THANK YOU, SIR.
>> THANK YOU, CHUCK.
>>> JOINING ME NOW IS THE
NATIONAL CO-CHAIR OF JOE BIDENS
CAMPAIGN.
ITS CONGRESSMAN CEDRIC RICHMOND
OF LOUISIANA.
CONGRESSMAN RICHMOND, WELCOME
BACK TO "MEET THE PRESS."
I WANT TO START WITH A COLUMN
FROM GEORGE PACKER WHO WRITES
THE FOLLOWING AND SAYS THIS.
ORDINARILY ITS THE INCUMBENT
PRESIDENTS JOB TO SHOW UP AT
THE SCENE OF A NATIONAL TRAGEDY
AND GIVE A UNIFYING SPEECH BUT
TRUMP IS TEMPERAMENTALLY
INCAPABLE OF DOING SO.
BIDEN THEN SHOULD IMMEDIATELY GO
TO WISCONSIN.
CEDRIC RICHMOND, IS JOE BIDEN
GOING TO BE GOING TO WISCONSIN
TOMORROW?
>> I DONT KNOW THE ANSWER TO
THAT.
BUT ALSO I THINK THAT VICE
PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS A
RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT MAKE
THINGS WORSE, TO MAKE SURE THAT
THINGS WORSE, TO MAKE SURE THAT
THE POLICEA
ACCOMMODATE HIS VISIT AND I
THINK HE IS WEIGHING ALL OF
THOSE THINGS RIGHT NOW.
>> GIVEN WHAT WE SAW OVERNIGHT
IN PORTLAND, GIVEN WHAT WEVE
SEEN TAKE PLACE ALL WEEK IN
KENOSHA, WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS
ABOUT WHERE THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN
IS RIGHT NOW ON THIS ISSUE IN
PARTICULAR?
>> WELL, I DONT HAVE A CONCERN
WHERE WE ARE ON THIS ISSUE.
I MEAN WE HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR
THAT POLICE REFORM IN THIS
COUNTRY IS A NECESSITY AND THAT
UNARMED BLACK PEOPLE BEING
KILLED BY THE POLICE SHOULD BE
LOW-HANGING FRUIT.
IF WE COULD JUST GET PRESIDENT
TRUMP TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND TO
PUSH FOR REAL POLICE REFORM,
THEN LETS ADDRESS THE ISSUE WHY
NBA PLAYERS DID NOT PLAY IN
BASKETBALL GAMES.
THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE WAKING
UP AND SPEAKING OUT ON JACOB
BLAKES DEATH.
I MEAN THATS THE ISSUE.
AND I THINK THAT WITHOUT A PLAN
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TO ADDRESS
IT, ITS JUST REALLY SWEEPING IT
UNDER THE RUG AND YOU HEAR THE
RHETORICAL GYMNASTICS FROM HIS
CHIEF OF STAFF THAT WAS JUST
HERE.
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS BEEN
VERY CLEAR.
HE PUT OUT A PLAN ON POLICE
REFORM.
AND I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD BE
THE SUBJECT WERE TALKING ABOUT.
>> WHEN IT COMES TO THE VIOLENCE
IN THE STREETS NOW, WHO SHOULD
BE HELD RESPONSIBLE?
>> THOSE PERPETRATING THE
VIOLENCE.
LOOK, VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS
BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT PEACEFUL
PROTESTS ARE THE BEDROCK OF OUR
DEMOCRACY.
BUT WHAT I DONT WANT TO DO,
CHUCK, IS TO EVER CONFUSE OR
COMPARE PEACEFUL PROTESTERS WITH
THOSE COMMITTING CRIMES.
THOSE ARE NOT PEACEFUL
PROTESTERS.
PEACEFUL PROTESTERS ARE OUT
THERE TRYING TO MAKE THIS
COUNTRY A MORE PERFECT UNION,
TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR
BLACK AND BROWN DAUGHTERS AND
SONS ARE SAFE AND SURVIVE POLICE
ENCOUNTERS.
THOSE THAT ARE OUT THERE
COMMITTING CRIMES ARE NOT A PART
OF THOSE PEACEFUL PROTESTS AND
THEY SHOULD NOT BE LABELED THAT
WAY.
AND I THINK THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT
HAS TO DEAL WITH IT.
BUT WHAT WAS VERY INTERESTING
JUST NOW, WHEN YOU TALK TO THE
CHIEF OF STAFF MEADOWS, HE SAID
THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS ON THE
SIDE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WELL, THE QUESTION BECOMES,
WELL, WHOS ON THE SIDE OF
JUSTICE?
WHOS ON THE SIDE OF
CONSTITUTIONAL POLICING?
ITS NOT ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT
OR PROTESTERS, ITS ABOUT MAKING
SURE THAT POLICE ARE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE WHEN THEY VIOLATE
PEOPLES CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
WHEN THEY SHOOT UNARMED BLACK
PEOPLE.
AND IF THE PRESIDENT CAN CONVENE
THAT CONVERSATION, THEN I THINK
THAT WE WOULD BE IN A BETTER
SPACE.
AND SO HE KEEPS TALKING ABOUT
WHAT BIDENS AMERICA WOULD LOOK
LIKE.
WELL, THIS IS TRUMPS AMERICA.
HE HAS TO OWN THIS MOMENT.
HE HAS TO OWN THE INCOMPETENCE
AROUND CORONAVIRUS AND 180,000
AMERICAN DEATHS, ALMOST 6
MILLION INFECTIONS, ALMOST 38
MILLION JOBLESS CLAIMS.
HE HAS TO OWN IT.
THIS IS HIS AMERICA.
SO HOW DO YOU BREAK THIS COUNTRY
AND THEN RUN FOR RE-ELECTION
SAYING I WANT TO FIX EVERYTHING
THAT I JUST DESTROYED.
AND SO THAT WILL BE THE MESSAGE
OF THE CAMPAIGN AND WERE GOING
TO HAVE TO MAKE THAT CASE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK
AMERICA IS IN A REAL FRAGILE
POINT.
I THINK THAT YOU WILL HEAR JOE
BIDEN SPEAK, YOU WILL HEAR HIM
TRY TO HEAL THIS COUNTRY,
BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT JUST
DOESNT HAVE IT IN HIM.
>> IM CURIOUS WHAT YOU MADE
LAST WEEK OF ALL THE
TESTIMONIALS FROM BLACK MEN AT
THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL
CONVENTION AND HOW MUCH OF AN
IMPACT DO YOU THINK IT MIGHT
HAVE?
I WANT TO SHOW THIS CHART OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL VOTE AMONG BLACK
MEN GOING BACK TO 2008.
AND THERE HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT
EROSION OF SUPPORT FOR THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY FROM BLACK MEN.
A HIGH OF 95% IN 2008.
JUST 80% OF THE VOTE IN 2016.
THERE CLEARLY WAS A CONCERTED
EFFORT BY THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN TO
TRY TO APPEAL TO BLACK MEN.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE EFFORT,
AND WHAT SHOULD THE BIDEN
CAMPAIGN DO TO COUNTER IT?
>> WELL, ILL TELL YOU THIS.
DONALD TRUMP VERY EFFECTIVELY IN
2016 RAISED THE QUESTION TO
BLACK MEN, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO
LOSE?
I THINK NOW BLACK MEN SEE
CLEARLY WHAT THEY HAVE TO LOSE.
THEY CAN GET KILLED AND THE
PRESIDENT WONT SAY A WORD,
WONT UTTER JACOB BLAKES NAME,
WILL NOT TALK ABOUT POLICE
REFORM.
IF YOU LOOK AT UNEMPLOYMENT,
BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT IS TWICE THAT
OF WHITE UNEMPLOYMENT.
THE FACT THAT ALMOST 40% OF
BLACK BUSINESSES WILL NOT
SURVIVE HIS COVID-19 INCOMPETENT
RESPONSE, BLACK MEN SEE THAT.
AND SO YOU WILL SEE US AS A
CAMPAIGN TALK DIRECTLY TO BLACK
MEN.
WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS.
WE WILL NOT TAKE THEM FOR
GRANTED.
WERE GOING TO TALK DIRECTLY TO
THEM.
SO WHETHER ITS ABOUT MASS
INCARCERATION, ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY, HOMEOWNERSHIP,
COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY,
INCREASING EDUCATION FUNDING,
ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO WERE GOING TO GO WHERE BLACK
MEN ARE AND TALK TO BLACK MEN
ABOUT THEIR ISSUES.
BUT I THINK THEY SEE CLEARLY
WHAT IT IS THEY HAVE TO LOSE
NOW.
>> I WANT TO MOVE ON TO THE
ECONOMY A BIT.
THE LAST TIME YOU AND I SPOKE WE
TALKED ABOUT -- YOU TOLD ME YOU
THOUGHT THE DEMOCRATS HADNT
DONE A GOOD ENOUGH JOB REMINDING
PEOPLE WHERE THE ECONOMY WAS IN
2016, REMINDING PEOPLE OF THE
ECONOMY THAT DONALD TRUMPIN
HAIRED. --
INHERITED.
YOU SAW WHAT THE RNC IS PUSHING
IN REGARD TO THE ECONOMY.
DO YOU THINK DEMOCRATS HAVE DONE
ANY BETTER OF A JOB SINCE WE
LAST TALKED ABOUT REFRAMING
WHERE THE ECONOMY WAS IN 2016?
>> WELL, I THINK A LITTLE BIT OF
THAT HAS HAPPENED.
I THINK A LOT MORE HAS TO HAPPEN
AFTER LABOR DAY.
WE HAVE TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO
PEOPLE THAT THIS PRESIDENT HAS
THE WORST JOB CREATION RECORD
UNDER ANY PRESIDENT IN THE
UNITED STATES HISTORY.
HES LOST 6 MILLION JOBS.
THE OBAMA/BIDEN ERA CREATED 16
MILLION JOBS COMING OUT OF THE
GREAT RECESSION.
THIS PRESIDENT JUST DOES NOT
HAVE AN ECONOMIC PLAN, AND I
THINK DEMOCRATS HAVE TO HONE IN
ON THAT.
THE ONE THING TRUMP DOES VERY
WELL IS SAYS THE SAME THING OVER
AND OVER AGAIN.
MOST OF THE TIME ITS A LIE, BUT
HE SAYS IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN
AND PEOPLE START TO BELIEVE IT.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO SAY OVER
AND OVER AGAIN THAT THIS
PRESIDENT HAS DESTROYED AND
WRECKED THIS ECONOMY JUST LIKE
EVERYTHING HE HAS EVER TOUCHED
IN HIS LIFE.
AND SO WE NEED TO POINT OUT THAT
THERE ARE FARMERS THAT ARE
FILING BANKRUPTCY AT ALL-TIME
HIGHS, THAT THE UNEMPLOYMENT
NUMBERS ARE WHERE THEY ARE,
SMALL BUSINESSES ARE CLOSING
THEIR DOORS EVERY DAY.
AND SO, YEAH, ITS INCUMBENT
UPON US TO KEEP REMINDING PEOPLE
OF THAT.
>> CONGRESSMAN CEDRIC RICHMOND,
