Fresno Grizzlies Posted An Unvetted Video
LEMON: A minor league baseball team is apologizing to freshman Congresswoman -- to the freshman Congresswoman. The Fresno Grizzlies of the Tripe-A of the Washington Nationals issued an apology to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after showing a video at a game on Memorial Day featuring a speech from former President Ronald Reagan. So, what was wrong with that? Was Reagan is heard referencing the enemies of the freedom. The video shows Ocasio-Cortez, Kim Jong-un, and Fidel Castro.</s>RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As for the enemies of freedom, those who are potential adversaries they will be reminded that peace is the highest aspiration of the American people.</s>LEMON: Well, the team said in a statement that they chose the video without seeing it in its entirety first. Ocasio-Cortez responded on Twitter saying, in part, "words matter and can have consequences for safety." So, joining me now to discuss is Aisha Moodie-Mills and Douglas Brinkley. Good evening. Wow.</s>DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Good evening.</s>LEMON: Wow.</s>AISHA MOODIE-MILLS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes.</s>LEMON: So, the Fresno Grizzlies didn't edit the video themselves, Aisha. They pulled it from YouTube. But why would someone lump AOC in with dictators like Kim Jong-un and Fidel Castro. And it's -- I mean, listen, they say they didn't but that was someone should have watched the video. But go on.</s>MOODIE-MILLS: Exactly. First of all, somebody should have watched the video. How does this even happen where you just go post something and don't even take a look at it? But you know, we can talk about AOC in a minute. But one thing I want to remind us that when she says that these kinds of things have consequences, she's right. Remember, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords had a similar situation where there was a Web site that had Democrats in the crosshairs, Sarah Palin actually put this Web site up and said go after the Democrats in the crosshairs politically. And someone actually came out and shot Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Inciting violence is exactly what this type of propaganda does. And so, I'm thankful that she came out and said wait a minute, this isn't just fun and games. People get hurt when this kind of propaganda is pushed that is essentially saying like these people are enemies and it's getting folks to go after those people who are deemed as enemies. So, the whole thing is just problematic. But the fact that they didn't even look at the video is ridiculous.</s>LEMON: Yes. That was the same web site. But there's no evidence that Sarah Palin thing incited that. But you know, the crosshair, I remember that story.</s>MOODIE-MILLS: The correlation is real.</s>LEMON: But there was a correlation between. And some made that correlation but they're saying that there's no evidence that it actually did that. But Douglas, doesn't AOC is a hero to many on the left. Target to many on the right. As a matter of fact, you know, she's a regular feature on Fox News. What is it about her that makes such a polarizing figure and to be, that would want someone to include her in a video with dictators?</s>BRINKLEY: Well, the Grizzlies the fact that they didn't vet that is just ridiculous and they better do an internal review very quickly. Although their apology was fairly fast. So hopefully this will be a warning that -- you can't -- you know, AOC gets death threats regularly. That she has become the person the right in America wants to pin as the face of the modern Democratic Party. You were talking earlier, Don, how Donald Trump's worried about Joe Biden. What the Trump people want to do is paint the Democrats as AOC and I think there's bigotry involved with that. The fact that she's of Puerto Rican heritage. The Trump administration's record in Puerto Rico is just abysmal and they keep treating Puerto Rico not as American territory but something outside and a kind of otherness about it. So, you know, it was just another indication of the partisan divide. But for Triple-A balls is pretty high up there. Those Grizzly payers could be going to the Washington National be called up to the majors from a minor league franchise to allow such a hack job to be put in a video between a double on Memorial Day when we're taking our attention away from our veterans. It was very sad.</s>LEMON: Yes. Interesting thing to witness as an American. Listen, Aisha, Ocasio-Cortez and some of her progressive freshman they've been very outspoken. They've had some really tough questions at these hearings, they've showed themselves to be prepared for these tough questions and for these big hearings and prepared on big issues. Is that the reason for some of the backlash?</s>MOODIE-MILLS: It's part of the reason. But let's be clear. There are lot of freshmen who have been really tough with this administration. There are a lot of members of Congress who have been really tough with this administration. Here's the thing. AOC represents and reflects --</s>LEMON: Just say it.</s>MOODIE-MILLS: -- the America that Trump's base is afraid of. We are literally witnessing --</s>LEMON: Brown folks.</s>MOODIE-MILLS: -- brown folks. the demographic revolution is underway. We are witnessing the rise of the new American majority right now. And it is people of color who are ultimately one day going to be the majority of the population and most of the new American majorities also more progressive than center. And so, you have the Trump base and thus Trump, who really look at AOC as a reflection of what they don't want America to be and what they don't deem to be American. It is because she is a woman, it is because she is a person of color, it's also because she is young and she's urban. So, it's all of those things together that insight that rage in them.</s>LEMON: I wasn't sure where you were going. Thank you, Douglas. Thank you, Aisha. I appreciate your time.</s>BRINKLEY: Thanks, Don.</s>LEMON: The lone Republican congressman who called for President Trump's impeachment is stepping up his attacks tonight. He says that he was appalled by what he saw in the Mueller report.