President Trump Continues Racist Attacks
BALDWIN: President Trump quadrupling down on his feud with Maryland Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings. Just since this past Saturday, he has tweeted more than a dozen times about Baltimore and Chairman Cummings, calling the city a -- quote, unquote -- "rat and rodent infested mess" and lashing out at the African-American veteran congressman as racist and incompetent. President Trump even dragging the Reverend Al Sharpton and Senator Bernie Sanders into all of this, Calling Sharpton a con men and Sanders racist. So let me bring these ladies back in with me. And, Angela Rye, just to start with you. Like, I was talking to a guy last hour who is from Baltimore and he was saying he wasn't surprised by this, which I think is tragic, in and of itself.</s>RYE: Yes.</s>BALDWIN: He says it's part of his behavior. We have seen him single out members of Congress who are black and brown. If this is some sort of strategy that he's deploying, and we will see more of it potentially between now and next November, what's the result of that in this country?</s>RYE: I think it's dangerous. I think we are at a time right now where for so long people have suppressed feelings of racial bias and hatred and haven't had to be had -- haven't had to deal with them. And I think if I could point to a silver lining in this moment, which is really hard for me to do that, it means that we finally have to call the worst amongst us out. And I hope that is exactly what comes. For Donald Trump to refer to Congressman Cummings as King Elijah, I would say to him, yes, you're absolutely right. This is a man that fully understands that being in elected office is akin to being a public servant. And that is what he's dedicated his career to. He is Threatened by the fact that this man has tremendous oversight over his administration, which is horrible and abysmal, and that is, in fact, rodent-infested. It is full of people who are regularly violating all types of ethics rules, that Hatch Act on down. And that is what he's the most threatened by. The other thing, Brooke, quickly, forever Reverend Al to dedicate his life to fighting for those of us who have been gunned down by police violence, who have been assaulted at the hands of people who have also taken on an abuse of power is immensely troubling. But he -- I mean, it's time for him to get his head checked. This is dangerous behavior. And somebody has to call it out.</s>BALDWIN: It's not just Trump. It's also his advisers. Congresswoman, I wanted to ask you about this, because "Washington Post" is reporting Trump's advisers have concluded these attacks by him are good, that they resonate among his political base, and, in particular, among white working-class voters he needs to win. Why do they think racism is working among white working-class workers?</s>LOVE: I have no explanation for it. As a matter of fact, I think that this is the worst of not just American politics, but humanity. I remember just watching Elijah Cummings and Trey Gowdy go at it. But he never said the words that the president said. Jason Chaffetz and Elijah going at it, but they have never done what the president did. So, at some point, people like Mark Meadows, who Elijah went and helped and said, look, I know him, he's my friend, why do you have to -- I mean, do you have to ask permission?</s>ROSEN: None of them have stood up to the president.</s>LOVE: Why do you have to ask permission -- yes, ask permission to stand up for your friend? I mean, I remember sitting down in the Congressional Black Caucus, the only Republican there, feeling like oh, my gosh, I'm by myself, and being embraced by Marcia Fudge, by so many other people...</s>BORGER: Where all there?</s>LOVE: ... that, besides all of the things that we were, that we -- that we fought against, fought against each other on politics, it had nothing to do with how we felt.</s>BALDWIN: To your question, where are they now?</s>BORGER: Where are they now on this?</s>RYE: ... standing up against Donald Trump on this.</s>ROSEN: You mean the Republicans.</s>BALDWIN: Where are the Republicans on this?</s>BALDWIN: Let's remind everyone last February. Let's go back the moment. We will play the sound. This is back when Mark Meadows got really emotional in that congressional hearing, right, the testimony, when Rashida Tlaib, the congresswoman, had criticized him for bringing in an African-American Trump administration employee to that Michael Cohen congressional hearing. Just setting it up for everyone, just to remind everyone, suggesting the whole thing was a stunt. And guess who supported Mark Meadows? Watch.</s>REP. MARK MEADOWS (R-NC): My nieces and nephews are people of color. Not many people know that. You know that, Mr. Chairman. And to indicate that I asked someone who is a personal friend of the Trump family, who has worked for him, who knows this particular individual, that she's coming in to be a prop, it's racist to suggest that I asked her to come in here for that reason. Mr. Chairman, you are -- you and I have a personal relationship that's not based on color.</s>REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D-MD): I think she said that she was not calling you a racist. And I thought that we could clarify that, because you -- Mr. Meadows, you know, and of all the people on this committee, I have said it and got in trouble for it, that you're one of my best friends. I know that shocks a lot of people.</s>MEADOWS: And, likewise, Mr. Chairman.</s>CUMMINGS: Yes, but you are. And I would do -- and I could see and feel your pain.</s>BALDWIN: He called him his best friend.</s>LOVE: I am fired up. I mean, I almost get emotional about it, because my brother -- I remember my brother being diagnosed with colon cancer.</s>LOVE: And the CBC, without -- just grabbed. They put their arms around me and started to pray for my brother, without even being asked.</s>BORGER: Right.</s>LOVE: So when you see somebody stand up for Mark without being asked -- he didn't have to ask permission. Mark has to do the right thing. He really does. And I'm calling on him to do the right thing here.</s>BORGER: Sometimes, in politics, sometimes, you have to look inside yourself, and you say, what is it worth? What is it all worth to me?</s>LOVE: Yes. Yes.</s>BORGER: Now, he may disagree with those of us who believe very strongly that these Donald Trump tweets are racist. Let's say he even disagrees with that, OK? Let's say he finds a way to rationalize and say it's not racist. Elijah Cummings is different. He's his friend.</s>BALDWIN: His best friend.</s>BORGER: He is somebody who defended him. If he is so worried about the president, what does that tell you? And what does that tell us? And what should that tell his constituents? Quite frankly, I know he's a conservative. He's been with the president. The president has elevated him in a lot of ways. But, at a certain point, I think all of us have to look inside ourselves and say, what's it worth?</s>ROSEN: And I think people will look inside themselves on Election Day. And let's not lose Angela's point, which is, this is a distraction from what Elijah Cummings and the Democrats are calling the president out on. And now we're spending two days on whether or not Baltimore has rats, which is horrifying. January 29, 2017, Donald Trump spoke, and we all sat at these panels and said, he is not speaking to all of America. He has got to broaden his community. He has got to embrace that every American is now his citizen. He hasn't done that for a single day. And this confirms it. And I believe that -- why should we be surprised, when he is consistently distracting us with the same message he's been doing since the day he was inaugurated?</s>BALDWIN: Quickly, quickly, and then we've got to go.</s>RYE: I will. Is it a distraction, though? At this point, we're talking about a number of people who now have their lives at risk. There's a real threat to them.</s>ROSEN: I don't mean distraction. Shifting it.</s>RYE: And it's a problem. And I'm just saying it's bigger than a distraction. It is a fundamental problem. And so long as the Democratic Party continues to say, this is a distraction, and not the core problem, we're at an impasse.</s>ROSEN: But we're on his page, though.</s>BALDWIN: I appreciate you talking about your brother, talking about -- and also just calling them out and asking for Mark Meadows to say something.</s>LOVE: I hope he will do the right thing.</s>BALDWIN: So, I appreciate you saying that.</s>BALDWIN: But he didn't answer questions today. Reporters shouted at Mark Meadows.</s>BALDWIN: Yes. And he was at the White House. I know.</s>BORGER: Gave nothing.</s>BALDWIN: All right, thank you all so much.</s>RYE: Thank you, Brooke.</s>BALDWIN: Thank you. One of the 2020 candidates who will be on that debate stage behind me at the Fox Theatre tomorrow night, former Congressman John Delaney, we will talk to him live just ahead. But, first, President Trump picks a party loyalist as the nation's next intelligence chief. We have details on the background of Congressman John Ratcliffe. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. We will be right back.