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DONKEY: Hakeem Jeffries & Chuck Schumer Are Being Called To Step Down If They Can’t Step Up. · The Breakfast Club

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: This is America.
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: There is no question that there are problems in this
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: country between police and community.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: You are a donkey.
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: The latest on that police killing of a black man.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Now to new developments in the deadly spa shooting rampage.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: It was a really bad day for him, and this
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: is what he did. And so we are in a
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: state of emergency.
• 0:24
  Speaker 3: Okay, white supremacist violence is and always has been the
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  Speaker 3: number one threat to our society.
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  Speaker 1: But I'm also very proud that my wife is white.
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: The Breakfast Club, bitches! All right, Charmaine, please tell me,
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: why was I your donkey.
• 0:38
  Speaker 4: Of the day?
• 0:40
  Speaker 3: Well, donkey of the day for Friday, November 6th, is
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: going to the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House
• 0:46
  Speaker 3: Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Now, this past November 3rd, I
• 0:49
  Speaker 3: saw something that I never saw in my lifetime on
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: an election night. We are underselling it when we say
• 0:54
  Speaker 3: it was a historic election night. OK, some people say
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  Speaker 3: an historic night for Democrats.
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  Speaker 1: That's part of it.
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  Speaker 3: But what I saw was America taking its power back
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: from an administration that was hell bent on being a
• 1:05
  Speaker 3: fascist regime.
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: OK, a complete and total rebuke of 10 years of MAGA.
• 1:09
  Speaker 3: OK, Trump has done such a terrible job in this
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: country that Texas, South Carolina, Georgia and Kansas went blue. OK,
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: and as a result, Democrats won back control of Congress.
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: But there's a conversation happening inside the Democratic Party that
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: deserves just as much attention as the election results. And
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  Speaker 3: that's whether Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries should continue leading
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  Speaker 3: the party.
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  Speaker 1: Let the record show.
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: That your friendly neighborhood bad guy, Charlemagne the God, has
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: been telling you for well over a year that Chuck
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries should step down. So it warms
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: my cold heart to see so many people calling for
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: the same thing now. I saw Peggy Flanagan asking them
• 1:45
  Speaker 3: to step down. I saw Annie Andrews in South Carolina.
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: I saw Dr. Abdul Syed saying the same thing. I
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: was reading a letter.
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: To the editor in the Portland Press Herald from Timothy
• 1:56
  Speaker 3: Stevens of Norway, Maine. The headline was Schumer and Jeffrey
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: simply do not get it. And Timothy raises a question,
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: you know, worth asking, a question I've been asking. What
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: kind of leadership does the Democratic Party actually need?
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: Fantastic question. And I am here to provide some.
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: Answers because I like to tell you the why of things. OK,
• 2:15
  Speaker 3: why do I have a problem with the Democratic establishment?
• 2:18
  Speaker 3: I have actually have four. OK, the first one is
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: I need to know that when the interests of working
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: class Americans conflict with the interests of corporate America and
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: powerful foreign policy lobbying organizations, the people leading this party,
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, are prepared to put working
• 2:36
  Speaker 3: Americans first.
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: And I don't think Schumer and Jeffries.
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: Have answered that question convincingly enough, okay? Look at the economy,
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: all right? Democrats spent this election talking about affordability. We
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: all know rent is too high. Healthcare is too expensive.
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: Groceries cost too much. People are working every day and
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: still struggling. So what are we prepared to do about it? Okay,
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: now I know Trump is in office for two more years,
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: even though I don't think he's gonna make it, but
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: that's a combo for next week. So I'm not really
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: expecting Dems to be able to do too much, but
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: Hakeem and Chuck, are we going to.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: Confront Corporate price gouging where it's happening.
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: Are we going to make corporations pay their fair share
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: in taxes?
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: Are we going to challenge monopolies?
• 3:13
  Speaker 3: Are we going to strengthen workers' bargaining power and make
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: health care more affordable? Are we going to keep telling
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: Americans we understand their pain while protecting the relationships that
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: help finance political campaigns?
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: Okay? Second problem. Let's talk about Israel.
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: OK, in July, one hundred and three House Democrats voted
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: for an amendment to cut military aid to Israel.
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  Speaker 1: Hakeem Jeffries voted against it.
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  Speaker 3: Now, Hakeem said the amendment was too broad and could
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: interfere with humanitarian assistance and other programs.
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: That's his explanation. And people should hear it. But here's
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: the question. What specific conditions would change?
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  Speaker 3: You support placing on American military assistance to Israel Hakeem
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: because you can't keep saying American policy needs to change
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  Speaker 3: without explaining what you're actually prepared to change. And I
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  Speaker 3: have questions about Chuck Schumer's position, too. What should happen
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: when the policies of the Israeli government conflict with American
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  Speaker 3: interests or international humanitarian law? What standards should apply to
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  Speaker 3: our allies? What consequences should follow when those standards are violated?
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  Speaker 3: Those aren't unreasonable questions.
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: They're questions leadership should be able to answer. Third problem.
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: Hakeem and Chuck never seem like they really want to win.
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: Everything seems like establishment self-preservation. And this brings me to
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: the Washington Generals. What the hell are you talking about,
• 4:30
  Speaker 3: Uncle Charlotte, the Washington Generals? Yes, the Washington Generals. Y'all
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: know the Washington Generals, the team that plays the Harlem Globetrotters. OK,
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: the Generals, they wear uniforms, they got coaches, they run plays,
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: they show.
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  Speaker 1: Up to compete.
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  Speaker 3: But everybody understands it's just entertainment. OK, the Globetrotters are
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: the attraction and the Generals.
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: They're there to play the opposition.
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  Speaker 3: And that's the comparison I make when I look at
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  Speaker 3: establishment Democrats competing. like Hakeem and Chuck, going up against Republicans.
• 4:55
  Speaker 3: Plenty of speeches, plenty of outrage, plenty of fundraising emails
• 4:58
  Speaker 3: telling everybody how important the next fight is, but they're
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: not really trying to win.
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: They are controlled opposition.
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  Speaker 3: But when progressive Democrats challenge establishment leadership, oh, now they
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: want to fight.
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  Speaker 1: OK, the fight looks very different.
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  Speaker 3: OK, now we're talking about primary endorsements and campaign spending
• 5:14
  Speaker 3: and control the party committees and who gets to decide
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: which ideas are considered politically acceptable. And I want to
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: know why that internal fight sometimes seems more intense than
• 5:24
  Speaker 3: the fight over corporate power. in health care costs and
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: the influence of money in Washington, because the criticism isn't
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: simply that Democratic leaders lose the Republicans. It's that they
• 5:34
  Speaker 3: appear comfortable fighting Republicans within the existing political system, while
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: progressives are challenging whether that system itself needs to change.
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: Those are two very different fights, people. OK, progressives, from
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  Speaker 3: what I see, they actually trying to win. Now there
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: are legitimate disagreements about what policies can pass and how
• 5:51
  Speaker 3: to win elections and how to govern a diverse coalition.
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  Speaker 1: I get all that.
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  Speaker 3: But if party leadership can gather resources to defend its
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: own political positions, voters have every right to ask how
• 6:02
  Speaker 3: that same determination translates into confronting powerful economic interests okay
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: the Washington generals comparison it's not about whether Democrats you
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: know like Hakeem and Chuck know how to compete it's
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  Speaker 3: about whether they're willing to change the game they're playing
• 6:19
  Speaker 3: and actually try to win fourth and final problem okay
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: after the midterms Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats aren't focused on
• 6:27
  Speaker 3: uh retribution or revenge let's listen.
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: So, Mr.
• 6:31
  Speaker 4: Speaker-elect, let me ask you, how do you keep your
• 6:33
  Speaker 4: caucus focused on the things that got them elected, on
• 6:38
  Speaker 4: the cost of gas, the cost of diesel, the cost
• 6:40
  Speaker 4: of groceries, the cost of rent, the cost of health care,
• 6:43
  Speaker 4: instead of retribution? You know, Donald Trump said, I am
• 6:46
  Speaker 4: your retribution. He spent two years on a campaign of retribution,
• 6:51
  Speaker 4: and he got wiped out. His party got wiped out.
• 6:54
  Speaker 4: How do you now say, hey— Let's not look behind us.
• 6:58
  Speaker 4: We'll let the oversight committees do what they do. But
• 7:00
  Speaker 4: we're going to focus on bringing costs down.
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: For working Americans.
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  Speaker 2: The American people don't want us to get even. They
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: want us to get things done on their behalf because
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: life is way too expensive. We ran on affordability. We
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: won on affordability. And now it's our job to govern
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  Speaker 2: on affordability.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, I can't.
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  Speaker 3: We want you to do both. OK, nobody is asking
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  Speaker 3: you to seek revenge. We're asking about accountability. You keep
• 7:28
  Speaker 3: saying affordability and accountability. OK, but asking you to seek
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  Speaker 3: accountability is different than asking you to seek revenge.
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  Speaker 1: Those are two completely different things.
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  Speaker 3: OK, the next person who interviews Hakeem Jeffries, ask him,
• 7:40
  Speaker 3: why does he keep saying affordability and accountability? Ask him,
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  Speaker 3: what does accountability look like? Because that's what we the
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: people want. We know where revenge is. Revenge is going
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  Speaker 3: after somebody because they did something to you. Accountability is
• 7:51
  Speaker 3: investigating whether somebody broke the law, abused their power, or
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: violated the public trust. Revenge is personal. Accountability is about
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  Speaker 3: the rule of law.
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  Speaker 1: Okay?
• 8:00
  Speaker 3: So when Democrats talk about investigating alleged corruption in the
• 8:04
  Speaker 3: Trump administration, I don't want that conversation confused with political retaliation.
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  Speaker 3: If there are legitimate allegations involving Trump's business interests and
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: government contracts and You know, conflicts of interest are abuses
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: of power. Congress has a responsibility to examine that evidence.
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  Speaker 1: OK. And if those investigations uncover criminal wrongdoing, so be it. OK.
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  Speaker 3: The evidence should be referred to the appropriate authorities. That
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: standard applies to Democrats, too.
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  Speaker 1: OK.
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  Speaker 3: Now, Chuck and Hakeem have both expressed support for investigations.
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  Speaker 1: So that's important.
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  Speaker 3: But the real test comes when Democrats have the power
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  Speaker 3: to conduct meaningful investigations.
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  Speaker 1: Oversight?
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  Speaker 3: Will they issue subpoenas when necessary? Will they hold public hearings?
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  Speaker 3: Will they follow the evidence even when politically inconvenient? Will
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  Speaker 3: they make their findings available to the American people? They
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: should because nobody should be above accountability and nobody should
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: be targeted simply because of their political affiliation. Once again,
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  Speaker 3: accountability isn't revenge.
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  Speaker 1: It's what happens when.
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  Speaker 3: The rule of law matters more than the person being investigated.
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  Speaker 1: And that's the standard. Okay. The bare minimum.
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  Speaker 3: Democratic leadership should be expected to uphold.
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: And if you can't do that, bye. OK, and I
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: give Hakeem credit.
• 9:14
  Speaker 3: He helped house Democrats pass legislation, extending Affordable Care Act
• 9:19
  Speaker 3: tax credits. And, you know, Democratic leadership has promised to
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: focus on lowering costs.
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: Those actions matter.
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  Speaker 3: But I don't know if Hakeem and Chuck are built
• 9:26
  Speaker 3: for the next test.
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: The next test is what happens tomorrow.
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  Speaker 3: When the legislation becomes more ambitious, when your powerful donors object. OK,
• 9:34
  Speaker 3: when corporate lobbyists start calling and when you know you've
• 9:38
  Speaker 3: got to make difficult decisions about American foreign policy, especially Israel. OK,
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: that's when the American people get to see what leadership is.
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: Really stands for because winning elections is one responsibility. Governing
• 9:51
  Speaker 3: in the public interest is another. Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: Schumer should have to demonstrate that their commitment to working
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: Americans is stronger than their commitment. So far, establishment self-preservation
• 9:51
  Speaker 3: is winning, but the standard.
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: Should be preserving political relationships. It should not be preserving
• 10:12
  Speaker 3: political relationships and financial support.
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: Okay?
• 10:15
  Speaker 3: And whether Chuck or Hakeem meets that standard is a question.
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: Their colleagues and the American people deserve to debate. I
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: personally say they don't. And I've been saying this for
• 10:25
  Speaker 3: over a year.
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: Okay?
• 10:27
  Speaker 3: The point of winning political power isn't simply to keep it.
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: The point is to use it to make people's lives better.
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: Let me say this real clear. OK, so you can
• 10:36
  Speaker 3: have it and listen to it on repeat. Hakeem, Chuck,
• 10:41
  Speaker 3: the real test of leadership isn't how much money you
• 10:43
  Speaker 3: can raise or how many elections you can win. It's
• 10:46
  Speaker 3: what you're willing to do when the interests of the
• 10:48
  Speaker 3: American people conflict with the interests of the people financing
• 10:52
  Speaker 3: your political career. Are you willing to challenge corporate America
• 10:55
  Speaker 3: on wages? Are you willing to challenge, you know, the
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: health care system, you know? Are you willing to challenge
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: corporate America on housing and taxes? Are you willing to
• 11:04
  Speaker 3: challenge Israel's government when its actions conflict with American interests
• 11:08
  Speaker 3: and human rights? Are you willing to hold Trump and
• 11:11
  Speaker 3: other powerful people accountable regardless of their political connections?
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: Because if your commitment.
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: To the American people only goes as far as your
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: donors will allow, then voters.
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: Have every right.
• 11:23
  Speaker 3: To be on your ask, and even ask you to
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: step down. Please let Remy Ma give Chuck Schumer and
• 11:28
  Speaker 3: Hakeem Jeffries the biggest hee-haw.
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: Hee-haw, hee-haw. You stupid motherfucker. You dumb. All right. Well,
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: thank you for that donkey today. I think that's a
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: fantastic way to end the week.
• 11:38
  Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: Yeah. All right. Well, when we come back, Megan Good
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: will be joining us. Yes, she will. And we're going
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: to talk to her next. So don't go anywhere. It's
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: the Breakfast Club. Good morning.
• 11:49
  Speaker 3: Donkey of the Day is sponsored by renowned personal injury
• 11:51
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• 11:53
  Speaker 1: Don't be a donkey when you need a fighter on
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• 11:59
  Speaker 1: And when you mess with the bull, you get the horns.