Senator Elizabeth Warren Reacts to Being Silenced: The Daily Show

Since Trump's inauguration,
the White House has been the home of chaos and excitement.
And now Congress is getting in on the action as well.
It's been an exciting week in the Senate.
And not like exciting by normal Senate standards, you know,
like when they get Raisinets in the vending machine.
And it's just like, "It's the candy that won't chip my teeth!"
I'm talking about real excitement.
First, Mike Pence became, uh, the first person in 230 years
to break a tie to confirm a cabinet secretary.
Yeah. First time in 230 years.
Uh, and the cabinet secretary's Betsy DeVos,
who all the Democrats and two Republicans tried to block.
Now, that amount of excitement would normally last the Senate
for a month. But this is Trump's America now.
Scandal is the new normal.
REPORTER:The fireworks coming last night
as Senator Elizabeth Warren quoted a 1986 letter
from the late Coretta Scott King.
REPORTER 2: Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said
Warren violated Senate rules against criticizing colleagues.
She was warned.
She was given an explanation.
Nevertheless, she persisted.
Yeah. Mitch McConnell,
finally standing up to the ladies. Yeah.
"You said I couldn't stand up to Donald Trump.
"And I couldn't. But I'll stand up to Dr. King's dead widow.
Ha-ha. How you like me now?"
This is the absurdity of the Senate.
Mitch McConnell is accusing Elizabeth Warren
of attacking the integrity of Alabama senator
and attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions.
Only because she's reading a letter
Dr. King's wife wrote criticizing Sessions
blocking black people's voting rights.
And that is apparently against the rules.
So basically the way it works in the Senate
is a senator can do bad things,
but you can't point out that a senator is doing bad things.
Which sounds less like the government
and more like the Catholic Church.
In a situation like this, I can't imagine
what Elizabeth Warren is thinking right now.
Um, so I guess why don't I just ask her.
Joining us live via satellite,
Senator Elizabeth Warren, everybody.
(cheering and applause)
Senator Warren,
thank you so much for taking the time and joining us.
-I know you have a vote to get to, uh, very shortly. -I do.
So we'll get straight into it.
You stood up to read that letter.
In the time that this has blown up everywhere,
four of your male colleagues
have been able to read the letter in full.
Is there something to that?
Should you, uh, have been a man to read this letter?
Look, the main thing is that millions of people
are now reading Coretta Scott King's letter.
It is an amazing letter.
It is a letter full of passion.
It is a letter full of heart,
and it's a letter full of advice to us.
It talks about a moment in history
when African-Americans were beaten away from the polls.
And it talks about Jeff Sessions' role in that.
And I think it has an important lesson today for all of America.
I hope everybody reads her letter.
That's Coretta Scott King's letter
talking about why it is so important
to have public officials who actually believe
in equal rights and equal opportunities
for every one of us.
Do you think you realized in that moment,
and do you think Mitch McConnell realized
-what a solid he's done you? -(laughter)
-No. -Because, I mean, since-since
that happened, just on Facebook Live alone,
when you read the letter,
it got six million views last time I checked,
and it is everywhere, and people are reading it.
This is something that has helped you.
No, what it's done is
it's helped us have a better democratic conversation.
You know, understand, we don't have the votes
in the United States Senate
to block somebody like Jeff Sessions,
or yesterday, to block a secretary of education
who doesn't believe in public education.
We don't have those votes.
So what we've got to do is count on people
all around this country to make their voices heard.
Some people would say, though, "Those are the rules.
"What you did on the floor was breaking the rules.
You are not meant to impugn the motives of a senator."
So when you look at that, do you go, "I broke the rules,"
or do you think that the rules are used
when the people feel like they should be used?
You know, I just want to start here
with the Republicans' response on this.
Coretta Scott King, in her letter,
talks about how Jeff Sessions managed,
by prosecuting civil rights workers
who were trying to help elderly African-Americans vote,
that by prosecuting them,
they had done what local sheriffs had accomplished
20 years ago with clubs and cattle prods.
She talks about what Jeff Sessions directly did
as the U.S. Attorney for Alabama.
And you notice the Republicans are not saying,
"Hey, those aren't the facts," or, "Something has changed,"
or, "He did all these other things afterwards."
No, what they're saying is, you don't get to talk about that.
Well, I know you've got a vote to get to.
I appreciate you for your time.
-Thank you so much for joining us. -(applause and cheering)
-Good luck fighting... -Thank you.
...what at times seems like the unfightable fight.
-Elizabeth Warren, everybody. -Thank you.

Senator Elizabeth Warren Reacts to Being Silenced: The Daily Show

Latest Posts