We need to look, we need to put it aside because we got to beat Susan Collins. Like, I think there, there comes a point where a lot of Democrats just become so desperate to win that they're willing to really go with anything that they think will work right? And so I've heard people argue for Janet Mills on that basis. She's already been elected statewide. She's a known quantity. Everyone knows who she is. She could beat Susan Collins. Graham Platner, they're saying he's got the right programs, he's got the right policies. He's aggressive. You know, he's a man. You know, you need a man. A lot of people are worried that women are difficult to elect. I've heard all of those arguments. What do you say to those pragmatic arguments, really, for either of those two?
- [78:49]
A
Yeah, I think what voters are looking for is pretty simple. They're looking for a leader that they can trust that tells them the truth, and that is going to understand their job in the US Senate as just to serve and represent them to the best of their ability. And I think they are let down by politicians like Susan Collins who have given us words of concern and an alarm, but not the leadership that we need in this moment. And the theme of our campaign has always been Maine needs courage, not just concern. And I believe that, truly. And I think that's the type of leadership that voters are looking for. And I hear less about, we want someone of a certain age or a certain demographic or a Certain background. What they're really looking for is someone they can trust.
- [79:28]
B
Let me go through some of her electoral history. I was looking that up really quickly in 2000, in 1996, I should say. This is how long she's been around. She won 4943 over the Democrat John Brennan, going to the Senate election in May. In 2008, she won 58, 41. She wins by fairly comfortable margins. And I think because she's viewed as a moderate, it started to get closer in 20. In 2014, it was a lot closer. She got 59% of the vote. In the primary she got. But in the general she got like 68%. She wins because people view her as sort of reasonable. And if people want there to be a Republican, her last election it was 50 to 42. So she, you know, she doesn't win overwhelmingly, but she wins comfortably. What does it take to beat somebody who, despite the fact that she is a disappointment to a lot of people, she's let women down, she's thrown women under the bus on our votes, but she still seems sane. And there are people who just want there to be sane Republicans. How do you beat someone like that?
- [80:30]
A
Yeah, it's a great question. And I think that I graduated college in 2012, and when I graduated college, about a third of America had senators from two different parties. And so there was a real, if you had a group of moderate centrist senators, they ranged from all parts of the country. And there was a lot of collaboration. I mean, I think a lot of voters didn't even know what a filibuster was in the early 2000s because a lot of legislation was passed in a bipartisan way. But now there are three states with senators from different parties. Maine is one of them. And what we need from our senator is not someone who is going to appease and give in to party bosses or Donald Trump, but that is going to stand up and fight for a state. And it was very clear at the start of Trump's second administration that Susan Collins was not going to change and not going to step up into that leadership role. And I'll just give you one example. I have a nine month old baby. And after the election in March, I was with my neighbors, we went to Susan Collins office in Augusta to meet with them and share our concerns as voters about nominees that she had voted for, like RFK Jr page tambondi. I mean, RFK Jr I think that Susan Collins does know is someone who is a threat to the safety of our families. He doesn't believe in vaccines. He has spread conspiracy theories and questioned sound science. But she still voted to confirm him. And I think that's what a coward looks like. Someone who knows what the right thing to do is, knows what their state needs, but is too afraid to do it. And that is what Susan Collins has represented. And I think in this moment has continued to be there. Now, Pam Bondi, too, I mean, we're talking about somebody who helped orchestrate the legal framework around January 6th. I was at the Capitol on January 6th as Chief of staff. I've seen firsthand what this anti Democratic far right movement under Trump is willing to do. And it doesn't need people like Pam Bondi as attorney general.
- [82:23]
B
Let me ask you the same question I asked Representative Raja Krishnamurthy, who is running for the United States Senate in Illinois. What grade would you give the current Democratic leadership in the Senate?
- [82:32]
A
A C minus.
- [82:34]
B
Why?
- [82:36]
A
I think that it is leadership in the US Senate right now, I think is just not meeting the moment. And I think about this recent shutdown that we are in right now and the failure to apply those tactics earlier in the year when Senate Democrats had that opportunity. And I see the leadership continually at their heels reacting to this anti Democratic and lawless unconstitutional behavior and they're always seem to be surprised by it. And I think I speak for a lot of young people. Joy, I know you've been talking about this for a long time. We should not be surprised about the terrible things that Donald Trump in this far right Republican Party is willing to do. And we need leaders that are not, that are thinking proactively is how do we use our positions of power to hold this president accountable, not just responding to it.
- [83:24]
B
I didn't ask Roger Krishnamurti. I'm have to text him and ask him this question. Do you take money from AIPAC or from other political action committees?
- [83:32]
A
No, I don't take money from corporate PACs. I don't take money from AIPAC. I don't take money from federal lobbyists either. And I, I have been asked about these, these, these particular money types of money that contribute to campaigns by voters. And, and I want to make sure that voters trust me that, that votes I take that concern aid to Israel votes that concern regulation of corporations and banks. And so many of the issues that we're working that they know it's, it's not because of any contribution I received or didn't receive. And that I think the only way we can get that trust from voters is by just refusing that money.
- [84:04]
B
I'm going to ask my producers if they could reach out to Raja Krishnamurthy, because I meant to ask him that question, too, whether or not he's taking any money from AIPAC in his race. My exit question to you is, and this is the question I did ask Representative Krishnamurthy, if you're, let's say you're elected to the United States Senate and the vote comes up for leader, do you vote for Schumer?
- [84:22]
A
I really hope we have a better option and that another Democratic senator steps forward, forward to assume that leadership. I think we have some. I have yet to hear a single voter who has wanted me to vote for Chuck Schumer as the next leader. And voters are very angry about the idea of Chuck Schumer meddling in our primary and trying to pick a candidate. And I think it's exactly the politics that voters are fed up with and they're fed up with it from the Democratic establishment and they want change.
- [84:51]
B
Thank you very much for being here. Jordan Wood. I'm browsing at the chat to see if I've missed anything that maybe folks want to know out there. Please give your website if people want to support you.
- [85:00]
A
Alex jordan.com Again, we're running a grassroots funding campaign. All the help you can get. And for folks in Maine, please join us at a town hall. We're having them in all 16 counties. And thank you for having me. Joy. We just really appreciate all the work that you do in this show.
- [85:13]
B
Wishing you luck and your baby is adorable. Tell your hubby thank you for letting us see him in those ads. He is super cute. Thank you so much for being here. Okay. Thank you so much. Jordan Wood, everybody. Running in this great state of Maine, we love a candidate with a cute baby. They can bring the cute baby around. It's very charming. Folks in the chat saying that he is charming. I agree with that. And there are options. I do this because I want you all to know that there are options. People start to get down on democracy because they think they actually don't have any choices. But you actually do have lots and lots and lots of choices. But you got to make them in the process primary because when it gets to the general, it's kind of too late. All right, let's move on. Let me go back to the main issue that is facing us on tonight in this entire week, and that is the hunger crisis in America. This is E1. This is heartbreaking, but I want you all to see it. Finally got confirmation that food stamps is officially cut for next month. About Two months ago, I stopped eating dinner almost every night of the week so that my boyfriend and I could have enough food left over to have lunch the next day. This was before we were about to lose our food stamps, mind you. We both work. I don't think that we really realize the depths that this is, the damage that this is going to do. But the women, the mothers and the families, but the mothers especially going to go without meals so their children don't have to. I know that I will absolutely be one of those mothers. But because we have children and because aftercare and before care is too expensive, I've taken a job that's basically minimum wage so that I can be there to pick up my kids. I cannot fathom what we're gonna do without that food stamp money. Because if I already couldn't eat dinner with that food stamp money, I'm so tired of seeing people say like, oh well, maybe if you had a job you could get your groceries or you know, I'm saying you would have to depend on Sam. I work full time. Thank you. And I do rely on stamps because guess what? It's not enough money in this economy for me to be able to pay bills and get stuff that we need and provide for my two kids. So yes, I depend on stamps and I have a full time job. So please know that people out here depending on stamps is not because we out here just mooching off the government. It's because we literally need that to provide for our family. I work hard every single day. I get up every single day and clean houses. And I still rely on food stamps to feed my six children because the prices are so high. It's unrealistic to think about not having food stamps next month. I'm so terrified cuz six babies are always eating. Plus myself, I eat about one meal a day. But still foreign. And that you can find at the Love It Gang or we all here on Tick Tock. I actually saw that on D.L. hughley's timeline. Had to share that with y'.
- [88:39]
H
All.
- [88:39]
B
It's heartbreaking. That is the most important issue of the day. Oh, no, wait. Oh, I'm sorry. That isn't the most important issue today. I forgot. No, the most important issue of the day is that there might be a Muslim as the next mayor of New York City. I forgot. That's the most important issue of the day. It is that Mamdani might actually win. Right? Zorhan Mamdani. That's what we should be focused on. Not people going hungry or standing in food lines. It's Mamdani. Let's play his ad. I'm sure he's terrifying. This is E2. Prepare to be terrified from a crisis. And it's called halal inflation.
- [89:15]
H
Today we're gonna get to the bottom of this.
- [89:19]
B
How much does a plate of halal cost right now from this truck? $10.
- [89:22]
H
$10.
- [89:23]
I
Chicken over rice, lamb over rice. $10.
- [89:25]
B
$10. Yeah. When you're a street vendor, you have to pay for the food, the plates. How much do you have to pay for your permit?
- [89:34]
A
Before it was 22k.
- [89:36]
B
20.
- [89:37]
H
17,000.
- [89:38]
B
How much is a license cost if you get it from the city? I think 400. Who are you paying? The permit owner. You're not paying the city? No, no, no. You pay the permit owner $22,000 just so you can sell this food?
- [89:50]
A
Yes.
- [89:50]
B
And who is this random guy? Have you ever applied for a permit?
- [89:54]
H
Yeah, I'm applied.
- [89:56]
B
And no come anything.
- [89:58]
A
It's long.
- [89:58]
B
Wait.
- [89:59]
A
I'm number 3800 something.
- [90:02]
B
After two years, you're number 3800?
- [90:05]
C
Yes.
- [90:06]
B
These are the four bills that are sitting in the city council right now, which would give these vendors their own permits and make your Halal more affordable. But Eric Adams hasn't said a single word about them. If you own the permit, then how much would you charge for the plate? $7.
- [90:21]
E
$8.
- [90:22]
B
Would you rather pay $10 for a plate of halal or $8?
- [90:25]
G
$8.
- [90:26]
A
$8.
- [90:27]
B
I think $8 is the way to go. If I was the mayor, I'd be working with city council council from day one to make halal. Eight bucks again. Tastes like 10 bucks, but it should be eight. I'm sorry, but his ads are dope. He doesn't seem scary to me. He's gonna make the price of Halal less. Are you gonna get a little cheaper meal? But this is the way that he's being portrayed by one Andrew Cuomo. This is the AI generated ad. The Cuomo. This is one of them. This is actually one of even the least horrible. But this is E3. This is one of the ads Andrew Cuomo side is running against him. Zoran Mamdani's opponents want you to believe he's an inexperienced radical whose policies will make New York City more dangerous. But what do his actual supporters think? Mom, Donnie isn't crazy. He's just trying to even the playing field, you know, give everyone a fair shot.
- [91:14]
G
Sure.
- [91:14]
H
He said multiple times.
- [91:17]
B
That was just a metaphor. Yes, he did say crime is a social construct, but that was Also a metaphor. Okay, so white women backer.
- [91:24]
G
The democratic socialists ideas are common sense.
- [91:28]
E
Such as decriminalizing misdemeanors like shoplifting.
- [91:32]
B
How many stereotypes can you get in.
- [91:36]
G
Trespassing, prostitution.
- [91:42]
B
And drunk driving with plans to decriminalize all drugs, Donnie will be.
- [91:48]
I
A job creator for drug dealers.
- [91:51]
B
Instead of helping us homeless get off the streets and into the mental health facilities we need, he wants to give us safe injection sites to do crack.
- [91:59]
G
And let us sleep in subway carts.
- [92:01]
B
Wow.
- [92:02]
A
These are actual policies Mom, Donnie and.
- [92:04]
B
The DSA want to implement. On day one, when a woman's being domestically abused, she probably won't have with some pesky cop to arrest the abuser, but now a social worker to help.
- [92:12]
G
You know, kumbaya the situation.
- [92:15]
B
Huh? Breathe in, breathe out. Mom, Donnie is finally lowering jail sentences.
- [92:23]
H
Guilty.
- [92:26]
B
But, mom, Donnie says you're free to go. Okay, that's enough. You're not to keep playing it. You get the idea. They're like, we'll just make AI. Did they do, like, chat GPT. Give me stereotypes of black people, Italians and white liberal women, literally. And if that is not racist enough, enter Megan Kelly, of course, who responded to our friend Mehdi Hassan pointing out the racist Charlie Kirk. Take the late Charlie Kirk's take on Mamdani's candidacy with a little, your mean ex wife who got all your stuff, racism of her own. So I first want to show you. This is E4. This is the Mamdani. This is the tweet that began the whole little cavalcade. All right, so we're gonna read that tweet when we can get that up. And this was somebody named D.C. drano, who's one of those blue. I guess they paid for a blue check on Twitter. And he says, before Charlie Kirk was killed, he started to speak loudly about the importation of radical Islamic values into America. He saw what was coming with Zoran. If we're gonna continue Charlie's mission, we have to fight like hell against Zoron's agenda. Which Mehdi Hasan responded saying, it's a reminder of what a racist bigot Charlie Kirk was and how much hate he incited against minorities. Well, Megan couldn't leave it there. This is E5. Now Megan jumps in, and then she, quote, tweets Mehdi Hassan. And this is E5, where she says, it's a still. Islamophobia is a fake term made up to silence us. This is E5. It's a still. Islamophobia is a fake term made up to silence us. We're allowed to not want Islam taking over American cities. Don't be shamed out of that totally sensible position. So given the fact that she basically said Islamophobia isn't real, racism isn't real, I thought I would just remind you guys a little bit about Megyn Kelly. This is E6. This is a video. And this is just a little reminder of who Megyn Kelly is. Your mean ex wife who got all your money is who I call her. And the angriest rich woman in the world. $67 million.
- [94:27]
I
That comment that Megan Kelly made on her show yesterday, she's apologizing for it now. NBC's Morgan Radford joins us with that story. Morgan, good morning.
- [94:35]
B
Good morning. So Megyn Kelly issued that apology in an email to colleagues. She says she now realizes she's wrong for her comments about blackface, which really ignited a serious conversation about race and the history of blackface in our American culture. This morning, Megyn Kelly is apologizing for her controversial comments. This year, the costume police are cracking down like never before before. It started as a discussion about a proposed ban of offensive Halloween costumes on Megyn Kelly Today. Isn't the whole purpose of Halloween to dress up and pretend you are something other than yourself? But it evolved into a conversation about race in America. But what is racist because. Because truly you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on black face on Halloween or a black person who puts on white face for Halloween. Like back when I was a kid, that was okay as long as you were dressing up as like a character. Kelly also defending a reality TV star who apologized for darkening her skin as part of a Diana Ross costume. And people said that that was racist. And I don't know, I felt like, who doesn't love Diana Ross? She wants to look like Diana Ross for one day. I don't know how like that got racist on Halloween. On Twitter, the backlash to Kelly's remarks was biting. Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi tweeting, I cannot believe the ignorance on this. In 2018, you are on national television. You have a responsibility to educate yourself. Not like 1918 Megyn Kelly. This is so damaging. Yeah, Megan says that's fine. No, stupid. You mean a civil service examination. People prominent form of entertainment blackface targeted the worst stereotypes mocking African Americans.
- [96:24]
E
When we had white darkening their features, exaggerating their lips and noses, it literally.
- [96:34]
B
Reduced the humanity of the black body. In an email to staff released by NBC, Kelly writes in part, I realize now that such behavior is indeed wrong and. And I am sorry. The history of blackface in our culture is abhorrent. The wounds too deep, Too deep. I've never been a PC kind of person. Not ever. I understand that we do need to be more sensitive in this day and age. Jesus was a white man, too. Kelly has previously come under fire for comments she made about race while an anchor at Fox News. For all you kids watching at home, Santa just is white still. In her email, Kelly says this is a time for more understanding and love. All right, so most of the online criticism addressed the fact that there were no people of color representative. You know, she has a little bit of history. I just want to remind y', all, I got fired, apparently, for talking too much about Gaza and talking too mean about Trump. She got fired for saying blackface was okay. I just want to remind y' all that we do have a little E7. If y' all wanted to get the lady who was in the background when she was saying the whole thing, who kind of was speaking for all of us, literally, they. Well, they paid her out. She got ushered out of MSNBC with a giant, enormous payout. You see the lady in the back? She was all of us. Joining me now is my friend Wajahat Ali, proprietor of the Left Hook on Substack alongside Representative Andre Carson of Indiana, one of only four Muslim members of Congress whose seat is now in jeopardy due to still more Trump ordered redistricting. And because you are my partner in triggering the trolls, I just wanna let you have an opportunity, Waj, to comment, if you will, on that lady Megyn Kelly. Mrs. Santa is white. Islamophobia doesn't exist. That lady. I mean, Mrs. Santa is white, I should say. And blackface is okay saying Islamophobia isn't real.
- [98:21]
E
Megyn Kelly is the alpha. Karen. She's the final boss of Karen's. She's proof that white trash and mediocrity can fail up. If you have white skin and blonde hair and racism and are willing to. To coddle and infantilize Donald Trump, the same man humiliated you and mocked you and said blood was coming out of your holes. That Megyn Kelly, who lives in this delusional fantasy of white supremacy where Santa has to be white, he's a fictional character, Jesus has to be white, and Islamophobia doesn't exist, even as she's literally practicing Islamophobia. And that Megan Kelly, because you said it, I just want to remind people who literally failed up in life. She was paid $69 million by NBC to replace a successful show by Tamron hall and Al Roker, two black hosts. Their show got replaced. She could even last one year. She got $69 million guaranteed. Melissa Harris Perry. She's gone. Joanne Reed. She's gone. Tamarind Hall. She's gone. Tiffany cross. She's gone. NBCU found this woman. $69 million. Joy, if I had $69 million, you would never hear from me again. I would be so happy. This insufferable woman decides to take the $60 million and become even more cruel and even more MAGA. So that's what I think about Megyn Kelly and when they are saying there's no Islamophobia. In the past week, folks running up to this election in which we will inshallah have the first Muslim mayor of New York City, Zoran Mamdani, they have gone all out to with the type of Islamophobia the me and Representative Carson probably haven't seen in 20 years. I mean it's been there. But I want to remind people, no matter how bad George W. Bush was, and he was terrible, I think he should be arrested for war crimes. After the 911 terror attacks, even George W. Bush came out and said Islam is not the enemy. Muslim Americans, you're our neighbors. Now compare it to what they're saying. There's a dark joke that I have is that if George W. Bush ran as a Republican in 2025 and MAGA would reject him for being a Muslim lover. This is so obscene. In the past week, you know, I've gotten it. Mehdi's gotten it. They are openly saying Matt Walsh, that neckbeard of Snowflake White who works for Ben Shapiro said I'm not an authentic American, right? They're having airplanes with Mamdani crashing into 9 11. They're calling him a terrorist. They have openly laughed. What would happen if there was a Mamdani who was in charge during 911 Washington Post published this absurd racist op ed saying look what Sadi Khan did to London. Do you want that to happen with New York? I'm like, what's the only connection between Sadiq Khan and Mamdani, brown skinned and Muslim? And by the way, it was these dumbass white conservatives who did Brexit and effed up the uk. So that's where I'm at. And also I want to just drag liberals for a second if I may, Joy, at least I'll get it off my chest. Bill Maher, racist piece of For 20 years we have said this liberal white man that so many liberal whites loved he was racist against Arabs, Muslims. He promoted Islamophobia. And we were told, it's okay, he's one of us. And we said, it's not okay. You got to call this out. The only person who called him out to his face was Ben Affleck. Batman, right. Everyone else went along with it on a show. They Then you see Chuck Schumer and these other New York Democrats who kept quiet as these people were insanely Islamophobic against Ilhan Omer. And then, folks, it's almost Halloween. Zoran Mamdani is up by 10 points. Yesterday, Chuck Schumer was asked, do you endorse Zoran Mamdani? And he ran away. So I don't want to hold. It's not just the Republicans, it's also the establishment Democrats that have normalized this type of Islamophobia. Last thing I'll say, we're Zoran Mandani. Folks just intellectually realize what's happening. Brown skin, immigrant, Muslim. And that's enough for these people to openly and casually, people like Elise Stefanik, people like Charlie Kirk, people like Matt Walsh, to say that he's a terrorist. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
- [102:23]
B
Indeed. We love the TED Talk. Let me bring in Representative Carson because there are only four Muslim members of the United States Congress and you're one of them. And the only reason I assume that Randy Fine and Andy Ogles don't want to deport you is that you are a United States citizen, not naturalized, because they're saying they want to deport Ilhan Omar and they want to deport Mamdani. And they are being very serious about it. They are trying to get legislation together so that they can try to denaturalize and deport this man simply because, as Wandahad said, he's a brown Muslim and they're terrified that he will be the mayor of New York City. What do you make of that?
- [103:00]
G
Well, thank you for having me, Joy, and thank you for speaking truth to power. I think it speaks to Brother Wajahat's point. This is all about Islamophobic tropes. It's about other rising Muslims. Muslims have been a part of this country since the inception of this country, going back to the 16th century, 17th century, before that, arguably. And we saw a reemergence of the Muslim presence, particularly the African American Muslim presence in the early part of the 20th century, the 1920s. We had scholars who started what would arguably be called the Afrocentric movement and who, Marcus Garvey was a part of that. And Then we saw the Morris Science Temple with Noble Ju Ali. We saw the Nation of Islam with Elijah Muhammad, W.D. farag and others. And so the Muslim tradition is a part of the fabric of our society. We've had Muslim judges go to any major hospital, you'll find a Muslim doctor, go to major courthouses, you'll find Muslim barristers, attorneys, judges. We now have more politicians. And so this is re emerging of fear. This is all about the mythos of making America great again. Taking us back to some mythical America that never existed. And so what Mamdani, brother Mamdani represents is a turning point in a new America that they can't accept.
- [104:28]
B
Yeah. And by the way, one third approximately of African Americans are Muslim and many more. Right. And many more were Muslim on the way here. I mean, my own mother's grandmother was taken as an enslaved, as a slave as a seven year old child. And she and her mother were Muslim until they got to Guyana and somehow got converted to Christianity, which was a thing that was done by enslavers. So a lot of people even were Muslim before our families were Christian. But I. Right. So I want to talk about the fact that it does appear that some Democrats. I want to stay with you for just a moment, Representative Card. I don't think they know those numbers. And so do they understand your Democratic colleagues, how much they are alienating a lot of African Americans who, if we're not Muslim ourselves, have family members who are friends, who are. When they start going at Mamdani like that, thinking that he's. That Muslims are all brown, all look like Wajahat Ali, that they're hitting us too. Do they see that?
- [105:21]
G
Unfortunately, don't. I mean, they don't. There's a great deal and an undercurrent of Islamophobia even within the Democratic Party. Things that I've had to confront, things that Keith Ellison's had to confront. Sister Ilhan, Sister Latifah, obviously Sister Rashida. And so I think it comes out in unfortunate ways. There have been black folks in the Democratic Party who have shown Islamophobic inclinations and outright bigotry, quite frankly. And sometimes you get it worse from your own people. I don't have to tell you that, Joy. But I think what, what, what is happening now is that we're seeing the people are resisting. Listen, they can make all the jokes and overlook all that they want, but they too have relatives who are Muslim. They too may have a family physician who happens to be Muslim. I think Republicans get it more than Democrats. But it's a new America and it's.
- [106:10]
B
A new day Wads. Let's talk about this sort of cavalcade of billionaires and billionaire adjacent people that are lining up against momtime. There's like a frenzy of terror that he's going to win and he's likely going to win. You've had Bill Ackman, of course, jump into the race. The guy who chased the black woman who was president of Harvard out of her job, calling her plagiarist when his own wife was accused of plagiarism. You're having major figures. Donnie Deutch is always on Morning Joe. He's like square speaking from the morning. Joel set against Mamdani, saying he wants him to come on his show, but maybe potentially also donating, where we have to clarify that whether he's donating on the other side, like there is a frenzy. You've got the former, the current sitting mayor saying that he would turn the United States. He's one of the people claiming that he'll turn the United States into London. London's a dope city. I mean, actually it would be great if we had more cities like London. I actually love London. So I'm not sure what he means, how that's an insult. But, you know, Larry Elder is one of the people who tweeted out that vile image of a plane going into the World Trade Center. It goes on and on. But it's a lot of also major billionaires, major billionaire donors. Some of them donate to Democrats.
- [107:18]
C
It's.
- [107:19]
E
There's three reasons, let's be blunt, why the entirety of the establishment, by the establishment I'm talking about power, is trying to crush Mamdani. The first reason is his message. Why has he united so many people? His message of affordability. He says it's the people versus the broligarchy, the people versus the 1%. Let's make new York City affordable. This is extremely threatening to the billionaires who like Daniel Day Lewis from There Will Be Blood, want to drink a bowl of her milkshake. I just want an excuse to do that impression. And they are so upset.
- [107:48]
B
Your milkshake. I drink your milkshake.
- [107:51]
E
I put my straw in your milkshake and I drink it up. And Mamdani says, that's our milkshake. Why don't we have free buses? Let's have halal food that's affordable. That is so threatening. And that's the number one reason. Number two, let's be blunt. He is for Palestine. He's for Palestinian People. And he's for Palestinian freedom and he's also for the safety and security of Jews. He does not suck up to Bibi. He does not suck up to apec. Deeply threatening. And number three, he's a brown skinned Muslim man who's speaking truth to power and might become the mayor of New York. These are three major threats. And this is also what's happening, Joy. The billionaires are pissed off because you are supposed to worship us. We are your masters. We told you not to support Mamdani. We have thrown hundreds of millions of dollars to attack this man. And you dare, you peasants, dare ignore us. Which is causing them to freak out. Oh my God. The peasants are revolting. We thought we had control. Larry Ellison now has Tick tock his Nepo baby now has Paramount and cbs. We've given them Bill Clinton came out for Cuomo and Larry Summers came out for Cuomo and New York Times came out for Cuomo and we'll even get Clyburn for Cuomo. And all of you blacks and you browns changed.
- [109:03]
B
Let me, let me update you. Clyburn has switched. He's. Thank you.
- [109:06]
E
Thank you so much. Initially, you blacks and you browns and you Latinos and you dumb whites. You're not listening to us.
- [109:11]
B
Why?
- [109:11]
E
And now you're seeing a billionaire temper tantrum. Because you and I have been lucky enough. Well, I don't know about lucky. To at least be in these circles with these super rich people. They would rather burn the world down than feel a moment of discomfort, which is why they hate wokeness as well. So they have gone all in joy to destroy Mamdani and he keeps succeeding. And to them this is a natural freakout that has come from their failure to eliminate aoc. So now they see Mamdani as a virus that is spreading. And now if you have this Muslim immigrant who has a beard and is against the broliarchy taking over New York City, which is the seat of Wall street, what's next? Sharia?
- [109:48]
B
Yeah, first of all, he's so terrifying. You know, he's the son of Mira Nair who like made Mississippi Masala with Denzel. Okay, great movie. It's a great. And he used to be a rapper and like do fun rap. I don't think he's dangerous. I want to talk about you said something wads that I want to dig a little bit deeper into because there is. It isn't just the right that is very beholden to Bibi Netanyahu's right wing Israel. It also is Democrats. Absolutely. There's a group that I want to talk to you about. I'm going to start with you, Representative Carson, because we all love Cory Booker. Cory Booker is one of the nicest people in the world. He's a lovely human being.
- [110:25]
G
Good shit.
- [110:25]
B
And in every other way, I think he's a good brother and a good politician. Tripped up really bad on an interview that he did with the ladies of I've had it when Jennifer Welch asked him whether or not Bibi Neptune Yahoo. Is a war criminal. And he stumbled on that question. Well, Brave New Films, which is Robert Greenwald's organization, they have an ad that they are putting forward to preempt the idea that Senator Booker might run for president. I want to play a bit of that ad. We're not going to play the whole thing, but I want to play a little that ad and get your comments on the other side. Representative Carson, 25 hours on the Senate floor. Cory Booker never once mentioned the tens of thousands killed in Gaza, but or the billions in US dollars fueling Israel's war machine. When the rights of some are violated.
- [111:09]
C
They are a threat to the rights.
- [111:11]
G
Of all of us.
- [111:11]
B
The US has provided over $20 billion in weapons for Israel's war in Gaza.
- [111:16]
C
All paid for by American taxpayers.
- [111:18]
B
When you sacrifice your core principles for your safety, you will achieve neither.
- [111:23]
C
More than 92% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed, yet Senator Booker has.
- [111:28]
B
Voted to continue saying sending billions in.
- [111:30]
C
Weapons that made this possible.
- [111:32]
B
Are we going to defend democracy and.
- [111:34]
C
Democratic principles or will you behave like.
- [111:37]
E
The authoritarians that we should be Against?
- [111:39]
C
More than 60,000 civilians have been killed in Gaza.
- [111:43]
B
The government can't walk up to a human being and grab them off the street and just say oopsie. But Senator Booker voted to keep sending billions in US military military aid to Israel. Cannot deny fundamental rights to another and not endanger them for yourself.
- [112:03]
C
While more than 94% of Gaza's hospitals have been destroyed, Booker has taken nearly $900,000 from pro Israel donors tied to APAC, Washington's top lobby for US military aid to Israel. But I, I will fight for people's rights.
- [112:19]
B
Call Senator Booker and tell him to vote yes to block the sale of.
- [112:23]
C
US arms to Israel.
- [112:28]
B
So that is the ad. We got a preview of that ad a couple of weeks ago. We did reach out immediately to Senator Booker to try to get comment from him or to get him to come on the show because I would love to interview him about this and other topics. We have not heard back from the Senator's office, but I want to extend that open invitation that Senator Booker is welcome to come on and talk about this. But Representative Carl Carson, what is your take on this? I mean, obviously, Senator Booker's not the only one. You know, they're all, basically all of the, most of the Democrats and Republicans take AIPAC money and they take lots of it. But what do you make of the fact that some of the people who are the most vocal about human rights also are the most supportive of Israel, despite the fact that there is an ongoing genocide, they're still bombing Gaza and they are practicing what the International Court of Justice has said definitively is apartheid in the West?
- [113:13]
F
Think.
- [113:15]
G
Well, I think for many it's not a top priority, unfortunately, in their districts. I think for others, a small group, it's, it's, it's what they believe. I think largely it is out of fear, quite frankly. I, I, I know Senator Booker to be a dedicated public servant outside of being a doppelganger. I know him to be someone who really loves his constituents. He's committed to public service. I think in this moment, I think Senator Booker, who is from Newark, who grew up around Muslims, who grew up around African American Muslims, obviously who grew up around immigrant Muslims. I think now is the time for the left to really say, you have cover. You have cover. Statistics show you have cover. The polling shows you have cover. And I think he has to be embraced in a way that he knows that he has the firepower behind him and will defend him, the bolder he becomes. And, you know, it remains to be seen because he is someone who can reach across the aisle. But I think it remains to be seen if, if, if parties can actually agree to an enforceable framework when it comes to this matter. And I think Senator Booker could be a voice. But if he knows he has support on this side, then we'll see Senator Booker and others, as we edge toward 2028, become bolder and bolder in their positioning.
- [114:43]
B
Can you see that happening, Wajahat Ali? I mean, do we need to reconfigure the coalition? Because some of the people who are the most eloquent when speaking on human rights are absent on this issue and on the issues of Islamophobia, period.
- [114:55]
E
Let me give you an example of three of the smoothest talkers of the Democratic Party, and I use smooth as a compliment, who have been tripped up over the Israel issue in the past two months. Cory Booker, Gavin Newsom, who kept saying to Van Lathan, interesting. I think this is interesting. Interesting. I think it's interesting that you're talking about this. And Pete Buttigieg, I've said before, I'll say it again, and I think all the data shows it, that this is the Gaza generation. An entire global population has been radicalized in real time because they've seen a genocide stream to their phones. You even have young Maga Republicans on every single talk point. Maga Maga, Maga, Maga Maga on Israel, Palestine. They sound like you and me, Joel. You're like, what's happening? You're seeing Marjorie Taylor Greene shift on this. Massie shift on this. Right. Tucker Carlson shift on this. They see where the wind is blowing. But unfortunately the Democratic establishment, and I'm not talking about Brother Andre Carson and others, you know, there's a lot of leadership that's, you know, he had a majority of Democratic senators. For the first time in my life, I never thought this would happen. Who said we're voting to stop sending aid to Israel? Yet Seth Moulton come out of all people saying, I'm not accept AIPAC. You had Mallory McMurrow who felt the heat, right? So for me, this is a litmus test issue. I said this is going to be a litmus test issue. I've been saying it for a year. All the data shows it. You cannot be a leader of the Democratic Party. And if you have presidential ambitions and do the Okie doke with AIPAC and both sides, you just can't. That's my prediction. I'm going to go ten toes down on it. And I think if they want to evolve and meet the moment, they got to say, you know what? I've seen enough. I accept Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, BET Salem, United Nations. This is a genocide, apartheid, occupation. Enough is enough. And if they do it, and if you're listening Democrats, you will be rewarded by the base. The water is warm here.
- [116:43]
B
I 100% agree. I think this is, it is an untenable position. If you want to run for president in the year of our Lord 2028, assuming we have free and fair elections, you cannot be standing looking aside at a genocide. You have to turn against AIPAC and stop taking their money. And you have to turn against what Bibi Netanyahu has morphed Israel into. Exit question to you, Representative Carson. Yours is one of the districts that your state is looking to eliminate in a gerrymandering mess. We have an ad here, but I'm not going to play it because we don't have a lot of time. But I want you to talk about that and what it would mean Again, there are only four Muslim members of the United States House. There would be three if this redistricting goes on and counting. It would just be reduced. Your thoughts?
- [117:26]
G
Well, there have been at least six polls that say Hoosiers don't want it, state lawmakers don't want it until Donald Trump is bullying them into it. And now before Charlie Kirk was killed, he threatened to dump 30 million into the state of Indiana to primary any legislator who would attempt to speak out against it. I think it's concerning. I mean, they've been trying to get me out of here since I was sworn in. They've called me a sleeper cell, they've called me a bigot, they've called me a racist. They tried to make me this scary brother who doesn't deserve to be in Congress. And listen, Donald Trump knows he can't run again. We all know he can't run again. The Constitution knows he can't run again. So I'm asking these legislators, why would you risk your morals, your values, your conviction for a lamed up president who won't even remember your name after you cast your vote? Republicans already hold seven out of the nine congressional seats. My district in Indianapolis is the only majority minority district. The majority of folks in our district are black, Latinos, South Asians, Arab Americans, immigrant brothers and sisters from Africa and Latin America. And you know, mid decade redistricting is really an attempt to silence dissent. It whitewashes deceit. One of only four Muslims in Congress, it silences progressive voices. And Indiana may not be Democratic, but Indianapolis is. And we have to remember the context of Indianapolis. It is still was and still the headquarters of the Hookahs clan. So that's at the backdrop of the state of Indiana. But Indiana has always had a very libertarian streak. And so if Indiana is a state that prides itself one day on being a federalist state, now we're bowing down to someone out of Washington D.C. when before we had this very libertarian independent streak. It's disheartening.
- [119:28]
B
It's disheartening is a kind way to put it. It is evil. I think a lot of what's going on in this White House is straight up evil. And for those of you who do not understand the face of Muslims in America, look at your screen. It is Wajahat Ali, but it is also Representative Carson and my mama. Grandmother. Come on now. So say that. How about that? How about that? Representative? And our producer Nidhi Khan jumped in and she said, and me, our wonderful producer who booked this segment, our wonderful friend Nida you can also catch her on social media. Thank you all very much. Representative Carson and Wajahada appreciate you, sister. Y' all subscribe to the Left hook. Thank you very much. Appreciate y'. All. The Left Hook on Substack. That's where you can find Wajahat Ali. Now we're going to get to your moment of joy. We figured you're going to need it. So we give you pandas. Pandas who are the most like they're a trip. They just do whatever they want. They hang out, they have a good time. We found some pandas on Tick tock and here they go. I hope this music is okay to use it. It's just a funny song. Pandas are rolling around and they're playing, playing and they're doing. We got rid of the music. There we go. Here they go. He fell in the sand and then he's doing a roll. Pandas are like, I ain't got nothing to do. I ain't got no job. I can get on your swing. I can fall off the swing. Pandas all be all in your yard. Pandas are like, I could sit in the rain and be a panda. Pandas do all kinds of cute things. Pandas, pandas doing fun things, climbing. I hope this is an AI. This panda's having a great time. He's like, oh, I got a ball. Pandas got a ball. The pandas having a ball. Pandas, you know, I like frogs and pandas. You know, we've got, we've given you frogs for your moment of joy. Now we give you pandas. Rolling, chilling, hanging out, being pandas. Thank you all so much for watching this episode of the Joy Reid Show. Don't forget, tomorrow is our Robbie Jones special. You definitely want to tune in. He will really educate you about white Christian nationalism and what it is, what it is doing to destroy this country. So you definitely want to tune in. That is tomorrow night sometime around 6:00pm Eastern Standard Time right here on this channel. And then we will see you again live on Friday on Halloween. And I, I will have my costume ready. So that's it. We will see you guys. Thank you for being here. Thanks for hanging out with me and the pandas and all of our guests. You on the next the Joy. Reach out like and subscribe please and share. Thank you, you and goodbye. Okay.