Transcripts For CSPAN2 Donna Brazile Hacks 20180128

He then went on to become a report at wplg, and now you know him for his remarkable sunday Morning Program called this week in south florida, which is on at 11 30 sundays and his name is michael putney. Please give him a big, big welcome. [applause] good evening. Thanks to mitchell, thanks to so many others have made the book k fair one of our Great Community events. Ive been coming here for what, 30 years, and its my privilege tonight to briefly introduce to outstanding, smart, tough, politically sophisticated and acerbic women who are going to yes. [applause] who have so much to say about our current political scene and what is to come. Let me begin by saying ana navarro, ive known her for my years. She is just about as acerbic as they come, smarter, whip smart, faster than a speeding bullet with a retort, a come back, a put down. Certainly saw that when the access Hollywood Tape came out. Ana like to quote it verbatim. [laughing] i dont know people at cnn and abc loved it, but i loved it. She was born in nicaragua, cae to the u. S. At the age of eight, has liquor since then. In other words, she is a miami and. [applause] yes. Our great diversity. And she is a registered republican of the Jeb Bush John mccain variety i think. [applause] needless to say, Donna Brazile is a democrat. She was born in new orleans, raised there, went to school in louisiana. We got to know her in 2000 when she ran Outdoors Campaign which of course ended in our state how gore as so many things do, begin as well. [laughing] she was the Democratic National committee in a realm chair from july 2016 to february of 2017, succeeding Debbie Wasserman schultz. I think they probably will Say Something about why she succeeded debbie. And if you want to see more, i interviewed don a few minutes ago, we will run the interview on sunday morning. I loved it, before the 2008 Democratic National convention, donna told Stephen Colbert quote, look, im a woman so i like hillary. Im black i like obama. And also am grumpy so i like mccain. [laughing] i dont think shes in a grumpy mood. Shes in a great mood, aside from one hour to occur to get her from her hotel. So please welcome to outstanding women, Donna Brazile and ana navarro. [applause] and given court circumstances i think you should go on the right. Did you all know she has african descent . Shes descendent of a slave . I have known for a long time that she was a sister. This is my sister from another mother. [laughing] hello. Im in your home. Hello, girl welcome. The end but all right. First of all, do you know this little book fair begin puzzle book fair 34 years ago. I am so proud of this book fair. [applause] im from miami so we like superlatives. I think its the best damn literary event in the world. I agree with you. I agree. You know, the heat is playing tonight, right . But this is another kind of feet were going to set off. Were going to set off a heat wave. In this book you talk a lot about storms. Since you set foot in this town it hasnt stopped raining. Be careful, and next will be i dont know what is going to take. Maybe well get down to zelda or so we for someone to lead Climate Change in the white house. We worry about that in miami because were going to drown. We are the first ones to go. On from new orleans and we have four seasons, shrimp, crawdad [laughing] lasting of what is now the storm. I bent a little frazzled. They put up a termite cant in my house this morning, so i thought that it was very fitting that after dinner with the bugs in florida we could talk about the bugs in washington. Amen, amen. A lot of bugging going on. You need to get a little boric acid. I need to come over and do a little i have no idea what you just said. Cleaning is not my forte. I just finished reading the book. Took you for ever to finally mail it to me. You didnt even sign it. The book made me a little sad. The book made me a little sad because i live a lot of it. As your friend, as as a sister, azucena and colleague, as a political activist, as an american. The threat on democracy at the 2016 election has met, i think its something that when i read about in pages pages it just makes me so sad. Because you go through a Chronological Order but it also may be mad because i lived through this with you, a lot of it, the murder. You were with me. The death of your dog who you adored. Love my booty white. The loss of your job at cnn, which was a family for you. The loss of the election. The loss of friends. And so i think this election has been hard for you, and i heard a lot of pain and a lot of grief in your voice in this book. So how are you doing . How are you doing now . Do you want me to dance . Stop. Last time you danced you lost an election. [laughing] thats true. I did dance across the stage, because i thought i had it. I thought i could do the job. I thought i was ready to do the job. I didnt want the job. I got the job because the party was hacked. As result of the hacking and the release of the, the selective release of certain emails, i took the job when debbie stepped aside. I stepped back up. How am i feeling now . Im still disappointed that people are not outraged by the fact that we have a Foreign Government interfering in our election. I live in real time. A year ago people call the quoteunquote crazy. They called me crazy again. I think youve gone crazy but go ahead. Next time since you are my friend, next time i take a job that doesnt pay money, call me crazy. [laughing] i told you not to take it. You did. I told you you were a masochist. You did. I i told you it would be thankless. And when i took this job i had no idea the extent of the hacking. I knew that a few emails had been leaked. I knew that several donors have been compromised. I knew that many of our staff people were under attack and harassed that i i know i did tt would impact not just my life personally but our country. And so there was a moment when i would call you, like i need republicans, we cannot do this alone. Because our country was being attacked by a hostile Foreign Government. Its like somebody comes in and of major house, they get in your house and they say that they committed the window or through the door . But unlike watergate when the action came to the door, this was a 21st century crime, cybercrime. And no one at the dnc because of the layers we had at the dnc, no one told the person at the top the things are not happening the right way. So by the time i became chair it was already a mark. After i received my present one to go to the pentagon. They need yellow tape around it. We had suspicious packages. A few months before somebody said that was a snake. Then i started getting all those crazy quoteunquote threats. How am i doing now . I want the American People to be outraged because we should never let this happen again. [applause] no one should interfere in our elections. So john podesta is, what is it called, risotto . We know his recipe. You know that i you didnt see the ones they give to vernier urls because wikileaks didnt see if you saw those. They wanted you to see the hillary wants, then darted have to be that she was, what, what donald trump was seen every night. I saw every night. By the way, we are on the enemies list. Does he like you . No, but he likes you and it worries me. Thats not love. He is now calling you donna b. What does that mean . I dont know what he stands for. [laughing] i can assure you there is nothing going on. I dont know, do. Baby, hes not my type. And you are not is. But if i did can be in miss usa i would come up with the first place. For the woman who did not wear the bikini. You got out ahead of schedule of me but go ahead. You talk about sending the email. Is incredible how much 2060 of the democratic side in particular was all about emails, the email server, you know, the email with the questions. The email in huma abedin can you believe this . Might have been decided by a sex scandal not involving bill clinton . Anyway, it was all about emails. Emails, emails come emails. You just talked about the emails you sent to the hillary campaign. Lets clear this up. I was confused by the book. Ive been confused by some of your answers. Did you send emails with Big Questions to Hillary Clinton . I give everybody heads up. So you sent some to bernie . Lets go back. The reason why i quit cnn that night was that scene and want to be to put out a statement that i thought was untrue, that i said i dont want you to do that. I also said dont put my life at stake. Because at this point in the campaign i recognized what people were doing with these emails and i said, dont threaten me. Unlike some people i dont have secret service, i just have jesus. Which i told Michelle Obama once, and she looked at me and i said yeah. [laughing] so cnn wanted to say that i sent questions from them. Where you and i would speak i know you didnt take questions from cnn the dozens of possible to get questions from cnn. We know how this works. Cnn, and i suspect other networks, but we know have seen in works, establish something is called the cone of silence, a special room. And none of us are allowed anywhere near it. Look, were not even in the same hotel. The other one, the ritzcarlton. We know because i you got the questions but you did not get them from cnn. First of all, can we talk . Go ahead. If you read the questions, you will know that they never came from cnn. What cnn did get from it was a lot of debate because i was on the precipice of debate. But i was under pressure to expand the member number of debates, town halls and form and is also under pressure from black lives matter and many activist expand the quoteunquote diversity because we were, i love anderson, i love wolf, i love jake and dana but they dont look like me or you, right . Right. And so the pressure i was under as the vice chair of the party, that is a scene and commentator. I was under another precious evening. The pressure was to produce diversity as well as additional questions and topics that had not been addressed. When we expanded the number of debates and town halls and other forums, the bulk of which went to cnn, thank you very much, nobody said thank you. And i i love cnn. I still love cnn. I still want you. But when we expanded and we were about to Start Talking about criminal justice reform, death penalty, this is my favorite one, the flint water crisis, i have been working with Roland Martin working with a bunch of other people, we decided was then go get another quoteunquote stale debate will we talk about emails, we had worked together, and weve come up with a lot of questions. And yes, i give all of the candidates heads up. And also said in the book i used to give republicans heads up when i was on the panel with him and said guess what, heres the topics. Ive always given people heads up. So you say in this since his emails was a mistake, i will forever regret. Absolutely. If you will have your email sooner people i see the ones but not the other ones, but when i went back to look for the other debate questions and all the other stuff ive done, guess what . My files had been wiped clean. I couldnt defend myself. I took all the hip. For me its been difficult and its been painful, as you know. I love you. Youre my sister. I stood up for you and i defended you. At the same time i very much understand the need that cnn has and the duty to have to defend their journalistic integrity and their brand. Particularly in the face of such attacks right of fake news and any and all these attacks. In the question didnt come from cnn. Cnns process was in pierce. They said Donna Brazile to get water from flint, michigan, as a pr statement. Donna brazile, one of the people she to was one of the questions later that night. You dont send don out to talk to people who may be asking questions. So she would teach you to confess everything you committed in your life. So bottom line, cnn process was not pierced. Do you regret having sent the emails, so can we just all be friends . Can i Say Something to you . I really, i have found these exchanges painful. Of all of the things, and i said this in the book, i regretted this because i couldnt come im catholic, ladies and gentlemen,. You know, i also have probably thick skin, and if i do something bad, i will do penance because thats the only way to get back to grace, and i, the first thing i did when i could not find my emails because there were dnc emails hacked install, i called Bernie Sanders and i said i need help. I said, you know what, bernie steffen at independently on television when i was getting beat up. They knew i was up there. The one thing i will always say, i will be fair with you, im still going to try to fight you but on a firefighter. But i am a fair fighter. The Hillary Clinton campaign, john podesta, didnt go out and verify that these were his emails. Hasnt john podesta gone out yet and said that is my result in recipe . No. He is not verified any of the wikileaks stuff. The only person, the only person in america that has verify the emails from wikileaks, that we now know donald trump, jr. Was orchestrated, the only person who has verify that is me. [applause] its okay, im a big girl. I take my hits. Because i give it out. I dish, too. But all i want us to learn from the hacking of 2016 is that we can no longer as a country believe that our elections are secured from cyber attacks. If we learned anything from reading my 260 page book, it is that you can no longer get a thumb drive at a convention and go stick it in your computer. You can no longer go around with your quoteunquote your password in your home address or your last name. If you dont have or password, remember . Right, or one, two, three, four. If my book tells you its that we have to take prudent steps to secure our democracy to ensure that this doesnt happen again. Look, if somebody offers you rubles to place an ad [laughing] and this is what, ana, i call her my sister because during some of the worst days she would call me late at night, are you home . When i didnt get a call from a lot of people, she would call me and say let me take you to lunch. Sometimes when you lose elections, people lose your name. They dont know you anymore until they can call you again when they are running again. They dont worry if your bills are being paid, if youre able to get back up. They move on. They go back to their wonderful lives, and you know who stuck around to make sure all of the kids were okay . Me. Do you know who made sure the kids Start Health Insurance . Me. Do you know who had to keep raising money . Me. And you know who made sure i was being taken care of . This woman, thats why shes my friend. Thats why shes in my book. [applause] and im going to let her sign my book. I think too often nowadays we are defining relationship and friendship, be it in the workplace, families, marriages, friendships, politics. That strikes me as a dumb thing to do. This will pass, folks. This will pass. To lose all real friendship because somebody may have voted for somebody different than you did, you know, im not sure that been you can to find that as a real friendship. So talking about friendships, you know, this book, was this book hard to write . Im looking at page 42. 42. Man, you go after some friends. You said he, obama, had left the dnc in debt. Hillary failed it out so she could control it, and Debbie Wasserman schultz went along with all of this because she liked the power of being chair but not the responsibility. So how are your friendships with the clintons and the obamas these days . [laughing] i dont ask to see anyone but god. But more importantly, and politics i answer to you the voter and you the donor. This is evident about a candidate for a campaign. Its about our democracy and our people. I started at the age of nine because i wanted a playground. While the City Council Candidate promised a playground kept his promise, to me it was all about getting people active, engaged and involved in the political process. When you walk out of the building and you leave it with 23. 5 billion in debt, you ought to be ashamed of yourself if the person who walks behind you into the room find out that people are getting paid 25,000 a month and they dont even come in the offices. I am driving my car with my gas. I am flying to florida and it or else with my nichols, my dimes and theyre getting 25 grand a month. Do you think im going to sit there and say madam chair, do you want to drive . No. I dont even like uber. You know i will never have one of those cars with nobody behind it, hell no. We like to control the wheel. Then the next day, madam chair, you need a consultant . No. Were broke. [laughing] madam chair, and im like a cat that madam chair stuff. Im donna. And no, i want to win but ive got to get the debt down. So what to some of our friends and i said i need you to take 10,000, not taking, not not 25, not 30. I made a lot of enemies. Come on here im reporting to you, the voter, you the Donor Community American People. Theyre all my friends in the looting of the gravy train at the didnt like it that i called it the gravy train. It was a gravy train. Have you heard from hillary, bill . No. Barack . Did they call me before . Michelle . They called me when the party was in trouble. Im the one who cleans up behind everybody. How about the time you throughout your knee . It still hurts, too. Look, i love them all. If i had to do it all over again i would do it because i love them. Why did you write this book . No one wanted to tell the true story. Do you think is going to wait until director mueller of the congressional commit to tell that we were hacked and that they were stealing our data . Do you think is going to wait until the American People woke up and figured that out . No. I lived the hacking of 2016. I experienced have tried to discredit elections and throw out our democracy and hurt our nominees and i wanted to tell it. [applause] can i tell you something . This is my second book. When you lose the Electoral College but you won the popular vote, i go to harvard. So i study a lot. I study. I kept all of my notes. I had my calendar. I had all of the records, everything. I even have a text message where i texted [inaudible] need to know. She called and said you dont need to know. Okay. Three we do, why didnt you know . I did ask. Because i didnt control my money. Had i taken control of the money i wouldve blown up the process. I just kept my mouth shut. Every moment like patsy the slave being whipped. Being told i couldnt spend money. I asked them, and other conservative by the way. I may not look like one but i am very conservative. Im from louisiana. My mother used to tell us when you go to the zoo, dont focus on the species, think about the recipes. [laughing] leave it at that. Dont get into my business. Ipd the animal that tries to eat her shrubs. That are not coming by my house no more. Why are you getting off topic . I have no idea. Where the hell were we . This is why we use to be on cnn and they would try to talk about serious stuff and we were like, this is not serious. We had our own conversation on air life before the American People. When we left we go over to the bar and order something nice. A little wine and we would eat dozens of oysters. People would walk mindset i thought you would be arguing . Life is too important. And really liked is too short to define people by political affiliation. The fight people by values, define people by shared experiences, but accomplishments. The find people by successes and how they get around. Dont define people but politics. We lost the ability in america to embrace diversity of thought. To be with people that think differently, that look carefully, that talk differently that have different accent than we do. That polarization is one of our biggest problems. Don and i think differently on a lot of issues but that doesnt mean you cant have a friendship. That doesnt mean you dont your things in common and that you love america and want to see the best in your country. I was talking about the 8 million. I agree with that. You ended up giving to. 2 million for ten weeks. This is the night i knew i was upset with the world. The night when donald trump on august 19, i still remember this, this is why i had read the book when it fresh. He said what and held yet to lose . I can ever say in chairs office. Its like the Conference Room for people, important people came in. I sat in the side office. When he said what the hell do you have to lose . I started saying obamacare, Climate Change, Voting Rights. Because the money i was raising my son under much control. And this was the best thought. Even when i read a press release, as a syndicated newspaper columnist. And mind you, they looked at me, they used to have to approve my press releases. Ive been a press secretary, communications and a syndicated newspaper columnist some person half my age, you aint got enough salt in your excuse me, but i went along to get along and i kept tabs. The American People need to understand. I wouldve climbed a wall and came right back home. The big beautiful wall that americas going to pay for. So you talk about calling bernie and telling him and going in there and trying to figure out if the doc had been rigged for hillary. You call him out, call of Bernie Sanders and talon im not going to kill the patient. The basic question is what is the dnc primary process to rate for hillary and if so, how. This is somebody who knows the rules. I served as Campaign Manager for al gore, i stepped aside as the cochair. You always want to at least appear to be fair. I stepped aside because i wanted bill bradley to have a fair fight although i was for al gore. Either way, that was the last time i supported somebody in the primary. I dont get involved in president ial primaries anymore. I tend to watch from the sidelines, but i am on the rules committee. As a member of the rules committee, our process was not. What i wanted to do was go in there and determine if the money that was being spent before the primary if any of that money pain in the process and what they found disappointed me and was unacceptable because it is unacceptable for me to do my job as chair. So in exchange for daily missile, she put us on a starvation diet. Which was fine. But i promised bernie that i would get to the bottom of it. Senator sanders and i go back to the Jackson Campaign in 1984. He was on our side. His antiestablishment. I guess im now establishment. I got kicked out the door. Its always good when you get kicked out because you come back in through the window. Thats if i choose to come back in. I might start a dance party in which i might ask one of you to be my partners. We can dance all night long. We can dance better needs are so. Thats what they have ice for. I want bernie and his supporters. Wanted them to be a part of what was going to happen. Hillary won the primary fair and square. She had 4 million more votes than bernie. She did not set the primary bid in florida or alabama or my beloved louisiana. She also had more pledged delegates and more on pledged delegates. And if you read the campaign for the elimination of on pledged delegates. We need to have these debates within the party. We need to have this conversation. If not now, win. Would have a specific reforms to bike to see . The Unity Commission is going to take on the socalled electoral pledge versus then pledged delegates, also going to take a look at the window, once upon a time most of these people are ahead of me because we penalize people going merrily. Too bad for me. I want to make sure you all understand donna. I also think internal labour party is doing a great job in reforming the party. Thats where so many great the areas across the country. Lets start by howard dean was absolutely right. I love you, florida. But there is no reason why from florida all the way across new mexico theres no other state on this side of the line. Virginia gets a few dollars, but again, especially in the south, northern states. Weve missed opportunities over the last 10 years and all of the states in on tuesday, tom perez invested in victory after victory. And by the way, we are now 450 votes short of winning three more seats in virginia. So what is important that we invest ballots come in to with the resources across the country coming to without howard. Howard deans prescription niches all states. Did the dnc get rid of superdelegates . To summon a superdelegate for 50 years, can i just say no comment . I think we have a healthy debate about it. The reason we have a healthy debate, i dont want voters to think that my vote matters more than their vote. As long as you have that perception, then i am somehow of a power, i dont want that. So with that in mind, i can understand that people like me in the future if i were to be a delegate to the convention, i need to run. I dont know as a former chair emeritus, i still may have special status, but i dont know. Dont take away all my love. So theres a point in the book where you say, why wasnt obama talking about the intelligence . Where were the intelligence agencies . This is a national emergency. Thats a point ive heard a lot of republicans made. If this is all happening, why wasnt president of amitabh in about it . My understanding was president obama was to the leadership in congress, republicans and democrats said Mitch Mcconnell said you should not make a big deal out of this. You should not go public. And so, the president decided because he told the president that would tip the scale. I know that leader pelosi was paul ryan and paul ryan ignored us. I know that chairman lujan went to his counterpart at the National Public congressional committee. He was ignored and by october 18th after a brief dhs amateur brings previous imac over for us, which the republican Vice President ial debate in virginia and he looked at me and theres a picture and he looked after me and said i was all in. I said you know this is happening. He always looks this way. This is another revelation in the book. I tried to reach out to sean spicer. Not melissa mccarthy, sean spicer. Throughout the entire time we were being hacked. First, i wanted him to know what was in the hacking. Secondly i wanted him to know that spyware or the now where. The dnc went down we were correct and i wanted to make sure the republican system was protected because we had two Major Political parties and we had databases for the American Voters and i was worried. Every time i went to republicans, you people call me angry. Im a little upset that the republicans ignored it. The reason obama didnt use the bully pulpit to more he thought in schiller Angela Merkel used in germany if he would tip the scale. Also theres one other reason than that is because they Hillary Clinton campaign were convinced they would win. They were so convinced that they would win that i dont even think they pulled in the last three weeks. They said she is going to win and meanwhile putting cold water, not so fast. I mean, who also had no i mean, on the election i mentioned that i walk into the room and they all talking about what positions will have an administration. Theyre not open because the machines are not working and they looked at me like theres a long line of philadelphia and it went until that night and im like really . I was so angry at this point. I went to the socalled Victory Party in the first person i ran into a stevie wonder. I worked with him on the campaign and so i said stevie, what are you doing here . Who should be on the radio like me. They thought they were going to win. Madam chair, have you seen the exit polls . Remember, florida . I do have a history with you all. I say buy a house here to make it a. Ill tell you right now you miss george w. Bush. I want to talk about something that i know is close to your heart, very significant for you. You and i were given a speech together the day you found out that rich had been running. I remember you crying and crying that day and just how heartbroken you were. Tell us about that. Is tired. He was one of my kids. I have so many children. Ive never given physical birth. Ive given political birds. Seth couldve worked in any department in the dnc. He was so bright, so smart, so ambitious in my department isnt the least glorious. We do voter protection. I created the voter right instituted after the election 2000 often its hard to recruit people to come and work in that department because it is hard work and came with so much enthusiasm and he wanted to help us build out the platform a viable vote, i will vote. Seth has succeeded beyond our imagination in creating this platform for the party. And so when i received a call, he devastated me because he was my child. His parents, jewel in the area are great people. Ive been to their home. I visited their synagogue. Ive spoken as a service to raise money for summer camp program. He was a pitcher. He was an honorable decent human being in washington d. C. It pains me to see gnome and it so many lives out there that i would never grow. They corrected our system. Thats not true. They said that seth was the one who is leaking emails. Seth had no administrative control. He wasnt even on the same floor. I can tell you this on behalf of all of the staff, all of the former colleagues, all of us, we love him. He was our friend. A great, honorable young man and i hope we bring the person nor the individual who murdered him to justice. But he is my child. Anybody know anything about my children know that i will go out there and fight for you. Last weekend, before we had the tremendous but very across the country, there were people criticizing me for the time in my book and i laugh because the weekend before that, no one criticized me from flying from boston to d. C. Where i was canvassing in northern virginia. Nobody criticized me three weeks ago when i was raising money from the dnc and for the virginia democratic party. Dont criticize me for the Voter Registration ive done a nobodys going to criticize me for alabama in a couple weeks ago yet they were upset that i put pen to paper and say that this is what happened based on the views and experience of the former chair. And so, that sunday i said something that i do have regrets. I told them to go to. And i have to tell you all something. No, no. They are my friends and god knows i will fight for them. That was my daddy speaking. That was why now. He would tell you to go to. He would tell you to do something else, too. My mother wouldve said you get more with honey than vinegar. Michelle obama said when they go low, we go hide. Ive been trying to go hide in the last couple of days. High because my motivation of greatness was to make sure that we are never attacked again, that we find out the honest to god truth of what happened in 2016 and that we never faced an election cycle again when the person who is elected is elected with the help that half the Foreign Government. I wish donald trump all the best in the world because hes my president. I know youre not going to agree with that. I pray for donald trump and the way ive been able to get rid of some of the anger is by praying for him. Dr. King reminded us, and dont let no man bring you so low low as to hate him. And i did a lot of therapy. I was diagnosed with ptsd. I am like what the is that. Grinding my teeth, my nerves. I was rattled. And writing allowed me i felt like when i was writing my book i was talking to the next generation. I want to teach them what i know. I want them to be aware of politics and the campaign and if i just impress one kid or one millennial to get involved or do what it Donna Brazile has done since the age of nine, then i would succeed. And if i upset my friends and they dont invite me for thanksgiving meals or whatever, dont get anything for christmas, my birth day, something else, im going to pray for them. Im going to pray for them the same way when i came to florida for days after the election. And mary matlin was with me. Shes my other republican friend. Ive got about five. And theyre all good friends. These are friends for life. Mary and i worked together. Mary looked at me and she said how are you doing . I said im in the bible in studying harriet of men. I want my faith to be restored on a red Harriet Taubman for courage and i thank god that my faith has been restored and my courage, let me just tell you, i am a daddys girl after all. [applause] that is one of the reasons i dont get into a fight with donna. This woman has gone underside. I remember when we went to see the pope together, when he came to the united states. Im trying to bring a center to see the pope because i am a sinner, too. To sending women. We went to get something to drink at 5 00 in the morning we were eating and she had a bag like the one mary poppins had in the movie. It was full of medals and stamps and rosaries. I thought i day i said im never messing with that one in. I wanted them to be blessed. We are going to take some questions from the audience. We are going to take a couple of live questions. One is sexual harassment. The watershed moment we are living. How has it changed . Youve been in politics. Youve been working in a male dominated field for 40 years. How has it changed and why has it changed . First of all, i wish he wouldve candlelight 40 years ago. You know what it was like to get in a room with a bunch of guys. The conversations youve had to endure were then ill never forget there was one guy, wont mention his name, but boy i used to threaten him. I said if you touch one more child, im going to work few. I took this Boy Downstairs from the Campaign Office and pushed him like that. I used to be strong when i was younger. I said if i hear from one more staffer that you are touching her inappropriately, im going to throw you off the bus, the campaign bus. Ive had to protect so many young staffers. Ive had my moments, too. But everybody knew, dont touch nothing because i never believed in the casting couch. I used to tell young girls, and you dont have to get on the couch. I was on the metaphor. You dont have to sleep with nobody to get pulled to the top. Ill pull you. So, im glad this change. Im glad were talking about it. Me too. But we need zero tolerance, ladies and gentlemen. [applause] and you and i both know, that is why when i was chair i made it clear to my staff, i said i am your friend. We know play favoritism when donna is in charge. Anybody who wants to work hard and fight to the last day, you are welcome to sit at the table and you dont get promoted because of who you know and what you know. You get promoted is that what you do. What you do out there to lift people up and get people involved. Im glad were having this conversation. What worries me is the president had an opportunity and he decided not to talk. He should talk. He has daughter and granddaughters. But hes afraid and im disappointed in him in alabama he could make a difference. It would be incredibly shameful for the Republican Party if they were able to get in there. Weve got to have her one minute. Girl, he was banned from the mall. Batman sighting a girl creepy, creepy. Is the da, District Attorney andy when he came around i believe the women. Hashtag. I believe the women. And it should not be political. No. When we talk about Harvey Weinstein, when we talk about way more. Or kevin spacey. By the way, thats a problem. Ive been on house of cards twice. You know, this is why an essay. She will always let me know. Do you know what company youre right. We need to have a zero tolerance with people, citizens. This is serious. This is about power and we need to educate our young boys, young girls as a country and society we need to know that Sexual Assault is unacceptable, zero tolerance. I teach this at georgetown and i preach at harvard. I went in the bathroom stall and i pope what you shouldnt know. I still cause trouble. Good travel. It is disappointing that people who are so quick to believe the women in the Harvey Weinstein case are now quoting the bible is not believing the women in the way more case. This is not a republican versus democrat. This is not reality. This is decency here this is a sick right and wrong. I read the bible from genesis to revelation and ive been quoted. My mama put me out of my misery. She said youre a girl. I said what does that mean . I go to church as they bless me father for i have sand. What about you. I am catholic. Im just waiting. Im staying catholic because Everything Else is just too hard. Mormonism . Giving up caffeine and liquor . No. Who was jesus first miracle . Turn water into wine. The sims two is not there and got the party started. That is why i love the lord. Youve burned some bridges with this book. What is the next chapter for Donna Brazile . Im excited to go back to what i enjoy most. This year especially after the death of my job, i dont know about you all, but at animals growing up chickadee chickadee then drop anyway to katrina. Mature earthquake and my little boy, a little boy died and i never cried that hard in my life. I was at this moment of my life where i thought i would be back home with my dog, he died. I started thinking about my life. And 57. I was out of commission for a couple weeks and i said i know what i want to do. I want to go back to teaching. Throughout my entire time. When i became al gore, back and forth i love teaching. Thats why im at harvard and im engaged. Over 205 college campuses. Ive given commencement speeches. Im going back to teaching. Shes filled in for me a couple times. Im going back to what i do best. I am going back to teach. [applause] youve got questions from the audience. [applause] [laughter] can i see them in advance . [laughter] i was going to put them to you in advance. And im an open book. You guys covered so much of what was asked. I think the audience for putting for some good questions. The first one is a young person in the audience who asked the question to both of you. She says how can i with no political experience contribute and get into politics because i admire both of you women for being so powerful and so vocal. So what kind of advice would you give to a young woman who wants to get involved politically . At first i think you need to be informed. You need to be engaged. Theres a thousand ways of doing it. You write letters to the editor. You get on social media. Anybody can get a hashtag going right now. Social media has good things about it. It gives people a platform. Volunteer. What the buzz started envelopes and making phone calls. Volunteer and start learning the process and start growing. Network. Make friends. You know, michael, that is your tagline. Stay informed and get involved. 11 30 a. M. Three words. Answer the call. [applause]. What else is important is knowing who you are and what is important. Knowing your principles and convictions and what you stand for. Then you know who you should support when you can support and you can you can live with supporting. It should be less about labels and more about principles. Amen. [applause] this is for donna. Donna, talk a little bit about your political influences and those you admire the most today. I guess the basis of this question is how did Donna Brazile become Donna Brazile . I got involved after doctor king was assassinated. Im probably one of the luckiest kids alive. I got a chance to meet doctor king and work with her, she inspired me. I got a chance to work with somebody who worked in the Development Administration i got a chance to know Barbara Jordan , worked with jesse jackson. Bella absorbed, i can go on and on but the people who inspire me are the people still out there on the front lines creating change, not just the lawmakers, the people you see on television but the people out in the streets. Reverend williambarber who is trying to reunite the poor people campaign. I am looking for leadership, people who are trying to make a difference so im always inspired those who are willing to make the sacrifice. Thank you. To pick up on what you said before, heres a question. You feel that President Trump has generated a new coalition of people like the two of you sitting up here today, brazil and navarro, Charlie Sykes being interviewed on his show, you see george well on rachel maddow. Etc. , etc. What might this mean politically for the future post President Trump . You know, you can disagreewith me on this. Im very disappointed in donald trump. [laughter] look, i didnt support Ronald Reagan but the day that i saw him sign doctor kings birthday into a National Holiday i said he was open to people who disagreed with him. When i saw George Herbert walker bush time the civil rights act, i said he was open to people who disagreed with him. When i saw George Walker bush signed the renewal of the Voting Rights act, i said he was open to people who disagreed with him. This president is closed. Hes close to listening to people who can make a difference. I thought charlottesville was going to be my last straw. You know how you give a man a second chance, i know you wouldnt know what im talking about and after giving them so many chances to redeem himself and then when he called back, i said thats it. Im done with it. Im done with him. He disrespected john mccain. Disrespected the disabled, called mexicans rapist. I keep waiting for this man to come back and redeem himself. Its you the people, not you the president. I disagree with him. Im done with him. [applause] and ill tell you what ithink donald trump has done. I think the. America woke. America is awake. I think that americans learned a year ago the difference that votingmakes. I think americans have learned in the last few years not to take democracy for granted. And the civilities that come with it. Weve gotten complacent, more comfortable and we absentee vote, we dontshow up, even as easy as it is to vote, most floridians dont. So i think you have seen things this year like the womens march. And by somebody that got no political experience or power, this was a homemaker and a mom and hawaii who went online the day after the election, Election Night and said the day after the inaugural im going to go to washington and march. 1 million women showed up to march with her. We seem people aching action with their wallets. Theres a list of things that you either have to boycott or support depending on what side you are on but i had a great excuse to go shopping at nordstroms forshoes here. Now ive got togo buy a volvo, get a cure , get some ready with. Get stock on eatrade. So people are making a difference with their wallets. They are organizing. We have had protests, people showing up at their precincts. Work on miami, there is nothing more horrible than having to fly into mia and people are showing up there. There is something more horrible than having to show up at mia, laguardia and people were showing up to help and when the muslim band happened at first, they were sitting on the floor and setting up in offices to help these folks coming in. I think you have seen americans say hell no, we are not going to take it. We are going todefend democracy, defend our rights. You see people start running for office. Last week in virginia and all over the country , we saw people being broken. Latinos were elected, to latinos elected in virginia so we are seeing a shift, the man elected mayor in new jersey so people are getting involved in the making a difference. Thats great and this leads me into the next question. How does senator navarro sit . [laughter] wo you want me to run, ive got. [inaudible] thats the next question. Listen, im a democrat. To tell you the truth, i first of all afford it. Look at this, you think i can afford to be best friends with lee schrader on a government salary . I am what you see. I know diane, what you see an extremely positive because we make the sacrifice to do it for the right reasons. You got to be betting people for money all the damn time. You are under the public eye in the entire time, its a huge sacrifice for your family and your loved ones because of the amount of time that you are awake. And you really, theres only so many places that you can afford. Unless your people which i wouldnt do. But there are many ways to serve, elected office is the most visible but there are other ways to serve and to both of you who are interested, i was appointed when i was 19 to the house in baton rouge and of course when i was 45 i was appointed to louisianarecovery after hurricane katrina. And at the age of 53 i was appointed by president obama to the jw fulbright scholarship board so there are many ways to serve. You dont have to disrupt office. You can be appointed to office or work on campaigns but also serve your community in many ways and i dont want her to be elected official cause then she would put pressure on me to join in the senate. That would be great. Heres the dark side of all this. You alluded to it a little bit and youve spoken about this. The question is, what has it meant, what kind of danger have you experienced because youve been so outspoken . That is something i know you have spoken about as well. I disagree with marcel sometimes so i havent been run out of the room screaming. I think whenpeople disagree with you , just say look, i have a fundamental different point of view that they should not resort to the namecalling and threats. Social media is wonderful, its a great tool. You all know that my ex invented it. Or some people claim he did, i take exception to that but the strength that i saw last year, it went beyond the typical namecalling. It was threatening. That, what people talk about, they thought it was a sex crime down in the basement. That was down the street at a pizza shop that had no basement. They say its the only way to make sure youre threatening. Stop, you might disagree with me. You dont have to buy it, you go to the library and read it. I love public libraries. But please, do not threaten me. You have pictures of Hillary Clinton saying yes, just ugly stuff. And you had the ugliness of last year with donald trump. When donald trump which we got my name or collect my name, i didnt want to go anywhere near my house. I used to run around all across staying up with me even more. We are americans. We need to revive ability, especially stability in our public decent discourse. I talk about that on campus. I mean, if you want to see me in 2005 and 2006, seven, eight, in the white house, i mention this in the book. I spent more time with george w. Bush white house than i did in bill clinton. Because im a native of the south. I wanted to rebuild my home state and the gulf and it meant that this democratic activist had to sit down with a republican president who got lost on the way to the presidency, it was my daddy. And i go see that man, go see the president. Ladies and gentlemen, when i go hometomorrow , im going to see not just a new level i Trauma Center that we have but also the new Veterans Administration hospital, thats my daddy said go see the president and george w. Bush listened to me. So im proud to be an american. You know, theres no doubt that there is political will. Tell him im not available. Theres no doubt that there is political bullying going on. George w. Bush talked about in a speech a couple weeks ago where he said that frankly, he didnt name it and he said look, what the president is doing is setting a tone of political bullying using a president ial pulpit and that sets the tone for the rest of the country. I live it every day. I see this animosity and these attacks on legitimate media are really corrosive. I feel bad for a lot of our friends in places like cnn and i dont mean the folks in front of the camera because being known its a certain protection. For the folks in the makeup room, for the folks who are behind the camera who wear the badges, who have to ward off our children atschool and Everybody Knows they work at cnn. Thats the kind of animosity. But i also think it has led to great journalism in the last year. I think weve seen the worst of journalism with fake news and i think we are seeing the best of journalism by people who refuse to cower, who refused to be bullied, who refuse to be scared and who remember whatbeing a journalist means , which means sticking to facts. Searching out the story, revealing the truth no matter what. We are seeing in people like jake kaplan, katie correct, chuck todd. There are great journalists that are emerging in this very difficult critical moments right now. I want to say this is a remarkable evening, one that we will not forget. We are hungry. And theres a great oyster bar down the road. I want to thank the Miami Book Fair for extending this invitation. You gave me an invitation before it was fox news, thank youfor allowing me to be here and thank my good friend , my colleague , my friends, my family, who are all for creating such a wonderful woman. Give them both a big round of applause. Hello. We will be doing a book signing and were going to ask for your cooperation. Books are available outside but if youre going to form a line on that side of the room, that would be great and donna will be here signing books as well. Before coming. Thank you all. Tv has covered several books about the 2016 president ial election. Including those by Hillary Clinton, roger stone, p. J. Orourke and more. Topics that interest you, go to our website, booktv. Org and in the search bar type election 2016 book and you will find a large archive of authors andmaterials. All these programs are available to watch online