#RolandMartinUnfiltered - 12.11 RMU: Did FBI fail Trump-Russia probe? Can any Dem prez hopeful beat 45? Cops kill 3 Black dads

Episode Date: December 22, 2019

12.11.19 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: IG Horowitz says FBI failed in the Trump-Russia investigation; New poll says any Democratic presidential candidate can beat Trump; Dream Defenders say that Biden, Booker and Buttigieg are under achievers; Pinterest and The Knot will not support plantation weddings; Three Black dads in three different locations were killed by police in one week. #RolandMartinUnfiltered partner: 420 Real Estate, LLC To invest in 420 Real Estate’s legal Hemp-CBD Crowdfunding Campaign go to http://marijuanastock.org Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Pre-game to greater them. Let's put ourselves in the right position. Pre-game to greater things. Start building your retirement plan at thisispretirement.org. Brought to you by AARP and the Ad Council. Today's Wednesday, December 11, 2019. Coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered, the DOJ Inspector General testifies before the Senate. Republicans still losing their minds,

trying to say it was all about Ukraine and it was a Russian hoax, even though the man is trying to tell them it wasn't. Ladies, Quinnipiac Poll says, everyone running for the Democratic nomination can beat Trump. He can't even get more than 43%. Also, who is running away with the black votes? Mm, we'll tell you about it.

And the Dream Defenders say that Biden, Booker, and Buttigieg are underachievers. They have tips on how to talk to your family about politics over the holidays. Easy, cuss out anybody voting Trump. Pinterest and The Knot will not support plantation weddings on their websites. We'll talk about why and three black fathers

in three different cities were murdered by police in one week. We'll give you those details. All right, folks, it's time to bring the funk. I'm rolling Mark on the filter. Let's go. He's got it. Whatever the mess, he's on it.

Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the fine. And when it breaks, he's right on time. And it's rolling. Best belief he's knowing. Putting it down from sports to news to politics. With entertainment just for kicks. He's rolling. It's Uncle Roro, y'all.

It's Rolling Martin. Rolling with rolling now. He's funky, he's fresh, he's real, the best you know, he's Roland Martel now. Martel! Alright, folks, and today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing,

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said that a senior prosecutor failed to convince him that the FBI's 2016 investigation of Donald Trump campaign was improperly opened. He also revealed new details about internal tension among senior officials over the politically explosive case. But also what's interesting about his testimony is that Lindsey Graham focused on Democrats, so-called Democrats in the FBI, who were critical of Trump.

But he said nothing about those same FBI agents who were elated that Trump won. Senator Kamala Harris, of course, no longer on the campaign trail. She was back in the chair. And let's just say she had no problem jamming up Horowitz and calling out Republicans on their BS. General Horowitz, thank you for conducting your thorough investigation into the origins of the Department of Justice's Russia investigation. So your report makes clear that the FBI had a legitimate reason to investigate the Trump

campaign. Is that correct? That's right. There was sufficient predication. And in addition, your office found no evidence that the FBI launched a politically motivated investigation. Is that correct? That's correct.

And another key finding was that the FBI committed several errors in his applications and in their applications to surveil Carter Page. Or maybe more than several. And as the FBI Director Wray himself has acknowledged, your investigation found serious FBI misconduct that needs to be addressed, and Director Wray also said that the FBI fully accepts your investigation's findings. Is that correct? That's correct. On the other hand, Attorney General Barr has been highly critical of your findings. During the final stages of your investigation, he even embarked on his own personal investigation by meeting with foreign leaders in foreign lands, apparently in search of evidence that

contradicts the fact that Russia interfered in the 2016 United States presidential election to benefit Trump. Clearly, Barr's investigation, which was launched to do the bidding of President Trump, has two objectives. One, to undermine the integrity of our intelligence community. The goal, to cast doubt on the finding that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in order to benefit the Trump campaign. And two, to intimidate the men and women of our intelligence community by suggesting that our national security professionals will face serious consequences if they investigate wrongdoing on the part

of this president or his operatives. So General Horowitz, I appreciate your extensive work and the work that your office has devoted to this investigation. But in addition, you have the power and the duty to investigate misconduct committed by the Attorney General of the United States, who is doing the bidding of the President to undermine our intelligence community. And I trust you take that duty seriously. I do. And I'd just like to add that under the law, under the Inspector General Act, it carves out from my authority the ability to look at misconduct by department lawyers from the line lawyer all the way to the

top and the Attorney General. But history has also shown us that the Inspector General can participate in an investigation of the Attorney General, and that in fact happened with General Gonzalez. Do you recall that? That happened, and it's worth noting, that happened after the Attorney General said our office was not going to get the case. It was going to go to the Office of Professional Responsibility, and the choice for our office was whether to join that investigation or not. But that wasn't initiated through us. So that's the important point.

The law has to change, Senator. And are you recommending the law? Absolutely. If I propose legislation that would change the law, would you support that? Yeah, absolutely. In fact, there's legislation Senator Lee has sponsored. Several members have co-sponsored. The House has passed this unanimously. And you would support it? Absolutely. 100%. So it was recently reported that the president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, asked Ukrainians to help search for dirt of the political rivals of the president. In exchange for the help, Giuliani offered to help fix criminal cases against them at DOJ.

Giuliani and his associates, two of whom have been indicted and are now in federal custody, allegedly reached out to a Ukrainian energy tycoon who faced legal problems in America. In exchange for helping find dirt on the president's political rivals, Giuliani's associates reportedly connected the Ukrainian with lawyers who could get a top-level meeting at the United States Department of Justice. In essence, Giuliani's scheme was an attempt to trade get-out-of-jail-free cards for political favors. As part of Giuliani's plan, Attorney General Barr met with the Ukrainians' lawyers,

who asked that the Department of Justice withdraw evidence in the tycoon's bribery prosecution. Earlier today, you said you are not investigating matters related to ongoing Ukraine issues. Does that mean that you have decided not to investigate these incidents? No. As I think mentioned in a recent letter, and I've been in touch with fellow IGs who've been asked by members to look at those issues, we've been in communication with each other. I think as Mr. Fine, the Defense Department IG wrote to several members of Congress, he was foregoing at the time

undertaking any work while the House investigation proceeded and any matters here in the Senate and you know, as I mentioned we will look accordingly at any action that we have the jurisdiction to review getting back to the earlier section 80 discussion no other IG has that limitation by the way so they can investigate their secretary deputy secretary administrator whomever I just point that out because that's important to keep in mind as we get requests and why are we different than the State Department IG the EPA I do right now is a Misha cross political commentator and democratic

strategist also a Scott Boulder former chair National Bar Association political action committee Chris Metzler. He, of course, a conservative analyst. And Monique Presley, also legal analyst, crisis manager. All right, three lawyers and a Misha. So, Misha, I'm going to start with you. Why you got to start with her? Why you got to start with her? What's that?

You had a more... It's easy because it's my show. So, I mean... You go. It's his show. What's interesting about this is you saw... We didn't show, but the ranting and ravings of lunatics like Ted Cruz

calling it a Russian hoax, which is foolish because you've got the guy saying, no, we actually did an investigation. You've got Donald Trump calling this whole thing a sham. You've got Lindsey Graham blasting what he called bias among people in the FBI who supported Clinton,

but he conveniently ignored the people where they actually uncovered the text messages of people who were elated that Trump won as well. But what do you make of, again, that part, which I think is important, that out of all the departments, Inspector General cannot investigate the Attorney General? This is an interesting thing to note, and I think that, you know, America is really understanding now why a lot of people want to see Kamala still in the race,

but we're seeing that she's really taking a very strong stance here. And I think that having the IAG really speak out to legislation that he would have supported that would actually change the current law, even though much of that is on the books in terms of moving through Congress already, is very interesting right now because Republicans, by and large, have not been very supportive of it anyway. So hearing him give that astute observation, I think, is strong.

But more importantly, I think that Kamala's line of questioning, making sure that she was, one, being very attentive to the case at hand, but also really drawing him in. And as you stated earlier, with some of the congressional leadership that has spoken, a lot of this turned into a partisan hat fight. What Kamala Harris did was not that. Monica, here's what's interesting to me. You have Attorney General Bob Barr running around, giving interviews, commenting on existing cases, essentially operating as the White House press secretary in all of this. Acting in a behavior that goes far outside the role of an attorney general.

And clearly he is not impartial. Clearly he is not someone who any of us can really trust on this whole deal. And not only that, to hear the IG say a bill's already been passed unanimously, but of course it's one of the more than 300 sitting on the desk of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Yes, and that's the one to touch. So in Attorney General Barr, his lack of impartiality is

not really the problem. He's not supposed to be impartial. He's supposed to be partial on behalf of the citizens of the United States of America. He works for us. He is supposed to be the head lawyer who advances our interests. And instead, he's a partisan hack on part of President Trump. And again, it mystifies me because anyone that they put in that position, it doesn't matter how many accomplishments they have. The closer people get to that orbit, it seems obvious either what was always in them or what becomes them changes and they no longer have ethics or principles or any of the things that would be necessary that in fairness, he displayed in that very same role. I mean, he's had the job before and did the job completely differently. And that is part of the Trump corrosive, corrupt administration.

And no, those bills are not going to go anywhere because McConnell, the ultimate person who, if there were impeachment rolling, he would be at the top of my list of people who should be impeached. It would be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell because it's his show. It's his show. Chris, what is interesting here is to watch Republicans. I'm just mystified. At the party that exalted the Lord himself, Ronald Reagan, put him up literally right under Jesus Christ, is a party that is carrying the water of Russia. Well, so here's the issue.

The issue really is Republicans are not afraid of Trump. What Republicans are afraid of is Trump's base. They are afraid, rather than deal with the issues that are coming forward, their issue is, am I going to lose my seat? That's the issue here. So from the standpoint of where we are right now as a party, the conversation has to be how do we survive

as a party with this kind of behavior? Because from my perspective as a Reagan Republican, I'm like, okay, what's really going on right here? But is there a difference between the base and Trump?

Aren't they one and the same? Well, they're one and the same. They're just splitting hairs. No, no, no, no. Yeah, you're right. They're one and the same. But the issue becomes, you know, are they going to be challenged in primary?

See, we've gotten to the point in America where the issue is more about our seats. The issue is more about our seats the issue is more about control and power okay but I gotta ask you this here I'm gonna go to sky in a second but I'm gonna put this clinic when a kid pole okay and so here's a piece everybody will be Donald Trump according to this poll okay so Joe Joseph I 51 43 Bernie Sanders Bernie Sanders, 51-43. Biden, 51-42. Sanders, 51-43. Warren, 50-43. Bloomberg, 48-42. Buttigieg, 48-43. Klobuchar, Amy, Senator Amy Klobuchar, 47-43. Okay, here's what's crazy

about that. Trump doesn't get above 43% in that. What the hell are Republicans afraid of? I mean, you would think that if you are a Republican and if you say to a voter, 16 intelligence agencies have said that Russia in our election, I'm sorry, I am not going to agree with the president on this one. Are you literally

afraid? Well, here's the thing. Republicans do not believe those polls what Republicans will tell you is there were polls that also said that Hillary would demolish him and so that's the issue well first of all if it every election first of all if we even go back to that the reality is when it came to that one did she win the popular vote? The answer is yes.

Elections are also really statewide elections. So part of the problem there, you had national polls. But she did get three million more votes than he did. Second thing that you also, and you factor in, the Comey interference changed the election. In my estimation, what Comey did resulted in a three to five point flip. And frankly, that's how he won. Trump only won the presidency

by 79,000 votes. Exactly. But what you're presenting is logic. Right. And they don't really like logic. And that's really the issue, Scott. And Scott, what they're doing is they're just throwing all kind of crap

to purposely cause folks to discombobulate and then, because we know they voters are simple-minded as hell. If this was Frank Lucas in America Gangster, he'd be like, you're simple-sounding mother... That's how you describe him.

But what's amazing about the GOP at the Senate and House of Representatives level is how much they're willing to perpetrate these lies. See, we call them all these narratives and alternative facts. These are just lies. The Senate GOP Committee on Intelligence issued a report saying this Russian interference was not a hoax. All the intelligence agencies say the same thing. Now you have Horowitz and IG saying the same thing, and these leaders in the House and the Senate side

just completely ignore that reality. So you change the narrative. If you say it over and over again, you change the narrative, and if you have 40% base or 43 43 who wants to believe what you're saying, then they want to believe in the conspiracy. If you look at their lives and the lives of Donald Trump to take the money away, and all those that are supporting him at that GOP base, they think alike, they sound alike, how they view government with distrust is all very similar. So you have a willing audience willing to do that.

Now, you look at that polling, which was really interesting. The 43% that he gets in that polling is as high as his approval rating will ever be. The problem with that national poll is this, though. This race is going to come down to three states. It's going to come down to Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and what's the other Michigan in Michigan how is he doing in those three states that's all I care about here's a here's a that's all I care about actually if you break cuz that's your 79,000 votes right now but if you but if you actually break that down you can actually add to two to three other states. You're gonna add Ohio? No, no, no. Florida? No, no, no. First of all, Ohio's gone.

He won Ohio by 450,000 votes. Ohio's done it. He won Ohio by four... No, no, no. Wait a minute. He won Ohio by 450,000 votes. All them white union workers are gonna keep voting for him.

They about as dumb as those farmers who's still gonna support him. Okay, here's the deal. Arizona, the astronaut Mark Kelly. He's leading McSally in Arizona. Arizona could very well, Democrats could pick up Arizona. Latino voting may surge there as well. So the two, so the Western states you got to look at are Arizona

and Nevada. But if you go, first of all, I think he wins Florida, but what's also going to be in play because Democrats have narrowed the margins, now you have a Democratic governor, is North Carolina. Because they have been able to, with gerrymandering and voter suppression, they've been able to claw back some of that. Remember, Obama wins North Carolina by 14,000 votes. He barely loses it in 2012. Trump doesn't win it running away in 16.

And so I certainly think those three states, I think you do North Carolina, two Western states, you're going to have about six or seven states that really could very well shift in this election. What about the Trump effect, though, that he underpolls? What about that? How does that factor in? No, no, no. Chris, go ahead. I'm going to respond to that. Yeah, well, yeah, there's the Trump effect,

but you also have who is the Democratic nominee and how is that person going to pull away the votes? Well, it won't be Hillary Clinton. We know that. But if you look at, you know, my view is if the best chance the Democrats have of beating Donald Trump is going to be Mike Bloomberg, depending

on... I think so. Ain't happening. Gotta get through the nomination. Hold on. Let me be real clear. You don't have to expand any brain like literally you can save them. You might have some excess. You can save them. expend any brain cells. Like literally,

you can save them. You might have some excess. You can save them. Mike Bloomberg, let me go ahead and say it right now. Mike Bloomberg ain't getting that nomination because here's the deal.

Ain't a black woman and a black man with some sense going to let his ass try to explain the way stop and frisk. It ain't going to happen. I'm not sure about that because here's Frisk. It ain't gonna happen.

Here's the thing. By Super Tuesday, every one of the Democrats gonna be out of cash. Where do we get the money from? By Super Tuesday, those black people who got locked up and stopped in Frisk won't be out of Frisk. The Democrats have raised more money collectively, these individuals who are running, as much as, if not slightly more,

than what the GOP has raised. Now, when you get down to one, two, or three individuals who are running as much as, if not slightly more, than what the GOP has raised. No, no, no. Now, when you get down to one, two, or three individuals who are running, all that cash that Democrats have poured into these individual candidates, they are going to pour into the DNC. Here, here, here. The money's not going to be an issue.

Here is... Believe what you want. It's not going to be an issue. Here is, again, when you begin to look at what is going to happen in terms of moving forward, 53% of white women voted for Donald Trump. Donald Trump can't lose

any of those white women. I think he's going to lose two to three points. That's one. That's one. But the other pieces is here. Frankly, where Democrats are, it's likely I would say, if you had to put money, it'll be Joe Biden. But the bottom line is here.

You're going to see a Democrat turnout that you have not seen. With Joe Biden at the top of the ticket? No, no, no. Here's the piece. Here's the piece. Let me tell you something right now. Folk hate Trump so bad,

you're going to have folk who are going to sober up to vote against Donald Trump. Monique, go ahead. I just, I respectfully disagree about the GOP being scared. To me, the ones I've seen up close during the past three years and the ones I've watched from a distance are ruthless, power-grabbing, amoral, and interested in as many judges and justices as they can stack the courts with, interested in collecting checks without doing any work, interested in allowing Trump to act a fool. And all they really have to give up for the sake of that is letting themselves be talked about as fools while every...

They didn't have an agenda in the first place, so when they were in the majority, they got no work done when they had the House and the Senate. I'm sorry, you all, you got no work done when you had the House and the Senate and the presidency. And so then in losing the House, then they get to claim kind of in the Senate, oh, well, the House is overreaching and et cetera and so on. But no, that doesn't bear out because when all of the power clustered around them, they had nothing that they were interested in doing and advancing for the people in America. And so now we have this dunce who is the president and they all tap dance to whatever BD is doing. He just he just called a sitting senator,

a sitting representative, a bastard on live TV. Like while I used to let my children watch the president, we can't. And they don't even go and try to explain it. You know what they did instead? They put two more judges on the federal bench today who are... Unqualified. No, my blood literally started boiling all the way up just trying to think about words I could use to describe

considering all of the people I know who as defense members of the bar, public defenders, government servants, who have served with integrity for decades, are not getting selected. And there are even some whose appointments are being withheld right now that are just stuck in committee

while they put forward these people who, I mean. And only one has been black. In my lifetime. Out of all of the judges, he only found one black dude. In our lifetimes, we will not cycle out of these appointments. So to me, we can say they're scared all we want, but McConnell is the devil in a suit. Misha, I do want to pull this up because when you look at the poll here, that when it comes to the Quinnipiac poll, when it comes to black voters, Biden's at 51%.

Second place is Bernie Sanders. Elizabeth Warren is at 12%. But in fourth is actually, don't know, at 10%. What do you make of that? Biden's huge lead among black voters. And at 51%, what that says is that in each of the sectors, he's winning each of the sectors. Everybody keeps talking about, oh, the older black voters. No, he's winning each of the sectors. And if he's losing young voters, it's a small margin. And they can't make that up for everybody 34 and up. I think there's wishful thinking on the part of some journalists who have considerably tried to separate older black voters

from younger black voters in terms of their support for Joe Biden. At the end of the day, there is an embedded level of, I think, resonance with him. There is an embedded level of appreciation. He is known to the black community. He's done almost solely an entire amount of outreach towards the black community throughout this election process in a way that we haven't seen some of the other candidates devote to it. And then there's also the Obama factor. He was the closest one to the first black president. And I think that that makes a difference. When it comes to millennials like myself and then the next generation who are going to be voting in this election, I think that there are some people who, um,

who don't necessarily always appreciate some of his stances. But there are also people who want to see someone who can defeat Trump, and I think that right now, they see him as probably the most viable. All right, so let me throw this out, uh, and push back on that. Do you believe that white supremacy is the reason why you're seeing those

number from black voters let me unpack it the day after Trump wins all we hear on Morning Joe and on CNN and the other MSNBC shows and Fox and ABC and CBS and NBC, all we heard was, we really need to listen to these white voters in the middle of the country. We really need to listen because they're rebelling. The economic anxiety of these white voters is really what was driving this. Trump was appealing to the economic anxiety of these white voters. That's all we heard. Scott, do you believe black people have internalized that

and, like other people, have concluded, you know what? The only person who can beat Trump is another old white dude. You know, I don't think that at all. I think there are a lot of factors in 2016, including the number of black people

not voting or undervoting. First of all, it was just 2.4%. But I'm talking about, what I'm talking about is, all we've heard for three years, for three years is, you know, and I've had these conversations with people I've heard it a lot that you know the only way we're gonna be white we're going to

find us oh we're gonna find us a white man Michael Avenatti when he came on the show I lit his ass up on that and he said it but there's this whole deal it we got a pill to do white working-class voters no you know only person who can do it is a white person. Yeah, no, I... Let me change the narrative a little bit. I think that the Republicans under Donald Trump have made the country so racially divisive, right, that I think black people of color, not all,

I can't speak for all, but people of color believe that the White House under Trump is so dangerous that they're intellectualizing who is the best person to beat Donald Trump. When I think about Kamala Harris or Cory Booker, what's missing from your poll is that Cory Booker is less than 1% on that poll. He ought to be at 5%, 10%, 20% just for being black. And yet he isn't.

No, no. But see, that's proving my point. Exactly. What's proving my point is that, again, I look at messaging. I look at, first of all, black people watch TV more than anybody else. And we have been inundated since the day after the election that everything is about white voters. And, Chris, here's the other thing.

71% of the electorate in 2016 were white voters. Right. This election will be the likely... This election likely will be the first time in American history that less than 70% of the total electorate are white. Mm-hmm.

But see, here's the thing for Democrats. Okay, so... You're a Republican. You're going to tell us what's going on with you? Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead. Here's the thing. From a branding and messaging standpoint, we are two things, and we stick to that.

Loud and wrong. We can be loud and we can be wrong. We're going to be loud and wrong consistently. Democrats, well, you know, perhaps we think we should. No, we're going to say what we got to say. And so you look at the whole impeachment thing, here's the issue. Okay, so what y'all want us to do? What are the high crimes?

What are the misdemeanors? And frankly, from the Democratic standpoint, you put together this panel of legal scholars, everybody white. So what? What difference does that make with the panel there? No, it makes a significant difference. of legal scholars, everybody white. What? So what? What difference does that make with the panel there? No, no, it makes a significant difference because- Well, we would have high crimes and misdemeanors

if the president was objecting Congress- No, no, no, no, I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about- Instructing justice. No, that's not what I'm talking about. And give us the documents and give us the testimony of his executives. I get it, I get it. Then we could really have a substantive discussion.

But what I am saying, however, is if the discussion is the Democratic Party is the party of diversity and inclusion in this entire country, you can't find no black legal scholar. Well, hold on. Wait, wait, wait. It's a red herring. But here's the thing, money. It is a red hair. But here's the thing, here's the thing.

I'll rephrase, I will rephrase what Chris said. If I had to pick, Republican voters are largely dumb and Democrat voters are smart. The problem with smart voters is they think and they process.

Dumb is dumb. Dumb responds to bumper sticker slogans. Republicans speak in bumper sticker slogans for dumb people. Democrats speak in paragraphs. And so part of this issue is that in terms of how you speak to voters, I still say this here. I still absolutely believe that if you unpack those black numbers and if you have real conversation with voters, you're going to hear folks say, you know what?

After two terms with black president, white folks rebelled, including white folks who voted for Obama. So you know what? In order for us, let's just get rid of this crazy fool. We're going to have to go with a white man.

Monique. No, I don't think that they're largely dumb. The issues that... You mean Republican voters? I think a lot of them are dumb. GOP voters. Well, I mean, we get

more of the college-educ. Well, I mean, we get more of the college educated cluster, but no, they're economically driven voters also. And you've got to think about Republican voters are not that base. Republican voters are the ones who care about what's going to happen to their bottom line.

But the one thing that I want to say is interesting about news today is Biden picked up the reckoning crew out of South Carolina that had pledged their support to Senator Harris. And that's a powerful group. You know who, when the news came out, said, oh, that was a good get? From Harris's camp. Because all of those people who thought, and I'm talking to the black folks now and the so-called smart media people, who thought by dragging down the Harris campaign with story after story and with all of that negative press

and the lying stuff about her record and everything, that it would go to their candidate, like to a Warren or a Sanders or a Buttigieg. It's all going to Biden. The next poll is going to be an even bigger gap than this one. Harris was the only viable candidate that could drag black voters away from Biden's clutch. And now that she is out, he's going to stay right where he is and he's going to go even further. I want to bring in Nyla Summers, co-founder of the Dream Defenders, into our conversation. And just your perspective, what are you hearing?

What are you seeing when you look at that poll? Biden at 51 percent among black voters. When you when you see the fact that obviously Senator Cory Booker, who is black, is still in the race, barely at one percent. You have Andrew Yang is in the race. He's less. He's like, I think, at point something percent or whatever. I mean, people are blown away by the fact that you have people of color, four people of color among the Democratic nominees, all doing horrible among black voters. I think that we are in a totally different place right now.

I mean, you said a few minutes ago about Bloomberg. How can anybody with sense explain away, stop and frisk? Biden is the guy who wrote the 94 crime bill. So, you know, our folks are waiting for that to dawn on our parents and our grandparents and our aunties and uncles. And we're doing the work to sort of get folks in our organization, young folks, young people of color, young black folks to talk to their families. Because as much as we talk about viability, there are better candidates than Biden. Who? Kamala. Historic run.

Commendable. Shout out to the Cahy for being so fervent. But there are other candidates in the race right now who are actually going to materially make our conditions better. Who? And so that's what dream defenders are doing. Who? Who are the candidates? I mean, Warren. Who? Who? And so that's what dream defenders are doing the worst. Who? Who's that? Who are the candidates?

I mean, Warren, Bernie Sanders, their actual policies, I mean, their criminal justice policies are definitely worth a look. But here, but let me ask you this here, though, because, I mean, I get the whole deal in terms of talking to your parents. Yeah. But here's the point that I also keep making. You can talk to them all you want to. Right.

But the issue that I have been saying for years to folks 18 to 34 is that the only way to get somebody's attention is voting. If 18 to 34 actually voted their numbers, it changes. But the reality is, plus they vote and when

you 55 plus oh man they are core vote and so I so even I even I think I totally get trying to have that conversation with them I just still think black voters are looking at this same way white folks are looking at it same with Latinos looking at it it's that man go, and I'ma support the person who I think has the best chance to get that man out, even if somebody else's policies might be better. Your response, Emma, go to Scott. Yeah, I don't know. We just, we need to do better.

It's actually pretty sad for us, for the Dream Defenders, to be in this place. You know, we're doing all of our get out the vote stuff. We drove people out for Gillum. And it's a different era than it was in 2016. I mean, we had Black Lives Matter at the time. Now we have the Parkland kids. We have the climate strikers.

Like, young people are empowered right now. And we're also a huge slice of the electorate this coming election. So, I mean, I think you can't count out the young folks. Oh, no, no, no. And that's the piece. Here's the deal. I'm not counting them out. What I'm saying is they are a potential huge slice

of the electorate. But what has to happen is they got to prove it. Just like, look, I'm going to raise in Texas. For the last 15 years, there's been 2.1 million eligible but unregistered Latinos in Texas. I have said to my Latino brothers and sisters, look, y'all come talk to me all day about your numbers. Your demographic numbers means nothing unless it turns into voting power right and so that to me

is the is the opportunity if you're a young voter and that's what i'm looking at will they blow this thing out in the primary because here's the piece if in the first i would dare say the first five to eight states if all of a sudden young numbers are off the charts, that then changes the dynamic for the next 42 states. But if we see sort of, okay, you know, a slight bump,

but pretty much older voters coming out in big numbers, I don't think anything changes. Roland, let me ask you this. Your premise about that black people and others have decided we got to get Trump out, and I'm going with who's going to win, who can beat Trump, versus going with somebody

black or somebody whose policies are better for us, I couldn't tell whether you were bragging or complaining. What's wrong with that strategy, though? Because you seemed like you were being critical and hearing the question. No, I was asking a question. Because you seemed like you were being critical and hearing the question. No, no, no. I was asking a question because actually where the criticism comes in

is in the media framing. The media framing, because I had a problem with the day afters. I had a problem with Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough, Mika, Willie, what's the other dude?

Mike Barnicle. All of them having Michael Moore constantly on. And the whole deal was like, you know, economic anxiety when they were also overlooking the race issue. They were overlooking Trump pushing their button on illegal immigration. Trump pushing their buttons on race. And I'm sitting there like, what are y'all doing? And I think what happens is when you keep hearing those messages, it embeds in your mind.

So you start thinking, well, damn, we might need to have us a white dude who can appeal to the white working class voters to get their attention. And literally, New York Times, Washington Post, all these newspapers and magazines, story after story after story, I'm like, damn, y'all gonna rewrite the same story a thousand times?

Yeah, but I also think that you're right about that, but maybe it's slightly different, that people of color don't believe that America is in a position to successfully elect a black Democrat or a candidate of color any longer because of how racially divisive the Trump

administration has been. And then they fall into that piece and say, you know what, we need to elect somebody white so we can get him out because nobody black is electable, no matter how much we love Kamala or anybody else. I agree with Scott on that because I think that we are in a very hyper-partisan, but also a very hyper-racial point in our nation's history. Very much so. And that division, I don't think that many black voters particularly think that that's something that we're going to get over in the next administration. There was a lot of hope, for lack of a better term, based on President Obama's election and us having this historical moment.

I don't think any black people thought we were post-racial, but I definitely know that they know that we're not. Everybody knows we aren't post-racial right now. And I think that there is a fear of us choosing someone and that being totally, you know, annihilated by white voters, even Democrats, who choose that they do not want to support that person of color.

Now, I got to ask you this question here. I want to get a sense of what are you also hearing. I was at the airport. I told this story the other day. I was at the airport on Sunday told this story the other day. I was at the airport on Sunday. I flew back from St. Louis, speaking to the St. Louis chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha for the 100th anniversary.

Scott, you weren't invited. I thought you were at the boule. No, not yet. So, Nala, what was interesting is that a brother came up to me, and he said, man, I watch your show he said but you know you know you said that you call people dumbasses who did not vote in 2016 and he said do you really really feel that way and i went yes but i then asked him i said let me explain to you why then i asked him what do you

care about and it was the same conversation I had with a young sister who called my radio show from North Carolina in 2016 and this young sister said I'm just not feeling Hillary Clinton I'm not feeling Trump so I'm gonna ignore the top of the ticket I'm a focus on state issues and I said what are your top three state issues? And literally, I connected the dots between who wins the presidency and her top three issues. And as I was talking to her, she literally, she's about 24, 25.

And this sister said, I had no idea. Now, she said she was college educated. She was an activist. But she said she herself had no idea. Now, she said she was college-educated, she was an activist, but she said she herself had no idea that the president had an impact on those issues. And so as you're out there, how are you trying... What are you confronting?

What are you hearing? What are you seeing? And how are you trying to get people over that hurdle who said, I didn't vote in 16 and I don't really see why I gotta vote in 2020? The fact of the matter is, is that most people get involved during the presidential election.

As much as we bump into people from time to time that say that they vote in local and like, that's all I care about, that's all that matters. Most people are involved right now because of the presidential election. So the work that we're doing is talking to young folks. We just went through an endorsement process. Our membership all across Florida studied policy for the last four months of all the presidential candidates.

And our organization is going to endorse next month. And these people are talking to their parents and doing the same thing. Like right now, we're in a voter education process. And that's what we're seeing. We're seeing people like really have hunger and are wondering like how this stuff affects them. And again, that's why we're trying to drive the interest to folks that have more progressive policies. Because we're, you know, the status quo is not gonna get us anywhere. And you know, if you didn't go to 2016, that's one thing. But right now, it's a little different.

The stakes are higher. So I take it when President Obama said that Democratic candidates should not go too far to the left, that was not necessarily something you wanted to hear him say? Oh, Obama. Yes, that's not all that surprising, frankly.

And, you know, trying to get, pull the reins up on this young movement, this young force. I mean, kids are on social media making political commentary every day. Look at TikTok. They're all talking about... But I gotta ask you this, though. Uh-huh.

He won. Twice. He won. Because he appealed to the young people. The hope. The change. But here's the... Again, I'm gonna push back on this because it's something that I think we have to think about. He's talking

from a position of I won. He's talking from a position of, I won. He's talking from a position of actually winning white voters. First of all, it's not like he won 50% of white voters, but he won white voters

who later voted for Trump. So, shouldn't Democratic candidates be really paying attention to the person who won twice as opposed to folks who are saying we should do this, this, this, who never won? Because at the end of the day, it's about winning. You can have great ideas, but if you lose, you have some great ideas. Like Beto O'Rourke's people.

Again, I'm from Texas. They were all on me. Beto won. I'm like, did he get, I'm sorry, did he get sworn in? And they were talking about how he won. I kept saying, no, no, no, when you win, you win. And so isn't that also part of this struggle? I think that's the struggle between what young voters want to hear and these older voters.

I think older voters are saying, yo, we trying to win, baby. So I want... Go ahead. Yes. Go ahead. Our thing, like, aim higher. Aim higher.

As much as our generation got told that people sacrifice themselves for our vote, are we just giving our vote to somebody who, frankly, doesn't deserve it? sacrifice themselves for our vote? Are we just giving our vote to somebody who frankly doesn't deserve it? Like, I think it's a moral question now. And, you know, we're going to do what we have to do. Young people know what's at stake. They're going to come out. They're just not going to be excited about a Biden or a Buttigieg or whoever else. Like, we want somebody who is going to inspire.

We want somebody who people are going to be excited to vote for. That's how we get our numbers up. And you know, there's independents, and you know, the centrist voter that we often worry about so much. If you have somebody who inspires young people, we will come out in droves.

We will win an election for you. If you are considering our future, if you are considering our student debt, if you are considering mass incarceration, climate, if you are speaking to the conditions that we are inheriting, we will come out and vote for you. And Joe Biden and some of these others, which we call the underachievers, are not going to be that for young people. And so you have a situation where maybe he can vote. I mean, maybe he can win, and that's what we keep being told,

but he's not doing anything for us. There is nobody who is going to say, you know what, yes, let's go. Let's drive everybody to the polls. We're gonna do it begrudgingly. These panelists wanna jump in. So Chris and Amisha, go ahead, Chris. Go ahead, Chris.

Okay, so you're saying that. So Chris and Amisha, go ahead, Chris. Go ahead, Chris. So you're saying that. So who is doing it then? Who is this person you're talking about in the current race? These are the candidates you have. That's the kind of poll. Who's doing it? That said millennial, black women, millennials, in essence, Bernie Sanders is winning millennial black women. So you, you, okay.

So you really think... No, no, no, it's not an endorsement. Black Women 4 is an organization with many friends, many women who are veterans of the Black Lives Matter movement. They came out for Warren. The young people right now are striving for something that is really going to change. Okay, so you think...

Biden is not going to do that. Okay, so you think... Biden is not gonna do that. Okay, great. But so you think that Sanders or Warren can defeat Trump? Absolutely. I mean, there are polls that say some. The polls that we pulled up earlier had Sanders, I think, Sanders and Warren maybe either neck and neck or winning Trump. If we threw our weight behind somebody who was exciting and that would actually change things for us, like, why not band together behind somebody who's aiming higher? OK, so you're saying so. So Sanders and Warren are aiming higher. Is that what you're saying? But hold on, though. I need to pull this up here because this is

the piece here. So what you just said, you said that millennials, in the millennial poll, Sanders was first. In essence? I know. We did a story on it

and I have it right here. But here is the piece that we have to deal with. Go to my iPad please. In that poll, 18 and 34 year old, if you were to vote today, who would you vote for? Other, prefer not to answer, was 26.9. Yeah. Bernie Sanders was 18.9. Harris was 26.9. Yeah. Bernie Sanders was 18.9.

Harris was 17.1. Warren was 13.7. Joe Biden was 10.3. But overall, Biden was at 25. Other was at 26. Biden was at 25. Harris was at 15.

Warren was at 12. Bernie Sanders was at 10. The point I'm making is this here. So if you looked at 15, Warren was at 12, Bernie Sanders was at 10. The point I'm making is this here. So if you looked at over... So millennials, 18 to 34, Sanders was number one at 18.9. But overall, he was fifth. So the issue that you have...

And see, so what I'm saying is, your issue ain't just folks' parents. It's parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles. It's in my 35 plus. And that to me, and that's what I'm saying,

but the struggle is, so in essence, you're trying to vault somebody who is number one among millennials, but who is fifth overall above the other folks. That's a hell of a road to hoe. It is. It is.

And, you know, we are a leftist organization. We are very, very progressive, and we're made up of, like, changemakers. But do you consider the country to be at that point? Because with the stats that we just saw, with that polling, it seems like Democrats are not there. And I'm also a black millennial. I turned 31 this year. At the end of the day, I also believe in making sure that we elect somebody who is electable. And I don't necessarily believe that just because you have the furthest left

things that right now with the composition of the Senate, which isn't necessarily poised to flip within 2020, that we're going to be able to get those things passed anyway. I think that there's a certain amount of reasonability, understandability, and facts that we have to operate within as well. And I think that we go about choosing the candidate who is able to bring about the most demographic groups within the Democratic Party. And that exists even among black people, because not all black people are millennials. So when we're looking at this large, compositive blacks, we're also looking at people who are just outside the millennial space,

the 36 year olds, who are also going in a different direction. So I think that we have to not make it seem like these are people who don't believe in change. Of course they believe in change. I think all Democrats want to be, want to see somebody in office that's not Donald Trump. But on that same token, they're not there yet on saying that

Warren or Sanders would be that person. Right. But also to the, in fairness, President Obama's point was not that the progressive should not be progressive or that the young people shouldn't be doing exactly what they do. Verbatim, he said that that's their job. He said his problem is that no concessions are made, no conversations are had. It's either you're all the way on board with all of these things or you're canceled. And this kind of cancel culture amidst politics does not work. There has to be a willingness to come to the table. So I guess my question would be, you know, if you don't get this one or two of these candidates that you're interested in in terms of working with young people then don't you

think it's wisdom to be aiming also to have the necessary conversations with somebody who actually has a chance of winning so that you know when the nominee is elected and it's not somebody who is as progressive as you want, that you will have an end that the young people can understand. Your voice doesn't end because it's not your candidate. Your voice goes all the way to the White House

if you're putting in the work with every candidate. Go ahead. Absolutely. I think I said it earlier that we are committed to getting Trump out of the White House. Right now, it's a race. It's a competition. So we're going to, you know, throw down on somebody who we think has a vision for the country that does the most for the most people. And, you know, we'll see who gets the nomination. But either way, we're going to throw down. We're going to get young people in the streets to vote. But, you know, in the meantime, during this primary, Florida's primary is March 17th, we are gonna throw down to really try to get somebody

who is progressive, who is going to get us minimum wage. I mean, a livable wage. And all of those things for our people. I mean, we have to be able to work folks. I have got to... Wait, hold on. Can I have one last question? You don't wanna say that you to leave at 7 o'clock

well I was just joking with you here's the thing now you're just joking here's the thing even on March 17th final comment Denialer because I got two other guests go even on March 17th what's the most important objective for Dream Defenders

to elect someone who can beat Trump or to elect someone that you believe in actually before you answer that on march 17th it's a primary so the reality is if you're in florida yeah it's who you want the primary but who but once the dust settles that's a whole that's a different conversation i got you but frankly i limited it i purposely limited it to march 17th there's a democratic primary she's got you. But frankly, I limited it. I purposely limited it to March 17th. So there you go. It was a Democratic primary. So she's already answered it.

She wants Sanders. Did she say that? She didn't say that. Warren or Sanders. I'm just messing with you. Okay. I was like, wait, wait, wait. Hold on.

That's a fair question, though. Roland's joking. But you know y'all endorsement coming down with two people, Sanders or Warren. And if they can't win. I know Biden and Buttigieg ain't on y'all endorsement coming down with two people, Sanders or Warren. And if they can't win, I know Biden and Buttigieg ain't on y'all list, but go right ahead and answer Scott's question. I mean, but who says that somebody like Biden is going to win against Trump?

A lot of polling. A lot of polling. Say that. I couldn't hear that. Well, first of all, here's the deal. It is important to value. Here's the deal. Nobody knows. And, first of all, here's the deal. It is important to value... Here's the deal. Nobody knows... ...as a value our values.

Here's the deal. Nobody knows... Who's... ...if somebody can beat Trump until it actually happens. But the reality is, before you can get to beating Trump, you got to beat the other Democrats. And if you... As it stands now, even though one ballot has not been cast, how polling is going across these various

states, Biden is leading. At the end of the day, you still have to run. Look, Obama was down big at this very point in 2007. All of a sudden, ground game, does well in Iowa, changes the ball game. He barely loses in New Hampshire, breaks even in Nevada, crushes Clinton in South Carolina, and then it was onward, uh, to victory. Uh, but that was the deal. This is also different, because that race came down to two different people. And so, for all the people right now who are stuck on

who can beat Trump, at the end of the day, look, you gotta win the nomination first. Simple as that. Nyla, your final comment before I let you go. Thanks for having me. And, you know, I hope that we figure it out and that we get somebody in office who's going to really help our folks because ultimately

that's the work that we do and that's the work that we need to keep doing. Well, I firmly believe the work that Dream Defenders is doing is critically important, but also what I have said, whether it's Dream Defenders, whether it's a Black Women's Roundtable, whether it's NAACP, whether it's anybody, and what we do on this show as well

is what happened with me and a young brother on Sunday. I think for a lot of people out there, I think for people like us, we live and breathe this stuff all the time. We follow these issues. We understand the nuanced stuff along those lines. The average person sitting out there, whether they are white or black or Latino or Asian or whatever,

they're not living and breathing. I think what is important, and I've done it enough around the country to know it works, and that is we have to connect the dots for people. So that's why the first thing I ask anybody is, what's the one or two things you most care about and then once they say that I then say now let's talk about how this politician whether it's on the city or the county or the state or federal level has an impact on your issue and people go damn I didn't know most of that. Because they're not living this.

And so I think that's where what y'all are doing, where the voter education is important, which is really a throwback to what SCLC, NAACP, and others did during the Black Freedom Movement, where they had citizenship education training. Absolutely. And, you know, we've learned from our elders, so that's absolutely the vein of what we're trying to do.

Nyla Summers, co-founder of the Green Defenders. We appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Bye. Thank you. All right, folks, we've got to go to a break. When we come back, we're going to talk about three black men being killed in three different cities across the country. What in the hell is going on

with these police departments? Also, weddings. You know departments? Also, weddings. You know what, these plantation weddings. What's up with y'all white folks and plantation weddings? Well, a couple of online sites say they're not gonna stop promoting these plantation weddings. Yeah, we gonna talk about that next. Roland Martin Unfiltered.

Back in a moment. forward slash Roland S. Martin. And don't forget to turn on your notifications so when we go live, you'll know it. All right, folks, as the marijuana momentum continues, our folks at MarijuanaStock.org have already reached more than half of their funding goal for the hemp CBD investment. So if you want to take advantage, you better get in now. Of course, hemp is a cousin to marijuana with a much higher concentration of CBD,

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Monique, you got that. In the crowdfunding campaign, up to $10,000. Amisha, someone that's in Claremont. To invest, go to MarijuanaStock.org. That's MarijuanaStock.org. Get in the game and get in the game now. The popular wedding planning sites Pinterest and The Knot announced they are no longer promoting content

for plantation-style weddings. Well, hell, good. Color of Change drew attention to the problem and addressed the issue directly with both sites. Joining me now to talk about the success of the campaign. First of all, what is that video right here? Is that uh, Is that Candace? That oh, hold up

That was the video from that slave play All right, so we're gonna to be bringing up the guests in a moment. Jade Magnus Ogunaki, interim senior campaign director for the Color Change. Let me know when she's with us. First of all, what do y'all make of these? First of all, what do you make of not just the plantation weddings, but the people

with the plantation trips who like, why y'all got to bring up the slavery stuff? Can't we just enjoy the big house and the nice, large trees on the land? Well, I wonder, do they sing the Negro spirituals? No, no, no, no. No, no, what they wanna do is, they literally, in terms of these tours,

in terms of these tours, they literally want to remove any, like, can I just come and visit and you not bring up the slavery stuff? The slave stuff. Literally the history. No, I think that, you know, obviously with us going into 2020,

this should have been eradicated a really long time ago. From the idea that you can actually have a slave tour and not talk about the tortures of slavery is completely ridiculous to me. With the plantation weddings, I don't think that people realize that this is a very high dollar wedding venue. People have been doing this for decades and they're not cost effective for most people, but they consider it to be something extremely glamorous, something extremely part of the American tradition. They don't even think about the fact that these were places that house

slaves and abused people for hundreds of years at all. And they're using this as something that is extremely romanticized and something that should be in memoriam. And I'm like, there was nothing loving, caring, family-oriented about plantations at all. Yeah, but they're not there for the history of slavery.

They're there to celebrate love. And love is in that plantation home now, not hate. No slaves are there. The music is there. It costs a lot of money. There are a lot of black people working. I'm going to stop shouting at you and that tone of your voice. What's the problem with that?

I just don't. I mean, why does everything have to be black rolling with you? I mean, race is important, but not in every instance. People are celebrating love. What's wrong with that? Apparently, you're accurate. Scott has had the CBD products. Yeah, apparently. The high is hell right now. It is working.

Let's just love each other. Love is in that plantation right now. On the same land that auctioned off babies that were separated from their mothers at birth. I only had a question because I actually, I loved that video with the black woman and the white man getting married at the plantation because to me that honors the change and the growth of this and the progress of this country.

It does not. That was a land that once was desecrated that now something is happening that is the opposite of the manner in which that girl's great-great-grandmother was on that land being raped by a white man. They do now come together in love, as Scott says, and celebrate. Now, is that the place to do it? No, I guess I see why the not probably had to yield to all of the more militant than I who would have a problem with it. But I like taking places that were once places that were a source of pain and abuse

and put something holy on it. I think that's two votes. I think she's back. Yeah. I'm not up in arms, up in arms. Now, I don't like the tours with no slavery, but where these weddings are concerned, in that instance that we saw,

no, I'm not necessarily happy. I want to shake the sister up. What should we do with the land? Burn it? I don't know what you're saying. I don't know that we should burn the land. However, I don't know what all that's about. I mean, I hear what you're saying.

It's just beautiful land with a nice house. It's beautiful land with a nice house. It's beautiful land with a nice house. With the blood of slaves in the soil. Which is every place in this country. The slave quarters are in the back of the house, so you don't see that. That's our original sin. You can't go to New York and escape slavery.

I'm not trying to get married on it. But we are. In the Baptist churches that have the history everywhere. You know, I mean, places that churches that were burned and rebuilt. I mean, our history is not just on that plantation. Let me know when y'all done. Okay.

I celebrate. I get why they didn't want to do that. I get the movement. I don't have any problem with the movement in all reality. But I think Monique is right about that. Those photos that you ran on your show show significant progress. But whenever I'm driving through the South,

when I used to come from Illinois to Morehouse College, I'd see these plantations, and I used to think, how many dead people are buried underneath this plantation? And that is offensive. I get it. I get both sides. And if they don't want to promote that anymore, then they shouldn't have to promote it. CBD oil.

Let me tell y'all something right now. Let me tell y'all something right now. If your ass invite me to a plantation wedding, I'm going to show up and it's going to be straight up Mandingo up in there.

I'ma show up. You're gonna disrupt a wedding. Hell yes. You're gonna make a political statement. Don't even... Look, don't invite me no plantation wedding. I ain't trying to take no tour of a plantation unless we're gonna have all of the history.

And the fact... I think this is what I'ma do. I'ma start volunteering to go on plantation tours. And then at that very moment where the tour guide talks about these beautiful quarters, I'ma say, where Kizzy? Where Chicken Joy? Like, I'ma just yell it out.

They're not here, could you step away, sir? I'ma just yell it out. Could you step away? Sir, they're not here. I'ma just yell it out. They're not here. Could you step away, sir? I'm gonna just yell it out. Could you step away? Sir, they're not here. I'm gonna yell it out. I'm gonna tell y'all right now. So what about... I'm gonna tell y'all... No, no, no.

What about Tyler Perry Studios then? Oh, yes. No, no, no. What about that? No, here's the piece. And on that land, okay, it is a part of the narrative of what that land used to be.

Yes. And yes, no, my point is, the difference there is, a black man buys land that was a Confederate, um, that was a Confederate base. Okay, that's the way it's supposed to go. The issue that I have is when folks want to revere these places

and completely remove any of the history. That's the problem. Look, there was a... I played golf in Virginia. And first of all, you got to understand, Ben, those of y'all who ain't from, who are not, who don't live

in this area, it's amazing. Folk really understand, damn near all of this was slave territory. And so I'm sitting here playing at one of the golf courses, I forgot Algonquin or something like that, and straight up, you're sitting here and it's a sign, this used to be a slave, so there's a golf course, that was a massive plantation.

I don't have a problem if that golf course was built and no sign was there. And so that's... So the issue I have with these folks who are doing these tours and these weddings is when they... when they want to remove the history. So, for instance, if you go to Georgia, and this is where I got a...

This is where I got a problem with them white Southern Dixiecrats, but Republicans have gone... It's now switched now as Republicans are defending this. And Jesse Jackson Jr. wrote this in his book. There's a... There's a... monument to POWs in Georgia that used to be,

it was actually during the Civil War, where Union troops were taken, tortured, and murdered. But they rewrote that history. And so like, oh, this is money for all POWs. That's not what the land was. And it was a way for them to rewrite the history. And that's the issue I have in this country, how we like to rewrite and redefine the history.

No, I need to know what it is. And that's the issue for me. And why I got a problem with that. That's just me. It sounds like you're angry, though. What are you so angry about? I mean, it's plantation. You play golf on it. Let's just forget about all that past stuff, man.

Let's keep it moving forward. What was that? You're just angry. You're always angry on your show. He even got the black conservative like, why you sitting me next to his ass? Exactly. I'm like, can I switch seats?

All right, folks, let's talk about... Let's now bring in Attorney Lee Merritt. Three black fathers in three different cities were murdered by police over the course of a week. Cameron Lamb of Kansas City, Missouri, was killed on December 2nd. Michael Dean of Temple, Texas, was killed on December 3rd. Demetrius Williams, Marshall, Texas,

was killed on December 5th. Joining us now is Lee Merritt. The family has hired him in these three cases. And so, Lee, you tweeted about this, saying it hasn't gotten much media attention. What's the issue for you? Well, I think it's become far too normal, and we need sort of an international perspective

to appreciate how outrageous three black fathers being killed in a three-week, in a one-week time span is uh we've kind of we've come to accept that 1100 people are killed a year on average by law enforcement that's that's more than the next 10 countries combined we have a a brutal police culture that has become far too uh status quo and i think we need to we as a responsibility i appreciate you ro Roland, and really the black media, they picked up on

it, but the national media, even local media, has kind of glossed over it like it's not a big deal. And in these particular cases here, were they controversial shootings? Yeah. And I'm just, you see me standing out in the middle of nowhere. I'm somewhere in East Texas,

just outside of Temple, Texas, where we just left a meeting. Michael Dean on his on his daughter's sixth birthday, he went out to buy her a birthday cake and he never came home. Typically, in these cases, if there is some sort of justification, even if it's not an actual justification, if there's a narrative that they can offer, they will. In the murder of Michael Dean, they offered absolutely no explanation. You have a 26-year-old man who went out to get a birthday cake and ended up with a bullet in his head. We don't know if it was a traffic stop. We don't know if it was just a random targeting.

I do know this, Roland, and you know this, too. If they had an excuse, if they had a justification, if they had a gun or some sort of touch, they would have said that by now. They've said absolutely nothing to this family. A week later, the family just knows their son was shot in the head by a police officer, and they're expected to just accept that until, guess who, the Texas marshals complete their investigation, and I'm sorry, the Texas Rangers complete their investigation and make a recommendation to the district attorney's office. And we just learned that the Texas Rangers are not necessarily in favor of injustice in the Bolton John case. Wow. Well, that is certainly sad in the case of that.

Of course, the families have hired you to be involved in that. And so we certainly will follow this, keep us updated with what's the case in all, of course, the families have hired you to be involved with that. And so we certainly will follow this. Keep us updated with what's the case in all three of these cases. Brother, I appreciate you covering it. And I would love to tell you about the other cases. The problem is I know you're on limited time and the bodies just keep piling up. Man, well, that is what is certainly sad. Lee Merritt, we appreciate it, man.

Thanks a lot. Thank you. I do want to talk about this story here. The shooting took place in New Jersey yesterday where police say two suspects, go to my iPad, please, David Anderson and Francine Graham, this is the New York Post,

that they followed a hateful religious sect called the Black Hebrew Israelites, and they believe that Jews, were first of all I'm reading the story here they believe that white people are agents of Satan shots were fired into that four people were killed on the inside the SPLC Southern Poverty Law Center calls them a strongly anti white anti-semitic group this was just just a crazy shooting that took place yesterday, Monique.

And didn't they, there's an officer who was shot right before it happened, but some distance away so they haven't been able to put all the pieces together, but I was just saddened to hear about that. It's so sad for all of the families that are involved, and hate is

unacceptable. There's no exception to that. And it speaks to, again, the issue, Amisha, that we have in this country when it comes to domestic terrorism. In America, largely, it's white domestic terrorism, but we have domestic terrorism, but here, we don't want to call it that.

We just call it a shooting. Absolutely. I find that very interesting and problematic at the same time, because when you know that there is someone who is out to get a particular race or out to get a particular religion, and they have basically set up their own theology around these things, that is what that is. You are willing to erect that type of violence. You are willing to go through great pains to make sure that it happens. And I think that, you know, using that term should not be napalm

for the American public. Domestic terrorism does occur right here on our soil. These are people who were born and bred right here in America. And I think that that's still a very hard thing for our government, but as well as citizens to actually come to grips with. It's a whole lot easier to, even when wrong,

point out terrorism from somebody who does not look like us and who does not come from this country. Roland, was this group, as part of this shooting, was this the same group that was on the Lincoln Mall with the Indian and the young kid from the Midwest with the MAGA hat on? Yeah, it was an affiliate group. You know, I fear, my greatest fear is that all hate groups are completely,

you know, I want to abolish them quite quickly, whatever their race is, and I agree with Monique. My concern here, once we get through the grieving, is that this hate group, because they look like us, that our conservatives and Republicans will use this to justify the fact that they don't own the white hate group space, who are killing more police officers than black

people could ever kill on an annual basis. And so, you know, I don't think hate speech has never been free speech. I think whether, if you're a hateful group, however you define them, and it needs to be defined, then I think you lose your First Amendment right. I think whether, if you're a hateful group, however you define them and it needs to be defined, then I think you lose your First Amendment right. I just do. Well, in fact, look, they already do that. That's not the law, by the way, but I believe that. Chris, they're

already doing that. I mean, all of a sudden, oh, the media, you're not even covering this story because of these black separatists, but if they were white, you would be all over it. Well, you know, we, as I say to conservatives all the time, we go back to Timothy McVeigh, we go to Dylann Roof, we go to a number of these people,

and I think that's a huge part of the problem. It is easier to say that they are Middle Eastern or they are this or that or the other. The fact is that what Timothy McVeigh did was in fact terrorism. I mean, that's the fact. Why is it harder because they're white? I mean, if they're white terrorists, they're white domestic terrorists.

So what? They're all bad. Well, we don't disagree on that. Because America don't like saying that. Yeah. I haven't taken any CBD, but we don't. saying that white is pure they don't have terrorism they don't Jesus is white see here's a here's the thing thing. You're talking about Republicans, conservatives. So let me be clear. Just asking.

No, no, no, no, no. Let me be clear. Okay? Well, come on, make it clear. I got to go. Okay, I'll make it clear. From my perspective, I am a conservative. I'm not crazy.

I'm not a nut. I'm conservative. That's it. Okay? So in a lot of cases... I didn't suggest any of that, though, without a doubt. You intimated that. Well, do you have something in writing

that would support your position? I'm just asking. I don't know. I mean, I... Read my book. Oh, okay. But I think that if they admit it, they also have to come to the fact that there is a lot of domestic terrorism that continues to go on.

Because these are becoming less and less isolated incidents and happening more regularly. And typically, the person does look like white America. I think that's a very hard thing for America to swallow. Speaking of looking like white America, Megan Rapinoe, she was named the Sports Illustrated

Sportsman of the Year. But she had no issue taking Sports Illustrated to task when it comes to what the room looked like. Go to my iPad. Alright, let's see here. We're going to switch it up here.

Alright, let's see here. Hold on. I'm going to restart it. Alright, you got it? Alright, we're trying to get them to see it. Let me know when you see it. Alright, how's it now? Still don't see it? All right, here we go. Build the audio up.

All right, not sure. We're trying to work the audio up. All right, not sure. We're trying to work the audio out. So let's try it again. Because if you're getting the video, you should be getting the audio. So we're going to restart it. So basically, of course, in her speech, of course, this is the soccer player

who took a knee after Colin Kaepernick did. And so she was named, again, Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated and so she spoke to the diversity. And while we don't get to choose what it is that we witness, we are the gatekeepers of those stories and we do get to decide how we bear witness to the world around us and to the truth that we see. Is it true that I am the fourth woman deserving of this award? I don't think so. Is it true that so few writers of color deserve to be featured in this publication?

No. Is it true that so few women's voices deserve to be heard and deserve to be read in this publication? I don't think so. Or any story that we could write. And while we don't get to choose what it is that we... See, don't you notice how quiet that room was? See, this is the fundamental issue with mainstream media. Mainstream media reports on everybody else.

Mainstream media, oh, you'll be on CNN. That'd be, Chris, what's wrong with the Republican Party and diversity? Scott, you might be on Fox News. Well, Scott, well, why can't the Democrats appeal to black voters? You could have picked any other network. I'll send you on Fox News. No.

Because they call milk toast Negroes. But I'm not a milk toast Negro. They call you. They stop calling on you. Anyway, so. Oh, she milk toast Negroes, too. No, I said they stop calling. Oh, they stop calling.

Yeah, because they like milk toast. Okay, so, but the point is, the reality is, media, we cover everybody else. We talk about diversity and numbers in every industry. Hollywood, they write about diversity of the studios, of the talent agencies, but not their own places. And that reaction is what you typically see because you got largely white men and white editors at these media

outlets who are executives who believe themselves to be progressive and they never ever look around the room and say where in the hell is the color? And because nobody reports on media. Nobody.

And that was a great example of allyship from her and that's what we example of allyship from her. And that's what we need. We need that from... I'm not saying she was part of the 51% on the white women that got Trump elected, but we need that 2%, 3%, 5%, 10% of them to step forward in that manner.

And she didn't just step forward for people like her. She stepped forward for all of the groups that are not represented. And I thought that that was good work. It's like, look, when we on the board of NABJ, National Association of Black Journalists, was calling out Sene for lack of diversity, I didn't hear Jake Tapper say a word.

I didn't hear the other anchors. I didn't hear Anderson or Wolf or any of them say, you know what? NABJ's got a point. No black executive producers or VPs or SP... or SVPs or EVPs or direct reports. Now, because of our pressure,

four black folks got promoted. But the bottom line is, folks got quiet. Now, maybe they said something internally. Mm, I doubt it. But that's... but that's... but that's... but that's one of the fundamental problems with media. And so for her to stand there on a night where she's accepting their biggest award

and to call them out for the lack of writers of color, places where Jonathan Rogers, my mentor, my alpha brother, who was the first black staff writer at Sports Illustrated, Roy Johnson, who later was an editor at Sports Illustrated, Ralph Wiley was a writer there. But that is the case, and if you want to see

the real deal when it comes to race, oh, go to the sports press box. You think you got a problem on the news side, hell, look at the sports side. Yeah, but she was very, very comfortable and very direct, without emotion almost, talking about, and she raised it in a question form, right? The reason that audience is quiet,

the reason that, in your example, Jake Tapper and others didn't raise the issue with NABJ is because, hell, let's be honest, you know? If they... They want their jobs. They want to keep making millions of dollars. And I don't have a problem with women that would do that. But where do the... What happens to the voices within media organizations

that raise those issues? What happens to those voices? They're removed. No, no, no, no. Here's the real. With the witness. Nuh-uh. If you white and you at the top of the food chain, you're going to be right there. But that's not a place of comfort for those who make the most or even make any money.

And that's the damn point. And they will argue that they're not comfortable with the racism and sexism, but it may or may not be their place to raise it. No, it is not. They don't know how to raise it. No, it is. I agree with the last one. No, it is their place, because here's the piece. They may disagree with you. No, it is. Well, they don't know how to raise it. No, it is. I agree with the last one. No, it is their place,

because here's the piece. They may disagree with you. No, it is their place. Here's why. Because if you are a TV anchor and you are comfortable pressing a head of the RNC or pressing the head of the DNC

or pressing a company's CEO or pressing someone else, if you are comfortable asking them the questions, well, damn it, you should have the guts to be able to ask your own bosses why we got a problem. And it'd be nice to look around your newsrooms. And part of the issue that what we're- Is that in their contract, by the way?

Hold up. What you just described, is that in their contract? It ain't in my contract. Okay, then. But guess what? And you ain't on CNN either. No, no, no, no. But guess what?

It's not in my contract. But damn it, if I understand humanity, if I understand why we need to have progress, if I understand that something has to change, and to Demonic's point,

when you have allies who are willing to use their power and leverage. If you are in an operation where you're the top of the food chain, you have leverage. Agree with all of that.

Let me tell you something. But if they choose not to, you can't make it wrong. No, no, no. When Fox News went through all that sort of stuff with sexual harassment, and when those women,

when Fox News came to Megyn Kelly and said, we want you to issue a statement of support of Roger Ailes, she went, and I won't. Who you talking to? Her silence...

Her silence spoke loudly and then when he got fired, she still spoke up on the issue. And so what I'm saying is, to the point about allies, white folks who are supposedly conscious, white folks who are supposedly progressive need to be using their voices in these spaces

because guess what? They might have a better shot with a white person across the table than one of us because you know what? Ain't one of us in the room. You left out Money Waller. Go ahead. But I agree with the second part of what Scott was saying.

Different but the same, I have had multiple conversations with higher-ups in the evangelical community, with senior pastors and with their teams who have wanted to get themselves unassociated with all of this hate and foolishness that has become what evangelicals are identified as. But I've had to tell me directly, Monique, I tried, and I got pummeled. I got pummeled from my side, which I knew was coming, but I got pummeled from your side, too, because my language wasn't right, and I didn't know how to say what needed to be said and I

retreated. And she told me because I was trying to put a little multicultural diversity thing together she's like, you better have me the whole way. She said like, don't let me go because and there are others who do not speak out. So sometimes

we think that we just don't have any allies and the truth is no, we've beat we just don't have any allies. And the truth is, no, we've beat up the baby, the bathwater. We've thrown them all out together to the point that they don't trust us enough to help us

because they don't see us as allies. Which means, which means, which means that you don't have enough black folks around you who you can go to confidently and confide in and say,

look, I'm gonna need you some help on this. How do I say without killing myself? If you are a white evangelical out there and you need some help on this, call Jim Wallace. He can help you, walk you through your whiteness and your religion and this whole issue. But again, Amisha, the reason I'm raising this

is because it continues to be a problem and the only way... Look, when Spike Lee, uh... I forgot which one of the movies he did, and he said, look, don't come holler at me for an interview unless you seen a black writer. How dare you? Then they went. Then they went.

We gotta find one. Shit, ain't nobody black. They don't have anybody black. I mean, some editor said, it didn't dawn. Shit, ain't nobody black. They don't have anybody. I mean, some editors said, it didn't dawn on me, ain't nobody. They were like, damn, are you in the mail room? Right. Can you write?

Can you? And that's the piece. Right, or Beyonce and Gabrielle Union just now said, first time with a lead photographer for a photo shoot for these magazines they've done over and over again. Or all these black women in Hollywood say, -"Can I find somebody to do some black hair right?" -"To do your hair." But I do think there's something to be said

about how being an ally is communicated, to your point. Because depending on your audience, depending on the organization you're in, how you approach this is gonna be very different. I think that, to the example you rolled earlier with Meghan, Meghan did it with a level of accountability that also did not sound attack-worthy. Megan, Megan did it with a level of accountability that also did not sound attack-worthy.

Yes, people were still shocked, but it wasn't, you're wrong, you're wrong, you're wrong, and automatically people shut down. Here's the deal. However you want to do it, all I'm simply saying is this here. When you have white people in white spaces and you looking around and, look, I'm a man. I don't need a woman to sit here and have to walk me

through going yo where are the women at can a woman not be i'm serious i don't need a woman to have to say okay roll the mix but no can we get a woman in the executive position? Can we get a woman on the board of directors? Can we get a woman who's a VP or EVP or SVP or direct report? I don't need no damn crib sheet to go, okay, this is how. No! I'm all

asking white folks to open their damn eyes and go, damn! But you have to have a congressman about it, though. And they don't. Hold up, hold up. Those decision makers don't. Hold up, no, no, no. But the point I'm raising is, because when I worked at the

Fort Worth Star Telegram, I was getting ready for our union convention, I look into the editor's room and I'm like, damn, this is my damn white room. So when they got out, my editor, Mike Minichini, I said, Mike, let me ask you a question. He said, if a Don know you how white that room is... And what did he say? I did. I was a city hall reporter.

I didn't give a damn early. Y'all, this is my second job in the business. I ain't give a damn then. He said, no, I said, let me ask you a question, Mike. If you went to the Women's Chamber of Commerce event, how quickly would you realize you wanted a few dudes in a room? He said, probably wouldn't take me long.

I said, okay. I said, if you went to the Black Chamber of Commerce event, how long would it take you to realize ain't that many white people here? Right. I said, you gonna feel that thing, huh? He said, yeah. I said, but if you went to just the regular table conference event, it probably wouldn't dawn on you

that it's mostly white. He says, precisely. I said, see, Mike, the difference between me and you, I got to know the room. I walk into a room and go, damn, it's all women here. Damn, it's all black people here. Damn, it's all white people here. Damn, it's all white people here. I said, Mike, what I need you to do

is to walk into the room and open your damn eyes. And that's the piece that I'm trying to get more of these folks to understand is I need you to open your eyes. I need you just to sometimes sit there and

just like, don't talk and go Yeah, it's all men in this room Deciding something it's a level of awareness But it's beyond that Roland if you listen the top three issues in every black person's life on a day-to-day basis Racism one of the top three top five when black person's life on a day-to-day basis, race is in one of the top three, top five. When they do the same poll on people that don't look like us, on white people, white America,

they say, where's the issue of race or sex on your top ten issues or top five issues? Race or sex isn't in that top five. I got it. So you got to get people to think about it because it's not a day-to-day issue for them. And what I'm trying to get them to do... That's no excuse for them either.

I'm just saying. No, no. What I'm asking, I don't even want you to start thinking yet. I just want you to actually open your eyes. Scott, do you understand that perfect example? The day Kamala Harris dropped out, we had a panel of two men and one woman.

Monique canceled. I said, ain't no way in hell on the day Kamala Harris dropping out, we gonna have three dudes on the panel. And you bumped me and put three women on the panel after that. Precisely. I didn't like that. Set your ass on the sidelines. I wasn't on the sidelines. No, you were on the panel. And you bumped me and put three women on the panel after that. Precisely. I didn't like that. Set your ass on the sideline.

Why wasn't it the sideline? No, you were on the damn side. You were standing over in that corner about 45 minutes. I love it. You did not leave me and I canceled.

No, you canceled. Okay, but I did. Hold up. Hold up, y'all. Monique canceled. I called. How your broke ass going to cancel

when I'm trying to sit here? And so then I flipped it. Because then all of a sudden when you turn the TV on, we had an all-female panel. That's because I opened my damn eyes. I could have easily been like, Jackie, whoever you book, cool. No, I went,

I can't talk about this black woman dropping out of the race and have all dudes on the damn panel. Just like when I was at CNN filling in for Campbell Brown, all this stuff, Oprah and everybody, when Chris Brown beat up Rihanna. Every discussion, it was women, women.

I said, don't y'all think we might want to have an all-male panel? A white producer, Rebecca Cutler, who is now one of the top execs at CNN. She's like, for what? If we're going to talk about domestic violence, can we talk about the people who are largely the one doing the abusing?

So it might make sense. They fought me like... Now, we did it, because I was like, damn it, we're going to do it, but they fought me like a dog on it. Fought me on it. I was like, y'all, if you're going to talk about domestic violence, you've got to stop having all women discussing domestic violence.

Somebody has to talk to the men. And they were like, damn, that's a good idea. That's all I'm saying. Let's be afraid of what the men would say, which is really simple. No, it's called... What it was is, you were used to one thing, unless you're afraid of what the men would say. No. Which is really simple. No, it's called... No, no, no, no.

You shouldn't be worried about that. What it was is you were used to one thing, and somebody was saying, let's look at this thing differently. And that's what I'm trying to get folks to do. Open your eyes. That's why I use the phrase, you can be present or have presence.

Yeah. If you present, you're like, let's go on to meeting. Presence means, hold up, Can we get a woman in here? Matter of fact, hell can we get to? Can we get somebody black in here? can be we want a conference call at CNN his whole debate over white white Hispanics and And and somebody on the car Then this was one of those calls we had like about a thousand people who want to call across the world and Spiner was

Like there are no white experience by what excuse me I'm one. I said, see, I told y'all. Because I was trying to explain to them there are white Hispanics. And they did this whole debate. And the white folks were saying, ain't no such thing as white Hispanics.

And a white Hispanic went up. I'm one. Boom. Then somebody went, me too. Boom. Me too. And I'm like, see, if y'all learn to ask the damn question and talk to people. That's all I'm one. Boom. Then somebody went, me too. Boom. Me too. And I'm like, see, if y'all learn to ask

the damn question and talk to people. That's all I'm saying. So, Megan opened her damn eyes and said, here's what we see. This is also how things get changed. When white people open their eyes and say,

we might want to get a few more folks in the room. That's all I'm saying. And when you have that level of power in a media company, yeah, you can do it. It's no different than when you black and you got juice. When you want... Brian Gumbel had juice at Today Show.

Gil King got juice at CBS. Stephen A. Smith got juice at ESPN. So the same thing. If you black and you got juice at CBS. Stephen A. Smith got juice at ESPN. So the same thing. If you black, if you got juice, use it. But if you white, damn it, use it as well. Don't sit there silent and say, wait, wait, y'all keep fighting that thing.

No, get your ass in the game. Get your ass in the game and say something. Right. Root for you, root for you. Oh, that makes me sick. That's why I call them damn parking lot militants. Talk all that shit in the parking lot and when you go inside like you were talking

all that shit outside last night, you gonna back me up in here? Hell no. All right, I gotta go, y'all. Support Roland Martin

Unfiltered by going to RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. Every dollar you give goes to support this show and what we do. I want to thank Monique, Chris, Scott, and Amisha. No. Anyway. You be decent. to support this show and what we do. I wanna thank Monique, Chris, Scott, and Amisha.

Anyway. Anyway. Anyway, Erica, do me a favor, just cut his ass off for at least about three weeks. So, support what we do, y'all. Support us, of course, Cash App, PayPal, and Square. And of course, this show's been on for air for 14 months. Cash app, PayPal, and Square. And of course, we all... This show's been on air for 14 months. Scott still ain't rolling a check. I want to let y'all know that.

Okay, he didn't promise him that, but we still ain't seen it. Right, right, right! Got money! I don't like how you talk to me. Oh, okay. He ain't sharing a damn thing. He ain't sharing nothing. He ain't sharing nothing. So y'all support what we do. We keep it real. We keep it black.

That's the only way we roll. Y'all take care. I got to go. I'll see y'all tomorrow. How! I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no.

This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war.

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