#RolandMartinUnfiltered - 2.26: John Legend stumps for Elizabeth Warren; #DemDebate recap; Coronavirus fears rise

Episode Date: February 27, 2020

2.26.20 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: John Legend stumps for Elizabeth Warren; #DemDebate recap; Coronavirus fears rise; South Carolina #DemDebate recap; Donald Trump says don't worry about the coronavirus; Dylann Roof goes on a hunger strike because he's not being treated well in prison. #RolandMartinUnfiltered partner: Are you looking to enhance your leadership or that of your team in 2020? Join Dr. Jacquie Hood Martin as she engages others to think like a leader. Register and start the online course today! www.live2lead.com/Leesburg #RolandMartinUnfiltered is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. 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. We asked parents who adopted teens to share their journey. We just kind of knew from the beginning that we were family. They showcased a sense of love that I never had before. I mean, he's not only my parent, like he's like my best friend.

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Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Today is Wednesday, February 26, 2020. Roland Martin here broadcasting live from Charleston, South Carolina. Well, just in a few moments, John Legend will be leading a rally for Senator Elizabeth Warren. Coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered, we'll go live to this event. In addition, new poll out shows Joe Biden up 18 points here in South Carolina. Last night, there was a messy debate that took place in Charleston, South Carolina.

We'll show you some of that. And also, remember Dylann Roof, the white supremacist who killed nine African-Americans at Emmanuel AME right here in Charleston? Well, guess what? He's on a hunger strike. Oh, boo-hoo. It's time to bring the funk and roll the bark down the filter. From South Carolina, let's go.

He's got it. Whatever the piss, 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 knowing Putting it down from sports to news to politics With entertainment just for kicks

He's rolling With some go-go-royale It's rolling, Martin Rolling with rolling now He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best. You know he's Roland Martin now. Martin. Hey, folks, Roland Martin here in Charleston, South Carolina,

where we are at this rally that's going to be led by John Legend for Senator Elizabeth Warren. You see it is a packed house here in the music hall here in Charleston, South Carolina. Folks downstairs, upstairs as well. I was just backstage with John Legend and Senator Elizabeth Warren chatting with both of them. And so they were earlier today at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. So they're at a rally already. This is the second one they're having today. All the candidates are all across South Carolina.

A couple of hours ago, Bernie Sanders was in Myrtle Beach for a rally. He also had a huge rally at the Coliseum here in Charleston, South Carolina. Pete Buttigieg, he was down for the day, a little bit ill. But all the candidates, though, spoke this morning at Reverend Alice Sharpton's National Action Network Ministers Conference. We live-streamed that event. We're going to show some of that a little bit later. But here is a state of the race in South Carolina. Clemson University dropped their new poll today, the Palmetto State Poll,

showing that Joe Biden is up 18 points here in South Carolina. A distant second is Tom Steyer with 17 points. Joe Biden with around 38 percent. Tom Steyer with 17. Four points behind Tom Steyer is Senator Bernie Sanders. And fourth is Elizabeth Warren at around 10. And then you have Klobuchar as well as Buttigieg. And so Joe Biden desperately needs to win by a big number in South Carolina to revive his campaign.

If Joe Biden wins South Carolina, this will be the first state he's ever won in the three times he has run for president. But remember, Super Tuesday is just four days later. The Biden campaign announced today, a buy that they're actually taking as well out. They have not been money up on air. In addition to that, though, Michael Bloomberg, according to Nate Silver at 538, he is dropping in the polls. People saw that first debate, did not like what they see.

He's not been polling well. And so it's all kind of things are happening in the polls. People saw that first debate, did not like what they see. He's not been polling well. And so it's all kind of things are happening in this race. The question is, if Warren comes in fourth, then Buttigieg, and then, of course, Klobuchar, do they drop out? Do they stay until Super Tuesday? Let's go right to it with our panel. Joining us there in Washington, D.C., is A. Scott Bolden, of course, with the National Bar Association Political Action Committee. Also in studio there is Joseph Williams, of course, who is a senior editor for U.S. News & World Report, Pam Keith, attorney and activist. Joseph, I want to start with you.

Again, this state is crucial for Vice President Joe Biden. He's been leading in all the polls. He's been, of course, his numbers are shrinking, though. Tom Steyer has really cut into his black support nationally. Bernie Sanders is now tied or in some polls ahead of Joe Biden among African-Americans. I dare say Joe Biden does not win this state by double digits. Do not be shocked, Joseph, if people say that it's time for him to drop out. I mean, he's put all his chips on this number. And you saw it last night.

He was energized more than he was before. His debate performance has improved because he knows this is it. He does not win South Carolina or he wins South Carolina by a narrow margin. It is done. So I think that that reflects a lot of the performance we saw from him last night. And the rest of the race kind of falls from there. It's not that unexpected for Bernie Sanders to stumble in a state like this even though he has shored up his African-American support nationwide. Black people are still a little suspicious of him especially the frequent voters people in middle age people older who tend to go to the polls a lot more frequently than young people do. So his slippage is not that surprising. What the question is what I THINK THE QUESTION IS WHAT DOES HE DO COMING OUT IN SUPER TUESDAY? DOES HE CONTINUE HIS MESSAGE AND TAILORING IT TOWARDS THE

BROADER ELECTORATE OR DOES HE TRY TO SHORE UP HIS BLACK SUPPORT? IT SEEMS LIKE THE ANSWER TO ME IS KIND OF OBVIOUS. LOOK, PAM, BOM LONDON IS HERE. VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN NEVER

TALKED ABOUT THEIR SUPPORT OF THE BLACK PEOPLE. HE'S NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THEIR SUPPORT OF THE BLACK I mean, it seems like the answer to me is kind of obvious. Look, Pam, bottom line is this here. Vice President Joe Biden needs a strong number, not only for his own campaign, but he needs for some of these other moderate candidates to drop out. According to a poll released in Texas that Sanders and Biden are neck and neck in Texas. But according to that poll, Michael Bloomberg is eating into Joe Biden's support. If Michael Bloomberg was not in a race, Joe Biden would be up seven points in Texas.

And so Biden really needs for Klobuchar, for Buttigieg, for Steyer, possibly for even Warren to get out of this race so it can really come down to race between him, Sanders, and a Bloomberg. I don't know that it helps Joe Biden if Elizabeth drops out. She's a progressive. The majority of her supporters, if they were given an option, would go to Bernie Sanders. I don't know that that necessarily helps him. But for sure, big questions need to be asked of Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg, especially if they don't increase their appeal to voters of color. And I'm not seeing that happen. I mean, I'm sure I am seeing some sort of efforts on the part of Mayor Buttigieg. But Amy Klobuchar, even last night, you know, still hasn't uttered the word black people.

And I don't know that she ever has. Her claim to fame is how much Midwest white people and how much Republicans love her. And that's fine, but that's just not going to get it done in a Democratic primary. The thing that I think is particularly interesting is what happens in this dynamic between Biden and Bloomberg. The whole bet was that Bloomberg could weaken Biden enough to show himself to be the stronger horse. Last night, it was very clear, and certainly the previous debate, it was very clear that Mike is great in ads and lousy on the stage. Joe Biden's

not great on the stage, but he's better than Mike Bloomberg. And at the bottom line, Joe Biden is still a tried and true Democrat, and Mike Bloomberg was a Republican for the majority of his political life. Now, that's not to say he's not electable. I'm not suggesting that. But I am suggesting that he has taken positions and done things that would cause the average Democrat, the voting Democrat, to be suspicious or ill at ease. I'm not saying he's a deal-breaker.

I'm just saying there are people who are going to feel ill at ease about that. In the end... Guys, listen. if I may. If I may. Okay, this election is so different from any other election. I don't think the electorate, black, white, yellow, brown, cares about any of these litmus test issues, cares about what the flaws in regard to the black community

all seven of these candidates have. There's a bottom line proposition proposition and it's beat Trump. The real question for Biden is this. It's always this. Where does he go from here? Is he a one trick pony, wins South Carolina? He's only got three or $4 million on hand. Does that generate more donations

and so he can compete on Super Tuesday? Or are the moderates just going to continue to cannibalize one another and give Bernie Sanders the victory? It's not about South Carolina. I'm convinced Biden is going to win that. But can he survive through Super Tuesday? And who gets out before Super Tuesday? Who gets out after Super Tuesday? But, Scott.

Yeah. But, Scott, first of all, you're wrong on that point about... Well, I'm right. You just disagree. We know it's about beating Trump. I'm right. You just disagree. No, Scott.

You can't get to beat Trump unless you win the nomination. That's true. The reality is black voters are making determinations in terms of the various issues from these different candidates. They are doing that. Now, you asked the point about Biden and what is happening there. Look, I just told you, Biden is running neck and neck there in Texas. Also, he's running neck and neck in North Carolina.

There are 16 states and territories that are actually voting on Tuesday. That's a third of the delegate. One second, one second, one second. And the reality is, OK, Biden is doing very well. The question, though, is and this is the thing, Joseph, when you break down the numbers, if you look at Michael Bloomberg, his numbers are falling. If Bloomberg does not win several states, doesn't do well on Super Tuesday, Bloomberg potentially could be the one to drop out if it is clear that he is now getting in the way of Joseph Biden. Well, it's looking that way.

I mean, he's had two back-to-back really bad performances. Warren is eating him alive. She's raising a lot of these issues that are going to raise questions in the minds of voters. And really, what is Bloomberg's message beside the fact that he believes he's the moderate who can beat Trump? What is he going to do? What is his plan? What is he talking about? What is his broader appeal to the electorate other than the fact that he's a moderate and not Donald Trump? He's got very real image problems, not the least

of which is he's another plutocrat who's running for the nomination and who, by and large, has bought his way into the race. A lot of people are really not interested in seeing a replay of 2016 only from the left instead of from the right. Well, what are the other candidates doing? They're buying their way in the race. They just don't have $60 billion. So they raise it from their followers and supporters. And the great difference, Baker, is can you get more votes than the next guy? It doesn't care. It's all money. In order to raise money, you have to have support. You have to have people who believe in your message.

You have to have people who are willing to open up a checkbook, stroke a check. $2, $5, $200, $250. Now, Bloomberg strokes his own check, and he's raised up in the polls. He may be dropping in the polls. But this whole thing of buying your way into an election? It's just nonsense. It really is. Voting is the bottom line, and that's the denominator.

It really isn't. Listen, you can't win with money, but you can win with votes. Hold on, folks. I need all of you to listen. Stop talking. Stop talking. I of you to listen. Stop talking. Stop talking. I need you to listen. We can have this back and forth about money, but here's the deal. That's not what voters here are saying.

The point is simply this. If you break down this race, you have not seen this number of candidates in the race since 1992 when Bill Clinton was in the race. Okay? In 2016, you only had two. In 2008, you only had two. And so you do have folks who were in various lanes. Senator Bernie Sanders has the strongest organization, and we know 28, 29, 30 percent how that is faring. What is really about to happen is, again, what happens on Saturday, Super Tuesday follows. The real thing, what's going to happen on March 4th, when people step back and assess and say,

now where do we go from here? Now, again, it's going to be some tough questions for Buttigieg, for Klobuchar, as well as for Warren as to what they do. I say the wild card, even though he's already spent $500 million. If Mike Bloomberg shows significant weakness on Tuesday, Super Tuesday, because he's not on the ballot here in South Carolina, I wouldn't be surprised if his folks say with all the money he's spent,

you're actually going to make it easier for Sanders to win the nomination if you stay in. Again, Joe Biden, even though he's been broke really for the last two months, he is still polling in first in several states. But he needs money to go forward. What are you going to do about the lack of money going forward? Scott, Scott, Scott, Scott, this is very simple, Scott. If Joe Biden wins South Carolina and then all of a sudden he wins Texas and he wins North Carolina and several others, you know what's going to happen?

Ask Pam. She's run for office. Money is going to come in. And so the bottom line is, is here. Joe Biden has the potential, if he wins several states, to show that he actually has resilience and strength. They're also going to say, hey a minute, what's going on here? We got a bet on the guy who won. And so that's what you got to look at here.

He owns the potential with a capital P. Pam, one second. Pam, go ahead. I want people to understand that out there you have different classes of donors. You have donors who give based on their passions, and then you have donors that give based on their desire for future access right those are the ones who stroke the bigger checks right because they feel but they're gonna bet on the horse that they think is gonna win because they want proximity

to that horse when they do win it's about political access and so the people who are holding off on Joe Biden just in case Bloomberg is the stronger horse or Buttigieg is a stronger horse, once they see that Joe is really beginning to pull ahead and it's a better bet to get with him, they're going to stroke those checks to Joe Biden. They want to be with the winning horse and they're not ideological like that. So that's a different type of donor. But I honestly agree that that kind of donor can write you big checks and lots of checks and bundle checks, but they can still only show up with one vote at the poll. And what Bernie has going for him is passionate people who will actually show up and work and knock doors and do the work on the ground. And that is his advantage.

He also has a dispersed fundraising model, which means that his donors never max out, because they're given $5, $10 a month, so they never max out. He can constantly count on that money coming in, and it's never gonna run out. My only point with Joe Biden, and you all expanded it to Super Tuesday, I'm talking about, I don't think the checkbooks

from those donors you just described are gonna open up to big donations simply because he did what he was supposed to do. He was always supposed to win South Carolina. The key for him, like everyone else, and I agree with Roland, is that what is he going to do on Super Tuesday? And he's going to need money to cover Super Tuesday. And I don't think that money flows before. It flows afterwards if he turns out to win several. But Scott, but Scott, you're actually wrong. The Biden campaign. I'm actually right.

You disagree with me. Say it that way. You disagree. You're wrong. I don't like you telling me I'm wrong. I've got an opinion. Listen, Scott, here's why you're wrong. Your opinion is wrong because it's not rooted in facts.

Just today, just today, the Biden campaign announced their ad buy where they're going up with their ads in a number of states. They also announced the heads of six state campaigns. It happened today. So, again, you're wrong. You're giving an opinion. It's not based upon fact. I'm not wrong. What is happening is this here.

Those dollars came from Super PAC. Scott, Scott, allow me to finish. Listen to me. Scott, Scott, no, it's not a super PAC, Scott. It was announced by the Joe Biden campaign. Super PACs in the campaigns cannot coordinate. So the campaign cannot announce an ad by a political action committee. I said a lot of those ads, not all, are coming from super PACs.

Scott, no, they're not. Scott, they're not. The Biden campaign announced a new Biden. The bottom line is this year. I understand about the campaign by announced by them. The bottom line a new Biden. The bottom line is this year. I understand about the campaign. One second. The bottom line is this year. I'm not disagreeing with you there.

The bottom line is this year. The Biden campaign came in second in Nevada. What is happening is the donors are realizing, okay, if he does well last couple of debates, and I said this two weeks ago, what was going to happen? Biden somehow comes in second in Nevada, wins South Carolina. Folks can take a deep breath, and he's not in trouble there. Then Super Tuesday, only four days later.

The real issue is what's going to happen come March 4th, last night. A lot of folks not happy. A lot of folks not happy last night with the debate on CBS in terms of losing out of control. Here is some of what took place in last night's debate here in Charleston, South Carolina. Mr. President Biden, I want to make I want to bring us to another topic. We're in South Carolina. It's the first primary with a significant black voting population. Your numbers appear to be slipping with black voters. And I'm wondering if you could respond about why that is happening to you at this

particular time. Well first of all the latest poll I saw my numbers I'm still 15 points ahead the latest poll. Yes, yes you're correct. But Senator Sanders is in striking distance of you. You are within the margin of error in this in this state. Well it depends which poll. Look I've earned the vote. I've worked like the devil to earn the vote of the African-American community, not just here, but across the country. I've been coming here for years and years, creating jobs here, making sure that the port, for example, that employs one in 11 people. We put $500 million in our administration just into this county. We've created jobs for people. The people know me. My entire career has been wrapped up in dealing with civil rights and civil liberties. I don't expect anything. I plan to earn the vote. I'm

here to ask. I'm here to earn it. But folks, I intend to win South Carolina and I will win the African American vote here in South Carolina. Every single policy area in the United States has a gigantic subtext of race. We're talking about education, we're talking about criminal justice, we're talking about housing, we're talking about loans. I started a bank to basically to correct the injustice in the financial services industry. Basically to make loans to black owned, Latino owned and women owned businesses. We've supported over 8000 affordable housing units. But more than that, I believe I'm the only person on this stage who believes in reparations for slavery. Something happened.

We should have a formal commission on race to retell the story of the last 400 plus years in America of African Americans, of systematic legal injustice, discrimination and cruelty, but also of 400 plus years of contribution in terms of building the United States of America and leading the United States of America from a moral standpoint. Mayor to mayor, mayor to mayor, you've certainly had your issues with the black community as well. Do you think the New York city's implementation of stop and frisk was racist? Yes, in effect it was because it was about profiling people based on their race. And the mayor even said that they disproportionately stopped white people too often and minorities

too little. And I'm not here to score points. I come at this with a great deal of humility because we have had a lot of issues, especially when it comes to racial justice and policing in my own community. And I come to this with some humility because I'm conscious of the fact that there's seven white people on this stage talking about racial justice. None of us, none of us have the experience, the lived experience of, for example, walking down the street or in a mall and feeling eyes on us, regarding us as dangerous without knowing the first thing about us just because of the color of our skin.

None of us have the experience that black women have had that drives that maternal mortality gap that we are all rightly horrified by, of going into a doctor and being less likely to have your description of being in pain believed because of your race. Since we don't have the experience, the next best thing we can do is actually listen to those who do. being less likely to have your description of being in pain believed because of your race. Since we don't have the experience, the next best thing we can do is actually listen to those who do. We let it get out of control. And when I realized that, I cut it back by 95 percent.

And I've apologized and asked for forgiveness. I've met with black leaders to try to get an understanding of how I can better position myself and what I should have done and what I should do next time. But let me tell you, I have been working very hard. We've improved the school system for black and brown students in New York City. We've increased the jobs that are available to them. We've increased the housing that's available to them. Joseph, I had some serious problems with last night's debate. I was sitting

in that audience, greatly frustrated, listening to what was being said. I had a problem listening to, again, lack of follow-ups, in-depth questions. And look, this was a debate, Joseph, sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. And frankly, African-Americans were not centered in this debate. And I keep saying every four years to the CBC, you got to make it clear you want black folks to be centered in this debate. And here you had discussions about North Korea, China, Syria, Russia. And I'm sorry, Africa has seven of the fastest growing, seven out of ten fastest growing economies in the world, no mention whatsoever. Trump banning Nigerians from coming in, no mention, calling African nations shithole

nations. And so, for me, it was a waste of two hours, Joseph. It was kind of like a lot of heat but no light in a food fight. W.W.F. whatever you want to talk about. But there were very serious issues that kind of got a once over. I mean we didn't hear anything about black unemployment rate. We didn't hear any detailed plans about plans about ways to reverse that. We heard some mention of stop and frisk mainly because it's become a headline and it's become the millstone around Bloomberg's net. But there were more practical issues that only got a once over. And if that, and I think that if this is the one shot, the one opportunity where after we pander to Iowa for a long time, we go to New Hampshire for a long time, two very homogenous states, you don't hear a lot about issues that are important to African Americans, but you have this one, it sort of reminds me of Black History Month or Black History Day, where it's this one shot out of the year where you guys get all this attention, then we're going to move on.

And because it was so superficial, it was incredibly frustrating. It was also very frustrating to not have the moderator, Gayle King of all people, pin people down and say, listen, what is your plan for black America? Where we get it, we understand you're trying to get an advantage and the next day's headline, but let's have some real talk. You've got an audience here that wants to hear this, and this is supposed to be the one debate where black issues matter. We didn't get very much of that. But are you really that surprised? I mean, you had seven white candidates. Pam, he was interesting. One second, one second.

One second, one second. He was interesting. Here you had Michael Bloomberg with his Tulsa initiative. You have Pete Buttigieg with his Frederick Douglass plan. Today, Tom Steyer released his 27-page report

or his 27-page agenda for Black America. I had an interview with him. We're going to air the interview on Friday's special edition of the show. Bottom line, Scott and Pam, you didn't even have the folks even asking those questions, and they had the plans right there that are specific to African Americans. And so I'm like, what the hell? Well, I think the answer to your question is that CBS had an agenda that was very different than the CBC or certainly the viewers.

CBS's agenda was gotcha questions that put the candidates on the defensive because that's what they think generates ratings. Fights generates ratings. Ooh, somebody drop kicked so-and-so, and that's what they were interested in but this debate like many other debates were all about jabbing the candidates without giving them an opportunity to really jab at Trump I mean you could have asked any number of questions about judges about the Constitution about the insertion into the rule of law about what he's doing internationally about coronavirus they didn't they didn't want to talk about anything that would allow our candidates to go on

the offensive. They wanted them on constantly the defensive. And more importantly, and I think Scott was making this point as well, which is, and you were, Roland, quite frankly, doing an excellent job of making the point that there are so many things that uniquely or disproportionately affect the African-American community. And CBS could have made those things central to the debate. Anywhere from infant mortality and maternal mortality, education, historically black colleges and universities, you know, the number of small businesses that are cut out of the government contracting process

and so on, there are so many places that they could have allowed the candidates to shine. But that was not their goal. Their goal was not to the candidates to shine. But that was not their goal. Their goal was not to allow candidates to shine. Their goal was to put them on the defensive and have them attack each other. But, Pam, I'm not convinced. And, Fast Scott, hold on one second. Hold on.

Hold on. And, Fast Scott, what's interesting is, so they asked Michael Bloomberg about stopping Frisk. No problem. No follow-up saying, wait a minute, Mayor, you say you cut about 95%. The federal judge, who was the one who ruled it unconstitutional, she was on television last week saying it was her ruling. Then she also said Joe Biden was wrong saying the Obama people sent in monitors when she said the monitors came in two years after her ruling. Then, then they turn to Klobuchar, ask her about something frisk when you don't, nothing about her job being a DA and also nothing about the brother who was giving interviews about

being in prison for 20 years, who said he never did it. And I'm sitting there like, did anybody read? And also, Scott, how in the hell no one asked Joe Biden about, Joe, when the hell did you get arrested in South Africa? Right, exactly. When you were going to see Nelson Mandela. And I'm just sitting there like, I'm like, the woman next to me in the debate, she says, you're really bothered by what is happening. I said, you're damn right I am. Yes, yes. Well, but two points.

All of these are flawed candidates. Remember, you got seven white candidates who don't want to be tested on their knowledge or their understanding, appreciation, or investment in black America and our communities. So even if you had the follow-up, these seven candidates, they understand and think they have knowledge of the mythology of the black experience, but you don't have anybody up there with black experience. You got everybody up there living off and through white privilege. And that's not, I'm not blaming them, but again, we need more diversity on stage, but the reporters had a greater responsibility

to press and stress them and you're right they simply did not follow up you can cross-examine you can keep a question tight keep an answer tight and discipline those candidates to answer they'll follow you but they need to be led. And there should have been several more questions about Black America and the Black experience. And I blame the CBC Institute. They should have been in there arguing or negotiating those questions versus letting CBS, I presume, I guess, kind of dictate what the tone and tenor and substance of the debate questions would be. I agree with Scott. Not one second, one second, one second, one second. No, I'm going to tell you who I blame. I blame the eight black broadcast and cable networks that did not have the common sense to come together and say, why can't we produce a debate for black America? And simulcast it.

Now, his was interesting. On Saturday night, ViacomCBS simulcast the NAACP Image Awards. It was on BET. It was on eight other networks, including Pop, including Logo, including Country Music Television, and several others. Now, you explain to me why TV One, why BET, BET Herd, TV One's Cleo TV, Aspire, Revolt, OWN, and Bounce

couldn't sit down and say, okay, if each one of us puts in $50,000, we can actually produce the debate and actually simulcast it. And you know what? If one of the larger networks wants to simulcast it as well, that's great. But we choose the moderators, we choose the questions, and we control it. This is a failure of black media, a failure of these individuals who, and here's the whole deal.

It's not going to kill their damn ratings to have a single debate one time every damn four years. And so I say, forget all these damn award shows, but this is at some point where black media needs to have some guts and be called out because here we are. Now, here's what we're actually doing. We are literally sitting here saying, oh my goodness, why didn't a, basically a mainstream network, white, why didn't they do this, this, this in a so-called black debate? There's no reason in the world we should be asking somebody else to tell our story and control the narrative. Right.

That's who I also call out. Final comment. But have you? I want to put three quick points in here, Roland, because I think you make an excellent point. First of all, let us... Okay, hold on, hold on. You ain't got time for three points.

Okay. You ain't got time for three points. Quick, quick, quick. The sickness with our media outlets is the same sickness with our fraternities and sororities. It's the same sickness with our churches. The fear of being political, especially because of where their financing comes from.

Number two, I want to make the point that we are bad to each other. Let's be honest about it. The questions that Kamala Harris got for being a cop, for being a prosecutor, doing her job, and the kind of hate she got from within her own community, and then turn around those same people

giving Mike Bloomberg a total pass on that, it's mind-blowing. That's something that we should consider. And one thing I do want to... But Roland said you couldn't make three points. I got something to say. But I'm going to give a shout-out to... I got to give a shout-out to Elizabeth Warren

because with that time that she did have, she actually tried to insert African-American issues in her answers. She actually offensively and aggressively did that. But Roland, I got one quick point. That is this. You're talking about after the fact. As vocal as you've been on this issue, I hope you said something

about these networks and what it should be before the debate, not after the debate. Not just after the debate. Scott, you obviously ain't watched this show. I'm a member of the fan club. Half a dozen times

in the, well, about time, but I've done this. If you only remember the fan club for one week, that reminds you. So I've done this very commentary

half a dozen times in the last six months. But did you have direct conversations with those networks? Did you have direct, I'm not talking about your broadcast,

direct conversations with those networks about these issues? direct, I'm not talking about your broadcast, direct conversations with those networks about these issues? I think you could do that better. Those networks, those networks won't even, a single network won't even have a conversation. That's kind of CBC's job too, isn't it? That is CBC's job too.

I said that. You know, they have to step up. Joseph Go. They have to step up. I mean, Joseph, go. They have to step up. If it's a failure of imagination, it's a failure of their imagination as well. Black broadcasting will be led. Black broadcasting will succumb to pressure. Black broadcasting will listen to the CBC if you get those heads in a room. They are not going to come up with it by themselves, obviously, because news apparently does not sell to black American video watchers. But if the CBC puts pressure on them, I think it can happen.

But they have to stand up. Roland has tons of stories of when he was with CNN or when they did this co-thing in 2016, a co-debate, and he was part of one of the questionnaires or something. He can tell you stories. You have to stand up. No, no, no. It wasn't debated. It was a town hall. Okay, town hall.

You have to stand up. You have to have someone like Roland Martin there or some of our strong journalists, whoever they may be, to stand up and tell the network, we're not doing that. We're going to go do this or we're going to ask these questions and when they push back, just do it. Just go do it. But the problem is who is that person, right? I mean, if you go to all do this, or we're going to ask these questions, and when they push back, just do it. Just go do it.

But the problem is, who is that person, right? I mean, if you go to all these networks, we are marginalized. We are not in the C-suites. We're not in the editorial decision-making process. We're reporters. We're editors occasionally. Maybe even now and again we might have a manager. We do not have people at that level that can command that kind of a presence to make that

request therefore and get the response and get the response therefore the cbc has the clout and and and and and you and joseph you're absolutely right because i can tell you right now look um when we did that town hall with cnn they were gonna run the hell over us if it wasn't for me yeah i'm telling you right now they they they they were gonna they relegated us they were going to run the hell over us if it wasn't for me. I'm telling you right now, they relegated us. They were going to have me off to the side. I told Brad Segal, who was the president, when he came to me and said we were doing this debate, this town hall with CNN, I said, Brad, they're going to screw us.

I said, when that debate opens, I better be center stage whoever's on CNN's side. Oh, no, no, no, we'll be fine. I said, yo, we're going to get screwed. We went through rehearsals. They were going to have me off the side. I told them, hell no. When that debate opens, it's going to be Jake Tapper and me center stage, or we're going to have a problem.

And they had to go fix that. During the actual town hall, they had Jake tossing to break, coming back from break. I was texting them live during the show saying, that. During the actual town hall, they had Jake tossing to break, coming back from break. I was texting them live during the show, saying, this is some bullshit. I know how to actually toss as well, and so it looks like

he was controlling the debate. Brad Segal and Jeff Zucker were in the truck, like, well, Jake gonna do this, Roland gonna do this. And then, when we were doing rehearsals, I'm telling you, this actually happened. At the end, they said, OK, at the end of the debate, Jake is going to introduce some documentary they were doing. I said, well, hell, since y'all going to do that,

I'm going to mention that I'm broadcasting live from the Ohio State Studio Union. They said, oh, we don't do that. We don't promote other networks. You don't do what? I said, well, let me tell you something. My artist, now listen, I'm telling you. I'm telling you.

I said, my artist don't give a damn about y'all documentary. I said, let me tell you what y'all going to do. Y'all going to figure this shit out. I said, so y'all going to get together, and y'all going to figure out. But I'm telling you what's going to happen. He going to introduce that documentary, and I'm going to say I'm broadcasting.

And trust me, the CNN people were pissed off than me. But the deal is, I told them, this is how this is going down. Y'all ain't disrespecting a black network, and y'all figured since we started The CNN people were pissed off than me. But the deal is, I told them, this is how this is going down. Y'all ain't disrespecting a black network, and y'all figure since we CNN, you know. And the problem is, you know, they even screwed us in their on-air promotion. In the press release, they told us we could not,

we were going to put it up in a TV one press release. We said we're going to ask black issues. They said, take it out of the press release. We said, hell no, we ain't taking it out. So the only reason all that went down is because I, the intention of 4-2 to saying, hell no, I'm taking a stand, and I told them it's going to be a problem if when that debate opens, I'm not standing center stage.

And the deal is, for everybody watching, that wasn't about my ego. That was about fighting for black presence and black media. And guess what? If the network execs at TV One weren't going to back me up, I ain't give a damn. I was going to do it anyway. But to Joseph's point, you ain't got a whole bunch of folks, even in black media, who roll the way I roll.

And that's the difference. And so that's the bottom line. I'm telling you right now, okay? Because here's the deal. Here's the deal. Y'all, do y'all have it queued up? Do y'all have it queued up from the prayer breakfast today? So here's what happened. Y'all get it queued up. So Amy Klobuchar, Senator Amy Klobuchar,

who's been ignoring black media this whole presidential election. We've been trying to get her on for a month. She just hasn't been available, Roland. No, wait. No, Scott, whatever. So, lying. So she spoke this morning at Sharpton's National Action Network

breakfast. I sent him a text and said, don't let her come up in here and nobody challenge her or not talking to black media. But when she got done, this is what Sharpton said. Let me say this. Senator, you see that gentleman? That's Roland Martin.

Your folks need to get with him. Y'all need to talk to the black press. I don't talk on both sides of my mouth, but I say on the radio, I say in public. I say I was going to tell you and Pete and all y'all talk talk to the black, there's Roland right there, so y'all get that together. Did I do my assignment, sir? All right. Thank you. of any campaign to achieve that. Beginning with the understanding that you cannot just wipe away a racist policy and replace it with a neutral one and expect that to deliver equality. Come on.

And of course I went backstage, of course I went backstage and I told Senator Klobuchar, your national communications director, Tim Hogan, has not been returning our phone calls and emails. And trust me, her whole staff eyes, their eyes are wide open. And then I said, y'all cancel the Color Change podcast. You ain't respond to Angela Rye.

You ain't respond to Darren Sands at BuzzFeed. All these black journalists. And so I let them be known. But the whole point is, you got to have black journalists and black media who's willing to stand up and fight folks and demand respect. That's what it boils down to.

Right. I agree. No, no, Roland, I agree. OREF gave you not only a shout out, but gave the campaign a directive, which again, you need that. You need, how many civil rights leaders would've done that? And so, it makes a difference. You know, how many civil rights leaders would have done that? And so it makes a difference.

You know, if you're in this position, Roland, if you're in your position, if Rev, Reverend Al Sharpton is in his position, you're there for a reason. And whatever your industry, you've got to stand up. I'm not talking about being offensive or argumentative or even disrespectful. Stand up for who you are, for your community, and for black people, and just tell it the way it is. That's the only way we're going to defeat or get some response. Now, you didn't mention what Amy Klobuchar said or whether her senior people said something,

but I hope what she said is that they're going to get together and they're going to start doing more black media. I hope. That's exactly what they said. Now we got to make them right. We got to make them right, Roland. Right. That's exactly what they said.

Okay, so here's, okay, one second, one second, one second. So here's the deal. There's an introduction going on right now, so let's do this here. We're going to play for you right now the interview that I did last night after the debate with Sarah Elizabeth Warren. So, guys, go ahead and play that right now. It's good to see you. Absolutely. Absolutely.

You've gotten aggressive in the last two debates. Now, now. I'm just calling the truth out. That's it. One of the things that, of course, when you talk about that, you were very pointed with Mayor Bloomberg, but also very pointed with Senator Sanders. Why that shift, especially at this point in the race? Look, I think it's become pretty clear to everybody that the Democratic Party is a progressive party and that progressive ideas are very popular. That means we

can't have one of those candidates on stage who just nibbles around the edges of problems. But it also means progressives are just going to have one shot at this to make real transformative change. And that means we got to have a president who has a track record for getting things done. And I got that. You've also been very clear when it comes to issues related to African-Americans, speaking to them more so than anyone else in these debates. But how do you move that needle for them to support you, not just in South Carolina, but especially those Super Tuesday states? Yeah. You know, it's mostly getting out and talking to folks, but it's also about making clear, you know, everybody on that stage will kind of say the same stuff, make the same promises that

have been made year after year after year. For me, I think it's time for a real shift. This notion that we just pass a bunch of policies that are race blind, we never talk about race other than to say, well, there's going to be some effect here. I think we actually have to move to race consciousness. So for example, I have a housing plan to build 3 million new housing units across this country. We've got to do that. But it has a specific section in it to counteract the effects of redlining.

I have a health care plan, I believe, in universal health care. But there's a specific part to deal with the high black maternal mortality rates. I have a plan for canceling student loan debt, but it specifically is designed to help close the black-white wealth gap among those with student loan debt by about 20 points. I want to invest directly into historically black colleges and universities. I got $50 billion set aside for that. Those are the kinds of things we've got to do. We've got to do it partly because morally it's the right thing to do, but we also got to do it because having opportunity means real opportunity. Not just saying after decades and decades and decades of redlining, well, okay, now you guys can buy houses. No, it's saying it had a real effect. It created a black-white wealth gap. That was our government that did that. Our government needs to make it right.

Last question. Democrats say, some Democrats say Senator Sanders is too far left. Can you become the alternative, being a strong progressive, but the alternative to Senator Sanders being the nominee? How do you make that case? Look, I am a progressive. I have good, rock-solid values. I know what I'm in this fight for. but I also have a history of getting it done. So, for example, as you know, both Senator Sanders and I both wanted to rein in Wall Street, built the coalition. Fought Joe Biden. Fought Joe

Biden, built the coalition and got it done. And President Obama asked me to come to Washington, spend a year to set up that agency for him. That's real change. Do you know that little agency has not only attacked discrimination and lending head on, it has also forced those banks to return more than $12 billion directly to people they cheated. You know, we can do progressive things, but we've got to get them done to make a real difference. And that's what I'm going to do. That's why I'm in this fight. All right. Thanks a lot. All right, folks, we're here in South Carolina at the Elizabeth Warren John Legend rally.

So right now, John Legend is about to come out. So we're going to go to the stage, listen to John Legend as he campaigns for Elizabeth Warren. To me, there are no greater patriots in America's long history than the black citizens who are willing to die for a nation that was denying them their rights. Mike Bloomberg is the only Democratic presidential candidate that has a real plan to fight for those sacrifices that have been taken for granted for far too long. And I've got to think it was in hopes that their service and sacrifice might redeem those rights for their children and grandchildren. Introducing the Greenwood Initiative, a bold new plan to help Black Americans create generational wealth. One, we will help a million more Black families buy a house. Two, we will double the number of Black-owned businesses.

Three, we will help Black families triple their wealth over the next 10 years to an all-time high. Mike will get it done. Visit mikeforblackamerica.com to learn more there are concrete proposals that we can afford and that we can get done and we will i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message paid for by mike bloomberg 2020 support roller mark unfiltered be sure to join our bring the funk fan club every dollar that you give to us supports our daily digital show.

There's only one daily digital show out here that keeps it black and keep it real. As Roland Martin Unfiltered, support the Roland Martin Unfiltered Daily Digital Show by going to RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. Our goal is to get 20,000 of our fans contributing 50 bucks each for the whole year. You can make this possible.

RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. All right, folks, so here's what's going on here. And so you have the introduction right here. And so John Legend is going to be leading this rally. So John Legend is going to talk about 15 minutes about Elizabeth Warren. Then he is going to bring Elizabeth Warren out on the stage to talk to this crowd here. As you can see, you've got, it's a pack at this music hall,

the Charleston Music Hall. And so we're upstairs here. You'll see all the folks who are here. Then, of course, you've got a full folks who are downstairs as well here tonight. Again, as I said, this is the second, second rally that John Legend has held in South Carolina today for Sir Elizabeth Warren. The first one was at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg. That took place this morning, and so now they are back in Charleston.

As I said, candidates, the seven-member candidates are all over South Carolina. Mike Bloomberg is not on the ballot here, but Mike Bloomberg is still campaigning with the events in South Carolina. Of course, he's on the ballot in the Super Tuesday states. And so that is what is happening. John Legend is here. I was backstage, actually, before the... I was backstage before

the event. Let me say goodbye to our panel. Let me thank Scott. Let me thank Pam. Let me thank Joseph. I appreciate them being here as well. And so we've had quite the busy day. What I'm going to also do here is give you a little bit more news, folks. And that is on today's show. So on Capitol Hill, the House finally passed the anti-Lynching bill. Okay, here we go. I'm going to go to the stage now to hear John Legend. Mike Bloomberg is the only Democratic presidential candidate that has a real plan for Black youth in education. It's called the Greenwood Initiative. We'll make public college tuition free for all

low-income students. We'll forgive college loans for students who were exploited by failed for-profit colleges. Mike knows investing in our teachers is investing in our children. We'll also recruit more black and Latino teachers as we did in New York City because studies show they can make all the difference and we'll also invest much more in heavily historically black colleges and universities because many of the HBCUs are struggling. And the first step to achieving generational wealth is taken in the classroom. We'll incentivize state and localities to create financial literacy classes. Mike will get it done.

Visit mikeforblackamerica.com to learn more. There are concrete proposals that we can afford and that we can get done, and we will. I'm Mike Bloomberg, and I approve this message. Paid for by Mike Bloomberg 2020 You want to support Roland Martin Unfiltered? Be sure to join our Bring the Funk fan club Every dollar that you give to us supports our daily digital show There's only one daily digital show out here that keeps it black and keep it real

As Roland Martin Unfiltered Support the Roland Martin Unfiltered daily digital show By going to RolandMartinUnfiltered.com Our goal is to get 20,000 of our fans contributing 50 bucks each for the whole year. You can make this possible. RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. Let's join Rev. Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin

as she engages others to think like a leader. Are you looking to enhance your leadership or that of your team in 2020? You can join her online course and mastermind group, How Successful People Think. She'll be your guide as you learn timeless leadership principles to apply to daily living. The offer expires on February 28th. To register or start the online course, go to www.livetolead.com forward slash Leesburg. livetolead.com forward slash Leesburg. Again, it is the online leadership course that you want,

and it's called How Successful People Think. And so the deadline is February 28th. And so livetolead.com forward slash Leesburg. Thank you. My grandmother was a fighter. My mother was a fighter. And my sister was a fighter. And together they raised me to be the man I am today. And that's what attracted me to Senator Warren's campaign. What I see in her is a thoughtful leader, a thoughtful leader with empathy,

who understands how so many of these issues affect marginalized communities. Not only is there an understanding there, but I can feel that understanding and plans and policies that she's putting forth to solve those problems. The way that she engages people from the communities where problems disproportionately affect them the most, how she brings them into the process of crafting a solution. And the reality is, in order to win in November, we need a fighter. So again, I'll tell you why I'm here. I'm here because my sister was a poet, my mother was a social worker,

and my grandmother was an educator. And that's why I ended up becoming a hip-hop artist who uses poetry to reflect the social issues of my time, and I do my best to make sure that that work educates as many people as it can when they listen to it. They raised a fighter. They raised a fighter who instead of listening when people told me that hip-hop and this

type of music wasn't allowed in so many different places, we kept pushing until it was this very venue right here that I recorded my most recent album, a water album. And the fight goes on. The fight must continue. We have to keep fighting. I come in a long line of artists who have always fought and artists who have never been afraid to use their platform and leverage their platform to bring about social change. Paul Roberson, Sam Cooke, Nina Simone, James Baldwin. And there's another artist who I stand in the long line of,

an artist that I've been a fan of for years and years, an artist who's not afraid to use his platform to bring about social change, an artist that's not afraid to stand up for justice. Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I want to introduce to you a phenomenal songwriter, singer, musician, activist, and one of my inspirations. I want you all to give a real Charleston welcome to John Legend.

Hello, Charleston! Hello, Charleston! Hello Charleston! I am so fired up to be here. I love this city. I love being in South Carolina. I bring you greetings from the great state of California. My wife Chrissy says hello. Everywhere I go they ask me, where's Chrissy? Where's Chrissy?

I know I'm the second most popular person in my family. Actually probably fourth now. Back home in Los Angeles. The ballots are due next week. So I have to send them in tomorrow. I'm proud to say I've already marked my choice for the presidential nominee from the Democratic Party. I put it in pen, I put it in pen early because I made my decision and I'm not changing my mind. I believe Elizabeth Warren should be the next. It's in the Democratic primary.

I would have friends voting for all kinds of folks and some of them working for them. And my intention was to publicly just stay out of it. I wasn't going to endorse anybody for the primary. I would just vote for my preferred candidate. And no matter who won the primary, I'd work my butt off to make sure Donald Trump was a one-term president. I'm a news junkie, though. I started watching the campaigns. I had an open mind. I wanted to see who made the most compelling case.

I really didn't know who I was going to vote for. I wanted to see who convinced me that they were ready to be the president that this country needs right now. I watched many of the debates. I saw what the candidates were posting on Twitter. I saw them in town halls and interviews. I read some of their policy positions.

And as much as I wanted to publicly say how I feel, it became abundantly clear to me that one candidate stood out from the rest. That one candidate was my clear choice from among the very talented field. That one candidate was Elizabeth Warren. Let me tell you why I'm so confident in Elizabeth Warren. First of all, she's brilliant. Can we acknowledge that?

Now, I know the bar is very low right now. We currently have a president who embarrasses this great nation on a daily basis with his incompetence, his lack of preparedness, his unabashed ignorance, and his lack of curiosity. He's a hot mess. Bless his heart as y'all would say now. Wouldn't it be so refreshing to have a woman of Senator Warren's brilliance replace him?

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a woman who came from humble beginnings, worked her way through college and law school, and ascended her way to become a Harvard Law School professor, a U.S. Senator, then President of the United States of America.

Wouldn't that be magnificent? But it's not enough that she's brilliant. In a democracy, we don't simply rely on our leaders to tell us what they know, to issue commands from high up in their ivory tower. We depend on our leaders to listen to us. Yes. The best leaders in a democracy are more than just

smart people. They have empathy. They care about ordinary people. They are intentional about paying attention to the everyday struggles of people who are often looked. Great leaders in a democracy care about

the sick, the forgotten, the marginalized, the poor, the disenfranchised, the incarcerated. They go out of their way to understand the problems that people face and they have the passion and the resolve to do something about it. How do I know Elizabeth Warren practices empathy? I hear it in the way she answers questions about policy, about what she would do in office. She doesn't just rattle off her prescriptions. You have to listen closely. More than any candidate that I've ever seen, Elizabeth's answers about policy start with a story about people. A mother she's met who's struggling to get child care.

The families she sees driven to bankruptcy by medical care costs. The communities harmed by racial discrimination. She understands that this diverse nation has all kinds of people and they deserve a president who listens to their issues and cares about making the government work for all of them. She doesn't spend time whining and dining billionaires so she can fund her campaign. She spends her time talking to the people. If you donate $5 to her campaign, she just might personally call you up and say thank you. If you wait in line with thousands of other people to shake her hand and take a selfie, she often will stand there and do it for each and every person who

shows up and waits long enough. Now, why does she do all of that? It's because Elizabeth Warren fundamentally believes that our democracy is in danger, that the government has become too corrupt, too beholden to the interests of the powerful and the connected. And the reason she ran for president was to give this democracy back to its rightful owners. Its rightful owners are the people of the United States of America that's why she takes the time to listen to each and every one of you she knows democracy is you and that's why she's got plans yes you know she's got a plan for that If you know nothing else about Elizabeth Warren, you know that she has plans that will bring meaningful, positive change to the lives of everyday Americans. You see, she combines her brilliance, her deep understanding of the law and the government, how it all works, with a profound passion for the people. A sense of empathy that informs every plan,

every policy. And that's why whenever she says she intends to do something, you can rest assured she's doing it for a reason. She's listened to people like you. She's thought about the impact. She's spoken to experts in the field and she's resolved to do something to make it happen. Yes. Elizabeth knows that our communities need big structural change. That the system has been rigged for too long against too many people and she has a plan for all of that. Elizabeth grew up on the edge of the middle class. Unlike any other candidates, her personal, professional, and political experience has been devoted to the most critical issue of our time. The pursuit of equal opportunity for all in the United States. She believes in capitalism, but she knows that we need rules, we need enforcement to

make sure it works for everybody, not just the powerful and wealthy. In order for our democracy to work, we need to make sure our politicians know who they're working for. That's why Elizabeth has the most sweeping anti-corruption plan since Watergate. We cannot wait any longer to undo the evil and corruption that Trump has unleashed in the last few years. But it's not enough for us to just undo the damage this president has done in the last few years. We have to make big changes that have been needed for decades. Our country has been horrible at investing in education.

Elizabeth will guarantee high quality child care and early education for every child from zero to five. And we know our health care system has been a mess for a long time. Obamacare did a lot to fix that, but we've got a lot more work to do. The costs are still crushing too many American families, even those who have good insurance. Millions of people with insurance are one bad diagnosis away from going broke. That's why Elizabeth supports Medicare for all and she plans to fully finance it without raising taxes on the middle class by one penny. We also know that racial inequality still runs rampant in our society. We know that this nation's original sin of slavery and its centuries-long devaluing of black lives have had long-lasting effects on the way that black folks live today in 2020. We've seen the data when it comes to the wealth gap, the home ownership gap, the education

gap, the disparities in how we're treated by the criminal justice system. But these aren't just graphs and numbers on the page. These are lived experiences. Centuries of trauma and exclusion targeted our communities. Too many of us know what this looks like and feels like, and Elizabeth has listened to us. She knows that all this harm visited specifically on the black community requires solutions that are specifically targeted to the community.

She supports creating a commission on reparations for the descendants of enslaved people. Unlike my former mayor, Mayor Bloomberg, she knows that housing discrimination through redlining has been a national tragedy. And her housing plan creates a first-of-its-kind program to help first-time homebuyers living in formerly redlined areas to buy a home and start building the kind of wealth that government-sponsored discrimination denied their parents and grandparents for decades. We were at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg today. She's committed to give $50 billion in investments

to historically black colleges and universities next time she's going to be a student. And for everybody, she'd make technical school, two-year public college, four-year public college free of charge. And she also knows that racism has been codified in our criminal justice system. This is an area I spent a lot of time focused on. We have the most incarcerated country in the world. We have 3% of the world's population, 25% of its prison population. It's outrageous.

Elizabeth knows we need progressive criminal justice reform in this nation. She will end cash bail, get rid of private prisons, repeal the 94 crime bill, legalize marijuana, and undo the horrible legacy of the war on drugs. I could go on about Elizabeth's plans for a while. She also has wonderful plans when it comes to the climate crisis, when it comes to immigration, when it comes to protecting women's reproductive rights.

But I'm going to get out of the way and let her talk about it herself. Let me just say, before I do, that none of these plans mean anything if you don't have the wherewithal, the passion, the tenacity, that nevertheless she persisted attitude to get them done. And that is perhaps what inspires me the most about Elizabeth Warren. She's not afraid of the fact. She's not afraid to take on the challenge. She has a plan to win. Elizabeth Warren believes in this country. She believes in its people. She believes in democracy, that if we come together, if we listen to one another, if we love one another and value each other's lives, we can build a more perfect union.

We can address these problems that have been festering for far too long. We can make big structural change that will improve the lives of millions of everyday people. But none of this happens, Charleston, without you. Elizabeth Warren needs you. This country needs you. Now, like I said, I vote California. I was born and raised in Ohio. I've never lived in South Carolina.

But I flew all the way across the country just to do this today. Because everybody's watching South Carolina they want to see what happens in this primary you have the power to send a message that will resound across the nation now I know that folks are worried. Folks are afraid. I'm a little worried too. I know that Donald Trump is an existential threat to this nation and everybody's hoping and praying we who the most electable nominee is. In 2016, we thought we did that. And you probably can't predict who's going to win either. So I'm voting based on who I think will make the best president. I want someone brilliant. I want someone empathetic. I want someone with a plan.

I want someone with the fire and the commitment and the persistence to make that plan happen. And I hope you'll join me. I hope you'll vote to make Elizabeth Warren the next president of the United States. Without further ado, please welcome Elizabeth Warren. Mike Bloomberg is the only Democratic presidential candidate who understands that wealth creation and the current racial wealth gap is linked to past racism and has a plan to address the impact on black America. The crimes against black Americans still echo across the centuries and no single law can wipe out that slate clean. The time has come, I think, to fully commit ourselves

to acknowledging our history and righting our country's wrongs. And that's exactly what I will do as president. It's called the Greenwood Initiative. One, we will help a million more black families buy a house. Two, we will double the number of black-owned businesses. Three, we will help black families triple their wealth over the next 10 years to an all-time high. Mike will get it done. Visit mikeforblackamerica.com to learn more.

There are concrete proposals that we can afford and that we can get done. And we will. I'm Mike Bloomberg and I approve this message paid for by Mike Bloomberg, 2020. Thank you. that I would deserve a better emotion. Won't you look at me? Hello, Charleston! So we've got to start out tonight on a very sober note, though. Word is just coming in that there's been another mass shooting, this time in Milwaukee. My prayers are with the families, but I will redouble the efforts

to break the stronghold of the NRA. We need national gun legislation across this country. Enough! I wanna thank you all for being here tonight. I wanna say a very special thank you to the folks who did this introduction to two very extraordinary men. First one, that we bonded over questions

about environmental justice and how you make real change in this country, how we understand how you understand about how communities of color have just been devastated for generations by the location of polluting factories and toxic waste dumps in their communities things that have destroyed the health of young children of seniors and of economic viability. We had a chance to talk, to talk about policy, and a chance for me to say, let's put the right plan together, a plan to commit a trillion dollars to clean up the communities that America

helped destroy for generations. And I want to thank my partner in that, Benny Starr. Way to go, Benny! I also want to thank another extraordinary man for being out here, a man who brings his talent to his music but also brings it to his conscience, a man who speaks and sings from the heart. A man who is determined to make this America a better America. The amazing John Legend. Now, tonight what we're going to do is something a little different. Usually, at the end of one of these things, I like to do a selfie line.

But instead of a selfie line, John Legend is going to play some music. It's okay, you can applaud it. It doesn't hurt my feelings. I do want to say to you though, just so we're all clear on this, my name is Elizabeth Warren. I'm the woman who is going to beat Donald Trump. And by the way, one other job. I'm going to help take down Lindsey Graham and put Mitch McConnell out of a job. I think Charleston is ready for some big structural change.

So here's the thing. I wasn't born a politician, but I was born a fighter. I want to tell you a little bit about my background. I was born and raised in Oklahoma. I have three older brothers, much older brothers. They all went off and joined the military. Our family didn't have much. We were kind of a paycheck-to-paycheck family making it through.

And when I was in middle school, my daddy had a heart attack. He survived, pulled through. But when he got home, he couldn't go back to work. And so there was a long, long period. There's no money coming in. I still remember the day that we lost the family station wagon. I remember how my mother at night, she'd come into my bedroom and she'd give me a kiss and pull my blankets up. And I always knew what was coming. She'd give me this big smile.

And then she'd walk out of the room, close the door, and I'd hear her start to cry. She never wanted to cry in front of me. I'm in middle school. This is when I learned words like mortgage and foreclosure. And I remember the day, walking into my folks' bedroom, and laid out on the bed was the dress. Now, some of you in this audience will know the dress. It's the one that only comes out for weddings, funerals, and graduations.

And there's my mother down by the foot of the bed. She's in her slip and her stocking feet, and she's got her head down, and she's pacing, and she's saying, we will not lose this house. We will not lose this house. We will not lose this house. She was 50 years old. She had never worked outside the home.

And she was terrified. And she stopped and looked up and she saw me in the doorway. I was just a kid. And I'm looking at her. She looks at me and she looks at that dress and she looks back at me, never says anything. She walks over, she pulls that dress on, she puts on her high heels and she walks to the Sears where she gets a full-time minimum wage job answering phones. That minimum wage job saved our house,

and more importantly, it saved our family. And it was the first lesson my mother taught me, that no matter how scared you are and no matter how hard it looks, you get in the fight and you take care of the people you love. Now it was years later that I came to understand that when I stood there that day, I was also getting a lesson in government. Because when I was a girl, when my mama walked to the Sears, a full-time minimum wage job would support a family of three. Think about that.

It would pay a mortgage, it would cover the utilities, and it would keep food on the table. Today, a full-time minimum wage job in America will not keep a mama and baby out of poverty. That is wrong, and that is why I am in this fight. There it is. And understand this. That difference is no accident.

That difference didn't just happen. That difference is a question. That difference didn't just happen. That difference is a question of who government works for. Because when I was a girl, the question asked on minimum wage was what does it take a family of three to survive? What does it take a family to get a toehold in America's middle class? What does it take a family to have something solid that they can build on? Today, the question asked in Washington about the minimum wage is where do we set it to maximize the profits of giant multinational corporations?

Well, I don't want a government that works for giant multinational corporations. I want one that works for our families. And there is the heart of the problem in America, a government that works great for those with money. Think of it this way. We've got a government that works great for giant drug companies, just not for anybody trying to get a prescription filled. Yeah, we've got a government that works great for folks who want to make a little money. Oh, investing in private prisons and private detention centers, but not for the human beings whose lives are torn apart by those places. We've got a government that works great for giant oil companies

that want to drill everywhere, just not for the rest of us who see climate change bearing down upon us. Here's the thing. When you see a government that works great for those with money, for those who can hire armies of lobbyists and lawyers and PR firms and think tanks and bought and paid for experts, and it's not working so great for everyone else, is corruption pure and simple and we need to call it out for what it is corruption and understand this understand this whatever issue gets you up in the morning whether your issue is gun safety or health care or student loan debt or climate, whatever is your issue, if there is a decision to be made in Washington, it has been influenced by money.

It has been shaped by money. It has had exceptions created by money. Money, money, money is driving the decisions in Washington. Well, I say it is time for us to get off our back foot, get on our front foot, and attack that corruption head on. And I got a plan for that. In fact, here's the good news. plan for that. In fact, here's the good news. I have the biggest anti-corruption plan since Watergate. It's a big one.

Here's the bad news. We need the biggest anti-corruption plan since Watergate. So let me just give you just a little sample from it, just a little tasting part of it. Here we go. First thing, end lobbying as we know it. Enough. Block the revolving door between Wall Street and Washington.

Here's one you might not have thought about. Make the United States Supreme Court follow basic rules of ethics. Here's one you might not have thought about. Make the United States Supreme Court follow basic rules of ethics. And you really want to hose out a little of the corruption in Washington? Make every single person who runs for federal office put their tax returns online. Because here's the thing, we break up the influence of money. We don't have to get rid of it entirely. I get it. It will be hard.

But we break up the influence of money and now we've got the possibility for making real change in this country. Let me just mention a couple of the things we can do. It is time for a wealth tax in America. So this one is such a cool idea. I love it. So here it is. This is a tax on fortunes above 50 million dollars. So just for those of you who were worried, your first 50 mil is free and clear. But your 50 millionth and first dollar, you got to pitch in two cents. And two cents on every dollar after that, you hit the billionaire, you got to pitch in a couple more. Okay, so that's the basic idea. And by the way, anybody in here own a home or grow up in a family that owned a home? Yeah, you pay the wealth tax forever. It's just called a property tax. And all I'm saying that's different is for that top one-tenth of one percent, their property tax should include the real estate, but also the stock portfolio, the diamonds, the Rembrandt, and the yacht. Now, this idea is really popular.

I just want you to know this. Among Democrats and among Republicans, not elected ones, but the other kind, right? It is not popular with some billionaires. Some have gone on TV and cried about it. So sad. Others have run for president. I guess they thought it would be cheaper. But here's their argument.

They say, wait, wait, wait. Come on, this isn't fair for us to get taxed. After all, I had a great idea, and I followed it through, and I worked hard, and I made this money. To which I say, good for you. That's great. I'm glad you made this money. Yeah, you bet. Celebrate, good for you. That's great. I'm glad you made this money. Yeah, you bet. Celebrate, but understand this.

You built a great fortune here in America. I guarantee. You built it at least in part using workers all of us helped pay to educate. You built it at least in part getting your goods to market on roads and bridges. All of us helped pay to build. You built it, at least in part, protected by police and firefighters. All of us helped pay their salaries. And here's the thing.

We are glad to do it. We are happy to do it. We are happy to do it. We want to do it. We invest in opportunity. All we're saying is when you make it big, I mean really big, I mean top one-tenth of one percent big, pitch in two cents so everybody else gets a chance to make it. Two cents.

Two cents. Oh, two cents. Because here comes the fun part. What can you do for two cents? Wow. So I'll tell you where I'm going to start this. Universal child care and early education for every baby in this country age 0 to 5. Universal pre-K for every 3-year-old and 4-year-old in America. And stop exploiting the people, largely women, largely black and brown women who do this work, raise the wages of every childcare worker and preschool teacher in this country. We can do that. Two cents. Two cents.

We can do that for our babies and more. We can put $800 billion new dollars into our public schools. Every school in South Carolina can be an excellent school. We can quadruple our funding for Title I schools. Let's really level the playing field. And for the first time in history, we can fully fund IDEA so children with disabilities get a full education. That's what we can do.

Two cents. We can do all that for our babies. We can do all that for K-12. Plus, anybody who wants to get an education after high school, we can make technical school, two-year college, four-year college tuition-free. We can raise the Pell Grants, so there's real opportunity. And we can level the playing field and correct a lot of historic discrimination, put $50 billion into our historically black

colleges and universities. Two cents. Two cents. And there's one more thing we can do We can cancel student loan debt for 43 million Americans. There is so much we can do. Think about building a future. Instead of leaving that 2% with the millionaires and billionaires who are already growing their fortunes at 6%, 8%, 10% a year. Pitch in 2% and we can invest in an entire generation of young people. All of us. That's the future we can build. Now, okay, you know me.

I go on and on about the policies because I'm so, so excited about the things we can do. The investments we can make in housing. The changes we can make in criminal justice system. The way that we can build an immigration system that works for everyone and a pathway to citizenship. For our friends and neighbors who are here. So much we can do, but it all turns on that first point I make. Who government works for. We have a government that works for a handful of rich people at the top.

Things are going to stay like they are. But we change that and the whole world starts to look different. And in order to make that happen, we've got to protect our democracy. We've got to protect our democracy. So here's how I see this. I support a constitutional amendment to guarantee the right of every American citizen to vote and to get that vote counted. I'm going to push for a federal law to roll back all political gerrymandering. And one more federal law to roll back every racist voter suppression law in this country. And just one more.

Overturn Citizens United. Democracy is not for sale. So I love this. Yes, it's going to be a fight, but it is a righteous fight. You know, my heart is filled with hope. But I have to tell you, I go around this country and I meet people. In three years of Donald Trump, people are scared. People are worried.

I talk to people who are worried, scared for their families, afraid for their friends and for their neighbors, afraid for children locked in cages at our borders, afraid for children on lockdown in our public schools, afraid for women. Afraid for people of color. Afraid for LGBTQ people, all of whose rights are up for grabs in this Supreme Court.

Afraid for our nation. And afraid for our planet. and afraid for our planet. And here's the thing. The danger is real. Our democracy hangs in the balance in this election. So you have a decision to make, and that is when there is so much at stake, when there is so much danger out there,

do we power? Do we move back? Do we look back? Or do we fight back? Me, I'm fighting back. I'm fighting back. I'm fighting back. Fighting back is an act of patriotism.

Look, we fought back to build this nation. We fought back against a king to do it. We fought back against the scourge of slavery to hold this union together. We fought back against a Great Depression to rebuild this economy. We fought back against the rise of fascism to protect our democracy. Americans are at our best. see a problem we call it out and we fight back. This is no time for small ideas. This is no time to nibble around the edges of what is broken. This is no time to raise nostalgia for the past.

No, this is a time to recognize we have big problems in this country, but we are capable of bigger solutions. I'm not in this fight because I have a campaign that has been carefully shaped by consultants. I'm not in this to put forward a bunch of proposals that have been carefully designed not to offend big donors. I passed that stop sign a long time ago. I am in this campaign based on a lifetime of fighting for working families. I am in this fight from the heart because I believe in you. And I believe in the America that we can build together. I believe in the America in which every single person has

value, the America in which every single child is worth investing in, the America where in our democracy, the most important thing is not money. It is people. That is the America I believe in. I can see that America. I can see it. And if you believe that that America is possible, if you believe that America is worth fighting for, then I'm asking you, get in this fight. Get in this fight. Vote for me. And more.

Volunteer. Talk to your neighbors. But get in the fight. Because understand this, 2020 is the moment in history that we have been called to. 2020 is our moment and it will not come our way again. 2020 is our time to choose hope over fear. 2020 is our time to choose courage over cynicism. 2020 is our time

to dream big, fight hard, and win. Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, Thank you. And now, and now, we're going to get it. We're going to get some music from the fabulous John Legend. Come on out, John. Come on, baby. Come on out here. we're gonna get some music from the fabulous John Legend. Come on out, John. Come on, baby. Come on out here. I love it. Oh Pirates, yes they rob I

Sold I to the merchant ships Minutes after they took I From the bottomless pit My hands were made strong By the hand of the Almighty We forward in this generation Triumphantly Won't you have to sing

These songs of freedom Cause all I ever had Redemption songs Redemption songs Emancipate yourselves from mental slay No one but ourselves can free our minds Have no fear for atomic energy Cause none of them can stop the tide

How long shall they new are promised? While we stand aside and look Some say it's just a part of it We've got to fulfill the book Won't you help to sing These songs of freedom Cause all I ever had Redemption songs Redemption songs Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery

No more sounds can free our minds. Have no fear for atomic energy, cause none of them can stop the tide. How long shall they kill our profits? While we stand aside and look, some say it's just a part of it We've got to fulfill the book Won't you help to sing These songs of freedom

Cause all I ever had Redemption songs Redemption songs These songs of freedom All I ever had Redemption songs Redemption songs Redemption songs Redemption songs Oh Oh, oh, oh

Girl, I'm in love with you This ain't the honeymoon We're past the infatuation phase Right in the thick of love At times we get sick of love It seems like we argue every day Oh, I misbehave You've made your mistakes

And we both think I'd roll after grow Though love's time hurts I still put you first and we'll make this thing work Well I think

we should take a stop We're just ordinary people We don't know which way to go We're just ordinary people. We don't know which way to go. Cause we're ordinary people. Maybe we should take it slow. Take it slow. Oh, oh, oh This time we'll take it slow

Take it slow, oh, oh This time we'll take it slow This ain't a moving on. No fairytale conclusion, y'all. It gets more confusing every day. Oh, sometimes it's heaven sent. Then we head back to hell again. We kiss, then we make them on the way.

I hang up, you call. We rise and we fall. And we feel like just walking away. But I'll guard our advances. We take second chances. There is not a fantasy. See, I still want you to stay with the ordinary people. We don't know which way to go.

Cause we're ordinary people Maybe we should take a step forward We're just ordinary people We don't know which way to go Cause we're ordinary people Maybe we should take it slow Take it slow Oh, oh

This time we'll take it slow Take it slow Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, Take it slow, slow. This time we'll take it slow. Take it slow. Baby, we'll take it slow. This time We'll take We'll take Mmm. Oh, we'll take. Hey. We'll take. It's slow Thank you.

Thank you. I'll do one last song. Feel free to sing along, Charleston. What would I do without your smart mouth Drawing me in and you kicking me out You've got my head spinning No kidding, I can't pin you down What's going on in that beautiful mind

I'm your magical mystery ride And I'm so dizzy You know what it means But I'll be alright There's a new water But I'm breathing fine You're crazy and I'm out of my mind. Give your heart to me, give my heart to you. You're my end and my beginning, even when I lose.

And when could I give you all of me? And you give me hope of you How many times do I have to tell you Even when you're crying you're beautiful too The world is beating down I'm around to every moon. You're my downfall. You're my muse.

My worst distraction. My rhythm moves. I can't stop singing. It's ringing in my head for you. The hand's underwater, but I'm breathing fine You're crazy and I'm out of my mind See Love's all curves and all your edges

All your perfect imperfections. You're my end and my beginning, even when I lose and win. ¶¶ For we're both showing hearts We're singing all though it's hard Cause all of me loves all of you Love your curves and all your edges All your perfect imperfections Give your heart to me I'll give my all to you You're my end and my beginning

Even when I lose I'm winning You sound beautiful, Charleston. Oh, I give you all of me And you give me all of you. Oh. Thank you. God bless you. Have a great night. We'll see you at the polls on Saturday.

Make sure you vote. Make sure you tell your friends to vote. Thank you so much for being here. Have a great night. Thank you. We love you, Jan!. Dream big, fight hard, win. What you want? Baby, I got

What you need? You know I got it All I'm asking Is for a little respect Just a little bit Just a little bit Thank you. I don't wanna move All I'm asking Is for a little response Just a little bit, baby Just a little bit Just a little bit Thank you. 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. We asked parents who adopted teens to share their journey. We just kind of knew from the beginning that we were family.

They showcased a sense of love that I never had before. I mean, he's not only my parent, like he's like my best friend. At the end of the day, it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change a thing about our lives. Learn about adopting a teen from foster care. Visit AdoptUSKids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

and the Ad Council. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war. This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. This kind of starts that a little bit, man.

We met them at their homes. We met them at their recording studios. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an iHeart podcast.