democracynow--2020-11-02--Battleground Texas: GOP Sues to Toss 127K Votes as Trump Caravan Tries to Force Biden Bus Off Road

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , as we turn to Texas , where polls show a close race between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
On Friday , a caravan of Trump supporters surrounded , then following a Biden campaign bus on a highway between San Antonio and Austin .
A Biden campaign official described it as an attempt to slow down the bus and run it off the road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pickup trucks that tailgated the bus swerved into a car full of Biden campaign workers , leaving deep dents in the passenger side .
There is video of all of this .
After the attack , Texas Democrats canceled three scheduled campaign events .
This came days after the president ’ s eldest son , Donald Trump Jr. , called on his father ’ s supporters to , quote , “ get out there , have some fun.
” On Saturday , President Trump retweeted part of a video of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I LOVE TEXAS !
” Then , on Sunday , Trump lashed out at the FBI for investigating it , writing , quote , “ these patriots did nothing wrong , ” suggesting they should instead investigate antifa .
This comes as Texas voters have already cast more than 9 million ballots — more than the state ’ s total turnout of the 2016 presidential election .
Meanwhile , on Sunday , the Texas Supreme Court denied a request to throw out nearly 127,000 early votes from 10 drive-thru polling locations in Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drive-thru polls allowed any registered voter to cast their ballot in their car instead of going inside polling centers .
The case will now be heard today before the notoriously conservative U.S. District Judge Andrew Scott Hanen , who was appointed by President George W. Bush .
The Harris County Clerk ’ s Office said it created drive-thru voting , quote , “ in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as a safer , socially-distant alternative to walk-in voting for all voters.
” The office is led by 34-year-old Chris Hollins , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black clerk .
Hollins also pushed to make it easier for Houstonians to vote during the pandemic by tripling the number of early voting sites .
Last week , he kept eight polling locations open for 24 hours for the first time in Texas history .
The result has been record-breaking voter turnout .
Critics note the drive-thru voting sites now being challenged were originally approved by the Republican Texas secretary of state and were set up in consultation with local Republican officials .
One of the main people who filed the lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy theorist Steven Hotze , who has called COVID-19 , quote , “ much ado about nothing , ” and also sued Harris County over its order requiring people to cover their faces in public .
The lawsuit claims drive-thru sites are unconstitutional .
But Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo , who holds a nonjudicial executive position , addressed voters Sunday night and said Texas Supreme Court ’ s decision proves otherwise .
AMY GOODMAN : More than 40 % of Harris County residents are Latinx , and about one in five residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to Alpine , Texas , where we ’ re joined by Susan Hays , special counsel to Harris County , Texas , on election matters .
She has worked on election laws in Texas for over 20 years .
Welcome to Democracy Now !
, Susan Hays .
So , let ’ s talk about this .
The Texas Supreme Court hands down a decision , says these nearly 127,000 votes , ballots can be counted .
Explain what was set up to enable people to vote and what it means going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HAYS : Right .
First , thank you for having me on today .
Harris County has set up 10 separate drive-thru locations .
Nine of them are these enormous metal framing and tent structures .
One of them is in a parking garage at the Toyota Center , one of the major sports arenas in Harris County .
Voters pull up .
They ’ re greeted by an election worker , just as they might be at a walk-in polling place .
They ’ re asked to turn off their cellphone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Their IDs are checked .
Texas requires a voter ID .
And then they come into the polling station .
The vote — they sign a roster , just as they would in in-person voting .
The voting machine , which is attached to a cable , is handed into the voter ’ s window .
And they vote from the seat of their car , hand the machine back .
It is sanitized between every voter .
We ’ ve taken enormous efforts to try to keep the in-person voting as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
And then they pull on out .
It ’ s been enormously popular .
About 10 % of our in-person voting — votes so far have been through the drive-thru locations .
AMY GOODMAN : How long has this gone on ?
SUSAN HAYS : Well , it was pilot-tested during a July primary runoff .
And we surveyed everyone who went through .
The results were incredibly positive .
So , the commissioners court , which has the power under state law to approve polling locations , voted unanimously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on August 25th to approve these 10 locations , along with the other 112 early voting locations in Harris County .
And it began on the first day of early voting , on October 13th .
And the Texas Supreme Court has denied three separate petitions for writ of mandamus trying to attack and stop the drive-thru voting .
AMY GOODMAN : So , this whole process landed in court .
Once again , the Texas state Supreme Court ruled on behalf of — what was it ?
Harris County ?
— said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Where does it go now in the federal court ?
What is it up against ?
SUSAN HAYS : Late last — or , in the middle of last week , an almost identical complaint was filed in the Southern District of Texas .
The judge set it for a hearing this morning at 10:30 on a motion for preliminary injunction .
And what they ’ re asking for is that these votes be segregated and not counted tomorrow night , which is directly contrary to Texas law .
Texas law requires that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if anyone — any candidate ’ s race is close , then they can file an election contest .
An election contest is the remedy to any issues with the voting process , not lawsuits that happen before the election .
And we do not know what will happen today with the court .
We have an incredibly strong legal team that ’ s been lined up in Houston that will be presenting argument .
And a lot of organizations have weighed in to file , including some very prominent Republicans .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has filed an amicus brief , backing up Harris County and backing up the right for everyone to vote .
AMY GOODMAN : So , tell us who Steven Hotze is , who is among those who filed this petition in the federal court to throw out the more than 126,000 ballots .
SUSAN HAYS : Hotze has been a figure in extreme Texas politics for decades .
Decades ago , he lived in Austin and did a lot of anti-LBGT attacks .
He ’ s been — he was , for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris County Republican politics .
You didn ’ t get to be a judge in Harris County without his blessing .
He published a slate card of people he endorsed , except you had to pay him to get endorsed .
And as Harris County has gone blue , his political star has fallen .
He ’ s become more and more outrageous , as you explained in your opening report .
He has filed 10 separate direct lawsuits at the Texas Supreme Court since the pandemic began , five on behalf — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have taken , particularly Judge Lina Hidalgo of Harris County , and five about election procedures , very focused on Chris Hollins , notably another person of color and in charge of — in power in Harris County .
And the Texas Supreme Court has denied every single one .
SUSAN HAYS : Yes .
You know , he ’ s been so bad for so long , that , in a way , doesn ’ t even add that much to how extreme he ’ s been in Texas politics and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had on some Republican politics in Texas .
AMY GOODMAN : If the federal court throws out these votes , do all of these people have to vote tomorrow ?
SUSAN HAYS : That is one potential solution we have , is , along with the rest of the country since Bush v. Gore , a provisional balloting system .
You know , Harris County does , of course , have the data of who voted drive-thru .
And the voters in Harris County , be they Republican , Democratic or independent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the voters have intervened in the case , filed late last night .
There are about 20 who are named in that intervention , but we have currently over 4,000 other voters signed up to join the lawsuit , as well .
AMY GOODMAN : Finally , on Saturday , Susan Hays , Trump tweeted a video of his supporters surrounding the Biden-Harris campaign bus in Central Texas , writing , quote , “ I LOVE TEXAS !
” The president ’ s tweet came after a separate video surfaced showing cars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s blue campaign bus as it traveled from San Antonio to Austin on a highway .
It ’ s astounding video .
Biden criticized Trump ’ s tweet during a campaign rally in Philadelphia Sunday .
AMY GOODMAN : So , that was Biden .
On Sunday , Susan Hays , you tweeted , “ While all of you were getting excited about # TexasTurnout or horrified about terrorists trying to run a bus off the road , Texas passed California in COVID cases .
Now call everyone you know to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” If you can talk about what actually took place ?
You have a car ramming — a Trump car ramming a car of Biden campaign workers , the FBI now saying they ’ re investigating , as Trump tweets “ I LOVE TEXAS !
” SUSAN HAYS : You know , what I know is what I ’ ve seen through the media .
And I watched the video .
I ’ m very familiar with that stretch of highway .
It ’ s an incredibly busy area between Austin and San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stretch of highway on a good day .
But I was very disappointed in the Hays County sheriff , which is the county just south of Austin , for not seeming alarmed about that .
And I also noted that sheriff is on the ballot tomorrow .
AMY GOODMAN : And , of course , because there ’ s video , you can see license plates .
You can see exactly who did this .
This ultimately forced the Biden campaign to cancel their events .
SUSAN HAYS : Absolutely .
And , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Public Safety , which would also have jurisdiction over that stretch of highway , is investigating , as well .
And I would hope the relevant sheriff ’ s departments are investigating , as well .
And law enforcement doesn ’ t talk about investigations while they ’ re ongoing , but I would hope that they would quickly wrap that up and arrest whoever was driving that black pickup , who tried to run a car off the road in the middle of a busy interstate .
You know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 75 miles an hour .
I doubt the bus was going that fast , but that ’ s the traffic in the — right along there .
It ’ s very dangerous , as I said , on a good day .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , I want to thank you very much for joining us .
Final question about COVID , I mean , Texas breaking records in early voting , but also around the issue of COVID .
Can you talk about the scale of the pandemic and how you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of the election , though record voting in Texas so far ?
SUSAN HAYS : You know , it ’ s shooting up .
Our state government has not handled it well .
Our state government has aggressively pushed back on county governments who have tried to handle it .
El Paso is having an outbreak , and our attorney general sued the county judge for putting the county on lockdown .
You know , I ’ m speaking to you today from Alpine , Texas , a remote rural area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And we came here to try to be safe .
It ’ s now hit the rural counties with a vengeance , in part because of all the messaging coming from President Trump and coming from people like Steve Hotze , who deny medicine and deny science , trying to minimize what people should be doing .
And it ’ s killing people .
It ’ s killing people in the rural communities .
It ’ s killing people along the border .
Latinx are more susceptible to it .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hays , I want to thank you for being with us , special counsel to Harris County , Texas , on election matters , worked on election laws in Texas for over 20 years .
Next , we go to the battleground state of Florida to speak with Haitian American author Edwidge Danticat to talk about how more than a quarter of a million U.S.-born children could be separated from their parents .
And we ’ ll speak with one of them .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, as we turn to Texas, where polls show a close race between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
On Friday, a caravan of Trump supporters surrounded, then following a Biden campaign bus on a highway between San Antonio and Austin. A Biden campaign official described it as an attempt to slow down the bus and run it off the road. The Dallas Morning News reports one of the pickup trucks that tailgated the bus swerved into a car full of Biden campaign workers, leaving deep dents in the passenger side. There is video of all of this.
After the attack, Texas Democrats canceled three scheduled campaign events. This came days after the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., called on his father’s supporters to, quote, “get out there, have some fun.” On Saturday, President Trump retweeted part of a video of the incident, writing, quote, “I LOVE TEXAS!” Then, on Sunday, Trump lashed out at the FBI for investigating it, writing, quote, “these patriots did nothing wrong,” suggesting they should instead investigate antifa.
This comes as Texas voters have already cast more than 9 million ballots — more than the state’s total turnout of the 2016 presidential election.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Texas Supreme Court denied a request to throw out nearly 127,000 early votes from 10 drive-thru polling locations in Harris County, home to Houston. The drive-thru polls allowed any registered voter to cast their ballot in their car instead of going inside polling centers. The case will now be heard today before the notoriously conservative U.S. District Judge Andrew Scott Hanen, who was appointed by President George W. Bush.
The Harris County Clerk’s Office said it created drive-thru voting, quote, “in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as a safer, socially-distant alternative to walk-in voting for all voters.” The office is led by 34-year-old Chris Hollins, the county’s youngest and the first Black clerk. Hollins also pushed to make it easier for Houstonians to vote during the pandemic by tripling the number of early voting sites. Last week, he kept eight polling locations open for 24 hours for the first time in Texas history. The result has been record-breaking voter turnout. Critics note the drive-thru voting sites now being challenged were originally approved by the Republican Texas secretary of state and were set up in consultation with local Republican officials.
One of the main people who filed the lawsuit challenging the drive-thru ballots is right-wing QAnon conspiracy theorist Steven Hotze, who has called COVID-19, quote, “much ado about nothing,” and also sued Harris County over its order requiring people to cover their faces in public. The lawsuit claims drive-thru sites are unconstitutional. But Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who holds a nonjudicial executive position, addressed voters Sunday night and said Texas Supreme Court’s decision proves otherwise.
JUDGE LINA HIDALGO: We are working with urgency with the brightest legal team in our state, who is working day and night to fight this frivolous litigation that is now in federal court. I do acknowledge that the fact that we’re even having this conversation is cause for concern and means that something needs our attention. We have to be real and put out there that it is bewildering that this is even happening, that these votes that have already been cast are — that folks are trying to invalidate them. We know we’re right on the law. We had drive-thru voting for a past runoff election. The secretary of state has seen our plans for months with no objection. Just a few hours ago, the Texas Supreme Court rejected a petition to have these votes invalidated.
AMY GOODMAN: More than 40% of Harris County residents are Latinx, and about one in five residents are Black.
For more, we go to Alpine, Texas, where we’re joined by Susan Hays, special counsel to Harris County, Texas, on election matters. She has worked on election laws in Texas for over 20 years.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Susan Hays. So, let’s talk about this. The Texas Supreme Court hands down a decision, says these nearly 127,000 votes, ballots can be counted. Explain what was set up to enable people to vote and what it means going before the federal court today.
SUSAN HAYS: Right. First, thank you for having me on today.
Harris County has set up 10 separate drive-thru locations. Nine of them are these enormous metal framing and tent structures. One of them is in a parking garage at the Toyota Center, one of the major sports arenas in Harris County.
Voters pull up. They’re greeted by an election worker, just as they might be at a walk-in polling place. They’re asked to turn off their cellphone, not converse while they’re voting. Their IDs are checked. Texas requires a voter ID. And then they come into the polling station. The vote — they sign a roster, just as they would in in-person voting. The voting machine, which is attached to a cable, is handed into the voter’s window. And they vote from the seat of their car, hand the machine back. It is sanitized between every voter. We’ve taken enormous efforts to try to keep the in-person voting as sanitized and safe as possible, given the pandemic. And then they pull on out.
It’s been enormously popular. About 10% of our in-person voting — votes so far have been through the drive-thru locations.
AMY GOODMAN: How long has this gone on?
SUSAN HAYS: Well, it was pilot-tested during a July primary runoff. And we surveyed everyone who went through. The results were incredibly positive. So, the commissioners court, which has the power under state law to approve polling locations, voted unanimously, including the two Republican members, on August 25th to approve these 10 locations, along with the other 112 early voting locations in Harris County. And it began on the first day of early voting, on October 13th. And the Texas Supreme Court has denied three separate petitions for writ of mandamus trying to attack and stop the drive-thru voting.
AMY GOODMAN: So, this whole process landed in court. Once again, the Texas state Supreme Court ruled on behalf of — what was it? Harris County? — said that these votes can be counted. Where does it go now in the federal court? What is it up against?
SUSAN HAYS: Late last — or, in the middle of last week, an almost identical complaint was filed in the Southern District of Texas. The judge set it for a hearing this morning at 10:30 on a motion for preliminary injunction. And what they’re asking for is that these votes be segregated and not counted tomorrow night, which is directly contrary to Texas law. Texas law requires that all the votes be counted. And if anyone — any candidate’s race is close, then they can file an election contest. An election contest is the remedy to any issues with the voting process, not lawsuits that happen before the election.
And we do not know what will happen today with the court. We have an incredibly strong legal team that’s been lined up in Houston that will be presenting argument. And a lot of organizations have weighed in to file, including some very prominent Republicans. The former Republican speaker of the Texas House has filed an amicus brief, backing up Harris County and backing up the right for everyone to vote.
AMY GOODMAN: So, tell us who Steven Hotze is, who is among those who filed this petition in the federal court to throw out the more than 126,000 ballots.
SUSAN HAYS: Hotze has been a figure in extreme Texas politics for decades. Decades ago, he lived in Austin and did a lot of anti-LBGT attacks. He’s been — he was, for a while, a major power broker in Harris County Republican politics. You didn’t get to be a judge in Harris County without his blessing. He published a slate card of people he endorsed, except you had to pay him to get endorsed. And as Harris County has gone blue, his political star has fallen. He’s become more and more outrageous, as you explained in your opening report.
He has filed 10 separate direct lawsuits at the Texas Supreme Court since the pandemic began, five on behalf — five attacking health measures that local officials have taken, particularly Judge Lina Hidalgo of Harris County, and five about election procedures, very focused on Chris Hollins, notably another person of color and in charge of — in power in Harris County. And the Texas Supreme Court has denied every single one.
AMY GOODMAN: QAnon supporter.
SUSAN HAYS: Yes. You know, he’s been so bad for so long, that, in a way, doesn’t even add that much to how extreme he’s been in Texas politics and the sort of cancerous effect he’s had on some Republican politics in Texas.
AMY GOODMAN: If the federal court throws out these votes, do all of these people have to vote tomorrow?
SUSAN HAYS: That is one potential solution we have, is, along with the rest of the country since Bush v. Gore, a provisional balloting system. You know, Harris County does, of course, have the data of who voted drive-thru. And the voters in Harris County, be they Republican, Democratic or independent, are very unhappy about this. Some of the voters have intervened in the case, filed late last night. There are about 20 who are named in that intervention, but we have currently over 4,000 other voters signed up to join the lawsuit, as well.
AMY GOODMAN: Finally, on Saturday, Susan Hays, Trump tweeted a video of his supporters surrounding the Biden-Harris campaign bus in Central Texas, writing, quote, “I LOVE TEXAS!” The president’s tweet came after a separate video surfaced showing cars and trucks with Trump 2020 flags encircling Biden’s blue campaign bus as it traveled from San Antonio to Austin on a highway. It’s astounding video. Biden criticized Trump’s tweet during a campaign rally in Philadelphia Sunday.
JOE BIDEN: There’s a big Greyhound bus, white bus, painted blue with Biden’s markings on the side. And it was an interstate highway in Texas. And a bunch of Trump trucks, pickup trucks with Trump flags, tried to run it off the road. They’re stopping it, stopping in front of it. And the president saw it, took the video that someone had taken, and tweeted it back out and said, “I LOVE TEXAS!” “I LOVE TEXAS!” … We’ve never had anything like this. At least we’ve never had a president who thinks it’s a good thing.
AMY GOODMAN: So, that was Biden. On Sunday, Susan Hays, you tweeted, “While all of you were getting excited about #TexasTurnout or horrified about terrorists trying to run a bus off the road, Texas passed California in COVID cases. Now call everyone you know to vote like your life depended on it.” If you can talk about what actually took place? You have a car ramming — a Trump car ramming a car of Biden campaign workers, the FBI now saying they’re investigating, as Trump tweets “I LOVE TEXAS!”
SUSAN HAYS: You know, what I know is what I’ve seen through the media. And I watched the video. I’m very familiar with that stretch of highway. It’s an incredibly busy area between Austin and San Antonio. It’s a dangerous stretch of highway on a good day. But I was very disappointed in the Hays County sheriff, which is the county just south of Austin, for not seeming alarmed about that. And I also noted that sheriff is on the ballot tomorrow.
AMY GOODMAN: And, of course, because there’s video, you can see license plates. You can see exactly who did this. This ultimately forced the Biden campaign to cancel their events.
SUSAN HAYS: Absolutely. And, you know, I hope that the Department of Public Safety, which would also have jurisdiction over that stretch of highway, is investigating, as well. And I would hope the relevant sheriff’s departments are investigating, as well. And law enforcement doesn’t talk about investigations while they’re ongoing, but I would hope that they would quickly wrap that up and arrest whoever was driving that black pickup, who tried to run a car off the road in the middle of a busy interstate. You know, the speeds on that interstate regularly exceed 75 miles an hour. I doubt the bus was going that fast, but that’s the traffic in the — right along there. It’s very dangerous, as I said, on a good day.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you very much for joining us. Final question about COVID, I mean, Texas breaking records in early voting, but also around the issue of COVID. Can you talk about the scale of the pandemic and how you think it’s going to affect the rest of the election, though record voting in Texas so far?
SUSAN HAYS: You know, it’s shooting up. Our state government has not handled it well. Our state government has aggressively pushed back on county governments who have tried to handle it. El Paso is having an outbreak, and our attorney general sued the county judge for putting the county on lockdown.
You know, I’m speaking to you today from Alpine, Texas, a remote rural area, because my husband has underlying conditions. And we came here to try to be safe. It’s now hit the rural counties with a vengeance, in part because of all the messaging coming from President Trump and coming from people like Steve Hotze, who deny medicine and deny science, trying to minimize what people should be doing. And it’s killing people. It’s killing people in the rural communities. It’s killing people along the border. Latinx are more susceptible to it. It’s awful.
AMY GOODMAN: Susan Hays, I want to thank you for being with us, special counsel to Harris County, Texas, on election matters, worked on election laws in Texas for over 20 years.
Next, we go to the battleground state of Florida to speak with Haitian American author Edwidge Danticat to talk about how more than a quarter of a million U.S.-born children could be separated from their parents. And we’ll speak with one of them. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-11-02--"We Never Made It to the Polls": Police in North Carolina Pepper-Spray Voting March, Arresting Eight

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : We begin today ’ s show in the battleground state of North Carolina .
On Saturday , police in Alamance County pepper-sprayed voters taking part in a peaceful get-out-the-vote rally .
The rally began at a local Black church and was scheduled to end at an early voting site in Graham , North Carolina , which is located between Durham and Greensboro .
During the rally , participants stopped near a Confederate monument and paused in the street for eight minutes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was killed by police in Minneapolis in May .
Floyd ’ s niece was scheduled to speak but didn ’ t get a chance .
Moments later , the police , some dressed in riot gear , began pepper-spraying the crowd , which included children as young as 3 years old .
One elderly woman in a wheelchair appeared to have had a seizure after being exposed to the pepper spray .
AMY GOODMAN : Democratic congressional candidate Scott Huffman was pepper-sprayed and recorded this video in his car moments later .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ day of early voting in North Carolina , but the march never made it to the polling site .
At least eight people were arrested during the rally , including the march organizer , the Reverend Greg Drumwright , who joins us now from Greensboro .
He ’ s lead organizer of Justice 4 the Next Generation coalition .
Reverend Greg Drumwright , welcome to Democracy Now !
Can you take us through Saturday ?
What happened ?
REV .
GREG DRUMWRIGHT : Good morning to all of your viewers and certainly to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
Saturday is , in some instances , still a blur .
We still have people recovering from those tear gas and pepper spray attacks .
We started the morning really knowing that there was going to be some form of a materialized effort to quell our success and to quiet our voices , even though we prayed intently and we met , several times over , with the local authorities there , asking them not to bring militia force to our march .
As you and I know now , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : So , explain what the purpose of your rally was , where you went , and when the police moved in and attacked you .
REV .
GREG DRUMWRIGHT : We landed there , after marching for about three-quarters of a mile , on the north side of Main Street just before the court square , where we were allowed .
We were in full cooperation with our agreement with authorities .
Once we got to North Main Street in front of a Confederate monument , we kneeled eight minutes and 46 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in honor of George Floyd ’ s family .
And I need to say that George Floyd ’ s family , four members of the family , was there with us on the frontline .
After eight minutes and 46 seconds , we got up and began to prepare for our rally .
And just as the Graham Police Department uplifted in their press conference yesterday , at the nine-minute mark , they began to release pepper spray and tear gas upon our marchers , stating that we were not moving fast enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know if you know arithmetic well enough to discern that that ’ s only 14 seconds for hundreds of people to remove themselves peacefully onto the sidewalks .
AMY GOODMAN : So , tell us who the sheriff is , and then tell us what happened next , once the police tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed you .
Were they wearing riot gear ?
REV .
GREG DRUMWRIGHT : We seen all types of tactical force dressings and gear .
We petitioned Chief Kristi Cole , who was in charge of this .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his deputies were working in concert with Chief Kristi Cole and the Graham Police Department .
We begged them not to bring militia force .
We begged them across several letters , stating that when this type of police presence gets involved , Black and Brown people end up in jail .
And so , we started our riot with people already being injured , people already being hassled and detained by local police authorities , simply because they would not get onto the sidewalks , after they escorted us in the streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seconds to make something like that happen with a crowd of hundreds of people .
AMY GOODMAN : The Graham Police Department held a news conference Sunday to answer questions about the pepper-spraying of the marchers at Saturday ’ s event .
This is Lt. Daniel Sisk .
AMY GOODMAN : So , that was Lt. Daniel Sisk .
And I ’ m looking at a flyer that was published and distributed by your organization , Justice 4 the Next Generation , that says , on Saturday , October 31st , in Graham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , quote , “ marching from Wayman ’ s Chapel AME to a Court square Rally at the Confederate Monument and on to Elm Street Poll !
” So , talk about that end point .
You had hundreds of people .
Many were going to vote ?
REV .
GREG DRUMWRIGHT : Yes .
We believe that many were going to vote .
We believe that others were waiting for us to get to the Elm Street poll to vote in concert with us .
The truth of the matter is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those numbers would have looked like .
Because of this police brutality , we never made it to the polls .
And therefore , we believe that this interaction , this interference from local authorities , has created — obstructed our marchers from not only lifting up our First Amendment rights to protest , to speak out , but also our rights to vote .
This interaction from the police most certainly kept people from voting in Alamance County .
AMY GOODMAN : You know , as people heard this story all over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made to Bull Connor , the head of so-called security in Birmingham , who would water-hose the people who were going to register to vote , beat people , water-hose children .
Your thoughts , Reverend Drumwright ?
REV .
GREG DRUMWRIGHT : This is a sheriff that has been sued by the federal government in 2012 , has been sued by the government for actually disproportionately arresting Black and Brown people , even referring to Hispanics as “ taco eaters.
” Sheriff Terry Johnson and his department has long suppressed the citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stories .
The fearmongering in Alamance County is very intense .
As a matter of fact , as we have organized there all summer long , there are people who are in support of our movement but fear for their safety .
One of our marchers , one of the speakers of our march , uplifted the fact that she , as a business owner , has been targeted .
Other members of our march has had the KKK show up in their yard .
And all of them have information that lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration .
AMY GOODMAN : And what happened to the woman in the wheelchair ?
REV .
GREG DRUMWRIGHT : We seen her yesterday .
She is still recovering .
She is very sore , and she is very shaken .
And her spirit , as you might imagine , is broken .
But she ’ s not cast down , is what she told me .
We are hoping that she makes a full recovery .
We believe that she has lost the use of one of her mobile wheelchair units .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for all of the people that are recovering from the incidences on Saturday .
And we ’ re going to return to the streets on Tuesday .
AMY GOODMAN : Reverend , how did you get arrested ?
REV .
GREG DRUMWRIGHT : Did you say how did I get arrested ?
REV .
GREG DRUMWRIGHT : We were standing there , holding our ground , because we were permitted to be at the court square until 2:00 with our rally .
And the police , the law enforcement , the deputies formed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon us .
They wrestled many of the folks that ended up in jail with me onto the ground .
Those were people who had already been pepper-sprayed by this same police force .
I was grabbed by my clothing and roughed up and taken into custody right there in front of the Confederate monument .
AMY GOODMAN : Can you talk about who you met in jail ?
REV .
GREG DRUMWRIGHT : I met folks that I didn ’ t know yet .
I met people that were there to stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black folks and white folks in jail .
I also met a young man who did not come in with the crew , the particular crew , that I was detained with , and I didn ’ t think that he knew who I was .
I certainly didn ’ t know who he was .
And I had a split second to ask him , as he was being released , just minutes before me , in passing and processing , “ Sir , are you going to vote ?
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reverend Drumwright , I was going to vote with you today.
” AMY GOODMAN : Finally , I ’ m looking at a piece from the Triad City Beat in September that said , “ Supporters of the president ’ s re-election bid yelled 'white power ' from pickup trucks in 'Trump convoy ' in Alamance County organized by neo-Confederate activist Gary Williamson.
” Can you talk about the climate in your county ?
REV .
GREG DRUMWRIGHT : Well , let me just say that it is a known fact that Sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Williamson .
From that July 11th event , we have footage of Sheriff Terry Johnson actually being sympathetic , putting his arm around Mr. Williamson and telling Mr. Williamson just to calm down , while his same sheriff deputies were being instructed to lock up our peaceful protesters .
That ’ s why we are advocating .
That ’ s why this was not just a march to the polls .
But we had to stop by that Confederate monument and uplift our peaceful message for change .
There needs to be police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just as it is being discussed in Minneapolis , Minnesota .
This scene from Saturday , and even the scene from July the 11th , where over 200 Confederates and neo-Nazis were allowed access to our march to disparage our efforts , to disrupt our efforts , is all too common right now in Graham , North Carolina .
AMY GOODMAN : What are your plans for Election Day , for Tuesday ?
REV .
GREG DRUMWRIGHT : You know , I am banned from Graham until Tuesday .
And so , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many different dynamics .
We thought that Saturday would end our George Floyd summer and that we would have a little time to rest .
We never imagined that we would be planning voter efforts on Tuesday on the streets .
And so , as soon as our interview wraps and in between other interview opportunities today , we are in very intense meetings to figure out , with our very meager resources , how we are still going to get people now into their various districts to vote .
We also are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t register to vote now , because Saturday was the last day of registration and voting in one stop .
And so , we know for a fact that there are people who will not be able to vote simply because of the police brutality that we incurred on Saturday .
We do know that our efforts will start at 9:00 , and we ’ re asking everyone to stay attuned to our social media for the official announcement of our plans after noon today .
AMY GOODMAN : Reverend Greg Drumwright , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with us , lead organizer and activist with Justice 4 the Next Generation .
Next up , we go to Texas , where a caravan of Trump supporters tried to run a Biden campaign bus off the road .
One truck swerved into a car full of Biden campaign workers .
And a QAnon supporter has sued Harris County , home to Houston , to throw out nearly 127,000 early votes from 10 drive-thru polling locations .
It goes to court today .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : “ Beautiful Morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , North Carolina .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: We begin today’s show in the battleground state of North Carolina. On Saturday, police in Alamance County pepper-sprayed voters taking part in a peaceful get-out-the-vote rally. The rally began at a local Black church and was scheduled to end at an early voting site in Graham, North Carolina, which is located between Durham and Greensboro. During the rally, participants stopped near a Confederate monument and paused in the street for eight minutes and 46 seconds to remember George Floyd, who was killed by police in Minneapolis in May. Floyd’s niece was scheduled to speak but didn’t get a chance. Moments later, the police, some dressed in riot gear, began pepper-spraying the crowd, which included children as young as 3 years old. One elderly woman in a wheelchair appeared to have had a seizure after being exposed to the pepper spray.
MARCHER: Medic! Medic!
AMY GOODMAN: Democratic congressional candidate Scott Huffman was pepper-sprayed and recorded this video in his car moments later.
SCOTT HUFFMAN: Hey, everybody. It’s Scott Huffman. I’m running for Congress here in District 13. And my eyes are full of pepper spray because, you know, we were peacefully demonstrating. We were exercising our First Amendment rights with Black Lives Matter. And what I’ve witnessed is what is happening all over America. This is wrong. People should be allowed to — to show up, to exercise their rights, to vote. We’re all taxpayers. The police work for us. Yet today I witnessed pepper spray, chemical weapons being sprayed on my fellow Americans.
AMY GOODMAN: Saturday was the last day of early voting in North Carolina, but the march never made it to the polling site. At least eight people were arrested during the rally, including the march organizer, the Reverend Greg Drumwright, who joins us now from Greensboro. He’s lead organizer of Justice 4 the Next Generation coalition.
Reverend Greg Drumwright, welcome to Democracy Now! Can you take us through Saturday? What happened?
REV. GREG DRUMWRIGHT: Good morning to all of your viewers and certainly to you. And thank you for having us.
Saturday is, in some instances, still a blur. We still have people recovering from those tear gas and pepper spray attacks. We started the morning really knowing that there was going to be some form of a materialized effort to quell our success and to quiet our voices, even though we prayed intently and we met, several times over, with the local authorities there, asking them not to bring militia force to our march. As you and I know now, that was not the case.
AMY GOODMAN: So, explain what the purpose of your rally was, where you went, and when the police moved in and attacked you.
REV. GREG DRUMWRIGHT: We landed there, after marching for about three-quarters of a mile, on the north side of Main Street just before the court square, where we were allowed. We were in full cooperation with our agreement with authorities.
Once we got to North Main Street in front of a Confederate monument, we kneeled eight minutes and 46 seconds, as you have uplifted, in honor of George Floyd’s family. And I need to say that George Floyd’s family, four members of the family, was there with us on the frontline. After eight minutes and 46 seconds, we got up and began to prepare for our rally.
And just as the Graham Police Department uplifted in their press conference yesterday, at the nine-minute mark, they began to release pepper spray and tear gas upon our marchers, stating that we were not moving fast enough out of the roadways. I don’t know if you know arithmetic well enough to discern that that’s only 14 seconds for hundreds of people to remove themselves peacefully onto the sidewalks.
AMY GOODMAN: So, tell us who the sheriff is, and then tell us what happened next, once the police tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed you. Were they wearing riot gear?
REV. GREG DRUMWRIGHT: We seen all types of tactical force dressings and gear. We petitioned Chief Kristi Cole, who was in charge of this. Sheriff Terry Johnson’s department, his deputies were working in concert with Chief Kristi Cole and the Graham Police Department. We begged them not to bring militia force. We begged them across several letters, stating that when this type of police presence gets involved, Black and Brown people end up in jail.
And so, we started our riot with people already being injured, people already being hassled and detained by local police authorities, simply because they would not get onto the sidewalks, after they escorted us in the streets, fast enough. Again, 14 seconds to make something like that happen with a crowd of hundreds of people.
AMY GOODMAN: The Graham Police Department held a news conference Sunday to answer questions about the pepper-spraying of the marchers at Saturday’s event. This is Lt. Daniel Sisk.
LT. DANIEL SISK: We wanted them to have a successful event. They were under the same understanding we were, that we thought, when the event started, that they were not authorized to keep the road closed for an extended period of time, that the road closure was temporary just to accommodate the march, which we led from the chapel, had road closures up to the courthouse. And when we gave the order to clear the road, and when it was clear to our officers that the people had no intent on clearing the road, that’s when we deployed the pepper fogger measure just to get them out of the roadway.
AMY GOODMAN: So, that was Lt. Daniel Sisk. And I’m looking at a flyer that was published and distributed by your organization, Justice 4 the Next Generation, that says, on Saturday, October 31st, in Graham, North Carolina, participants will be, quote, “marching from Wayman’s Chapel AME to a Court square Rally at the Confederate Monument and on to Elm Street Poll!” So, talk about that end point. You had hundreds of people. Many were going to vote?
REV. GREG DRUMWRIGHT: Yes. We believe that many were going to vote. We believe that others were waiting for us to get to the Elm Street poll to vote in concert with us. The truth of the matter is, we really don’t know what those numbers would have looked like. Because of this police brutality, we never made it to the polls. And therefore, we believe that this interaction, this interference from local authorities, has created — obstructed our marchers from not only lifting up our First Amendment rights to protest, to speak out, but also our rights to vote. This interaction from the police most certainly kept people from voting in Alamance County.
AMY GOODMAN: You know, as people heard this story all over the country, the parallels were being made to Bull Connor, the head of so-called security in Birmingham, who would water-hose the people who were going to register to vote, beat people, water-hose children. Your thoughts, Reverend Drumwright?
REV. GREG DRUMWRIGHT: This is a sheriff that has been sued by the federal government in 2012, has been sued by the government for actually disproportionately arresting Black and Brown people, even referring to Hispanics as “taco eaters.” Sheriff Terry Johnson and his department has long suppressed the citizens of Alamance County. There are horror stories. The fearmongering in Alamance County is very intense.
As a matter of fact, as we have organized there all summer long, there are people who are in support of our movement but fear for their safety. One of our marchers, one of the speakers of our march, uplifted the fact that she, as a business owner, has been targeted. Other members of our march has had the KKK show up in their yard. And all of them have information that lead back to Sheriff Terry Johnson’s administration.
AMY GOODMAN: And what happened to the woman in the wheelchair?
REV. GREG DRUMWRIGHT: We seen her yesterday. She is still recovering. She is very sore, and she is very shaken. And her spirit, as you might imagine, is broken. But she’s not cast down, is what she told me. We are hoping that she makes a full recovery. We believe that she has lost the use of one of her mobile wheelchair units. And therefore, we are still fighting for all of the people that are recovering from the incidences on Saturday. And we’re going to return to the streets on Tuesday.
AMY GOODMAN: Reverend, how did you get arrested?
REV. GREG DRUMWRIGHT: Did you say how did I get arrested?
AMY GOODMAN: Yeah.
REV. GREG DRUMWRIGHT: We were standing there, holding our ground, because we were permitted to be at the court square until 2:00 with our rally. And the police, the law enforcement, the deputies formed a militia line. And they impeded upon us. They wrestled many of the folks that ended up in jail with me onto the ground. Those were people who had already been pepper-sprayed by this same police force. I was grabbed by my clothing and roughed up and taken into custody right there in front of the Confederate monument.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about who you met in jail?
REV. GREG DRUMWRIGHT: I met folks that I didn’t know yet. I met people that were there to stand with us in solidarity. I met Black folks and white folks in jail.
I also met a young man who did not come in with the crew, the particular crew, that I was detained with, and I didn’t think that he knew who I was. I certainly didn’t know who he was. And I had a split second to ask him, as he was being released, just minutes before me, in passing and processing, “Sir, are you going to vote?” He looked at me and said, “Reverend Drumwright, I was going to vote with you today.”
AMY GOODMAN: Finally, I’m looking at a piece from the Triad City Beat in September that said, “Supporters of the president’s re-election bid yelled 'white power' from pickup trucks in 'Trump convoy' in Alamance County organized by neo-Confederate activist Gary Williamson.” Can you talk about the climate in your county?
REV. GREG DRUMWRIGHT: Well, let me just say that it is a known fact that Sheriff Terry Johnson has a relationship with Gary Williamson. From that July 11th event, we have footage of Sheriff Terry Johnson actually being sympathetic, putting his arm around Mr. Williamson and telling Mr. Williamson just to calm down, while his same sheriff deputies were being instructed to lock up our peaceful protesters.
That’s why we are advocating. That’s why this was not just a march to the polls. But we had to stop by that Confederate monument and uplift our peaceful message for change. There needs to be police reform in Graham, North Carolina, just as it is being discussed in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This scene from Saturday, and even the scene from July the 11th, where over 200 Confederates and neo-Nazis were allowed access to our march to disparage our efforts, to disrupt our efforts, is all too common right now in Graham, North Carolina.
AMY GOODMAN: What are your plans for Election Day, for Tuesday?
REV. GREG DRUMWRIGHT: You know, I am banned from Graham until Tuesday. And so, we are having to do this under so many different dynamics. We thought that Saturday would end our George Floyd summer and that we would have a little time to rest. We never imagined that we would be planning voter efforts on Tuesday on the streets.
And so, as soon as our interview wraps and in between other interview opportunities today, we are in very intense meetings to figure out, with our very meager resources, how we are still going to get people now into their various districts to vote. We also are concerned about the people who can’t register to vote now, because Saturday was the last day of registration and voting in one stop. And so, we know for a fact that there are people who will not be able to vote simply because of the police brutality that we incurred on Saturday. We do know that our efforts will start at 9:00, and we’re asking everyone to stay attuned to our social media for the official announcement of our plans after noon today.
AMY GOODMAN: Reverend Greg Drumwright, I want to thank you for being with us, lead organizer and activist with Justice 4 the Next Generation.
Next up, we go to Texas, where a caravan of Trump supporters tried to run a Biden campaign bus off the road. One truck swerved into a car full of Biden campaign workers. And a QAnon supporter has sued Harris County, home to Houston, to throw out nearly 127,000 early votes from 10 drive-thru polling locations. It goes to court today. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: “Beautiful Morning” by Little Brother, from Durham, North Carolina.


democracynow--2020-11-02--Headlines for November  2, 2020

Headlines for November  2, 2020

Joe Biden campaigned in the battleground states of Michigan and Pennsylvania over the weekend , blasting President Trump over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis .
This is Biden speaking at a socially distanced drive-in rally in Philadelphia on Sunday .
Joe Biden : “ This is the most important election of our lifetimes .
We ’ re at an inflection point .
So we have to vote like we never did before .
Every day — every day is a new reminder of how high the stakes are , of how far the other side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turnout.
” Axios is reporting President Trump plans to declare a premature victory Tuesday night if he is ahead of Joe Biden in early returns .
Election forecasters say vote counting after Election Day will likely favor Biden — particularly in Pennsylvania — even if Trump holds an early lead .
Trump denied the reports Sunday but told reporters he opposed counting ballots after November 3 .
Trump also suggested he expects to win any election cases that land before the Supreme Court .
This is Trump at a packed campaign rally in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller came under fire for suggesting Democrats could attempt to “ steal ” the election by counting ballots after Election Day .
Miller spoke with ABC News .
Jason Miller : “ If you speak with many smart Democrats , they believe that President Trump will be ahead on Election Night , probably getting 280 electoral , somewhere in that range .
And then they ’ re going to try to steal it back after the election .
We believe that we will be over 290 electoral votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter what they try to do , what kind of hijinks or lawsuits or whatever kind of nonsense they try to pull off , we ’ re still going to have enough electoral votes to get President Trump reelected.
” The FBI is investigating after motorists with Trump 2020 flags surrounded and harassed a Biden campaign bus driving down a Texas highway .
Video shows one truck swerving into a car reportedly full of Biden campaign workers .
Trump defended the drivers , tweeting “ these patriots did nothing wrong ” and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , hundreds of Trump supporters in their cars blocked traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Mario Cuomo Bridge in New York on Sunday .

Joe Biden campaigned in the battleground states of Michigan and Pennsylvania over the weekend, blasting President Trump over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis. This is Biden speaking at a socially distanced drive-in rally in Philadelphia on Sunday.
Joe Biden: “This is the most important election of our lifetimes. We’re at an inflection point. So we have to vote like we never did before. Every day — every day is a new reminder of how high the stakes are, of how far the other side will go to try to suppress the turnout.”
Axios is reporting President Trump plans to declare a premature victory Tuesday night if he is ahead of Joe Biden in early returns. Election forecasters say vote counting after Election Day will likely favor Biden — particularly in Pennsylvania — even if Trump holds an early lead. Trump denied the reports Sunday but told reporters he opposed counting ballots after November 3.
President Donald Trump: “I think it’s a terrible thing when people are — or states are allowed to tabulate ballots for a long period of time after the election is over.”
Trump also suggested he expects to win any election cases that land before the Supreme Court. This is Trump at a packed campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
President Donald Trump: “If we win on Tuesday or — thank you very much, Supreme Court — shortly thereafter.”
On Sunday, senior Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller came under fire for suggesting Democrats could attempt to “steal” the election by counting ballots after Election Day. Miller spoke with ABC News.
Jason Miller: “If you speak with many smart Democrats, they believe that President Trump will be ahead on Election Night, probably getting 280 electoral, somewhere in that range. And then they’re going to try to steal it back after the election. We believe that we will be over 290 electoral votes on election night. So, no matter what they try to do, what kind of hijinks or lawsuits or whatever kind of nonsense they try to pull off, we’re still going to have enough electoral votes to get President Trump reelected.”
The FBI is investigating after motorists with Trump 2020 flags surrounded and harassed a Biden campaign bus driving down a Texas highway. Video shows one truck swerving into a car reportedly full of Biden campaign workers. Trump defended the drivers, tweeting “these patriots did nothing wrong” and that the FBI should instead investigate antifa. Meanwhile, hundreds of Trump supporters in their cars blocked traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Mario Cuomo Bridge in New York on Sunday.


democracynow--2020-11-05--Mondaire Jones, One of First Two Openly Gay Black Congressmen, Backs Expanding Supreme Court

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Nermeen Shaikh , as we turn to New York , where Democrats Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres are set to become the first two openly gay Black members of Congress , replacing lawmakers who are retiring after decades in Washington .
Ritchie Torres will represent New York ’ s 15th District in the Bronx .
Mondaire Jones will represent New York ’ s 17th Congressional District , including Rockland County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is replacing the longtime Congressmember Nita Lowey .
Mondaire Jones joins the progressive wing of the Democratic Party , supports the Green New Deal , Medicare for All , a $ 15 minimum wage — an hour .
We welcome you to Democracy Now !
These are historic wins , coming as the Democrats have held on to their majority in the House but lost races in key conservative districts they won in 2018 .
Mondaire Jones , welcome back to Democracy Now !
It was great to have you with us on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what your plans are right now ?
We are speaking to you on the eve of the announcement of who won the presidency today .
What does your victory mean for this country ?
REP.-ELECT MONDAIRE JONES : And what a joy it will be when President — the future President Biden is able to announce his victory in the coming hours or days .
With respect to my own election , it means that the era of small ideas is over .
You know , I ran proudly on a progressive platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which , as you may recall , began as a primary challenge , and then it became an open seat , and anyone who had ever aspired to run for Congress relocated to the district , including the son of a bllionaire , who spent $ 5.4 million .
People told me not to run on Medicare for All .
They said it was too polarizing .
In the midst of a global pandemic , it had more resonance than ever before .
And so , I ’ m really grateful to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the course of my year-and-maybe-four-months-long campaign .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Mondaire Jones , you ’ ve spoken out about your experiences growing up , saying , for you , that policy is personal .
Could you talk about that ?
REP.-ELECT MONDAIRE JONES : Yeah .
You know , unlike the people we ’ re used to seeing in our politics , I don ’ t come from money or from a political family .
I grew up in Section 8 housing and on food stamps .
And I was raised by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like so many incredible women all throughout my district and all throughout this country , worked multiple jobs just to put food on the table for us .
So , when politicians in Washington debate the need for a $ 15 minimum wage , that ’ s not an abstraction for me .
In fact , the $ 15 minimum wage , or a living wage , is a need I know to exist from first-hand experience .
And by the way , my mom got help raising me from my grandparents .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ my grandmother cleaned homes .
And when daycare was too expensive , she took me to work with her .
And so , when people like Elizabeth Warren talk about the need to invest in universal childcare as infrastructure , that ’ s a fight I want to join when I get to Washington , based on not wanting any kid to have to go through what I went through when I was growing up .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : So , Mondaire Jones , could you talk about where election results stand now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election reforms , including ranked-choice voting and nationwide automatic voter registration .
First , your response to how close this race has been , and then what you think the reforms you ’ ve advocated for — how that might change the way elections turn out ?
REP.-ELECT MONDAIRE JONES : You know , we are still watching the data roll in , in these swing states , in particular , but your point is well taken .
I think many of us , on November 3rd , expected the margins not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to be more favorable , the vote count , towards Joe Biden .
Of course , the absentee ballots skew heavily Democratic .
And many folks who are expert in this area warned us not to freak out on November 3rd .
So I ’ m waiting patiently with respect to that .
We ’ ll continue to press for democracy reforms .
We have seen democracy reforms work here in New York state , where I reside .
Early voting was a tremendous boon and , in fact , has saved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think , in various parts of New York state that are more competitive than my own district here in New York 17th .
And court expansion will have to continue to be part of the conversation .
Obviously , if the Senate majority continues to be Republican , the prospects for a court expansion are significantly dimmer than they were just a few days ago when we expected a Democratic control of the Senate .
AMY GOODMAN : And I notice you ’ re using the word “ court expansion , ” not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ask you about another issue , Mondaire , and that is — or , Congressmember-elect — the USPS , the U.S .
Postal Service , shows thousands of mailed ballots missed Election Day deadlines , could be tens of thousands of ballots not getting to be counted .
You ’ re involved in a lawsuit against the United States Postal Service yourself , that was just settled , is that right ?
Can you talk about the significance of this , with the postmaster general being Louis DeJoy , a megadonor to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MONDAIRE JONES : Absolutely .
You know , I ’ ve been talking about how so many of our institutions have failed us these past few years , to say nothing of systems , like our healthcare system and the economic system that we have , that is rigged towards the wealthy and the well-connected and big corporations .
One of those institutions is the Postal Service .
Who would have thought that I would have to sue the postmaster general and the president of the United States to suspend so-called operational changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fair election this cycle ?
We got a nationwide injunction , maybe over a month ago at this point .
And part of the relief in the Southern District of New York was the treatment of all election mail as either priority or first-class , and then the preapproval of overtime from the period spanning October 26th , I believe , through — or , 24th through November 6th .
And so , these were commonsense things , in addition to weekly reports to confirm — for the district court judge to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is not surprising to me that deadlines were missed .
And , of course , there has been litigation over this .
If something ’ s in the mail and arrives within a reasonable period — if something is in the mail and it arrives , it ought to be counted .
And , unfortunately , Republicans , at the state legislative level and in Congress , and even with the Supreme Court as an accomplice , have been working to undermine that basic principle that all votes should be counted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to Trump ’ s accusations that the Democrats are trying to steal the elections , and to get vote counting to stop in critical states ?
REP.-ELECT MONDAIRE JONES : You know , it is not — it is not anti-democratic to just want every vote to be counted .
And I was casually watching cable television yesterday when I was with my brother and his wife .
And , you know , I saw that at least some Republican senators also shared that view , that they publicly expressed .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rubio suggested that every vote should be counted .
And so I think they ’ re getting tired of this president and his antics , as well .
AMY GOODMAN : What ’ s going to be the first thing — NERMEEN SHAIKH : Well , one of the — NERMEEN SHAIKH : Some of the policies you ’ ve advocated , Medicare for All and the Green New Deal , these are not policies that Biden has endorsed .
REP.-ELECT MONDAIRE JONES : You know , I am really impressed by his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambitious climate plan offered by any major party nominee for the presidency of the United States .
And it is a version of a Green New Deal .
It ’ s why you see people — organizations like the Sunrise Movement and authors of the Green New Deal , or co-authors of the Green New Deal like Senator Ed Markey , so excited about working to enact it , as am I. Medicare for All is going to continue to be a battle .
Obviously , a public option would be an improvement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s see what — let ’ s see what the Senate looks like .
And then let ’ s see what Joe Biden is able to do using the office of the presidency to get Republicans to come to the table , if they maintain their majority in the Senate .
AMY GOODMAN : Mondaire Jones , we want to thank you for being with us , Democratic congressmember-elect for New York ’ s 17th Congressional District , one of two openly gay Black members of Congress , the first , making history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for our show .
You can track the presidential election , see the latest vote count , state by state , at democracynow.org .
Special thanks to Julie Crosby , Mike Burke , Renée Feltz , Miriam Barnard .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Nermeen Shaikh .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh, as we turn to New York, where Democrats Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres are set to become the first two openly gay Black members of Congress, replacing lawmakers who are retiring after decades in Washington. Ritchie Torres will represent New York’s 15th District in the Bronx. Mondaire Jones will represent New York’s 17th Congressional District, including Rockland County and parts of Westchester County. He is replacing the longtime Congressmember Nita Lowey. Mondaire Jones joins the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, supports the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, a $15 minimum wage — an hour.
We welcome you to Democracy Now! These are historic wins, coming as the Democrats have held on to their majority in the House but lost races in key conservative districts they won in 2018. Mondaire Jones, welcome back to Democracy Now! It was great to have you with us on election night. Can you talk about what your plans are right now? We are speaking to you on the eve of the announcement of who won the presidency today. What does your victory mean for this country?
REP.-ELECT MONDAIRE JONES: And what a joy it will be when President — the future President Biden is able to announce his victory in the coming hours or days.
With respect to my own election, it means that the era of small ideas is over. You know, I ran proudly on a progressive platform from the very beginning of my campaign, which, as you may recall, began as a primary challenge, and then it became an open seat, and anyone who had ever aspired to run for Congress relocated to the district, including the son of a bllionaire, who spent $5.4 million. People told me not to run on Medicare for All. They said it was too polarizing. In the midst of a global pandemic, it had more resonance than ever before. And so, I’m really grateful to have defied expectations and conventional political wisdom throughout the course of my year-and-maybe-four-months-long campaign.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Mondaire Jones, you’ve spoken out about your experiences growing up, saying, for you, that policy is personal. Could you talk about that?
REP.-ELECT MONDAIRE JONES: Yeah. You know, unlike the people we’re used to seeing in our politics, I don’t come from money or from a political family. I grew up in Section 8 housing and on food stamps. And I was raised by a young single mom, who, like so many incredible women all throughout my district and all throughout this country, worked multiple jobs just to put food on the table for us.
So, when politicians in Washington debate the need for a $15 minimum wage, that’s not an abstraction for me. In fact, the $15 minimum wage, or a living wage, is a need I know to exist from first-hand experience. And by the way, my mom got help raising me from my grandparents. My grandfather was a janitor, and my grandmother cleaned homes. And when daycare was too expensive, she took me to work with her. And so, when people like Elizabeth Warren talk about the need to invest in universal childcare as infrastructure, that’s a fight I want to join when I get to Washington, based on not wanting any kid to have to go through what I went through when I was growing up.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: So, Mondaire Jones, could you talk about where election results stand now? You’ve previously advocated for election reforms, including ranked-choice voting and nationwide automatic voter registration. First, your response to how close this race has been, and then what you think the reforms you’ve advocated for — how that might change the way elections turn out?
REP.-ELECT MONDAIRE JONES: You know, we are still watching the data roll in, in these swing states, in particular, but your point is well taken. I think many of us, on November 3rd, expected the margins not to be what they were. We expected them to be more favorable, the vote count, towards Joe Biden. Of course, the absentee ballots skew heavily Democratic. And many folks who are expert in this area warned us not to freak out on November 3rd. So I’m waiting patiently with respect to that.
We’ll continue to press for democracy reforms. We have seen democracy reforms work here in New York state, where I reside. Early voting was a tremendous boon and, in fact, has saved a number of my colleagues, I think, in various parts of New York state that are more competitive than my own district here in New York 17th. And court expansion will have to continue to be part of the conversation. Obviously, if the Senate majority continues to be Republican, the prospects for a court expansion are significantly dimmer than they were just a few days ago when we expected a Democratic control of the Senate.
AMY GOODMAN: And I notice you’re using the word “court expansion,” not “court packing.” But I wanted to ask you about another issue, Mondaire, and that is — or, Congressmember-elect — the USPS, the U.S. Postal Service, shows thousands of mailed ballots missed Election Day deadlines, could be tens of thousands of ballots not getting to be counted. You’re involved in a lawsuit against the United States Postal Service yourself, that was just settled, is that right? Can you talk about the significance of this, with the postmaster general being Louis DeJoy, a megadonor to President Trump’s campaign?
REP.-ELECT MONDAIRE JONES: Absolutely. You know, I’ve been talking about how so many of our institutions have failed us these past few years, to say nothing of systems, like our healthcare system and the economic system that we have, that is rigged towards the wealthy and the well-connected and big corporations.
One of those institutions is the Postal Service. Who would have thought that I would have to sue the postmaster general and the president of the United States to suspend so-called operational changes which were meant to undermine a free and fair election this cycle? We got a nationwide injunction, maybe over a month ago at this point. And part of the relief in the Southern District of New York was the treatment of all election mail as either priority or first-class, and then the preapproval of overtime from the period spanning October 26th, I believe, through — or, 24th through November 6th. And so, these were commonsense things, in addition to weekly reports to confirm — for the district court judge to confirm compliance with his order.
But it is not surprising to me that deadlines were missed. And, of course, there has been litigation over this. If something’s in the mail and arrives within a reasonable period — if something is in the mail and it arrives, it ought to be counted. And, unfortunately, Republicans, at the state legislative level and in Congress, and even with the Supreme Court as an accomplice, have been working to undermine that basic principle that all votes should be counted.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Mondaire Jones, your response to Trump’s accusations that the Democrats are trying to steal the elections, and to get vote counting to stop in critical states?
REP.-ELECT MONDAIRE JONES: You know, it is not — it is not anti-democratic to just want every vote to be counted. And I was casually watching cable television yesterday when I was with my brother and his wife. And, you know, I saw that at least some Republican senators also shared that view, that they publicly expressed. I think it was Mitch McConnell and Marco Rubio suggested that every vote should be counted. And so I think they’re getting tired of this president and his antics, as well.
AMY GOODMAN: What’s going to be the first thing —
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, one of the —
AMY GOODMAN: Go ahead, Nermeen
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Some of the policies you’ve advocated, Medicare for All and the Green New Deal, these are not policies that Biden has endorsed.
REP.-ELECT MONDAIRE JONES: You know, I am really impressed by his climate proposal. It is the most ambitious climate plan offered by any major party nominee for the presidency of the United States. And it is a version of a Green New Deal. It’s why you see people — organizations like the Sunrise Movement and authors of the Green New Deal, or co-authors of the Green New Deal like Senator Ed Markey, so excited about working to enact it, as am I.
Medicare for All is going to continue to be a battle. Obviously, a public option would be an improvement upon the status quo. Let’s see what — let’s see what the Senate looks like. And then let’s see what Joe Biden is able to do using the office of the presidency to get Republicans to come to the table, if they maintain their majority in the Senate.
AMY GOODMAN: Mondaire Jones, we want to thank you for being with us, Democratic congressmember-elect for New York’s 17th Congressional District, one of two openly gay Black members of Congress, the first, making history in this country.
That does it for our show. You can track the presidential election, see the latest vote count, state by state, at democracynow.org.
Special thanks to Julie Crosby, Mike Burke, Renée Feltz, Miriam Barnard. I’m Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh.


democracynow--2020-11-05--Arizona's Blue Shift Rooted in Years of Grassroots Latinx Organizing Against GOP's Xenophobia

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Nermeen Shaikh , as we turn to the presidential race in Arizona , where Joe Biden is leading Donald Trump by more than 68,000 votes , with 86 % reporting .
The Associated Press and Fox News have called the state for Biden — and they did that over a day ago — but other outlets , including CNN , have yet to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead narrowed early Thursday morning when Arizona announced results of a batch of mail-in ballot , mainly from Maricopa County , which includes Phoenix .
Counting the remaining votes could take several days .
Several hundred Trump supporters gathered outside the Maricopa County election center last night , chanting “ Count the vote.
” Many of the protesters were openly carrying AR-15 assault rifles and other guns .
Donald Trump won Arizona in 2016 .
So , they were [ chanting ] “ Count the vote , ” and that ’ s opposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jr. has referred to as the army of supporters , that were outside a Detroit counting center , where Trump was ahead in Michigan , and they were saying “ Stop the vote ” as they stormed into a counting center .
But in Arizona , where they were behind , Trump insisted they count every vote .
Now , if Biden ’ s lead holds in Arizona , he ’ ll be just the second Democratic presidential candidate to win the state since 1948 .
Arizona ’ s blue shift is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grassroots organizing , particularly in Latinx communities against Arizona ’ s anti-immigration policies and Maricopa County ’ s infamous former Sheriff Joe Arpaio .
Meanwhile , in a closely watched Senate race , Democrat Mark Kelly , the astronaut and the husband of Gabby Giffords , the congressmember from Tucson who was shot in the head — yes , Mark Kelly has unseated Arizona Republican Senator Martha McSally .
We go now to Phoenix , where we ’ re joined by Marisa Franco .
She ’ s co-director and co-founder of Mijente , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a national digital organizing hub for Latinx and Chicanx communities , which this year has led a national campaign to mobilize Latinx voters .
Welcome back to Democracy Now !
, Marisa .
Talk about the significance of what ’ s happening right now in Arizona , the explosion of the Latinx vote .
MARISA FRANCO : The lion ’ s share — I think the first thing to say is that the lion ’ s share of the credit belongs to sustained community organizing in the state .
The other night , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watching .
It was — I think , probably like many of you all , we were having this feeling of doom , of 2016 .
And 2016 , we had this moment of like — it was bittersweet , right ?
We finally took Sheriff Arpaio out of office , but , really , you know , as soon as that was announced , it was very clear that Trump was going to win the election .
And so , as we waited for the results this year and we heard about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know , we started seeing the numbers coming out of Ohio and coming out of the Midwest , it felt really good this year to have our state be a shot in the arm .
We were very excited about the results .
At this point , we are still awaiting what the results are at the top of the ticket , but we have won seats at the county Board of Supervisors .
The Red for Ed ballot initiative won .
We ’ ve elected , it looks like , a progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just continue to see a shift in the state .
And I think it ’ s important to name that it ’ s a shift that comes at the efforts of many , many people .
It is sustained community organizing .
And it ’ s an embracing of a multiplicity of strategies .
This is just as much owed to the people that took to the streets in protest , the people that called for boycotts , as much as it is the people who knocked hundreds of thousands of doors to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : And , Marisa , what do you think accounts for the difference in Arizona compared to other states when it comes to Latinx voters ?
Is it this organizing that you ’ re speaking of ?
MARISA FRANCO : Absolutely .
And , you know , Juan was after my own heart in your last segment , because he ’ s naming numbers that are astounding .
Our community , the main story of this election , in reference to Latino voters , is that we came out .
We showed up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast majority rebuking and rejecting the Trump agenda .
Arizona is one example of how that ’ s done .
I think it ’ s an example that can be replicated .
I think we should not take for granted that this means that Arizona will always be blue or Latinos will always come out .
And frankly , that ’ s something the Democratic Party does pretty often .
Our community is an afterthought , and there isn ’ t a substantive effort to think of how — what are the kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how can we be engaged in a meaningful way , how are we involved in decision-making and leadership of political campaigns , and often are getting the very short end of the stick on resources , as well .
And so , frankly , you know , you could probably look at a lot of different examples .
Arizona is one of them .
And the Arizona example , I think it really demonstrates that consistent , sustained organizing is really critical for the community to actually feel that something is changing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
NERMEEN SHAIKH : And , Marisa , can you talk about the significance — and we don ’ t know the results yet of the election , but what ’ s at stake on immigration issues , in particular , now ?
MARISA FRANCO : It ’ s big .
You know , we were really clear in our organization when we engaged in the endorsement process and we decided to participate in this election in a more active way .
We made it very clear we were not picking our savior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For immigrants and the immigrant rights movement across the country , these have been very difficult times .
We ’ ve seen our advances dismantled or attempted to be dismantled , and there ’ s been very little opportunity to have anything positive or progressive .
Immigrants are largely under attack .
You know , the numbers , but the conditions , it ’ s just , I think — it ’ s been one of the things that the Trump administration is most focused on in this first term .
We can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were understanding that they would have to face reelection .
I think we don ’ t want to imagine what they ’ re going to do in the second term .
A shift in administration would give us a fighting chance .
It would give us a fighting chance to advance the campaigns and causes that we need in terms of immigration and addressing deportations .
AMY GOODMAN : Can you talk about some of the sheriff ’ s races , Marisa , that you ’ ve been following ?
And though you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work everywhere , from Arizona to Georgia .
MARISA FRANCO : Yeah .
Georgia , in particular , folks in Georgia organized , mobilized , so we ’ re still waiting for the results of the presidential election .
But immigrants in the state of Georgia have faced — it ’ s almost a tradition in the Georgia state Legislature , similar to what ’ s happened here in Arizona — it ’ s almost tradition to pass anti-immigrant laws every year , year after year , year after year ; politicians who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disparaging us .
And now this is the second cycle where people have come together to mobilize voters .
Two sheriffs have been knocked out , in Gwinnett and Cobb County .
These are sheriffs that have promoted the 287 ( g ) program , which has long been a program that fuses local police with immigration enforcement and has been a catalyst to deportations .
It ’ s a huge victory .
We ’ re really proud .
AMY GOODMAN : Final words , 30 seconds , Marisa , on this cusp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which may come later today ?
MARISA FRANCO : Yes .
I want — like , as we await these results , Trump and his supporters are showing who they are .
In one place , they say to count the votes ; in one place , they say to stop it .
We must not give them a lifeline to relevance .
We must not try to think that we ’ re going to be able to just come and counter them .
They can not play the same plays .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House .
Our movement needs to hold steady that we need to count the votes .
We are confident that we voted him out .
And if we need to walk him out of that White House , we will .
Let ’ s hold down .
Let ’ s hold steady .
Let ’ s not give Trump supporters a pathway to any form of moral high ground .
They are showing us who they are .
They ’ re showing everyone who they are .
And let the world see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , thanks so much for being with us , director and co-founder of Mijente , a national digital organizing hub for Latinx and Chicanx communities , which this year has led the national campaign called Fuera Trump to mobilize Latinx voters .
This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org .
When we come back , we go to one of the first two openly gay Black congressmembers-elect in this country .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh, as we turn to the presidential race in Arizona, where Joe Biden is leading Donald Trump by more than 68,000 votes, with 86% reporting. The Associated Press and Fox News have called the state for Biden — and they did that over a day ago — but other outlets, including CNN, have yet to declare a winner. Biden’s lead narrowed early Thursday morning when Arizona announced results of a batch of mail-in ballot, mainly from Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix. Counting the remaining votes could take several days.
Several hundred Trump supporters gathered outside the Maricopa County election center last night, chanting “Count the vote.” Many of the protesters were openly carrying AR-15 assault rifles and other guns. Donald Trump won Arizona in 2016. So, they were [chanting] “Count the vote,” and that’s opposed to the group, what Donald Trump Jr. has referred to as the army of supporters, that were outside a Detroit counting center, where Trump was ahead in Michigan, and they were saying “Stop the vote” as they stormed into a counting center. But in Arizona, where they were behind, Trump insisted they count every vote.
Now, if Biden’s lead holds in Arizona, he’ll be just the second Democratic presidential candidate to win the state since 1948. Arizona’s blue shift is in large part due to a decade of grassroots organizing, particularly in Latinx communities against Arizona’s anti-immigration policies and Maricopa County’s infamous former Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Meanwhile, in a closely watched Senate race, Democrat Mark Kelly, the astronaut and the husband of Gabby Giffords, the congressmember from Tucson who was shot in the head — yes, Mark Kelly has unseated Arizona Republican Senator Martha McSally.
We go now to Phoenix, where we’re joined by Marisa Franco. She’s co-director and co-founder of Mijente, which means “my people,” a national digital organizing hub for Latinx and Chicanx communities, which this year has led a national campaign to mobilize Latinx voters.
Welcome back to Democracy Now!, Marisa. Talk about the significance of what’s happening right now in Arizona, the explosion of the Latinx vote.
MARISA FRANCO: The lion’s share — I think the first thing to say is that the lion’s share of the credit belongs to sustained community organizing in the state. The other night, you know, all of us were watching. It was — I think, probably like many of you all, we were having this feeling of doom, of 2016. And 2016, we had this moment of like — it was bittersweet, right? We finally took Sheriff Arpaio out of office, but, really, you know, as soon as that was announced, it was very clear that Trump was going to win the election. And so, as we waited for the results this year and we heard about Florida, we heard about — you know, we started seeing the numbers coming out of Ohio and coming out of the Midwest, it felt really good this year to have our state be a shot in the arm. We were very excited about the results.
At this point, we are still awaiting what the results are at the top of the ticket, but we have won seats at the county Board of Supervisors. The Red for Ed ballot initiative won. We’ve elected, it looks like, a progressive county attorney in Julie Gunnigle, and just continue to see a shift in the state. And I think it’s important to name that it’s a shift that comes at the efforts of many, many people. It is sustained community organizing. And it’s an embracing of a multiplicity of strategies. This is just as much owed to the people that took to the streets in protest, the people that called for boycotts, as much as it is the people who knocked hundreds of thousands of doors to register and mobilize voters.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: And, Marisa, what do you think accounts for the difference in Arizona compared to other states when it comes to Latinx voters? Is it this organizing that you’re speaking of?
MARISA FRANCO: Absolutely. And, you know, Juan was after my own heart in your last segment, because he’s naming numbers that are astounding. Our community, the main story of this election, in reference to Latino voters, is that we came out. We showed up, and we showed out, the vast majority rebuking and rejecting the Trump agenda. Arizona is one example of how that’s done. I think it’s an example that can be replicated.
I think we should not take for granted that this means that Arizona will always be blue or Latinos will always come out. And frankly, that’s something the Democratic Party does pretty often. Our community is an afterthought, and there isn’t a substantive effort to think of how — what are the kind of issues that matter to us, how can we be engaged in a meaningful way, how are we involved in decision-making and leadership of political campaigns, and often are getting the very short end of the stick on resources, as well.
And so, frankly, you know, you could probably look at a lot of different examples. Arizona is one of them. And the Arizona example, I think it really demonstrates that consistent, sustained organizing is really critical for the community to actually feel that something is changing and that they have a role in it.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: And, Marisa, can you talk about the significance — and we don’t know the results yet of the election, but what’s at stake on immigration issues, in particular, now?
MARISA FRANCO: It’s big. You know, we were really clear in our organization when we engaged in the endorsement process and we decided to participate in this election in a more active way. We made it very clear we were not picking our savior; we were picking our target.
For immigrants and the immigrant rights movement across the country, these have been very difficult times. We’ve seen our advances dismantled or attempted to be dismantled, and there’s been very little opportunity to have anything positive or progressive. Immigrants are largely under attack. You know, the numbers, but the conditions, it’s just, I think — it’s been one of the things that the Trump administration is most focused on in this first term. We can only expect in this first term they were understanding that they would have to face reelection. I think we don’t want to imagine what they’re going to do in the second term. A shift in administration would give us a fighting chance. It would give us a fighting chance to advance the campaigns and causes that we need in terms of immigration and addressing deportations.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about some of the sheriff’s races, Marisa, that you’ve been following? And though you’re based in Arizona, you work everywhere, from Arizona to Georgia.
MARISA FRANCO: Yeah. Georgia, in particular, folks in Georgia organized, mobilized, so we’re still waiting for the results of the presidential election. But immigrants in the state of Georgia have faced — it’s almost a tradition in the Georgia state Legislature, similar to what’s happened here in Arizona — it’s almost tradition to pass anti-immigrant laws every year, year after year, year after year; politicians who think they can make a name by disparaging us. And now this is the second cycle where people have come together to mobilize voters. Two sheriffs have been knocked out, in Gwinnett and Cobb County. These are sheriffs that have promoted the 287(g) program, which has long been a program that fuses local police with immigration enforcement and has been a catalyst to deportations. It’s a huge victory. We’re really proud.
AMY GOODMAN: Final words, 30 seconds, Marisa, on this cusp of the announcement of the president, which may come later today?
MARISA FRANCO: Yes. I want — like, as we await these results, Trump and his supporters are showing who they are. In one place, they say to count the votes; in one place, they say to stop it. We must not give them a lifeline to relevance. We must not try to think that we’re going to be able to just come and counter them. They cannot play the same plays. They cannot sue their way into the White House. Our movement needs to hold steady that we need to count the votes. We are confident that we voted him out. And if we need to walk him out of that White House, we will. Let’s hold down. Let’s hold steady. Let’s not give Trump supporters a pathway to any form of moral high ground. They are showing us who they are. They’re showing everyone who they are. And let the world see it.
AMY GOODMAN: Marisa Franco, thanks so much for being with us, director and co-founder of Mijente, a national digital organizing hub for Latinx and Chicanx communities, which this year has led the national campaign called Fuera Trump to mobilize Latinx voters.
This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. When we come back, we go to one of the first two openly gay Black congressmembers-elect in this country. Stay with us.