Kal Penn On Presidential Arts Committee Resignation | All In

>>> THE ENTIRE PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON THE ARTS AND
HUMANITIES RESIGN IN PROTEST OF EQUIVOCATION OF WHITE
SUPREMACISTS AND NEO-NAZIS. THE LETTER INCLUDED THEY ARE NOT
AMERICAN VALUES. YOUR VALUES ARE NOT AMERICAN
VALUES. WE MUST BE BETTER THAN THIS.
WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS. IF THIS IS NOT CLEAR TO YOU, WE
CALL ON YOU TO RESIGN YOUR OFFICE, TOO.
THE NOTE INCLUDED ODED ONE ADDIL MESSAGE.
THE FIRST LETTER OF EACH PARAGRAPH SPELLED OUT ONE WORD,
RESIST. THE MAN BEHIND THAT MESSAGE,
ACTOR AND FORMER MEMBER OF THE ARTS COMMITTEE IS HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME. YOU TWEETED THE LETTER.
YOU SAID EARLIER THIS MONTH, IT WAS DECIDED -- SORRY, YOU SAID
DEAR DONALD TRUMP HERE IS OUR LETTER OF RESIGNATION.
THAT GOT RETWEETED A LOT. THEN THE WHITE HOUSE MADE AE A
STATEMENT, NO, NO, NO. THEY DECIDED TO DISBAND IT.
IT WASN'T THESE GUYS. WHO BROKE UP WITH WHOM?
>> UNFORTUNATELY, WE BROKE UP WITH HIM FIRST.
HE IS NOT ALLOWED TO BREAK UP WITH US AFTER THAT.
I LEARNED THAT IN FOURTH GRADE. >> HOW DID IT COME TOGETHER?
DISCUSS THE PROCESS THE MEMBERS DECIDED TO QUIT TOGETHER.
>> SURE. PROBABLY HALF THE ORIGINAL
MEMBERS LEFT AFTER THE ADMINISTRATION CHANGE BUT THE --
WE WERE A COMMITTEE THAT DOESN'T TURN OUT.
YOU MENTIONED WE ARE TECHNICALLY A WHITE HOUSE AGENCY.
HALF OF US FIGURE WE DON'T AGREE WITH THE PRESIDENT ON ALMOST
ANYTHING. IF OUR MANDATE IS ARTS EDUCATION
AND CULTURAL DIPLOMACY, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE THERE FOR, WHY NOT
SEE HOW MUCH WE CAN GET DONE. THIS WEEK WAS PARTICULARLY
PRONOUNCED AND A LOT OF US DIDN'T WANT TO BE COMPLICIT WITH
THIS. A FEW OF US SAID, LOOK, I'M
THINKING OF RESIGNING, IS ANYONE ELSE FEELING THE SAME WAY.
TURNED OUT WE ALL DID. >> WE HAVE HAD OVER THE COURSE
OF A FEW WEEKS, SEVERAL HONNOREES SAY WE ARE NOT GOING
TO SHOW UP. BUSINESS LEADERS WALKED AWAY
FROM THE BUSINESS COUNCILS. MAR-A-LAGO LOSING FIVE OR MORE
CHARITY EVENTS. WERE YOU INFLUENCED BY THE
TRICKLE THAT IS TURNING INTO A FLOOD OF PEOPLE WALKING AWAY?
>> NO. I DON'T THINK SO.
LOOK, WE DIDN'T SET OUT TO INFLUENCE ANYBODY ELSE OR TO DO
WHAT ANYBODY ELSE HAS DONE. WE LOOKED AT OURSELVES AND SAID
THIS IS FAR BEYOND -- YOU HAVE A SITTING PRESIDENT WHO IS
EQUATING A TERRORIST WITH THE QUOTE, UNQUOTE, OTHER SIDE.
WE SAID, LOOK, WE HAVE THIS INCREDIBLE ARTS PROGRAM TURN
AROUND ARTS LAUNCHED THROUGH THE PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE.
IT IS VIBRANT AND DOING WELL. WHAT DO WE TELL OUR KIDS WHEN
THEY ASK US, IS THIS NORMAL? WE SAID, WE CAN'T STAND AROUND
AND HAVE OUR NAMES ATTACHED TO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
FOR US, THAT CERTAINLY WAS THE RIGHT DECISION.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE KENNEDY CENTER.
I HAVE ONLY GONE ONE TIME, I GOT TO GO LAST YEAR.
PEOPLE KNOW YOU AS HAVING GOTTEN INVOLVED IN THE QUASI
GOVERNMENTAL PROGRAMS DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
HOW DIFFICULT HAS IT BEEN FOR PEOPLE IN THE ARTS TO RECKON
WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION GIVEN THE BLATANT STATEMENTS AGAINST
MUSLIMS, MEXICANS OR AGAINST, YOU KNOW, PICK A GROUP.
>> GREAT QUESTION. ARTISTS VIEW THEMSELVES AND
FOLKS WHO WORK IN HUMANITIES DO, TO.
YOU TRY TO SPARK A CONVERSATION. THE ARTS SHOULD, IN AN IDEAL
WORLD, SPARK THAT CONVERSATION. I THINK THE PRESIDENT'S FY 2018
BUDGET, NOT SHOCKING, WAS DEFINITELY DISTURBING.
ZERO DOLLARS FOR THE NEA AND NEH.
YOU CAN HAVE TRUMPS TALK ALL THEY WANT PUBLICLY ABOUT HOW
GREAT THE ARTS ARE AND HOW WE SHOULD BE EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN
IN THE ARTS, BUT WHEN, PARTICULARLY IVANKA WHEN SHE WAS
SENIOR ADVISER AND THERE'S ZERO DOLLARS FOR IT, IT IS CLEAR HOW
THEY FEEL. MOST ARTISTS KNOW HOW TO DO A
LOT WITH LITTLE. YOU HAVE VERY SMALL ARTS
ORGANIZATIONS WITH INCREDIBLE STAFFS AND OUTREACH, FOLKS LIKE
AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO MAKE SURE
NOT JUST THE NEA AND NEH BUDGETS ARE PUT BACK IN, BUT FOLKS ARE
AWARE OF THIS. >> IF YOU WERE INVITED TO THE
WHITE HOUSE, WOULD YOU GO? >> I DON'T THINK I'M GETTING
THAT INVITE. >> IF HE WANTED TO INVITE YOU TO
COME, WOULD GROW? >> I WOULD POLITELY DECLINE
RIGHT NOW. I HAVE TO SAY I CERTAINLY HOPE
THEY DON'T ABANDON THE ARTS. IF FOLKS DON'T KNOW THERE'S A
HUGE ECONOMIC COMPARESON. THAT'S THE BETWEEN AN
ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND STEM WITH THE ARTS.
IF THEY ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS, I HOPE THEY CONTINUE DOWN THAT
PATH. >> CAL PENN, CURRENTLY PART OF
THE GREAT CAST ON DESIGNATED

Kal Penn On Presidential Arts Committee Resignation | All In | MSNBC

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