Transcripts For CSPAN Washington Journal 09012020 20240712

And at 9 00f truth a. M. , biographer and president ial historian Craig Shirley Discusses Campaign 2020 and the history of postconvention president ial campaigns. Host three months until election day, the candidates and issues come under more intense scrutiny. Joe biden making his First Campaign speech since the convention accusing the president of stoking violence in our cities and that the president forfeited any leadership in our country. Welcome to washington journal for this tuesday, september 1. We will spend the first hour getting your thoughts and reaction to joe bidens speech and we will hear from joe biden, play you this speech and reaction from President Trump. Here is how we are breaking the lines up. If you support joe biden and Kamala Harris that line is 202 7488000. The president and Vice President mike pence, 202 7488001. If you are undecided or supporting another candidate the line is 202 7488002. You can always send us a text, 202 7488003. Make sure that you tell us your name and where you are texting from. Panwj. Tter we are cs your posts are also welcome on facebook. We will play you some of that speech from joe biden from yesterday afternoon and the reaction at the white house from President Trump and his interview last night with Laura Ingraham on fox news. Here is the New York Times on that speech. Biden confronts trump on safety, he cannot stop the violence joe biden charged that violence. An effort to refocus the spotlight on the incumbent after a week of republican attacks. Here is a bit of what joe biden had to say. Vp biden the job of a president is to tell it straight to the shoulders, tell the truth, be candid, face fact is, to lead, not to incite. That is why i am speaking to you today. The incumbent president is incapable of telling us the truth, incapable of facing the facts, and incapable of healing. He does not want to shed light, he wants to generate heat and he is stroking violence in our cities. Host reflecting joe biden passwords, the headline in the Washington Times biden says trump stokes fears for voters. Joe biden on monday blamed President Trump for fomenting violence in the u. S. , saying he is struggling to solve the covid19 pandemic and seasonal rising fear as a political lifeline. In personmaking an venture on the campaign trail and said that instead of curtailing the right wing mr. Trump has created an armed militia that is fueling the unrest. Mr. Biden cast the president as an uninterested bystander in his own administration as he fails to handle multiple crises. If you support joe biden and Kamala Harris 202 7488000. If you support donald trump and mike pence 202 7488001. All others, use 202 7488002. We will go first to market, a trump supporter in louisiana. Good morning. Caller thank you for having me and thank you for cspan. I was actually thinking about voting for biden before all this stuff going on. Watching the way biden has handled everything. Silent until it kept going on and going on and he finally had to come out of his home to Say Something. Forced to vote for trump. I voted for trump last time and i was thinking i would probably vote for biden this time. He is making it to where i cant. Way biden is going to lead his presidency i dont want him. Host what were you hoping to hear from joe biden . Caller i was hoping to see him come out early and go against you keep hearing the media say trump will not go after his porters until biden just now came out i had not heard him say anything about the destruction going on in the cities. I had not heard him say anything about all the businesses. Of black businesses people, hispanic people that are being destroyed in urban communities. He was silent. I dont get it. I really was thinking about voting for biden but i dont see how i can now. He does not look like he can command the job. Gail, a will hear from biden supporter from sea cliff, new york. Caller i could not disagree more with that gentleman. You compare how trump handled himself yesterday and biden handled himself, it is like night and day. Minutesticulated in 20 what everybody who supports biden has been feeling for a long time. He was terrific, he hit it out of the park. He undressed trump beautifully. Trump is he reads a speech he has no feeling about. He doesnt even understand the problem. I just thought biden hit it out of the park. I thought he became president yesterday. What a gentle man. What a smart guy. What a strong man. President weak president we have. I appreciate you taking my call, good morning. I called on the third line because i am an independent and i will have to vote for biden. But we like either one, know trump is not going to bring this country together. With all the crisis going on we need someone to step up to the plate. Chance,ready had his biden kind of had his chance, but sometime you can tell a little leadership is when you have a crisis and they step up to the plate. Thats all we can hope for. To work out the other problems we are going to have to bring this country together and Work Together. , itave about a dozen crises will be a hard job no matter who it is. I think this is the most important election since abraham lincoln. Said on twitter steve this, dj t had the opportunity to condone vigilantism condemn vichy lentil is vigilantism and he refused. The only way trump wins is if he scares everyone into voting for him. If the riots are trumps faulty you think democrats and the media would have spent the last three months calling them peaceful protest . Why would trump go to kenosha and not even meet with the folks that are the focus of the conflict. Lizzie tweets, why did biden go to an empty warehouse. He could have spoken from his basement. President vice speaking yesterday in a converted steel mill in pittsburgh. Here is more of what he had to say. Is,iden the simple truth donald trump failed to protect america. Now he is trying to scare america. Since donald trump and mike pence cannot run on the record that has seen more american deaths to a virus, this virus, then the nation suffered in every war since korea combined. Since they cannot run on their economy that has seen more people lose their jobs than any time since the great depression. Since they cant run on a simple proposition of sending our children safely back full, since i have no agenda or vision for a second term, trump and pentz are running on this and i find it fascinating. You wont be safe in Joe Bidens America. What is there proof . The violence we see in Donald Trumps america. Some are not images of imagined Joe Biden America in the future. These are images of Donald Trumps america today. He keeps telling you, if only he was president it wouldnt happen. If he was president. He keeps telling us if he was president you would feel safe. He is president , whether he knows it or not, and it is happening, its getting worse, and you know why. Because donald trump adds fuel to every fire. Next,we hear from william a joe biden supporter in port orange, florida. Caller good morning. I was just calling to say that i am in favor of joe biden for president because i see in him someone who is balanced emotionally, psychologically, physically, mentally, and someone who i think can bring the country together and lead us in a good direction. I really do think that he and harris offer the best opportunity for our country to begin to heal and begin to try to move in a new direction. Host to larry in sunderland, maryland. A trump supporter. Good morning. Haser biden will lose, he 47 years in politics a total failure. And he chinese operative is talking about this virus which is a chinese biological weapon. He is pathetic. His agenda will fail. This internal turmoil iss urgency by wealthy people to destroy the country. Host from mississippi a joe biden supporter. Hello. Caller good morning. I just want to address the first caller who said that biden did not address the looting and burning. He has addressed that. The first caller what is looting and burning when somebodys life has been taken. Trump has addressed none of that. All hes addressed is the looting and the violence. That is not what the protest is doing. I know that for a fact because i have been to a couple of protests. That is what i wanted to say. Thank you, you do a great job. From michigan on the undecided line, this is john. Thank, good morning. Cspanent is, i watch and i listen to people on both sides. I am undecided. Suggestions from we the people to the politicians to solve these problems. Alli hear is hitlers and these name callings and all this, i hear nothing, any suggestions on how the politicians can put things back together. We the people are the ones that are supposed to solve this. They are supposed to take our suggestions and use that to solve this. They dont listen to us at all. Thats my comment and God Bless America. Go wherever we are led. In a ditch or not. Host President Trump heading to kenosha, wisconsin. This is the kenosha news. The mayor says the city has sufficient support in advance of the president ial visit, the headline from the kenosha news. The president has been asked by the governor of the state not to come to kenosha. Here is how the president reacted at the white house. He did not want the National Guard as you know, he was very reluctant. I give him credit because ultimately he said yes and as soon as he said yes the problem ended area i have to see that the problem ended. I have to see the people that did such a good job for me and we have tremendous support in the state of wisconsin so i promised them when it all gets taken care of concerns that it could exacerbate tensions and increase violence, do you give any consideration pres. Trump it could also increase enthusiasm and a lot of respect for our country. That is why i am going. They did a fantastic job. As soon as i called and told them lets go the whole problem stopped. That was six days ago. Meeting withu not the family of jacob blake while you are there . We spoke with the familys pastor and i thought it would be better not to do anything will with their lawyers involved. They wanted me to speak but they wanted to have lawyers involved and i thought that was inappropriate so i did not do that. I did speak with the pastor of the family who is a fine man, a wonderful man. I think we had a great talk. I may at some point do that. They did have a lawyer that wanted to be on the phone and i said that is inappropriate. I gave my best regards. Host for those of you who are Trump Supporters, 202 7488001. Joe biden and Kamala Harris supporters 202 7488000. Big spring, texas. Emmett, good morning. Caller good morning. I would like to know how do you talk to these Trump Supporters . They kind of sound like they are not educated. When you come to them with facts, you tell them that donald trump slept with a poor and star his wife was pregnant, and you ask them about it they are not into reality. The very clear where country is headed under donald trump, we are headed for a race war. If thats what the people want, so be it. See ast note, i cannot suburban female living in suburbia voting for trump just because they are frayed people are coming to their neighborhood and are going to do them harm. If they are intelligent, articulate, and have a common sense they know that donald trump is inflaming this racism. I live out here in west texas. Just the other day i was driving down the street and here comes a truck with donald trump signs. They are acting irrational. I pray for the country. How do you have a conversation with a trump supporter and they are not in reality of whats going on. Thank you for taking my call. Host a trump supporter from alabama, welcome. Caller thank you. I have several questions that maybe someone could answer. Why dot question is, governors notnd want peace in their city . I dont understand that. Have bad apples in every walk of life, not only police. We have bad people in all walks of life. I will make this statement. Trump not forld who he was or is, i support him because he may not claim to be a he does mention god in his speeches and there is submit tohat he will living for the lord and i think we shouldnt dam that. The guy that called in and said something about namecalling, that is not really good either. They say donald trump lies, i have seen joe biden in several lies. Even yesterday i saw him. Is not getting us anywhere. We need to pray for our country. In the bible it said the end of times there wont be floods anymore but fire. California is burning down. People better get on their knees. Host let me ask you about the previous caller from texas, a joe biden supporter who said that he felt that the end result of all of this was a race war. Very concerned the president is not addressing racism in this country. You are a trump supporter, what is your view on how well donald trump has or has not addressed racial cant act in this country conflict in this country . Caller i think he has addressed it and we are not listening. A lot of people talk about his compassion. I saw a lot of compassion from him. He may not show things like i do or you do, but we all have a heart and we have feeling. When his wife was speaking the other night i saw such admiration on his face for that lady. If you will put it up on pull it up on your computer and watch it, while she was speaking i saw such admiration for her and very few relationships have that anymore. I think we should really be grateful that he does admire his wife and i think she admires him also texaswe will go to tyler, and hear from elaine, a joe biden supporter. Caller i am really hurt. Poor never mentioned that young man that got shot seven times in the back. Came out and spoke to the nation as she heard. I wouldnt vote for trump for anything. His family is robbing the country. They are stealing, they are unqualified, he is unqualified. As far as joe biden is concerned i have always loved him and his. Calm, he has a calming and honest effect. , i will be 84 years old on september 16. 1968, the second black to come in the door with a college degree. Two ladies were sitting there having coffee and another young lady one of them said [no audio] host we will let it go there. The Washington Post lead editorial this morning. Mr. Trump fanning the flames, the president a master at incitement in his element. A dangerous moment, Citizens Armed with paintball guns, chemical sprays, handguns, and assault weapons are in the street spoiling for a fight. In portland, kenosha, and elsewhere the police are beleaguered and some are encouraging vigilantes. Four more years of a Trump Presidency cap stop by pandemic and raw video footage of the violence by police against black people amid a widening sense that restraint is fraying and grievances have become intractable, no countervailing force can rival the potency of the president possible horn. Mr. Biden in blaming the president and appealing for calm seems all but drowned out. Mr. Trump heads to wisconsin against the pleas of the state posco and are, there seems to be every reason to fear he may further provoke protest. Lets hear from frisco city, alabama. On the undecided line. Frisco city, alabama. Are you there . New jersey, a joe biden supporter. Thank you for taking my call. Interesting that focus so, politicians violenceolence coming from the element of protesting. Not from the protesters, but from the whole environment of the protest. Seem that the politicians and the media are focusing in on the cause of the violence, the socalled violence. There has been violence on people of color in this country from the inception of this country. Medialk about the talks a lot about racial politics. That is the bedrock of this modern political scene. Grew up in georgia i think he was a senator in georgia when i was a kid. Was themember that this theme that wasal constantly programmed to the public when i was a kid. You go back to huey long in louisiana. Politics been racial in this country for 50 or 60 years and what the republican doing now is nothing new. Of course, the president s agenda are about keeping this whole theme throughout the country. The republicans didnt have a platform what are the issues, there are no issues. The idea is to keep stoking this whole thing of violence in the streets, but the violence that is provoking this socalled violence in the street my last point is this. Made a veryc rivers profound statement a few days blacken he said that people or people of color, i am kind of paraphrasing here, that black people or people of color continually show admiration and love for this country, but this country never loves people of color back. Thank you very much. Host mike in woodbridge, virginia. A trump supporter. Caller hello, thank you, cspan. Trump and withd the africanamerican population, they support President Trump more now and President Trump is closing the gap that existed between democrats and republicans in relation to minority support. People want to protect their families and where we do see the violence is also where we see the protest. It seems to go handinhand after President Trump gave his second speech at the root white house the people in attendance were attacked viciously by criminal mobs that were there for the purpose of protest. The very next day the same exact violent people were at the march for life in washington, d. C. Was inspired by Martin Luther king jr. And attended by some of the people in his family for nonviolent protest. If the truth is there, i am in the washington, d. C. Area and i see it. The same violent people are there the next day, literally saying we are here for peaceful protest and justice. No they are not. We dont want the violence. Joe biden took too long to condemn the violence. Host you mentioned the incidents outside the white house after the president s acceptance speech. There is video of the encounter with senator rand paul and his wife. The daily caller with another story about that. Alice johnson accosted by demonstrators outside the white house. Byce johnson was accosted demonstrators outside the white house following her appearance at the Republican National convention. The daily caller learned that johnson told a group of journalists, commentators, and other public figures on clubhouse about the clemencynson granted by the president last year praised his efforts on criminal Justice Reform while speaking at the rnc thursday. You can read more about that at the daily caller. Speechn to joe bidens and recent events from members of congress. Congress returns next week for the september session. Ofs is Eric Swalwell california, and he republican colleagues want to step forward and say we are not the Mass Shooter Party . If not, President Trump made you the Mass Shooter Party. Senator from connecticut with some figures, obama biden Violent Crime down 15 , trump bench murders up 26 . Notnator from hawaii, its credible to claim joe biden is scarier than donald trump, they will have to come up with a new plan because this one is stupid. This is the media working with the trump campaign. Reminds me of the caravans that disappeared after the election. Representative out of indiana tweeting that joe biden and the democrats are trying to blame donald trump for ongoing violence in our cities. They are following the polling and everyone seattle in 1964 minneapolis 1967, portland in 1962 and blaming President Trump for crime in these cities and from minority leader Kevin Mccarthy saying as joe biden embraces the radical left here is the commitment i make to every Police Officer in america, i will oppose any legislative attempt to defund the police. Back to your calls, to peoria, arizona. On our biden line, go ahead. Caller i want to address a sayingof callers who are that trump may not claim to be a christian but he mentions god. God is a generic term. Satan to some people is a god. That he believes in god, which god does he believe in . All we have to do is look at his actions and what he is trying to liar, hedecisive, be a has killed over 180 thousand people by not reacting to the pandemic in the correct way. The bible says that is satan. From the very beginning, a liar, murderer, thief. Host also a biden supporter in connecticut, hal, go ahead. Caller all this stuff that is going on with trump is he will do anything so he does not lose his presidency and lives dont matter, crank up the violence, lets get a race war. To stoke thets violence. [sigh] i can picture a cartoon of him standing on a bunch of dead do you haveg what to lose, vote for me . Tower Trump Supporters line in palm coast, florida. This is alice. Caller good morning. Mostlywanted to say that you guys read from the New York Times and Washington Post which we know are less than newspapers. Even someone in the New York Times left to the New York Times because she published an oped by tom cotton and was basically harassed by her colleagues. That is number one. The New York Post today has a very interesting article about someone said there is much fraud with mailin votes. Number three, defunding the police is a very stark term. Mr. Biden said he would defund uses the termw he reallocating. We know if we reallocate from one place to another, you defund the police and fund something else. Whether you like trump or not, i think he has done the most for the africanamerican community. , with fundingent , and then the aher thing is we know that 17yearold is a trump supporter. Nobody talked about the one who ended George Floyds life, that he was a democrat. Nobody ever says that. You know this kid is a trump supporter. Is just a double standard find not fair. Host alice mentioned the New York Post. They are reporting on a story also in the los angeles times, protests erupt in los angeles after the fatal police shooting. Protest erected after the Fatal Shooting of a black man by police, a demonstration took place at the scene of the shooting when sheriffs deputies opened fire on a suspect during a foot chase in the westmont area. Riding was his bike when deputies tried to stop him for Code Violations relating to his bike riding. The Sheriffs Department says the man fled the scene and a fight ensued when deputies caught up to him. The man allegedly punched a cop in the face, dropping the clothes other reporting this morning, elsewhere in california a tweet from the Oakland Police department 600 to 700 people took part in violent and destructive protests wednesday night, numerous fires set dozens of windows broken, multiple businesses vandalized. No officers were injured, several people arrested. Speaking yesterday in pittsburgh at a converted steel mill in that city. Said this about the difference between him and President Trump. Vp biden when i think of the presidency i dont think about myself. Its on about my brand, its about you, the American People. We can do better and we have to do better. I promise you this, we will do better. The road back begins now in this campaign. Heart,w me, you know my you know my story, my familys story. Ask yourself, do i look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters . Really . America, say from covid to, safe from crime and raciallysay from motivated violence, safe from bad cops. Safee be crystal clear, from four more years of donald trump. I look at this violence and i see lives and communities and the dreams of Small Businesses being destroyed and the opportunity for Real Progress on issues of race and Police Reform , injustice being put to the test. Donald trump looks at this violence and he sees a political lifeline. Host a few months until election day, the first of september, primary day in massachusetts and here is one of the key embraces we are keeping an island in massachusetts. Scrambling to close gap in massachusetts from politico. The race between incumbent senator ed markey and the congressman joe kennedy as the gap closes according to politico, saying that just a few years ago joe kennedys star was so bright he was asked to deliver the Democratic Partys response to donald trump state of the union. If he cannot turn things around before the Senate Primary he will be out of politics. Another race in that state also worth keeping and i on. This is from the Washington Post this morning on the house race in western massachusetts. Massachusetts primary contest is democratic establishment against young liberals. Trying to fend off a young liberal mayor in a bitterly contested primary, a race that could define the Democratic Party and reshape the congress for years to come. The house ways and Means Committee chair richard neal a three decade incumbent has the strong backing of Speaker Pelosi and his primary against the mayor of holyoke, massachusetts. Supported by been aoc and the dust justice democrats. Backed liberal we are asking for your reaction to the joe biden shift. If you are a supporter of joe biden the line is 202 7488000. If you are a supporter of President Trump 202 7488001. For undecided voters who are supporting other candidates, 202 7488002. On our undecided line, rita. Good morning. Caller state of alabama. The racism in this state is bad. 1963 whenned in George Wallace stood in the door at the university of alabama to keep the black people from going to that school. University. This has been going on for years. He has burst open. It has burst open. God is the only one that can straighten this country out. No human on this earth can do it. May God Bless America and may god bless alabama. Host a trump supporter from lady lake, florida. Go ahead. Caller hello. Host you are on the air, go ahead. Caller i just wanted to correct a mistake you have on the screen. Stoking violence and mr. Biden said stroking violence. I think anything you put should be totally accurate. Ost we can check the transcript but the transcript released by his Campaign Said stoking violence, we reported it as stoking violence. Will double check to but 99. 9 sure it is stoking violence. Caller ok, check it. Host i support biden. I am originally from wilmington and when i was in high school his wife, they were dating and she was a teacher there. Joe biden came and spoke to the special assembly and i had a chance to speak with them. I know family members and friends of family that have different interactions with him over the years. Always heard good things about him. Its not a fake, its not phony. He is a kind person, a caring person. Its not just fake. I want to address the woman from florida. I am black, and know he has not done more for black people. The job numbers, a lot of baby boomers are either retired or semi retired and that is why the job numbers went down. Nots not better, he has signed in civilrights, he did not free the slaves, he did not do more for black people. Employed, but we have the highest unemployment numbers and we have the lowest pay as far as wages or salary and jobs. The lady in florida, i am sorry, but just because trump said something does not make it true. Denise, aill go to trump supporter from new york. Go ahead. Caller good morning. I just want to say that every election, every four years the republican is always pushed as the person that is racist. , i would wonder why the media i think a lot of it is the media why the media is why she didarris not support tim scotts bill. The whole point is to have legislation and that is what we are not doing. I think it is the media and all the politicians that are keeping this going. Harris also gave bail money to let out some of the rioters and looters. , but, he is crude at times he honestly believes that School Choice and supplying jobs is the best way to lift up the africanamerican community. All minorities, all people, no matter your color he thinks if he can get everyone a job and School Choice he thinks that is the biggest civilrights problem. The schools are terrible in the cities. That is why i support what the republicans are trying to do. Thank you. Host here is the opinion of bret stephens, columnist for the New York Times. Headline is unwitting pretty unwitting progressives for trump. Can the left to be honest that the tragedies unfolding are as much from insufficient policing as abusive leasing, dont they get that law order is it willing to say that the american founders who bequeathed us to the institutions of liberal democracy should be honored, not despised. Does joe biden have the nerve to stand up to the extremes in his own party or does he just mean to appease them . Enthusiasticairly about his candidacy largely because i think he represents the best chance for the modern democratic wing to prevail over its left one, but his long and sometimes unsteady speech in pittsburgh with his brief defense of the police and anodyne call for healing is not going to assuage the voters he needs in swing states. Read more at nytimes. Com. President trump en Laura Ingrahams show on fox news talked about his view of what the police are facing. Pres. Trump the police are under siege. They can do 10,000 great acts, which is what they do, and one bad apple or a choker, they choke. Shooting a guy in the back many times. Couldnt you have done Something Different . Couldnt you have wrestled him . In the meantime he might have been going for a weapon, theres a whole big thing there. They choke just like in a golf tournament, they miss laura you are not comparing it to golf . Pres. Trump people choke. People are bad people, you have both. You have bad people and they choke. You could be a Police Officer for 15 years and all of a sudden you are confronted and you have a quarter of a second to make the decision. If you dont make the decision and you are wrong you are dead. People choke under those circumstances and they make a bad decision. I have seen bad decisions of people where it looked bad but probably it was a choke. You also have bad police. Majority, butast thousands of thousands of great acts and no bad one and you make the evening news for weeks. Host back to your calls and comments. 202 7488001 for President Trump supporters. 202 7488000 joe biden supporters. On twitter we are cspanwj. You can send us a text at 202 7488003. Bill from connecticut, all biden can do is repeat everything we have heard about trump for four years, this is useless. If he is going to unite present a unifying principle instead of being repetitious and boring. Trump is on his way to becoming a corrupt tyrant, its egregious. What do i get for voting for President Trump, looking at his record theres not a lot to gain for voting for him. He tries to tell me its how people biden is, why dont you tell me why its good to vote for trump . A trump supporter in saint stephens, south carolina. Good morning to robert. Caller good morning, how are you doing . Host doing fine, thank you. Caller your show is talking about biden talking about how trump is stoking the flames of racism and all that whats going on. No. Trump supporters go down the street and break glass and write and loot stores, they dont do things like this. They dont. Group are nothis the ones creating this. Trump didnt cause covid19. Lets get this thing straight. He did not make it sent out there. Are losing people because of trump. Do you know why people get in trouble with police . They dont do what they are told. If they would do that they would get out of the problem right away and go out there is go about their business. The trouble we have today is people not respecting people or paying attention. As far as biden goes, he is a liar. He has done nothing but live. Why wont he open his eyes . You cant open your eyes when you talk to the American People . I want to see the little black spots in his head. Host doris in iron river, michigan. Good morning. Caller hello, i am from iron river, michigan and i am 67 years old. They both are too old i am concerned. One has brain damage and the other one just lies. Everyone lies, all politicians, they say one thing then do another. I just wish they would get does what they are supposed to do. I am originally from detroit and i have seen i believe they guy that just thee before, if you honor badge and respect the badge and you dont give them a hard time you dont have the problem and they dont tell you the whole story. They dont tell you about the black guy killing the white guy. Its always about the black guy. About indians, mexicans, everybody else protesting. Why does black lives matter . Badge youpect the will be ok. Host usa today with a story about the protests and violence in portland. State police heading to portland. The governor announced a plan to curb the violence in portland following a fatal weekend of clashes between Trump Supporters and protesters. State police returning to portland to help other Law Enforcement agencies in the state to provide help amid nightly protests since the killing of george floyd in Police Custody in minneapolis. A man was fatally shot saturday after a caravan of vehicles carrying Trump Supporters rolled through portland drawing heated counterprotests. The founder of the rightwing Group Patriot Prayer identified the victim as Aaron Danielson and called him a good friend. Supporter, vicky from gainesville, texas. Caller he is doing it to cover other things that he is doing in his administration that are going to hurt the American People. I know Trump Supporters are on social security, nobody has mentioned that. Trump cant handle the covid virus, violence so he is trying to cover what he is doing because he cant handle it by stoking violence. People are not looking at his overall picture. Trump talks about being a law order candidate and he has violated so many laws himself its ridiculous. I dont understand why people dont see that. History, in the past during elections there always seems to be some type of racial tension that is stirred up by one party or another. Get a method of trying to people to vote for them. That is all i have to say. Trump is stoking violence. Host joann is next from minnesota, a supporter of the president. Caller good morning, its been a long time since i called. I am calling about bidens speech yesterday. I do have to say i was disappointed. Fact disappointed in the that he had a lot of misrepresentations. I was disappointed in the fact that he copied a lot of the things that we have heard of the republicans and the president and i was disappointed that he thought he could read the president s mind. I would like to make two other comments. Peopleng to a lot of the that have called in, they say trump once violence. They cant read his mind. They are following a lot of the media and their own opinions. I dont think he is the only one who has been trying to support the police and stop the violence that is going on. That the help governors and mayors of these cities refuse two other points quickly. On what he has done for black people. I feel he has done a lot and that he really cares. Even though many people keep keep knockingown him down because of his stances on the black community. He has given them jobs, given money to their colleges, doing toortunities to rebuild areas where they live and give them an opportunity for jobs and a decent area. The other about the bidens, everybody says he did not do a good job, he did the quarantine. When biden and others said he was fear mongering and racists. He did a lot of things behind the scenes. He brought together the private industry it and the government and the public industry to Work Together to get the supplies that we needed because so much was made in china. He is trying to get all of our medical supplies made here instead of china. Tasked tasks force forces, he got new vaccines in 15 minutes. Its not his fault so many died. They say he did not follow science. Sometimes they change. They have learned a lot as this pandemic has gone on. He cant control when people crowd together. Great to hear from you and appreciate your points on the coronavirus issue the Washington Times reporting this morning, covid19 cases track downward nationwide. The covid19 death toll has hit a once unthinkable 180,000. School reopenings are a struggle and the economy is struggling, but daily cases are declining and less tests are coming back positive. Joe biden talked about the president s handling of the Coronavirus Crisis in the speech yesterday in pittsburgh. Trump to donald protect america so now he is trying to scare america. Donald trump and mike pence cannot run on their record that has seen more american deaths to a virus, this virus, then the nation suffered in every war since korea combined. If they cant run on their economy that has seen more people lose their jobs than any time since the great depression. Since they cant run on a simple proposition of sending our children safely back to school, since they have no agenda or vision for a second term, trump and pentz are running on this and i find it fascinating. You wont be safe in Joe Bidens America. What is there proof, the violence you see in Donald Trumps america. These are not some imagined images of Joe Bidens America in the future, these are images of trumps america today. He keeps saying if he was president it would not happen. He keeps telling us if he was president you would feel safe. He is president , whether he knows it or not, and it is happening. It is getting worse and you know why. Donald trump adds fuel to every fire. Host the Associated Press with focus forrting, new campaign, will biden or trump keep you safer . Comments on twitter and tax. Jane tweets this, if i could change the focus, we need to disambiguate what is Police Policy from police action. Understanding brings positive change, getting mad does not. President trump is not stoking violence, if it wasnt for democrat leaders accusing and attacking the president , the media not showing what is going on in the cities, and mayors of the cities with rioters not protecting their citizens this would not be happening. They are the ones to blame. Back to calls. Clearwater, florida, richard is a biden supporter. Caller yes sir. Let me state that i am retired military, 27 years in the marine corps. I am a wounded warrior. , heard this the other day black lives matter too. I am just stating facts here. Do you know what black americans came back to from the war . They came back to separate but equal, white fountain, black fountain, go to movie theaters. Hadarents and grandparents to come through the backdoor of restaurants. When president obama came into office we were losing over 800,000 jobs a month. Were atleft office we 4 unemployment. He was at 11 unemployment. Black unemployment was around 16 or 18 and when he left it was down six. He had multiple months of four to 5 growth. Month of not have one four to 5 growth. What is he talking about when he says he is helping black people, this guy stokes racism. Theybody needs to watch 13th hour so you can understand the policing in this country since nixon and what atwater said, its all on tape for all of the white americans to see. Where is the honor, dignity, and respect in our country . Could you imagine if a black kid was running down the street with an ar15 and police all around, what would happen to him . Could you imagine if president obama was in office stoking, lying every single day the way this guy does . Do Blue Lives Matter . They do. Let me tell you this, blue lives lie too. Blue lives lie all the time. They are entrenched. Like everyy just other company or organization is a microcosm of society. Jobs, not given us redlining, charlottesville, great people on both sides, he stokes this all the time. He lies all the time. People need to stop lying to themselves. Where is your christian heart . Put yourself in a black persons shoes. You need to vote for biden and put this country back on track. Host we will hear from a trump supporter next from new york. Good morning. Caller good morning. A few things to say. Not a democrat or a republican. I do support trump and i will tell you why. First, the law. Nobody, i dont care if it is biden or trump if you are going to be successful in this business, if you are going to be successful you are going to step on somebodys toes that is just how it is. Two the violence that is going on, how can people blame that on trump . I am from new york. In new york violence is taking place. I had trouble with the this person and there is a bail reform. Ive worked since i was 15yearold and they can come in my yard, they can take what they want, they can use my property, they can steal. They can even come in my home and i cannot protect my family. This is a democratic state. You talk about suppression. I will tell you whats being suppressed. Statealso a welfare because if you dont make the almighty dollar, then guess what . You have no faith in the laws. Host we appreciate your call. More ahead here on washington journal. By brad will be joined seltzer. About the dangerous distortion of truth and later, reagan biographer ted surely will join us to talk about postconvention president ial campaigns. Bidens record is a shameful roll call of the most catastrophic betrayals and blunders in our lifetime. He has spent his entire career on the wrong side of history. Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to the nation. He has failed to protect us. He has failed to protect america and, my fellow americans, that is unforgivable. The first president ial debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President joe biden is tuesday, september 29 at 9 p. M. Eastern. Watch live coverage on cspan. Watch Live Streaming and ondemand at www. Cspan. Org or listen live on the free cspan radio app. Today, treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin testifies before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on the urgent need for additional coronavirus Economic Relief for children, workers and families and the administrations up a mentation of key stimulus programs approved earlier this year. Watch live coverage of the hearing beginning at 1 p. M. Eastern on cspan, on demand at www. Cspan. Org or listen live wherever you are on the cspan radio app. When you read the thing that was said about thomas jefferson, that he was an infidel an agent of the french government, it sounds a little reminiscent, doesnt it . The things that were said about abraham lincoln, things that were said about fdr, that he wanted to be a dictator. It does kind of come with the territory but i think in trumps case, at least in the modern political era, postworld war ii, i have never seen anything like it. Sunday at noon eastern on indepth, our live to our conversation with author and faith and Freedom Coalition founder ralph reed whose books include awakening, act of faith in his recent, for god and country. Joining the conversation with your calls, facebook comments, and tweets. Watch indepth sunday at noon eastern on cspan two. Washington journal continues. Host joining us next is brian se seltzer author of the brandw book top of the hoax. Thanks for being on washington journal this morning. How soon into Donald Trumps presidency did you realize you wanted to write about his connection to fox news . Guest i was fascinated by this from the first week of his presidency when he started tweeting the banners on the bottom of the screen on fox and friends and when he started chatting with the hosts in ways that were so more casual than other president s have had. I didnt decide to write the book until later on when the impact of fox Foreign Policy and fox influence became more clear. Last year, in my research, talking to sources at fox and the white house, it was clear to foxifi of americac is a bigger storyation in his book and the word hoax is related to the pandemic because President Trump used the word the democrats raising alarms about the virus, criticizing him and he use the word hoax once in february. He used it once in march, suggesting this was an attempt to take down the president when in fact at the time, the virus was spreading across the country and it was very much a real event, a terrible event, not a hoax. It begins with the pandemic and ends that pandemic but in between, tells the story of trump and fox in a brandnew way. Host you go into the background of the meaning of the word hoax rather than fake news, tell us about that. Guest you think about rhetoric and what these words mean. It wasnt until january, 2017 that trump used the phrase fake news. Day, iand after election was on cnn talking about actual fake news, made up stories that were polluting peoples facebook and twitter feeds. I dont get credit or blame for it. It goes to other researchers and scholars who have been studying this phenomena. During theake news president ial transition to describe this plague of fake stories all over the internet and trump redefined it as news he doesnt like. That has now stuck. Now he uses even more incendiary language. Instead of news, he says the word hoax pretty much once a day on average. I think the take away for both Trump Supporters and detractors is the message that anything could be a hucks could be a hoax, nothing is real and you dont know what to believe and that has dangerous consequences for the democracy. Host you also write about the background of donald trump and fox news, didnt just start with a 2016 election. How early on the donald trump become connected and and involved partner operations . Guest i go back to 2011 because thats when the president started to call in every week to fox and friends which is their morning show. Hisapprentice was raising profile but fox and friends was critical because by calling in every week, you get to learn what the fox priorities were and you learn about the gop base priority. That gave man advantage in the 2016 campaign. Host part of your criticism of fox news read like this you say fox is an addictive substance for his biggest fans its an identity, almost a way of life. Hardcore viewers rarely change the channel or seek out a balanced media diet. They compare the network to a church, a Senior Center or city hall. They flock to it for reinforcement, for inspiration and for comfort food in the president obviously is very aware of that relationship between fox and its viewers, right . Guest he definitely is and in some ways he has become the fox news president. Leadership athe the network. They want to put on a show for the president and his supporters. This is not automatically a bad thing. There was a long history in america of partisan media. There are liberal newspaper editorial boards, conservative magazines. I think we benefit in america when we have diversity of opinion and different Media Outlets that are covering politics and society. The problem i identify with fox in the trump ages that so much of the information is missed information. So much of the storytelling is misleading to the public including to President Trump. There are so money times when the president has received that information. Even things like county people died in the helicopter when kobe bryant died. Korea and like north Foreign Policy, their summary times the president is led astray and this is not coming from me. To me on people spoke condition of anonymity and some of them spoke on the record. Theyre worried about how addicted the president is. President s comments about fox is that he cares deeply about the programming, he is watching many hours of tv per day even though he says he doesnt watch much tv. He wants less news and more propaganda, less news and more trump opinion. He criticizes the news anchors and promotes the primetime stars like Laura Ingraham which just with whom he gave an hour long interview yesterday. But in the administration, how much influence as fox news have in shaping policy . Guest i think its about policy, hiring and firing decisions as well. Somethinging door is that has existed in washington for decades, some reporters joined the Obama Administration and some joined the Obama Administration but its a much more intense version of this now. Went to the white house and then went to Fox Corporation and now shes back in the white house. There is just more and more examples of this in the trump years than their were in past presidencies. Host in several books written about fox news even before President Trump came to office, where do you define the difference in your book . Guest i think fox has changed a lot in the trump years. Ever since roger ailes was forced out in 2016 after his abuse of power and Sexual Harassment of women was exposed, he died in 2017 and there has been a real leadership vacuum. Employees told me it feels like there is not a clear Leadership Structure for the editorial, for the content of the network. There is for the business, its incredibly profitable business. Its doing better than ever but when it comes to the content, the editorial, there are concerns internally about who is in charge whats being broadcast. There is the sense that white identity politics fuels the programming. There are concerns internally and thats why thought i had to write the book. Its become clear this year amid the pandemic that it has life or consequences. Its true for other channels as well but its especially true for fox because it is by far the most popular. Host lets go to calls. We go to benton, illinois. Caller hey, this guy is a joke. Evengin with, they are not talking about the middle east bills that trump has done. He is a joke. They dont cover anything good the trump does. This is ridiculous having this man to talk about anything because he is the reason him, cbs, nbc, fox news, all of them, our kids are getting ready to fight. From the minute he walked into the elevator, they started in on Trump Supporters being racist. Let me tell you, i am not a racist. That is all they pushed. The kkk came out last week and endorsed biden. A word on any channel about that. Host any word for our fox news viewer in illinois . Guest its important that none of us paint with a broad brush. We paint with narrow brushes. I am careful never to say that all Trump Supporters are racist. How in the world could anybody make that claim . Instead, we should look at the research, look at the studies that have shown a connection between racial resentment and support for trump. That does not mean all supporters are racist. Its far from that. I am grateful for the call and thats what i am excited to be on. One of the things missing in cable news and lacking a National News coverage is a connection to voters. We need more stories about what voters are feeling and believing and fewer stories about talking heads, fewer segments with talking heads. I am grateful to hear the feedback. Host lets hear from iola, wisconsin. Caller good morning, cspan. Fox is a fear promoting station. Im here in wisconsin and im concerned about the president going to kenosha. Lets look at the facts the police there, thousands of guns, the protesters there, some guns. Right now, trump followers are heading there with their ar15 s. Firecracker, it could be a massacre. Trump is that spark. He should not go. Our governor and the mayor of kenosha have asked him not to come. Its a danger if one firecracker goes off. Think of what that would do. I would like your response, thank you. Guest i share your concern and i think many people do about what happens when there is an event in one city, in one community that becomes interNational News. In this case its kenosha and it a cause for the International Media and i feel for the residents of these communities whether it was charlottesville in 2017 or kenosha and portland now. What i wish for is a strong local news media so that people know have a better sense of what its like on the ground. This is from portland. The president yesterday said the entire city of portland has been ablaze for years. Everyone knows thats not true. Everyone knows that the city of portland is prospering and thriving and there has been some problems downtown in a concentrated area. But if you read local news covers, you get a different sense of whats going on in a community then you do from some politician or national sources. I think thats true for kenosha as well and i have relied on the local paper there for coverage of whats happening there. Host let me ask you about your background. You been a news junkie since you were a kid. With your news side early on, you were successful but did you imagine being part of a News Organization . I launched my blog and 2004 and i was lucky enough to be on cspan when i was in college when i had more hair. I never imagine being on tv because of the lack of hair not only but having a fulltime tv job. I thought i was on the outside looking in. What i love being about being on cnn is that i am on both sides of the fence. Im on the outside covering how the media works and doesnt work. There are many situations where the media fails americans, we are not focusing enough on the unemployment crisis, the jobs crisis in this country. There are other examples like that where the press needs to make sure we are listening to the public and not just to the politicians and covering the priorities of the public. I am grateful i have an ability to put spotlight on the News Coverage of the country. Host lets hear from bob in Mineral Bluff, georgia. Opinion, talky about power, media has the power and it started with cnn with the 24 hour news cycle. Then you had social media. And thats like pandoras box. They have the power, the media has the power. I learned that probably about 10 years ago. I heard a story about Law Enforcement. In Law Enforcement some cities is out of control and nobody wanted to hear about it. They pick and choose. Because of the covid, it seems like every scab is being picked and we cannot get out of the new cycle. Portland, i know people that live in oregon and i live in mineral brought off in Mineral Bluff which is not too far from atlanta and i wouldnt go to atlanta unless i have to get on the airplane. There are many people in rural areas that would not dare to go to those cities. The cities are not peaceful and calm and they havent been for a long time. If President Trump cannot choose his words, it doesnt mean these places are burning down. He just means theres up people and things of that matter. We appreciate your call. Guest i respect what you are saying and i think what you are saying is of by many people who see these images on television and have the impression of cities that i dont think reflect reality. As someone who lives in midtown manhattan in new york city, on the worst night of the unrest in new york city, i was out driving and i saw what was happening and was live on cnn describing widespread looting. I came home to my building and one window was shattered. Across the street, windows and graffitis across buildings. It was upsetting to see on that evening. The next day, the glass was cleaned up, my daughter was back on the playground, my family was back outside going to the store. Life returns to normal quickly in midtown manhattan. Of course, we still have problems, the buildings are mostly empty because the offices are closed because of covid. I wish you could come and see new york city and come to see atlanta where i have hundreds of friends and colleagues who love the city of atlanta. The picture of cities by trump and fox news is not reflective of reality. It doesnt mean im not concerned about the crime and violence happening. As a resident of new york, i am. City of 8 that a Million People will have its share of troubles and incredible successes. I not living in new york or atlanta or portland know about the full picture and not just the narrow picture the sometimes is shown on fox. Host speaking of atlanta, thats where sean hannity rose to fame on radio there. You write extensively about sean hannity. How did this relationship between donald trump and sean hannity unfold . Guest i remember a meeting with sean hannity a while ago. Trashed New York Times and cnn and the cities out was are failing but they also want the attention of the New York Times and cnn. Hannity and i have known each other for 15 years. The Trump Alliance came about because both men care deeply about the gop and care deeply about power. They benefited from this relationship they have work trump calls mr. Hannity behind the scenes. He gives hannity talking points. The problem is when hannity does him a disservice. Some of the seeds of the ukraine scheme replanted on hannitys show. As i write in the book, thats what led to the impeachment inquiry. There are sometimes when hannity tries to help President Trump actually hurts him. Thats the theme of my book. Host lets hear from donald in hickory, north carolina, good morning. Make sure you mute your volume and go ahead with your question or comment. Caller got it. A couple of comments one about why people are watching things. On other day, they put [indiscernible] mostly peaceful protests. Eah, thats a laugh Humpty Dumpty. Reliable. U are not you are nothing but a stooge. Host we will let you go there. He called to a Humpty Dumpty. Guest thats funny. Host he also talked about the chirons on the air. Hannity called me Humpty Dumpty years ago. He had a great fall so hes waiting for me to have a great fall or maybe it has to do with my egg shaped head. Its notable how the insults used on fox get used on my facebook and twitter feed. And it shows the power these stars have to shape public opinion. I appreciate the callers point about the chirons, these are the graphics in the bottom of the screen. Different tv shows handle them differently. On my program, i view every banner before we go on the air. I edit them and make changes to them. I am 100 responsible. If you dont like the banner on my. Different shows handle this differently. Batter set fire but mostly peaceful protest but that was probably a mistake. Probably a young producer wrote it who was under deadline. That kind of things becomes easily criticized not the right banner to put on screen. What i would suggest to the caller is look at cnn for a day. Dont view it for 10 seconds, dont pick on the worst mistake made during the day because i make mistakes as does everyone. Try to look at it in totality and context. I try to do that for fox news as well. Its unfair to cherry pick the most foolish moment for the most outlandish moments on a Television Network instead, try to look at the totality. But know that when mistakes happen, there are consequences, there is accountability. I had a tough conversation with one of my bosses last week because i made a mistake in my nightly news letter and i am better off or having that conversation. I think what we need more of an journalism are those checks and balances those standards and practices so that when i slip up, someone notices and we talk about it i make sure it doesnt happen again. Host peers derek in lakeland, minnesota, good morning. Caller good morning, cspan and good morning america. Say thank you, cspan for having the cnn anchor on. Months, west 3. 5 have gotten to see the exposure of how the Fourth Estate is has been completely burned out. Brian, do you believe in polls . Guest i do believe in polls, yes. Caller very good, the last poll that i saw from a reliable in 1970, lets talk about Walter Cronkite for a second the United States believed that the media was giving them real factual information. A new poll just came out that said its completely the opposite. 80 believed in the media in 1970 and now 20 does. So 80 doesnt. When i look at that, i look at this as unreliable sources. You guys always talk about how many times trump has lied. I have calculated that with your chirons i dont know if there is any journalists left at cnn but i know that if i were to about 300 different distortions or misinformation that we get out of cnn and you have to watch them in the airport which is harsh. But if you added that up to 46 months, comes out to be 300,000 plus distortions of truth. , this is how low you will go is that you win out and and you defamed a child and then you had to settle out of court to pay this child for distorting information about this young individual. Anything that is happening at cnn, anybody who buys your book, its really just one of those things that is dividing our nation. I dont believe in dividing our nation. Andis really the enemy thats my opinion, thank you. Guest i am grateful for the call. I know you are not the only person that feels this way. There has been a process of radicalization that is happened in this country with media bashing that is absolutely unprecedented. 30 years ago, conservatives talk about media bias and there were some really valid points to the equity. It is absolutely true that lots of journalists are based in new york and washington, based in big cities with liberal leanings. Mainstream newsrooms are built to make sure that bias does not seep into the News Coverage and yet, sometimes it does. I acknowledge that. Its different to talk about americans being enemies of others. No news outlet is an enemy of other americans. My you mail address , go on to cnn. Com i look at the transcripts for my show. Go through and look at what the lies are and point out the specific lies and then we can have a conversation. But what is the claim of a lie . Accountabilities absolute critical and to win back trust, we have to be acceptable and accountable, we have to be on programs like this, taking calls and hearing from the public. 1. I would make about the poll about trust in media, i think everybody trust some form of media. But whats happened in the past two decades, is we dont trust one news source. What has exacerbated this is a daily dose of media bashing on fox were stars like hannity and Tucker Carlsen and Laura Ingraham tell viewers not to touch not to trust anything but fox. Fox is a 24 hour, seven day a week at. Promotewe tried to newspapers and diversity of media but they dont do that on on fox. There has been a polarization on trust. Its happened on the right where there is incredible distrust of media. Thats partly fanned by donald trump and his aides who rail against the media and called the press the enemy. I hope that this is a chapter in American History that is not the new norm. I hope folks will be able to see in the future that the press is imperfect but trying to report the truth about what is going on in the Trump Administration. When it comes to these polls, we ,eed to use them as a challenge its a challenge every day to try to be better listeners and win trust back. Host you write in the book about being a kid, being the studio audience of crossfire back in the day. Can you trace the contention since of cable news back to that show in particular or similar shows . Is that mild in comparison . Guest thats an interesting point. There were fewer of those sorts of segments on cable news these days. You get a republican and you get a democrat and you let them fight. I dont see as much of that today as i did 10 years ago. Thats in part because the times serious. The pandemic is serious, these storiesare serious and what you are seeing more of his reporters and analysts trying to make sense of the news and trying to cut through the misinformation that exists. 1990s, thek to the andl pioneered by cnn devolved or developed by roger ailes, to have these wrestling matches on tv, i sometimes defend the by saying they reflect the bit of the country but i also think the country is not as divided as it appears on television sometimes and left,mes these red, blue, right battles make it seem like we are more divided and more bitter than we actually are. I dont know about you but when i go to the Grocery Store or go to starbucks, we are not thinking in republican democrats, we are thinking as shoppers. I dont think the country is as polarized. It is polarized but i dont the we are as polarized as we appear on social media or network television. His newrianstelter, book is coax. For those ofine you in the eastern and central time zone. Two deborah, westchester, ohio, go ahead. Caller good morning. Im a bit of a news junkie myself. Wentlow government and i into the scientific field and i am retired and i have time to watch cspan, thank goodness for cspan. There is a couple of things i think that would give you insight as to how we came to where we are today. Im 68 yearsmber, old now, but i remember when i etc. Watch abc, nbc, cnn and i would watch an event and then it would hear the commentary. I would say thats not exactly what they said. I saw that bias evolve. Who thoughtple there was a different point of view to the event a different point of view i think thats why people initially went to fox. The other thing is because there newsmakers today are a profit center, a major profit center. The mantra is if it bleeds it leads. When the country is in chaos, the news media makes more money. When the politicians keep us divided, they can direct their vote. Because we have the opportunity to listen to both sides, thank goodness for cspan in an unbiased way. It is notforprofit. One thing you said i would like to correct. You said fox puts people in organizations outside the news and they come back, etc. David axelrod, chuck todd, all went to the news media. Its just a point of view. We the people would like to have a source. Are you going to ask joe biden the question what will you do with Missile Defense in poland . Your administration stop that and that was critical. We are not talking about the most serious issues. We talk about personality and likability. Cspanou said you watch and we are not a breaking News Networks and when it comes of those stories, who do you turn to . Caller i flip around all the stations. Cnn usedlooking to be one of my favorites when they first came on because it was hard news 24 7. At night, i watch fox between p. M. 7. M. And then 6 30 p. M. , i watch cbs. Ig the day, i watch might watch fox in the morning like six in the morning or maybe i will flip over to msnbc. They are somewhat interesting for 15 or 20 minutes. Host thank you for your input. Guest i think we need more people like you who are grazing, consuming lots of different channels and getting lots of different sources of news. Media consumption is just like your diet, your food. We need to have a balanced, healthy diet with different sources and i think all of us as the voters of americans benefit from that. What has happened in television and i guess thats the point you were making about how cable news channels have changed, the internet has changed everything. Your mobile phone has changed everything. Now the best way to read 100 different stories is on your phone and on the internet. Television has adapted to that. You think about fox and csm and cnn focused on political news when there were shows 20 years ago about medicine and health in the economy now there is much more of a political focus and thats partly in response to viewers preferences but its partly because of the internet and how every headline you want is on the internet. I usually say we are in the best of times and the worst of times at the same time because as individuals, we have access to more news, more primary sources than we ever have before. Its an incredible ability to ,ccess magazine articles indepth reports, documentaries from around the world but then there is also more garbage than there ever was. There is more lowquality comment and hyper partisanship implies. Its hard to sort it out on the internet. I think what we all need is a navigator in this new news world. Florida. E, from miami, caller how are you . Host go ahead. Caller if you points the guy was talking about americans are not against americans. People that are in the fbi, are you calling them americans, the ones bringing this krapp crap, the fake hoax. Do a book on that. You are selling a book and thats all you are therefore. This is not news. If you want to sell your book, pay for it. I dont need to look at that. This is not news to me. You are just selling your book. Why arent these people in jail . If we had done anything close if i could have done anything close to what they had done, i would have been in jail. Host we will let you go there. Fbi rush up the investigation and you write about that in your book. You talked a bit about the ukraine part of that story, tell us more. Guest let me talk about the word hoax first. He used the word hoax and trump uses it a lot especially in connection to the russia probe. Word hoax is a conversation and are its not a conversation starter. Its meant to shut down conversation, talk about that dez dont talk about that, its a hoax. Hoaxes are something that hurts you and designed to hurt your family. The president uses that were to stop conversation about russia, to stop conversation about his unexplained ties to russia. Theres a great new book out today with new reporting about the russia probe and some of it was never explored, never explained. We sow with fox and hannity as you mentioned in the excerpt from my book is that you see a coordinated effort to shift the conversation to move away from the russia story. I will be the first to admit that cnn was covering the quite extensively. There was an unprecedented special counsel probe into this and we know that. To say it was a hoax is meant to say dont look over here. Its a way to shift intention in a way that is not journalistic but instead is just political. Host you said you have known sean hannity for 15 years or so. For thisterview him book and henley people did you interview . About 150 current fox staffers. Then about 180 people that used to work there or are connected to the fox world. There are talent agents and managers, makeup artist, a lot of people that have connections to fox and trump from all sorts of directions. One of the big takeaways is the extreme rhetoric on the air is not helping people. The cream rhetoric and prime time not helping people. There are many news anchors at fox that feel suffocated by the protrump opinion shows. One of my arguments in the book is we need more of the news and less of the opinion. We need more of the real reporting and less of the talking. That goes for other channels as well but i think is especially true at fox because it is so popular and the president is so addicted to it. Host explain the difference between the Fox News Division and the prime time shows. They are run by different divisions . Guest right, different executives and they have different purposes and different audiences as well. Much lower rated than Tucker Carlsen tonight. Its an opinion program. And there are programs that are in between, sort of news, sort of opinion. They are called hybrids or borderline shows. Fox has moved more toward the opinion side and away from the news side and that has caused journalist to leave fox. Many viewers dont like the personalities and they think they are too liberal but Shepard Smith was trying to fact check not just trump but the rest of the fox schedule. He felt the truth was not getting on the air at fox and eventually, he was so frustrated, he had to leave and now he is at cnbc and wills start there in a couple of weeks. Through these changes and departures, the channel has becomei trumper. The fox viewers want that. They won a channel that is as protrump as possible. Its also very lucrative business come about 2 billion in profits. That is an extraordinary sum of money for the murdochs and the shareholders. Host is there concerning the organization that fox seems more on the outs with the president in recent days . There is always a little bit of frustration when he attacks news anchors at fox. Thats something that can be uncomfortable and causes hate mail and Death Threats for those anchors. When youre a news anchor and fox trying to report the news and your own viewers are lashing out against you. That has less to do with fox and more about whats happening in the country and how polarized and alienated some people feel. We have to figure out how we build bridges, how we build connections between ourselves and each other, between Television Networks, between various views of whats going on . It wasnt this way 10 years ago. Of it wasall talk probush or antibush. We didnt do that during the obama years but life seems to be broken down along those lines. Its pretty sad. I wish for more media list to do more to bridge those divides, bridge those disconnects and try to figure a way to talk to each other. I did offer to have hannity on my program and i would go on his i did offer to have hannity on my program and i would go on his. Ridge but so far, he hasnt seemed interested. If he is watching now, the offer still stands. Host back to calls, from arkansas, hi there. Caller good morning. Just to give you a foundation i am one of those deplored as an lived in alaska for 25 years and i watched cspan, i am a cspan junkie and ive been on several times. But i want to bring something up to you in this situation. I am a literate man. Talking about books, the book i just wrote, the case for trump the book i just read, the case for trump is a great book. The situation that i see, this whole nation has been split along two massive lines and it has created a situation where you almost going into secession. Situation of the Supreme Court, splitting the nation down the middle. What you really have now is the Supreme Court has divided the nation on major points, abortion and the second amendment. Those that are on the coast want abortion on demand and they want to take all the guns away i think the people in the heartland they think are crazy. Portland toto americas got talent to sing with my guitar. When i was down there, the guy running the show, they ran us out of the arena and had people stand for two hours screaming that people in portland are weird and i couldnt understand how this guy can come to portland screaming this but people in portland are very proud of being weird. Thats what youve got here. Court inhe supreme their decision of roe v. Wade has split the nation down the middle and they shouldve never done that. I encourage everybody to read the case for trump because hansen has made an extremely welldocumented situation. People are not trumpers. The voters are voting on the issue. I went through seattle and i hid aga h in my backpack to get in but then i broke it out oncea i got out of the airportt and paraded it down to the walkway. People would come up to me. I like that hat. They are whispering. Im afraid right now, to take my hat and wear it out because of the violence in this nation. Thats the situation we face. Host we will let you go there. Guest i would say we are not a violent nation. I appreciate your comments. Host a fox news viewer in maplewood, ohio, go ahead. Guest caller hi, im watching him talk today i watch your channel, there channel, the fox channel and some days, we will watch the president talk and then we will say lets see what cnn says about what he just said. They turn it around every time. I dont think they are being fair about what they say or they wont even talk about it. Rnc the other the night and the other channels were laughing and joking about stuff. Its i dont think cnn is true anymore. Guest everything we are saying is fact check a bowl and searchable. If you hear something we say and you think we are not sticking to the facts, let us now. You can let me know by email. Its important when there is a president who is so frequently dishonest of the public, we have to spend a lot of our time calling that out and explaining what is true. He started his presidency by saying 35,000,000 people voted illegally but theres no proof of that. If that were true, that would be the biggest story in the world. We have to take his word seriously, thats what cnn does may be more than fox. Sometimes they ignore it. Host our caller mentioned the Republican Convention. What is your view of the conventions as Media Products . How well do you think democrats and republicans did . campaign ads. Whatone can clearly tell the parties stand for. Im glad Networks Like cnn basically showed all the big pieces live and didnt interrupt outlet people make desolate the parties make their cases and that we got two months into the election. We are for tuesdays away from the first debate. All of a sudden, this incredibly long, Neverending Campaign feels like we are near the finish line. Host will is next in katy, texas, go ahead. Caller hello and good morning. T a couple of questions your book is full of Anonymous Sources, as you say. They are inside fox news. Your show is reliable sources so how can they be reliable if your book is so full of Anonymous Sources . Down to thespiral absolute level of trump hating that they are. Anchorsot guest guest who do you think hates them . Breanna, poppy harlow. If you have someone who wants to talk about what they do for the Trump Administration were anybody in the Trump Administration, they hit them with these questions. I never heard this when barack obama was in office, never. Guest do you see how the differences align . Caller can i keep my doctor when obamacare was put in place . You never pressed him on that. Guest the reason you are thinking of that lie because it was an exception to the rule. It was a shocking thing because Barack Obamas presidency was butmarked by daily lies President Trump lies constantly to you and me and that something that has to be called out. George w. Bush did not lie the way the trump lies. Its what i call asymmetric lying and i think its our job in the press to call it what it is and describe its happening. I understand its unsettling. I understand it has caused more distrust of the media to some trump voters dont mind the lies. The believe the president is lying in service of them. I want to address your point about Anonymous Sources. Anonymous sources are not my preference. I would rather everybody speak on their effort but in my experience at fox and other media companies, people are fuel for further jobs are fearful for their jobs. The reason i felt confident my sources because what i was being told anonymously was also backed up by on the record figures. I have a researcher that worked at fox news for years who says the fox editorial voice disregards the facts and is rejected by many of those within the organization. He said fox is a legion for President Trump and has become dangerous to our democracy and is putting our democracy at risk. By having on the record sources, that gives me more confidence in the Anonymous Sources. The book a story in about sean hannity taping his show instead of being live on the night of the impeachment vote. Every anchor shouldve been live because it was the biggest news event of 20 but he decided not to. From able to confirm this fox and confirm this and fact much of the information the book is been fact checked with fox news and people there had ample time to respond to the comments. Host guest let me as you about the New York Times review of your book. The headline is the incestuous relationship between donald news. And fox in the review they said that you resort to namecalling and spread gratuitous gossip about fox personalities. Feels a little retributive. Your response to that criticism . Guest i appreciated the review even the one star response is good to read and good to learn from. I wasnt sure with the insult they were referring to. I dont think i was gratuitous about insults but i think thats a low form of behavior. Inalled bill oreilly billo the book but some of his staffers called him that. If you hear my baby crying, my wife is taking care of her. Everyone seems to be working from home. Host maybe you can keep her quiet for seven more minutes, thats all we have. Guest i wish we could go all day. Isbstelter at gmail. The only way to show who we are and show that journals and at the enemy is to be acceptable. Host lets hear from a fox news viewer in knoxville, tennessee. Caller good morning, i have a couple of comments. I think journalism is did. All the news media across the what their owners lean politically. Whether you turn to nbc where you have george stephanopoulos, he obviously does not like the president or anything he stands for. I watch morning joe. Even fox news as well, sean hannity. You cannot mistake the fact that he is for President Trump. I think there are some that tried to be nonbiased but each station is owned by someone who tells them what to put out there. News is gone. I just dont believe any of them, to be honest. I had to chuckle when you commented that you are not there to bash fox news but thats what your book is about. I didnt understand that comment by you. Guest let me take that on. I also acknowledge in the book what i appreciate about fox and what i think it does well. Whats at issue is i think we should have a healthier, conservative news system thats more about news than talking. Fox does not have a bureau of reporters internationally so no one to cover the outbreak of covid19. Cnn has reporters in china and fox should have her orders in china so thats more of the theme of the book. Corporate ownership, your point is interesting. I half agree with you. This every news outlet is owned by a company but i think you are wrong when you say they are telling us what to say. In fact, its the opposite. In the case of the cnn owner, they purposely do not intrude. They emphasize how important it is to have independence. I hope this story doesnt get you in trouble get me in trouble. Earlier in the trump years where it was revealed that michael working for trump was also a lobbyist for at t. They didnt use the word lobbyist but he was being paid by at t to get a deal approved. This is a scandal when it revert when it was revealed. I was on cnn that they covering it. My boss at cnn said cover this like you would for any other company. Forget the fact that you work for at t and thats exactly how it should work. Flash forward one year and im on the phone with Randall Stephenson and the first thing he said was, you all were tough on me about michael cohen. He was laughing because he knows that would have thats how it should be. We should be just as tough and our parent company. Im not going to claim that meat that every media outlet gets it right with corporate ownership but we have seen impressive reporting at nbc about nbc. In e seen repressive seen impressive reporting at cbs about Sexual Harassment at cbs. Journalism is certainly not dead because you have journalists in dangerous situations on the gulf coast. You have journalists in dangerous situations in belarus right now. Journalism is alive and well. We just need to be more transparent with the audience about what we are doing. Of times, to best worst of times would you enter it as a career now in terms of a lifetime career . Guest i absolutely would because there is so much political noise that can be so distracting. The president called me a lapdog. That caused a pinch for 10 seconds and then you get back to your job. Thats what i tell journalism students. Tune out the noise and focus on what you want to do for your career. There is a lot of Political Drama never think about what happens when there is a severe thunderstorm in a local community in ohio or texas or california or anywhere. Think about what happens when there is a tornado warning. You turn on your tv, your local channel and rely on your local meteorologist to get you through the storm. In those moments, we are not democrats or republicans and dont hate the media and we dont think journalism is dead. We trust our local navigators and journalists to get us through the storm. There are lots of metaphorical storms happening in the country as well and i think we are more reliant and supportive of journalism in this country than we might think we are. Thed on the rhetoric and attacks, it can seem like an ugly time for American Media but i think its a very strong time. More ofall need to do his support local outlets that need revenue, that need cash coming in the door from readers and viewers in order to survive and thrive. Cnn is doing fine and fox news is doing just fine but we need to support our local news outlets so we have Ground Troops for what is going on so we can so pair what trump or biden so we dont have to compare what trump or biden sing about kenosha, we actually can listen to kenosha. Caller i believe trump is getting us closer and closer to a dictatorship and it really worries me. I think its important to have frank conversations about the. Important to have frank conversations about the authoritarian tendencies we are seeing. It makes many people uncomfortable but its necessary to learn from history and compare it to the present day. I had a guest on my Program Sunday who wrote a book about fascism. What he said to me was, we are not living in a fascist regime but here i am talking to you live on cnn. He says we need to see the tendencies that are taking place and understand them and take them seriously. I think its important to look to to those scholars and researchers and experts and see with happening with their own eyes. I think most americans see through all the hoax rhetoric. You look at the polling that shows that most people dont believe the president. Saympathize with those who where will we turn for reliable news. We can trust the outlets trying to get it right. Thats the dividing line in the American Media between outlets trying to get it right and we might make mistakes but at least they are trying. Thats verses outlets that are hyperpartisan, just trafficking in political noise, trying to make things louder and not saner. Thats the challenge i think for the public is to seek out sources that are trying to get it right, trying to get to the truth and what i would say to the viewers is hold us accountable, followup and challenge us when we get it wrong and let us know. Host the book is hoax. The authors cnn anchor for reliable sources, brian stelter, great to have you with us this morning. Washington journal just ahead onwashington journal, we will be joined by historian and author Craig Shirley to talk about campaign 2020 and the , talking about campaign 2020 and at the history of the postconvention president ial campaigns. Journal continues. Contenders,he about the man that lost, but changed political history. Tonight, u. S. Ambassador to the united nations, stevenson. Week attenders, this 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan. Bidens record is a shameful roll call of the most catastrophic blunders in our lifetime. He has spent his entire career on the wrong side of history. Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to the nation, he has failed to protect us, to protect america. My fellow americans, that is unforgivable. Announcer the first president ial debate between donald trump and joe biden will be on tuesday, september 29 at 9 00 p. M. Eastern. Watch coverage on cspan. Watch Live Streaming and ondemand at cspan. Org, or listen on the free cspan radio app. Today, treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin testifies before the house on the urgent need for additional coronavirus Economic Relief for children, workers and family, and in the implementation of key stimulus programs approved earlier this year. Watch live coverage beginning at 1 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan, cspan. Org, or listen on the free radio app. When you read the things said about thomas jefferson, that he was an agent of the french government, it sounds reminiscent, doesnt it . The things said about abraham lincoln, about fdr, that he wanted to be a dictator, so it does come with the territory, but i think in the case of donald trump, in the modern political era, i have never seen anything like it. Announcer on sunday at noon, our live two hour conversation with author wealth ralph reed, whose most recent book is forgotten country. Join in the conversation with your facebook comments, phone calls, and tweets, watch sunday at noon eastern on cspan2. On sunday night, Pamela Constable talks about covering the region of afghanistan and pakistan. Sometimes, people would Say Something critical of the west or the u. S. , that is more common saying something offensive about being a woman or causing problems. People tend to be, i am thing you very broadly, more helpful to a woman than to a man. They can also try to take it vantage of you, but generally my experience has been if they are not going to like something mistrust, or going to something about you, it is not because you are a woman, it is because you are in american. Announcer watch sunday night on cspan. Journal continues. Craigjoining us is shirley, a president ial historian who has been with us in a number of times. Good morning, how are you . Guest good morning, how are you . Host doing well. You are here to talk about the new phase the campaigns are entering. The conventions are done. I want to ask first, with our topic earlier today about joe bidens speech come his first since the Democratic Convention. What was your take away from his speech . Guest the battle lines have been drawn. Interesting that he did not mince words whatsoever. If i was advising him, i would tell him to draw distinctions between the two campaigns, his approach on what ails america. In this case, the rise in the streets. And talk about where the president is wrong and where you are right. Im sorry committees elections are almost always a referendum on the incumbent. So, if the challenger can make the case he is an acceptable alternative, that is half the battle right there. Host in these modern postconvention campaigns in the modern era, going back to Ronald Reagan, you said this is a referendum on the incumbent. Do the usually wind up with a couple issues as the focus for voters . Guest great question. Usually, the primaries and in the early stages, there are lots of issues and distractions, but they slowly get tapers down to focus on the big issues that the voters are concerned about, and they almost always centered around the economy or World Affairs or war. This one is a little bit different because it is centered more on domestic problems, meaning the coronavirus and the rise in the streets, so that is a little more unusual. You would have to go back to 1968 with the election of Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey to find a rise in the afters, they had riots the assassination of Martin Luther king in the inner cities, and then the protests against the vietnam war, where that became central to the campaign. But since that time it has pretty much been always about jobs, unemployment and almost always the campaigns are who is the best candidate to articulate and control the future. From 1932 until 1980, the Democratic Party was the party of the future. The theme song of fdrs campaign was happy days are here again. John kennedy said we need to get the country moving again. The Democratic Party was always the party of progress and jobs and the future. Jimmy carter kind of threw that away in 1980. Not kind of, he did throw it away, by focusing about the era of limitations, scarcity, rationing. Young americans, they did not like to hear that because for the first time in memory, the Young Americans did not believe or the parents did not believe the feature would be better for the Young Americans than it had been for themselves. That was the first time it happened in modern polling. Ronald reagan became the candidate of the future and the Republican Party was the party of the future. And up until probably the election of bill clinton, where , remembern in 1992 as his theme song was dont stop thinking about tomorrow. He took the future back. Now it has been a battle over who will be the best party and candidate to articulate a vision for the future. Host we are getting Historical Perspective on campaign 2020 with the election only two months away. Craig shirley is with us. If you are a supportive joe biden and Kamala Harris, 202 7488000. Supporter of President Trump, 202 7488001. If you are undecided or you support other candidates, use the line 202 7488002. Back to 1980, you wrote a piece that was headlined, joe biden should remember Ronald Reagan was the underdog in 1980. What lessons from 1980 do you think joe biden could use in 2020 . ManageRonald Reagans said politics is motion. And it is true. Those candidates that are in issues,that articulate who issue challenges, new ways fornew streams of people to talk or think about things, those candidates who are doing things tend to win, where those who are static or defensive or looking backwards tend to lose. Habit of giving advice anymore, but if i would say that this is the past four years have been up and down, good things and bad things, but i would say, instead of just attacking donald trump that is not good enough of need to have your own set values and your vision for america in the four years of a biden presidency. You cannot control with the other man does, but you can control what you think to him. Perfective t perspective from jerry saad, the eeadline today from him, th candidates seek a high ground. He says twice in u. S. History the primary issue was a broad feeling that the wheels were coming off the cart, that events were careening out of control. In both cases, republicans took advantage of that feeling to win. The difference was the republican candidates, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, were the challengers while democrats were in control of the white house. President trump is trying to pull off the reverse, he is the whombent, the man on watch, is trying to win by saying the turmoil would be worse if his opponents were in charge. Guest that is an interesting take. It really focuses on who you are your Political Base of supporters and who your opponent is. Ronald reagan was the incumbent in 1984, yet he ran as the outsider. And he was fortunate to run against the political establishment. So here is Ronald Reagan, the head of the national government, but he made a policy of going against the status quo. And donald trump can do the same thing, because joe biden once again is a creature of the washington establishment, and has been for many years. Donald trump has a set of issues ast would be categorized being antiestablishment or challenging to the status quo. And that is what he should focus on, focus on those, to keep running as the outsider of the establishment. Host lets go to our caller. S. Walter m butler, indiana walter in butler, indiana. Go ahead. Caller thank you for taking my call. I do not listen to what a person says, i watch what they do. A lot of the antijump is because he is a little rude and obnoxious, i am a new yorker, too. We come out of the box that way. In indiana, i work at a steel mill. The factories are flying, everybody had a job a few years ago. The tax cut that President Trump gave us was phenomenal. Aboutm a veteran, and nine years ago i had to see the Veterans Administration and had to wait for weeks and i almost dropdead waiting. A year and a half ago i had the same issue, but because donald trump is president , i went to a specialist and within 48 hours i had surgery and i am doing well. Turn off the noise and look around and say, do people have jobs . Do they have more money in their pockets . When you have the democrat establishment saying they will give medicare to illegal citizens, donald trump is going to win in a landside. And in my opinion, donald trump has been the greatest president ive ever had the privilege of seeing. And i wanted to know what you think his legacy is going to be, after he wins another four years and goes on. Thank you for taking my call. Host Craig Shirley . Guest the caller identified two issues. And the steeljob mills are now running at full capacity and the va has been reformed. People vote by and large out of selfinterest. The left, what is the politician doing for me . What are they doing for me and my family . Is he creating jobs . Is my family at peace . Is there a threat of war . Reallythese things that boil down to selfinterest. Host we are going to grab the audio issue, work on the video feed, and try to reconnect. In the meantime, we will continue to hear from callers and see if the producers can reconnect with Craig Shirley. In texas, lynn. Caller thank you for taking my call. I had something about the gentleman there, about his appearance. I recently retiredm. Parents, they he said they did not do better than his parents did, and he was upset about that. Im older than he is. Thats all i have to say. Joe biden talked to the country. I do not think donald trump did that, not the whole time he was there. He did not talk to the country. Florida. Now to on the for trump line, dale. Caller the gentleman hit on jenning on jimmy carter for a moment, and i concur that he was a failed president as far as he put the Steel Industry just under. I was a great lakes sailor. Imere were people thinking 1980, for many years that had sonority that could not hold a deckhands job, because jimmy carter decided it was pollution, ecology, et cetera. And he dumped everybody out the door. I have never voted democrat since jimmy carter. Host you voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980 . Caller absolutely. I think Ronald Reagan had some s,lse, everybody does fault everybody does. I would not want to go bowling with donald trump, but i sure would enjoy speaking with the man. If you could do that. Host when you voted for Ronald Reagan, was that your first republican vote for president . Caller absolutely, yes. Yeah. I had the opportunity to vote for Richard Nixon or mcgovern, and then from there on out, uh, ford or carter. And i made the mistake there. I also made a mistake later on and, i voted for clinton thats i voted for and clinton. Thats my opinion. Host going back to 1980, we take a look at the Republican National convention and Ronald Reagan addressing the crowd. [video clip] Ronald Reagan im very proud of our party tonight. This convention has shown a party united with positive programs for solving the nations problems. A party ready to build a new consensus with those that share a community of values embodied in these words, family, work, neighborhood, peace and freedom. [applause] blowing]s know weeagan now, i have had a quarrel or two, but only to the method of obtaining a goal. There was no argument about the goal here. A president , i will establish liaison with the 50 governors to encourage them to eliminate, wherever it exists, discrimination against women. [applause] blowing loudly] Ronald Reagan i will monitor laws to ensure their implementation and to add statutes if needed. More than anything else, i want my candidacy to unify our country, to renew the american spirit and purpose. I want to carry our message to every american, regardless of party, who is a member of this community of shared values. Host that was Ronald Reagan from the 1980 Republican Convention. A reminder to viewers and listeners, you go find it that convention and all past convention coverage, including last weeks Democratic Convention in Republican Convention at cspan. Org. We have been talking with historian and author and Ronald Reagan biographer, Craig Shirley. We have been having technical difficulty connecting, so in the meantime we will continue to take your calls on campaign 2020. Those of you who are joe biden supporters, 202 7488000. Donald Trump Supporters, 202 7488001. The new yorkil, times is saying you have time to vote by mail, but did not procrastinate. Can35 states, voters request a balance so close to election day it may not be feasible for those ballots to be mailed to them and it sent back in time to be counted. In the midterm elections, more than a quarter of rejected mail ere not counted because they relate. They were late. From georgia, a trump supported. Supporter. Caller i thought it was ironic that joe biden was speaking from a steel mill. That goes to show you the policies, past policies of i justjoe biden and want to say about that, the voting fraud. My wifes grandmother was in a nursing home during the Obama Administration, and the lady was in her room talking to her about wanting to vote she was supposed to be some Voting Committee and she was a democrat. Grandma, she took grandmas ballot out of her hand, and by that time her daughter walked in and said, what are you doing . She said, i am helping her to vote. Well, altogether we had a big , the people inuh town got together and at the attorney general got together here and had a review of it and and itup grandmas vote, could not count after they opened it. They had a hearing about it. And the only person she had marked on the ballot was obama. The thing about that is this, if you go to a nursing home and take a vote and this woman never voted for a democrat before, she had always voted republican. They asked, would you ever vote for obama . She said, i only vote republican. Host we are joined again by Craig Shirley. It is good to have you back. We were talking about the 1980 campaign, in particular, the underdog Ronald Reagan against the incumbent jimmy carter. Now the underdog is joe biden, the incumbent is donald trump. Now that the campaigns are done, what do you think the focus of the Democratic Campaign is going to be . Can they succeed in running entirely against President Trumps record . Ler not im sorry, i could hear the audio. We will work on that. I apologize. We have a caller on the joe biden line. Caller i wanted to say that i theeve that joe biden and way he is handling things is exactly what the country needs right now. I do not understand what this talk is about herd immunity. If the virus is mutating and people are catching it for a second time, how is herd immunity going to help . Hear to new jersey, lets from jim. On the undecided line. Caller good morning. I am a democrat. I did not vote for donald trump because i looked at him like a playboy billionaire and his nasty comments about pows, but i do not see any reason at all i should vote for joe biden. I looked at their conventions. I watched. There was no message there. I had to go online to find out more about their platform. And their platform is extreme. They are talking about closing the prisons, getting rid of bail. Or 4 trillion in illegals, amnesty for getting rid of ice. I mean, these are extreme. That would mean you would have open borders. Uh, i mean, everything in the hich he does not want to actually talk about, when they had the ban on travel, he said it was xenophobic. Then you had nancy pelosi, bill de blasio, this guy is just racist. How do you vote for somebody like that . He is tryingfar as to blame donald trump for the violence come on. Coryad a Maxine Waters and these different riotsats saying protests, dont stop. How can you blame donald trump for that . Host the president is heading to kenosha, wisconsin today following the violence and to the shooting of jacob blake. He will visit wisconsin, despite opposition, that is the headline today in the Washington Post. Is plannings family a barbecue on the block, where he was shot, with plans for licensed therapists to provide help for community members. But when the white house said the president was coming, his family moved the event to coincide with Donald Trumps has away tog, he take the focus away from something. Our president has not been a unifier, more of an instigator it has stirred up stuff. Trump will bring his Campaign Message of law and order to kenosha, meeting with members of Law Enforcement and touring businesses damaged riots in in riots. But when hear when he arrives, he will probably find a chilly reception, especially from leaders who said he should stay away. John, who is a joe biden supporter. Go ahead. John . Mute the volume, then go ahead. Caller i want to ask a question million missing from the treasury that is being andr was being misused nobody knows where it is. The thing is, donald trump thea told him his loan on theying in washington owesd in for the money he them. Treasury, steve trumps is in donald pocket, because he told him he did not need to pay back the 1 million he owes for traveling. He said, do not worry about it, just keep my taxes where nobody can see them. And barr will take care of the rest. Host we appreciate the call. To let you know, we had technical issues with our conversation with author Craig Shirley. We apologize for that. We will reschedule that in the coming days. But next, we will continue with your phone calls. Lets go back to our opening question and show you the durings from joe biden his speech yesterday in pittsburgh, and his accusation that the president is stoking violence. For those who are joe biden supporters, 202 7488000. 202 7488001 for those who are donald Trump Supporters. And all others, 202 7488002. We will be right back. Contenders,he about the men who ran for the presidency and lost, but changed history. The governor of illinois and later a u. S. Ambassador to the united nations, adlai stevenson. Thats tonight on cspan. Things saidread the about thomas jefferson, you know he was an infidel, an agent of the french government, it sounds reminiscent. The things he said about abraham lincoln, about fdr, that he wanted to be a dictator, it does come with the territory. But in the case of donald trump, at least in the modern political era, postworld war ii, i have never seen anything like it. Announcer on sunday at noon eastern, our conversation with reed, whose books include awakening, and forgotten country. Join in the conversation with your phone calls, facebook comments, texts and tweets. Sunday at noon eastern on cspan2. Journal washington continues. Host the phone lines are open for your comments on joe bidens speech yesterday in pittsburgh. This is the reaction of the wall street journal. Joe biden speaks on the violence. Biden addressed the violence in American Cities and we were looking for a Sister Soldier moment, extremist remarks. But what we heard was a largely denunciation of donald trump and not of the extremists on the political left. H turnedrned on the intoe the violence of extremists rightwing militias that infiltrate protests, carrying weapons of war. Only after that did he denounce violence in general terms, saying, rioting is not protesting, looting is not protesting, none of this is protesting. Its lawlessness and those who do it should be prosecuted. Violence will not bring change, only destruction. It divides instead of unites. whiteounced the supremacists with assault weapons, often better armed than the police in the middle of these protests. fair enough, but for a man of the left denouncing rightwing coalitions is easy. Surely he knows the protests are overwhelmingly led by black lives matter and antifa. He did not mention those groups in his prepared remarks, and he never used the words leftwing to describe those burning businesses and attacking police precincts. He conflated the two sides. The lefts militants are dominating the streets. What the little bit of former Vice President at a say in pittsburgh. Joe biden we must address the issue of racial injustice. I have personally spoken to the family of george floyd and jacob blakes family. I know their pain. So do you. I know the justice they seek. So do you. They have told us none of this violence respects or honors george or jacob. I believe that we can bring these folks fighting for Racial Justice to the table. I have worked with police in this country for many years. I know that most cops are decent people. I know how they risk their lives every time they put that shield on. And i am confident that i can bring the police to the table as well. I would make sure that every mayor and governor had the support that they needed from the federal government, but i would not be looking to use the u. S. Military against our own people. My language would be listed divisive less divisive. I would be looking to lower the temperature, not raise it. Host back to your calls. Pennsylvania, we will hear from john, a supporter of joe biden. Caller good morning. We are still suffering here from reaganomics. We had a couple major steel mills here, both gone now. That was because Ronald Reagan allowed the dumping of steel. And he was antiunion. My other comment is the people who badmouth socialism. Now, we had a hurricane in the gulf and fema will supply these people with some subsidies. Thats a form of socialism. Farm aid for the farmers, for not growing cops crops, that is socialism. This country is more socialistic than we believe. Socialism is not marxism or communism. And some of these riots going on, what the problem was in charlottesville was that rightwing skinheads came in, and basically the problem that most of these that most of these protests is they are being infiltrated by troublemakers, the skinheads, the neonazis. The patriot front, the council of conservative citizens, the white knights, honorable sacred uh, thatso they should be also mentioned by the wall street journal. Host clarksville, west virginia. Go ahead. Caller im not for either one of the guys running, donald trump or joe biden. Im 85 and i am blind. My lifeer had a job in that paid me over three dollars an hour. The trouble with the country and i really hate to hear this we have got to get together and stop this. They hate each other so how can we get together. I consider all new stations, people that are just it reminds me of, as i was growing up, stalin and hitler. Tv. Would show them on the and it was that way. And it has been this way for years. Host i will tell you about our Coverage Today. We will be following the president who is heading to kenosha. In terms of speaking opportunities, sometime this afternoon. We will keep you posted here on cspan and cspan radio. We can tell you about the ected coronavirus treasury Steven Mnuchin will be testifying in front of the committee. That will begin at 1 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan. Faith, good morning. Caller i wanted to say that this idea about defunding the police is an angela davis idea. Now, she is a known communist. She is a teacher in california, a professor, and it was her idea, lets defined of the police. Lets stop all of our prisons. She was a known black panther. They are considered people who murdered, i do not know how many police. I do not know how people cannot see that this is just her marxist ideas. People should get an idea about it. Host charleston, west virginia, a supporter of joe biden. Shelley, hello. Caller did you say shelley . Host yes, you are on the air. Caller first of all, i would like to say that trump is president right now. Stoked violence becamebefore he was he president. He would go to his rallies and say, if you see somebody throwing a tomato, punch them in the face, i will pay your legal fees. This is nothing new, it has just gotten worese. Like Michelle Obama said, it can get a lot worse. It has gotten a lot worse under this president. I wish people would listen to what he is saying. Host President Trump was on the Laura Ingraham show last night, the headline on politico, trump compares Police Brutality to golfers who miss a three foot putt. To likened the officers golfers who choke, resisting the realtime efforts of a cable news who tried to steer him away from the comparison. The remarks came during an interview with Laura Ingraham, when donald trump said that cops are under siege. Here is what he said specifically about black lives matter. President trump black lives matter came into existence walking down the street screaming, pigs in a blanket, fry them like bacon. They were like the sausages or hot dogs, frying them. I think even worse than the last couple days. I do not know, can you get worse . Host tim, hello. Im for president. Host ok. A trump supporter from illinois. Good morning. Caller i have so many things. This double standard. I am pushing 70. I was brought up in a democrat household. My mother would probably be liberal, my father was a conservative democrat, a world war ii veteran who marched under general patton, and he teamster. Time agotched a long and i voted for jimmy carter once, i voted for bill clinton once, but pretty much a republican now. I do not think i could ever vote for a democrat. When i hear the garbage and the lies from the democrats, you know, stoking the violence are you kidding . Cspan missed the segment on are the democrats stoking violence. Did we forget that when donald trump was inaugurated, 65 members of congress said, i am not going because he is not even our president. And then, you know, Maxine Waters telling people to get in the faces of republicans and make sure they are not wanted anywhere. I will give you a personal issue, too. When barack obama was a senator running for office, my older sister, at the time i was in my 50s, asked me what i thought about barack obama being president. My response was, i think he would make a bad president. She has known me all my life, and she didnt ask my why do you think so . She insinuated, are you a racist . This was my sister, who is a teacher. She did not ask me why i thought he would be a bad president , she just basically called me a racist. The funny thing about it all was the only time a person of color has ever been in my sisters house was when my wife was with me when i went to visit her, because she is africanamerican and hispanic. So there is no dealing logically anymore. I did not vote for donald trump the last election, i did not vote for Hillary Clinton either, t. Firefly ascas a joke. I will never vote for a democrat again as long as i live. Host do you plan to vote for President Trump . Caller you bet. Host lawrence, in illinois, this is a piece from the Washington Post. Violence. Rs in this atmosphere were the wrong word can encourage bloodshed, there is one overriding political question is the candidate combing the situation or inflaming it for his advantage . Anyone feeding conflict is committing a crime against democracy. Here is what libby jane says on twitter. Donald trumps visit to kenosha will be a defining moment for him. Americans will witness the chaos and divisive rhetoric that has defined his presidency. We claim to have Coverage Today on cspan, so keep it close for more Schedule Information on that. You can find joe bidens most recent speech on cspan. Org. Hillary is a joe biden supporter in new haven, connecticut. Caller good morning. I am letting you know about the black lives matter movement. Scheduled black lives movement peaceful protest and people showed up on our steps of the police station, saying burn down the building. It was all destructiveness. And the chief of police told them to get out of our state, get out of our city, because they did not belong in the area. These were people, we did not know them, but they wanted because destruction and dismantle our peaceful police. That is all i want to say. Host we spotted this article this morning in the metro section, about protesters in d. C. The mayor blames outside agitators, that is the headline in the Washington Post. Mayorer defendede the defended police to quell the unrest in the district and blamed recent clashes on outside agitators, who came armed for battle, and looking for police to confront. Official said two thirds of the people arrested in connection with protests are not from d. C. , and have ties to other areas, including portland and kenosha. In are seeing a shift those involved and in the tactics used. The mayor drew distinctions between the tens of thousands that peacefully marched and spoke for Racial Justice, and those she holds responsible for the nightly clashes that began on thursday. We will hear from amelia in west bridgewater, massachusetts. Caller good morning. I want to say that donald trump, in my opinion, has been the divider and chief since day one, since he came down the escalator, really, talking about immigrants. Today, talking about blue states and red states. I have republican friends, and we live in the United States of america, and it is disturbing the president cannot see that we live in the United States. He supports people with guns shooting into crowds. Its disturbing. Host to california, a trump supporter. Richard, hi. Caller i support donald trump. Twice ind i only voted my life. I do not get involved in politics, but Kamala Harris you were talking about these people going from different she isto riot, promoting money for these people. Fracking, joere biden was talking about no more fracking and a lot of democrats are talking about the unrest, it will not stop. Let it be hurt. Heard. Host connie, go ahead. Caller good morning. Thanks for letting me have a moment. I used to be an independent. Proudily in general was that our country had elected mr. Hisa years ago, however, last four years and the first four years of mr. Trump has turned me into a complete republican. Ss out ofessive to lateican values, hope, term abortions, tear up our cities, and anything they are doing you can tell because they accuse mr. Trump of it. Im so disgusted now at where we have gone. And i am 100 mr. Trump. And whatever he can do to keep us together. He may not say it the way that people want to hear it, but he is a good man and has us in his heart. Host a reflection of what the Washington Times has, women protests. Ump after with increasing crime, donald trump has a chance to make headway with female voters, who have cast a doubtful eye on the billionaire over the years. Reporting on a poll, the military times, among members of the military. More troops plaintively for joe biden. More activeduty troops say they will back joe biden, the former Vice President , instead of President Trump in the election. Continuing a decline in favorability for the president among a block of motor that usually leads republican, a survey released on monday found if the election was held today, 41 of activeduty troops say they would vote for the democratic nominee, compared to 37 for the president. The other 30 say they will back a thirdparty candidate. We hear from harvey in atlanta, a trump supporter i apologize, a joe biden supporter. Caller yes. Yeah, what i think i understand people who like Donald Trumps agenda, and i understand people who like joe bidens agenda. But i am 80 years old and i am absolutely committed to the idea that this country should be led by a man of character. I do not care which side you are on right now, nobody can argue that Donald Trumps character should be leading this country. This is a man who has a history of crooked behavior and inerhanded, um, techniques order to accomplish what he wants. We should not be led by a man like this, regardless if he has the same agenda as you or not. Host the Vice President had a speech in pittsburgh yesterday, saying the president is running on a campaign of fear. Is biden the simple truth donald trump failed to protect america, so now he is trying to scare america. Since donald trump and mike record thatrun on a has seen american deaths to a virus than the nation has suffered in every war since korea combined, since they cannot run on their economy that has seen more people lose their jobs than any time since the great depression, since they cannot run on the simple proposition of sending our children safely back to school, since they have no vision for a second term, trump and pence are running on this you will not be safe in Joe Bidens America. What is there proof . The violence seen in Donald Trumps america. These are not images from the future. These are images of Donald Trumps america today. He keeps telling you, if only he was president it would not happen. He keeps saying, if i was president , you would feel safe. He is president , whether he knows it or not. And it is happening. And it is getting worse. You know why . Because donald trump adds fuel to every fire. Host we will go to mike in nebraska, a trump supporter. Hi. Caller thank you for taking my phone call. I have got to say one thing. You know, democrats, people see with the democrats are doing i am a donald trump supporter all the way. In my opinion, they are demigods, but they are socialists and they put donald trump up there, ok, because he had a name. He will not last two years. The left wing liberals in congress, and the democrats, said the people were stupid. Ok . They think that people are stupid. And black lives matter, its marxist. I would rather have freedom then socialism. Thats all i have to say. Host this is angela on the joe biden line. Caller good morning. Want toing because i express how i used to be a switchedn, and i just to the Democratic Party two years into Donald Trumps presidency, because people who support him, it is like they picked up a bible in another universe. And it is ok now to lie, to do all these wrongdoings. All the cardinal sins of the bible, donald trump commits, every day. And people still support him. Nobody talks about the fact he has allowed russia to do so much to hinder us. To hinder our military. Nobody is talking about that. What about turning his back on the kurds . The list goes on and on and on. In he has put a disruption my spirit. I know i do not only speak for myself. Host it is primary day in massachusetts. Our capitol hill producer masked campaigning during the pandemic in endschusetts primary today as they choose between marquis and kennedy, the senate nominees. The the New York Times, covid conventions strange success. The conventions downsized from spectacles to the way that we watch things now, on living room screens and smartphones, multitasking quickly moved and easily enraged. Change was overdue for the format it changed little since the first conventions were held in the 1830s. Then the gatherings were thrilling and consequential. But Party Reforms assure that the nominee would always be known before the conventions, now nothing but infomercials. High on flash and empty of substance. The 2020 conventions were infomercials, but strangely effective. They reflected our Current Media moment and clearly communicated the essence of each party and their nominees, more so than the traditional format. Bob on our donald trump line. Caller good morning. Im a Affairs Trump supporter. Theirerybody just stop in tracks and give joe biden a neuroworkup. I believe we are in danger of putting somebody in the presidency who is not neurologically sound. Canan, there are tests they do to see if he has early dementia. Can somebody give him a workup . Host mike is a supporter of joe biden. Caller yes, this is mike. Donald trump, what he should be doing is try to pull the country together, but he is not. He has tried to separate the black and white against each other. He is not a godfearing person. Neice andce and sister say he is no good. He is a racist. I think if he has four more years in the white house, black people will suffer, people of color, whether republican or democrat. He is a liar, a thief. He hangs out with a bunch of crooks. And you talk about justices, he is working like hitlers. Craig shirley this is how host this is how political frame to the conventions. The clash, joe biden flips the script as the campaigns he debt between the democrat and his challenger mark a new phase of the race. We say good morning to grade in georgia, a supportive joe biden. Caller yes, i want to say that politics aside, i just wish that donald trump would behave like a president and stop calling people names, talking about the ratings, and tweeting. Just behave. And stop embarrassing the country. Thats all i want to say. Host that will do for the program this morning. We will be looking for coverage of the president s comments in kenosha later today. Hope you are back tomorrow morning, we will talk about it then at 7 00 a. M. Eastern. Have a great day. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] announcer you were watching, unfiltered view of government, created by your Cable Company as a private service and brought to you today by your television provider. Announcer coming mnuchinafternoon, steve on the coronavirus Economic Relief package. That will be live on cspan. President trump bidens record is a shameful roll call of catastrophic wonders in our lifetime. Spent his entire career on the wrong side of history. President trump failed in his most basic duty to the nation, to protect us. He failed to protect americans. That is unforgivable. Watch live coverage, Live Streaming, and on demand or listen live on the free cspan radio app. Joe biden spoke about public