Full Transcript for Oliver Gilbert joins Tavis Smiley

Eric Swalwell, 73 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:52.520 but one of the two finalists, Melissa Hernandez, will join 74 00:03:52.599 --> 00:03:57.560 us later in this program on the backside of our two. 75 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:01.479 In our three, two more conversations up. First, Barack Obama's 76 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:05.719 tan suit is back in the news. Lynn Sweet of 77 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:09.080 the Chicago Sometimes will explain how her lighthearted search for 78 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:13.439 Obama's tan suit has reopened the serious debate about the 79 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:18.040 consequential effect of that twenty fourteen press conference and his 80 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:22.240 foreign policy legacy. She'll explain that, and then on the 81 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:24.040 b side of our three, we'll close today's show in 82 00:04:24.120 --> 00:04:28.560 dialogue with actor and musician Michael V. Epps aka Mikey, 83 00:04:28.920 --> 00:04:31.519 about the end of the highly acclaimed series The Shy, 84 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:34.160 where he played Jake Tapper. 85 00:04:35.560 --> 00:04:38.879 So you're looking at apartments my building growing up on 86 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:39.199 the man. 87 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:44.079 Do you want to move in with me? 88 00:04:46.519 --> 00:04:53.519 Don't play with me? That's a big step. Uh Are 89 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:54.120 you ready for that? 90 00:04:56.040 --> 00:04:58.399 I think so. You gotta be sure. 91 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:02.439 This is true? 92 00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:04.759 Does that make us official? 93 00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:09.319 What too mean by sessional? I mean no cheating? 94 00:05:12.839 --> 00:05:19.600 Sure, you don't sound sure. I can't promise I'd be perfect, 95 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:22.560 but I'm down to truck. 96 00:05:26.759 --> 00:05:27.120 Me too. 97 00:05:28.600 --> 00:05:33.360 A clip from the series finale of the Shy Great series, 98 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:36.160 Great Run. It is now over, and we will talk 99 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:40.639 to again actor and musician Michael Viepps aka Mikey, who 100 00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:44.040 played Jake Taylor in the series, in our last thirty 101 00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:47.040 minutes today, but in this first hour, two more conversations. Yeah, 102 00:05:47.079 --> 00:05:49.160 we're gonna try to squeeze an eighty pounds show into 103 00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:52.000 a forty pound bag. As if you couldn't already tell so, 104 00:05:52.040 --> 00:05:53.600 two more dialogues in this first hour. 105 00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:56.439 On the b side, we'll travel to a Milwaukee. 106 00:05:55.879 --> 00:05:59.399 Wisconsin and talk politics with Mayor Cavalier Johnson. And when 107 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:02.480 we come forward, we'll commenced today's show with Oliver Gilbert, 108 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:06.399 winner of yesterday's seventh way race in Florida to succeed 109 00:06:06.519 --> 00:06:12.639 longtime CBC member Fredericka Wilson. In the

twenty fourth congressional district. Okay, 110 00:06:12.720 --> 00:06:13.920 y'all pray for me. Let's see if we can do 111 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:15.360 it when we come forward. All right, here we go, 112 00:06:15.480 --> 00:06:17.439 trying to squeeze this eighty pounds show into a forty 113 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:20.040 pound bag. We travel first to Florida, where Oliver Gilbert 114 00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:24.120 yesterday came out on top in this seventh way Democratic 115 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:27.480 primary to succeed US Representative Fredericka Wilson. She's the one 116 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:30.360 wh where's the hats all the time? It is Florida's 117 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:33.319 twenty fourth congressional district. Olivier Gilbert. Congratulations, sir, How are 118 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:34.000 you feeling the day. 119 00:06:34.759 --> 00:06:36.920 I'm doing well. I'm doing I feel great, man, Thank you, 120 00:06:37.079 --> 00:06:37.839 thanks for having me on. 121 00:06:37.959 --> 00:06:38.800 No, it's my pleasure. 122 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:41.480 As I said, seven way Democratic primary. Tell me more 123 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:43.720 about about the gauntlet you had. 124 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:44.399 To run yesterday. 125 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:48.920 Listen, man, I've never, honestly, I've never been a party 126 00:06:48.920 --> 00:06:52.360 of never seen anything like it, Tavis. It was really, really, really, 127 00:06:52.920 --> 00:06:55.360 I'm amazing. We had a bunch of money flowing there. 128 00:06:55.399 --> 00:06:57.879 Two million dollars of negative ads in me against me 129 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:00.720 in the last week, just the life last week, two 130 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:04.120 million dollars and it was a lot. But when it 131 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:06.199 came down to it, it came down to my record 132 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:10.480 and the congresswoman's support and what she's been in our community, 133 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:13.120 and those two things together and just keeping working and 134 00:07:13.160 --> 00:07:15.600 having those conversations with people about the type of district 135 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:17.639 and type of America that we want to actually live in, 136 00:07:18.120 --> 00:07:20.560 and so those type of conversations people will come to 137 00:07:20.600 --> 00:07:22.439 the polling place. I'm out there, standing out there in 138 00:07:22.439 --> 00:07:25.839 front of early voting, telling me what I said and 139 00:07:25.879 --> 00:07:27.439 telling me what I did and what I had done 140 00:07:27.480 --> 00:07:29.560 for them, and who the Congresswoman was for them, and 141 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:33.759 it was it was truly a victory of people over 142 00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:35.120 a lot of money. 143 00:07:35.879 --> 00:07:37.560 I want to get to the money in the secondary 144 00:07:37.560 --> 00:07:39.839 of the negative money. Specifically, I can guess where the 145 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:42.199 money came from. I'll let you tell me where the 146 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:44.120 negative money was coming from. It's happening in every one 147 00:07:44.120 --> 00:07:46.759 of these congressional races, certainly even in black races. And 148 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:48.480 we'll talk about that in the second year. But I've 149 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:50.759 known Frederick Wilson for a long time. I've been after 150 00:07:50.839 --> 00:07:52.600 for a while, as you know, and had the honor 151 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:54.399 to know pretty much everybody in the CBC, and I've 152 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:56.399 interviewed them and hung out with them, travel with them. 153 00:07:56.439 --> 00:07:58.759 It's the blessing of my life to have known so 154 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:02.040 many of these CBC members. I'm at the age now 155 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:04.560 and they're older than I am. They're at the age now. 156 00:08:04.600 --> 00:08:06.160 Many of them are stepping aside. Some of them are 157 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:08.480 hanging on. I saw Maxine Waters, she was in this 158 00:08:08.480 --> 00:08:09.240 studio a couple. 159 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:09.439 Of days ago. 160 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:12.879 Her eighty eighth birthday was last Saturday. So Maxine eighty 161 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:15.680 eight and was in studio again a couple of days ago. 162 00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:16.800 She's still there. 163 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:19.160 She ran in one. And you got Benny Thompson, who's 164 00:08:19.240 --> 00:08:21.439 up in age. He ran in one. So there are 165 00:08:21.480 --> 00:08:24.360 those who are her hanging on. Al Green lost to 166 00:08:24.519 --> 00:08:27.079 Christian Menafie down in Houston, as we know, but there 167 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:30.360 are others who are standing down Fredericka Wilson and others 168 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:33.200 who are stepping aside. David Scott literally died on the 169 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:37.080 campaign trail. So we're seeing a shift here now. I 170 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:38.679 was just looking at an article before I came on 171 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:42.440 the other day about how so many older Democrats got 172 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:46.200 walloped in these midterms by what this article termed an 173 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:48.840 anti establishment revolt. So there are a lot of older 174 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:52.840 Democrats who have lost in this particular cycle. But when 175 00:08:52.840 --> 00:08:55.240 I think about Fredericka Wilson and others who've served honorably 176 00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:57.120 for so long, who are now at the point of 177 00:08:57.120 --> 00:08:58.799 their lives where they want to step aside and spend 178 00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:01.519 the twilight years doing different, it leads me to give 179 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:03.480 you an opportunity to just say a word about the 180 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:05.639 legacy of Frederick gools. 181 00:09:06.200 -->

00:09:11.240 Well, an amazing legacy that's ongoing. You know, she started 182 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:14.559 as a principal, as a principal fighting you know, a 183 00:09:14.840 --> 00:09:17.679 wasting cinerator, a dump right across the street from her school, 184 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:21.799 and she became a leader in the community before she 185 00:09:21.960 --> 00:09:26.840 was actually ever elected, because we didn't have elected leadership 186 00:09:27.159 --> 00:09:30.320 from a district perspective. Everything was county wide. And so 187 00:09:30.519 --> 00:09:32.679 she runs for school board. She runs county wide for 188 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:34.519 school board and she wins. And then she runs for 189 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:36.240 state rep. And she wins, and then she runs for 190 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:39.799 state Senate and she wins. But in between all of that, 191 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:43.000 she starts the five hundred role models of excellence. And 192 00:09:43.240 --> 00:09:46.200 if they're not if your audience isn't familiar with the program, 193 00:09:46.440 --> 00:09:49.159 it is the greatest disruptor of the school to prison 194 00:09:49.240 --> 00:09:54.039 pipeline that I've ever seen. Just showing boys interacting with 195 00:09:54.200 --> 00:09:56.399 young boys, growing them into young men and then the 196 00:09:56.440 --> 00:10:00.080 older man. It's the five thousand role models now, and 197 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:04.600 it's a program that truly has been transformative in our community. 198 00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:06.759 She is that person for us, and so she's been 199 00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:10.200 in Congress for fifteen years. She could have stayed as 200 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:12.120 long as she wanted to because she is that type 201 00:10:12.120 --> 00:10:16.159 of leadership, and so she wouldn't have been seriously challenged 202 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:18.840 by anyone. We would have all supported her because her 203 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:21.120 service and her legacy wasn't just something that was in 204 00:10:21.159 --> 00:10:25.519 the past. It was contemporaneously relevant. What she's doing for 205 00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:28.919 veterans' housing here and infrastructure here, and helping with the 206 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:32.799 success of Port Miami, our second largest economic engine and 207 00:10:32.840 --> 00:10:36.120 the largest, you know, the second largest economic engine in 208 00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:40.679 the third largest in the entire state. It's really a 209 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:44.039 legacy that really is incomparable in so many different ways. 210 00:10:44.039 --> 00:10:47.879 When history writes the story of Frederic Wilson our Congresswan, 211 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:51.879 it's going to write stories that actually transformed lives of 212 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:56.600 young men, of women, of families. It's gonna be so 213 00:10:56.759 --> 00:11:01.440 much more relav and it's relevant

now, but it's so 214 00:11:01.519 --> 00:11:03.879 much more relevant and impactful when you look back on 215 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:06.919 the context of everything that she's done. She's truly been 216 00:11:06.919 --> 00:11:08.200 a transformative leader. 217 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:08.759 No question about it. 218 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:12.080 I celebrate her, honor her, blessed to have known her 219 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:15.120 for so many years of her service in Congress. And 220 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:18.639 congratulations to Oliver Gilbert once again for winning that seven 221 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:21.080 way race yesterday. Now I'm getting back to the money. 222 00:11:21.080 --> 00:11:22.519 I'm gonna get the trust me on. I'm working my 223 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:23.879 way there. But you said something. 224 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:24.440 I want to give you a. 225 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:26.320 Chance to unpack a bit. Now, this race is not 226 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:28.279 your race, so I'm not asking you to opine on 227 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:30.759 the race unless you choose to do so. But it 228 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:33.679 is another race in Florida that the entire country was watching. 229 00:11:34.120 --> 00:11:35.679 I've been blessed to have all these people come through 230 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:37.639 this program. So Elijah and Manley was on this program 231 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:40.440 just yesterday. So on primary day I talked to Elijah 232 00:11:40.440 --> 00:11:42.320 man on this program. You heard me say earlier Byron 233 00:11:42.360 --> 00:11:44.879 Donalds was on this program yesterday. So we're blessed to 234 00:11:45.159 --> 00:11:46.679 have access to a lot of good people that come 235 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:50.120 to this program, and I think our audience is appreciative 236 00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:52.240 of that. You listened to Tavis Smiley. Everybody's coming through 237 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:54.679 you at some point. So Eliz was on yesterday. He 238 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:58.240 was the progressive front runner, as you well know, in 239 00:11:58.279 --> 00:12:01.200 that race where Debbie Washerman Show, former chair of the DNC, 240 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:05.840 eleven term Democrat, but a white woman, decided when the 241 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:08.039 lines got redrawn in Florida, to run. She could have 242 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:09.799 run in a couple of different districts. She decided to 243 00:12:09.879 --> 00:12:13.279 run in the district that is predominantly black. That district 244 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:16.559 has been long represented by black people, including the late 245 00:12:16.600 --> 00:12:19.960 great Alsie Hastings. I'm telling our stuff. He already knows 246 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:20.600 he's a Floridian. 247 00:12:20.600 --> 00:12:23.159 He knows this stuff. I'm just framing this for the audience. 248 00:12:23.159 --> 00:12:26.440 So Alicie Hastings held that seat again, My dear friend,

249 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:29.440 my fraternity brother, Alcie Hastings held that seat for many 250 00:12:29.480 --> 00:12:34.399 many years. He passes away the lines get redrawn. Wi 251 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:36.759 Wasserman Shows decided she wants to run as a white 252 00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:41.279 woman in an all black district. Now there's been great debate, 253 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:45.240 as you well know about about that decision, and she 254 00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:47.399 could have run someplace else, but she chose to run 255 00:12:47.399 --> 00:12:49.240 in a race that always had. 256 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:52.200 A black person representing it. And if she won, and 257 00:12:52.279 --> 00:12:52.919 she did. 258 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:56.120 Last night, there's there's the there's there's the bottom line. 259 00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:59.039 She won last night against these four African Americans, including 260 00:12:59.080 --> 00:13:01.279 Elijah Manley, who were in the race. So now that 261 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:04.720 district will no longer have a black representative, at least 262 00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:08.759 not for the foreseeable future. And so there's one less 263 00:13:08.840 --> 00:13:11.879 number in the CBC because of the decision that Wie 264 00:13:11.879 --> 00:13:14.799 Wassmon Shultz made to run. Now, on the other hand, 265 00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:18.679 the black voters have their say, so they decide that, 266 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:21.600 you know, she's an option or their best option because 267 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:23.679 of her long years of experience. Her argument was, I've 268 00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:26.519 been there for so long. I can bring my resources 269 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:29.799 to help this poor district. I can help you based 270 00:13:29.879 --> 00:13:31.200 on all the years of my experience. Why am I 271 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:35.000 raising this because Oliver said a moment ago that he 272 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:38.519 came out on top in a seven way race. So 273 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:41.360 my question is this, everybody has an agency to run. 274 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:43.600 But when the post mortem is done on this race 275 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:46.559 where Debbie Wassmon Shultz wins, I can assure you I 276 00:13:46.600 --> 00:13:48.120 ain't seen it yet, it ain't been written yet, but 277 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:50.360 I can assure you, Olivi Gilbert that the post mortem 278 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:52.960 is going to say, in part that there were too 279 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:55.480 many black people still in the race. And that vote 280 00:13:55.480 --> 00:13:58.279 got divided. That was four black folks in that race. 281 00:13:58.320 --> 00:14:01.279 There are seven worse seven in your race. You know 282 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:03.720 my question. You've already figured it out again. Everybody has 283 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:05.440 the agency to run. But why is it that we 284 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:09.320 can't figure out how to call less around a particular 285 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:12.080 person in races where we stand to lose. If we 286 00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:15.080 can't again get behind one candidate. 287 00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:18.440 That's not our that's not our conditioning. I mean, if 288 00:14:18.440 --> 00:14:21.120 we're being honest, Tabs, that's not our conditioning. We've been 289 00:14:21.240 --> 00:14:24.240 conditioned to see ourselves. And this isn't in our community 290 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:26.960 black community, but it's also in the larger like democratic community. 291 00:14:27.000 --> 00:14:29.679 I think it's interesting that we get right to the 292 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:34.320 black folks who couldn't pick one person. But as Democrats, 293 00:14:34.360 --> 00:14:36.399 if you really want to pick up seats your deput 294 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:40.840 Watchsmon shows a congresswoman with an extraordinary legacy of leadership 295 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:43.639 and a lot of money. She could have run someplace 296 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:46.200 else and win. And that's right, she could run some 297 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:48.240 place else in one And so I don't get into 298 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:49.879 I didn't get involved in the race. 299 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:51.679 Sure, I had my own race to get into. 300 00:14:51.879 --> 00:14:55.720 I'm friends with Luther Campbell and their wholeness so I 301 00:14:55.720 --> 00:14:58.440 didn't get involved in the race. I've always been supporting Luke, 302 00:14:58.440 --> 00:15:01.639 and everything's done. Though, I would just point out that 303 00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:03.519 the Republicans actually won. 304 00:15:03.799 --> 00:15:07.000 Because what they wanted to happen was what happened. 305 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:11.519 They wanted to pow people who could potentially spread out 306 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:15.320 and caused them problems in other places into one race. 307 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:19.559 And so now you have their wholeness, an extraordinary public servant. 308 00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:22.200 You have Elijah, a young progressive, if you have Luke 309 00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:25.120 who is literally has been an advocate for First Amendment 310 00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:28.440 and telling it straight. All in the same race with 311 00:15:28.679 --> 00:15:32.000 Wi washing and shows a congresswoman who's been in Congress. 312 00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:34.440 Everyone has all this money, and then we have in 313 00:15:34.519 --> 00:15:37.679 other places we might have a candidates who are not 314 00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:40.840 as strong, quite frankly, running against Republicans who might have 315 00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:43.960 been challengeable. And so I think that we get to 316 00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:47.639 while they couldn't get out, I don't even get that far. 317 00:15:47.720 --> 00:15:50.200 I get to the point that hey, this is what 318 00:15:50.240 -->

00:15:53.559 they wanted. We just gave them what they wanted, and 319 00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:55.919 so we need to look at ourselves as a party first. 320 00:15:55.960 --> 00:15:58.159 Now I to look at ourselves as a party, ourselves 321 00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:03.120 as the Black community, and come to the understanding that sometimes. Look, 322 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:06.360 I played football when not as high school. Sometimes you 323 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:11.480 might be the person carrying the ball, but sometimes you're 324 00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:16.120 the lead blocker. Sometimes you're the offensive line. Sometimes you 325 00:16:16.200 --> 00:16:18.360 to tight end that blocks instead of runs the out. 326 00:16:18.279 --> 00:16:18.879 Come on Oliver. 327 00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:22.720 Sometimes we have to have the ball in our hands 328 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:25.759 or we aren't winning. We don't see ourselves as a team, 329 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:28.320 and we don't see ourselves as a team in the 330 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:30.879 black community. We don't see ourselves as a teams Democrats, 331 00:16:31.159 --> 00:16:33.120 and we are losing because of it. 332 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:34.559 We need to understand that. 333 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:37.120 Now, it's a complex conversation. Complex because again, people have 334 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:39.080 agency to run. I don't ever want to discourage anybody 335 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:42.039 from running for a public office. I make a distinction 336 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:45.840 between public servants and politicians. We need fewer politicians and 337 00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:48.840 more public servants. I don't discourage anybody black from every 338 00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:51.440 running for office. But in these races where you stand 339 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:53.840 to lose because we can't get around you know, it's 340 00:16:53.879 --> 00:16:55.639 same thing happening here in California, the governor's race. So 341 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:57.480 it ain't just black people now, it happens in democratic 342 00:16:57.519 --> 00:17:00.799 racist period. Javeyosaria is finally the nominee for governor here 343 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:03.799 in California, but not after you know, he had to 344 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:06.559 run a gauntlet. There's that word again. He had to 345 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:08.319 run through a bunch of other Democrats to get there. 346 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:11.000 And again, people have the right to run, but in 347 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:13.519 districts we were talking about black representation. 348 00:17:13.640 --> 00:17:14.559 We got to figure out. 349 00:17:14.440 --> 00:17:16.039 A better way. I'm gonna leave it there for now. 350 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:17.400 I got three minutes left. Let me go back to 351 00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:17.839 this money. 352 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:18.039 Now. 353 00:17:18.599 --> 00:17:20.720 I've been watching these races obviously for years, certainly in 354 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:22.880 this election cydecle, and I've seen all kinds of money. 355 00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:24.920 I've seen too much A Pac money. I've seen too 356 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:26.960 much AI money. What kind of money were they're thrown 357 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:28.880 at you in the last week? You said two million dollars? 358 00:17:28.920 --> 00:17:31.839 This is the last week, Yeah, it was. It was. 359 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:37.200 It's called protect Progress, but it was funded by coinbase, 360 00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:40.839 and it was some crypto money, a crypto packed it 361 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:43.400 liked to play in races. And they weighed in and 362 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:45.759 I've never taken a position one where another about crypto, 363 00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:48.160 so I don't know what it was about. But they 364 00:17:48.200 --> 00:17:52.240 weighed in two million opposing me as an ie expenditure, 365 00:17:52.839 --> 00:17:55.160 which is an amazing amount of money for the last 366 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:57.720 I guess over his nine days it was an amazing 367 00:17:57.960 --> 00:18:00.000 So every time you turned on TV or you stream 368 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:02.680 at anything, every time you opened your mailbox, you saw 369 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:05.839 lies about me. And so they even did a mail 370 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:10.839 piece that had fake Miami Herald headlines attacking me. And 371 00:18:10.839 --> 00:18:13.480 so the Miami Herald comes out and writes an articles like, hey, 372 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:18.039 these these these headlines are fake, like these are clearly 373 00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:20.720 forced and so I just start to talk back to 374 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:23.279 the public about Listen, they're spending two million dollars to 375 00:18:23.319 --> 00:18:25.240 tell you who I am. When I've lived here my 376 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:27.640 entire life, you know who I am. I'm the person 377 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:29.279 who turns around this city for you. I'm the person 378 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:31.799 who's the charity County Commission who got us through the 379 00:18:31.880 --> 00:18:35.279 aftermath of COVID. I am the same person who did 380 00:18:35.319 --> 00:18:37.759 all of these things. They're willing to tell you that 381 00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:40.960 I'm MAGA, and I unpacked that for folks. I said, 382 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:44.799 a group that backed Donald Trump, who actually is maga, 383 00:18:45.480 --> 00:18:48.279 is attacking me saying I am MAGA. 384 00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:51.400 It would Congresswoman and Wilson be supporting me if I 385 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:52.039 was MAGA. 386 00:18:52.359 --> 00:18:55.680 With Mayor Danielle Levinekava and Mayor Iadam Higgins and Mayor 387 00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:59.680 Rodney Harris and State Representative Arristid and State Representative Robinson, 388 00:18:59.799 --> 00:19:03.000 they all are we

supporting me? All these democrats. If Caromaga, 389 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:06.640 they could just tell the most outlined this lie. But 390 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:08.759 if you say it loud enough, with enough money, what 391 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:11.160 happens is some people start to believe it. 392 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:15.039 Yeah, Nope, I get it. I'm concerned about this APAC money. 393 00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:17.680 I'm concerned about this crypto money. I'm concerned about this 394 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:20.319 AI money and more than just the money. To your point, 395 00:19:20.440 --> 00:19:22.519 Karen Bass is up against the same thing here in La. 396 00:19:23.079 --> 00:19:24.920 And you know, and I've got a critique of our mayor, 397 00:19:25.240 --> 00:19:27.000 but she's up against the same thing here in La 398 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:33.160 where this AI, these AI ads are just lying about her, 399 00:19:33.880 --> 00:19:37.880 lying in some ways about her record, and actually advancing images, 400 00:19:37.880 --> 00:19:40.240 putting forth the images that are racist themselves. The images 401 00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:43.279 of this black woman by AI are racist. And so 402 00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:45.319 we see that here in La, in our mayor's race 403 00:19:45.319 --> 00:19:47.960 where I sit right now. So again I'm concerned in 404 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:51.119 the future about how AI can be used to manipulate 405 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:53.680 elections and just flat out tell lies. And you heard 406 00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:55.680 that story from Oliver that the Miami hero had to 407 00:19:55.680 --> 00:19:58.119 come out and say these headlines ain't true. But somebody's 408 00:19:58.119 --> 00:20:01.359 getting away with this because the AI in our elections 409 00:20:01.400 --> 00:20:05.079 at the moment is unregulated. That's another conversation for another time. 410 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:07.880 All that said, Olivi Gibbet is a bad man. He 411 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:11.200 overcame all of that and six candidates and all that 412 00:20:11.319 --> 00:20:15.200 money to be the last man standing as the Democratic nominee. Say, 413 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:17.640 it's a foregone conclusion. You're the Democratic nominee in that district, 414 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:20.240 You're gonna win. So he is the congressman elect as 415 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:22.480 far as I'm concerned for the twenty fourth Congression of 416 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:24.400 distinct in the state of Florida. Oliver, thank you for 417 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:26.039 putting us on your schedule to day, for leading off 418 00:20:26.279 --> 00:20:28.359 this three hour program, and I wish you nothing but 419 00:20:28.440 --> 00:20:30.640 the best, and we'll talk many times. I suspect down 420 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:31.079 the road. 421 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:32.960 Sir, absolutely looking forward to it. 422 00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:35.160 Thank you, Thank you very much. More of Tavis Smiley 423 00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:36.279 when we come forward.