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  • ♪♪♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY.

  • WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW."

  • JOINING ME TONIGHT IS THE FORMER "SUPER MAYOR" OF NEWARK AND THE

  • CURRENT JUNIOR SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.

  • PLEASE WELCOME, SENATOR CORY BOOKER!

  • SENATOR, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

  • >> STEPHEN, IT'S GREAT TO BE ON WITH YOU AGAIN.

  • >> Stephen: WE'RE COMING UP ON TWO WEEKS, WE'RE 12 DAYS SINCE

  • THE ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL BY THE MAGA MOB.

  • D.C. HAS TURNED INTO A FORTRESS, OR AT LEAST PARTS OF IT HAVE.

  • HOW ARE YOU DOING?

  • >> I'M DOING WELL.

  • I THINK -- HONESTLY, I THINK MOST OF US ARE FEELING A LOT OF

  • HURT AND A LOT OF GRIEF TO SEE WHAT OUR COUNTRY HAS BECOME.

  • THE CAPITOL NOW, ALL THE STRENGTH AND THE MILITARY AND

  • THE PRESENCE, THAT'S NOT A SIGN OF SUCCESS AS A NATION, THAT'S A

  • SIGN OF WEAKNESS AS A NATION.

  • AND BEING ON THE FLOOR OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE WHEN WE

  • WERE UNDER SIEGE AND WATCHING COLLEAGUES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE

  • AISLE HAVE TO FLEE THE SEAT OF POWER IN THE MOST POWERFUL

  • NATION IN THE WORLD, TO SEE ITS ELECTED LEADERS, ITS FIRST

  • BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT TO HAVE TO FLEE FOR THEIR LIVES IS REALLY A

  • DEFEAT FOR OUR NATION, AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT ALL OF

  • US SHOULD TAKE VERY PERSONALLY.

  • >> Stephen: YOU WERE IN THE SENATE WITH ALL THE SENATORS FOR

  • THE CERTIFICATION ON JAN JANUARY 6th.

  • WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE IN THAT BUILDING THAT DAY?

  • UM, IT WAS -- I THINK, FOR SO MANY FOLKS -- I STILL REMEMBER

  • ON THE FLOOR SEEING STAFF MEMBERS BREAK OUT IN TEARS AND

  • SEEING THIS SORT OF HAPHAZARD SORT OF LOCKING DOWN OF THAT

  • ROOM, I THINK THAT A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED

  • SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHERE THEY FELT THEIR LIFE UNDER THREAT,

  • AND I WILL NEVER FORGET GOING OUT, AND I TRIED TO LEAVE LAST,

  • KNOWING THAT THERE WERE SENATORS WHO ARE OLDER THAN I WAS, AND AS

  • I WAS COMING OUT THE REAR, JUST SEEING POLICE OFFICERS WHO HAD

  • BEEN INJURED, ALREADY.

  • AND THEN I THINK THE THING THAT WAS MOST PAINFUL TO ME, STEPHEN,

  • THAT WAS AT THAT POINT SOMETHING IN ME REALLY BROKE IS SEEING THE

  • CONFEDERATE FLAG BEING WAVED.

  • I SIT IN THE BACK OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE BY THE DOOR, AND

  • TO KNOW THAT THAT CONFEDERATE FLAG WAS WAVING THERE JUST FEET

  • FROM ME AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE NEVER LOST THAT FEELING OF GOING

  • ON THE SENATE FLOOR AND HOW SPECIAL THAT IS, BUT I HAVE A

  • FAMILY, A BLACK FAMILY THAT TOLD ME AS THE FOURTH BLACK PERSON

  • ELECTED PROPERLY TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE, ALL THE STRUGGLE

  • AND SACRIFICE THAT HAD TO HAPPEN IN THIS COUNTRY AND THE DEATH

  • AND BRUTALITY THAT HAD TO BE FACED IN ORDER TO BE ON THAT

  • FLOOR, AND TO HAVE -- IT WOULD BE JANUARY 1, 1861 THAT

  • JEFFERSON DAVIS GAVE HIS FAREWELL AND SUCCEEDED WITH

  • OTHER STRAITS TO TRY TO AFFIRM WHIERMINGTSY, SLAVERY AND

  • REBELLION AGAINST THIS NATION AND TO HAVE THAT FLAG WAVED

  • TRIUMPHANTLY ON THAT CIVIC, SACRED SPACE IS SOMETHING THAT

  • DEEPENS MY CONVICTION MORE THAN EVER TO DEAL WITH THIS SCOURGE

  • WE HAVE IN THIS NATION, THIS VIOLENT SCOURGE OF WHITE

  • SUPREMACY, WHICH I'VE WATCHED TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS

  • TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS THAT THE GREATEST TERRORIST THREAT IN

  • THIS NATION KILLING MORE THAN ANY OTHER TYPE OF TERRORISM

  • SINCE 9/11 IS RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM AND WHITE SUPREMACY

  • FROM A BLACK CHURCH IN NORTHCAROLINA TO A CHURCH IN

  • PITTSBURGH, THAT AMERICANS DON'T REALIZE THE URGENCY MEET WHAT WE

  • SAW TAKE OVER THE CAPITOL THAT DAY.

  • >> Stephen: TO SEE THAT FLAG BE CARRIED IN A VIOLENT ATTACK

  • ON THE U.S. CAPITOL, I THINK ONCE AND FOREVER BURIES THE OLD

  • LIE THAT IT'S ABOUT CULTURAL OR REGIONAL HERITAGE.

  • IT'S JUST ABOUT HATE.

  • >> YES, AND IT IS THIS FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE NOT JUST THE HATRED

  • AND THE BIGOTRY, BUT A FAIRLY TO RECOGNIZE WHAT WE COULD BE AS A

  • PEOPLE, A MULTI-RACIAL DEMOCRACY, SPEAKING NOT TOWARDS

  • A SPECIFIC CULTURE OR RACE, BUT SPEAKING TOWARDS THE HIGHEST

  • IDEALS OF HUMANITY THAT US DIFFERENCES OF DIVERSITY OR YET

  • OUR INTERCONNECTION TO CREATE A MORE BELOVED COMMUNITY, THAT

  • SHOULD EXCITE EVERY AMERICAN.

  • AND, SO, I JUST FIND MYSELF -- YOU KNOW, MARTIN LUTHER KING

  • SAID I CAN'T LEGISLATE YOU TO LOVE ME BUT I CAN LEGISLATE

  • STOPPING LYNCHING.

  • I KNOW AS A LEGISLATOR, THERE ARE THINGS WE DO.

  • WHEN WE ARE AT OUR BEST IS WHEN WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

  • >> Stephen: I WANT TO TALK TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE ON CAPITOL

  • HILL WHO CERTAINLY GIVE COMFORT TO SEDITIONISTS BY THE LIES THAT

  • THEY TELL BECAUSE NO FASCIST UPRISING EVER HAPPENS WITHOUT AN

  • ELITE WHO PROVIDES LEGITIMACY AND COVER FOR THE GRIEVANCES OF

  • THOSE WHO ARE STORMING THE BUILDINGS.

  • HAVE YOU SEEN "THE NEW YORKER" FOOTAGE THAT WAS RECENTLY

  • RELEASED THIS WEEK OF PEOPLE GOING THROUGH THE SENATE,

  • RIFLING THROUGH TED CRUZ'S DESK AND SAYING JOSH HAWLEY AND TED

  • CRUZ WOULD BE FINE WITH THIS?

  • YOU SAID DONALD TRUMP IS BEING AIDED AND ABET BID A GROUP OF

  • REPUBLICAN HOUSE AND SENATE MEMBERS, THIS IS ON THEM AS

  • WELL.

  • WE MUST RISE FROM THIS SHAME, REPAIR OUR DEMOCRACY, WE MUST

  • HEAL OUR NATION.

  • I KNOW, AS I'VE SAID TO OTHER SENATE, IT'S THE MOST

  • DELIBERATIVE BODY IN THE WORLD, FAMOUSLY, BUT WHAT IS AN

  • APPROPRIATE CONSEQUENCE FOR HAVING AIDED AND ABETTING THESE

  • PEOPLE AND INSPIRING THEM WITH THE BIG LIE?

  • >> YEAH, SO YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT, AS YOU SAID,

  • IT'S NOT THE MAD KING.

  • THERE WILL ALWAYS BE MAD PEOPLE LIKE THAT.

  • IT IS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SANE WHO CONSCIOUSLY, DELIBERATIVELY

  • FORWARD THE MADNESS.

  • >> Stephen: BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY CAN RIDE THE TIGER.

  • >> YES, AND THIS CANCER BEGAN BEFORE THE ELECTION EVEN

  • HAPPENED.

  • WE HAD A PRESIDENT SAYING I WILL NOT COMMIT TO A PEACEFUL

  • TRANSFER OF POWER, IF I LOSE THIS WAS RIGGED.

  • AND WHEN THE ELECTION HAPPENED AND YOU HAD LOCAL REPUBLICAN

  • OFFICIALS, GOVERNORS, SECRETARIES OF STATE, WHEN YOU

  • HAD MEMBERS OF HIS OWN CABINET, WHEN YOU HAD THE FORMER ATTORNEY

  • GENERAL SAYING THESE ARE LIES, THIS WAS A FAIR ELECTION, AND

  • YET YOU HAVE SENATORS STILL PERPETUATING THAT LIE, THERE HAS

  • TO BE SOME KIND OF ACCOUNTABILITY BECAUSE WE CANNOT

  • HAVE A REDEMPTION, WE CANNOT HAVE HEALING WITHOUT

  • ACCOUNTABILITY, WITHOUT THE TRUTH BEING TOLD, WITHOUT

  • RESPONSIBILITY BEING ACCEPTED.

  • AND, SO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FORMAL PROCEDURES WE HAVE IN A

  • NARROWLY DIVIDED SENATE, BUT THERE IS THIS -- THIS IS A

  • MOMENT OF RECKONING FOR US AS A NATION.

  • IF WE WANT TO HEAL, WE'VE GOT TO START TELLING THE TRUTH.

  • AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THIS COUNTRY, UNFORTUNATELY, IS BURY

  • A LOT OF OUR TROOPS OVER WITH CONVENIENT DISNEYLAND VERSIONS

  • OF AMERICA THAT HAS NOT SPOKEN TO THE WRETCHED NESDZ, THE MASS

  • KILLINGS THAT HAVE GONE ON FROM CINCINNATI TO LOUISIANA TO THE

  • COAL FAX MASSACRE TO BLACK WALL STREET, THERE HAVE BEEN SO

  • IN INSTANCES WHERE PEOPLE SAY LET'S TURN THE PAGE AND MOVE ON,

  • BUT THOSE WOUNDS FESTER.

  • I JUST REALLY WANT US TO HAVE MORE OF A RECKONING IN THIS

  • COUNTRY IS TO SPEAK TO THE WRETCHEDNESS THAT HAPPENS.

  • OUR NATION'S CAPITOL IS UNDER SIEGE AND ATTACK.

  • THIS WASN'T JUST A BUNCH OF FOLKS THAT GOT UP IN THE MORNING

  • AND SAID LET'S TAKE THE CAPITOL.

  • NO, THEY WERE FED.

  • THIS LIE WAS PUSHED ON THEM BY PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA WHO SAT ON

  • NETWORKS AND REPEATED THE LIE AND GAVE OPPORTUNITY ON IT,

  • POLITICAL OPPORTUNISTS WHO SEIZED ON THIS FOR THEMSELVES.

  • IF THERE CAN'T BE SOME KIND OF REDEMPTIVE MOMENT, THIS PROBLEM

  • WILL BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH, WE WILL HAVE A LOT

  • MORE WORK TO DO AS A NATION.

  • >> Stephen: WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.

  • STICK AROUND.

  • I'M GOING TO ASK THE SENATOR A QUESTION THAT I'M GOING TO GUESS

  • YOU WON'T SEE COMING.

♪♪♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY.

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