dishonor. as republicans in that state would have you believe. what we are watching play out in the state of tennessee right now is really about a gross abuse of power. it is about anti-democratic hysteria. and above all else, it represents a new low that may soon be bested but at least as of today, it represents a new low in the republican party s race to the bottom. as we sit here today, a super majority of that state s republican lawmakers are poised to expel three of their colleagues from across the aisle. justin pierson, justin jones, and gloria johnson. their crime? protesting the epidemic of gun violence. in the days after a deadly mass shooting at a nashville elementary school. it is the stuff of third world tin pot dictatorships. no offense to them. apparently, the use of a bull horn without being recognized to speak is for republicans in tennessee an adequate enough reason to override the will of the voters and forcibly strip those lawmakers of their positions and d
no more than this.rep race, and maybe that we should no more than this. so she is still i won t make any assumptions. but as soon as she starts talking, we ll go to it. charlie, this day can t be undone a lot of americans by tomorrow will see that three representatives were expelled for participating in a peaceful protest over gun violence. and they will be introduced to this rather remarkably young man who is able to make this case and i think americans will have to say what is it about this young man that makes him so deplorable that republicans felt the need to strip him of his seat to disenfranchise more than 70,000 of his constituents
bans voting in schools. they are about to hear a bill to ban voting in school. they will not hear a bill to do anything about assault weapons. here in texas. they won t do any bills or consider any bills to assault weapons but they will hear a bill and ban voting in schools in this. and so, to me, you can t have a clearer example, a clearer example. republicans have no interest, zero interest in doing anything related to assault weapons. but day after day after day, are committing assaults on our democracy. that s what the difference is here in today. and you know, to me as i watch this, republicans have gotten to the point. and i think you and i have talked about this before. and i m sure barbara has talked about it and charlie, is the republicans have abandoned any interest in our democracy in persuading voters to their point of view. they are no longer interested
and him earlier, and i agree with charlie. this guy, it seems to become a superstar. nobody knew who a state rep from tennessee was. he will be known by everybody across america. and probably in different parts of the world in this. i think what he said, if democrats were smart, is to apply that message over and over and over again. because it works in urban areas. it works among african americans. it works among latinos and whites. it is basically the republicans are not silencing me, the leader, they are taking away your will. your voice. in any legislative body across america. and it doesn t matter where you are. what state you live in. or whatever. they are coming for you. and are coming for you. and so don t complicate this with a xwholwhole bunch of other things they are taking away the will of the people and they are taking away your voice.
haven t you? even worse, an insurrection at the capitol is an outrageous thing to say. you don t need to qualify it with the rest of the statement quote depending on how you look at it. joining our coverage of this extraordinary moment in republican politics, political strategist matt is here, and charlie. and democratic congresswoman barbara lee of california is here. one of the three tennessee democrats was an intern for her before this moment in the national and i guess this is an international story at this point. spotlight. congresswoman, let me start with you. let me play a little bit of what these members have said in their own defense today. this is justin jones. what you are really showing for the world is holding up a mirror to a state that is going