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Don Lemon Tonight

Trump and Biden Set For Final Debate Thursday; Obama Tweets A Video Aimed At Young Americans On The Eve Of His Return To Campaign Trail; The Path To 270 For Joe Biden And Donald Trump; Black Women, The Key In Battleground State Of Michigan; Trump And Biden Make Their Closing Arguments To Black Voters; Breonna Taylor Grand Juror Says Panel Wasn't Given A Chance To Consider Homicide Charges. Aired 11p- 12a ET

Aired October 20, 2020 - 23:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[23:00:00]

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Black voters have a lot of power in 2020, so let's dig into it all right now.

So I want to bring in CNN's Senior Political Reporter, Nia-Malika Henderson and political analyst, Astead Herndon. Hello to both of you. Thanks for joining. Important topic that we are covering this hour. So, Nia, President Obama just releasing a video before he hits the campaign trail tomorrow, take a listen to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hey, everybody. One of the most inspiring things about this year has been to see so many young Americans fired up, organizing, marching and fighting for change. Your generation can be the one that creates a new normal in America, one that's fair, where the system treats everybody equally and gives everybody opportunity. We can come out of this moment stronger than before.

Voting doesn't accomplish that on its own, but we can't accomplish that without voting. I know there's plenty out there to make people feel cynical and plenty of people are going to seize on that to convince you that your vote doesn't matter. It's not new, it's one of the oldest voter suppression tactics there is.

What is new is growing movement for justice, equality and progress on so many issues. This is really a tipping point. And that momentum only continues if we win this election. In times as polarized as these, your vote doesn't just matter, it matters more than ever before. And to change the game on any of the issues we care about, Joe Biden needs your vote.

I know Joe better than almost anybody, I trust him to be a great president. He's different. He's on the right side of the issues. He'll get the job done. And Joe and Kamala will want you to keep pushing them to get the job done.

Participate and vote. It's not always pretty, trust me, I know. But it's how bit by bit we've made progress over the generations. And its how your generation is going to change the game entirely. Go to iwillvote.com to make your plan, then get some friends to join you. Let's go win this thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, Nia, President Obama is a powerful force for Joe Biden but he is also powerful force in terms of why Donald Trump is currently president, right?

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: That is an excellent point. And he obviously very much energizes the other side, energizes particularly rural white voters, non-college white voters, which is the base of Donald Trump. And really the reason why he won the presidency in so many ways. But here you see vintage Barack Obama going at those voters that he was so good at inspiring in 2008, in 2012, young voters.

And saying to them, in some of the, you know, particularly young African-American voters might think. Listen, it doesn't really matter if you vote, you stay home. And so he is directly going at that idea and really casting it for what it is which is an attempt to suppress the African-American vote.

There's been so much talk over these last days about black men, Ice Cube, 50 Cent, all these figures who seemed to be maybe trending towards Donald Trump, maybe this means something larger about where particularly African-American men might end up on the spectrum. So there you see Barack Obama, who has been a heavy hitter in terms of those voters that stayed home in 2016 after a lot of African-American voters, younger voters, Latino voters really going there and trying to get those folks to see the stakes of this election. We will see if it works.

LEMON: So, Astead, I want to talk about the Black vote, OK? There's a recent poll that shows coronavirus, racism and the economy are the most important issues in the election for black voters. These are the big issues in this election for all Americans and the black community is hit hard by all of them.

ASTEAD HERNDON, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, NEW YORK TIMES: Yes. And I think there's no surprise that we see those issues at top. Because Black voters like the rest of the American electorate have been affected by this.

This has been a summer in which the economy has been upended by the virus which our daily lives have been upended by the virus which protests about racial justice and racial equality, police brutality have kind of expanded in a way that we haven't seen since the civil rights movement. And so, I think it's no surprise that we see those issues at top for black voters.

The question will be, is this going to be Democratic Party that speaks to those issues? We know kind of as a matter of principle that black voters are going to overwhelmingly vote Democratic. The question here is those margins that we are going to see and also the turnout. Will folks come out in the same type of numbers that we saw in 2008 and 2012?

Listening to that Barack Obama video, I think back to 2016 when he said it will be a personal insult to him if black voters didn't come out in the same numbers that they came out for him for Hillary Clinton.

[23:05:00]

Well, that did not happen. And partly that's because there is a growing sense particularly when we see among younger black voters that the Democratic Party has taken them for granted, has no not rewarded that consistent vote with attention and with kind of policy deference. And so I think, it's up to Joe Biden.

It's up to Kamala Harris to in the last few days to really make that push to make clear to black voters, particularly black men, particularly younger black voters that this is an election worth coming out for and not only that they will be an administration that is listening to their issues.

LEMON: So, listen. We have to have this conversation. If we're having this conversation, Nia, we've got to talk about the suppression of especially black voters. Black Americans still face disproportionate barriers at the ballot box. How big and how real is the threat of voter suppression and disenfranchisement in this election?

HENDERSON: It is what is keeping Democrats up at night. The idea that they could have the most votes but come Election Day maybe some of those votes would tossed out. Some of them may all in ballots, but you also see black voters themselves being nervous about voter suppression. So, maybe they don't want to go and mail their votes. They want to go and show up in person and they seem fine in many ways with braving hours and hours of standing in line. It's almost a point of pride among a couple of African-Americans I've talked to.

So, there is I think this heightened awareness obviously among sort of Democratic officials and they are going to what they are going to have to do in terms of lawsuits. But actual African-American voters also aware of the threat of voter suppression which is so real. You think about what's going on in Texas, limiting drop boxes.

All of these lawsuits and attempts that are going on across the country, with Republicans really trying to suppress the vote because they know the more people who vote, are the worse their chances are for getting -- for maintaining the Senate, for maintaining the presidency as well. So, it is a real effort and Democrats are very, very nervous about this. And African-American voters and all voters I think are mindful of these efforts as well.

LEMON: Nia, Astead, thank you very much. Important conversation we're going to continue on right now. I want to bring in Phil Mattingly with look at road to 270 electoral votes and the critical role black voters will play. Phil, what's the latest?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, two weeks from Election Day, tens of millions of Americans have already cast their ballot. Let's take a look at where the race actually stands right now. I want to stress, this is CNN's race ratings at this moment. This is obviously not Election Day, and as we've seen, a lot can happen over the course of the next 13 or 14 days.

Now, where things stand right now, dark blue, dark red, that means the Republican and Democrats are pretty comfortable on where they stand. Anything in the lighter hue that means it's leaning one way or another. Light blue to Democrats, light red to Republican, if it's gold that means it's a toss-up.

If you look at where things currently stand right now, the Biden campaign should be feeling pretty good, 290 electoral votes based on things that are solid or leaning in Biden's direction. However as we noted two weeks left leans do not make confirms state wins. So, let's go through the map, here and actually take a look at some of the pathways President Trump may have, even with Bidens advantaging point around the country at this moment in time.

I want to start by just giving everything in gold, everything in toss- up to President Trump. That would make some sense, that's what happen in 2016. President Trump won Florida, won Georgia, won North Carolina. Expected to be razor tight from where it began. Ohio, we won handedly back in 2016. Iowa, same story move up to Maine to whether the state hands out to electoral votes. Same thing, perhaps given that as well.

But the problem is, Joe Biden still doesn't puncture his 290 electoral votes, based on the current race ratings. So, let's start taking away some states from Joe Biden's and see where things can happen. If you want to focus on where President Trump, where his campaign is focusing, you focus on the Midwest. This really shock the world back in 2016. Where they puncture the blue wall, so maybe you give President Trump Pennsylvania. That takes him right up to the verge, however Joe Biden still has 270 electoral votes.

Then things really come down to Michigan and Wisconsin. So can President Trump win one or both of those that would push him over 270 votes? And that is why Democrats are keenly aware of where things stand in those states. Again, these were states that back in 2016, shocked the world when they ended up going in to Donald Trump's column.

Now, there are a number of different reasons why Donald Trump did well in the Midwest. I want to start with Michigan here, one though the Democrats have been ruling the day about since 2016, it was African American turnout. Look at his down across the country. To some extent to be understood, an Africa-American president is no longer on the ballot.

When you look at states like Michigan, and you look at this margin, Donald Trump winning the state of Michigan by just shy of 11,000 votes. And then you take a look at the Democratic breakdown inside the state, where the (inaudible) hue gets darker, that is where there is a higher African-American population. The highest by far is in Wayne County. You look at the results in Wayne County, you see Hillary Clinton crushed Donald Trump, 519,000 votes, winning by nearly 300,000 votes. What's the problem there? [23:10:07]

The problem is this. Take a look at the turnout for Wayne County, where Detroit is located. Compared to 2012. 2012, 815,000. 2016, 40,000 less. What is that end up to while Hillary Clinton's 519,000 votes that most 76,000 fewer votes than Barack Obama had in 2012.

Again, take a look at the margin. Donald Trump won the state by 10,000 votes. Think about the 76,000 votes, and we have a similar story over Milwaukee. I want to go over to Milwaukee County, again highest number of African Americans for the county, in the state. Milwaukee County, again Hillary Clinton huge martin crushing Donald Trump in this county. And then you look at the turnout compared to 2012, Milwaukee County, pull it up 492,000 in 2012, 433,000 in 2016. 288,000 votes for Hillary Clinton, those 43,000 fewer votes than President Obama had in 2012.

So, when you talk to Democrats and when you talk about the Midwest, there's a lot of talk about working class white voters. Whether President Trump can boost the turnout there, if you're a Democrat and you're looking at this map right now and you are looking at Michigan and you are looking at Wisconsin and you realize those states could blocked President Trump's pathway to 270. You're also focused on African American turnout, because in 2016 African American turn in just two counties in those two states, will change the face of the race entirely. Don.

LEMON: Phil Mattingly, thank you so much. So black women may be the key to the election in the battleground state of Michigan, so why do some say this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You think the Democratic Party takes you for granted?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. Absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:15:00]

LEMON: The road to 270 electoral votes and victory in the 2020 election runs through directly through the battleground state of Michigan which four years ago helped put Donald Trump into the White House. But this election, black women are key voting bloc in Michigan are intent on unleashing a blue wave and making Trump a one-term president. Here's CNN's Kate Bolduan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE), you ain't registered. So, let's get you registered, OK? WENDY CALDWELL-LIDELL, FOUNDER MOBILIZE DETROIT: I think the apathy

has grown and has just become so pervasive in our communities because people are just trying to survive that we have to get back to empowering people.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: 29-year-old Wendy Caldwell-Liddell is a woman with shortage of energy. She doesn't work for any campaign but since August she says she spends three days a week every week between her full-time job and taking care of two kids using that energy to try and convince fellow Detroiters their vote matters.

CALDWELL-LIDELL: Countless days when I go out and canvas, I will go up and talk to someone and they'll says listen lady, I know that what you're saying is probably right. I know that you just want me to -- you know, get out and vote but I'm sorry got to feed my kids. I don't even have time to listen to what you're saying. And that's a part of why I started doing this work with Mobilize Detroit. Because at this point, this is our survival now.

BOLDUAN: 10,704, what does that number mean to you?

CALDWELL-LIDELL: Is that how many votes Trump won by?

BOLDUAN: That's exactly how many votes.

CALDWELL-LIDELL: So, that number, it hurts. It hurts.

BOLDUAN: Wayne County, which includes Detroit, went for Hillary Clinton by a wide margin in 2016 but she got about 76,000 fewer votes there than Obama did in 2012. Remember, Trump won the entire state by just 10,704 votes.

Are you voting for Joe Biden or are you voting against Donald Trump?

CALDWELL-LIDELL: 80 percent against Donald Trump, 20 percent for Joe Biden. I would say that.

BOLDUAN: What does that mean?

CALDWELL-LIDELL: It means that I know that as a voter and as a black woman that there is a job that I have to do in order to get a representative who will come close to protecting my people in office. But I'm not necessarily excited about having another representative there who really does not inherently understand the needs of our community.

BOLDUAN: Kamala Harris, how does she make you feel?

CALDWELL-LIDELL: Kamala makes me feel a lot better than Joe, to be honest with you.

BOLDUAN: Markita Blanchard, like Wendy has lived in Detroit her whole life but at 63 years-old, she sees the choice this election a bit differently.

MARKITA BLANCHARD, BIDEN SUPPORTER: I'm 100 percent voting for Biden. BOLDUAN: Does Biden make you excited?

BLANCHARD: Yes. Yes, yes, he does. His enthusiasm, his past record, it's like a charge.

BOLDUAN: President Trump says often that he has done more for the black community --

BLANCHARD: That's bull -- I --

BOLDUAN: I don't even have to finish.

BLANCHARD: He's (BEEP). You know, what I'm saying? He has not done nothing. I have people say well, he's not my president, I didn't vote. I say, well, did you vote at all? They say, no, I didn't vote. I say well, if you did not vote, you did voted for him.

BOLDUAN: Amber Davis is one of those Detroiters who voted for Obama in 2012, then didn't vote at all in 2016. Why didn't you vote in 2016?

AMBER DAVIS, DETROIT RESIDENCE: I didn't want Trump, I didn't want Hillary. I didn't really care who won that election.

BOLDUAN: So, what's your plan this election?

DAVIS: I don't like Biden but I'm voting for Biden. This coronavirus, everything that's going on, it's just horrible. So, he got to go.

BOLDUAN: One path to flipping Michigan blue again and the critical pursuit of the Biden campaign is getting those voters who sat out four years ago, just show up this time. And a sign that the Trump campaign knows this, it has an office right down the road from the Democrats specifically targeting black voters in Detroit.

[23:20:04]

How unusual is that to see (inaudible) Trump, a Republican presidential campaigner open an office in Westside here?

MARY SHEFFIELD, DETROIT CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO TEAM: I've never seen it. I've never seen it ever, ever before.

BOLDUAN: But what does it tell you?

SHEFFIELD: The importance of not only Michigan but Detroit in the black vote. Because the parties -- both parties need us really. Joe Biden is not really the most exciting person, and I think unfortunately in light of COVID we lost that personal touch with him that a lot of communities need to get them excited and to get them engaged.

BOLDUAN: Are you concerned about just the lack of enthusiasm?

SHEFFIELD: Yes. I am. There's a mixed reaction I believe amongst our voters, some of which who also feel that, you know, the Democratic Party has not done great job at grassroots engagement, making sure they are going door-to-door and educating people. But I do think that when we saw with George Floyd, that sparked a reaction in so many people and I think that's going to help also increase some of the voter turnout that we see in Detroit.

CALDWELL-LIDELL: Are you going to help me?

BOLDUAN: Everyone always talks about on TV. Always talk about how black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party.

CALDWELL-LIDELL: We are. We are. Black women are the backbone.

BOLDUAN: But do you think the Democratic Party takes you for granted?

CALDWELL-LIDELL: Absolutely. Absolutely they take us for granted because they know that black women are going to help them get the big wins they need where it matters, but they also know that they can give us the bare minimum knowing that we aren't going to choose the other side.

BOLDUAN: What does that say about the country?

CALDWELL-LIDELL: That says that we still have a long way to go. When the backbone of the country is the most neglected.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Wow. So, Kate joins me now. Kate, that is -- that was some great reporting. Thank you so much for doing this. You know, we heard some of it in your piece, but how is Senator Kamala Harris joining the ticket? How is it impacted these voters? I want to know more.

BOLDUAN: I found this fascinating. And it goes to show that as we -- you know, we all know what needs to be reminded, black women are not monolithic, they don't own vote for the same reason or think the same way. Wendy, you heard there, she said she likes Kamala Harris more than she likes Joe Biden.

That makes her more confident in the campaign but that woman who did not vote in 2016, who is going to vote for Biden this time around, she says Kamala Harris has no impact on her, because she sees her really as just another politician who hasn't delivered for people like her.

And look, this is a slice of the electorate, it is not necessarily predictive Don, of how the election. Is going to swing, but what is clear from our time in Detroit, in Michigan, is that both parties, both sides have got a lot of work to do long-term in order to hold the support or win over the support of this very passionate and very reliable voting base -- black women.

LEMON: Very, very informative. Again, thank you Kate. I appreciate it. I'll see you soon.

BOLDUAN: Good to see you.

LEMON: Good to see you. So, Charlamagne Tha God is here, he has hosted a lot of candidates on

this how, The Breakfast Club, now he is voting for Joe Biden. Or is he? I'll let him explain.

Plus is President Trump's outreach to young black men working?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:25:00]

LEMON: Just two weeks into Election Day and with so much on the line, black voters are speaking out loud and clear, it's all about making sure no vote is taken for granted. President Trump's closing argument for black voters, well, it's the same as it ever was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have done more for the black community than any president with the exception of Abraham Lincoln. It's true, it's true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Charlamagne Tha God joins me now. Charlamagne, so good to see you, thanks for doing this, all right?

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD, RADIO PRESENTER: Don, thank you for having me, my brother. How are you?

LEMON: I'm doing well. I want to get your take on how you're doing. That's why I have you here. Black voters -- I got to say this are so much deeper than most candidates give us credit for. Deeper than that ridiculous statement like I've done more for black voters since Abraham Lincoln. Can you give me your take on black voters and what they want out of this election, Charlamagne?

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: What they want out of this election, I think that we just want to be heard. You know, I think that, you know, when you look at, you know Joe Biden and his lift every voice plan, you know, some of the most important things in it for me, when he speaks on, you know, advancing the economic mobility of black people, and closing the racial income gaps.

But you know, that's really all lip service, simply because we're in dream selling season. On November 3rd we are going to find out whose dream Americans been buying into. Everything -- if everything that Joe Biden's plan for black people goes through, it will absolutely make legitimate changes and I think the change that we want, but what it really go down to is Joe Biden getting him in the White House.

And you know, Democrats getting control of the House and the Senate because of -- if that doesn't happen, nothing's going to happen. And I answer your question, I just think you know we want to be heard and not really think that we're looking for some type of economic mobility. LEMON: So, listen, OK. Fair point, I think you're right about all of

that. Listen, even if I didn't, it's still your opinion and you're entitled to it. But this is what -- considering the support that Joe Biden has from black people, I think it would be incumbent on black people to hold his feet to the fire.

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Absolutely.

LEMON: To take into account if he does become president. You have talked about this before, about black voters shouldn't be afraid to ask for something in return for their vote. Si one of those things that you and Diddy talk about recently and I want you to listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[23:29:59]

SEAN COMBS, AMERICAN RAPPER: Between COVID hitting us and because we weren't organized for this election, we have no choice now to get Trump out of there.

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD, AMERICAN RADIO PRESENTER: Mm-hmm.

COMBS: It's a shame and it's our responsibility that we did not get anything out of putting Biden in the place he is in --

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Mm-hmm.

COMBS: -- after the primaries.

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Senator Harris and the V.P., you know, these are some of the things we were asking for. Black and gender could be way stronger, way stronger. He said he'll put a black woman on the Supreme Court. We don't even know if that is gonna happen now.

COMBS: Hey, when you look at it, we don't have choice. You know what I'm saying? You can say what you want about Biden. I can't say I love the pick either. But hey, we've got to get him in office --

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Mm-hmm.

COMBS: -- and then we got to hold him accountable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All right. So, listen, a lot of black people feel that they use their power to support Democrats, nothing ever happens. You were just talking about that. Listen, I love the conversation that you were having with Diddy and I love what Diddy is doing right now when --

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Me, too.

LEMON: -- politically. But go on.

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Yeah. I think what Diddy is doing is (INAUDIBLE) and it's very important to acknowledge that our black party was launched by Mayor Candace Hollingsworth of Hyattsville, Maryland and former vice mayor of Charlottesville, Dr. Wes Bellamy.

Diddy is coming on board with the latest money and resources and his influences. To me, that is the kind of unity and cooperation we need if we are going to have celebrities involved in politics.

Black people, we do need our own political party. We should be voting in blocks and voting for our interest nationally locally. We shouldn't be so predictable with our vote, like the two largest voting groups in the Democratic Party of black women and black men.

I don't think that, you know, overwhelming support for Democrats or Republicans is moving the needle in the bottom direction for the black communities.

So, I love the idea of our black party. I want you to note that Diddy said the main interest for our black party this year is to get that fascist out of the White House.

LEMON: Yeah. Again, you know, just not as much of the conversation as you've had with Diddy, but he's real, he knows what he's talking about, he has done his homework, so I am really happy about that. But listen, you said the --

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Even if he doesn't know -- even if he doesn't know what he's talking about, he is standing next to people who know what --

LEMON: Who know what they are talking about. Amen, brother.

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Yes.

LEMON: Thank you. So, having said that, you said that black women and black men, two biggest voting blocks, you've seen, you know, the polls that have been done on black men, prominent black men who are coming out, saying, oh, well, maybe you should vote for Trump, maybe I'm looking towards Trump, or some just saying, you know, I need to work with both parties with -- you know what I'm talking about.

What do you say to that? I do want to ask you about it.

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: I don't -- I don't -- I don't like that narrative, you know, because if Trump wins, they're not about to turn this into a black man and the reason Trump is in office thing. In 2016, black men voted against Trump more than any other group of men. That's a fact.

You actually need to do a show, Don, on white women and asked them why they came out and voted for Trump in 2016, over one of their own, and do they plan to make the same mistake this year? Don't put that on black men.

LEMON: Mm-hmm. Go on. Talk to me more about that. I want to hear.

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Well, I think -- to even answer your question more deeply, I think, you know, when it comes to the black people you see who maybe, you know, showing support for Trump, I just think, you know, it's because Trump is actually talking to young black male voters. He is directing ads toward them.

They are a group that never get courted. I mean, black people don't get courted either as a whole. But that old democratic regime speaks to old black men. I think everyone else in the black community and black families, they are supposed to fall I line. They know black women are going to show up regardless.

Like I said, he speaks to older black men, and he thinks the rest of us all speak the same language. So Trump is targeting young black males from marketing. It works.

LEMON: From marketing. OK. Just real quick because I have a couple of more things I want to talk to you, if you can give me a quick answer. Do you think that Kamala Harris on the ticket, do you think Senator Harris -- does that with black men and women?

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Oh, absolutely. I mean, when we were pushing for Joe Biden to pick a black woman as his V.P., Senator Harris is who I had mine. I am voting for Kamala Harris. I tell you that in the heartbeat. I am not necessarily voting for Joe Biden. I am voting for Senator Kamala Harris.

LEMON: Well, you got your -- don't you have your vote ballot right there?

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: I do, actually. I showed you this before we got on.

LEMON: You did show me an envelope, but I don't know what's in there.

(LAUGHTER)

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Listen, I'm voting for Senator Kamala Harris.

LEMON: Yeah.

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: I believe Kamala is the political change. I believe she is exactly the leader this country needs to lead us in the future. If she's not been, I'll just be wrong, because I am going to be honest with you, Don, I am just so tired of like old white male leadership in politics.

I can't speak for all black Americans. Black Americans are monolithic. I am only speaking for me. To me, I'm just sick of that. I'm tired of old white male leadership in government. Trump wants to make America great again. Biden wants to build back better.

As a black man, I don't want to do none of that because we know America has never been great for everyone. We talk about building back better. It is like saying we are trying to return things to normal. But America's normal hasn't work for black people.

LEMON: Mm-hmm. All right. Listen, I got to go. Are you going to mail or you're going to go and take it and drop it?

[23:35:01]

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: I think I'm going to take it and drop it. I don't trust the mail. I've never done it through mail. I've always gone in and press the button. And just listening to Donald Trump, you know, I don't want him just throwing my votes away.

LEMON: Yeah.

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: So I think I'm gonna fill it out drop it off.

LEMON: Listen --

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: But I am voting for Senator Kamala Harris.

LEMON: All right. Let me say this. I trust the mail. I am going to go this week and if the lines are too long, I'm going to mail it in. I think people should vote, I think you agree with this, by mail, by in- person, whatever it is, however they can vote, go out and vote.

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: I agree.

LEMON: Do you agree on that?

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: I agree.

LEMON: Thank you, Charlamagne. I appreciate it. Be well.

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Bye, Don.

LEMON: So, the Black Lives Matter movement mobilized the country before President Trump weaponized it against the Democrats. Now, it is a social justice and election issue. And tonight, there is big news in the Breonna Taylor case. We got that next.

Plus, NBA players are using their platforms to spread messages of social justice ahead of the election. Former pro player Caron Butler, well, he takes his message here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: There is a major development tonight in the case of Breonna Taylor, the young Kentucky woman shot and killed in her own home by Louisville police officers earlier this year as they served a no-knock warrant.

A Kentucky judge ruling a grand juror may speak publicly about the case presented by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. The grand juror saying the panel was not given an opportunity to consider homicide charges in the case against the officers. The A.G. saying he had asked the grand jury for an indictment on charges he thought could be proven in court, and he indicated in public statements, it was a choice of the grand jury what to charge. Well, the grand jury was only presented with wanton endangerment charges against the officer.

The case is drawing a lot of attention from black voters and frankly, people of all colors.

Let's discuss with Joseph Pinion, a Republican strategist, and Alicia Garza, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter, also Black Lives Matter who is also the author of "The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall." I am so grateful to have both of you on. Good evening.

So, Alicia, I want to start with you because, as I said, one of the jurors on the grand jury says that the panel was not given an opportunity to consider homicide charges, right? Breonna's family says it's a miscarriage of justice.

This story has resonated so widely along with George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others. And the Black Lives Matter movement can make a difference in this dynamic of the election. Do you think -- do you believe that?

ALICIA GARZA, CO-FOUNDER, BLACK LIVES MATTER: I do. You know, black families and black communities across this nation know the story very well. What we know is that time after time, loved ones, our family members, our friends are taken from us unnecessarily.

And when it comes to accountability, what we also know is that the rules in place actually protect the very people who are taking our lives unjustly.

And so I do think that black voters are paying attention to that in this election cycle. They are paying attention to who is really putting forward an agenda to address this.

My organization, the Black Futures club, did the largest survey of black people in America in 155 years. The top issues that we named as things that we care about and experience every day included the economy. Like Charlamagne just said, we're just too low to support a family. It also included other safety net issues.

But when it came to policing, the number one thing that people said was that they want to see police held accountable when they commit crimes in our communities. So this is going to play in a certain way with black voters this election cycle.

LEMON: Mm-hmm. Joe, you know, support for Black Lives Matter is down since the height of the protests in June from 67 percent to 55 percent in September. It became weaponized by the right after some violence at some of the protests. Do you think that this has an impact on voting now?

JOSEPH PINION, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: No. I think, quite honestly, the reality is that unfortunately, America has never gone to the polls in the modern era of the presidency to remedy injustice in the name of race. That is just the unfortunate reality of where we live.

And so I think we, as a movement of people who are consistently asking for justice, jobs, and equality for black people, have to recognize that yes, there will always be more attention paid to the negative aspects of a movement than the positive aspects.

It is what Dr. King talks about when he says more people being concerned with broken glass in Memphis than the man standing around with placard saying, I am a man, talking about justice and jobs.

I think ultimately, what we should be focused on is making sure that we have a message that is clear, that resonates, and not allowing our anger to distract the mainstream from what we're actually trying to accomplish.

LEMON: Joe, I want to ask you about Ron Brownstein speaking to a Michigan-based Democratic consultant who says that there are red flags among young black men. What is it about President Trump that they like or maybe they don't like something about vice president or Democrats?

Not necessarily because you don't like Biden that you're necessarily going to vote for Trump, but I think young black men or black men seem to be attracted to Trump and women to voting --

[23:45:03]

PINION: Let's be very clear. I think black women have always been the safeguard for the black community. With that comes the higher level of skepticism.

But for black men who have been the highest of the largest victims of a war on drugs and unnecessary march towards war on crime, black men who are disproportionately impacted by all the negative aspects of society -- I think I talked to a colleague who did a poll, speaking to young black men who said that their hood didn't get better underneath President Obama and didn't get worse underneath President Trump.

And so I think when you look at it from that perspective, black men who are having worse economic outcomes, worse work outcomes, I think at some point, they're willing to try something different because as Charlamagne spoke earlier, irrespective of the lip service that is given to black people, the outcomes inevitably lead to no change in outcomes when you talk about maintaining the status quo.

LEMON: Alicia, I have to ask you. Alicia, excuse me, I have to ask you. You have a whole chapter in your book on how voting can be a movement. What do you say to black voters who think that their vote doesn't matter, that it won't change anything?

GARZA: Well, the first thing I would say is that if your vote didn't matter, then people wouldn't be spending millions and millions of dollars trying to keep you from voting or trying to steal your votes.

You know, my mom used to say that anything you leave on the table, you leave for somebody else to eat. That's exactly what we've seen over these last four years. And I will also be honest. In my book, I do talk about the failures of both parties to be able to address the concerns and needs of black communities. I've been saying for a very long time that for too long the black communities have been engaged symbolically but not substantively.

That has consequences not just for our democracy but it also has consequences in relationship to the cynicism that people feel, that government or politicians or elected officials in general really care about black communities.

And so the onus is really on us at this point. What I say to people who do not believe that elections matter is they absolutely do, but they're not the end all, be all. Quite frankly, elections are an opportunity for us to demonstrate how many people we've won over to our side.

LEMON: Right.

GARZA: It's an opportunity for us to display the organizing work that we have done. And it's also an opportunity for us to send up a flare to anybody who wants to represent us that they need to be worried about disappointing us, as well.

So, if you want all of those things, it's important for you to vote. What I know about this election is it is going to have highest turnout of any election in the history of this nation, and I also know that black voters will be a critical part of that.

LEMON: Well, the book is called "The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart" by Alicia Garza. Thank you both. I appreciate it. I hope we get to talk more soon. Be well.

GARZA: Thank you so much, Don.

LEMON: Thank you. We'll be right back.

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[23:50:00]

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LEMON: Current and pro athletes using their voices and platforms to encourage black Americans to vote in the 2020 election. Kamala Harris, Joe Biden's running mate, sitting down with NBA stars to discuss the importance of the black vote, saying, when we vote, things change.

Let's bring in now Caron Butler, the former NBA star who is working with LeBron James on his "More Than a Vote" initiative. Caron, I really appreciate you for being here. Thank you so much. Thank you for what you're doing.

The way I see it is athletes in 2020 are taking their power and proving that they're not going to just shut up and dribble. So tell me about the work that you're doing. CARON BUTLER, FORMER PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER: This is an amazing thing because that is collective. We finally have come together and maximized our platform to use it for the better good and drive change.

You know, me, in particular, in Kenosha area, we are providing a lot of these resources, when you think about the public transportation and the ballot boxes and the locations, kind of far from where those resources are.

So what we are doing is providing transportation through a Lyft program. And we are just giving them access while practicing social distancing to go to these respective locations and cast their ballot, because we know that voter suppression is real, particularly in the state of Wisconsin.

That was something that just identified. I reached out to the campaign and they provided all the resources. We are doing it in multiple locations.

LEMON: You're starting it tomorrow, right?

BUTLER: Yeah, yeah, yeah, we are starting it tomorrow. It is very important that we get it done.

LEMON: Yeah. So, listen, I want to talk to you about the "More Than a Vote" program. You said that the killing of George Floyd was a wake-up call, and you identified with the video. You watched it with your kids. What was that like?

BUTLER: I mean, it was terrifying, you know, watching that visual. I had to explain to my 16-year-old daughter, my 20-year-old son, you know, and my kids because we are completely authentic, we don't hide things from it, that, you know, this is a reality for us.

When you talk about that conversation, you got to dig deep. You have to come from a truthful space and a place where they can just, you know, recognize some of the problems that exist out here and some of the things that we need to do to going forward to drive change.

[23:55:09]

LEMON: So, it is "More Than a Vote" program. How can people find out where they can get help if they need to?

BUTLER: You follow us on our respective platforms, myself, LeBron, morethanavote.com. We are giving all the information in your respective states and cities on things that you need when you go out to exercise your right to vote, whether it is the proper identification, billing address, all of those things that you might get questioned and harassed with those lines doing your service.

LEMON: You're doing a service. I thank you, and I thank LeBron for what you're doing. I hope to see you real soon. Come back and talk to us, OK? Thank you, sir.

BUTLER: I appreciate it.

LEMON: Thank you. Thanks for watching, everyone. Go vote. Our coverage continues.

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