Politicsnation. Tonights lead, stormy days. Tonight more than half a million homes and businesses in and around houston, texas, are still without power after punishing storms slammed into the region yesterday, leaving at least seven people dead and putting intense strain on the infrastructure and power grid. The Lone Star State is weathering political storms as well tonight. Outrage is growing over Governor Greg Abbotts pardon of a white Army Sergeant found guilty of murder found guilty of murdering a black lives matter demonstrator in 2020. Critics are calling the pardon politically motivated. Well be talking about it all with the democrat challenging ted cruz for the senate, congressman cro little allred. Meantime, the white house is hoping to avoid political tempest tomorrow as the president delivers the Commencement Speech at Historically BlackMorehouse College. Students and faculty have been divided over bidens support of the war and his presence on their campus. Weve got another big politicsnation show tonight. Lets dive in. Joining me now is congressman colin allred, democrat of texas currently running for the u. S. Senate from that state, challenging that incumbent senator, as i said. Congressman, thank you for being with us. First tonight, many parts of texas, including houston, are recovering from severe storms that slammed the region yesterday leaving more than half a million homes and businesses without power and at least seven people dead. You joined us a few months ago as texans mocked the third anniversary of a winter storm that crippled the states power grid for several days, leading to nearly 250 deaths across east and central texas. Forecasters expect an uncommonly active Hurricane Season and another summer of recordsetting heat driven by climate change. And a city like houston is uniquely vulnerable to flooding, particularly in lowincome areas. Is your states leadership prepared for more climatebased disruptions like these, congressman allred . Rev, thanks for having me on. We are experiencing more Severe Weather event, like you said. And houston seems like it keeps being hit by these freak storms. And my prayers, first of all, go out to all the families affected. I think its been seven confirmed dead so far, and im thankful for our first responders. And your question eis the right one about whether or not the state is ready, but i do think its important to note that at the federal level weve been investing in the infrastructure to help protect houston and some of our Critical Infrastructure around the state of texas and that our governor has been, i think, maybe taken those funds but then not acknowledged, you know, the effort that went into getting that actually passed. And so im glad that, you know, looks like theres good folks on the ground working very hard, but weve got to plan for these extreme weather events. That means planning ahead and investing in infrastructure, something ive always been committed to doing. I certainly join in praying for the families of the seven that has been has died in this storm and weather in texas and pray for others, but i want to go to another different subject thats texas related that bothers me. This week your Governor Greg Abbott pardoned daniel perry, a former Army Sergeant convicted of murdering a black lives matter protester in 2020. The victim, 28yearold garrett foster, was legally carrying a rifle at the time of the incident, but according to witnesses never raised his weapon. Perry claimed he was acting in selfdefense. Although unsealed evidence from the trial shows he made racist and threatening posts about protesters prior to the shooting, so whats your reaction to this pardon, especially coming at at time when we are once again seeing Many Americans engage in demonstrations and protests which we all hope will remain peaceful for everyone involved, whats your reaction to the pardon, congressman . Yeah, well you know, rev, you dont have to guess what happened here. There was a grand jury that convened and that issued an indictment. Mr. Perry got a chance to make his case in front of a jury of his peer, and his peers found him guilty of murder. And as you said, that was without some of the information that the General Public knows from some of these Text Messages in which he basically talked about seeking out violence and seeking out, you know, going to one of these protests in order to engage in violence. And so what you see now, i think, is when, you know, the governor steps in and abuses the pardon power like this, it makes all of us less safe. We are a nation of laws. Texas is a place of laws. But when youre able to violate those laws with impunity if the governor or the person in power likes your politics or thinks its in their political interest, then the entire system starts to come apart. And so to me, this is something that i know its not who we are as texans, but when i think folks when they see, this theyre seeing the extremism that has taken over our state. And thats one of the things we have to Rezekt On November 5th when we vote out ted cruz and give someone else a chance to bring us together as texans and not do these stunts that make us look to the outside world like were something that were not. And when you see Something Like this while we have so many of us trying to deal with the bringing together people and dealing with peoples right to protest but also respecting people, i mean, its just blatant. If a black governor if wes moore pardoned somebody in maryland that had shot and killed somebody and had made racist statements and said he was going to do violence, you would never hear the end of it on other right wing cable news. This is outrageous and should not be just something thats considered a oneday story. Let me go to this, we learned this week that the Texas Universities have cut hundreds of jobs, contracts, and training since january to comply with the states Ban On Diversity programs on college campuses. Signed into law by, again, Governor Abbott last summer. Still state republican lawmakers claim that texas colleges are not fully compliant with the law. Last year Congressman Mark and Joaquin Castro responded to the ban with a resolution championing Diversity Initiatives in Higher Education, what more can your states democratic lawmakers do to deal with these Diversity Programs . Yeah, rev, you know, this is just another example of an attack on our Higher Education institutions, an attack on our strengths here in texas. Its a strength for us that were an incredibly diverse state. Were diverse in every single sense of the word, and our Public School systems are excellent. But theyve been under attack for some time by a culture war thats trying to enforce its will on these universities, whether its a statewide abortion ban, making it harder to recruit and retain top talent to come teach in our universities or folks that want to apply or come to our universities or things like this dei ban now thats leading, you know, leading faculty to consider leaving our state and, in fact, that a poll showed i think a number of a very High Percentage of University Of Texas System faculty are considering leaving the state of texas. Then its an attack on our Higher Education. What these folks should be focused on, in my opinion, is trying to low ter cost of education, trying to give folks the ladders of opportunity into these engines of opportunity, like these schools are, but theyre so consumed by these culture wars. This is getting in the way of the progress we need to be making as a state. You know as the president of the National Action network im knee deep fighting those that are trying to stop dei. Lets turn to your own senate race against republican senator ted cruz, who youve outpaced in fundraising in the First Quarter of this year, raising nearly 10 million. And this week your Campaign Launched an early ad Campaign Casting you as the moderate who will stand up to extremists in both parties. Still no democrat has won statewide office in texas in 30 years, whats the plan to make sure that money translates into a victory this time around, congressman . Well, im excited that were up there having a chance to tell my story to texans in english and spanish across the state. I was raised by a single mom in dallas. I made it to baylor, the nfl. I served in congress in a way that brought folks together. What im trying so to say there is that this extrialism thats hijacked our state, and is too often consuming what we do in washington as well, is putting at risk this great story that we have in texas, and thats not who we are. And we dont have to be embarrassed by our senator, we can get a new one. So i think that what weve been seeing already is a great reaction to it but also the texans are ready, i think, to go in a different direction. Theyre ready for fresh ideas, new leadership, to move on from ted cruz. And we need help for every texan out there to get involved but also for folks watching this who want to make sure that 30 million texans have a senator who carings about them. Go to colinallred. Com. I want to get your thoughts about President Bidens Commencement Speech at Morehouse College tomorrow. The president s support for israel without drawing the kind of protests that have royaled colleges nationwide, what are your expectation, congressman . Well, rev, you know im a civil rights lawyer, and i know that everybody has a right to protest. And i know that that right has limits. Those limits, of course, hate speech and other things. And i hope that, you know, folks will give President Biden a chance to talk about what hes been doing and where he wants to go. And i think thats what well see at morehouse, by and large. There could be some protest, and thats just the story of young people on campus. Weve been having that in the United States for a long time. I think we shouldnt overreact to it. But i do think that we should talk about the work that weve been doing to try and make it easier for African American, Young African americans, to access the ladders of opportunity so that then its up to us not to take advantage of it. And thats something ive always been focused on. And i agree. Ive always supported nonviolent speech and protests, led many myself, gone to jail for it. Only thing im confused about, congressman, ill deal with this another night, is donald trump is to the right of biden, and theres been no demonstrations at his rally. I really dont understand how we only have a partisan concern for the palestinians. Were not pressing the republicans. Maybe maybe im missing something. Thank you, congressman colin allred of texas. Now to the dramatic Hush Money Trial of former president donald trump. Joining me now is msnbc legal analyst catherine christian. She is a former assistant District Attorney at the manhattan d. A. s office. Lets start with this, after much anticipation, trumps former fixer, his former attorney Michael Cohen, took the stand this week and helped prosecutors further corroborate their case. How do you think cohens testimony helped the prosecutions case . If the goal of the Defense Attorneys were to destroy him, he hasnt been destroyed. He the jury already knew, because the prosecutors told them in jury selection, told them throughout their witnesses that this was a floored person, this was a person who has lied in the past and just for the fact that he worked for donald trump would make him a flawed person anyway. So they were prepared for that. The only inroads that maybe the defense made was the last day that they were mr. Cohen was on Cross Examination when he either was untruthful or he was mistaken about when he had a conversation with donald trump about stormy daniels, and we will find out from the prosecutors when they redirect whether that was a mistake, which jurors will understand, or was he untruthful with them. Cohen faced a tough Cross Examination. Almost immediately he was asked whether he had recently gone on tiktok and called the defense lawyer todd blanche a derogatory term. Cohen was also yelled at by trumps Defense Attorney saying his claim about a 2016 phone call that he issued in the trial was, quote, a lie. Do you think this Cross Examination was damaging and could cohens Credibility Problems sway jurors not to convict trump . Its damaging if the prosecutors cant, on redirect, give an explanation for it. Was he just mistaken or was it untruthful . That could be damaging. Because remember, they want an acquittal. Thats the goal for Defense Attorney, but they will be ecstatic if just one juror says not guilty and theres a hung jury. Now, Michael CohensCross Examination is still underway. Trumps team will resume questioning cohen on monday. What do you think we can expect next weekend potentially from Closing Arguments barring any lastminute witnesses. There should be Closing Arguments. If there are not, well, i dont believe in any world donald trump will testify, but if they call defense witness, if they do call defense witnesses, that will be a gift to prosecutors. Prosecutors cant comment on the defendant not testifying. Prosecutors cant comment on there not being defense witness, but once you call them, the prosecutors can talk to the jury and say, they called these incredible people. So assuming there are no defense witnesses, summations should be on tuesday. Defense goes first, prosecutors go last. And thats where youll hear the defense talk about the lying Michael Cohen who went rogue with Allen Weisselberg and dont believe this case. And then youll hear the prosecutors talk about all of the circumstantial evidence that goes to guilt and the corroboration of Michael Cohen. Switching gears, while i have you, the New York Times obtained a photo of an American Flag flying upside down, reportedly at Supreme CourtJustice Samuel alitos home. In the days just after the january 6th capitol hill riot, alito has said that the flag was briefly flown by his wife amid a dispute with neighbor, and he had no part in it. There are now new calls from democrats on the hill for Justice Alito to recuse himself from trump cases. Now, this adds fuel to the concerns about a Supreme Court thats becoming increasingly partisan and lacking in strict ethical guidelines over making politically charged statements outside of the court. What are your thoughts about this . Well, what is the definition of brief . When he says it was briefly flown. He lives with her. He knew it was flying. When did he take it down. Its similar to Justice Thomas whose wife was part of stop the steal. It erodes confidence in the Supreme Court by the public when you have two justices on there who live with people who are clearly partisan. Obviously, they have a right to have their independent politics, but it just doesnt look right. Its not only independent politic, he lives in the house with the flag hanging outside his house. Right. When was it taken down . What does brief mean . Another former trump lawyer, rudy giuliani, was served a notice late last night of his arizona indictment in the alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 president ial Election Results in President Trumps favor per the State Attorney General this. Came as giuliani was celebrating his 80th Birthday Party in west palm beach. The former mayor of new york livestreamed it, put it cut it off before the papers were served. The announcement also came less than two hours after giuliani taunted the arizona ag in a now deleted social media post for failing to deliver his indictment. Before i let you go, what is your thoughts on this . Well, you and i are both native new yorkers, so you have a former United States attorney for the Southern District a former mayor whos now been indicted in two different jurisdictions. Thats a very sad statement. And him mocking the arizona ag for not delivering his indictment, which came they showed him. Right. A little while later at his birthday. Catherine christian, thank you for joining me tonight. Just ahead, the Traveling Troop of trump loyalists turned up at his Hush Money Trial this week, each seemingly auditioning for the starring role in term two. Ive got some thoughts on their pilgrimage to Kiss The Ring in tonights got ya. The ring in tonights got ya The Darkness Of Bipolar Depression made me feel like i was losing interest in the things i love. Then i found a chance to let in the lyte. discover caplyta. Unlike some medicines that only treat bipolar i, caplyta is proven to deliver significant symptom relief from both bipolar i ii depression. And in clinical trials, Movement Disorders and weight gain were not common. Caplyta can cause serious side effects. Call your doctor about sudden mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts right away. Antidepressants may increase these risks in young adults. Elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. Caplyta is not approved for dementiarelated psychosis. Report fever, confusion, or stiff muscles, which may be life threatening, or uncontrolled Muscle Movements which may be permanent. Common side effects include sleepiness, dizziness, nausea, and dry mouth. These arent all the side effects. In the darkness of bipolar i ii depression, caplyta can help you let in the lyte. Ask your doctor about caplyta. Find savings and support at caplyta. Com. Were here with Chris Counahan of our local leaffilter. So chris, tell us how leaffilter is different from every other gutter protection on the market. With leaffilters, patented filter technology, there are no gaps, no openings, no place for debris to get in at all. And we install leaffilter on your existing gutters. Its a permanent solution. Youll never have to climb a ladder to clean out your gutters again. Thats amazing, chris. Tell me about the process. Simple and easy. Just give us a call, set up an appointment. Well come out and give you a free gutter inspection. If theyre sagging, well repair them. If theyre broken, well replace them. If theyre in good shape, our local team will install leaffilter in as little as a few hours. Wow. And i understand you guys have a lifetime no clogs guarantee . We do. Its actually a lifetime transferable no clogs guarantee. You know, thats Peace Of Mind and then some. So, how do people sign up . To schedule your free inspection. Call 833leaffilter today our agents are standing by. Or visit leaffilter. Com. What is cirkul . Cirkul is the fuel you need to take flight. Cirkul is the energy that gets you to the next level. Cirkul is what you hope for when life tosses lemons your way. Cirkul, available at walmart and drinkcirkul. Com. And theyre all coming . Those who are still with us, yes. Grandpa whats this . Your wings. Light em up gentlemen, its a beautiful. Day to fly. Donald trumps criminal Hush Money Trial has largely been a lonely affair for the former president with very few of his Family Members showing up inside the court and almost no crowds of supporters outside. But this week a parade of republican lawmakers, hangers on, tried to cheer up the former guy by Making A Pilgrimage To Manhattan to cheer on their hero. A few of them even wore matching trump suits and ties. I call them the trumpettes. Some, like embattled speaker mike johnson, showed up to save their own political skin. Others, like florida congressman matt gaetz, have been researching our legal system in case they ever stand trial themselves. And congresswoman lauren boebert, maybe she was just in town to catch a broadway show, but with trump silenced by a gag order, all of them arrived determined to make a lot of noise. Take a listen. We are not getting a fair shake in front of this judge. Were here voluntarily supporting our friend President Trump. Were here because we got to defend him because the gag order thats put on him. We are President Trumps voice. We have his back. He will ultimately be proven innocent. Every Single Person involved in this prosecution is practically a Democratic Political operative. The democrats are trying to beat President Trump in the jury box because they cant beat him at the ballot box. What weve got here is a partisan democrat District Attorney, we have a biden donor judge. What is the crime, because everyone in this court has not been informed of what the crime is. The defendant does not know the crime that was committed. Regardless of what these republicans say, trump isnt on trial for his political beliefs, hes accused of committing fraud to cover up a personal scandal, and many of his maga allies who are showing up are also seeking personal gain. Whether it would be a vice presidency, a cabinet position, or simply a spot in the second trump term. The selfishness is the reason trump still has a Cheering Section in washington, d. C. , in spite of everything hes done to undermine our democracy. In a few weeks trumps trial could be over, but for republican who is have debased themselves to show their loyal toy him, history will be the ultimate judge. I got ya. L be the ultimate judge i got ya that can deliver remission and visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. Serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. Liver problems may occur in crohns disease. Control of crohns means everything to me. Ask your gastroenterologist about skyrizi. Control is everything to me learn how abbvie could help you save. Imagine a future where plastic is not wasted. But instead remade over and over. Into the things that keep our food fresher, our families safer, and our planet cleaner. To help us get there, americas plastic makers are investing billions of dollars to create Innovative Products and new Recycling Technologies for sustainable change. Because when you push for smarter solutions, big things can happen. I wanna hold you forever hey little bear bear. Im gonna love you forever cmon, bear. You dont. You dont have to worry. Be by your side. Ill be there. With my arms wrapped around. When was the last time you checked in on your heart . With kardiamobile, the personal ekg device, you can check it from home using your smartphone. I use kardiamobile every day. Sometimes twice a day. Every morning i check, make sure im in good shape. And it makes me feel pretty good about my heart condition. Its a complete gamechanger. I mean, you might as well be in a doctors office. Theres a way i can communicate with patients now in a way i never could before. They have their own ekg in their pocket. With kardiamobile, you can take a medicalgrade ekg in just 30 seconds from anywhere. Kardiamobile is proven to detect atrial fibrillation, one of the leading causes of stroke. And its the only personal ekg thats fdacleared to detect normal heart rhythm, bradycardia and tachycardia. Having kardiamobile, its a Peace Of Mind for me. Because you cant see your cardiologist every day, but you can see your kardiamobile every day. Checking your heart anytime, anywhere has never been easier. Dont wait. Get kardiamobile today for just 79 at kardia. Com or amazon. Welcome back to politicsnation. The 2024 president ial debates are set. Probably. Both President Biden and the presumptive gop nominee, donald trump, have agreed to two debates, one in june and the other in september. Trump has proposed two additional faceoffs, but the biden camp said they are not interested. Bidens requirements for the debates are that there be no audience, no third party candidate, select news outlets hosting, and mics muted after time expires. Lets bring in tonights political panel, two strategists, a democrat and a republican. Both are msnbc contributors. Susan, let me start with you. Trump agreed to the conditions set by the biden campaign, but that didnt stop him from bashing the Debate Moderators and from making up new conditions last night at a republican event in minnesota. Take a listen to this. Remember that idiot from cn oops, i shouldnt say that, im doing a debate for them. No, i have fake tapper, i said i just want to debate this guy, but you know and im going to demand a drug test too, by the way. I am, no, i really am. Now, as trump complains about the rule, it seems biden has the upper hand. Would you say the biden camp got the better dole for this Debate Layout . Oh, absolutely. Not only did they get the better deal, they got the better trump, especially when you look at the way the two individuals handled the responding to the debate. Biden gave very clear requirements and he had a little fun and poked some jokes at trump. Okay. Trump on the other hand went off the rails, as he usually does, showing, again, a huge contrast between President Biden and former President Trump. Now, trumps going to keep doing all this stuff because, frankly, rev, thats all hes got. Juanita, Virginia State university was set to make history as the first and only Historically Black college or university to host a president ial debate sponsored by the nonpartisan commission on president ial debates. However, that historic event is in dpout now that the two candidates have worked out a plan that excludes the commission. Meanwhile, trump took to truth social suggesting fox news host a Vice President ial debate at vsu, although he hasnt selected a running mate yet. Biden has not agreed to this proposal, but do you think trump may be tipping his hand about who he might pick by proposing they debate at an hbcu . Absolutely not, rev. Right . Like he would look at any of the black or brown people under consideration to be his Vice President ial pick as a token option, and i think thats what comes across in his post from truth social about nothing of value or understanding about hbcus or vsu, but hes using it as a token. And the fact that hes also suggesting that fox would be able to host an unbiassed, substantive debate with the first black Southeast Asian woman Vice President is also ridiculous considering the no shortage of contempt which the network has had for Vice PresidentKamala Harris long before she and biden were elected to the white house. The comments from those hosts repeatedly around she should just be grateful to be in the white house. And the refusal to pronounce her name correctly even, rev, goes to show ethat what trump is saying is merely surface Level Tokenism at its worst. Susan, trump is giving a speech right now in dallas, texas. Youve seen him live on stage at the nra annual convention. He was just endorsed by that organization moments ago. And this week we saw the parade of republicans who came to manhattan to Kiss The Ring at trumps Hush Money Trial. Whats your take . Were they there to advance themselves or to cheer trump up or a little bit of both . And did it work . Well, definitely a little bit of both. Ill say that they you know, you always remember who doesnt show up to certain events, and trump is a vindictive guy and he would remember who did not show up to support him. At the same time, rev, you know, it shows what a fragile state donald trump is in that he had to have friends come up and support him. He had to have a rally in new jersey, a state he knows he cannot win, but in a conservative part of new jersey. Now hes at the nra, you know, thats what we used to do with candidates when we knew they were in trouble is put them in feel good places, and that seems exactly what the Campaign Team for trump is doing. Juanita, lets turn to the Dus Up In Congress where representative Marjorie Taylor greene exchanged words with democratic representatives Jasmine Crockett and alexandria ocasiocortez. Greene insulted crocketts physical appearance and made a swipe at ocasiocortezs intelligence, which led to this viral moment from crockett. Take a listen. Im just curious, just to better understand your ruling, if someone on this committee then starts talking about somebodys bleached blonde bad built butch body that would not be engaging in personality, correct . A what now . Now, Congresswoman Crockett has been criticized by some lgbtq groups for her comment, which some have criticized as homophobic. However, the congresswoman has started selling campaign tshirts about the incident. Weve never really seen a democrat use Marjorie Taylor greenes own tactics against her. Do you think this is a good idea and did Congresswoman Crockett perhaps go for the bait there or is she standing up finally to somebody standing up to Marjorie Taylor greene . Well, first rev, i got to say that i hate that representative crockett and all democrats have to work in such a hostile workplace with someone like representative greene, and thats what precipitated this entire exchange, but there are a couple of things about this interaction i think are noteworthy. First, representative crockett was not out there alone. I appreciate that representative alexandria ocasiocortez was there to support her, call out the rules, call out the violation from Marjorie Taylor greene immediately. I appreciate that. Representative raskin was there to also support her in that moment but also continued that support, unlike some other white male democrats who decided to engage in something that had absolutely nothing to do with them. Right. But more than that, i think its important for representative crockett to have stood up for herself. Of course, it was a spur of the moment, hypothetical question that she asked. Of course, the words might not have there are some connotations associated with some of the language that she used, but that does not undercut the reality that she is in a hostile workplace where she has to defend herself against someone like Marjorie Taylor greene and the rules of the body have to be respected. Juanita, i mean, im sorry, susan, your reaction . Well, i agree with juanita, but i will say this. I dont i dont think the back and forth did anyone any good. Marjorie Taylor Greene stands out for being the disgusting, antisemitic, just deplorable person that she is, and i hate to see remarks being thrown back like that. Although i, of course, i understand it. But at the end of the day, i blame the chairman of the committee. Thats where the blame falls. Once he did not do anything to temper Marjorie Taylor greenes words. And i must agree. The chairman should be the focus of this. Where is the order in the chamber and the respect and the environment, i think, which juanita said, and the reaction to it should not supersede the abuse that the chairman certainly did not call to order. Right. Juanita and susan, thank you both for being with us. Just ahead, History In The Making. How two Supreme Court rulings may impact more than one congressional race this november. Than one congressional race Thi November Wanna know a secret . More than just my armpits stink. Facts. Thats why i use secret whole Body Deodorant for clinically proven odor protection everywhere. So i smell great all day, all hike, and all night. Secret whole Body Deodorant. Sup . Who are you . Im your inner all hchild. Get in. Ight. Listen, what you really need in life is some freakin torque. What . Horsepower keeps you going, but torque gets you going. What happened to my inner child craving love and acceptance . How about you love and accept this . Pppppowershot when can i drive . You already are the dodge hornet r t. The totally torquedout crossover. Welcome back to politicsnation. We could be watching History In The Making in alabamas second Congressional District where former Justice Department official shamari figures won a competitive democratic primary runoff this week for a seat that was redrawn to give black voters greater representation after the u. S. Supreme court demanded it. Now, theyre both victorious in november, it could mark the first time alabamas congressional delegation has two black members. Joining me now, shamari figures. Mr. Figures, thank you for joining us tonight, we appreciate it. Many in the civil rights and Voting Rights communities were surprised last year when a u. S. Supreme court affirmed the federal judicial panels demand for a new congressional map in alabama that included a second majority black district in a heavily black state. Now youre running as the democratic nominee to represent that district and could be part of a historymaking tandem of black representatives if terry wins reelection as expected. What is your thoughts on that . Good to see you again, reverend sharpton, and thanks for having us today. Look, this district, this newly redrawn district is incredibly important fo to not only the people in this district but to the state of alabama and people across the country. Its had impacts in other states and the entire Civil Rights Community that came together to fight for this, the plaintiffs here in the state of alabama, the supporting organizations, elected officials and government leaders across the country all came together once again to make alabama, you know do, right by people in this state. When you grow up in alabama as i have, especially when you grow up black in alabama, you know the role that the federal government has had to historically play in making it right by people in this state, especially by black people in this state. And this district is yet again another example of that. Less than a year after the Supreme Court ruled that alabamas voting map be redrawn, the u. S. Supreme court restored a congressional voting map in louisiana this week that adds a second majority black district less than six months before the november election, based on whats happened in alabama, what do you expect that to mean for democrats and black voters in that state . Look, i think people there will equally be as excited about the opportunity to elect leadership that reflects the communities and towns and citizens that make that up district. Its been far too long for many place, including here in the state of alabama in the district we represent, too many communities and counties and towns have never had the opportunity to be elected to elect leadership that can bring a level of care and focus and concern on the issues that mean the most to them and impact their communities in sometimes very unique ways. I think the people of louisiana will be similarly excited about the opportunity and really get out and vote and make their voices heard come november. This week mercedesbenz workers in your state rejected unionization after 56 of them voted not to join the united autoworkers. Following a historic organizing drive by the uaw that saw It Extract Concessions from the socalled big three automakers. What have you heard from auto workers in your state over this issue . I think people were excited about the opportunity that this presented for them to organize, for workers to organize and unionize in a way here in alabama that theyve not had the opportunity or the momentum of such a campaign in far too long. Weve seen the success we had in tennessee and the outcome near alabama i dont think was as much of a landslide as it may appear on its face. I think roughly 2,600 people voted against excite about 2,100 or so voted in support of the union. Several hundred did not cast a ballot at all in the election. So i think what it shows is that the opportunity for workers here in the state of alabama to organize is not something that can be foreclosed upon. I think, you know, with time and more organizing and more education that voters are going to continue or workers, rather, are going to continue to trend in that direction. And so i think what this really showed us near the state of alabama in particular where during this Organizing Campaign State Legislators and new laws being implemented near the state of alabama that went so far as to disincentivize companies from voluntarily acknowledging unions. It really highlighted the fact that we have to do everything that we can to protect the right the rights of workers to organize when they so choose. Now, i know that you and your family have been involved in civil and human right farce while and National Campaigns and certainly statewide campaigns. President joe biden is speaking at Morehouse College tomorrow. Theres been reports that there is some dwindling of black support for the president and Vice President harris ticket. One, do you think that from what youve heard in alabama . And two, what advice to deal with the reported erosion of black support starting with his speech tomorrow . Look, no, i dont sense that here on the ground. I think people here understand the realities of joe biden and who hes running against and how his opponent is a throwback to an era in this state in particular and in this country where people do not want to return back to. And so look, we know we have to do everything that we can to excite and mobilize voters to be able to get out and vote, especially black voters here in the state of alabama, here in alabama and also similarly in louisiana we have the Congressional District thats going to help amplify that excitement and the efforts to motivate people to get out and vote. In terms of advice or guidance, i dont think the president needs my advice, but listen, i think if they keep running on the message of things that theyve done, programs theyve implemented, laws that theyve passed and the benefits of how they have historically impacted African American communities across this country, then i think well be just fine. But i think at the end of the day we have a collective obligation to make sure were doing every single thing we can to motivate people in our communities to get out and vote so we do not go backwards come november. Alabama congressional can dal shomari figure, thank you for being was. Up next, my advice for President Biden ahead of the debates. Stay with us. N ahead of the debates. Ayst with us my Mental Health was better. But uncontrollable movements called td, tardive dyskinesia, started disrupting my day. Td felt embarrassing. I felt like disconnecting. I asked my doctor about treating my td, and learned about ingrezza. Ingrezza ingrezza is clinically proven for reducing td. Most people saw results in just two weeks. People taking ingrezza can stay on most Mental Health meds. Only numberone prescribed ingrezza has simple dosing for td always one pill, once daily. Ingrezza can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, or actions in patients with huntingtons disease. Pay close attention to and call your doctor if you become depressed, have sudden changes in mood, behaviors, feelings, or have thoughts of suicide. Dont take ingrezza if youre allergic to its ingredients. Ingrezza may cause serious side effects, including angioedema, potential heart rhythm problems, and abnormal movements. Report fevers, stiff muscles, or problems thinking as these may be life threatening. Sleepiness is the most common side effect. Take control by asking your doctor about ingrezza. Ingrezza when i was diagnosed with hiv, i didnt know who i would be. But here i am. Being me. Keep being you. And ask your Healthcare Provider about the number one prescribed hiv treatment, biktarvy. Biktarvy is a complete, onepill, onceaday treatment used for hiv in many people whether youre 18 or 80. With one small pill, biktarvy fights hiv to help you get to undetectable and stay there whether youre just starting or replacing your current treatment. Research shows that taking hiv treatment as prescribed and getting to and staying undetectable prevents transmitting hiv through sex. Serious side effects can occur, including Kidney Problems and kidney failure. Rare, lifethreatening side effects include a buildup of lactic acid and liver problems. Do not take biktarvy if you take dofetilide or rifampin. Tell your Healthcare Provider about all the medicines and supplements you take, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. If you have hepatitis b do not stop taking biktarvy without talking to your Healthcare Provider. Common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. No matter where life takes you, biktarvy can go with you. Talk to your Healthcare Provider today. Theres news, and theres good news. Like thousands of patients receiving free life changing surgeries, from volunteer doctors and nurses on hospital ships. All made possible by donations. We love good news. And when i heard about President Joe Biden speaking at Morehouse College tomorrow, i took particular interest because of the fact that ive spoke at morehouse many time. In fact, theres a portrait of me me and other civil rights leaders there. And i have National Network action on the campus. I also think its a time for President Biden to talk to black students and the black community, their families that will be there, ahead of the election in the middle of all of this. I want to talk about that in closing thoughts tonight. Ill talk about my advice to the president on debates on tomorrow night. But first let me frame it this way. Ahead of President Bidens Morehouse College commencement address on sunday, heres what the College President , dr. David thomas, told april ryan. I support having the president of the United States come and speak at Morehouse College. Why . Because i think right now the country needs somewhere that can hold the tensions, that threaten to divide us, and if we can hold those tensions, we can find a better way out of where we are now. Let us not forget that Morehouse College is the college that Martin Luther king jr. Attended and other notables throughout black history and civil rights history. And the fact that some students may protest is in line with the legacy of many morehouse men that went to that college, graduated from that college, and are part of the alumni. As long as those demonstrations are nonviolent, peaceful, and pointed. The president ought to talk about not only his position there, he ought to say this is my position, whether you agree or not, and this is Donald Trumps position, which is, in my opinion, far worse, though i wish the president would do more about gaza. Trump has said finish the job to netanyahu. He also should talk about dei. He also ought to talk about student loans. The president has an opportunity tomorrow to inspire those young men to go for greatness and go for being successful and at the same time address the concerns that we are dealing with right now on the ground in this election and what his opponent is and is not doing about it. Well be right back. T doing about it well be right back. Tech need to get your windshield fixed . Safelite makes it easy. You can schedule in just a few clicks. And well come to you with a replacement you can trust. Vo schedule Free Mobile Service now at safelite. Com. Safelite repair, safelite replace. Sara federico at st. Jude, we dont care who cures cancer. We just need to advance the cure. Its a Bold Initiative to try and bump cure rates all around the world, but we should. It is our commitment. We need to do this. Have you ever considered getting a walkin tub . Well, look no further safe steps best offer, just got better now, when you purchase your brand new safe step walkin tub, youll receive a free Shower Package. Yes, a free Shower Package and if you call today, youll also receive 15 off your entire order. Now you can enjoy the best of both worlds the therapeutic benefits of a warm, soothing bath that can help increase mobility, relieve pain, boost energy, and even improve sleep or, if you prefer, you can take a refreshing shower. Allinone product call now to receive a free Shower Package plus 15 off your brand new safe step walkin tub. And theyre all coming . Those who are still with us, yes. Grandpa whats this . Your wings. Light em up gentlemen, its a beautiful. Day to fly