the year was 1990, republican incumbent of north carolina senator jesse helms was polling behind his black democratic challenger, a man named harvey gantt. it was a surprisingly competitive election, so home called in the political consultants who, in turn, helped the helms campaign figure out a way to fight back, and this is what they came up with, this ad. you needed that job, but they had to give it to a minority because of the racial quota. is that really fair? harvey gantt says it is. he supports the racial quota law, making the color of your skin more important in your qualifications. you will vote on this issue next tuesday, harvey gantt . that ad, with the white hands holding the rejection letter as the narrator intones you are a better candidate than the minority guy that they went with, can you steal the injustice of it all? that ad was exactly what senator jesse helms needed, he. term in the senate, 54 to 46%. that strategy worked. it worked well. making ga
people. this is now the second indictment that trump is facing since he went in office after manhattan prosecutors charged with 34 felony counts earlier this year over alleged hush money payments. and a post on his truth announcing the indictment, trump wrote the correct biden administration has informed by attorneys that i ve been indicted. i am an innocent man. tonight, trump posted a formative video repeatedly claiming that investigation is a hoax. politically motivated. they can t stop because its election interference at the highest level there is never been anything like what has happened, they figured that the way that they would stop us is by using what is called that s what this is. it s wolf warfare for the law. it s called election interference. they re trying to destroy the reputation. and they can try to win the election. joining us now is msnbc colleagues, ari melber and lawrence o donnell, also with us is laura jarrett, nbc news senior legal corresponde
to the teflon don. josh marshall hugo lowell and andrew weissmann. appreciate it. that s all in alex on this thursday night. wagner tonight starts right now, good evening, alex. chris, what a thursday. accountability, i think that is the phrase of the day. accountability. yes. again, lots of things it seemed here to for unthinkable, becoming think-able as the other theme of the last few years. in some, ways unthinkable to donald trump. as much as he knew this was coming, now that it s happened, he s in a different league. he has made history, not the kind of history that i think you want to make. thank, you my friend, as always. you bet. thank you to you at home for joining us this evening. nbc news can now report that former president donald trump has been indicted in the special counsel s investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified documents. the indictment was filed in federal district court in miami. trump has been summoned to appear in federal
biggest maybe truisms he s eve spoken thank you, my friend. and thanks to you at home fo being here it came as a shock, near the end of the january six committee s sixth hearing last summer when vice chair, liz cheney, dropped a bombshell. the prospect of witnes tampering in the investigation first, here is how on witness described phone call from people interested in that witnesses testimony. quote, what they said to me is as long as i continue to be team player that they know i m on the right team. i m doing the right thing, i m protecting who i need to protect. you know all continue to sta in good graces, in trump world as long as i continue to be a team player. while the news of potentia witness tampering by trump world was shocking, it wasn the last week hear about it. in december, the committee released transcripts o closed-door depositions with witnesses. through those depositions we found out that former whit house aide, mark meadows, an star january six com
of tomorrow. chris, the question o accountability in our american democracy seems increasingly vaporous it certainly. doesn t it has for a long time it s partly why trump exists but why would, is anyone gonna get him question the fifth avenue school o accountability, it s one of th biggest maybe truisms he s eve spoken thank you, my friend. and thanks to you at home fo being here it came as a shock, near the end of the january six committee s sixth hearing last summer when vice chair, liz cheney, dropped a bombshell. the prospect of witnes tampering in the investigation first, here is how on witness described phone call from people inte witnesses testimony. quote, what they said to me is as long as i continue to be team player that they know i m on the right team. i m doing the right thing, i m protecting who i need to protect. you know all continue to sta in good graces, in trump world as long as i continue to be a team player. while the news of potentia witness