Worth. Thank you for joining us for our conversation this evening with pete bloody judge, also known as a mayor pete. A short and examination about the forces both domestic and foreign that are systematically degrading trust in our institutions and in each other. Before we get started, me remind all of you that you can purchase an additional copy of first copy of trust by going to ask. Com and they always offer 10 discount for our viewers and all you need to do is type in the 10 discount is only good at the online store. I want to thank bouncers and partners including vice chairman, david jacobs and his wife, sherry. Additional support provided by michael holmes, janice, diane and don reynolds. You can look at the list of sponsors, it makes a difference. If you would like to support our program, 500 or 1000 level, give me a call or contact the world appears count. I want to recognize and think the Dallas County Democratic Party for being our co presenter. Additional thanks to the Resource Center for the promotional support as well as World Affairs council across the country and especially New Hampshire and new orleans. It is my pleasure to introduce a friend of mayor pizza, ambassadors appointment the u. S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic in 2013 made history when he became the first openly gay ambassador to ever surf the United States and the western hemisphere. Named one of Foreign Policy magazines top 100 global thinkers and im proud to say hes director of World Affairs council here in dallasfort worth. Looking forward to your introduction. Good evening. Good evening, great to be reunited. Its great seeing you again and even though its virtual, it is welcome great to welcome you back to dallas. I will tell you a little more about our guest tonight, i think we heard a lot about him but im going to give you a little more background. Pete was mayor of indiana in south bend in 2012 2020. The 2020 democratic nomination launched him to into the spotlight. Hes a prominent voice in the party calling for generational change of his candidacy saying we need more voices stepping up from a generation that has so much at stake the decisions being made right now. Mayor pete broke barriers is the first openly gay person to launch a president ial campaign. He impressed voters across the country as he spoke at town halls and debates. After having won the caucus and a delicate in New Hampshire, he hasnt stopped there. As a rhodes scholar, received his education at harvard and oxford, both prior to and during as mayor, he served as an Intelligence Officer in the u. S. Navy reserves, with the rank of lieutenant. He is in afghanistan in 2014. In april this year, pete launched a Political Action committee committed to supporting candidates. Living in south bend, theyve been hard at work writing books, advocating on behalf of joe biden for president. His latest book, which we are talking about tonight, just, americas best chance, which we are here to discuss, is about the necessity of trust. Personal, social and political. So much despair in our nation, we need to find our way back. Welcome back to dallas. Ill turn it over to you for this great discussion. I think i gave pete, our producer a heart attack because i said while moderating, you and i will have this conversation so one of the things that struck me, and knowing your history this evening, when you look at the things youve accomplished, you speak eight foreign languages, im so happy you studied arabic, this is my second country and you are a rhodes scholar. You internship with one of our members, worked with john kerrys campaign, did you ever think a career in this . I did. Thank you for a chance to be here, i am seeing names who are joining us who have made me feel so welcomed. I feel the same thing virtually tonight so thank you for hosti hosting. When i was a student, i was much more interested in International Affairs and National Politics than anything else. I think it would not come as a surprise my 20yearold self by the time i was 30, i was fully absorbed in the local but ive come to believe that salvation will come from the local especially when it comes to our most challenging global issues and a lot of that is hardly to the lens of trust that i talked about in the book. So many pathologies that seem to make it difficult for us to get things done in our National Little system in our international institution, there are ways around that at the local level because of relationships formed in a different fashion. Much depends on our ability to take the instincts we hone at the local level, in our most intimate community, find ways to bring out to the National Level so i think about that a lot, theres an alternate universe where i probably would have had a chance to be in a diplomatic career. I admire people who do that. When i was deployed, i was inandout of the embassy sometimes for my work, my commander was a civilian and this is a time for the professionals in the Foreign Service to know that help is on the way after so many people have been through, especially in the last few years were related to be part of representing the United States, not realizing what they would be asked to represent. We will get to that in a few minutes but we had George Friedman speaking about his new book, storm before the calm and he talks in the way that you do, this decade, it is extremely urgent and you wrote these years will generate a vision for democracy or solidify trajectory of the american decline. I wonder, is in every generati generation, talk about the Great Depression or the civil strike we experienced in the 60s, why do you feel this is really different . This is a moment that arises once or twice a century. I came of age in the. People talking about the end of history, whether the 90s would lead to endlessly stable state of affairs and improvement and then history came roaring back. The financial crisis that shaped the experience of my generation in so many ways and now the trump era, covid, george floyd and everything with it. I think it is just one of those moment where forces are converging and timelines not being set by politicians but just by affairs coming to a head. Look at climate, its clear they have to say, over the course of the next decade, who either permanently fail on Climate Change or rally together and do something about it just in the nick of time. When it comes to racial justice, the moments that i think reverend, somebody i pay close attention to has been wise in describing perhaps a third reconstruction, he talks about church reconstruction after the civil war, second reconstruction is how he describes the civil rights. This is perhaps the third moment in American History where there is a chance this could be our last and best chance to decide whether racism and Racial Injustice will finally wreck the American Dream or whether the american product will finally wrestle down and defeat those kinds of forces these things are going to be decided in the years we are living through right now, it will be decided by us, this generation. It makes it an exciting time, a painful one. Some friends have joked for my generation, this experience in the last few years might be the universe punishing us for telling us our parents for coming of age in the 60s. It seems romantic after the fact. During the time, it seems painful that where we are right now but the other side of the coin, it is not fair that they have to have their education disrupted by the season we are in the other side is, they will be guaranteed a consequential generation for better or for worse. One thing i found interesting in your book, you had a persontoperson telling the world, he mentioned your military service and i think its in the first chapter where you talk about perhaps not the most exciting thing but driving a truck over to the air force, that really was an interesting story about how that word came home to you. I was wondering if you could recount that story. When grappling with something as big and complex as social and political trust, i wanted to talk about it in ways that resonate with my own experience, one moment i think about a lot when i think about trust is a moment that happened relatively early in my deployment, on paper i was a Liaison Officer but in the military, you go wherever you are he did. What he needed was somebody who qualified on and for, a second body or driver or guard so that was a big part of my job. This one of the first times i was outside the wire taking someone or picking somebody up at the airport that i passed through what was a typical Early Morning commute traffic jam. Then something happened that wasnt so typical, someone got out of his vehicle and started approaching mine. Ive been trained enough to know when somebody approaches you, especially if they are anywhere near the wheel well of your vehicle, it is a popular place for a magnetically attached its was of device to go. I knew the marine and i might be in danger. I was trying to assess the situation because theres no good option. Getting out of the vehicle is not an option especially in the environment that was going on up there, something he would want to avoid for many reasons so i had a couple seconds whether or not to trust the good intentions of this person or whether to jump out and raise my rifle. I decided in the end to sit tight. I found as he reached toward my we will, his purpose was to remove a piece of his car, it was wedged in mine, classically afghan expand, i hadnt even noticed our cars were pressed up against each other earlier as we were entering into this intersection. Roof reflected on that a lot, first of all, thinking what might have gone wrong in that moment about wondering whether there was anything rational in my decision to trust him or whether i just guessed right. Over time, coming to realize the risk he took trusting me by approaching my vehicle knowing what that might mean when approaching Uniformed Armed servicemen. The other side, that is a dramatic example of the role of trust but we trust people with our lives constantly, we do it thousands of times a day. The normal functioning in Society Depends on us not even noticing most of the time. A good example, any time youre behind the wheel of a car and you go through a green light, your life literally depends on your ability to trust somebody waiting at the red light will follow the rules and the vast majority of the time, they do. If, for a moment, you can believe that, you couldnt really navigate, literally, physically navigate the city and that is just one example of how every movement and transaction and relationship relies in ways we often dont even consciously notice on the role of trust. Thats a good segue to what you talked about in 1958, americans said they could trust the government in washington to do whats rightfully most of the time. In 2019, the number took a nose dive, they were showing a nosedive to 19 . Had we get that back . These numbers are alarming. Its one reason i asked the foundation permission to republish in its entirety, a recent report they did in the book and you see in the graphic its been put up here, and about 50 years, the vast majority of americans trusting to muslim minority. You will notice a spike around 2001 it shooting to 9 11. Unfortunately, that fell away was squandered but it is a reminder some disasters, like the one we are in right now, mass casualty events like the one america is living through, and others can create a moment where trust can be built or established. Some of it we know is a narrative about how vietnam and watergate racked confidence in institutions like the military that we so relied on, especially in that period, relatively fresh of the world war ii experience that was so reassuring about america but the more i looked at it, the more i found the story was incomplete. The decline was already underway and also, it accelerated in many ways afterward so i began looking at some other reasons, one is that sometimes it came under deliberate attack, both from overseas and sometimes domestic, there have been projects, one to analyze in the book maybe russian misinformation operations around vaccines. There was a study in the journal of Public Health that tweet for russian box, 2014 2017 before, during and after the 2016 election. Look at the patterns and how they talk about vaccination. What was interesting is a bond of pushing not only anti vaccine but pro Vaccine Information at the same time. It revealed a strategy that was more about creating doubt and mistrust than about pushing in a particular viewpoint. If you ever wonder whether trust is important, one piece of evidence is how much effort our adversaries have put into undermine, vaccine, Climate Change, many things. Exactly. They cleverly exploited existing fissures around race to build up sources of mistrust that comes from a deep well of very lived experiences. There are also things that happened dramatically, dilution of our immediate environment, literally sign off to say that is the way it is. One thing i found is the more information we were getting as we do now on social media and digital media, there is an idea other this replaces the role of the reporter. You can be on the scene with your cell phone looking for your on your own and in many ways, thats been very important, the world knows about what happened to george floyd, not because of a reporter for individuals who captured it. This also means the role of journalists changed, it has grown in importance because we are bombarded with so much information. We need help sorting through it sorting function, fact checking, i believe it is more important today now that we have access to so much information we are overloaded with it that it might have been before. I also found sometimes both sides, media trying to do the right thing can lead to less trust because even when one side has been discredited, theres a sense of obligation, it has happened with Climate Change as the senses approached 99 . The outlets in 5050. The other thing, maybe this is more controversial but the more i found an ideological product here in the u. S. Had the result of undermining trust. What started out as a philosophical commitment to having government smaller led to a proactive effort to undermine the idea that government could possibly not do any good at all. A good example, many of us remember president reagans famous clip, the most dangerous thing, the most frightening thing in the english language is im from the federal government and i am here to help. But celeste often remarked on is at the time he said that, he been in charge of the federal government for years so those in charge of leading the institution were involved in making it seem less plausible institutions could do good and this became, over time, not just republicans rhetorical strategy, something anybody in politics felt obliged to do, clinton said the era so theres this tendency to run against government even when people in government speaking this. One last thing, the rise of inequality thats led to enormous suspicion of anything that might be called the establishment. The idea is pretty slippery, it is hard to define what it is other than its where you dont want to be if youre running for office. I think this is really fueled by the increased level of inequality that has many sensing the somebody, and it is definitely not them, making out unfairly from all productivity and innovation. Leading to a mistrust that led to populism that could take root on either side of the aisle but its the ultimate expression in donald trump. I want to step away from your book for a minute, i am holding a flyswatter because i watched the debate last night and believe it or not, theres a fly here but i know for mike pence, i wonder if you might give a little flavor [laughter] i could not arrange this any better. Give us a bit of flavor about what its like doing that. What is the atmosphere . The atmosphere was intense. Some people didnt know about the flight because you couldnt make it out from our distance. Two minutes and five seconds. When i got out, everybody was talking about this flight and i thought, what flight . I was privileged to be trusted with that role. Senator harris is phenomenal debater so it wasnt about was so much about her being a great debater, is anticipating the things she knew he would say in serving as mayor in indiana when he was governor, is asked i think because i knew him well and its more about that in doing an impression. After doing a lot of these sessions, i sometimes still find myself being in because our try to offer him saying things i really do believe the broad shouldered leadership of this president has positioned america for four more years of great economic the reviews today are that it leaves both candidates not leading, answering some questions. Packing the Supreme Court, senator harris is a relatively good job of hurting the issue, on the going to have to come up with a better answer . It is a strategic answer. Ive been outspoken on this issue in my view, it remains the same if theres a lot of potential for structural reform, not so much for one side winning but the rehearsed politicized, so we dont have an ideological deathmatch in the senate every time theres a debate. There are a lot of interesting ideas on how to do it but i think the concern is that that kind of becomes a distraction, a real and immediate issue in place. Right now, a matter of days. The Affordable Care act before the Supreme Court in a matter of weeks and that has immediate lifeanddeath consequences for many people who stand to lose their coverage if the law is struck down. I certainly got my attention monday when Justice Alito and Thomas Publishing note alongside rejection of the case between the lines made it pretty here they were interested in overturning the decision that by one vote, makes me a married m man. Ill just say the appointment underway and the decisions about to be made, rightly belongs in the center of this debate even as other concerns could be of interest for years to come. Let me bring in some audience questions. This is from maria watching from Virginia Beach and she is a fellow american, shes correcting me, who knows how to pronounce your name correctly. If you think democrats prepared to handle the potential violence on or post election day, at the very least, especially in light of todays alarming vision, voter intimidation and she goes on but ill ended their. Alarming is the right word. Clearly gone beyond overheating, there is real danger. This is unfortunately being condoned or sometimes geared up by the president of the United States. You know how to use too much imagination, a movement that says you have to wear a mask is an expression to rightwing extremists to harm the governor of the state and this is just one that got caught. The fbi has currently said its one of the greatest things we currently face. As to what happens on election day, transitioning the integrity project, it came out the same day, but the military, people who had responsibility campaigns to say all of these things and they reached the conclusion that there is a high risk of political bonds in the event of a strong trump when, a week from when were a week by the wind. Strong biden when is the only way that it would be less likely to happen. Election day, it wont be the end of the turning of extremism and danger we have in this country. While we could see all kinds of forms that could make a difference, to help deal with these threats, reality is, a lot depends on leadership invoices from both sides of the aisle denouncing this and the restraint of figures like the president of the United States. One vulnerability, a soft vulnerability is just how much depends on the willingness of those who lose elections, to conceive the legitimacy of the elections and it is a matter of grave concern the president has already stated that if he doesnt win by definition, the election wasnt there. We seen ferocious politics but we have not seen that kind of behavior. In the book, one thing you said americans trust, he would leave office. The whole election process could be thought of as an exchange of trust. Leaders trust us to decide whether to hire or fire or replace or reelect, we trust leaders to abide by the results of the elections and we also trust they will become fair. It is interesting on the floor of the senate, part of how we establish those, they have to stay there but in public. As citizens, we become the opposite. We establish the trustworthiness of our food, it is offered in private by the secret ballot but that is a huge amount of trust. The reality is, and 9. 999 of the time, there is nothing wrong or that there is about the counting of the ballots for the process there although, this president and allies could reduce that. What we have seen though, efforts to discourage people from voting and make it harder to register or make it harder for about to be accepted and that voter suppression, which almost always has been on the lines, we had to be vigilant about and have been encouraged by the efforts of groups, democracy docket, a dizzying number of cases pending in cou court, around the country to make sure elections are free and fair and secure, it works on the front. The last thing i want to mention is we do need to do more work to prepare the public the fact that we may not have the results we want on election day and if you followed my Iowa Campaign at all, you know i know how much it feels to want results on the day of the elections and not get them but in this case, with as many people voting by mail as we have in places like pennsylvania, which they are not even allowed to open them until election day and start to count them, if it takes a couple of days in some places, that could be an indication that people are doing their job with integrity. And pretty soon when we get around the meeting that somebody was going in and out that was and enough to substantially going in and so the president said last week he wasnt calling for integrity but would to have the same effect. Everybody who engages in that because what they basically say is my only chance is to suppress the votes so anytime you have to write off the entire constituency and then to engage that are automatically inclined. With those ideological fellow travelers and to get that message out and to share with someone like me has to say. And lindsay especially enjoy the book so can you speak about the role of forgiveness to rebuild trust in your own political career. So trust matters because we are imperfect creatures. And many of the most important and interesting in cases of trust of when it has to be repaired. There are institution always there are efforts to do this. With the admissions people coming up they may not be aware the system of residential and then to go through a process that they can each of those have been criticized as having issues and that is a shared reality whether they are such a model and it might make sense in the us. This plays out much more individual with our readiness to trust someones intention that we rely on one another for forgiveness with a strong robust relationship is not that they have never been through travel and how to negotiate but with people who were in the community with a considerable discussion of how that might be structured or the other ways. With those policies and resources to become segregated with the new deal housing policy was everything for everybody things like the g. I. Bill and that savings compound and to the the dollar for 150 years. That means of the dollar was stolen that the senate would be worse off to the tune of a thousand dollars any black american and dissenting from slaves they had more than a dollar precious wine example of that generational theft. And investments the desegregation of schools i was in the School District that was mostly desegregated by law look at where the boundaries are drawn and then to concentrate the racial diversity into one district these things need attention as well very to be concrete investments like equity from the coronavirus to other conditions is not from different racial groups the code from policy or access to good food or black people are more likely to live in a neighborhood that doesnt have opportunities for Outdoor Recreation and the socalled behavioral and environmental effects comes close to blaming the victim with diabetes hypertension. That doesnt have opportunities for Outdoor Recreation and the socalled behavioral and environmental effects comes close to blaming the victim with diabetes hypertension. We have to be ready to invest in wealth building and a proposal my hand and a competitor talked about making sure everybody can go and benefit from some of those resources that an equity that sounds better over time. Been asked this question so many times should the biden harris ticket when you see a candidate for secretary of state . You said youd be excited to serve in the biden administration. Have drivers would be more inclined to go domestic reform policy . And if that rises to make yourself most useful. The possibilities how america can restore credibility. You are the biggest challenge ease and the immediate challenge the pandemic and depend on cooperation and will be seeking to work on the inside outside of the administration. And to make sure actually is one. You think its okay for President Donald Trump with afghanistan. But did not tell us military generals. Obviously another problematic way and as a general rule if they say i will do this and usually doesnt happen. To have a political solution to bring everybody home to know that afghanistan would be another chain of events harming americans. He hasnt taken any steps to make that more likely. With an important policy decision and to be announced the middle of the he is still a psychoactive steroid medication obviously is not great news for policymaking process and im hoping will get some more clarity on in the days ahead. Perhaps trust in congress is the lowest of my beautiful thing because it is very long but they are been unable to come up with another Coronavirus Relief portal work and help to get things done quick. That is structural and Congress Needs to be more representative and the districts are drawn in such a way that not only benefits a Certain Party but also across the board to incentivize politicalization when we need to look at redistricting reform in some states more than others and other approaches like frank torres voting depending on your state for further along than others. We need to have that representative body and it makes no sense to me that if they pay taxes that have problems like i do but they happen to you in dc we need to make sure we have the benefits that they can expect. The one interesting thing from the trust perspective they seem to have much higher trust and confidence in their members and congress as a poor but its just a bunch of members of congress so what the system is rewarding and if most people knew how they spent most of their time i will tell you exactly how they spend it across the street from the Capitol Building in a small building and the dnc or republican equivalent making phone calls to keep asking for Financial Support that could spend 15 or 20 or more hours per week doing a measure they might be doing if they didnt have to do that which is why we need to be more serious about Campaign Finance form there would also be spending more time with each other so as members begin to form the habit of flying home every weekend and not having their families in washington and there is a virtue to that but theres also a cost in the sense they dont know each other the way it may have been a couple of decades ago when this congress was in session you stand on t tended to stay in washington. Its alarming how much time and attention. Joe is watching from utah so what are your recommendations for every day democrats seeking to build trust so how do you have respectful conversations with people dont respect with the jewish faith people had to make them feel respected when they are literally discrediting who we are back. The your question is that every day democrats republicans are much more there to get along then elected officials one of the things i think is important is to the circles of longing we have in our lives or a civic organization. So that you know somebody is your friend or colleague or teammate first. And with where they are coming from that way. And then getting more and more concentric if somebody has a certain type of education you can almost predict their politics with me and its very dangerous because were supposed to makes up those identities. And with that disastrous effort way governor mike plans to implement a law the discrimination but i found there was an opportunity to help people feel better about themselves in a way that wasnt always easy. There was a temptation that i feel that doesnt believe that it exist in that it is tough to see past that. So the back them into a corner will have nowhere to go. Why its so important for us to be regarded. It is a the way for their self conception. With racial defensiveness. And then to particular notice to speaking to white officers in the Police Department about issues of systemic racism. Many were unable to hear what i was talking about because immediately they shut down they that the mere mention was a character flaw rather than describing what all of us are susceptible to. This was last night and the debate mike plans talked about implicit bias and accused democrats of accusing police. The whole idea is that is not consciously identified and with those that have that effect on us anything that you can do to yourself in a comfortable place to put down those walls or defenses. And in that playlist stick society to be treated equally. I have a feeling music and musicians are a big part of my life and it seems music has the power to bring people together like things in the world. Heres my idea when congress is in session open proceedings once a week everyone is on the same page. And then over the last four years dealing with each other. I cannot believe. Maybe it is a sign of the times. So that human beings have a capacity of no political have the capacity to experience beauty that it is as simple as that to have a perfect we used to do that so you are right with the modes that we are in that could be a healthy thing. So talk about the Electoral College many in the democratic primary talk about with those 700 attempts to do so what gives you any hope. It is that increased level of disparity the world of the American People with the taxation from the wealthy to the passengers and Infrastructure Investment 70 or 80 or 90 percent not congress but in general where different parts of the political system when i was in high school studying the Electoral College that someday very came to be the case of the food one way the Electoral College voted another way that each time that happens and undermines the legitimacy if we dont fix this and then that becomes a blue state may be publicans it shouldnt be a partisan thing that would take effect so my vote should count the same in indiana as texas in dc or california or nebraska it makes no sense that if i ride my bike 6 miles north of my house among people the count differently and this is common sense theres a way to do it but there is a movement right now that if the states come on board to pledge the electoral votes i think colorado is the most recent but if they ratify that would have the same effect just the simple knowledge or her vote counts texas or indiana or california and counsel same as everybody else in the country could do a lot of good with the have legitimacy to our president ial election. You a copy with your . I should. So i will read if i may. Trust is not about perfection and it arises because were led is incredible beings is we can be checking on them all the time trusting one another matters we dont have the tools to verify want people to see her forthcoming this book is. You really political candidate whos giving me hope for the future as one of the young future former republicans you always talked about the above to hear more how you yourself out there tying the country to the future generations. Thank you for getting involved i hope you continue. The biggest aha moment for me i caught myself saying things like why dont they do this or that . Why dont they bring more energy back to this community will change the future so you cant sit around saying why dont they because the question could be why dont i . Why dont i do something about this . That involves running for office but in some other way to be an activist to write to the oped choosing a course of study were a career that moment you realize that you are not somebody else. So your leaders find that you are alone or that they are followers with people would like to follow you think the same way that says why dont we do this cracks if you are leading the band are in the middle of it coming found that sense to be a part of the change instead of throwing up their hands to be mad at it and that takes empowerment in the way that so important how this decade will go. How our conversation began we go to the is consequential times and our lives are more consequential than is usually true. This is a short book but a powerful book i encourage everyone to read it and i hope you will buy a book i bookstore and i hope youll consider supporting the World Affairs council. Have a great evening continued good luck and thank you again i started off with President Trump is not a supporter. Will lead me that he was a populist in the constitution seems designed to stop populist is fairly democratic in a lot of ways with the Electoral College and the presence of the state as well as trump came in as a population to go beyond those and that is to build the wall without congressional up and i urge them to try to use this president ial power or merely for National Security and then to work with congress to get legislation passed so what happened since 2017 that his critics are the ones that have gone too far because trump is so outrageous launching attack after attack on the legitimacy and packing the Supreme Court over six new members to get at 15 and then return us to a world of permanent statutorily protected independent councils that would capitalize. I think that has left trump undeniably with their own selfinterest and that relies on interpretations of the constitution. To become more of a tradition on to under the constitution. Send of tom cole from oklahoma we have asked you this question before what is on your current reading list . I just finished the splendid and if i do want by erik