Affirmative Action Debate Rages In Era Of Donald Trump | The Beat With Ari Melber

>>> THERE'S ALWAYS TWO SETS OF STORIES ABOUT TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION. THE STORY THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE,
LEAKS, TWEETS AND SHIFTING CAST OF CHARACTERS THAT SPEND TIME
TALKING ABOUT EACH OVER AS THEY DO THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS.
MANY CAREER REPUBLICANS ARE QUIETLY GOVERNING AND ENACTING
POLICY. THE STORY AT THE AGENCY HAS MORE
IMPACT ON AMERICANS LIVES. THAT IS WHERE A DRASTIC POLICY
CHANGE IS UNDER WAY. THAT WERE NO BIG TWEETS ABOUT
THIS. NO ONE CALLED THE NEW YORKER
MAGAZINE TO SWEAR ABOUT IT. INSTEAD, TRUMP'S POLITICAL
APPOINTEES ARE RECRUITING STAFF TO SUE UNIVERSITIES OVER
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION TO BENEFIT WHITE OR ASIAN APPLICANTS
INSTEAD OF MINORITIES. THE DOJ SAYS IT WILL NEITHER
CONFIRM OR DENY ANY ONGOING INVESTIGATION ON THIS ISSUE.
THE SUPREME COURT HAS WEIGHED IN UPHOLDING NARROW AFFIRMATIVE
PROGRAMS AS LAWFUL. IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW FAR THE PLAN
WILL GO BUT IT COULD PRODUCE NEW CASES THAT WILL NARROW IT EVEN
FURTHER. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS REPORT,
WHAT DOES IT SAY TO YOU ABOUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S
APPROACH TO AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND DIVERSITY PROGRAMS?
>> I THINK IT WAS A TALL SIGN THEY WERE ASKING FOR EMPLOYEES
TO COME JOIN THE POLITICAL FRONT OFFICE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS
DIVISION TO ENGAGE IN THIS WORK. THERE ALREADY ARE A NUMBER OF
CAREER LAWYERS AT THE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION WHO DAY IN AND
DAY OUT ARE ENFORCING OUR ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS TO
ENSURE THERE'S EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS IN THIS
COUNTRY. I THINK IT WAS AN ODD MOVE TO
MOVE THAT INTO A POLITICAL FRONT OFFICE.
THAT REALLY SUGGESTED THERE'S A DIFFERENT UNDERLYING AGENDA HERE
AIMED AT PARSING OUT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WHITE
STUDENTS IN PARTICULAR. >> THE SUPREME COURT HAS DECIDED
THIS MULTIPLE TIMES. IS THIS REALLY A GOOD PLACE FOR
CONSERVATIVE ENERGY? >> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT
CONSERVATIVE ENERGY, BUT IF WE CARE ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS AND
TREATING PEOPLE BASED ON THE CON TENT OF THEIR CHARACTER RATHER
THAN THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN THEN ABSOLUTELY, THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT WILL LOOK AT WHETHER SIMILARLILY QUALIFIED APPLICANTS
ARE BEING TREATED DIFFERENTLY. IF THIS GOING TOWARD THE LAWSUIT
OF HARVARD, IT LOOKS LIKE ASIAN APPLY KANTSS ARE 16 LESS LIKELY
TO GET IN. I'M NOT SURPRISED BY THE WAY
THIS IS BEING TAKEN CARE OF BY THE FRONT OFFICE BECAUSE UNDER
THE OBAMA JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND ESPECIALLY UNDER THE TENURE, THE
CAREER OFFICIALS WERE ONLY HIRED IF THEY HAD TIME SPENT IN
RADICAL LEFT ORGANIZATIONS THAT MOST OF WHICH DIDN'T --
>> HOLD UP. >> AGAINST WHITE APPLICANTS.
>> IF YOU WANT TO MAKE THOSE CHARGES ON THIS SHOW YOU'LL HAVE
TO USE MORE THAN THE WORD RADICAL.
DO YOU WANT TO NAME AN ORGANIZATION?
>> ALL OF THESE TRADITIONAL CIVIL R RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS TH
ARE THE ONLY KIND OF DIVERSITY IS DIFFERENT COLORED LIBERALS.
>> I'M NOT HEARING AN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION.
>> THE LAWYERS COMMITTEE ON
CIVIL RIGHTS. HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST.
>> OKAY. YOU'RE GIVING A BIT OF A TELL.
YOU THINK HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST IS RADICAL FOR ADVOCATING HUMAN
RIGHTS? >> WE'RE GETTING OFF TRACK.
>> WE'RE NOT GETTING OFF TRACK. YOU COME ON TV AND CALL PEOPLE
RADS CAL LEFT BECAUSE THEY SUPPORT NOW YOUR WORDS, HUMAN
RIGHTS. >> I'M CALLING THEM RADICAL
BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT COUNT CLAIMS SOMEONE THAT A WHITE
PERSON OR ASIAN PERSON CAN BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN THE
CONTEXT OF EDUCATIONAL ADMISSIONS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AT HARVARD AND THESE OTHER PLACES.
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WILL INVESTIGATE.
>> IT'S YOUR WORDS. YOUR WORDS WAS HUMAN RIGHTS
FIRST. I WANT TO GIVE HER CHANCE TO
RESPOND. >> THE ORGANIZATIONS HE'S
CLAIMING TO BE RADICAL ARE ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGED IN
ENFORCING THE LAW AND PROTECTING OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.
IF THAT'S RADICAL THEN I'M AFRAID WE'RE IN A DIFT PART OF
ZONE IN THE COUNTRY I DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF.
THESE ARE ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT PRESERVING THE RULE OF LAW AND
ENSURING THAT THE FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS THAT CONGRESS ENACTED
OVER MANY DECADES ARE ENFORCED. IF THERE'S REAL RACE
DISCRIMINATION IN THESE PROGRAMS THAT'S WHAT THE CAREER EMPLOYEES
OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
THAT'S THEY ROOT OUT. TO CALL THIS WORK RAD RADICAL IY
WAY I THINK REALLY DOES A DISSERVICE TO THE VERY REAL WORK
OF CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT THAT THEY DO EVERY DAY.
THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED, ARI, IN PURSUING CASES OR INVESTIGATING
WHEN, FOR EXAMPLE, ASIANS ARE THE LARGEST GROWING SEGMENT IN
THE AMERICAN POPULOUS AND THEIR NUMBERS AT YOUR HARVARDS, ELITE
UNIVERSITIES DON'T CHANGE. THEY'RE NOT INTERESTING THIS
PURSUING WHETHER IT'S IN THE VOTING RIGHTS DIVISION, WHETHER
IT'S IN EDUCATION WHERE THERE'S ALLEGATIONS OF RACIAL
PREFERENCES BEING USED IN WAYS THAT AREN'T COUNTENANCE BY THE
SUPREME COURT. THIS KIND OF INVESTIGATION OR
USE OF RACE IS A BLACK BOX. HOPEFULLY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
BEFORE SUING ANYONE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO INVESTIGATE AND GET THE
STATISTICS AND DATA FROM THESE UNIVERSITIES.
>> TWO THINGS. I WANT YOU TO SPEAK TO THAT
POINT BECAUSE HE'S ARGUING THAT THESE PROGRAMS CAN BECOME A
QUOTA OR A KIND OF DISCRIMINATORY CAP ON CERTAIN
STUDENT BODIES. HE'S PROPOSING ASIAN STUDENTS.
TWO, FOR BOTH YOU HAVE, I WANT TO PLAY CANDIDATE DONALD TRUMP
WHO SAID HE WAS FINE WITH AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.
WE'RE SEEING SOMETIMES IN THE AGENCIES SOMETHING DIFFERENT
THAN WHAT HE RAN ON. LET'S TAKE A LISTEN TO THAT.
>> I'M FINE WITH AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.
>> SHOULD IT BE EXPANDED OR LIMITED?
>> IT SHOULD BE -- YOU HAVE TO ALSO GO FREE MARKET.
YOU HAVE TO GO CCAPABILITY. YOU HAVE TO DO A LOT OF THINGS.
I'M FINE WITH AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.
I'VE LIVED WITH IT FOR A LONG TIME.
I'M HAD GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOTS OF PEOPLE.
I'M FINE WITH IT. >> SPEAK TO TH TO THE POINT AND
LOVE YOUR RESPONSE ON THE QUOTE THERE.
>> FIRST OF ALL, HE'S MADE A LOT OF ALLEGATIONS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HIS EVIDENCE IS THAT THE DIVISION WAS
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ANY AND ALL GROUPS.
LET ME PUT TO ONE SIDE. THE REALITY IS THAT THESE
UNIVERSITIES HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH THE REALITY OF
NEEDING TO ENGAGE AND PRODUCE DIVERSE STUDENT BODIES THAT WILL
BE ABLE TO PERFORM IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.
THAT'S SOMETHING THEY TAKE SERIOUSLY.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT QUOTAS. THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CASE
THAT WENT UP TO THE SUPREME COURT WHERE THE DECISION CAME
DOWN IN JUNE 2016, WAS ABOUT WHETHER THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
COULD CONSIDER RACE AS ONE OF MANY FACTORS IN CREATING A
DIVERSE STUDENT BODY. AMONG FACTORS WHETHER THEY HAVE
AN ATHLETIC ABILITY, WHETHER THEY ARE A LEGACY STUDENT, FOR
INSTANCE. THIS IS A VERY COMPLICATED MIX
FOR ADMISSIONS OFFICERS WHO AREN'T JUST LOOKING AT RACE AT
ALL. THAT WOULD BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
THEY ARE LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FACTORS ABOUT WHAT
BRINGS THE STUDENT INTO DIVERSITY.
IF WE ACTED ON PURE NUMBERS, THAT WOULD BE AN EASY THING TO
SAY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T MAKE THE TEST.
>> YOUR VIEW OF IF DONALD TRUMP WAS GOING TO DO THIS, SHOULDN'T
HE HAVE SAID SO WHEN HE WAS RUNNING?
>> I'M AGAINST RACIAL PREFERENCE.
I'M NOT AGAINST AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.
THE OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY IS THE AGENCY
THAT FOUND DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS AGAINST WHITES AND OTHERS --
>> NOT DURING MY TIME. >> THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
IT

Affirmative Action Debate Rages In Era Of Donald Trump | The Beat With Ari Melber | MSNBC

Latest Posts