Transcripts For CNNW CNN Tonight With Don Lemon 20180804 07:

CNNW CNN Tonight With Don Lemon August 4, 2018 07:00:00

A recap of the days news. Really thinks. Part of it, pick up on what molly said, he gets bored. Okay, he plays golf. But you cant play golf 12 hours a day. So he is basically knocking around on these giant resorts, and he gets bored. And he basically wants to fire off some of this zing theyre will make all of us talk about him, because i think this is ultimately what his presidency about, its about getting attention and being the center of the universe. And he know he can do that if he says something sufficiently crazy on twitter. He gets bored. Watches a lot of tv. But there are things happening behind the scenes that were not seeing. And part of what was behind the tweet storm earlier this week, it wasnt just the external need we knew he was watching or at least aware of the manafort trial. Well also subsequently learned that there were more negotiations going on with the mueller team behind the scenes. A Renewed Attempt to get the president to sit down for an interview with potentially new terms of negotiations. So there are also always so for years now weve seen a, you know, a very passionate activist right wing Republican Base thats able to tilt low turnout primaries towards candidates with some would say extreme views. And then those candidates are not electable in a general election. And this was happening long before trump came along. Now trump has been a kingmaker in the primaries. He has shaped the Republican Party in his image. He has gotten a lot of previously sort of Run Of The Mill republican candidates to turn into just supporters of trump through and through. And hes also elevated some candidates that might previously not have been considered mainstream by either anointing them or, you know, having them sort of create themselves in his image. But i think a primary is very different beast in a general election. And as were seeing with some of these Special Elections where everybody votes, not just republican primary voters, thats where were starting to see this Backlash Brew and this election in suburban ohio is very reminiscent of the Special Election in pennsylvania earlier this year where you had a Deep Red District Go for a democratic candidate almost entirely, there are other factors, but almost entirely because of the backlash to trump. Molly, max, thank you very much. I appreciate your time. Enjoy your weekend. When we come back, an elected official who has been a republican is leaving the Republican Party later. Why the policies have forced her to become a democrat, and she says shes not only the one. Were going to talk to her next. My next guest is a gop official and lifelong republican whose made a very difficult decision. She has left her party to become a democrat, and she says its all because of president trump. Lori segmann is County Commissioner multnomah county, oregon. Lori, good to have you on. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. I want to read a portion of the letter that when you announced you were leaving the Republican Party. You said theres too much at stake in our country right now and we have to speak out. As a woman, a business owner, a mother, an immigrant, and a minority i cannot condone the misogyny, the racism and the unethical and immoral behavior of the Current Administration. I fear for the safety of our country, for human rights, for womens rights, the environment and the uncertainty of our future. Those are very powerful words. Tell us more about your decision. Why did you say that . Well, i believe that our country is headed in the wrong direction. And i cannot stand silently without speaking up. I believe that people are looking for leadership to guide our country in the right direction, and the Current Administration does not represent the values and the morals and the ethics that the American People have and this great nation, this is what our nation was founded on. And there is a lack of moral leadership. So, listen, donald trump has been president for less than 18 months. Why now . What was the Tipping Point for you . Well, as an adoptee, it really came down to the family separation practices. And i just read about how immigrants are giving away their parental rights without even have knowledge of what theyre doing. As well as children being drugged. So this is just its unacceptable and its inhumane to separate families. The other thing thats going on in our entire country, as i mentioned, trump has emboldened people to act out and to insight violence and hatred. Tomorrow here in portland, oregon, we are having a White Nationalist rally in the city of portland. And that is just unacceptable to empower people to spread hate and fear in our community. So what does this say, you know, i mentioned to you a little bit on the break that i was having dinner with republican friend who has the same concerns that you have. Yes. And he said i dont feel like my party is a party anymore. That it has become a cult, and that we dont stand up for the right things and what our core values. Yes. Traditionally used to be. And hes concerned about whether he should even identify as a republican anymore. Absolutely. This is not the Republican Party that i joined 40 years ago. We had some great Republican Leadership in oregon like Mark Hatfield and tom mccall who were outstanding statesmen. That was the kind of Republican Party that i belonged to. So what does this say about the party . I have not changed. And listen, as you answer that, the party is made up of people. So what does this say about the party and the people . Well, i think that people need to speak out. And i think that the president has bullied people and incited fear in them. And people are afraid to step Out Of The Shadows and speak their truth. And i am just one County Commissioner, but i know that there are people in much higher positions than myself i implore to speak out about the inequities that are occurring in our country. But i know if one person stands up, many others will join us. Thats what i really want other people to do. We have to band together and say this is unacceptable in our country, and we have to do something to stop the inequities that are occurring. Lori, thank you for your time. I appreciate it. Thank you. When we come back, my interview with lebron james. What he says about living while black in america, even if youre rich and famous, and how he feels about the president. Does your Business Internet provider promise a lot . Lets see who delivers more. Comcast business gives you gigspeed in more places. The others dont. We offer up to 6 hours of 4g Wireless Network backup. Everyone else, no way. We let calls from any of your devices come from your business number. Them, not so much. We let you keep an eye on your business from anywhere. The others . Nope for a limited time, when you get fast, reliable internet, you can add voice for just 24. 95 more per month. Call or go online today. Call or go on line today. Earlier this week, i the chance to sit down with The One And Only lebron james, one of this generations greatest star athletes. Threetime nba champion, fourtime league mvp. But lebron james started out as a kid from akron, a kid who missed 83 days of school in the fourth grade, but a kid with big dreams. Now he is a man on a mission, helping kids just like him, opening the i Promise School in his hometown. Lebron the superstar who had so many great moments on the court says opening this school may be the greatest moment of his life. But there is a lot thats got lebron james fired up off the court. This is the interview you definitely dont want to miss. Lebron james oneonone. Thank you for doing this. Oh, thanks for having me. Everyone who knows im doing this says much respect, much respect for i promise. But you have so much going on. Why do you want to do this . I mean, the kids talk to me. Either verbally or i can hear their mental. I am one of them. Not too far removed. So it wasnt even a question. It happened organically. You just did it. You figured this was the best thing for you to do. You nervous about this . I remember when oprah was opening a school, she said its such a big responsibility. I dont think ive ever been as nervous about thing or felt this level of responsibility about anything. Its not that im nervous. Im truly excite and truly humble and blessed that the Akron Public School system, my hometown did this Joint Venture with us that made this possible. And my foundation. Michelle campbell, first of all, the number one point person in my foundation. They brought this whole thing together and brought to it me. And i was absolutely. You cant get nowhere in life without help. Without help. You were i think it was a third grader who interviewed you and asked you about challenges and the single mom. And i relate to that. Because i grew up with a single mom who is my hero. Your mom is your hero. Is this one of the reasons this is important to you . Absolutely. Its one of the huge reasons its important because of the everyday struggle me and my mom had to go through at that age, being this the third and fourth grade. And for us to be in a position where i can bring this to fruition and see stories of kids that are going through the same thing i went through that made it even more yes we did this. This is why we should have did it. How do you conquer the fears because jaden is his name. Talked about Hearing Gunshots and that sort of thing, walking through, being tempted by drugs and all those things. How do you think they how do you get them to understand that thats not the path they have to take . I think being that support system, and thats what this is all about. For me, when i did go to school or when i was playing Little League sports, being around kids and people to have fun and kind of speak the same language as you, it allows you to kind of escape away interest the drugs and violence and the gunshots and the things that go on an everyday basis. And thats what we leer for right now. Thats why im opening this school, to be able to get these kids mind away from their body. We made the hours instead of 8 to 3 to 5. Thats a long time. We want them here. So we can let them know not only do we want you here, but we really do care. We really do care about what happens with you. Hes an athlete, right . Athletics are big. But this is a stem school. Its science, mathematics, and reading. All of that. Math, reading, social studies. All the way down to gym class, music, arts everything. Its holistic. And thats important. Are athletics important to these kids . Or do you think its their minds right now . I think both. I think athletics are important, but also their mind. I think both. I think it just plays. When youre part of sports and youre a part of your it just brings so much camaraderie and so much fun. We are in a position right now in america more importantly where this whole this race thing is taking over, you know. And because our president is kind of trying to divide us. But kind of . Yeah. He is. He is. Not only kind of. He is dividing us. And what i noticed over the last few months that hes kind of used sport to kind of divide us. And thats something that i cant relate to because i know that sport was the first time i ever was around someone white, you know. And i got an opportunity to see them and learn about them and they got the opportunity to learn about me. And we became very good friends. And oh, wow, this is all because of sports. And sports has never been something that divide people. Its always something that brings someone together. Do you remember any of your first experiences being around someone who was different than you . Because that was through sports. Do you remember what it was and what was your reaction . It was different. I mean, first of all, from what they ate dinner at a different hour than i ever ate dinner before. Like earlier . Yeah, like supper at 6 30 in the afternoon. I thought it was afternoon. They called it evening time. It was the first time i ever seen a pantry, you youve understand. Like for me, everything when i grew up, everything was on top of the refrigerator. So my wifes house they had a pantry. I learn than as well. But they just they kind of live life without no care, no worry. And i wanted to get to a point, you know, maybe i can live life without no care, no worry either, being around a lot of my white friends growing up. It was a pretty cool thing, though. And even bedtime. Bedtime was 7 30, 8 00. No, no there was none of that. Im glad you mentioned that, because ive been watching you for a long time. This is not the first time i interviewed you. I remember interviewing you for your website, some other things you did. But theres been something has changed in you over the last year or two. It is whats going on in the country racially . It is politically . I think its a little bit of everything. I think it starts with the Trayvon Martin situation. And the reason it starts with that i believe is because having kids of my own, having boys of my own, it hit home for me to see and to learn the story and to think that if my boy left home and he never returned. Right. That kind of hit a switch. That kind of hit a switch for me. And from that point on, i knew that my voice and my platform had to be used for more than just sports. Good for you. Good for you, man. You said that your boy never returned home. But then there are people, kids are returning home. And you think about the kids are being taken away. The same thing your heart breaks. Absolutely. Someone comes over, they want a better life and all of the sudden their kids are being taken away from them. Can you imagine that . No, i cant imagine that weve always grown up saying this is the listened of the free and opportunity here in america. And to be a parent, to be a father, to be a husband, to think that you can have a beautiful family one day, and the next day they could be taken away is something that you never, ever could have imagined. You were talking about athletics, right, and how you think that this president is dividing. I think about the kids now. There are kids who are selling water. I interviewed a little kid who wanted some action figures, and he was out doing stuff with his mom. And he got the cops called on him. How do you tell these kids even with that, when youre just living while black, how do you get them to keep going . I think you know the incidents im talking about. Absolutely, absolutely. And i think the best way to tell them to keep going is that no matter no matter how successful you could become, no matter who you are, when youre an African American kid, man or female, youre always going to be going against obstacles. And there are one or two things you can do. You can allow it to affect you and for you to degrade, or you can allow it to empower you even more and to rise above it. And i think we look at some of the greatest leaders of our time. We look at muhammed ali. You look at dr. Martin luther king. All the adversity they went through, they never let it down them. They always used it to say okay, this is even more motivation. This is even more away for me to be even more powerful and the other reason why we are here today. Your challenges become goals, and your haters become your motivators. Absolutely. Right . Absolutely. You were talking about the using athletics to divide people. Yeah, yeah. Youve heard what the man in charge, you heard what the president said about marshawn, about steph, about, you know, it seems like men of color who have means and a platform. Whats up with that . Whats up with that is its all wrong. Its not up, its down. And for him to like i say use sports to kind of divide us is something i cant i cant sit back and not say nothing. Why you tweeted about a couple of things. Yeah. You tweeted about when steph curry, when he called you called him a bum because but steph had already said he was not going to the white house. He already said he was going. And tried to use that afterwards to say youre not invited. You cant uninvite me to something i already said im not going to go to. We all know steph curry, model citizen, great kid, come from a great background, great family. Great father. Great father. And so many kids, white, black, hispanic, all different races love what hes doing and rightfully so. There is no reason for anyone to ever attack him. And thats i felt that. Whenever there is Something Like hes in trouble, he cant wiggle his way out of something, hell bring up the National Anthem thing and kneeling or standing. Do you think he uses black athletes as a scapegoat . At times. At times. And more often than not. I believe he uses anything thats popular to try to negate people from thinking about the positive things that they can actually be doing. And to try to get our minds to not be as sharp as possible right then. Either from kneeling from Football Players, Football Players kneels. You look at kaepernick, who was protests something he believed in, and he did it in a most calm fashion way possible. Very respectful. He did all his due diligence. He was knowledgeable about it. And everyone knew why he did it. You look at all the nfl players that are still kneeling and things of that nature. You look at steph. You look at marshawn lynch. You look at all these incidents why he is trying to divide our sport, but at the end of the day, sport is the reason we all come together. I just wonder where we go from here. Because to a lot of people, charlottesville was, you tweeted, i think is this what our country is in make America Great again . Paraphrasing your tweet. I think that was for sort of everybody, thats enough. I cant believe. This. Absolutely, absolutely. We all felt that. I dont think you you

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