WEBVTT

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From Pacifica,
this is Democracy Now!

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I think people are ready
to stand up, and they need to,

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because this is
an urgent matter.

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This is not something, again,
that we can wait on

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for something we look
at in 2019 or 2020.

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We need to lay
the groundwork now

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for the call for impeachment

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proceedings against
this president.

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As another Congressmember
endorses articles of impeachment

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against President
Trump—this time,

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Democrat Carol Shea-Porter,

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whose district voted for Trump

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in New Hampshire—we’ll look
at the movement to impeach,

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in our extended conversation

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with constitutional
attorney John Bonifaz.

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Then, we continue to speak
with Dr. Bandy Lee,

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the Yale psychiatrist
who’s leading a discussion

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of mental health professionals
deeply concerned

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about President Trump’s
psychological instability.

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She organized
the "Duty to Warn" conference

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and edited the book The
Dangerous Case of Donald Trump:

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27 Psychiatrists and
Mental Health Experts

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Assess a President.

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We’re pushing for an evaluation.

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We’re warning
about dangerousness.

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We’re actually trying
our best to educate the public

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so that people
will be aware,

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they will be affirmed
in what they are seeing,

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they will be educated on the
depths of what they are seeing,

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and also that there is a way
of dealing with the situation.

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But first we’ll get
an update on a case

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that could shape
the future of free speech

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and the right to protest
in the United States.

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Final arguments are underway
today in Washington, D.C.,

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for the first trial of the
nearly 200 demonstrators,

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journalists
and observers arrested

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during President Trump’s
inauguration.

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The defendants face multiple
felony and misdemeanor charges

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and up to 50 years in prison.

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All that and more, coming up.

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Welcome to Democracy Now!,
democracynow.org,

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The War and Peace Report.
I’m Amy Goodman.

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The Federal Communications
Commission, known as the FCC,

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has voted to dismantle landmark

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"net neutrality" rules designed

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to keep the internet
free and open.

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The vote repeals rules
established in 2015

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after widespread
organizing and protests

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by free internet advocates.

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These rules required
internet service

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providers to treat web
content equally

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and not block or prioritize
some content over others

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in return for payment.

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The repeal of these rules
was widely

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opposed by the American public,

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with more than 20 million people
submitting comments to the FCC.

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But Trump’s chairman
of the FCC, Ajit Pai,

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had lobbied heavily
to repeal the rules.

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On Thursday, he was joined

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by two fellow
Republican commissioners,

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and the FCC voted 3-2
to repeal the rules.

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Thursday’s vote means
internet service providers

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could now slow down internet
speed and jack up prices.

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Thursday’s vote also means
the government will no longer

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regulate high-speed internet

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as if it were a public utility,
like phone service.

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On Thursday, New York Attorney
General Eric Schneiderman

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vowed to sue
to block the repeal.

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Attorney General Eric
Schneiderman:

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"New Yorkers deserve a free
and open internet.

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And that’s why my office
will sue to stop the FCC’s

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illegal rollback
of net neutrality.

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We’ll be filing a claim
to preserve protections

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for New Yorkers—and all

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Americans—and
will be working aggressively

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to stop the FCC’s leadership
from doing any further damage

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to the internet
and our economy."

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The FCC’s vote to repeal net
neutrality rules is the latest

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and most controversial
of a series of changes

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led by Chairman Ajit Pai.

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Over the last year,

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he has also loosened rules aimed
at limiting media consolidation,

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and scaled back a program aimed
at expanding broadband access

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among low-income Americans.

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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
is speaking

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to the U.N.
Security Council today,

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where he’s expected to again
recommend talks and diplomacy

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with North Korea—a stance

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that puts him at odds
with President Trump.

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Earlier this week, Tillerson
broke with the administration

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and said the United States
was ready to begin talks

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with the North
"without precondition."

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Only hours later, White House
Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee

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Sanders contradicted Tillerson
and said

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President Trump
considers talks with North

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Korea "pointless."

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The public rift between
Tillerson and President Trump

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comes amid reports
the White House

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is planning to oust Tillerson
from the State Department

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and replace him with
CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

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The Trump administration
is trying to claim

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Iran violated an
international agreement

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on arms transfers—even
though experts

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say the evidence presented
Thursday by U.S.

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Ambassador to the U.N.
Nikki Haley

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falls short of
proving the claims.

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At a military base
in Washington,

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D.C., Haley presented
pieces of weapons she claims

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Iran supplied
to the Houthi

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militia fighting in Yemen.

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Haley claimed
the weaponry proves

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Iran violated
a United Nations Security

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Council resolution
passed in 2015.

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But military officials
were not able to say

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when the weapons
were transferred,

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when they were used
or, in some cases,

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where they had even been found.

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Despite the
inconclusive evidence,

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Haley used Thursday’s event
as an opportunity to attack

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Iran and the landmark 2015
Iran nuclear deal.

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Nikki Haley: "Everyone
has focused on the nuclear deal,

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and Iran has hidden
behind the nuclear deal,

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constantly threatening
to get out of it.

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But these are the things
they’re doing

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while we’re all
looking the other way.

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And these are the things
that will be dangerous,

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that will lead us
to the next North

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Korea, if we don’t do
something to stop it."

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In Washington, D.C.,

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Republicans’ legislation
to overhaul the U.S. tax code

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in order to shower
billions of dollars

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upon the richest Americans
and major corporations

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appears to be
hanging by a thread.

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Two Republican senators—Marco

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Rubio of Florida
and Mike Lee of Utah

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—have threatened to vote
against the legislation,

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unless the child tax
credit is expanded.

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Republicans are pushing for
a vote as early as next week.

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Vice President Mike Pence has
canceled a trip to Middle East

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so he can be in Washington,

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D.C., in case he’s required
to cast the tie-breaking vote.

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A fourth U.S. lawmaker has been
forced from Congress

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over allegations of
sexual harassment or assault.

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Texas Republican Congressmember
Blake Farenthold

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says he will not
seek re-election,

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after revelations he paid
$84,000 of taxpayer money

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in a 2014 sexual harassment

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settlement with his former
communications director,

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Lauren Greene.

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Greene says she’s been forced
to resort to babysitting

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and other odd jobs
to make ends meet,

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after Farenthold "blackballed"

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her from politics
when she accused him

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of sexual harassment,
gender discrimination

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and creating a hostile
work environment.

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Meanwhile, the Screen
Actors Guild Awards

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will, for the first time,
have only women present

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the 13 acting awards during
the ceremony on January 21.

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The award ceremony will also
feature a female host:

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Kristen Bell.

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This comes as actresses
across Hollywood

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have spoken out about
sexual harassment,

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assault and rape by
Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein

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and other top directors
and producers.

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In Geneva, U.N.-sponsored peace

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talks aimed at ending
the ongoing war in Syria

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have collapsed.

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U.N. special envoy
Staffan de Mistura

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pinned the blame largely
on the Syrian government,

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which refused to discuss
constitutional changes

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or presidential elections.

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This is now the eighth round
of U.N.-sponsored peace

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talks on the Syrian conflict.

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In the wake of
the talks’ collapse,

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Syrian opposition
chief negotiator Nasr

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al-Hariri appealed to
the international community.

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Nasr al-Hariri:

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"The international community
needs a new approach;

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otherwise, this stalemate
will continue,

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and, unfortunately, it will be
at the expense of the Syrians,

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inside and outside the country."

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Top Mexican officials
met Thursday

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with Secretary
of State Rex Tillerson

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and Homeland Security
Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen

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to discuss increasing military
and intelligence cooperation

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between the U.S. and Mexico

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in the ongoing
so-called war on drugs.

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The meeting came only one day
after Mexican Senate committees

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approved a highly
controversial military bill

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that human rights groups say

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will give the Mexican armed
forces excessive power.

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The United Nations,
Amnesty International

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and human rights groups
all oppose the legislation,

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saying it will further
empower military forces

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that are already accused of
widespread human rights abuses,

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including complicity
in the disappearance

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of 43 students in
the southern state of Guerrero.

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Meanwhile, on Thursday,

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a caravan of Central
American mothers

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searching for their children
who disappeared in Mexico

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while trying to migrate
to the United States

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protested outside the U.S.

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Embassy in Mexico City.

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Earlier this month, the United
States withdrew from talks

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on a United Nations agreement
promoting safe migration.

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This is Gloria Mariana,

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a Honduran mother whose son
went missing in Mexico

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while trying to reach
the United States.

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Gloria Mariana:
"It’s constant anguish.

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It’s an eternal anguish,
you could say.

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It’s whenever you eat,
whenever you sleep.

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Your mind is only
thinking of them,

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on my missing son’s birthday,
every Mother’s Day.

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For me, there is no Christmas.

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It is horrible,
what you go through."

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In Argentina, widespread
protests both inside

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and outside the lower house
of Congress forced lawmakers

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to suspend a vote on
President Mauricio Macri’s

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plan to slash pensions.

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Labor unions say the legislation
will hurt retired workers

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and people on welfare.

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The unions had threatened
a general strike

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if the measure passed.

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The Rwandan government
has accused the French military

00:10:20.300 --> 00:10:21.880
of widespread complicity

00:10:21.880 --> 00:10:24.390
in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

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The independent report
released Wednesday

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accuses the French
military of training

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and arming the Rwandan regime
that killed 800,000 people,

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mostly from the Tutsi
ethnic minority.

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The report says the French
military continued

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to arm the genocidal regime,

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even after an arms
embargo was imposed.

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The son of the French
president at the time

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was a close friend
of the Rwandan leader

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whose regime
orchestrated the genocide.

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Back in the United States,

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President Trump’s senior
adviser Omarosa Manigault

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Newman has resigned,

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she says, after witnessing
a series of upsetting incidents

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inside the White House.

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A former contestant
on Trump’s reality TV

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show "The Apprentice,"

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she was the only
African-American

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in Trump’s inner circle.

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There are conflicting reports
about her departure

00:11:13.320 --> 00:11:16.400
only hours after the Roy
Moore-Doug Jones Senate

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race in Alabama
on Tuesday,

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with some reports saying
she was forcibly

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removed from the White House

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and other reports saying
she resigned voluntarily.

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In a series of interviews
since her departure,

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she has criticized the nearly
all-white administration,

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saying the members "had never
worked with minorities [and]

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didn’t know how
to interact with them."

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Multiple reports said she
objected to President Trump’s

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refusal to condemn the deadly
white supremacist violence

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in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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This is Omarosa Manigault

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Newman speaking on ABC’s
"Good Morning America."

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Omarosa
Manigault Newman:

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"As the only African-American
woman in this White House,

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as a senior staff
and assistant to the president,

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I have seen things that have
made me uncomfortable,

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that have upset me,

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that have affected me
deeply and emotionally,

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that has affected my
community and my people."

00:12:06.370 --> 00:12:09.210
The United States’ largest
private landlord

00:12:09.210 --> 00:12:11.940
has been sued for violating
the Fair Housing Act

00:12:11.940 --> 00:12:15.080
by refusing to rent to tenants
with a criminal record.

00:12:15.080 --> 00:12:17.460
The lawsuit, filed by
the Equal Rights Center,

00:12:17.460 --> 00:12:20.270
says the company’s policy
of not renting to people

00:12:20.270 --> 00:12:23.630
with felony convictions—or
even pending felony charges—

00:12:23.630 --> 00:12:25.770
has a disproportionate
adverse impact

00:12:25.770 --> 00:12:28.080
on African Americans
and Latinos.

00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:29.390
Mid-America Apartments

00:12:29.390 --> 00:12:33.040
owns at least 100,000
apartments nationwide.

00:12:33.830 --> 00:12:36.660
And the Ohio Senate
has passed a new bill

00:12:36.660 --> 00:12:38.420
that would make it
illegal for women

00:12:38.420 --> 00:12:39.920
to have an abortion in cases

00:12:39.920 --> 00:12:42.120
where the fetus
has Down syndrome.

00:12:42.630 --> 00:12:45.120
The legislation would make it
a felony for doctors

00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:46.810
to perform abortions after tests

00:12:46.810 --> 00:12:49.290
reveal the fetus has
the genetic condition.

00:12:49.290 --> 00:12:51.380
The bill is now headed
to the desk of Ohio

00:12:51.380 --> 00:12:53.300
Governor John Kasich.

00:12:53.300 --> 00:12:55.660
And those are some of the
headlines this is Democracy

00:12:55.660 --> 00:12:58.910
Now, Democracynow.org,
the War and Peace Report.

00:12:58.910 --> 00:13:00.430
I’m Amy Goodman.

00:13:00.430 --> 00:13:02.300
AMY GOODMAN: We begin today’s
show with an update

00:13:02.300 --> 00:13:04.900
on a case that could shape
the future of free speech

00:13:04.900 --> 00:13:07.680
and the right to protest
in the United States.

00:13:07.680 --> 00:13:11.640
Final arguments are underway
today in Washington, D.C.,

00:13:11.640 --> 00:13:14.920
for the first trial
of the nearly 200 people

00:13:14.920 --> 00:13:17.690
arrested during President
Trump’s inauguration.

00:13:18.430 --> 00:13:21.150
As demonstrators,
journalists and observers

00:13:21.150 --> 00:13:23.540
gathered in Northwest D.C.

00:13:23.540 --> 00:13:26.270
after the inauguration,
on January 20th,

00:13:26.270 --> 00:13:27.940
some separated from the group

00:13:27.940 --> 00:13:30.240
and broke windows
of nearby businesses

00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:31.590
and damaged cars.

00:13:31.590 --> 00:13:34.580
Police officers then swept
hundreds of people

00:13:34.580 --> 00:13:35.510
in the vicinity

00:13:35.510 --> 00:13:38.940
into a blockaded corner in
a process known as "kettling,"

00:13:39.670 --> 00:13:43.470
where they carried out mass
arrests of everyone in the area.

00:13:44.180 --> 00:13:46.560
The first so-called J20 trial

00:13:46.560 --> 00:13:49.470
could go to a jury
as early as today,

00:13:49.470 --> 00:13:50.940
and involves six people,

00:13:50.940 --> 00:13:52.960
including one journalist,
Alexei Wood,

00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:54.870
a freelance photojournalist.

00:13:54.870 --> 00:13:58.790
The defendants face multiple
felony and misdemeanor charges,

00:13:58.790 --> 00:14:01.710
including multiple counts
of destruction of property.

00:14:02.560 --> 00:14:05.670
Evidence against
the defendants has been scant

00:14:05.670 --> 00:14:07.850
from the moment of their arrest.

00:14:07.850 --> 00:14:11.620
Earlier this week, Superior
Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz

00:14:11.620 --> 00:14:14.580
threw out the felony charge
of inciting a riot

00:14:14.580 --> 00:14:16.550
for the six people on trial now,

00:14:16.550 --> 00:14:19.710
meaning they now face up
to 50 years in prison

00:14:20.470 --> 00:14:22.470
instead of up to 60.

00:14:22.470 --> 00:14:28.520
This comes as police conduct
on Inauguration Day

00:14:28.520 --> 00:14:31.170
has come under scrutiny
by the ACLU,

00:14:31.170 --> 00:14:35.480
and the chief detective in this
case is a police union official

00:14:35.480 --> 00:14:37.840
who tweeted that police
showed great restraint

00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:39.410
during the inauguration.

00:14:39.410 --> 00:14:41.390
Well, for more,
we go to Washington, D.C.

00:14:41.390 --> 00:14:42.890
We’re joined by Jude Ortiz,

00:14:42.890 --> 00:14:45.310
a member of the organizing
crew of Defend J20

00:14:45.310 --> 00:14:46.880
and the Mass Defense
Committee chair

00:14:46.880 --> 00:14:48.290
for National Lawyers Guild.

00:14:48.290 --> 00:14:51.880
He’s been in court
throughout this first J20 trial.

00:14:51.880 --> 00:14:53.540
Jude, welcome back
to Democracy Now!

00:14:53.540 --> 00:14:56.040
Explain what has happened so far

00:14:56.040 --> 00:15:00.800
and the significance of the
judge throwing out the charge.

00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:03.560
JUDE ORTIZ: Right. Thank you
so much for having me on again.

00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:06.680
So, since I was on last,

00:15:06.680 --> 00:15:09.390
the prosecutor has rested
their entire case

00:15:09.390 --> 00:15:12.520
with all the so-called evidence
against the defendants,

00:15:12.520 --> 00:15:16.170
and then the defense
has also put on their witnesses

00:15:16.800 --> 00:15:19.750
to—like as part of their right

00:15:19.750 --> 00:15:22.240
to have witnesses come
and testify on their behalf.

00:15:22.740 --> 00:15:24.920
That process for the defense
was very short,

00:15:24.920 --> 00:15:26.880
about only about
half a day in court.

00:15:27.430 --> 00:15:32.260
And then, now it’s into
the like final arguments stage.

00:15:32.260 --> 00:15:34.050
So the prosecutors had
their argument first,

00:15:34.050 --> 00:15:37.230
and then each of the defense
attorneys for the defendants

00:15:37.230 --> 00:15:38.630
are putting on their arguments.

00:15:39.270 --> 00:15:42.200
This morning at 9:30, there will
be the final two defendants,

00:15:42.200 --> 00:15:43.560
will have their
closing arguments,

00:15:43.560 --> 00:15:45.250
and then the prosecutor
will do a rebuttal.

00:15:45.250 --> 00:15:47.730
Then there will be some
more kind of like legal

00:15:47.730 --> 00:15:50.120
housekeeping to do,
before it goes to the jury.

00:15:50.640 --> 00:15:53.600
So, the judge throwing out
the inciting a riot charge

00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:55.640
was a huge development
in the case.

00:15:55.640 --> 00:15:59.060
It’s something that after
the prosecutor rests their case,

00:15:59.060 --> 00:16:01.620
defense attorneys will
almost always file a motion

00:16:01.620 --> 00:16:03.570
to have the charges dismissed.

00:16:03.570 --> 00:16:06.480
In D.C., it’s called a motion
for judgment of acquittal.

00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:08.150
And it’s a formality,
for the most part.

00:16:08.150 --> 00:16:09.550
It’s rarely ever successful.

00:16:09.550 --> 00:16:11.250
So it was really notable that

00:16:11.250 --> 00:16:13.970
one of the most
significant charges

00:16:14.620 --> 00:16:17.030
against the defendants,
not only in this trial bloc,

00:16:17.030 --> 00:16:18.820
but also in the case as a whole,

00:16:18.820 --> 00:16:20.580
was found, in this case,
at least,

00:16:20.580 --> 00:16:23.540
to have no evidentiary
basis at all.

00:16:23.540 --> 00:16:25.120
So, basically,
the judge said that the state

00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:26.520
did not meet
the burden of proof,

00:16:26.520 --> 00:16:29.030
and that charge
therefore was dismissed,

00:16:29.030 --> 00:16:31.960
and the jury will not have to
deliberate on that one at all.

00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:33.360
AMY GOODMAN: So, but explain
what that means,

00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:35.290
because we’re talking
about numerous cases

00:16:35.290 --> 00:16:36.670
that will follow this one.

00:16:37.350 --> 00:16:40.210
Does this judge preside
over all of these cases

00:16:40.210 --> 00:16:43.310
if the inciting to riot
remains in the other cases?

00:16:44.460 --> 00:16:45.880
JUDE ORTIZ: At this point,
the judge is assigned

00:16:45.880 --> 00:16:47.220
to all the other cases.

00:16:47.220 --> 00:16:49.510
It’s important to note
that there’s another case

00:16:49.510 --> 00:16:50.270
that is scheduled

00:16:50.270 --> 00:16:53.000
for this coming Monday
for seven defendants,

00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:55.510
but that one probably
will not be happening on Monday,

00:16:55.510 --> 00:16:58.660
because the jury will still
be deliberating on this case.

00:16:58.660 --> 00:17:01.330
So, it’s unclear when
the second trial will begin.

00:17:01.330 --> 00:17:02.850
It’s looking like
it might be in January.

00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:05.180
And then, on March
5th of next year,

00:17:05.180 --> 00:17:06.870
all the way through
October of next year,

00:17:06.870 --> 00:17:08.760
are all the remaining trials.

00:17:08.760 --> 00:17:10.730
And starting in May,
there’s a trial scheduled

00:17:10.730 --> 00:17:13.000
for every single week.

00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:16.590
But the judge has indicated
that her rotation,

00:17:16.590 --> 00:17:18.990
her job assignment,
is switching from criminal court

00:17:18.990 --> 00:17:21.370
to family court
as of January 2nd,

00:17:21.370 --> 00:17:24.550
so there will be a new judge
or judges beginning in 2018.

00:17:25.290 --> 00:17:28.680
AMY GOODMAN: Why do you see
this case as so significant

00:17:28.680 --> 00:17:31.050
for free speech
in the United States?

00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:34.890
JUDE ORTIZ: So, on January 20th,
the police rounded up everyone

00:17:34.890 --> 00:17:38.020
who they can get a hold of
in this vicinity.

00:17:38.020 --> 00:17:38.810
The police commander

00:17:38.810 --> 00:17:40.310
who testified
at the beginning of the trial,

00:17:40.310 --> 00:17:44.040
or towards the beginning
of trial, was very clear,

00:17:44.040 --> 00:17:45.050
both in his testimony

00:17:45.050 --> 00:17:47.760
as well as recordings
from the police radio,

00:17:47.760 --> 00:17:52.040
that they were interested in the
protest—it was an anti-fascist,

00:17:52.040 --> 00:17:55.030
anti-capitalist
march—and they responded

00:17:55.030 --> 00:17:56.480
to that kind of preemptively

00:17:56.480 --> 00:18:00.530
by having around
a hundred riot cops

00:18:00.530 --> 00:18:02.580
and their like lieutenants
and sergeants,

00:18:02.580 --> 00:18:04.650
whatnot, there at Logan Circle,

00:18:04.650 --> 00:18:08.280
where the protest was scheduled
to depart from and begin.

00:18:09.140 --> 00:18:11.520
And that commander said

00:18:11.520 --> 00:18:14.720
that rather than doing
what is typical in D.C.,

00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:16.050
where they do
rolling road closures

00:18:16.050 --> 00:18:18.560
to facilitate the exercise
of free speech,

00:18:18.560 --> 00:18:21.300
instead they showed up
with numerous vans

00:18:21.300 --> 00:18:22.770
full of riot police,

00:18:22.770 --> 00:18:24.940
and then they followed
the march and began,

00:18:24.940 --> 00:18:25.890
pretty much immediately,

00:18:25.890 --> 00:18:29.250
to start to crack down
on the march.

00:18:29.250 --> 00:18:31.350
That commander repeatedly
used the word "anarchist"

00:18:31.350 --> 00:18:33.670
to describe everybody
who was there.

00:18:33.670 --> 00:18:36.780
And that officer—or, that
commander and other officers

00:18:36.780 --> 00:18:39.110
talked about everybody
being like one group

00:18:39.110 --> 00:18:40.380
with nefarious intent.

00:18:41.090 --> 00:18:46.470
So, from the outset,
because of the alleged politics

00:18:46.470 --> 00:18:47.910
of the march

00:18:47.910 --> 00:18:50.480
and of the people
who were there,

00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:52.630
the police responded in this
very heavy-handed manner

00:18:52.630 --> 00:18:55.270
that culminated in them
rounding everybody up

00:18:55.270 --> 00:18:57.140
and mass-arresting people.

00:18:57.140 --> 00:18:59.860
And the prosecutor has continued
that by going forward

00:18:59.860 --> 00:19:01.870
with these charges
against everyone.

00:19:01.870 --> 00:19:05.800
So, when that is the kind
of method of operations,

00:19:05.800 --> 00:19:09.560
for the police going hand
in hand with the prosecutor,

00:19:09.560 --> 00:19:11.030
that sends a very
chilling message

00:19:11.030 --> 00:19:12.990
to anybody who’s interested
in going out in the streets

00:19:12.990 --> 00:19:15.150
and voicing dissent,
especially dissent to Trump,

00:19:15.150 --> 00:19:17.670
dissent to the rise of fascism,

00:19:17.670 --> 00:19:20.110
dissent to white supremacy,
heteropatriarchy,

00:19:20.110 --> 00:19:21.090
like all these other

00:19:21.090 --> 00:19:23.840
like very devastating
systems of oppression.

00:19:23.840 --> 00:19:26.100
AMY GOODMAN: Jude, Assistant
U.S. Attorney Qureshi,

00:19:26.100 --> 00:19:29.110
the second-ranking prosecutor,
who made closing arguments,

00:19:29.110 --> 00:19:31.380
said, in those arguments,

00:19:31.380 --> 00:19:34.890
a street medic was guilty
by being present, and asked,

00:19:34.890 --> 00:19:37.380
"What do you need
a medic with gauze for?

00:19:37.380 --> 00:19:39.690
She was aiding
and abetting the riot.

00:19:39.690 --> 00:19:43.830
That was her role,"
Qureshi said. Respond to that.

00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:48.430
JUDE ORTIZ: So, that’s an
entirely ludicrous claim.

00:19:48.430 --> 00:19:50.850
Medics have been at protests
across the country

00:19:50.850 --> 00:19:55.830
for decades to be able to
provide first aid type of care

00:19:55.830 --> 00:19:58.630
to people who are injured
in various ways.

00:19:58.630 --> 00:20:01.070
One of the most notable ways
people get injured at protests,

00:20:01.070 --> 00:20:02.990
as your listeners
and viewers know,

00:20:02.990 --> 00:20:04.930
is by actions from the police.

00:20:04.930 --> 00:20:08.160
On January 20th, there was
a massive amount of pepper spray

00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:11.430
deployed by police on people,
sometimes directly in the face,

00:20:11.430 --> 00:20:13.590
sometimes on the side
or from behind.

00:20:14.610 --> 00:20:16.240
And we saw this
in trial through body

00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:18.770
cam—body-worn camera videos.

00:20:18.770 --> 00:20:21.810
There’s also a lot of body-worn
camera videos of police

00:20:21.810 --> 00:20:24.780
knocking people down from
behind with their batons.

00:20:24.780 --> 00:20:26.990
One of the officers
who testified ran his bike

00:20:26.990 --> 00:20:28.580
directly into a protester.

00:20:29.150 --> 00:20:30.900
And so, there’s all
these different ways

00:20:30.900 --> 00:20:33.470
that the people who are out
there like in the streets

00:20:33.470 --> 00:20:35.170
can get injured very easily.

00:20:35.170 --> 00:20:36.480
There’s also the elements
to deal with.

00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:38.470
In January, it was very cold,

00:20:38.470 --> 00:20:41.900
for the January 20th
inauguration protest.

00:20:41.900 --> 00:20:45.340
Lots of different reasons
why you’d have medics there

00:20:45.340 --> 00:20:47.950
in order to like render aid
to people who get injured.

00:20:49.550 --> 00:20:53.320
That prosecutor said that
the supplies that were there

00:20:53.320 --> 00:20:55.880
kind of show
that the medics, in general,

00:20:55.880 --> 00:20:57.630
were kind of like
prepared for war,

00:20:57.630 --> 00:21:03.030
which is a—it’s as insulting
as it is ludicrous to say

00:21:03.030 --> 00:21:04.530
that people who were
out there in the streets

00:21:04.530 --> 00:21:06.630
were prepared for war,

00:21:06.630 --> 00:21:09.130
especially when you saw the
Department of Homeland Security

00:21:09.130 --> 00:21:12.150
helicopter video showing
all the police operations

00:21:12.150 --> 00:21:15.220
that were happening there
on Inauguration Day,

00:21:15.220 --> 00:21:18.240
how the police took this
like paramilitary approach,

00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:19.880
that was also supported
by the National Guard

00:21:19.880 --> 00:21:22.340
in order to like corral people

00:21:22.340 --> 00:21:26.050
and use chemical and projectile
weapons against people.

00:21:26.050 --> 00:21:27.750
So, if there was any kind of
warlike conditions,

00:21:27.750 --> 00:21:29.770
that was coming from the police
and from the government,

00:21:29.770 --> 00:21:31.580
and not from people
who were there to render aid.

00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:34.260
AMY GOODMAN: I want to ask you
about some of the videos

00:21:34.260 --> 00:21:38.340
submitted as evidence in this
case by federal prosecutors.

00:21:38.340 --> 00:21:40.960
This includes video
by the Canadian YouTuber

00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:42.020
Lauren Southern,

00:21:42.020 --> 00:21:45.030
who the Southern Poverty
Law Center describes as, quote,

00:21:45.030 --> 00:21:48.330
"tiptoe[ing] at the precipice
of outright white nationalism."

00:21:48.840 --> 00:21:51.880
Southern was there on January
20th, Inauguration Day,

00:21:51.880 --> 00:21:53.520
and was kettled
during the protest,

00:21:53.520 --> 00:21:56.790
but was allowed to leave
without being arrested.

00:21:56.790 --> 00:21:59.310
Prosecutors also submitted
video evidence

00:21:59.310 --> 00:22:01.850
from the right-wing
militia group Oath Keepers,

00:22:02.610 --> 00:22:04.940
who infiltrated protest
planning meetings

00:22:04.940 --> 00:22:06.640
and secretly recorded them.

00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:08.770
Prosecutors also presented video

00:22:08.770 --> 00:22:11.760
from the discredited far-right
group Project Veritas,

00:22:11.760 --> 00:22:14.010
just one day after
The Washington Post

00:22:14.010 --> 00:22:16.540
reported Project Veritas
had tried to dupe them

00:22:16.540 --> 00:22:18.750
with a false story
of sexual misconduct

00:22:18.750 --> 00:22:22.780
by a woman undercover pretending
to be a victim of Roy Moore.

00:22:22.780 --> 00:22:25.910
Go into this and why
this matters, Jude Ortiz.

00:22:27.010 --> 00:22:29.050
JUDE ORTIZ: It’s appalling
to see so much

00:22:29.050 --> 00:22:31.860
of the state’s—
the prosecution’s case

00:22:32.780 --> 00:22:34.180
and their so-called
like evidence

00:22:34.180 --> 00:22:37.820
coming from overtly
far-right sources.

00:22:37.820 --> 00:22:40.070
So, the Project Veritas video
that you mention,

00:22:40.070 --> 00:22:42.290
it did come out in the courtroom

00:22:42.290 --> 00:22:44.300
as like a main
piece of evidence,

00:22:44.300 --> 00:22:46.440
exactly like one day
after that story broke.

00:22:47.350 --> 00:22:50.290
And one would think that
that would kind of discredit

00:22:50.290 --> 00:22:55.080
or like cast into doubt
like the kind of truthfulness

00:22:55.080 --> 00:22:57.080
or the usefulness
of that evidence.

00:22:57.080 --> 00:22:58.800
The prosecutor
and the police officer

00:22:58.800 --> 00:23:00.210
who was testifying about it

00:23:00.210 --> 00:23:02.830
gave no indication
that the source of it was

00:23:03.330 --> 00:23:06.720
at all even a question mark
or some cause of concern.

00:23:08.460 --> 00:23:10.610
The state, through
various witnesses,

00:23:11.110 --> 00:23:13.260
the detectives who like
testified about the video

00:23:13.260 --> 00:23:14.180
and whatnot,

00:23:14.180 --> 00:23:18.100
admitted that they did no kind
of forensic investigation

00:23:18.100 --> 00:23:19.930
or examination of the tape

00:23:19.930 --> 00:23:22.220
to make sure that it wasn’t
doctored in some way.

00:23:22.220 --> 00:23:24.560
Project Veritas, of course,
is notorious for doctoring

00:23:24.560 --> 00:23:25.910
in the editing of their videos.

00:23:26.550 --> 00:23:29.230
And they were presented
to the jury

00:23:29.230 --> 00:23:31.930
as one of their main
pieces of evidence,

00:23:31.930 --> 00:23:35.340
and especially with
the idea of conspiracy.

00:23:35.340 --> 00:23:38.430
And so, when so much
of the so-called evidence

00:23:38.430 --> 00:23:40.160
against these defendants

00:23:40.160 --> 00:23:42.330
and the defendants at large

00:23:42.330 --> 00:23:45.220
depends on this
kind of so-called

00:23:45.220 --> 00:23:47.460
like investigative work
of far-right actors,

00:23:48.330 --> 00:23:50.980
it really shows
how the state itself,

00:23:50.980 --> 00:23:53.900
but with their police
investigators, undercover cops

00:23:53.900 --> 00:23:56.180
infiltrating political protest
planning meetings,

00:23:56.720 --> 00:23:58.480
the undercover
and plainclothes police

00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:02.050
who were present on the march
and like in the streets

00:24:02.050 --> 00:24:04.970
that day—all of these different
like state actors

00:24:04.970 --> 00:24:06.680
were not able
to find the evidence

00:24:06.680 --> 00:24:08.230
that would substantiate
the charges

00:24:08.230 --> 00:24:11.850
the prosecutor has been
so ferociously pursuing,

00:24:11.850 --> 00:24:13.900
and so they have
to supplement that

00:24:13.900 --> 00:24:17.960
and really kind of create
the evidentiary base

00:24:17.960 --> 00:24:19.770
through drawing
on the far right.

00:24:19.770 --> 00:24:21.740
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to ask you
about the main detective

00:24:21.740 --> 00:24:22.720
working full time

00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:24.800
on the J20 case,
Greggory Pemberton.

00:24:24.800 --> 00:24:26.910
On Inauguration Day,
January 20th,

00:24:26.910 --> 00:24:29.280
he tweeted D.C.
police officers used a, quote,

00:24:29.280 --> 00:24:32.670
"inspiring amount of restraint"
and showed "professionalism."

00:24:32.670 --> 00:24:35.330
Last November,
he also tweeted about, quote,

00:24:35.330 --> 00:24:39.050
"disingenuous 'activists'
who peddle lies and falsehood."

00:24:39.550 --> 00:24:43.210
During the J20 trial,
defense lawyers played this clip

00:24:43.210 --> 00:24:46.660
of an interview Pemberton gave
to the far-right media outlet

00:24:46.660 --> 00:24:50.070
One America News Network,
praising President Trump.

00:24:51.020 --> 00:24:54.220
GREGGORY PEMBERTON: He certainly
has a message of law and order,

00:24:54.220 --> 00:24:56.540
and he really is appealing
to a lot of police officers.

00:24:56.540 --> 00:24:59.050
... Police officers want to hear
that someone is going to come in

00:24:59.050 --> 00:25:03.120
and not allow this divisive,
vitriolic rhetoric

00:25:03.650 --> 00:25:05.090
of this false narrative

00:25:05.090 --> 00:25:08.530
that all police officers are
inherently criminal racists

00:25:08.530 --> 00:25:11.520
that are out here committing
crimes against the citizens,

00:25:11.520 --> 00:25:14.120
and that they’re going to
come in and put a stop to that.

00:25:14.120 --> 00:25:16.370
AMY GOODMAN: Jude Ortiz,
as we wrap up, can you respond

00:25:16.370 --> 00:25:19.260
to the significance
of his involvement

00:25:19.260 --> 00:25:20.940
with the case
and what he’s saying here?

00:25:22.110 --> 00:25:24.180
JUDE ORTIZ: Yes. The detective,
Pemberton, has claimed that

00:25:24.180 --> 00:25:26.470
he has looked through
hundreds of hours of videos,

00:25:26.470 --> 00:25:28.820
hundreds of times,
since January 21st.

00:25:28.820 --> 00:25:31.180
It’s been his full-time job,
his only assignment.

00:25:32.220 --> 00:25:34.850
He was able,
through that review,

00:25:34.850 --> 00:25:39.510
to present various compilation
boards of photographs,

00:25:39.510 --> 00:25:41.480
as well as videos
and PowerPoints,

00:25:41.480 --> 00:25:44.910
to give to the jury
for their deliberations,

00:25:44.910 --> 00:25:48.780
that claims to have
documentation of the location

00:25:48.780 --> 00:25:51.210
of each of the defendants
all throughout the march,

00:25:51.210 --> 00:25:54.460
and presenting this as if
that’s something that, like,

00:25:54.460 --> 00:25:56.990
being present like in
the streets is a sign of guilt

00:25:56.990 --> 00:25:59.230
and is evidence of guilt
of all these charges.

00:25:59.740 --> 00:26:01.790
So it’s a tremendous amount
of work that is like put in

00:26:01.790 --> 00:26:06.190
for these like very politically
motivated way—or, reasons.

00:26:06.190 --> 00:26:08.080
And those political motivations
are pretty clear

00:26:08.080 --> 00:26:09.540
when you look
at his Twitter feed,

00:26:09.540 --> 00:26:12.940
with all of the far-right
and pro-Trump things

00:26:12.940 --> 00:26:14.340
that he has promoted,

00:26:14.340 --> 00:26:15.650
like through retweets
and through

00:26:15.650 --> 00:26:17.410
likes and through
his own comments on Twitter.

00:26:17.940 --> 00:26:19.800
He claimed on the stand
that that was only

00:26:19.800 --> 00:26:22.580
in the kind of exercise
of his position

00:26:22.580 --> 00:26:24.400
as a board member
of the police union.

00:26:25.050 --> 00:26:26.270
But whether that’s true

00:26:26.270 --> 00:26:28.160
or whether it’s his own
personal opinions,

00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:31.760
those opinions that are put
forward are very much in favor

00:26:31.760 --> 00:26:33.240
of like right-wing causes

00:26:33.240 --> 00:26:35.870
and very much against
liberal or progressive,

00:26:35.870 --> 00:26:39.360
like radical-left
causes and movements.

00:26:39.360 --> 00:26:42.660
And he’s even done
very inflammatory

00:26:42.660 --> 00:26:43.980
and insulting things,
like saying

00:26:43.980 --> 00:26:45.390
"black lies matter"—

00:26:45.390 --> 00:26:47.230
L-I-E-S—instead
of "Black Lives Matter,"

00:26:47.230 --> 00:26:49.410
and discounting
that entire movement,

00:26:49.410 --> 00:26:53.900
that has been so prominent
in responding to police violence

00:26:53.900 --> 00:26:55.360
and brutality
across the country.

00:26:55.970 --> 00:26:57.520
AMY GOODMAN: Finally,
shortly after winning

00:26:57.520 --> 00:26:59.690
the 2016 presidential election,

00:26:59.690 --> 00:27:03.000
Donald Trump tweeted
his thoughts on dissent.

00:27:03.530 --> 00:27:06.060
He tweeted, "Nobody
should be allowed to burn

00:27:06.060 --> 00:27:08.070
the American flag–if they do,

00:27:08.070 --> 00:27:11.030
there must be
consequences–perhaps loss

00:27:11.030 --> 00:27:13.720
of citizenship or year in jail!"

00:27:13.720 --> 00:27:15.550
Your final comment, Jude Ortiz?

00:27:15.550 --> 00:27:19.060
JUDE ORTIZ: I think comments
like that show

00:27:19.890 --> 00:27:23.550
the kind of concerted effort
and nature of repression

00:27:23.550 --> 00:27:26.310
of social movements
in the United States.

00:27:26.310 --> 00:27:28.380
I want to clarify that: I mean
like left social movements.

00:27:28.380 --> 00:27:29.570
The right social movements,

00:27:29.570 --> 00:27:32.370
that have become more prominent
and public under Trump,

00:27:32.370 --> 00:27:34.360
have been facilitated
by the state.

00:27:34.360 --> 00:27:35.920
We’re seeing that in places
like Charlottesville.

00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:38.280
We’re seeing that
in places like St. Louis

00:27:38.280 --> 00:27:39.490
and all across the country.

00:27:40.310 --> 00:27:43.210
People need to recognize
like how things are shifting,

00:27:43.210 --> 00:27:46.110
and be ready to be out
in resistance,

00:27:46.110 --> 00:27:47.870
to dissent and
to not be scared away.

00:27:48.850 --> 00:27:51.210
And this case is a very
important part of that.

00:27:51.210 --> 00:27:52.890
AMY GOODMAN: Jude Ortiz, I want
to thank you for being with us,

00:27:52.890 --> 00:27:55.050
member of the organizing
crew of Defend J20

00:27:55.050 --> 00:27:56.530
and the Mass Defense
Committee chair

00:27:56.530 --> 00:27:57.860
for the National Lawyers Guild.

00:27:57.860 --> 00:28:00.650
He’s been in court
throughout this first J20 trial.

00:28:00.650 --> 00:28:02.630
And we’ll keep you
updated on this

00:28:02.630 --> 00:28:05.110
and other trials as they go on.

00:28:05.110 --> 00:28:07.330
This is Democracy Now!
When we come back,

00:28:07.330 --> 00:28:10.180
the movement to impeach
President Trump,

00:28:10.180 --> 00:28:14.250
where does it stand,
from Congress to counties,

00:28:14.250 --> 00:28:16.770
cities, towns across
the United States?

00:28:16.770 --> 00:28:18.770
Stay with us.

00:28:18.770 --> 00:29:19.520
[break]

00:29:19.520 --> 00:29:21.500
AMY GOODMAN: "Blood and Roses"
by The Smithereens.

00:29:21.500 --> 00:29:23.050
The lead singer, Pat DiNizio,

00:29:23.050 --> 00:29:25.720
died on Tuesday
at the age of 62.

00:29:25.720 --> 00:29:28.450
And a shout-out to the classes
that are visiting Democracy Now!

00:29:28.450 --> 00:29:31.490
today for today’s broadcast:
Brooklyn Prep High School

00:29:31.490 --> 00:29:33.790
and Asian American
Writers’ Workshop.

00:29:33.790 --> 00:29:36.050
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy
Now! I’m Amy Goodman,

00:29:36.050 --> 00:29:37.700
as we turn now to an update
on the movement

00:29:37.700 --> 00:29:39.460
to impeach President
Donald Trump.

00:29:39.460 --> 00:29:41.910
In November,
a half-dozen Democrats

00:29:41.910 --> 00:29:44.090
introduced articles
of impeachment against Trump,

00:29:44.090 --> 00:29:45.880
accusing him
of obstruction of justice

00:29:45.880 --> 00:29:47.200
and other offenses.

00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:50.720
Co-sponsors include Democratic
Representatives Steve Cohen,

00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:53.010
Luis Gutiérrez,
Al Green, Marcia Fudge,

00:29:53.010 --> 00:29:54.420
Adriano Espaillat

00:29:54.420 --> 00:29:55.760
and John Yarmuth.

00:29:55.760 --> 00:29:57.110
Well, on Thursday,

00:29:57.110 --> 00:30:00.060
another congressmember endorsed
articles of impeachment.

00:30:00.060 --> 00:30:03.270
This time it was one of
the 12 House Democrats

00:30:03.270 --> 00:30:07.830
representing a district
won by Trump in 2016:

00:30:07.830 --> 00:30:11.380
Democratic Congressmember Carol
Shea-Porter of New Hampshire.

00:30:11.380 --> 00:30:13.080
She said in
a statement Thursday,

00:30:13.080 --> 00:30:15.200
"Many Members of Congress,
including myself,

00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:17.740
agree with Republican Senate
Foreign Relations Committee

00:30:17.740 --> 00:30:20.120
Chairman Bob Corker
that President Trump

00:30:20.120 --> 00:30:22.530
poses a dangerous threat
to national security

00:30:22.530 --> 00:30:24.350
and the future
of our democracy.

00:30:24.350 --> 00:30:26.680
... I believe it is past time
for Members of Congress

00:30:26.680 --> 00:30:28.440
to put country before party

00:30:28.440 --> 00:30:30.710
and bring these discussions
out into the open,"

00:30:30.710 --> 00:30:32.310
Shea-Porter said.

00:30:32.310 --> 00:30:34.860
Until now, other Democrats
who have endorsed

00:30:34.860 --> 00:30:39.030
Trump’s impeachment have hailed
from safe blue districts.

00:30:39.030 --> 00:30:42.150
Porter plans to retire
at the end of her term.

00:30:42.150 --> 00:30:45.140
This comes as the House
rejected an effort last week

00:30:45.140 --> 00:30:47.060
by Congressmember Al
Green of Houston

00:30:47.060 --> 00:30:49.120
to move forward with
articles of impeachment,

00:30:49.120 --> 00:30:51.240
even as some 58 Democrats

00:30:51.240 --> 00:30:52.670
voted in support

00:30:52.670 --> 00:30:55.520
of the resolution—nearly
a third of the caucus.

00:30:55.520 --> 00:30:57.320
Meanwhile, a petition
for impeachment

00:30:57.320 --> 00:31:00.540
launched in October
by Democratic donor Tom Steyer

00:31:00.540 --> 00:31:03.270
now has more than three-and
-a-half million supporters,

00:31:03.270 --> 00:31:05.500
and at least 17 communities
around the country

00:31:05.500 --> 00:31:08.180
are on record calling
for impeachment proceedings

00:31:08.180 --> 00:31:09.870
against Donald Trump.

00:31:09.870 --> 00:31:11.680
Well, earlier this month,
Democracy Now!

00:31:11.680 --> 00:31:14.770
spoke to constitutional
attorney John Bonifaz,

00:31:14.770 --> 00:31:17.240
co-founder and director
of Free Speech for People.

00:31:17.240 --> 00:31:19.860
I started by asking him about
the movement to impeach Trump.

00:31:20.750 --> 00:31:23.110
JOHN BONIFAZ: Well, to be clear,
what we’re doing here

00:31:23.110 --> 00:31:24.390
with this impeachment campaign

00:31:24.390 --> 00:31:25.830
that we launched
with RootsAction

00:31:25.830 --> 00:31:27.950
on the day of the inauguration,

00:31:27.950 --> 00:31:30.440
because the president
had refused to divest

00:31:30.440 --> 00:31:33.900
from his business holdings
all across the world

00:31:33.900 --> 00:31:36.480
in defiance of
the anti-corruption provisions

00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:37.930
of the Constitution—what
we’re doing,

00:31:37.930 --> 00:31:41.700
Amy, is designed to defend our
Constitution and our democracy.

00:31:41.700 --> 00:31:43.910
This is not about
being dissatisfied

00:31:43.910 --> 00:31:45.870
about certain policies
of the president.

00:31:45.870 --> 00:31:47.550
This is about the Constitution

00:31:47.550 --> 00:31:49.600
and the basic fundamental
principle in this country

00:31:49.600 --> 00:31:51.120
that no one is above the law,

00:31:51.120 --> 00:31:52.840
not even the president
of the United States.

00:31:52.840 --> 00:31:55.190
And he walked into
the Oval Office

00:31:55.190 --> 00:31:58.170
that day already defying
the rule of law,

00:31:58.170 --> 00:32:00.260
already refusing to comply

00:32:00.260 --> 00:32:02.600
with those two anti-corruption
provisions of the Constitution.

00:32:02.600 --> 00:32:05.330
AMY GOODMAN: Explain exactly
what those two anti-corruption

00:32:06.980 --> 00:32:08.940
articles of the Constitution are

00:32:08.940 --> 00:32:12.100
and what he refused to do
with his businesses.

00:32:12.100 --> 00:32:14.120
JOHN BONIFAZ: So those two
anti-corruption provisions

00:32:14.120 --> 00:32:15.620
are the Foreign
Emoluments Clause

00:32:15.620 --> 00:32:17.350
and the Domestic
Emoluments Clause.

00:32:17.350 --> 00:32:18.550
The Foreign Emoluments Clause

00:32:18.550 --> 00:32:21.280
makes clear that the president
shall not receive,

00:32:21.280 --> 00:32:24.390
nor any other federal elected
official shall not receive,

00:32:24.940 --> 00:32:27.780
any payments or financial
benefits of any kind

00:32:27.780 --> 00:32:29.240
from any foreign governments.

00:32:29.240 --> 00:32:32.380
The Domestic Emoluments Clause
applies only to the president

00:32:32.380 --> 00:32:35.710
and says he shall not receive
any financial benefits

00:32:35.710 --> 00:32:38.020
or payments of any kind
from the federal government

00:32:38.020 --> 00:32:40.480
or the state government
other than his federal salary.

00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:44.280
This is a president who has
111-plus business interests

00:32:44.280 --> 00:32:45.340
all over the world,

00:32:45.340 --> 00:32:48.410
many of which involve
illegal foreign benefits,

00:32:48.410 --> 00:32:49.620
foreign government benefits,

00:32:49.620 --> 00:32:52.750
to him personally,
through his company,

00:32:52.750 --> 00:32:54.050
the Trump Organization,

00:32:54.050 --> 00:32:57.330
as well as having properties
all over the United States

00:32:57.330 --> 00:32:59.340
that involve state
government benefits

00:32:59.340 --> 00:33:00.530
and the federal government,

00:33:00.530 --> 00:33:03.880
through the leasing of the Post
Office Square in Washington,

00:33:03.880 --> 00:33:05.560
D.C., that is now the place

00:33:05.560 --> 00:33:08.140
where the Trump
International Hotel resides.

00:33:08.140 --> 00:33:11.520
So, what we’re dealing here
with is a president who knew,

00:33:11.520 --> 00:33:14.040
prior to taking the Oval Office,

00:33:14.040 --> 00:33:16.160
warned by constitutional
scholars,

00:33:16.160 --> 00:33:18.830
that he needed to divest
from his business interests

00:33:18.830 --> 00:33:22.230
in order to comply with those
anti-corruption provisions.

00:33:22.230 --> 00:33:26.420
He refused to, and he is engaged
in treating the Oval Office

00:33:26.420 --> 00:33:29.380
as a profit-making enterprise
at the public expense.

00:33:29.380 --> 00:33:32.260
AMY GOODMAN: How have things
changed since January,

00:33:32.260 --> 00:33:34.760
when Donald Trump
became president?

00:33:34.760 --> 00:33:37.000
JOHN BONIFAZ: I think what
has happened is we’ve seen

00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:38.380
a growing list

00:33:38.380 --> 00:33:39.860
of impeachable offenses

00:33:39.860 --> 00:33:41.890
that require an
impeachment investigation

00:33:41.890 --> 00:33:45.220
in the U.S. Congress parallel
to the Mueller investigation.

00:33:45.220 --> 00:33:47.280
This is not a question
of having to wait

00:33:47.280 --> 00:33:50.530
and see whether or not the
federal criminal investigation

00:33:50.530 --> 00:33:51.960
that’s proceeding

00:33:51.960 --> 00:33:54.240
turns up violations
of federal criminal law

00:33:54.240 --> 00:33:55.990
by the president
or any of his associates.

00:33:55.990 --> 00:33:57.470
That’s a separate question.

00:33:57.470 --> 00:33:59.890
The question here are crimes
against the state.

00:33:59.890 --> 00:34:02.530
That is what impeachment
is about—abuse of power,

00:34:02.530 --> 00:34:04.060
abuse of public trust,

00:34:04.060 --> 00:34:06.160
and not only through
the violations

00:34:06.160 --> 00:34:07.840
of the anti-corruption
provisions.

00:34:07.840 --> 00:34:09.100
There is now, of course,

00:34:09.100 --> 00:34:10.980
evidence of obstruction
of justice.

00:34:10.980 --> 00:34:13.240
There’s evidence
of potential conspiracy

00:34:13.240 --> 00:34:15.270
with the Russian government
to interfere

00:34:15.270 --> 00:34:17.190
with the 2016 elections

00:34:17.190 --> 00:34:20.430
and violate federal campaign
finance laws, among others.

00:34:20.430 --> 00:34:22.880
There is now evidence
of abuse of the pardon power

00:34:22.880 --> 00:34:25.050
in the pardoning of former

00:34:25.050 --> 00:34:26.410
Maricopa County Arizona

00:34:26.410 --> 00:34:27.920
Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:30.430
There’s recklessly
threatening nuclear war

00:34:30.430 --> 00:34:31.990
against a foreign nation.

00:34:31.990 --> 00:34:34.370
There’s misuse of the
Justice Department

00:34:34.370 --> 00:34:37.570
to try to prosecute
political adversaries.

00:34:37.570 --> 00:34:40.740
And there’s the giving aid
and comfort

00:34:40.740 --> 00:34:43.080
to neo-Nazis
and white supremacists.

00:34:43.080 --> 00:34:46.450
All of this—all of this deserves
an impeachment investigation

00:34:46.450 --> 00:34:48.100
in the U.S. House
of Representatives.

00:34:48.100 --> 00:34:50.930
AMY GOODMAN: So, in response
to some Democratic leaders

00:34:50.930 --> 00:34:53.300
warning against calls
for impeachment

00:34:53.300 --> 00:34:55.890
before Robert Mueller’s
investigation

00:34:55.890 --> 00:34:59.400
has been completed, billionaire
environmentalist Tom Steyer

00:34:59.400 --> 00:35:02.690
defended his $20 million
ad campaign

00:35:02.690 --> 00:35:04.530
to impeach President Trump,

00:35:04.530 --> 00:35:07.630
and blasted his critics,
telling The Wall Street Journal,

00:35:07.630 --> 00:35:10.970
"The Republican nominee
wasn’t really a Republican.

00:35:10.970 --> 00:35:13.160
The person who energized
the Democratic Party

00:35:13.160 --> 00:35:14.840
wasn’t really a Democrat.

00:35:14.840 --> 00:35:17.660
So, when I hear the Washington
establishment tell me,

00:35:17.660 --> 00:35:20.520
'Shut the f— up,'
I think, well, maybe."

00:35:20.520 --> 00:35:23.700
And on Thursday, he tweeted,
"It doesn’t surprise me

00:35:23.700 --> 00:35:26.340
that the political establishment
in Washington, D.C.

00:35:26.340 --> 00:35:28.630
can’t imagine the idea
of the American people

00:35:28.630 --> 00:35:30.660
having an independent voice.

00:35:30.660 --> 00:35:33.190
They’re scared of any threat
to their control.

00:35:33.190 --> 00:35:36.460
But it’s important to do
what’s right," said Tom Steyer.

00:35:36.460 --> 00:35:39.990
I want to play a clip of the ad

00:35:39.990 --> 00:35:42.050
that has been running
on television.

00:35:43.010 --> 00:35:45.030
TOM STEYER: He’s brought us
to the brink of nuclear war,

00:35:45.680 --> 00:35:47.290
obstructed justice at the FBI.

00:35:48.140 --> 00:35:50.380
And in direct violation
of the Constitution,

00:35:50.380 --> 00:35:52.320
he’s taken money from
foreign governments

00:35:52.320 --> 00:35:54.300
and threatened to shut down
news organizations

00:35:54.300 --> 00:35:56.540
that report the truth.

00:35:56.540 --> 00:35:57.990
If that isn’t a case
for impeaching

00:35:57.990 --> 00:36:00.020
and removing
a dangerous president,

00:36:00.020 --> 00:36:01.510
then what has our
government become?

00:36:02.140 --> 00:36:04.440
AMY GOODMAN: That’s the
billionaire Tom Steyer,

00:36:04.940 --> 00:36:08.700
who has spent millions
on this ad campaign

00:36:08.700 --> 00:36:10.080
that’s running on television.

00:36:10.650 --> 00:36:13.180
Can you talk about
what he is attempting

00:36:13.180 --> 00:36:15.410
to do—it’s the Need to Impeach

00:36:15.410 --> 00:36:18.490
campaign—and whether you’re
working with him, John Bonifaz?

00:36:18.490 --> 00:36:20.770
JOHN BONIFAZ: Well, we’re in
communication with Tom Steyer

00:36:20.770 --> 00:36:23.020
and his team
about collaborating possibly,

00:36:23.020 --> 00:36:24.940
and we do think
what’s important here

00:36:24.940 --> 00:36:26.990
is to elevate the
national conversation.

00:36:26.990 --> 00:36:29.830
He’s obviously
helping to do that.

00:36:29.830 --> 00:36:33.150
We fully agree with all that
he’s saying about the need

00:36:33.150 --> 00:36:34.920
for this impeachment process

00:36:34.920 --> 00:36:36.790
to move forward in the House
of Representatives.

00:36:36.790 --> 00:36:40.020
And the more voices that come
forward from the American people

00:36:40.020 --> 00:36:42.560
all over the country
is going to help push

00:36:42.560 --> 00:36:43.920
that forward in Congress.

00:36:44.550 --> 00:36:47.160
AMY GOODMAN: So let’s talk about
what’s happened this November,

00:36:47.160 --> 00:36:48.860
these six House Democrats

00:36:48.860 --> 00:36:51.270
announcing they’ve introduced
articles of impeachment

00:36:51.270 --> 00:36:52.710
against President Trump.

00:36:52.710 --> 00:36:54.730
This is Congressman Steve Cohen

00:36:54.730 --> 00:36:57.230
making the announcement
on November 15th.

00:36:57.960 --> 00:36:59.860
REP. STEVE COHEN: I am proud to
stand here with my friend,

00:36:59.860 --> 00:37:01.430
Congressman Gutiérrez,

00:37:01.430 --> 00:37:03.200
with other congresspeople
who will be here,

00:37:04.020 --> 00:37:05.640
in announcing that we
are introducing articles

00:37:05.640 --> 00:37:06.460
of impeachment

00:37:06.460 --> 00:37:08.170
to remove President Trump
from office.

00:37:08.760 --> 00:37:12.110
There will be, I believe, six
signatories on the resolution.

00:37:13.610 --> 00:37:15.590
We have taken this action

00:37:15.590 --> 00:37:17.420
because of great concern
for our country

00:37:18.210 --> 00:37:19.460
and our Constitution,

00:37:19.460 --> 00:37:22.130
our national security
and our democracy.

00:37:23.320 --> 00:37:26.020
We believe that President Trump
has violated the Constitution,

00:37:26.020 --> 00:37:28.520
and we’ve introduced
five articles of impeachment.

00:37:28.520 --> 00:37:30.750
AMY GOODMAN: Again, that’s
Congressmember Steve Cohen

00:37:30.750 --> 00:37:31.940
of Memphis, Tennessee.

00:37:31.940 --> 00:37:34.150
Joining him,
Luis Gutiérrez of Chicago,

00:37:34.150 --> 00:37:37.200
Marcia Fudge of Ohio,
Adriano Espaillat of New York,

00:37:37.200 --> 00:37:41.900
John Yarmuth of Kentucky
and Al Green of Houston, Texas.

00:37:41.900 --> 00:37:45.100
So, explain what
they’re introducing.

00:37:45.100 --> 00:37:47.320
JOHN BONIFAZ: Well, they’ve
introduced five articles

00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:49.290
of impeachment,
and they’ve done it as a group.

00:37:49.290 --> 00:37:50.690
And it’s significant because up

00:37:50.690 --> 00:37:53.220
until now there were
two members of Congress,

00:37:53.220 --> 00:37:54.380
Al Green being one of them,

00:37:54.380 --> 00:37:56.240
Congressman Al Green
from Houston,

00:37:56.240 --> 00:37:58.310
and Congressman Brad
Sherman from Los Angeles,

00:37:58.310 --> 00:38:00.600
who had introduced
articles of impeachment

00:38:00.600 --> 00:38:02.610
around obstruction of justice.

00:38:02.610 --> 00:38:05.300
These articles go beyond
obstruction of justice,

00:38:05.300 --> 00:38:07.270
including that,
but also the violations

00:38:07.270 --> 00:38:09.320
of the foreign and domestic
emoluments clauses

00:38:09.980 --> 00:38:14.760
and the president’s continued
attacks on freedom of the press

00:38:14.760 --> 00:38:17.120
and on the independence
of the judiciary.

00:38:17.120 --> 00:38:18.740
And what’s
significant here, Amy,

00:38:18.740 --> 00:38:20.950
is that these articles
have been introduced

00:38:20.950 --> 00:38:25.440
by members of Congress despite
the continued opposition

00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:28.910
by their own party’s
leadership in the Congress.

00:38:28.910 --> 00:38:31.040
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi
has made clear

00:38:31.040 --> 00:38:33.020
that she doesn’t
think impeachment

00:38:33.020 --> 00:38:34.980
should move forward
at this time,

00:38:34.980 --> 00:38:37.880
and yet they are going ahead
and moving this forward.

00:38:37.880 --> 00:38:40.960
And I think they’re asking
for other members of Congress

00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:43.750
to join them, beyond those who
already have stepped forward.

00:38:43.750 --> 00:38:46.740
And we, as Americans,
all across the country,

00:38:46.740 --> 00:38:49.600
should push for
an impeachment investigation

00:38:49.600 --> 00:38:51.430
and should urge
our members of Congress

00:38:51.430 --> 00:38:52.580
to take the same
kind of action.

00:38:52.580 --> 00:38:54.270
AMY GOODMAN: So, respond
to Nancy Pelosi.

00:38:54.270 --> 00:38:56.010
I mean, what these
Democrats are saying

00:38:56.010 --> 00:39:00.410
is this is not the way
to retake the House in 2018,

00:39:01.400 --> 00:39:03.580
that if you disagree
with the president,

00:39:03.580 --> 00:39:06.410
the way to deal with that
is through elections.

00:39:06.410 --> 00:39:09.830
Explain why you see
impeachment as key.

00:39:09.830 --> 00:39:11.340
JOHN BONIFAZ: Well, we’re
a nonpartisan organization.

00:39:11.340 --> 00:39:12.900
We’re not involved
in the political strategy

00:39:12.900 --> 00:39:14.570
of any political party.

00:39:14.570 --> 00:39:17.200
What we are focused on
is defending our Constitution.

00:39:17.200 --> 00:39:19.100
At this particular
moment in time,

00:39:19.100 --> 00:39:21.020
it is not acceptable to say

00:39:21.020 --> 00:39:23.650
that we will simply kick
the can down the road

00:39:23.650 --> 00:39:25.880
and wait until after
an election cycle

00:39:25.880 --> 00:39:28.590
to lay the groundwork
for the impeachment proceedings.

00:39:28.590 --> 00:39:29.820
They may not happen tomorrow.

00:39:29.820 --> 00:39:32.030
They may not get
started next month.

00:39:32.030 --> 00:39:34.150
But the fact is, we need
to be laying that groundwork

00:39:34.150 --> 00:39:35.810
and making this call now.

00:39:35.810 --> 00:39:38.870
And members of Congress, whether
they’re Democratic, Republican,

00:39:38.870 --> 00:39:40.280
independent or what have you,

00:39:40.280 --> 00:39:42.720
need to be stepping up
to protect

00:39:42.720 --> 00:39:44.920
and defend the Constitution.
That’s the oath they took,

00:39:44.920 --> 00:39:47.380
in addition to the president
taking that oath,

00:39:47.380 --> 00:39:50.160
to protect, defend
and preserve the Constitution.

00:39:50.160 --> 00:39:52.410
And the other point
on this, Amy,

00:39:52.410 --> 00:39:55.740
is that Nancy Pelosi
has been saying

00:39:55.740 --> 00:39:57.580
that we don’t have
the facts out,

00:39:57.580 --> 00:40:00.200
we don’t have the Mueller
investigation completed.

00:40:00.200 --> 00:40:04.230
But what they’re really saying
is they want other facts out,

00:40:04.230 --> 00:40:05.860
because we already
have the facts out

00:40:05.860 --> 00:40:07.720
about what this president
has done

00:40:07.720 --> 00:40:09.290
with respect to
the emoluments clauses,

00:40:09.290 --> 00:40:11.140
with respect to
obstruction of justice

00:40:11.140 --> 00:40:13.720
and so many other
impeachable offenses.

00:40:13.720 --> 00:40:15.740
And when we look at the
Mueller investigation,

00:40:15.740 --> 00:40:18.050
we’re mixing apples and oranges.

00:40:18.050 --> 00:40:20.580
That’s a criminal investigation,
whether or not the president

00:40:20.580 --> 00:40:22.690
and his associates have
committed violations

00:40:22.690 --> 00:40:24.070
of federal criminal law.

00:40:24.070 --> 00:40:26.930
The question of impeachment
is about abuse of power,

00:40:26.930 --> 00:40:30.020
abuse of public trust,
crimes against the state.

00:40:30.020 --> 00:40:32.960
And it is just wrong
for any member of Congress

00:40:32.960 --> 00:40:36.000
to suggest that a criminal
investigation needs to be

00:40:36.000 --> 00:40:36.860
completed

00:40:36.860 --> 00:40:38.750
before an impeachment
proceeding can begin.

00:40:38.750 --> 00:40:40.960
AMY GOODMAN: One of the people
who has gone

00:40:40.960 --> 00:40:44.970
before the congressional
committees is Roger Stone,

00:40:44.970 --> 00:40:47.330
one of President Trump’s
oldest advisers.

00:40:48.490 --> 00:40:51.250
He issued what appeared
to be a veiled threat,

00:40:51.250 --> 00:40:53.100
warning in August any politician

00:40:53.100 --> 00:40:54.770
who voted to impeach
President Trump

00:40:54.770 --> 00:40:56.870
would face a violent response.

00:40:57.890 --> 00:40:59.710
ROGER STONE: Try to impeach him.
Just try it.

00:40:59.710 --> 00:41:02.910
You will have a spasm
of violence in this country,

00:41:02.910 --> 00:41:04.670
an insurrection like
you’ve never seen.

00:41:04.670 --> 00:41:06.120
REPORTER: You think?
ROGER STONE: No question.

00:41:06.120 --> 00:41:07.050
REPORTER: You think
if he got impeached,

00:41:07.050 --> 00:41:08.380
like the country would go to—

00:41:08.380 --> 00:41:10.240
ROGER STONE: Both sides are
heavily armed, my friend.

00:41:10.240 --> 00:41:13.790
Yes, absolutely.
This is not 1974.

00:41:13.790 --> 00:41:17.150
The people will not stand
for impeachment.

00:41:17.150 --> 00:41:18.710
A politician who votes

00:41:18.710 --> 00:41:21.400
for it would be
endangering their own life.

00:41:21.400 --> 00:41:24.530
There will be violence on both
sides. Let me make this clear:

00:41:24.530 --> 00:41:27.590
I’m not advocating violence,
but I am predicting it.

00:41:27.590 --> 00:41:30.730
AMY GOODMAN: That’s Roger Stone
speaking to TMZ.

00:41:30.730 --> 00:41:32.820
He says there would be
a violent response.

00:41:32.820 --> 00:41:33.680
John Bonifaz?

00:41:33.680 --> 00:41:34.950
JOHN BONIFAZ: It’s an outrageous
statement,

00:41:34.950 --> 00:41:36.530
but it also highlights

00:41:36.530 --> 00:41:38.330
that we cannot allow fear

00:41:38.330 --> 00:41:40.910
to dictate our response
to this lawless president.

00:41:40.910 --> 00:41:44.100
We cannot say that we’re going
to stay on the sidelines here

00:41:44.100 --> 00:41:46.170
while the Constitution
is being shredded,

00:41:46.170 --> 00:41:48.770
because of that kind of claim
that Roger Stone

00:41:48.770 --> 00:41:50.630
or anyone else might make.

00:41:50.630 --> 00:41:53.680
AMY GOODMAN: So, explain
how impeachment would work.

00:41:53.680 --> 00:41:55.490
What would the process
look like?

00:41:55.490 --> 00:41:57.220
JOHN BONIFAZ: So,
the first process involves

00:41:57.220 --> 00:41:59.020
the House Judiciary Committee

00:41:59.020 --> 00:42:00.900
taking up the question.

00:42:00.900 --> 00:42:03.770
The House of Representatives
would need to pass a resolution

00:42:03.770 --> 00:42:06.960
that would advance to
the House Judiciary Committee

00:42:06.960 --> 00:42:09.580
the question of
an impeachment investigation

00:42:09.580 --> 00:42:11.820
or articles of impeachment.

00:42:13.370 --> 00:42:15.370
You know, Congressman
Al Green has said

00:42:15.370 --> 00:42:17.050
that he wants
to go to the floor

00:42:17.050 --> 00:42:19.410
with a privileged
resolution immediately,

00:42:19.410 --> 00:42:21.720
that will force a vote
in the House of Representatives

00:42:21.720 --> 00:42:26.830
as early as in the next few days
in this coming week.

00:42:26.830 --> 00:42:29.210
But, you know,
beyond that process,

00:42:29.210 --> 00:42:31.940
the process of having
the House Judiciary Committee

00:42:31.940 --> 00:42:36.100
take up this question would
then involve subpoena power,

00:42:36.100 --> 00:42:37.800
would then involve
taking witnesses.

00:42:37.800 --> 00:42:40.740
This is what happened during the
Nixon impeachment proceedings.

00:42:40.740 --> 00:42:42.390
I understand when people say,

00:42:42.390 --> 00:42:44.950
"Well, the Republicans control
the House Judiciary Committee.

00:42:44.950 --> 00:42:46.150
They control the House
of Representatives.

00:42:46.150 --> 00:42:47.510
They control the Senate.

00:42:47.510 --> 00:42:50.100
Where do we think this process
could actually go?"

00:42:50.100 --> 00:42:51.900
But, you know, there were
plenty of people

00:42:51.900 --> 00:42:55.460
who argued on the day
that we launched this campaign,

00:42:55.460 --> 00:42:56.770
on Inauguration Day,

00:42:56.770 --> 00:42:58.800
that there was just
no way people

00:42:58.800 --> 00:43:00.890
would be standing up
to demand this,

00:43:00.890 --> 00:43:03.950
and now we see millions
of Americans demanding it.

00:43:03.950 --> 00:43:06.180
Now we see 17 communities
on record,

00:43:06.180 --> 00:43:08.610
and now we see seven members
of Congress on record.

00:43:08.610 --> 00:43:10.550
And the facts continue to build

00:43:10.550 --> 00:43:12.420
that this president
is defying the rule of law.

00:43:12.420 --> 00:43:16.400
We must place country
over party here

00:43:16.400 --> 00:43:18.020
and stand up for
the basic principle

00:43:18.020 --> 00:43:19.350
that no one
is above the law.

00:43:19.350 --> 00:43:21.440
AMY GOODMAN: So,
if you were arguing

00:43:21.440 --> 00:43:24.110
for the impeachment in Congress,

00:43:24.110 --> 00:43:26.980
if you were laying out
the case against Trump

00:43:26.980 --> 00:43:28.610
over this almost a year

00:43:28.610 --> 00:43:31.170
that he’s been in office—not
quite yet—can

00:43:31.170 --> 00:43:33.750
you lay out the articles
of impeachment?

00:43:33.750 --> 00:43:36.150
JOHN BONIFAZ: Yes. We would
start with the violations

00:43:36.150 --> 00:43:39.320
of the two anti-corruption
provisions of the Constitution:

00:43:39.320 --> 00:43:41.000
the Foreign Emoluments Clause

00:43:41.000 --> 00:43:42.410
and the Domestic
Emoluments Clause.

00:43:42.410 --> 00:43:44.680
This president is
treating the Oval Office

00:43:44.680 --> 00:43:47.690
as a profit-making enterprise
at the public expense.

00:43:47.690 --> 00:43:49.630
He’s taking illegal payments

00:43:49.630 --> 00:43:51.190
and benefits from
foreign governments

00:43:51.190 --> 00:43:53.460
in violation of the
Foreign Emoluments Clause,

00:43:53.460 --> 00:43:54.950
and he’s taking illegal payments

00:43:54.950 --> 00:43:57.080
from the state governments
around the country,

00:43:57.080 --> 00:43:59.140
as well as from
the federal government,

00:43:59.140 --> 00:44:01.190
in violation of the
Domestic Emoluments Clause.

00:44:01.190 --> 00:44:03.990
That’s point one, or point
one and two, if you will,

00:44:03.990 --> 00:44:05.670
because they’re two
different clauses.

00:44:05.670 --> 00:44:07.750
Then you have
obstruction of justice.

00:44:07.750 --> 00:44:11.480
This is a president
who first demanded loyalty

00:44:11.480 --> 00:44:14.490
of his former
FBI Director James Comey.

00:44:14.490 --> 00:44:16.340
When he didn’t get that,
he went ahead

00:44:16.340 --> 00:44:19.070
and fired him
for not letting go,

00:44:19.070 --> 00:44:22.010
as he put it,
of the Flynn investigation

00:44:22.010 --> 00:44:24.280
and "this Russia thing,"
as he said.

00:44:24.900 --> 00:44:26.450
That was obstruction of justice.

00:44:26.450 --> 00:44:29.250
That FBI director was involved

00:44:29.250 --> 00:44:31.480
in investigating
the Russian interference

00:44:31.480 --> 00:44:33.740
in the 2016 election
and its potential connection

00:44:33.740 --> 00:44:35.010
to the Trump campaign.

00:44:35.010 --> 00:44:39.170
It led to the appointment of
special counsel Robert Mueller.

00:44:39.170 --> 00:44:43.280
And now we know, based on new
reporting by The New York Times,

00:44:43.280 --> 00:44:46.800
that soon after that,
the president sought to stop

00:44:46.800 --> 00:44:48.920
the congressional
investigations in the Senate

00:44:49.550 --> 00:44:52.770
that were going—that continue
to go on with respect to that.

00:44:52.770 --> 00:44:53.840
So obstruction of justice,

00:44:53.840 --> 00:44:55.860
which was the first
article of impeachment

00:44:55.860 --> 00:44:57.150
against Richard Nixon,

00:44:57.150 --> 00:44:59.390
would certainly be
part of this case.

00:44:59.390 --> 00:45:01.310
Then we have the
potential conspiracy

00:45:01.950 --> 00:45:05.040
with the Russian government,
potential collusion,

00:45:05.040 --> 00:45:07.590
to violate federal
campaign finance laws

00:45:07.590 --> 00:45:11.120
and other federal laws and
to interfere with our elections.

00:45:11.120 --> 00:45:12.940
That evidence
continues to be built.

00:45:13.760 --> 00:45:15.490
But it’s also
an impeachment question,

00:45:15.490 --> 00:45:18.120
and the House Judiciary
Committee should take that up.

00:45:18.120 --> 00:45:21.020
Then we have the abuse
of the pardon power.

00:45:21.020 --> 00:45:25.790
This is a power that is not
unlimited by a president.

00:45:25.790 --> 00:45:28.160
And what the president
has done with the pardon

00:45:28.160 --> 00:45:29.660
of former sheriff,

00:45:29.660 --> 00:45:32.500
Maricopa County
Sheriff Joe Arpaio,

00:45:32.500 --> 00:45:34.600
is he has essentially undermined

00:45:34.600 --> 00:45:37.340
the due process rights
of the thousands of people

00:45:37.340 --> 00:45:41.400
who were impacted by Sheriff
Joe Arpaio’s illegal actions.

00:45:41.400 --> 00:45:43.170
This is the sheriff
who was found

00:45:43.170 --> 00:45:45.660
in criminal contempt of court

00:45:45.660 --> 00:45:51.430
for refusing to stop his illegal
practices of detaining people

00:45:51.430 --> 00:45:52.910
based on the color
of their skin.

00:45:53.470 --> 00:45:56.460
And this president went ahead
and used the pardon power

00:45:56.460 --> 00:45:59.310
in a wrongful way to pardon him.

00:45:59.310 --> 00:46:03.820
Then we have the giving aid
and comfort to neo-Nazis

00:46:03.820 --> 00:46:06.260
and white supremacists,
not just what the president

00:46:06.260 --> 00:46:08.770
said after
the Charlottesville tragedy,

00:46:08.770 --> 00:46:11.020
but also his most recent tweets,

00:46:11.020 --> 00:46:13.750
tweeting out
anti-Muslim—inflammatory

00:46:13.750 --> 00:46:15.800
anti-Muslim videos.

00:46:15.800 --> 00:46:18.350
This president is giving
that aid and comfort

00:46:18.350 --> 00:46:19.600
to white supremacists.

00:46:20.530 --> 00:46:22.960
Then, you know, this president
also has engaged

00:46:22.960 --> 00:46:25.410
in recklessly
threatening nuclear war.

00:46:25.410 --> 00:46:28.530
Now, the fact is that

00:46:28.530 --> 00:46:30.410
the president
is the commander-in-chief.

00:46:30.410 --> 00:46:34.200
He does not have the power
to initiate a war.

00:46:34.200 --> 00:46:36.910
That is established under
the War Powers Clause,

00:46:36.910 --> 00:46:40.110
despite the fact that we’ve seen
violations of it in the past.

00:46:40.110 --> 00:46:42.010
But this takes it
to a whole new scale.

00:46:42.010 --> 00:46:44.480
This is a president
who literally is engaged

00:46:44.480 --> 00:46:46.180
in recklessly threatening

00:46:46.180 --> 00:46:47.690
nuclear war
against a foreign nation.

00:46:47.690 --> 00:46:50.970
That reckless
and wanton disregard

00:46:50.970 --> 00:46:52.520
for the established norms

00:46:52.520 --> 00:46:56.470
and for essentially putting
millions of lives at stake,

00:46:56.470 --> 00:47:00.370
threatening really the world,
is an impeachable offense.

00:47:00.370 --> 00:47:03.010
And then, finally,
most recently,

00:47:03.010 --> 00:47:04.920
this president has talked about

00:47:04.920 --> 00:47:07.260
how he would like to see
the Justice Department

00:47:07.260 --> 00:47:09.090
prosecute Hillary Clinton

00:47:09.090 --> 00:47:10.980
and other political adversaries.

00:47:10.980 --> 00:47:14.770
This misuse of the Justice
Department, or attempted misuse,

00:47:14.770 --> 00:47:16.420
to prosecute
political adversaries

00:47:16.950 --> 00:47:19.930
would be another impeachable
offense worthy of investigation.

00:47:19.930 --> 00:47:22.340
AMY GOODMAN: Constitutional
attorney John Bonifaz,

00:47:22.340 --> 00:47:24.900
co-founder and director
of Free Speech for People.

00:47:24.900 --> 00:47:28.660
For Part 1 of our conversation,
go to democracynow.org.

00:47:28.660 --> 00:47:31.750
When we come back, 27
psychiatrists and mental health

00:47:31.750 --> 00:47:33.790
experts assess a president.

00:47:33.790 --> 00:47:35.790
Stay with us.

00:48:36.250 --> 00:48:37.820
AMY GOODMAN: Last month,
Pentagon leaders told

00:48:37.820 --> 00:48:38.560
a Senate panel

00:48:38.560 --> 00:48:41.610
they would ignore any unlawful
order by President Donald Trump

00:48:41.610 --> 00:48:42.990
to launch a nuclear strike.

00:48:42.990 --> 00:48:46.000
The testimony came as part of
the first congressional hearings

00:48:46.000 --> 00:48:48.220
in more than 40 years
on the president’s authority

00:48:48.220 --> 00:48:49.810
to start a nuclear war.

00:48:49.810 --> 00:48:52.570
This is Connecticut Democratic
Senator Chris Murphy.

00:48:53.280 --> 00:48:56.330
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY: We
are concerned that the president

00:48:56.330 --> 00:48:58.430
of the United States

00:48:58.430 --> 00:49:01.870
is so unstable,
is so volatile,

00:49:02.720 --> 00:49:06.060
has a decision-making process
that is so quixotic,

00:49:06.060 --> 00:49:08.430
that he might order
a nuclear weapon strike

00:49:09.050 --> 00:49:10.650
that is wildly out of step

00:49:10.650 --> 00:49:13.140
with U.S. national
security interests.

00:49:13.140 --> 00:49:14.890
AMY GOODMAN: We turn
right now to a doctor

00:49:14.890 --> 00:49:17.930
who’s led a discussion
of mental health professionals

00:49:17.930 --> 00:49:19.330
who are deeply concerned about

00:49:19.330 --> 00:49:21.530
President Trump’s
psychological stability.

00:49:22.150 --> 00:49:24.950
Dr. Bandy Lee is
a forensic psychiatrist

00:49:24.950 --> 00:49:27.170
on the faculty of
Yale School of Medicine,

00:49:27.170 --> 00:49:29.920
an internationally recognized
expert on violence.

00:49:29.920 --> 00:49:32.690
She organized the "Duty to
Warn" conference at Yale

00:49:32.690 --> 00:49:35.170
and edited the book The
Dangerous Case of Donald Trump:

00:49:35.170 --> 00:49:37.430
27 Psychiatrists and
Mental Health Experts

00:49:37.430 --> 00:49:38.830
Assess a President.

00:49:38.830 --> 00:49:40.390
The book became a best-seller

00:49:40.390 --> 00:49:42.160
the instant it was
published in October,

00:49:42.160 --> 00:49:44.500
sold out, resupplied,
sold out again.

00:49:45.030 --> 00:49:47.450
We’re bringing you Part 2
of our conversation today

00:49:47.450 --> 00:49:50.860
with Dr. Lee,
when I asked about the concerns

00:49:50.860 --> 00:49:53.750
that she and these
other experts have identified.

00:49:54.590 --> 00:49:57.030
DR. BANDY LEE: Well,
it’s actually historically

00:49:57.030 --> 00:49:58.090
unprecedented

00:49:58.090 --> 00:50:00.220
that so many mental
health professionals

00:50:00.220 --> 00:50:02.650
have come forth
with their concerns,

00:50:04.600 --> 00:50:07.020
under any president,
of any party.

00:50:07.020 --> 00:50:09.320
So it really is
the first time

00:50:09.320 --> 00:50:11.860
that this many mental
health professionals

00:50:11.860 --> 00:50:13.930
are coming together
in a coalition.

00:50:14.880 --> 00:50:18.880
We even have a website now,
DangerousCase.org,

00:50:18.880 --> 00:50:23.850
where the public and lawmakers
can discourse with us.

00:50:24.500 --> 00:50:26.790
There are thousands
of us at this point.

00:50:27.840 --> 00:50:31.350
AMY GOODMAN: So talk about—lay
out what your concerns

00:50:31.350 --> 00:50:32.900
are as a psychiatrist.

00:50:32.900 --> 00:50:36.290
DR. BANDY LEE: So, our concerns
are that someone

00:50:36.290 --> 00:50:39.140
with this level
of mental instability

00:50:39.140 --> 00:50:43.080
and impairment
has this much power,

00:50:43.080 --> 00:50:45.200
in the office of
the presidency—basically,

00:50:45.200 --> 00:50:49.060
the power to start
a devastating war,

00:50:49.060 --> 00:50:54.500
to launch nuclear missiles,
without any inhibition.

00:50:54.500 --> 00:50:55.840
You saw from the hearings

00:50:55.840 --> 00:50:59.310
that there is very little
inhibition in place right now.

00:50:59.310 --> 00:51:02.990
Within five minutes of the
commander-in-chief’s orders,

00:51:03.580 --> 00:51:06.350
nuclear missiles could be
launched without question.

00:51:07.040 --> 00:51:07.440
And—

00:51:07.440 --> 00:51:09.660
AMY GOODMAN: And how does that
relate to his mental fitness?

00:51:10.250 --> 00:51:12.810
DR. BANDY LEE: And, of course,
his decision-making capacity,

00:51:13.620 --> 00:51:15.820
having such levels
of impulsivity,

00:51:16.330 --> 00:51:18.520
having a loose grip on reality

00:51:18.520 --> 00:51:23.740
and being so fragile
in his ability

00:51:23.740 --> 00:51:26.260
to cope with ordinary stresses,

00:51:26.260 --> 00:51:31.730
such as basic criticisms
or unflattering news,

00:51:32.650 --> 00:51:35.330
will tend to unravel,

00:51:35.330 --> 00:51:37.910
especially in times
of heightened stress,

00:51:37.910 --> 00:51:41.100
such as under the special
counsel’s investigations.

00:51:41.980 --> 00:51:43.850
AMY GOODMAN: Just last week,
Tony Schwartz,

00:51:43.850 --> 00:51:46.460
author of—well, co-author
of Trump’s book,

00:51:46.460 --> 00:51:49.830
The Art of the Deal,
told MSNBC’s Ari Melber

00:51:49.830 --> 00:51:51.700
that the president’s
inner circle

00:51:51.700 --> 00:51:53.860
is worried about
his mental state.

00:51:54.980 --> 00:51:57.090
TONY SCHWARTZ: I know
that two different

00:51:57.090 --> 00:51:58.330
people from the White House,

00:51:58.330 --> 00:52:00.110
or at least saying they were
from the White House,

00:52:00.110 --> 00:52:02.270
and that turned out to be
a White House number,

00:52:02.270 --> 00:52:06.810
have called somebody I know in
the last several weeks to say,

00:52:06.810 --> 00:52:09.190
"We are deeply concerned
about his mental health."

00:52:09.850 --> 00:52:10.790
That’s—
ARI MELBER: Wait a minute.

00:52:10.790 --> 00:52:14.160
You’re saying you have
knowledge of people

00:52:14.160 --> 00:52:17.220
calling from a White House
line raising that question.

00:52:17.220 --> 00:52:18.740
Why would they do that?
How do you know that?

00:52:19.500 --> 00:52:20.930
TONY SCHWARTZ: I know that
because I know

00:52:20.930 --> 00:52:22.630
the person that they called.

00:52:22.630 --> 00:52:25.100
And this is a person
who I absolutely trust,

00:52:25.100 --> 00:52:26.540
who has great integrity.

00:52:26.540 --> 00:52:28.710
AMY GOODMAN: So, that was
Tony Schwartz,

00:52:28.710 --> 00:52:30.460
who I think ghostwrote the book

00:52:30.460 --> 00:52:34.530
The Art of the Deal, very close
to Trump for a period of time.

00:52:34.530 --> 00:52:36.180
What are your thoughts
about what he said?

00:52:36.710 --> 00:52:39.140
DR. BANDY LEE: Well, as you know
, he has a chapter in the book,

00:52:39.140 --> 00:52:42.460
even though he’s not counted
among the 27 experts.

00:52:43.050 --> 00:52:44.510
We do have three others

00:52:44.510 --> 00:52:45.850
who have been included

00:52:45.850 --> 00:52:47.740
for their special insight,

00:52:47.740 --> 00:52:51.050
their special experience
with Mr. Trump.

00:52:51.050 --> 00:52:53.850
And we included him

00:52:53.850 --> 00:52:58.050
because he has special
insight into these matters.

00:52:58.050 --> 00:53:00.510
And I would agree
with his assessment.

00:53:01.120 --> 00:53:05.530
We speak often.
We share our observations.

00:53:05.530 --> 00:53:08.680
And we’re both deeply concerned.

00:53:08.680 --> 00:53:10.600
AMY GOODMAN: The chapter
that Tony Schwartz

00:53:10.600 --> 00:53:12.090
wrote in your book,

00:53:12.090 --> 00:53:15.150
"I wrote The Art of the Deal
with Donald Trump.

00:53:15.150 --> 00:53:18.770
His self-sabotage
is rooted in his past."

00:53:18.770 --> 00:53:20.290
Explain his point here.

00:53:22.530 --> 00:53:25.040
DR. BANDY LEE: Well, there’s
actually a lot that’s outlined.

00:53:25.040 --> 00:53:27.860
It’s a reprint of an article
that he wrote,

00:53:27.860 --> 00:53:29.190
I believe for The New Yorker.

00:53:30.450 --> 00:53:34.650
He outlines very much
his interactions

00:53:34.650 --> 00:53:37.210
and experiences
with the president.

00:53:37.210 --> 00:53:42.760
And he describes,
most markedly, this emptiness,

00:53:42.760 --> 00:53:45.750
this—what he calls
a black hole level

00:53:45.750 --> 00:53:50.590
of self-esteem or self-worth
that is missing,

00:53:51.570 --> 00:53:55.950
whereby he can have all
the admiration of the world,

00:53:55.950 --> 00:53:57.280
all of the successes,

00:53:57.280 --> 00:54:00.880
and he will—his thirst
will never be quenched,

00:54:00.880 --> 00:54:03.110
because of that intense need.

00:54:03.110 --> 00:54:05.950
And that is what we’re
seeing, over and over.

00:54:05.950 --> 00:54:12.180
And what is most concerning
for us is that his way of coping

00:54:12.180 --> 00:54:15.430
with this critical sense
of need at every moment,

00:54:16.030 --> 00:54:19.550
so much, to the point where
he cannot think of the past

00:54:19.550 --> 00:54:21.950
or the future or consequences,

00:54:23.190 --> 00:54:27.730
his main urgency is to quench
the need at the moment.

00:54:27.730 --> 00:54:33.210
And the way he does this
is by burnishing his power,

00:54:33.210 --> 00:54:37.560
by going to belligerent language

00:54:37.560 --> 00:54:41.430
or affirming conflicts

00:54:41.430 --> 00:54:46.090
and others’ sense of the world

00:54:46.090 --> 00:54:48.570
as a threatening place
where you have to be violent.

00:54:49.580 --> 00:54:51.430
AMY GOODMAN: This is Republican
Senator Lindsey Graham

00:54:51.430 --> 00:54:53.080
of South Carolina
speaking about,

00:54:53.080 --> 00:54:55.220
well, then-candidate
Donald Trump.

00:54:55.220 --> 00:54:57.090
This was back in 2016.

00:54:57.920 --> 00:54:59.310
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM: I’m not
going to try to get

00:54:59.310 --> 00:55:01.300
into the mind of Donald Trump,

00:55:01.300 --> 00:55:03.620
because I don’t think there’s
a whole lot of space there.

00:55:04.520 --> 00:55:07.350
I think he’s a kook.
I think he’s crazy.

00:55:07.350 --> 00:55:09.350
I think he’s unfit for office.

00:55:09.350 --> 00:55:12.900
AMY GOODMAN: So that was
Graham in 2016.

00:55:12.900 --> 00:55:15.430
But Senator Graham sounded
different last month,

00:55:15.430 --> 00:55:17.100
when he spoke to CNN.

00:55:18.100 --> 00:55:19.470
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM: You know,
what concerns me about

00:55:19.470 --> 00:55:20.480
the American press

00:55:20.480 --> 00:55:21.950
is this endless,

00:55:21.950 --> 00:55:26.190
endless attempt to label
the guy as some kind of kook,

00:55:27.040 --> 00:55:28.340
not fit to be president.

00:55:29.090 --> 00:55:31.610
AMY GOODMAN: So, that is
Senator Graham now.

00:55:32.620 --> 00:55:33.980
What about what he’s saying?

00:55:35.260 --> 00:55:39.010
DR. BANDY LEE: I think
the laypersons,

00:55:39.770 --> 00:55:41.260
the public or lawmakers,

00:55:42.030 --> 00:55:44.990
would be prone
to underestimating the dangers

00:55:44.990 --> 00:55:46.840
of this president,

00:55:46.840 --> 00:55:52.020
because most people are used
to seeing individuals

00:55:52.020 --> 00:55:53.720
who are healthy.

00:55:53.720 --> 00:55:57.430
It’s only professionals
who see those who are impaired,

00:55:57.430 --> 00:55:58.940
day in and day out.

00:55:58.940 --> 00:56:02.740
And so, the natural tendency
will be to interpret

00:56:02.740 --> 00:56:07.060
what they’re seeing
in terms of a normal range,

00:56:07.060 --> 00:56:09.650
a normal variation
of human choices,

00:56:09.650 --> 00:56:11.300
decision making and behavior.

00:56:12.190 --> 00:56:15.240
What we are—what
we feel pressed to do

00:56:15.240 --> 00:56:18.700
is to warn about the situation

00:56:18.700 --> 00:56:23.280
where someone is not acting
within normal range,

00:56:23.280 --> 00:56:29.780
where one is normalizing
what is in fact a malignancy

00:56:32.590 --> 00:56:34.300
in one’s interpretation
of reality.

00:56:34.300 --> 00:56:37.010
AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Bandy Lee
is a forensic psychiatrist

00:56:37.010 --> 00:56:39.010
on the faculty
of Yale School of Medicine,

00:56:39.010 --> 00:56:41.440
internationally recognized
expert on violence.

00:56:41.440 --> 00:56:44.230
She organized the "Duty to
Warn" conference at Yale

00:56:44.230 --> 00:56:47.860
and edited the book The
Dangerous Case of Donald Trump:

00:56:47.860 --> 00:56:51.470
27 Psychiatrists and
Mental Health Experts

00:56:51.470 --> 00:56:53.080
Assess a President.

00:56:53.080 --> 00:56:54.440
The book became a best-seller

00:56:54.440 --> 00:56:56.060
the instant it was
published in October.

00:56:56.060 --> 00:56:58.410
It sold out, resupplied,
sold out again.

00:56:59.280 --> 00:57:00.950
To see the whole interview
[Part 1, Part 2]

00:57:00.950 --> 00:57:04.870
with Dr. Bandy Lee,
you can go to democracynow.org.

00:57:05.690 --> 00:57:09.860
Also, earlier this week, we
played interviews with two women

00:57:09.860 --> 00:57:13.830
who have accused Donald Trump
of sexual misconduct,

00:57:13.830 --> 00:57:16.360
Jessica Leeds
and Samantha Holvey,

00:57:17.120 --> 00:57:19.290
who were part of
a news conference

00:57:19.290 --> 00:57:22.540
this week in New York
calling on Congress

00:57:22.540 --> 00:57:26.420
to investigate the president
of the United States.

00:57:26.420 --> 00:57:30.180
You can see those interviews
at democracynow.org.

00:57:30.180 --> 00:57:33.970
And that does it for our show.
Happy birthday tomorrow to Renée

00:57:37.410 --> 00:57:38.000
Feltz!