Len downey will be here with some lessons from the year 2000. Nikole hannahjones, david zuraw zurawik, many more coming up. First, there are new signs of democratic backsliding all around us. Is america slouching toward autocracy . If so, what prodemocracy steps should be taken . And by who . And whats the role of the press during times like this . I have answers coming, i promise. First, look at the evidence with me. Every day it is something new. Political scientists are issuing starker and starker warnings about erosions of democratic norms in the United States. Warnings about things like this, President Trump stoking fears about voter fraud. Saying the election will be rigged unless he wins. There are so many disturbing stories in the news, many of them that tie back to the governments failures in ways that point toward authoritarianism. Look, americas failure to control the coronavirus pandemic is related to all of this. The country is nearing 200,000 plus deaths and yet the falsehoods continue from the Trump Administration undermining career scientists who have been trying to get this virus under control. The cdc, for example, bowing to pressure from the administration. The New York Times has had great reporting on this in the past few days. The president continues to talk about a vaccine as if its right around the corner and everybodys going to be fine, spreading false hope. These disturbing stories in the news. I always wonder, how does the rest of the world see this . How does the rest of the world view this . So, were going to get to that in a moment. There aren have been headlines this week about bill barr that have shocked political is scientists and others and then the president s continued attacks on the media. He actually said one of the worst things hes ever said about the press the other day at a rally in minnesota. This was on friday. The president s been up there talking lately about cnbc anchoranchor ali velshi. First, he gets his name wrong. The president said he works at cnn but he works at msnbc. He celebrates the fact that velshi was hit and injured while covering a peaceful protest in minnesota last spring. Lets play the president s words so you can see for yourself. I remember this guy welshi he got hit on the knee with a canister of tear gas and he went down. He was down. My knee, my knee. Nobody cared. These guys didnt care. They moved him aside and they just walked right it was the most beautiful thing. The most beautiful thing, he says. And his supporters cheered. Lets show what actually happened, first of all, it didnt happen the way the president described. We can show that video of what actually happened. Velshi was hit by a rubber bullet. While he was not in any sort of sense intruding, he was not in the way of police. It seemed like he was targeted at the time. Well show you the video of what actually happened here. This was in minneapolis. This was months ago, but for some reason the president keeps bringing it up and keeps mocking this reporters injury. Thats not democracy. Thats an autocratic thing to do. To sow hatred of the press and celebrate a reporter being injured. He was putting himself in harms way in order to explain what was happening on the streets of minneapolis. He did not break any law. He was not in the way of the police. The president doesnt care about any of that. He brought it up against last night at a rally. So, let me show you the statement from msnbc because i think its important that news outlets show solidarity at moments like this. They are right when they say, freedom of the press is a pillar of our democracy when President Trump mocks injuries while putting himself in harms way to inform the public, he endangers thousands of other journalists and undermines our freedoms. Thats absolutely correct. This is not just about msnbc and not just about ali velshi. Its about the role of the press and the society, the role of the press in a democracy, right . I lot of people dont care about the president s words anymore, theyre worthless, he he contradicts himself all the time and lies through his teeth, but his supporters, his base does listen and does believe what he says. So, when he mocks and celebrates a reporters injury, they hear that loud and clear. Its dangerous. And its autocratic. Of course, were in the season of democracy, the season of an election, and americans are exercising their freedom. Their freedom to vote. The elections already under way and we should cover it that way. We see the lines in fairfax, virginia, for example. We see in other states lines of people making sure they cast their vote early. But in virginia, lets put that video back up, in virginia a group of poll workers and some voters said they felt intimidated when a group of Trump Supporters showed up and held sort of a mini rally, a peaceful protest near the voting center. That happened on saturday. The New York Times headline was pretty clear, saying those folks felt intimidated outside. That doesnt happen in the United States. Its not supposed to happen here. So, we have to cover these events cleareyed. There has always been a segment of the population, a minority of the population that has authoritarian preferences. Basically the desire for a stronger leader to provide protection, fewer checks and balances to get in the way. Theres always been a minority of americans who would cheer for someone being shot at a protest. Hit by a rubber bullet. Thats always been a minority of the country. Trump has activated that segment. Created permission structures for those americans to get very loud about their authoritarian preferences. And thats what we see with this talk about ali velshi back in minnesota. So, i guess what im wondering this morning, what i want to find out from our guest is whether americans are too close to these stories to see whats going on. Do people in other parts of the world see creep canning authoritarianism much more clearly than reporters in d. C. And new york . What does it look like from the outside . Lets talk about it with reporters from around the world. With us now from london is a Foreign Correspondent for the guardian, luke harding. In india, rana ayyub and in kenya, johnallan namu. First, johnallan, to you what does america look like today from nairobi . Its interesting that you ask that because i was just reflecting on whats been going on in america. And its very orweillian, how authoritarian starts to establish itself. This is how it starts. You demonize people who have an opposing view and start to divide people into different sections or subcommunities in order for each to win in whatever fight youre winning. It looks fairly clear whats happening in the states. Although i have to add a caveat to that. Because of the strength of your institutions, having been built over time, be i think what donald trump might come away with is a very new and interesting kind of authoritarianism that, perhaps, isnt as complete as weve seen in other parts of the world but is certainly far, far, far away from what americans have experienced. Its true that americans are too close to this story to understand what is going on. And they should wake up before november. From nairobi to mumbai, rana, you were an investigative journalist, well known throughout india, what do you view whats happening in the United States with President Trump in relation to m on. Di . Everything you say about whats happening with President Trump, calling journalists out, mocking them. I thinkist dangerous living in a parallel reality with that republicmodi. They have displayed this bromance over the years. The muslim ban, in hindu nationalism, in mocking china. Hard line sentiments to basically and that i was there at the rally where millions of indians were present and the moment he spoke about muslim extremism, there was a loud cheer. Whats happening . I like many indians is viewing whats happening in america with a great deal of apprehension and fear and anxiety because this is what authoritarian regimes all over the world that are repeating. Despite their failure in dealing with the pandemic, i mean, india is right behind america with million cases. And despite their failure, despite unemployment, the fact we end up electing reelecting these leaders are is unfortunate. Its disheartening to see whats happening in america. Its something very close. I hope americans wake up and realize that this is this really cant continue. Or that it can happen here, right . It can happen here and maybe it is happening. What about you, luke n london, youre the author of many books including shadow state. Do you see whats happening in Eastern Europe and russia as what is happening now in the United States . Yeah, brian. I do think theres some kind of depressing parallels. I spent four years in moscow where attacks on journalists were happening all the time, where authoritarianism was rampant, where the courts did what they were told, where institutions are being hollowed out made servile and you see similar trends in the trump presidency. I have to say speaking from london to you, it looks like a rolling horror show. One of the questions that keeps churning in my head is if joe biden wins and is able to become president , whether he can reverse everything. Whether he can have restoration of his presidency and we can go from a worm hole back into 2015. Im not convinced he can. I think the forces with which donald trump represents are too powerful, too potent. It looks from the outside as if america is sleepwalking towards what you might call a cold civil war. I know that sounds a bit hyperbolic, but those forces and the fact that people are living in different cognitive bubbles, those who listen to fox, those that watch cnn, parallel realities where theres no mutual understanding. I think that american democracy is in the most precarious place its been in the 21st century. I think theres no guarantee necessarily that it will continue if trump wins again in november. Let me get a sentence from each of you about answers. If the United States is experiencing an autocratic attempt, if there is this democratic backsliding happening, what should the press do differently . Luke, first to you and then the others. Well, i think we just have to insist on factuality. What weve seen, its interesting youre talking to india and countries where there are rightwing populists in tower, is to attack truth and construct narrative. Its no longer about whats real. Its about who tells the best story and who has an emotional resonance with viewers and voters. I think what we need is we need proper news. We need cnn, we need good investigations. We also need people to give us their money, actually, to fund decent journalism. Yeah. Its tough. S. Mnamu, what the press should do differently . The thing the press needs to do differently is include as many voices as possible. Yes, luke is right in terms of being able to have a lot of factuality up front in your bull tips but the truth of the matter is because of these subcommunities, watching the same news in the same country, then youre never going to be able to bring those people together seeing the country perhaps as it is. Its trying to bring as many Diverse Voices onto your channels so that people who dont share the same views can feel somewhat represented. That then is able to attack the lie that, you know, president s like trump and authoritarian president s elsewhere would have their supporters believe. Because you believe differently, therefore, theyre wrong. Rana, last word to you. Whats happening in america and whats happened in india has happened to journalists all over the world. Modi has not taken a single press conference or spoken to a single journalists. Hes discredited almost everile journalist. Now is a time journalists should use all their might to not be intimidated and silenced by those in power because now is a time when journalism should shine. I mean, there is a backlash against journalism and there should be a backlash against this backlash. We should come out with the truth. We should not be silenced by this regime because journalists have become the new enemy of the state. And both trump and modi see us as enemies, number one, which is why we should present the truth as it is without being threatened by the regime. Yeah, we are not the enemy of people. We are the enemy of liars, an enemy of liars. Ill say it over and over until my face turns blue. Thank you for joining us and starting on of this hour. Speaking of attacks on journalists, the president has been blasting the 1619 project. Nikole hannahjones is here to react. And youll hear what the protrump media is saying about protrump media is saying about the Supreme Court fi safe drivers save 40 thats safe drivers save 40 . It is, thats safe drivers save 40 . Hes right there. Its him safe drivers do save 40 . Click or call for a quote today. Safe drivers do save 40 . We do things differently and aother money managers, dont understand why. Because our way works great for us but not for your clients. Thats why were a fiduciary, obligated to put clients first. So, what do you provide . 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David zurawik, the Baltimore Sun critic and julie cohen, director of the film rbg which will rebroadcast at 10 00 p. M. Even though i was watching your film here on cnn, i was wondering, what lessons can we take from the film, your documentary, that apply to this epic struggle thats now under way . Well, you know, things have changed quite a bit since rbg was confirmed to the Supreme Court in 1993. She liked to harken back to those days when she was confirmed 963 and for Antonin Scalia was confirmed unanimously to the Supreme Court. In her view, if the person was qualified, like that should be the answer. Of course, things at this point are so political that that that seems kind of like a dream world to talk about things that way. Yeah, it really does. Lets take a look at what jesse waters was saying on fox news last night, one of the president s most reliable allies on the network. Heres the level of the rhetoric he was using to describe this fight for rbgs seat. Mitch, dont overthink this. Push hard for a vote before the election. Whip the vote and pull the trigger. Were dealing with bloodthirsty political killers on the left. Buck up and do your jobs, republicans. Talk about authoritarian and creep. Hes talking about democrats as bloodthirsty political killers, david zurawik. You know, i watched that, brian, last night. And i thought, oh, my god, you know, this is going to be so ugly. We already had six weeks ahead of us that were going to be epic in terms of the battle between biden and trump. In terms of media, what they were going to do. Then you put this Supreme Court fight on top of it, and then you have the rightwing media this isnt cheerleadering. This is beyond rabblerousing. This is waving the shirt and calling for blood. Ill tell you what, brian, we have to admit, we in the Mainstream Press have to admit that we are at a disadvantage in this. We were founded and we operate cnn operates at a journalistic institution. We play by those rules. Fox news, as you so as you chronicle in your book so well, fox news, breitbart, daily caller, many of these rightwing outlets were founded as political tools to aid an candidates. If your goal as a political outlet to just simply win, you can lie you can be just like donald trump. You can lie, you can smear, you can libel, slander, do all of that. The goal is to win. We cant do that. We have to think about that. Pardon . The rhetoric of war, unfortunately, theres a lot of it right now. Lets take a look at 2017, Laura Ingraham and sean hannity talking about the Supreme Court fight back then. The democrats are really mad about that. The last 70 years, you know, of Supreme Court justice was not confirmed in the final year of a president s term, so that wasnt really out of the ordinary. But doesnt matter. They wanted that seat. Julie, do flipflops even matter because americans view politics as totally hypocritical anyway, americans are so cynical anyway . Does it matter at all anymore . I think youre right. The level of cynicism is so huge. I think donald trump has actually helped to create this mood of, like, everybodys a liar. You cant trust anything. You know, whats so sad, trying