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shameless hypocrite. as covid-relief benefits roll out, you will find republicans trying to take credit for something they, all, voted against. "velshi," starts now. good morning, i'm ali velshi. it's saturday, march 13th. just over 50 days have passed since joe biden was inaugurated as president of the united states. and now, he has successfully ushered, through congress, his most pressing priority. his $1.9 trillion american-rescue plan. >> the president promised, help is on the way. and today, help has arrived. help has arrived, for the workers who lost their jobs. help has arrived, for the students, who have been stuck at home. help has arrived, for the families that have struggled to put food on their table. and for the small businesses, that have struggled to keep their doors open, help has arrived, america. >> for the first time, in a long time, this bill puts working people, in this nation, first. it's not hyperbole. it's a fact. >> it is, indeed, a fact. and for tangible proof, american airlines told 13,000 employees that, because of biden's package, they can tear up layoff letters that they received in february, which were set to take place, starting in april. the $1,400-direct payments to some americans are set to begin showing up in bank accounts, this weekend. and it cannot, cannot come soon enough. for the tens of millions of americans, who remain out of work. first-time unemployment claims continue to be above 700,000, a week. which still, surpasses the pre-pandemic record set during the great recession. nonetheless, and rather predictably, zero members of the republican party in the house or the senate supported this rescue package, for everyday americans. from kentucky even called the relief package quote one of the worst pieces of legislation passed in the time i have been in the senate. end quote. while, adding this bit of highly-partisan logic. >> we're on the way out of this. we're about to have a boom. and if we do have a boom, it will have absolutely nothing to do with this $1.9 trillion. >> did you catch that logic? the democrats just passed an economic-rescue package. and you are about to see the economy start looking rescued. but the economy being rescued and the democrats rescuing are totally unrelated. and then, there is the curious case of republican senator, roger wicker, of mississippi, who voted against the bill, like every-other republican did. and yet, tweeted how great the bill is for small businesses and independent restaurants. this type of hypocrisy will never cease to amaze me. but there is another, urgent reason for biden's big-relief package. covid-19 continues to be a significant-and-deadly, serious problem across this country. infection-and-death numbers are, very slowly, decreasing. and seemingly, holding right around the 50,000 new cases a day. more than 1,500 americans continue to die, a day, on average. remember, a year ago? when 1,500 people died, it was shocking to us. the good news is that the number of americans across the country being vaccinated continues to increase. more than 101 million vaccine doses have, already, been administered and the biden administration is promising all-american adults will be able to sign up for a vaccine, by may the 1st. doesn't mean you will get it by then. you will be able to sign up. you get on a list by then. and the president promising more good things in the coming months. >> if we do this together, by july the 4th, there's a good chance, you, your families, and friends, will be able to get together, in your backyard or in your neighborhood, and have a cookout and a barbecue and celebrate independence day. where we not only mark our independence, as a nation, but, we begin to mark our independence from this virus. we can't let our guard down. we need everyone to keep washing their hands. stay socially distanced. and keep wearing the masks, as recommended by the cdc. because, even if we devote every resource we have, beating this virus and getting back to normal depends on national unity. >> okay. that, all, sounds amazing and hopeful. but one, potential problem for biden's plan for us all to stick it out these next few months and finally beat back the virus, in time for july-4th celebrations. is that national unity is a phrase that's not currently in the republican party's lexicon. a slew of republican-led states are ending mask mandates and other-health restrictions aimed at keeping people safe. prematurely, declaring an end to the pandemic. missing, only, a big-mission-accomplished banner as a backdrop. and don't forget, last spring, a slew of republican-led states prematurely ended mandates and health restrictions, which health and medical officials directly blamed for last year's early-summer surge in cases and deaths. joining me now, steve adler, mayor of austin, texas. mayor adler is being sued by attorney general of texas, pen ken paxton, for having the gull to maintain mask mandates. yesterday, a texas judge ruled against paxton. allowing the local-mask mandates to remain in effect for at least the next two weeks. mayor adler, good to see you. thank you for being with us. you got a bitd of a victory. bit of a reprieve for the next couple weeks. what happens next? >> don't move past those two weeks because that is a pretty big victory. every day we can keep this mask mandate in effect is a -- is a victory. one of the things that -- that just shocked us about the timing of the governor's action is it was to go into effect two days before spring break. here, in austin, with the university of texas, we now have a mask mandate that's going to take us through spring break. and watching what happened, a year ago, with the holiday. or watching what happens when families move at thanksgiving are really important two weeks. and we will just continue to fight for this as long as we can. remember, what we are fighting to do is to keep, enforced, the rules of our health authority. we are going to be guided by the doctors and the data for as long as we can. >> so, is there -- have you got information? this is what i keep wanting to find out. these states that are lifting these mandates. do they have some medical or scientific information, issued by somebody who works for the state, that you have received to say it's okay to do this for -- for the state of texas to remove these -- these restrictions? >> none, that we have been able to see. in fact, i think, a lot of the same-medical advisers that the governor is hearing from are the ones that we hear from at the university of texas and here in austin and other places. you know, the doctors and the data are virtually unanimous. in suggesting and saying that masking is the single-most important thing we can do. you know, we can continue to open up businesses and wear a mask. we can have more and more children, in school, in-person learning with a mask. we are so close. we just need to hang on, a little bit longer, and keep wearing this mask. >> so, here's what some people, in other states, may not realize. because they might say, i mean, we have talked to so many mayors in the last year who said my governor won't do it, it's complicated because people move from city to city. but at least, in some cases, they were able to do in their own states. in texas, that is a problem. in arizona, that's a problem. there are a number of states where the -- the state government has said we don't want mask mandates. but the mayors, municipalities, can do it. in texas, they're saying you can't do it, as the mayor of austin. >> that's what they say. and the governor says his powers trump the city powers. but going back to last spring, it was the cities that stepped forward. houston, san antonio, dallas, and -- and -- and we forced that issue. we finally got the ability to do it, by individual-city decision. once it started working, the governor went along with it, and made it statewide. but then, pulled it down. again, it was the city stepping forward to try to put it back. i mean, ultimately, this is a question for the courts to decide. but we can't find an instant in texas history when a state leader's been able to tell a local-health authority that it can't adopt local rules to protect its community. >> mayor, good to see you. thank you for joining us so early this morning. steve adler is the mayor of austin, texas. for at least two weeks they get to keep their mask mandate in place. we will check in with you again, mayor, as this gets closer. thank you again for joining us. joining me now, dr. francis collins. he is director of the national institutes of health. dr. collins is the only presidentially-appointed nih director to serve more than one administration. getting sworn in august 2009 under president obama. he served under president trump. and now, he is serving under president biden. thank you, dr. collins, as always, for joining us. i want to tell you what happened on my team. after joe biden's speech, i had a response. nothing to do with biden but having to do with the july 4th, independence day stuff. to say i can, for the first time, start thinking about what life looks like maybe around summer, labor day, maybe normalcy, maybe going back to the office. and one of my producers, on my team, said what -- is it right to base things that are dependent on science and medicine, on political schedules? or a schedule that the president wants to talk about, like independence day? does the science support the idea that we might get back to some sort of normalcy around independence day? so, i said, perfect. let's put it to francis collins. >> okay. so you are putting it to me. i think, there is real advantage to actually laying out some kind of a timetable. even though there's risk involved there because there is a lot what's going to happen the next two or three months we don't completely control. but i do think it is a good idea to get in people's minds what we might be able to achieve of the but notice, the president also said that is going to take americans, not just, you know, a few people in the government. all of us, kind of, committed to the kind of public-health measures to make july 4th possible. let's be clear. we have made amazing progress in vaccinations. we -- we just passed, this week, the one-year anniversary of the declaration of a global pandemic. and we have, now, also, in the united states, administered over-100 million doses of vaccines, which is just amazing to be able to say. 61% of people over 65 have gotten at least one dose. i know, it made people frustrated and it still does because the delivery system has had lots of glitches. but look at the trajectory we're on. and if, in fact, by may 1st, everybody can start signing up. and by the end of june, the majority of americans will be immunized. then, this july-4th gathering, at least with other people who have been vaccinated, in small groups, seems like a goal we should aim for. but there are clouds on that horizon. again, you just had this bit about mask mandates being taken away. boy, is that the wrong time to do that. we have this slightly troubling, maybe more than slightly troubling variant called b.1.1.7 that is now about 30% of the isolates in the u.s. and we know is more contagious. so, if there is ever a time to put on the mask, this is it. with all that said, i am hopeful. i wear this button on my lapel that talks about hope. national institutes of health. maybe, we are the national institutes of hope but hope's not a strategy. hope is something that attaches to action. we need that action, from everybody. >> i knew you'd give me an honest answer. dr. collins, all through the last year, when we haven't sometimes had honest answers from the administration, we could count on you to do that so i want to parse what you have said. you have sort of divided this into three buckets. success about getting back to normalcy depends on some medical and scientific stuff about variants and what happens. it depends on some behavioral stuff about us, all, taking this seriously. and then, there is a third thing you mentioned which is kind of behavioral but it's these states that are removing mask mandates. if we have learned one thing in the last year is that, if we had solid, clear, consistent direction, at the highest levels. some of these deaths would, probably, have been avoided. once again, a year in, we are getting muddled messages. how do you, as a -- as a health leader in this country, without being political because you have done a good job of -- of avoiding that. what message do you send to these governors to say, please, don't do this. this isn't -- just get politics out of this. do the right stuff, by science. >> i'm just naive enough to think that data and evidence and facts ought to be sufficient to convince people to make the right decisions. i'm not sure that's always been the case. but if america has a future, we have to get back to that, don't we? decisions about public health, about saving lives, cannot be on the basis of what party you're in or what poll you just read. it has to be on what the data says and the data is incontrovertible. every bit of data proves mask wearing reduces infections, reduces deaths. and we are, still, seeing 50 to 60,000 cases, a day, right now. it's not like this is trickling down to zero, very quickly. this is the time. so, yes, i would just appeal to all of those leaders who have people's lives in their hands. look at the data. take some risks with your political base, if you need to. but do the right thing. >> uh-huh. dr. collins, you have always been frank when you are on this show. tell me, frankly, what's different now for -- for people -- you're not a government, you're not an agency, the national institute of health. you are a little bit removed but how is it different now than it has been in the last year? >> well, if you listened to the president's speech, it was all about science. he must have brought up science at least three or four times. this is a very different approach to national questions. not just covid-19 but many, other things, as well. it is wonderful, to be able to have that kind of input. to be able to provide the kind of answers, based on science, that our nation needs to go forward. and to have those kinds of decisions, driven by the weight of the evidence and not by anecdotal comments by one or two people. it's quite a different scene, indeed. and in the scientific community, find this to be extremely encouraging. although we have got lots of problems as a nice and not just covid. we have got climate. health disparities. we have seen the last year about the way in which racial inequities are still with us and we have to face those. but at least, we can look at the evidence. we can depend on the facts. we can decide that we care about objective truths and that's a nice place to be. >> dr. collins, we thank you, as always for joining us, and on behalf of my producer, mark katz, we thank you for engaging in this discussion about whether we should believe and -- and be hopeful about this summer date. thank you, sir, as always, we will talk again. dr. francis collins is the director of the national institutes of health. senator lindsey graham recently said he is just trying to quote harness trump's magic. after having lost the election. i guess, that's kind of impressive. the relationship between grant and trump reminds me of that, between a shark and a pilot fish. you can guess which one the shark is. which one the shark is ever notice how stiff clothes can feel rough on your skin? 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tell donald trump to go to hell. but after a few rounds of golf together, feelings change. just think, if hamilton and aaron burr had 9 irons. but how the trump-graham buddy-cop relationship came to be is less of a question of why it continues. graham seemed to have an introspective moment after the former-president's supporter stormed the capitol, hours after the insurrection was put down, senators returned to business and graham spoke on the senate floor and said this. >> trump and i. we've had a hell of a journey. i hate it being this way. oh, my god, i hate it. from my point of view, he's been a consequential president. but today, first thing you'll see. all i can say is count me out. enough is enough. >> and indeed, for graham, enough was enough, until it wasn't. apparently, wasn't enough for lindsey graham to vote to impeach donald trump. and it's not enough for lindsey graham to envision a future for the republican party, without the former president, either. graham, who recently sat down with "axios," had this to say. >> there is something about trump. there's a dark side, and there's some magic there. and what i'm trying to do is just harness the magic. he could make the republican party something that nobody else, i know, could make it. could make it bigger. he could make it stronger. he can make it more diverse. and he, also, could destroy it. >> okay. putting aside the ideas that a man, who graham, himself, once described as a, quote, race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot, end quote, could make the gop more diverse. just put that aside, for a second. think of the decision graham just floated. trump can make the republican party great or, quote, destroy it. it's akin to hiring a contractor to renovate your home who says, i'm going to build you the dream house that you've always wanted. or it will kill you, when the ceiling caves in during dinner. how is making the republican party bigger and stronger, versus destroying it, the only option? whatever your feelings are about the republican party, it deserves better than that. perhaps, the pilot fish and the shark are fine, without the rest of the ocean. as long as they have one another. it's curious to note that, while graham continues to advocate for trump as the future of the republican party, trump is telling the gop it can't use his name to raise money, anymore. because, no matter how symbiotic the relationship appears to be, the shark will always do and eat what it wants. cell phone repair. did you know liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need? just get a quote at libertymutual.com. really? i'll check that out. oh yeah. i think i might get a quote. not again! aah, come on rice. do your thing. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ if you have risk factors like heart disease, diabetes and raised triglycerides,... ...vascepa can give you something to celebrate. ♪ vascepa, when added to your statin,... ...is clinically proven to provide 25% lower risk from heart attack and stroke. vascepa is clearly different. first and only fda approved. celebrate less risk. even for those with family history. ♪ don't take vascepa if you are... ...or become allergic to icosapent ethyl or any inactive ingredient in vascepa. serious side effects may occur like heart rhythm problems and bleeding. heart rhythm problems may occur in more people... ...with persistent cardiovascular risk or who have had them in the past. tell your doctor if you experience an irregular heartbeat or other heart rhythm problems. possible side effects include muscle and joint pain. celebrate less risk. added cardio protection. talk to your doctor about adding protection with vascepa. why walgreens? with save a trip refills that let you pick up all your prescriptions all on the same day... we make filling your medicare prescriptions... ...go like clockwork. so you can get back to what you'd rather be doing! ♪ record-breaking voter turnout saved our democracy from a dangerous administration. but the troubling reality is now, there are multiple republican-supported voter-suppression efforts taking place around the nation. in iowa, republicans are looking to make absentee voting more difficult. the state also shortened voting period by nine days and cut times at polling locations by an hour. in florida, republicans are working to ban ballot-drop boxes and limit those who can vote via mail-in ballot. but neither, governor ron desantis, nor the sponsors of the bill, can point to any-voter fraud associated with the boxes or the ballots. in georgia, republicans passed a bill ending no-excuse, absentee ballots, something more than 1.3 million voters used to flip the election in the senate runoffs. stacey abrams an attack an voter access and a, quote, kpis ten el crisis. potentially, giving lawmakers to overturn the voters' will. i am not making that up. that is actually what they are putting into law. that is just four states but according to the latest analysis by the brennen center, there are 39 others debating more than 250 voter-suppression bills and if that is not enough. a republican representative from arizona actually said quote republicans don't mind putting security measures in that won't let everyone vote. everybody shouldn't be voting. unquote. everybody shouldn't be voting. in fact, it's been going on for decades. listen to this. >> i don't want everybody to vote. as a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections, quite candidly, goes up, as the voting populous goes down. >> if we accept this universal mail -- mail-out balloting to people who didn't even requests ballots. i don't think republicans will ever win a national election, again. >> we will never win again. it's just a great bill that will restore election integrity. it will cut stacy abrams off at the knees. >> joining me now, vice president at the brennen sent for justice. wendy, i can see the expression on your face after that. but i guess, to some degree, for people like you at the brendan center who do a great deal of research on this. is there some relief that they are all saying it out loud now? that you now know what you are up against? because in this country, we have had, sometimes out loud and sometimes in secret. but we have had efforts to suppress democracy, pretty much, since the very beginning. >> yeah. this has been a really new development, over the last year. that increasingly, those that are seeking to suppress votes, restrict access to voting, are saying the quiet part, out loud. nobody really believes these bills are some legitimate attempt to try to address voter fraud. we know that that's a big lie. and that's been proved again, and again. in fact, the federal government cybersecurity -- infrastructure and security agency said the 2020 election was the most secure, in american history. and we have seen more and more people saying, expressly, that they want to subtract voters from the electorate, as a tactic for winning. actually, this was actually a shocking moment in the u.s. supreme court. just two weeks ago, in a case that was challenging two other voting restrictions out of -- out of arizona. the lawyer for the rnc, actually, said that their interest, in that case, was that those voting restrictions gave republicans a comparative advantage. politics is a zero-sum game, he said, that quiet part was said, out loud, to the u.s. supreme court in what is one of the more shocking moments i have heard. >> so when you take a piece of legislation to court, justice needs to rule in part based on precedent and, in part, being in accord with the constitution. and if that doesn't work, it gets appealed up to the supreme court. is there any argument, in the constitution, for limiting access to voting? or is there anything positive about voting? is this one of those things we just assume when we decided people vote that everybody who is qualified to vote will be allowed to do so? is it -- what can you rely on, for people who say that quiet part, out loud? that we are looking to actually restrict voting. >> well, the constitution does protect the right to vote, against undue burdens. it protects it against race discrimination. unfortunately, our courts have not been, in recent years, very robust in protecting the right to vote. we need more protections. we -- we saw a significant slashing of the protections of the voting-rights act. which is -- was the most successful civil-rights bill in our nation's history. and that has been fueling these voting restrictions, even before this year. and we -- we just don't have enough federal guarantees to protect the right to vote, in america, that americans can rely on. and that can be enforced in court right now. there is good news, on that front, because there is legislation with momentum in congress that could fix that. that could actually stop all this vote suppression. and i think that that's the hopeful part that we're -- we're -- we can -- we're on the cusp, perhaps, of seeing transformative legislation pass. the for the people act. hr 1 and it will be s 1 in the senate. that would give every american a baseline level of voting access they could rely on. it would stop these kinds of efforts to manipulate the vote, at the inception. and it would strengthen democracy, in other ways, as well. >> i am going to say to you, but my executive producer will hear it. we probably need to spend some time, very specifically, on hr 1. and explain to people what that bill is. and hr 4, which is sort of a companion bill. the other thing somebody tweeted me yesterday, that -- that -- how do we know there isn't voter fraud? so, i want to point to the brennen center because on your website, you have reports, very specifically, based in research on voter fraud and i recommend that people read it so you can put an end to this big lie, which nearly cost us our democracy. wendy wiser is the vice president of the democracy program at the brennan center for justice. and again, i do recommend you go to their website if you want to have the arguments in place to debate with other people as to whether or not voter fraud is a big deal in america. the fbi is zeroing in on another 100 arrests with the january 6th capitol riot. a former-defense official from the previous administration now says the former-president's actions caused the insurrection. and remember, you can listen to "velshi" in podcast form on any device. head over to tunein.com/msnbc2021 or wherever you get your podcasts, to start listening. you get your podcasts, to start listening. and the best part, it's powered by verizon. but it gets crazier. bring a friend every month and get every month for $5. which is why i brought them. two $5-a-months right here. hey. hey. plus the players of my squad. hey. what's up? 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scary. spraying flonase daily stops your body from overreacting to allergens all season long. psst! psst! you're good. do you think the president was responsible for what happened on the 6th? >> i don't know. but it seems cause and effect, yeah. the question is, would anybody have marched on the capitol and overrun the capitol, without the president's speech? i think, it's, pretty much, definitive that wouldn't have happened. so, yes. >> yes. it doesn't get any clearer than that. chris miller. the former president's acting-defense secretary told vice news, this week, that the capitol-hill insurrection was, indeed, caused by trump's speech on january 6th. despite his acquittal in the impeachment trial. meanwhile, investigations into the insurrection are heating up. the fbi is expected to charge over 100 more people with broad-conspiracy charges adding to the already-more-than-300 people facing charges from the siege that left five people dead and more than 130 police officers injured. among those under investigation is the leader of the militia group the oath keepers. and the fbi also released more surveillance video this week of the person who allegedly placed pipe bombs at the dnc and the rnc before the riot. they are still searching for any leads, in that case. overseeing these investigations would be a hefty task for any, one person. but lucky, as of thursday, we now have a newly-sworn-in attorney general, who is no stranger to the threat of domestic terrorism. in 1995, merrick garland led the investigation into the oklahoma city bombing that killed 168 people. then, the worst-terrorist attack on u.s. soil. mr. garland vowed during his confirmation hearing weeks after the riot at the capitol by a pro-terrorism mob, to use the full force to combat domestic extremism. pulitzer-prize-winning justice reporter. good morning, katy. this is an interesting situation because being the attorney general is, possibly, one of the toughest-cabinet positions under normal circumstances because you are dealing with crime and law enforcement and civil rights and all sorts of things. but in this, particular case, he also has to deal with an internal program. morale in the justice department that has caused many career senior civil servants and lawyers to lose faith after being really dumped on by the former president and politicized. >> yeah. we saw he was confirmed thursday, he took his oath. his first act was to address -- one, this is like a homecoming for me. i am one of you. i am a former prosecutor. i believe in your work. and two, we will not face that kind of politicization again. and three, we are going to do our work, as i know and believe, that you want to do your work, which is faithfully and to serve the american people. what i heard from people who work at the justice department. even just having somebody to say these things, to reaffirm them. to say we are going to return to some sort of normal order where the president isn't yelling at us was a huge relief. a huge boost to morale. >> i want to quote from that article that i just read from "the new york times." mr. garland's speech was his first, official act as attorney general. he used the moment to assure the rank and file that the justice department would no longer face pressure to attack the president's enemies and protect his allies. a callback to the unyielding push by president donald j. trump that diminished public confidence in the institution and led some-career lawyers to resign. that is your writing, katie, and again, there are a lot of people who would assume that would be the case under joe biden and under his attorney general. but it seemed important that the new-attorney general actually say those words out loud, not just so that his staff hears it at the -- at the -- at the department of justice. but that, americans really understand that the department of justice is not the president's department of justice. it's the department of justice for -- for all americans. >> absolutely. and if you think about it, we are not leaving an era of politically-charged investigations. it wasn't just important to say that to reaffirm we are leaving the trump era. it's important because merrick garland as attorney general is going to make announcements. his prosecutors are going to make decisions on cases that are going to continue to upset the left and the right. if you think about the investigation into joe biden's son, hunter. the tax-fraud investigation. if he is found guilty, that is going to, very much, upset people on the left. if he is found, you know, exonerated, in some way, that is going to, very much, upset people on the right. there is no win, in some of these situations. the investigation to the riots is another, prime example. if there is no prosecution of the former president, there are going to be people who are very upset by that. but remember, we have to say, this is a justice department that follows the facts and the law. there are investigatory steps they cannot take because people have not done anything illegal. you know, just because they said something inflammatory. so, there are going to be people who are very unhappy with merrick garland. it is essential he establishes, on day one, he is going to act, absent political pressure. >> that's -- that's a great point. you don't have to like the attorney general but you do have to respect that they are doing -- they are performing their service in the interest of the american people. and that's going to be the hard work. katie, as always, thanks for your reporting. katie benner is a justice reporter for "the new york times." lead off this week senator ron johnson who admitted that he is not afraid of white supremacists. but black folks? well, he's shaking in his boots. but first, let me cleanse your morning palate with this. a statue of the late-justice ruth bader ginsburg was unveiled in brooklyn, her old stomping grounds. fierce advocate for gender equality was, also, known for her tiny stature. her tiny frame. this statue, larger than life, however, measuring about-7-feet-tall. that was done on purpose. so she would stand on equal footing with statues of men around the city. she is still spreading love. it's the brooklyn way. tide pods ultra oxi one ups the cleaning power of liquid. can it one up whatever they're doing? for sure. seriously? one up the power of liquid, one up the toughest stains. any further questions? uh uh! one up the power of liquid with tide pods ultra oxi. with relapsing forms of ms, there's a lot to deal with. not just unpredictable relapses. all these other things too. who needs that kind of drama? kesimpta is a once-monthly at-home injection that may help you put this rms drama in its place. kesimpta was proven superior at reducing the rate of relapses, active lesions and slowing disability progression versus aubagio. don't take kesimpta if you have hepatitis b, and tell your doctor if you have had it, as it could 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(deborah) when i finally had miracle-ear and i could hear for the first time, i started crying. i could hear everything. new miracle-earmini. so small and comfortable that no one will see them, but you'll notice the difference. call today to start your 30-day risk-free trial at your local miracle-ear. a capsule a day visibly fades the dark spots away. new neutrogena® rapid tone repair 20 percent pure vitamin c. a serum so powerful dark spots don't stand a chance. see what i mean? neutrogena® it's now time for a new series we want to bring you a weekly check-in on your local extremists in congress. we talked a about this on the show in the run-up to the last election. about a handful of far, far-right conspiracy peddling nut jobs who are about to be elected to congress. and we thought a segment would be useful to keep you informed of the developing came not from one of the newly elected flame throwers, but from a man well into his second term in the senate. ron johnson, the senator from wisconsin, admitted on a nationally syndicated radio show yesterday that he did not feel threatened by the violent mob who stormed the capitol on january 6th, but he would have been afraid if they'd been black. i often talk about dog whistles. this is a straight-up megaphone confessional. >> i'm also criticized that i made the comment that on january 6th i never felt threatened because i didn't and mainly because i knew that even though those thousands of people that were marching the capitol were trying to pressure people like me to vote the way they wanted me to vote. they love this country. truly respect law enforcement and would never do anything to break a law and so i wasn't concerned. had the tables been turned and this could get me in trouble and had the tables turned and president trump had won the election and they were black lives matter and antifa protesters i might have been a little concerned. >> let me know when you see tens of thousands of antifa protesters. those nice people on january 6th love this country. he actually said that. joining me is the professor of africana and the author of the book "eloquent rage" although you're not raging right now, dr. cooper. you're laughing. it's almost laughable he said that. i want to read the one sentence there. i knew those were people who love this country, that truly respect law enforcement, would never do anything to break a law. that's his distinction. black lives matter people do not love this country and would break the law. we have 300 arrests and another hundred coming, at least. >> look, we watched on january 6th as these people assaulted law enforcement officers and yanked their badges off, tased them, beat them in the head with all kinds of violent weapons and so against the backdrop of derek chauvin's trial and the killing of george floyd that's going on right now it's really important that ron johnson was as explicit as he was. we have often wondered about how these interactions between black people and the police happened and this time he gave us something with the psychology of white people that they are inherently not seeing white people as a threat even when they're violently attacking law enforcement and they see black people, just going about their day let alone black people who are standing up for their rights as being violent and being a threat. the thing that's shocking about ron johnson is that he's been so explicit and open about this, but the psychology that we witnessed over and over again in the country is why have white people become so emboldened in this moment to tell us straight out to tell us that black people are always safe no matter what they're doing and they think that black people are always a threat even when exercising our right to peaceful protests. >> which is interesting. last may and june, i was involved in -- and i was covering a lot of those protests and they were violent. i was attacked and i was actually injured and it was by police. i didn't get attacked by anybody in the crowd. there was no violence in the crowd and i wonder whether a bunch of black people violently attacking police with poles, sticks and beating them and climbing upon them, i wonder how that would turn out. here's the question, dr. cooper. ron johnson wasn't the leader of the crazy pack in congress. i wonder whether all of this extremism has given license to people who used to actually maybe think these things, but not go on tv and say them. i'm a little surprised. i would have thought that on my inaugural edition of this episode -- this segment i would be talking about lauren boebert and marjorie taylor greene and we certainly can, but ron johnson used to be a mainstream republican. >> there are two things to say about that. one is that the modern gop has abdicated its responsibility to govern. it doesn't give pretense of governing anymore, and it has said very explicitly that its role is for the protection and maintenance of white power. you have gop lawmakers coming out voting for the stimulus while not voting for it in congress. they're willing to let the democrats govern while using all of the political energy around trump and around him raising money and around folks angered about him losing the election to set up white power struck urs. the second thing to say is one of the things we're learning is racism is not passive. yes, it's a system we're all born into, but white people actively participate in upholding white supremacy. they pass voter suppression laws in ways that uphold white supremacy. and so ron johnson is part of a group of an increasing group of gop lawmakers who are trying to normalize a combative racial discourse on the right, right? to say that it's fine for white people to say these things and that they're not going to bow down to the political correctness anymore. >> it doesn't have to be that way though, brittany. that's the interesting thing. dr. brittany cooper, always appreciate your time and a professor of africana and gender studies at rutgers university. the author of a book called eloquent rage. i'll speak to barbara lee about the massive covid relief bill and what it means for families and children in california. and congresswoman ayanna presley joins tiffany cross. "velshi" continues after a quick break. 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