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Don Lemon Tonight
Maricopa County Officials Calling For GOP To Stop The Lies; Georgia's Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan Announcing Today He Won't Run Again In 2022; Liz Cheney Tells Fox News She Believes McCarthy And Stefanik Are Both Complicit To Lies Propagated By Trump; Congress To Vote On January 6 Commission; Trump Supporter Facing Fraud and Criminal Charges. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired May 17, 2021 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[22:00:00]
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST (on camera): And once you expose it on a regular basis and you see what's going on as distraction to any real efforts toward or dialogue towards the same, the more obvious it is the uglier it gets. And hopefully it will be easier to reject.
That's it for us. And I know I turn to the big show, "CNN TONIGHT" with its star, Don Lemon.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: You messed it up.
CUOMO: What?
LEMON: You messed it up!
CUOMO: How?
LEMON: You've got the name wrong.
CUOMO: What do I say?
CUOMO: Rolled that back so he could it see it again please, what does that say?
CUOMO: What?
LEMON: What does it say in the teleprompter? You can't -- your eyes are bad, you can't read? What does that say?
CUOMO: You are watching CNN -- no -- you are watching and I'm very proud to say nobody there deserves the name on the show more Don Lemon tonight, with its big star, Don Lemon, right now.
LEMON: Am I supposed to say this is Don Lemon tonight. I'm Don Lemon?
CUOMO: Yes.
LEMON: As many times as possible.
CUOMO: Or you just say, I am the Don. LEMON: How many calls did you get, this weekend?
CUOMO: Man --
LEMON: Sorry.
CUOMO: -- I've never seen anybody make something hard that was a simple as that. I told you before we out we went on.
LEMON: It was a --
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: -- make sure they know it's not that, Don, of course, I will.
LEMON: It was supposed to be a little tease, I didn't think it was going to, I said tune in on Monday. What does that mean? That means I'll be here on Monday to tell, I said and I will tell you what it is.
CUOMO: You know, I knew it was going to be a mess that night, you know how I know?
LEMON: How?
CUOMO: When I walked in, I won't say who it was, but a member of your team is waving at me as I walk down the hall. I said hey, how are you doing? And as I get closer, they said, sorry, I thought it was Don. And I was like, what?
LEMON: What?
CUOMO: What's! I knew it was going to be a weird night.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: But I'm happy for you with the change. And I like the look, I like whatever you like.
LEMON: Yes.
CUOMO: So as long as you keep doing what you do, I got no complaints.
LEMON: I'm going to keep doing that with a renewed commitment, with a name change comes a renewed commitment to do what we do, and that's hold people accountable, speak truth to power on this program. You do it on yours, I do it on mine, we do it a little bit differently but as it should be, that's how it should be, right? You do your show, your Chris sometimes and I'm Don.
CUOMO: Different foods in the buffet, brother.
LEMON: Yes. Yes.
CUOMO: All tasty, though.
LEMON: Yes. CUOMO: All tasty.
LEMON: So, I got to get to it.
CUOMO: I love you, D. Lemon. I'm very excited to be part of the inaugural Don Lemon tonight show, but I get Don Lemon 24/7.
LEMON: Yes. I know, and your family sick of it. You talk to him more than talk to us! Kidding. All right. I'll see you later. I love you, brother.
CUOMO: Congratulations, I love you and good luck.
LEMON: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
So, everyone, without further ado, this is DON LEMON TONIGHT, has a ring to it, doesn't it? I think so.
So, this is what I was just trying to convey to Chris. We may have a new name, but we have the same mission, even stronger mission and a renewed commitment to that mission. To have the kinds of conversations America needs, if we're going to move ahead as a country.
Since I've been doing this show, we have been not doing provocative topics just to be provocative, but doing it because I wanted to, we as a team wanted to move the country forward and the dialogue forward. Talking about things that many people didn't talk about, in ways that a lot of people didn't talk about. And people would rather not.
But we do it anyways. We did it anyways and we're going to do it, we're going to continue to keep calling out the lies. We're going to do it in a way that is, the show away that as interesting as it has been since the very beginning. We are going to keep standing up for the truth whether you like it or not, we're going to tell the truth on the show.
And a lot of people love it, most people love it but the people who don't have the truth on their side, they hate it. We are going to hold people accountable for their words and their actions that we're going to do it with grace. With grace, as I write my book. We need to hold people accountable, but with grace.
That's really important to me, you want to know why? As someone who really came from, I shouldn't say nothing, but I didn't have a silver spoon in my mouth, right? I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. And if you believe that America is for everyone then you certainly believe that America is about redemption, America is about redemption and is not just about canceling people.
We've got to stop that, we've got to stop going back into people's past, years and decades ago and trying to cancel them for things. Yes, we want to hold them accountable. We've got to stop canceling people for accusations, accusations or just an accusation. Until it's innocent until proven guilty in this country.
[22:04:54] So, it's about redemption with accountability. That's really important too. So, what does that accountability look like? You have to be able to speak the truth when doing it, you can't just sweep the lies under the rug, and there is no better example than what's going on in the GOP right now.
I'm going to take you to Arizona's Maricopa County, pushing forward with a clown show, this audit of the votes fueled by the former president, who will tell any lie no matter how outrageous it is. But there are a few truth tellers out there.
The Republican, that's right, Republican who heads the counties election department calling the former president's lies about a database he falsely claims was deleted, calling those lies unhinged. Saying it's all as falls as two plus two equals five. His name as Stephen Richer. He is telling our Erin Burnett this about the people spreading the lies. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN RICHER, MARICOPA COUNTY RECORDER: Stop indulging this, stop giving space for lies, I'm just wondering what's going on here, who are these people who are defaming us. I don't think they're professionals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): I want you to listen now to a man named Bill Gates, not that, no, not the Bill Gates that you're thinking. The Republican vice chair of the Maricopa board of supervisors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL GATES, GOP VICE CHAIR, MARICOPA BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: Four out of the five members of the board of supervisors are Republicans. I want to be clear that I believe that Joe Biden won the election. All right?
And the reason that I feel confident in saying that particularly in Maricopa County, is that we overturned every stone, we asked the difficult questions, all right? And we certified the election back in November, but now it's time to say enough is enough. It is time to push back on the big lie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Republicans calling it the big lie. There are Republicans who are standing up for the truth, pushing back on that big lie. The one-time party of Lincoln seems determined to drive out its own, OK? Like Georgia's Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, announcing today that he won't run again in 2022.
Going on to say, and I quote, "it always feels coldest right before the sun rises. I believe that it -- I believe that is the exact moment in the Republican Party, the Republican Party is caught in right now. And I am committed to being part of creating those better days ahead of our conservative party across the country." So, for our conservative party across the country. That as the House
is set to vote on this week setting up an independent commission to investigate the attack on the capitol. The attack we all saw with our own eyes and we heard with our own ears. The attack spawned by the former president's election denying lies.
Trump supporting rioters attacking police, hunting lawmakers, putting up a gallows outside of the capitol chanting, hang Mike Pence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWD: Hang Mike Pence! Hang Mike Pence! Hang Mike Pence!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): We heard them, we saw them, yet far too many Republicans are trying to whitewash what happened on January 6th. Trying to defend the lies that started it all. Liz Cheney who was kicked out of her leadership position when her own party attempted to silence her is telling Fox News -- Fox that the GOP leaders are complicit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: I asked about both McCarthy and Elise Stefanik, are they being complicit in what you consider the Trump lies?
REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): They are, and I'm not willing to do that. You know, I think that there are some things that have to be bigger than party, that have to be bigger than partisanship, our oath to the Constitution is one of those.
I've seen in countries, I worked in countries around the world where you don't have a peaceful transition of power. What's happening right now with Donald Trump and his continued attacks on the Constitution, and the rule of law is dangerous. And we all have an obligation to stand up against that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): They are complicit, like I said, accountability demands that you stand up for the truth. We can't act like everything is fine right now, rioters tried to overturn our government less than four months ago. And the liars and deniers are still at it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ANDREW CLYDE (R-GA): There was not an insurrection, and to call it insurrection in my opinion is a bold-faced lie.
REP. PAUL GOSAR (R-AZ): Outright propaganda allies are being used to unleash the national security state against law-abiding U.S. citizens, especially Trump voters. As a result, the DOJ is harassing -- harassing peaceful patriots across the country.
REP. JODY HICE (R-GA): It was Trump supporters who lost their lives that day, not Trump supporters who are taking the lives of others.
REP. RALPH NORMAN (R-SC): When I see this sheet on our timeline, and on the let's see, OK, at 2.07, a mob of Trump supporters breached the steps. I don't know who did a poll that it's Trump supporters.
[22:09:59]
REP. LOUIE GOHMERT (R-TX): There have been things worse than people without any firearms coming into a building.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Those are lies, the rewrite of history. And this is what I mean about accountability. Congressman Andrew Clyde, you heard him there saying there was no insurrection. He also compared it to a normal tourist visit. This is what he was doing during the insurrection that he is now denying. OK? Take a good look at that picture. There he is, barricading the House door as rioters stormed the capitol.
He knows exactly what happened on that day. Yes, he helped to barricade the door, yet he lies and says that there was no insurrection. But there are some Republicans standing up against those lies thankfully, like Lisa Murkowski telling CNN, quote, "I'm offended by that.
This was not a peaceful protest. We got to get beyond that rhetoric and acknowledge that what happened were acts of aggression and destruction towards an institution. And there were some people intent on harming the people that were part of that institution."
You heard what Officer Michael Fanone told me, you heard what a true American hero who risked his life to defend the capitol, you heard what he told me about the lies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL FANONE, D.C. METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICER: I'm not a politician. I'm not elected official. I don't expect anybody to give two shits about my opinion. I will say this. You know, those are lies. And peddling that bullshit is an assault on every officer that fought to defend the capitol. It's disgraceful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): That, as Republicans like Lindsey Graham are now saying 2020 is over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I accept the results of the election. Twenty-twenty is over for me, I'm ready to march on and hopefully take back the House and the Senate in 2022.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON (on camera): All right, well let's see how long that last for him. But the truth is, they will never be over as long as the big lie lives on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHENEY: The notion that this was somehow a tourist event, is disgraceful and despicable, and you know, I won't be part of whitewashing what happened on January 6. Nobody should be part of it and, people should be held.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): I said at the top of the show, we're going to hold people accountable, we're going to keep standing up for the truth, we're going to keep calling out the lies. That is our mission on this show, and you can depend on it.
But can a party that seems to stand for nothing more than the big lie, when in 2022, will the base still buy into those lives? More up next on Don Lemon Tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: People's ballots and money are not make believe it's time to be done with this craziness and get on with our county's critical business.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[22:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON (on camera): Congresswoman Liz Cheney ramping up her warnings to her fellow Republicans about the direction of the party. The direction of the party is moving in. Just days after being ousted from the house GOP leadership, she is saying it is dangerous that trump continues to push the big lie of election fraud, and that a violent insurrection like January 6th that capitol riot could happen again.
So, let's bring in Frank Luntz. He is the pollster and communication strategist extraordinaire. And he joins us, he gives us the numbers and breaks down the facts for us. The numbers don't lie, Frank.
Thank you for joining. We appreciate seeing you.
We see what's going on in Maricopa County, with this sham of a recount of the 2020 presidential election. Even Republican officials there are pushing back against the president, the former president's claims that a database was deleted, calling them unhinged. And yet, Trump and the election lies still has immense support. Is the Republican Party's base at odds with the truth?
FRANK LUNTZ, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST AND POLLSTER: Well, the base is still overwhelmingly pro-Trump. I've said before that if Donald Trump decides he wants to run in 2024, he would win the Republican nomination.
Although as favorable as Republicans already to him, independents and Democrats are hostile. I think that the American people are looking forward, not backward. And that if they're looking at what you are going to do over that coming weeks and months rather than what happened on election day.
The former president is really focused on November because it's embarrassing to him. He lost, and he doesn't want to acknowledge it. I get that. But if Republicans want to be successful, they have to focus on the future. They have to both hold Joe Biden accountable, as you said in your monologue, they have to talk about the programs and what's wrong with them.
And, perhaps more importantly, they have to give an alternative vision for the future. And I can promise you this, no one, no Republican is gong to get elected by focusing on what happened in November of 2020. They need to focus on what happens in November of 2022.
LEMON: All right. Having said that, because, listen, you do these amazing focus groups that I get to watch either live on TV or online. Liz Cheney says that she believes the GOP leaders Kevin McCarthy and Elise Stefanik that they are complicit in Trump's election lies.
My question is, how deep is the GOP's commitment to this lie? And what's it doing to the party? You said, look, they can't look back in November, they have to look ahead in November, but how deep is it? And what is it doing to the party?
LUNTZ: But what's interesting is how many people on both sides think our Democratic process is at stake here. The Democrats believe in voter suppression, Republicans believe in voter fraud.
They have different reasons for why they feel like the Democratic process isn't working. And it's very broken. But in the end, it's the economy that people vote on. It's their sense of security and peace of mind that people used to decide between the two parties.
And Don, I know that there are people who want to focus both on Donald Trump and the media, and want to focus on what happened in November, want to focus on the treatment of November.
[22:20:03]
I will say it to make it easy on you, Donald Trump lost, Joe Biden won. I don't understand why that is so difficult for Republicans to say. But I will tell you this. If you focus on the election results, you will not be doing the public's work. You will not be focused on what the American people really want.
And so, it's tantamount for Republicans to move on. That you have to demonstrate why all of this spending is going to hurt the country, why it's not infrastructure that it's really a more social program. And why the solutions that the Biden administration are not the best solutions for the American people either in the short term or long term. The GOP makes a big mistake if it gets wrapped up into this recount
that's going on in November. It will not win them a single vote next November.
LEMON: Well, you're talking about policy, you mentioned last time that you are on that the GOP, you said needed to focus on policy instead of what happened in November and instead of the big lie. It appears that the GOP is desperate to find an attack on Joe Biden. One that sticks. Trying to label him as a radical socialist.
This is what James Carville told the Daily Beast. he said, Republicans don't have a coherent pushback. It's all cancel culture, the border and senility. Do you agree with that? And is anything sticking, Frank?
LUNTZ: Nothing is sticking. I agree with the points that they've not put together that message that will take them to a majority. Now, if you get inside the weeds, and I humbly say I'm a numbers guy, if you look at redistricting right now, that in itself is going to add a few seats to the Republican toes (Ph) but that in itself is not enough.
If you look historically in about 90 percent of the cases, in the first mid-year off-year election after a presidential victory from one party and the other party picks up seats. And the Republicans are already very close to majority at least in the House and they are 50/50 Senate. But setting that aside, if the GOP wants to win, they need to show that the Biden administration that the programs they have are filled with waste, fraud, abuse, and even corruption.
You need to talk about hardworking taxpayers and the challenges that they are going to face. And frankly, the thing that I've seen in my focus groups, is that they need to talk about the commitments that are being made from this generation to this generation.
The idea that this is so much spending, that our kids and our grandchildren are going to end up having to pay for it. We're building them for our excesses and that's not fair. If they focus on that, then they've got a reasonable shot at winning the majority.
LEMON: But Frank, do they have a leg to stand on with the former -- the former president did spend a lot of money as well? But does that even matter? Is it just about messaging?
LUNTZ: Well, that's a very fair point. In fact, that is the point that kept some Republicans quiet. That Donald Trump cannot call himself a deficit hawk, and that the debt increase almost as much under him as it did under four years of the previous presidents. But that doesn't change the fact that what's happening right now is so much beyond what happened over the last four years.
And, the question is, does this economy need it? Are we spending so much that we could end up with a debt crisis and an interest rate crisis that we need to focus on the future not just what's happening right now, and we need to focus on hardworking taxpayers not just the segments that Joe Biden is paying attention to?
LEMON: Frank Luntz, we appreciate you joining, even though you've almost lost your voice from a cold, because as we says it rains all the time in London. So, thank you a lot, Frank. We'll see you soon.
LUNTZ: Don, thank you.
LEMON: Yes. And feel better, thank you very much.
The House set to -- set to vote on a commission to investigate the January 6th insurrection. The vote expected on Wednesday. What does former impeachment manager, Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett expect, she'll tell me, next.
[22:25:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON (on camera): GOP leaders appearing split over a commission to investigate the January 6th insurrection, as Republicans try to downplay the reality of what happened that day. A top Senate Republicans -- a top Senate Republican says that he expects the bills establishing the commission to pass the Senate in some form. The House is expected to pass their own bill on Wednesday.
Let's discuss now with Congressman Stacey Plaskett, Democrat delegate from the Virgin Islands who was a House impeachment manager during Trump's second impeachment hearing.
It's always good to see you, Congresswoman. Thank you for joining.
Nearly every day some Republicans are whitewashing this insurrection. It shows why it is so important to have this commission. What kind of testimony do we want to hear to get the truth?
DEL. STACEY PLASKETT (D), U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS: My goodness, first, congratulations on the new show. I'm happy to be here on this first installation of bigger and better things for you.
LEMON: Thank you.
PLASKETT: I think we want to hear so much from so many different sectors here. I think it's important for us to get as much information as feasible from federal law enforcement and those individuals who are already investigating and have arrested over 500 individuals who were involved in the insurrection.
They could not unrest that many individuals, if in fact, there was not a violent attack against our democracy. I think that alone speaks volumes about what actually occurred on January 6th.
I think we also want to hear from individuals who were close to the president, the former president during that time. What he knew and did not know, what individuals knew before January 6th, the factors that led to individuals coming and how the prior administration helped or facilitated that. And most importantly, how do we prevent this from happening again?
[22:30:09] LEMON: And speaking of that Kevin McCarthy spoke to Trump on January 6th, CNN has reported that McCarthy begged him to call off the rioters. And Trump told him, well, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.
Congresswoman, do you think McCarthy should be subpoenaed if he refuses to testify?
PLASKETT: Well, I think it's important for us to hear from McCarthy what he did or did not say to the president. I would hope that he would want to facilitate a clear understanding of what the president knew or did not know.
You know, I'm questioning whether under subpoena what he will or will not give up in truth information. We see Leader McCarthy vacillating and his story has changed drastically since the days immediately after January 6th. I'm not sure how credible his testimony would be now, and what he would or would not be willing to say even under oath at this time.
LEMON: Well, he --
PLASKETT: That's how little confidence I have in the Republican Party.
LEMON: Well, he would have a role though in picking five people for the 10-person commission. Are you worried that he's going to choose deniers to try to muddy the waters and turn it into a circus?
PLASKETT: You know, that's possible. I think the individuals that will be there, I think the evidence will speak for itself. I have to give credit to individuals like Congressman Katko who is the ranking member with Chairman Bennie Thompson who heads up the Homeland Security Committee who have worked out a bipartisan committee, a bipartisan agreement as to what this commission should look like.
And I'm hopeful that there are other individuals within the party, the Republican Party who want to get to the truth and, you know, steadier heads will rule the day over those who spent most of time in Mar-a- Lago getting their marching orders from former President Trump.
LEMON: Well, let's talk about it, I'm sure you have heard about this, maybe you've even witnessed some of the stuff. Republicans are spreading this big lie, Marjorie Taylor Greene is running amok, that's why I said you may have witness some of it. Confronting lawmakers, right, you know, in the capitol.
Matt Gaetz is being investigated for alleged sex crimes. How is Congress is supposed to get anything done with these kinds of antics? These distractions?
PLASKETT: Well, thankfully there are a greater majority of individuals who are actually working for the people that have elected them than some of these clowns that are representing I don't know who in Washington in the form of Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene. And even those individuals on the Republican side who really want to get things done. Listen, every day I'm focused on with the people who elected me, the
people of the Virgin Islands want in me. We have tremendous needs in our communities. You know that very well, Don. And there are a number of members on both sides of the aisle, particularly the Democrats who want to work towards that.
I'm excited about President Biden's jobs plan, the opportunity that's there to equalize the playing field. Not just on education but in job training. A 100 billion dollars going towards job training. Creating new industry, leveling the digital divide. You know, in terms of broadband, and so many things that so many of us are looking for.
Just recently, EPA has executed a stop -- a stopgap on the oil refinery that is, you know, jobs for so many people in the Virgin Islands, so many of us who are worried about climate change on how we can provide for our families, how do we reverse brain drain? How do we equalize equity? How do we create home ownership for Black families that have been denied that for generation?
That's what the great majority of Democrats are working on. Unfortunately, what I think is going to happen is, we're going to negotiate, we're going to work on something that a bipartisan group of Americans are interested in. Republicans will not vote for it and then they're going to take credit for it and let their constituents know what this jobs plan that we have put forward is going to do for them.
But, you know, that's the name of the game, and most of us are willing to play it because we want to ensure that the people who sent us to Washington are being taken care of.
[22:34:58]
LEMON: Let's talk about voting rights, OK? Still under assault, Senator Joe Manchin, Lisa Murkowski are calling to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. But that's far less sweeping than legislation in the House already passed before the For the People's Act. Is anything going to get done here?
PLASKETT: I have to think that, you know, my former colleague, Kristen Sinema, Joe Manchin and others are going to come to the table and they are going to negotiate in good faith to ensure this happens. Unfortunately, what we need for a Voting Rights Act is 60 individuals.
And I'm hoping that they will understand the history of the filibuster and how it is been utilized to absolutely decimate progress, and some of the most fundamental American ways.
In terms of civil rights, in terms of voting rights, in terms of equal housing, in terms of education. And that they will reject the use of the Jim Crow filibuster to stop these things from happening.
If you want to debate an issue, stand up and debate it, but to be able to block fundamental legislation is fundamentally wrong. And so, I'm hopeful that those discussion with those individuals will keep that from happening and we'll be able to pass that. Because along with so much of the voting rights that the Republicans are putting forward in some of these states, we know that they are trying to block progress in America. They're trying to stop America from continuing to grow from sectors of our population from being engaged and being enfranchised.
And so, the Voting Rights Act as particularly For The People Act, not only supports voting rights but stop gerrymandering, dark money in elections has got to pass.
LEMON: Congressman Plaskett, thank you. Always appreciate having you.
PLASKETT: Thank you. So good to see you.
LEMON: Thank you.
PLASKETT: Congratulations, Don.
LEMON: Thank you very much. I really appreciate it.
Republicans say it's racist, they say it's Marxist. They say it's anti-American. You'd almost think that they don't know what critical race theory actually means. But you will after the next segment, so stay with us. Don Lemon Tonight.
[22:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON (on camera): So, I really want you all to pay attention to this next segment, it's really, really important right now. It's all conservatives are talking about. You've probably heard the attacks on critical race theory. But what exactly is it? And why are some people are so opposed to it?
Here's CNN's Jason Carroll.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Can you tell me a critical race theory us?
UNKNOWN: No.
UNKNOWN: Critical race theory?
CARROLL: Critical race theory.
UNKNOWN: No.
UNKNOWN: I don't know. I can guess?
CARROLL: Guessing or not, across the country a number of politicians are getting it wrong.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Critical race theory is a Marxist doctrine that rejects the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. KIMBERLE CRENSHAW, CRITICAL RACE THEORY PROFESSOR, UCLA & COLUMBIA
UNIVERSITY: Absolutely false.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): It's basically teaching kids to hate our country and to hate each other based on race.
CRENSHAW: False and slanderous.
CARROLL: Meet professor and scholar Kimberle Crenshaw. Crenshaw is one of the founders of critical race theory which she helped develop in the late 1980s. In short, critical race theory is an approach based on the idea that the history of white supremacy still has a very real and lasting impact on our society and institutions today.
CRENSHAW: Critical race theory just says let's pay attention to what has happened in this country, and how what has happened in his country is continuing to create differential outcomes so we can become that country that we say we are.
So critical race theory is not anti- patriotic, in fact, it is more patriotic than those who are opposed to it. Because we believe in the 13th, and the 14th, and the 15th Amendment. We believe in the promises of equality and we know we can't get there if we can't confront and talk honestly about inequality.
CARROLL: Critical race theory is not a doctrine, it's not a manuscript. One way of describing it is looking with a critical eye at race and institutions. Let's take an example from history, the Declaration of Independence says, all men are created equal.
A critical race theorist would note that slavery persisted for almost 100 years after those words were written and it was more than a century before women got the right to vote. So why is the term and causing such a stir in conservative political circles today?
SEN. TOM COTTON (R-AR): This left-wing nonsense that suggest that any race is inherently inferior or racist or oppressive.
CARROLL: Opponents are concerned critical race theory is or will be forced on students. Supporters say that critical race theory is not based on the view of this race is good, this race is bad.
CROWD: George Floyd!
CARROLL: Supporters also say in the wake of protests and calls for racial equality in the past year, those unnerved by it are now using critical race theory as a catchall term for everything related to race, politics, and education in this country. So says Princeton professor Imani Perry.
IMANI PERRY, PROFESSOR, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: I think this is the sort of post-Trump era way of inciting anxiety, fear and actually trying to sort of illicit hostility towards the progress that I think we've begun to make in just the last couple of months.
CARROLL: To date, at least eight states have taken steps to ban topics surrounding critical race theory without naming it including Oklahoma.
[22:45:03]
GOV. KEVIN STITT (R-OK): We cannot revert to 100-year-old thinking, that a person is any less valuable or inherently racist by the color of their skin.
CARROLL: To be clear, critical race theory does not say someone is racist because of the color of their skin. And it does not say anyone should be ashamed of themselves because of the color of their skin.
Still, some parents who hear the term are speaking out at school board meetings.
UNKNOWN: Just because I do not want critical race theory taught to my children in school does not mean that I am a racist, damn it.
CARROLL: But Crenshaw says the theory is not about calling individuals racist but looking at racism still ingrained in American institutions. And she says, we have to talk about it.
CRENSHAW: If the censoring of all conversation about racism, it's called racism. That's what this move is really about. It's really not about a theory, it's really not about what's in people's hearts, it's about an effort to shut down all conversation about the sources and the reproduction of racial inequality.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
LEMON (on camera): As always, our thanks to Jason Carroll.
I want to discuss now with CNN political commentator Ashley Allison. A former senior policy adviser to President Barack Obama.
Very informative report, Ashley. I hope you thought so as well. Thank you for joining.
You just heard what Jason reported, lots of people don't know what critical race theory even is. So why does everyone have an opinion about it?
ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think you're absolutely right that the majority of people who are probably commentating on what critical race theory is, they don't have an understanding of it. There are people, and I believe many of them are the elected officials that are pushing this law, that do have an understanding of it and they're afraid of it.
Because for so long in this country our history has been told through the lens of whiteness. And if you're used to having that privilege, that authority invoked in you that your story is the dominant culture, that your perspective is more relevant than my perspective because I'm not white. Then changing that may feel uncomfortable for you. But critical race
theory just says that we have to expand the story to tell everyone's perspective. And failure to do that is really failing America and failing children, and failing our elected leaders, because we have to know the whole story so that we don't repeat some of the mistakes of our past.
LEMON: Yes. It's really -- I agree with you, it's really tough for people to -- it's tough for people to change especially if you're used to being the preeminent voice, and as you said if history has been used to, you know, to elevate you and denigrate others, then you know, that's what you used to. That it may seem -- it may seem like something is being taken away from you.
It is being used as a giant talking point, Ashley, the right keeps calling it racist. Just this month alone, the Fox propaganda network has mentioned critical race theory 221 times. Just some of it. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: Republicans are furious over the firing of a space force commander who spoke out against Marxist ideology and critical race theory in the military.
UNKNOWN: Critical race theory.
UNKNOWN: Critical race theory.
UNKNOWN: Critical race theory, do you believe this?
STEVE DOOCY, HOST, FOX NEWS: Critical race theory.
UNKNOWN: Critical race theory should absolutely bother you.
DOOCY: Critical race theory is being taught in our schools.
DANA PERINO, CO-HOST, FOX NEWS: Critical race theory it is, quote, "rooted in critical race theory which is rooted in Marxism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (on camera): Rooted in Marxism. Why is this so triggering for them?
ALLISON: You know, my goodness, what? I don't even have words. I'm not even giving it that much attention. But I will say is that they use these tropes to incite chaos. They serve as a distraction, a lot of times on issues around race. So that they can't really get to the fullness of the story.
And what I mean by that? They say like, if you teach critical race theory, then you don't love America. But really, the courage to teach critical race theory is saying to America that despite removing indigenous people from their land, despite enslaving Black people and having them build this country for free, despite saying give me your poor, you know, all the folks come to the shore to breathe for free except for those coming from the southern border.
Despite a former president who uses racist names and helps increase hate crimes that are going against Asian- Americans.
[22:49:54]
Despite that, critical race theory says if we look it in its evil eye, the original sin of this country and even some of its most recent sins, that we love America enough to move beyond it, because we can find solutions to end the hate and the discrimination.
But what Republicans are doing, and what conservatives are doing is they throw it out there as a threat because they don't have this love for the country that people who want to tell the whole story do. They have an infatuation with this country, that, you know, it doesn't go their way.
It's like an abusive relationship, if it doesn't go your way then they are going to negotiate (Ph) or they are going to leave you or they don't want to have anything to do with you. But real love is having those tough honest conversations. And People who are pushing critical race theory really love America despite the pain it has caused. and say that if we can work together there is something better and you can (Inaudible) these ideals.
But Fox and the folks who are trying to demonize critical race theory are just, you know, fearmongering and really feeding into the big lies, it's all a part of the big lie that narrative is trying to push.
LEMON: Ashley Allison, thank you so much. I always appreciate having you on. Next time say how you really feel.
ALLISON: Thanks, Don.
LEMON: Thank you. Up next, how a murder investigation in Colorado may have revealed voter fraud. We're going to tell you what we know.
[22:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON (on camera): Take this. A Colorado man facing a murder charge in the disappearance of his wife now also charged with voter fraud. Accused of using her mail-in ballot to vote for Donald Trump in the 2020 election. This according to an affidavit, all right?
Barry Lee Morphew told FBI agents that he wanted Trump to win, and he knew his wife would have voted for the former president anyway, so he mailed in her ballot. But a clerk in Chaffee County says that she was immediately suspicious when it arrived t back in October, that's because there are missing person posters all over the county for Suzanne Morphew -- Morphew, who disappeared in May of 2020.
Her signature was not on the ballot, but Barry Lee Morphew's name was handwritten on the witness line. The FBI interviewed him last month where he allegedly told them he didn't know that is against a law to vote for his spouse. But he really wanted Trump to win for reelection, and besides everybody cheats, that's what he says.
So, he was charged only last week with murder, a full year after Suzanne vanished after going for a bike ride. Suzanne Morphew's bike was eventually found but authorities say they have yet to find her body. An example of voter fraud, someone voting for Trump, not for Biden.
Next, Congressman Matt Gaetz's friend pleading guilty in a sex trafficking case, and saying that he'll provide substantial assistance to prosecutors.
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