Dr. James Peterson Explains: 'Many Of Us Are Not Surprised' | Morning Joe

COMFORT AND COVER TO NAZIS? PRESIDENT TRUMP YESTERDAY WENT
BACK TO BLAMING OTHERS FOR VIOLENCE AT A GATHERING OF
RACIST GROUPS IN VIRGINIA, A WEEK UNDERSTAND THAT BEGAN WITH
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE CARRYING TORCHES MARCHING THROUGH
CHARLOTTESVILLE CHANTING NAZI AND ANTI-SEMITIC SLOGANS.
ON SATURDAY A WOMAN WAS KILLED AND NEARLY TWO DOZEN INJURED
WHEN A CAR ALLEGEDLY DRIVEN BY THE WHITE NATIONALIST MARCHERS
PLOWED INTO COUNTER PROTESTERS. THE PRESIDENT INITIALLY BLAMED
"MANY SIDES" FOR THE VIOLENCE AND RELENTED TO CALL OUT THE
KKK, NEO-NAZIS AND OTHER HATE GROUPS ON MONDAY.
THE PRESIDENT REVERTED TO HIS ORIGINAL STATEMENT YESTERDAY
THAT MULTIPLE SIDES WERE TO BLAME FOR THE VIOLENCE.
HE EXPLAINED HIS DELAY IN CONDEMNING THOSE GROUPS
SPECIFICALLY WHILE ADDING "THOSE MARCHING ALONGSIDE THEM INCLUDED
MANY FINE PEOPLE." >> DO YOU THINK WHAT YOU CALL
THE ALT LEFT IS THE SAME AS NEO-NAZIS?
>> THOSE PEOPLE, ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE --
>> THAT'S MY QUESTION. >> EXCUSE ME, I'VE CONDEMNED
NEO-NAZIS. I'VE CONDEMNED MANY DIFFERENT
GROUPS BUT NOT ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE NEO-NAZI, BELIEVE
ME. NOT ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE
WHITE SUPREMACISTS BY ANY STRETCH.
THOSE PEOPLE WERE ALSO THERE BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO PROTEST
THE TAKING DOWN OF A STATUE, ROBERT E. LEE.
SO EXCUSE ME, AND YOU TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE GROUPS AND
YOU SEE AND YOU KNOW IT, IF YOU WERE HONEST REPORTERS WHICH IN
MANY CASES YOU'RE NOT BUT MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE THERE TO
PROTEST THE TAKING DOWN OF THE STATUE OF ROBERT E. LEE.
SO THIS WEEK IT'S ROBERT E. LEE. I NOTICE THAT STONEWALL
JACKSON'S COMING DOWN. I WONDER, IS IT GEORGE
WASHINGTON NEXT WEEK AND IS IT THOMAS JEFFERSON THE WEEK AFTER?
YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY DO HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF WHERE DOES IT STOP.
BUT THEY WERE THERE TO PROTEST, EXCUSE ME, YOU TAKE A LOOK THE
NIGHT BEFORE, THEY WERE THERE TO PROTEST THE TAKING DOWN OF THE
STATUE OF ROBERT E. LEE. >> FROM BOTH SIDES SIR, YOU SAID
THERE WAS HATRED AND VIOLENCE. >> I DO THINK THERE'S BLAME,
YES, I THINK THERE'S BLAME ON BOTH SIDES.
YOU LOOK AT BOTH SIDES, I THINK THERE'S BLAME ON BOTH SIDES, AND
I HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANY DOUBT ABOUT
IT EITHER. AND --
>> ONLY THE NAZIS -- >> AND IF YOU REPORTED IT
ACCURATELY, YOU WOULD SAY. >> THE NEO-NAZIS STARTED THE
THING, SHOWED UP IN CHARLOTTESVILLE --
>> EXCUSE ME -- >> TO PROTEST THE STATUE --
>> EXCUSE ME, YOU HAVE SOME VERY BAD PEOPLE IN THAT GROUP BUT YOU
ALSO HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE VERY FINE PEOPLE, ON BOTH SIDES.
>> ALONG WITH MIKE BARNICLE, KASIE HUNT, MICHAEL STEELE AND
JOE JOINING US FROM PHILADELPHIA DIRECTOR OF AFRICAN STUDIES AT
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY, DR. JAMES PETERSON.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING.
JUST WANT TO GET YOUR INITIAL REACTION TO WHAT WE SAW
YESTERDAY WHERE THE PRESIDENT WAS MUCH MORE EXERCISED ABOUT
DEFENDING THE PROTESTERS THAN HE WAS ABOUT THE WOMAN WHO WAS
KILLED IN THAT CROWD. >> IT'S ATROCIOUS.
I'M LISTENING TO YOU AND EVERYBODY ON THE PANEL THIS
MORNING AND HEARING THE DISGUST AND SOME OF THE ANGER BUT I
DON'T HEAR A LOT OF SURPRISE, AND I THINK MANY OF US ARE NOT
SURPRISED BY THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT.
THIS IS MORE OF A CULMINATION OF THE DONALD TRUMP THAT WE'VE SEEN
UNFOLDING OVER THE YEARS FROM THE BIRTHER OBAMA DEBACLE INTO
HIS CAMPAIGN, THE WAY IN WHICH HE LAUNCHED HIS CAMPAIGN WAS
STEEPED IN THE KIND OF RHETORIC THAT SPEAKS TO THE COMMUNITY OF
WHITE SUPREMACY AND WHITE NATIONALISTS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF HIS POLICIES, WILLIE, THE MUSLIM
BAN, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE THAT HE'S PRESIDING OVER, THERE
ARE THINGS THAT SMACK OF THE KIND OF RACISM THAT WE SEE
SEETHING BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE NEO-NAZI MOVEMENT AND OF
WHITE SUPREMACISTS AND WHITE NATIONALISTS SO I DON'T HEAR
MUCH SURPRISE. IT'S SICKENING BUT I DON'T HEAR
MUCH SURPRISE BECAUSE I THINK FOR MANY OF US WHO HAVE BEEN
PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS, THIS IS MORE OF A CULMINATION OF THE
DONALD TRUMP WE'VE SEEN ENGAGE IN THE RACIALIZED ANTICS OVER
THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, NOT SOMETHING THAT SEEMS TO BE
INCONSISTENT WITH WHERE HE'S BEEN POLICY WISE OR AS A
POLITICAL CAMPAIGNER. IT'S IN SOME WAYS KIND OF THE
END OF DOG WHISTLE POLITICS. WE TALKED ABOUT THE SOUTHERN
STRATEGY, SUPPOSED TO BE A SUBTLE REFERAGING OF RACE OR
POLITICAL DISCOURSES OR THE WAYS IN WHICH PEOPLE WOULD ENGAGE IN
DOG WHISTLE POLITICS BUT THIS IS THE END OF THAT, RIGHT, BECAUSE
NOW WE HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ENDORSING FRINGE
GROUPS THAT ARE ENGAGED IN RACIST IDEOLOGY, AND DOING SO
FORCEFULLY, DOING SO -- THE WAY THAT HE'S ENGAGING MEDIA THERE,
HE'S REJECTING THE LEGITIMACY OF THE MEDIA FOR EVEN RAISING THE
QUESTION OF HIM TRYING TO SEE TWO DIFFERENT SIDE OF THE ISSUE.
>> HARROLD FORD, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE'S BEEN DOING FOR QUITE
SOME TIME, OF COURSE ATTACKING THE MEDIA, CALLING THEM FAKE
NEWS, ALL WHILE HE'S LYING AND SPREADING FALSE INFORMATION.
I THINK YOU AS MUCH AS ANYBODY UNDERSTANDS RACIAL POLITICS AND
SORT OF THE DOG WHISTLE ELEMENT OF RACIAL POLITICS THAT WERE
USED AGAINST YOU IN I THINK IT WAS THE 2006 CAMPAIGN, WHICH A
LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SHOCKED BY, AND YET WE'VE GONE FROM THAT TO
WHERE WE ARE TODAY, AND AS THE PROFESSOR SAID, WE'RE WELL
BEYOND DOG WHISTLE POLITICS. THIS IS JUST THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES OUT AND OUT SAYING THAT THERE'S A MORAL
EQUIVALENCY BETWEEN RACISTS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE PROTESTING
AGAINST RACISTS AND RACISM IN AMERICA.
>> YOU AND FOUR OF THE FIVE HERE AND KASIE WILL HAVE THE
DISTINCTION OF NOT THIS BUT THE OTHER, WE'RE FATHERS.
WHAT KIND OF FATHER LISTENS TO PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HIS DAUGHTER
AND GRANDKIDS AND TREATS THEM AS BEING INFERIOR TO OTHER PEOPLE,
TAKES THE SIDE OF THOSE MAKING THAT CASE VERSUS THOSE WHO ARE
PROTESTING THAT CHARACTERIZATION, AND THAT
BENEATH THE WORD, AND BENEATH THE LINE CHARACTERIZATION?
IT'S JUST, IT'S BEYOND ME. I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THE
DOCTOR SAID, EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID THIS MORNING AND WHAT
YOU'VE SAIDSAID, AND IT'S HARD BELIEVE HOW GARY, HOW STEVE, HOW
SECRETARY CHAO AND OTHERS STAND BEHIND THIS GUY, AND OTHERS WHO
SUPPORT HIM. AGAIN I THINK A LOT OF THE
COUNTRY WAS TRICKED. I'VE BEEN CRITICIZED FOR SAYING
THAT. I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE
THEY WERE GETTING THIS KIND OF PRESIDENT.
SO I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT WE CAN EITHER THIS BEHAVIOR CHANGES ON
HIS PART OR PEOPLE BEGIN TO WALK AWAY FROM HIM.
>> WILLIE GEIST, IT BEARS REPEATING AS WE SAID RIGHT AFTER
THE ELECTION THAT DONALD TRUMP GOT ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, WON THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE EVEN THOUGH HE LOST THE
POPULAR VOTE BECAUSE PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN AND MICHIGAN AND OHIO
AND PENNSYLVANIA, BECAUSE PART OF THEM WHO VOTED FOR BARACK
OBAMA EIGHT YEERMZ AND MADE HISTORY, WE BECAME THE FIRST
MAJORITY WHITE COUNTRY TO PUT A BLACK MAN IN THE PRESIDENCY,
THOSE SAME PEOPLE VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP.
THEY DIDN'T VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP BECAUSE THEY WERE RACIST,
BECAUSE THEY WANTED THIS. THEY VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP
BECAUSE THEY WERE DESPERATE FOR CHANGE.
THEY WAKE UP THIS MORNING, AND THEY'VE SEEN THIS COMING A LONG
TIME, BUT MAYBE THEY THOUGHT THAT HE WAS JUST SAYING IT.
MAYBE THEY THOUGHT HE WASN'T GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON IT,
EVEN THOUGH HE GAVE HIM PLENTY OF REASONS TO, BY DENYING WHO
DAVID DUKE WAS IN FEBRUARY OF 2016 OR TALKING ABOUT THE MUSLIM
BAN IN 2015, BUT THEY'RE WAKING UP THIS MORNING.
THERE CAN BE NO MISTAKE, DONALD TRUMP IS WHO DONALD TRUMP SAID
HE WAS THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN. >> I TALKED TO A COUPLE O OF
FRIENDS YESTERDAY AFTER THIS, WHO WERE TRUMP VOTERS IN
PENNSYLVANIA, THEY VOTED FOR HIM, THEY VOTED FOR BARACK OBAMA
TWICE BUT THEY VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP THIS TIME.
THEY BASICALLY TOOK A FLYER ON HIM.
THEY DIDN'T LIKE HILLARY CLINTON PARTICULARLY.
THEY WANTED WASHINGTON TO CHANGE.
THEY BELIEVE IT HAD BEEN RIGID IN THE SAME PLACE FOR
GENERATIONS AND THOUGHT HE WOULD SHAKE IT UP SOMEHOW AND I THINK
YOU'RE RIGHT. I THINK THEY THOUGHT HIS WORDS
WERE JUST WORDS, HE WAS SAYING WHAT HE HAD TO SAY TO GET
ELECTED. WE'VE LEARNED OVER THE LAST
SEVEN MONTHS AND PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST FOUR DAYS THEY WERE
MORE THAN WORDS, THAT THEY WERE OF HIS BELIEF AND THAT IF HE'S
SPEAKING TO THE SMALL GROUP, MICHAEL STEELE, THAT HE BELIEVES
MAKES UP THE CORE OF HIS SUPPORT, OR MAYBE THE SUBCORE OF
HIS SUPPORT AND HE IS AFRAID OF THEM, HE'S AFRAID OF ALIENATING
THOSE PEOPLE WHO HELPED PUT HIM INTO OFFICE, SO MUCH SO THAT AS
HAROLD SAID HE'S WILLING TO SUPPORT A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO
WENT ON TV OVER THE WEEKEND AND RAILED AGAINST HIS SON-IN-LAW
FOR MARRYING THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER AND HAVING HER CONVERT
TO JUDAISM, HE'S DEFENDING THEM AGAINST THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
PROTESTING THAT KIND OF THOUGHT. >> HE IS, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S
BECAUSE HE'S AFRAID OF THEM. I THINK THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS.
I THINK DONALD TRUMP IS EMBOLDENED BY THEM.
HE FEEDS OFF OF THEM AND HE FEEDS THEM.
THIS IS A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP THAT'S FORMED AS A RESULT OF THE
CAMPAIGN ITSELF. GOING BACK TO SOMETHING JOE JUST
SAID, TO PARAPHRASE MAYA ANGELOU, IF DONALD TRUMP IS
TELLING US WHO HE IS WHY WON'T WE STOP AND BELIEVE HIM.
OKAY NOW WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE AND THE
COUNTRY HAS TO MAKE A DECISION HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS
TYPE OF PRESIDENT WHO IS SO FAR OUTSIDE THE CORE VALUES OF THIS
COUNTRY, I DON'T CARE WHAT STRIPE YOU WALK IN LIFE.
THAT'S THE DIVIDING LINE RIGHT NOW, AND SO IT'S LIKE A KID ON
THE PLAYGROUND, LIKE THE BULLY ON THE PLAYGROUND.
WHO IS HE AFRAID OF? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHO DOES HE
RESPOND TO? DOES HE RESPOND TO THE TEACHERS?
IS HE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TEACHERS COMING IN, THE MEDIA,
IN THIS CASE, IN THE CASE OF TRUMP, THE POLITICAL PARTIES
COMING AFTER HIM, AND PUSHING BACK ON HIM?
NO. WHAT HE'S CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE
OTHER KIDS IN THE PLAYGROUND, THOSE HE GETS TO BULLY AND THOSE
WHO EGG HIM ON. >> THERE'S AN ADDED ELEMENT TO
IT, TOO, I WOULD SUGGEST AND I'M NOT SMART ENOUGH TO FULLY
EXPLAIN IT, BUT IT GOES LIKE THIS.
THAT DONALD TRUMP BASICALLY DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HE CALLS
HIS BASE, HIS CORE CONSTITUECON. HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S
MADE UP OF PEOPLE WHO SUFFERED A SENSE OF LOSS ALONG THE WAY,
WHETHER THEY LOST A SON OR A DAUGHTER IN A 16-YEAR LONG WAR,
WHETHER THEY LOST A HOUSE OR INCOME IN 2008 AND 2009.
THEY SUFFERED A LOSS. SO THEY VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP.
THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE. BUT NOW WE ARE IN I WOULD
SUGGEST A WATERSHED MOMENT, AND THE WATERSHED MOMENT IS FOR THE
COUNTRY. DO WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT IS
HAPPENING TO OUR COUNTRY BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES DOESN'T KNOW THE COUNTRY, DOESN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THIS
GREAT GOOD, BROAD EXPANSIVE COUNTRY?
DOES HE NOT UNDERSTAND THE COUNTRY?
I WOULD SUGGEST HE DOES NOT. SO COULD WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT
IT? A WATERSHED MOMENT HERE, AND IN
TERMS OF -- >> WHAT DO YOU DO, MIKE?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? >> I DON'T KNOW, I'M NOT SMART
ENOUGH TO FIGURE THAT OUT. GIVEN THE ACCELERATED PACE OF
OUR CULTURE AND TWEETING AND INSTAGRAMING, IS THIS MOMENT
LOST? DO WE MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE
OR FOCUS ON WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY AND WHAT IS HAPPENING
TO THE PRESIDENCY? >> LET'S TALK FOR A SECOND ABOUT
THAT SIMPLE SPEAKING OUT PART, WHICH WE'VE OBVIOUSLY SEEN MANY
REPUBLICANS DO, MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIDED WITH THE PRESIDENT.
>> THEY DON'T USE HIS NAME. >> I WANT TO BRING UP, TOO, JOE
MENTIONED ELAINE CHAO, THE WIFE OF MITCH McCONNELL, STANDING
NEXT TO THE PRESIDENT AND SHE IS SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN THE TARGET
OF VERY DIRECT RACISM OVER THE COURSE OF HER LONG TIME IN
PUBLIC LIFE BOTH AS A POLITICAL SPOUSE AND IN HER OWN RIGHT, AND
EVERY TIME SHE HAS BEEN DIRECTLY ATTACKED, SHE'S BEEN CALLED,
REFERRED TO AS A CHINESE WIFE, ONE PERSON RAN A CAMPAIGN SAYING
THEY NEEDED AN ALL-AMERICAN FAMILY IN KENTUCKY, THAT'S CODED
LANGUAGE IF I EVER HEARD IT AND EVERY TIME THAT'S HAPPENED,
MITCH McCONNELL HAS JUMPED TO HER DEFENSE, THESE ARE RACIAL
SLURS, THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. HE HASN'T DONE THAT YET, AND
ELAINE CHAO STILL A MEMBER OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S CABINET.
WHAT ACTIONS COULD THOSE PEOPLE TAKE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD?
AGAIN WE MAY NOT BE SMART ENOUGH TO SAY AT THIS POINT, BUT I
THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME IMPERATIVE THERE IS.
>> I TELL YOU WHAT, AT LEAST GOING BACK TO THE ONLY THING I
HAVE FOR MY LIFE EXPERIENCE, I CAN TELL YOU THERE WAS A TIME
BACK WHEN SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED, WILLIE, IN CONGRESS,
AND A GROUP OF US JUST SAID WE WERE GOING TO STOP.
WE WERE GOING TO STOP PASSING ANY LEGISLATION, WE WERE GOING
TO STOP PASSING ANY VOTING TO PASS ANY RULES.
WE WERE GOING TO BASICALLY STOP EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN
CONGRESS UNTIL LEADERSHIP SAT DOWN AND TALKED TO US, AND WE
DID. THEY CALLED THEIR BLUFF, AND WE
VOTED NO, AND EVERYTHING GROUND TO A HALT.
THAT WAS OVER SOME MATTER THAT WAS SO MUCH SMALLER THAN WHAT
WE'RE DEAL WITH NOW, BUT THERE IS NOTHING THAT IS STOPPING
MITCH McCONNELL AND PAUL RYAN FROM COMING OUT TODAY, HOLDING A
JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE SAYING WE WERE OFFENDED BY WHAT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SAID YESTERDAY AND UNTIL THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES COMES TO US, HAS A CONVERSATION
WITH US, AND CONVINCES US THAT HE REGRETS WHAT HE SAID
YESTERDAY, AND UNDERSTANDS THE ERRS OF HIS WAY AND GOING TO
WORK FOR A MORE INCLUSIVE AMERICA, WE'RE NOT GOING TO PASS
ANY OF HIS LEGISLATION, AND NOTHING WILL GET DONE.
THEY NEED TO DO THAT. THEY CAN DO THAT.
THEY HAVE THE POWER TO DO THAT. READ THE CONSTITUTION.
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ITSELF HOLDS THE CHECKBOOK.
NOTHING GETS DONE WITHOUT THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE OKAYING IT,
WILLIE, AND AT THIS POINT, IF THIS DOESN'T FORCE THEM TO DO
IT, TO COME OUT AND SHOW COURAGE, THEN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
WILL, BECAUSE MIKE'S RIGHT. DONALD TRUMP NOT OHM DOESN'T
UNDERSTAND AMERICA, NOT ONLY DOESN'T UNDET UNDERSTAND AMERIC
DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED HIM PRESIDENT OF
THE YOU STATE. HE'S FOCUSING ON A SMALL GROUP
OF BIGOTS, NEO-NAZIS WHITE SUPREMACISTS.
THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR HIM A LOT OF WORKING CLASS AMERICANS
THAT HAVE SEEN THEIR PAYCHECKS DWINDLE YEAR AFTER YEAR OVER THE
LAST 30 YEARS AND DONALD TRUMP PROMISED THAT HE COULD MAKE
WASHINGTON WORK. DONALD TRUMP PROMISED THAT
HEALTH CARE WOULD BE EASY. DONALD TRUMP PROMISED THEM I'M
GOING TO GIVE YOU BETTER HEALTH CARE COVERAGE AT LESS COST.
DONALD TRUMP PROMISED I'M GOING TO CUT YOUR TAXES.
I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY WORK AGAIN.
DONALD TRUMP PROMISED I'M GOING TO MAKE YOUR WAGES HIGHER.
I'M GOING TO MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER.
THAT'S THE PROMISE HE MADE THEM, NOT THAT HE WOULD EMBRACE DAVID
DUKE, THE KU KLUX KLAN, WHITE SUPREMACISTS.
HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHO ELECTED HIM, AND THAT, WILLIE,
IS WHY HE'S SITTING AT 32%, 34%, AND WHY HE HAS SHAMED HIMSELF
AND HAS SHAMED THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY, AND EVERYBODY WHO
WORKS FOR HIM. >> THE PROBLEM, DR. PETERSON,
WITH MITCH McCONNELL AND PAUL RYAN APPROACHING THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES AND ASKING HIM TO SAY IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS
HE REGRETS WHAT HE SAID IS THAT HE DOESN'T REGRET WHAT HE SAID.
HE HAD A CHANCE TO CLEAN IT UP. HE SAID IT ON SATURDAY, HE SPOKE
FROM HIS HEART ON SATURDAY WHEN HE AD LIBBED THE LINE ABOUT MANY
SIDES. HE TRIED TO CLEAN IT UP ON
MONDAY, WHEN HE WAS PUSHED INTO A CORNER, AND YESTERDAY HE
REVEALED TO THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD WHAT HIS TRUE FEELING ON
THIS MATTER WAS, SO A CONVERSATION ASKING HIM TO GO
OUT PUBLICLY AND CLEAN IT UP HOLD NO WATER ANYMORE.
IT'S MEANINGLESS. >> IT DOESN'T.
THE BACK-AND-FORTH DIMINISHED THE CAPACITY FOR CLEANUP IN
TERMS OF A POLITICAL STATEMENT AND I AGREE WITH JOE, SEEMS LIKE
IT WOULD BE A BIT OF COURAGE ON THE PART OF SOME LEADERS IN
CONGRESS TO STEP FORWARD AND TRY TO SALVAGE WHAT'S LEFT OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY IN THE TRUMP ERA, BUT I THINK WE WILL BE
REMISS IF WE DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT THIS KIND OF
PRESIDENCY DEGRADES THE AMERICAN POLITICAL PROJECT.
IT DOWNGRADES WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM POLITICS, IT DOWNGRADES THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE'S CAPACITY TO TRUST IN POLITICAL THINKING, IN
POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS, AND SO IN THAT KIND OF CONTEXT, IT'S
DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW A STATEMENT FROM RYAN ANNOUNCING THE
PRESIDENT'S NAME OR HOW ANY STATEMENT FROM MITCH McCONNELL
IS GOING TO SOMEHOW RECOVER WHAT'S BEEN DIMINISHED IN THIS
PARTICULAR MOMENT. BUT I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ELSE
ABOUT WHAT'S DANGEROUS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S STATEMENTS.
IF YOU STUDY WHITE SUPREMACIST GROUPS AND YOU LOOK AT HOW THEY
OPERATE, THIS IDEA THAT THERE'S SOME BOOGEYMAN ON THE LEFT,
THERE'S PEOPLE OUT TO GET THEM, THE FACT THAT HE'S VALIDATING
THAT, THAT IS REALLY, REALLY DANGEROUS, BECAUSE IN THAT
WORLD, THE KIND OF SORT OF HYPER ANNOUNCEMENT AROUND THE
ENEMY ULTIMATELY DOES LEAD TO VIE LET OUTCOMES SO MY SENSE IS
THAT THIS IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO RECOVER FROM, GIVEN
WHERE WE ARE IN THIS PARTICULAR POLITICAL MOMENT.
>> AS WE SAID EARLIER THE PRESIDENT YESTERDAY WAS MORE
EXERCISED AND MORE ANIMATED WHEN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW BAD THE
COUNTER PROTESTERS WERE THAN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO
KILLED HEATHER HEYER. DR. JAMES PETERSON, APPRECIATE
HAVING YOUR ELOQUENT VOICE IN THIS CONVERSATION THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU. >>> STILL AHEAD JOY REID AND
"THE WASHINGTON POST" BOB COSTA. WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT DO AFTER
DEFENDING THOSE AT THE WHITE NATIONALIST RALLY?
HE PLUGGED THE TRUMP WINER WHY I IN VIRGINIA.
>> DOES ANYONE KNOW I OWN A HOUSE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE?
>> WHERE IS IT? >> IT'S GOING TO BE -- IT'S IN
CHARLOTTESVILLE. YOU'LL SEE.
>> IS IT THE WINERY? >> IT IS THE WINERY.
I MEAN I KNOW A LOT ABOUT CHARLOTTESVILLE.
CHARLOTTESVILLE IS A GREAT PLACE THAT'S BEEN VERY BADLY HURT OVER
THE LAST COUPLE OF

Dr. James Peterson Explains: 'Many Of Us Are Not Surprised' | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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