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First of All with Victor Blackwell

Reality Check On Where Harris Stands With Black Voters; Disparity In Storm Aid For Communities Of Color; Black Style Headed For Spotlight At Met Gala; Kamala Harris And Donald Trump Race To Win Over Latino Voters As U.S. Election Nears; The 2025 Met Gala Theme Is Black Men's Fashion. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired October 12, 2024 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[08:00:00]

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Saturday, your favorite day of the week. First of All, with Victor Blackwell is up next. So Victor, what do you have coming up for us.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: There are lot coming up. There's been so much attention heading into the weekend paid to how Vice President Harris is doing Black voters. Well, there's a new poll out this morning likely will not ease Democrats' concerns. We'll talk about that.

Also former President Obama's message to Black men, specifically. And comedian George Wallace is here to talk about why he is getting involved. Plus also a lot of attention to people who were trying to recover after the hurricanes, of course. I will talk to an expert just back from storm zones in Florida about how communities of color face unique challenges in getting aid, while other groups often actually see more money. And we'll talk about why that happens.

And later, if anyone has met -- has a Met Gala invite and needs a plus one, help a brother out. I would love to be there. Next Spring's theme is going to revolve around the Black dandy. We'll talk about what that is and the big names that will be leading fashion's biggest night.

MIRACLE: A lot going on. I would also love a plus one, so maybe plus two.

BLACKWELL: Plus two.

MIRACLE: Will be watching.

BLACKWELL: All right, thanks. Let's start the show.

All right. Well, first of all, if Vice President Harris is going to win this election, she probably has to do better with Black men in some polls than currently suggested. But there's a new poll out today that suggests that she has a lot of work to do. It's not going to really ease Democrats' concerns. Is former President Obama's message, though, to Black men specifically going to work? We have the numbers on the new poll, but also, is this going to backfire?

So take a look at some of the coverage this week of what former President Obama said to Black men. Obama's goals, Obama admonishes, calls out, shames, lectures, Black men. Those are the takeaways after the former president called out brothers at a campaign office for Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh.

Now President Obama argues men considering sitting out this election or supporting Trump were just making excuses and potentially sexist. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, FMR. PRESIDENT OF USA: You're thinking about sitting down or even supporting somebody who has a history of denigrating you. Because you think that's a sign of strength, because that's what being a man is putting that. That's not acceptable. That's not fair. This should even be a question. And you all know some of those well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Well, the real problem for the Harris campaign and Democrats is not Black men. It might be the calendar. They're only 24 days left until the votes start to be counted, and in some states, voting is already happening. Here in battleground Georgia, early voting starts next week.

New polling from the Wall Street Journal underscores the time crunch. It shows Harris in a deadlocked race with Trump in six of seven battleground states at a new poll from the New York Times and Siena College this morning, it might be a wake up call. They found nearly eight out of every 10 Black voters nationwide said they would vote for Harris, but Biden won with 90% of Black votes in 2020. They write, "The drop off for MS Harris is if it holds large enough to imperil her chances of winning key battleground states." A CNN campaign team reports the Democrats have been worried Harris's momentum is running out and that there is debate about where to put attention and resources to change that.

We have a great group to talk about this this morning. Stephanie Brown James is the co-founder and senior advisor to collective PAC, the country's largest political action committee dedicated to supporting Black candidates. Dominik Whitehead is the NAACP Senior Vice President of Campaigns and Mobilization. And Theodore R. Johnson is a contributing columnist at the Washington Post. He's also the author of a new book, If We Are Brave, Essays From Black Americana.

Welcome to all of you. And Stephanie, let me start with you, because the first half of the year, when we asked questions about the polls that showed that Democrats were in trouble with Black voters, specifically Black men. Democratic strategists said there's no way Trump is not going to do better than he did last time around. Is mid- 20s, high 20% out of the question now 24 days out?

[08:05:01] STEPHANIE BROWN JAMES: Listen, Victor, I hope those strategists are no longer around working with the campaign because that is absolutely not the case. And I think you made a great point that listen, the problem now is the calendar. Let's not forget that it's only been a few months since Vice President Harris has taken on the mantle of running for the presidential ticket, and what we saw earlier was that Black men were not excited for another Biden presidency. And so the campaign, and quite frankly, organizations working on the ground who have been in communities have had to really play catch up and make sure that one they can both introduce who Kamala Harris is to all Black voters, but specifically show the difference between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

And I think at the end of the day, that's what President Obama was really trying to get at the heart of. These are two people who have a vastly different perspective of you as a Black men. I think the challenge there is sometimes you can have an inside conversation with your people, and sometimes you can have a conversation that maybe shouldn't be as public as it was. But yes, Democrats have a lot of ground to cover to make sure in these next few days that ball voters and Black men know what the party is doing for them, or what the Harris wall's presidency with (inaudible).

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about former President Obama's comments in just a moment. But Ted, let me come to you and let's put up these findings from this new New York Times Siena College Poll with Black voters up on the screen.

It shows that Vice President Harris has 78% of support Donald Trump 15% but that's still about nine points shy of where President Biden was in, 2020. So if this is real, this softening of support among Black voters, specifically Black men Ted, why is it happening?

THEODORE JOHNSON, CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST: Yes. There are a number of reasons. Look number one is between about 68 and 2004 Republican candidates for the presidency averaged about 12% -- 11%, 12% of Black voters. And so what broke that was Obama. You know, Obama did extremely well with Black voters, and now we're seeing post- Obama, some of those Republican numbers, Black support for Republicans. Some of those creep back up. So this is basically a snapback effect from where things were pre Obama and with Biden as President, as Biden on the ticket, now that Kamala Harris is there, we have seen a softening of Black support for Republicans.

Numbers six months ago look very different than numbers today. That said, with a Black candidate like Kamala Harris on the ticket, one would expect that Black support might match Obama's. That's not the case for a number of reasons. I think the one that hasn't been talked most about is these are, tend to be younger Black men that are -- whose support for the Democratic Party is softening. So it's a generational thing.

We're talking about millennials and Gen Z Black men voting who have less of a connection to, say, the civil rights era or tactics of a century ago that maybe Gen X Black folks and Boomer Black folks still maintain. So I wouldn't worry too much about this. The big battle is really about mobilization of Black voters, and not so much trying to sway Black men voting for Trump to sort of return back to voting for Democrats, as they did during the Obama years.

BLACKWELL: Dominik, Nia-Malika Henderson, CNN, political analyst, also a columnist for Bloomberg, wrote a column titled, "Obama can stop lecturing Black men about Harris." Let me read some of it.

"So eager to prove that he isn't beholden to Black people. He's the president of all Americans. He would often say, Obama has frequently singled out Black people for reprimanding. This approach only underscores the stereotype of Black Americans as a problem that needs solving."

What's your take on the former president's his strategy, his approach when trying to get out the vote of Black men specifically?

DOMINIK WHITEHEAD, SENIOR V.P. OF CAMPAIGNS AND MOBILIZATION, NAACP: Well, good morning, Victor. And first I would say, I think both of the panelists did it a moment ago. This is all about mobilization, right? And turning out Black voters overall. The other piece I will lift up, let's be very clear, next to Black women, Black men is the largest voting demographic in this country, right?

And so I think that is something to say. We do know that Black men vote, but the other piece is that Democrats and Republicans, but particularly Democrats, have a lot of work to do directly in terms of engaging the Black community over the next few weeks, or particularly Black men. We know when it comes to Black men overall that the economy is a top issue for them. And so we think about the work that's happening on the ground, much of what Stephanie said a moment ago, there are organizations and community who are organizing day in and day out.

When we think about the comments that former President Obama mentioned, I don't think it was directly to Black men and scolding Black men, if you will. I think his studying Black men, know, hey, what's at stake on this election cycle, right? There's a lot of things at stake this election cycle. There's clearly two candidates on the ballot. One have your issues and interests at best. Another candidate may not have your issues at best. So it's more of a conversation with Black men directly than scolding them, because we know Black men will show up to vote.

[08:10:19]

BLACKWELL: Well, Stephanie, this is what's interesting, is because I went back and looked at the exit polls for the last, I think six elections, all the way back to 2000. And if we remember that Black men are 4% of the electorate and white men are 35% of the electorate, you know who did best with white men? Barack Obama.

So if you're trying to grow the share and get Vice President Harris across the finish line, why not focus on the larger share? Shouldn't he be talking to white men instead of the 4% of the electorate go to the 35% and he obviously has a message that worked with them? Why not target white men? JAMES: Listen, if I'm going to be honest about it, the campaign just

unveiled that they were making a significant investment in reaching out to white male voters this week. I think the challenge that our communities is having is that is that same level of investment going into talking directly to Black men, and that is where the rubber meets, meets the road. And let's not also forget that Black men are the number one targeted population for misinformation.

And so yes, the Democrats have to tell their message of why they are the better party, why Kamala Harris is a better choice, directly to Black men and talking to Black men, but also they have to counter the narratives that, as was stated, millennial young Black men are getting consistently because they are being targeted with that misinformation. So yes, I think more investment is surely needed within the Black community, talking in real, plain conversation with Black men.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Ted is the competition between Harris and Trump, or Harris and staying home for Black men and Black voters primarily.

JOHNSON: Yes. It's between Harris and staying home. Look, if you're a Black men right now and Trump is your preferred candidate, there's very little Barack Obama or Kamala Harris can say to make you flip back or, you know, change your mind. And so what I think Obama's message yesterday and the Harris campaigns message writ large, is, if you are thinking that this election is a done deal and you don't have to vote, you're wrong. Get out to vote if you if you aren't sure about what to do, who to support, get up and go vote.

Every time 10 Black men vote nine -- eight or nine of them are going to Kamala Harris. So this is a mobilization fight in order to win the presidency.

One quick thing on Obama speech, you know, he talked to Morehouse 10 years ago, all male HBCU in Atlanta, 2013, very same tone, very same message. He has a very Booker T. Washington sort of approach to Black men. And I think that resonates again, maybe with older Black men, the over-45 crowd, younger Black folks are just not interested in that lecture. And it doesn't resonate the same way. This is a mobilization election when it comes to Black voters generally, and Black men in particular.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Nia-Malika Henderson, again, kind of wrote that his approach to Black voters and Black men is what appealed to white voters. It was a balm, as she called it, for white voters. So maybe this is the strategy to increase white male out the turnout.

Stephanie Brown James, Dominik Whitehead, Theodore Johnson, thank you all.

Hurricane does not discriminate. We know that, but aid can and does. Up next, why those in need of help from FEMA after devastating storms may not get the same help as their neighbors. And we're all following some breaking news. The White House has just released a report detailing Vice President Kamala Harris's medical history and her health information. Will bring that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:18:40]

BLACKWELL: We examine disparities on this show health care, income, investment in education, and now with back to back hurricanes, we need to look at disaster relief. I was in Central Florida covering hurricane Milton as it hit this week. I saw some of the damage firsthand. And while natural disasters do not discriminate aid, apparently does.

Research shows that in counties that suffer hazard damage the same amount Black survivors lose wealth, white survivors gain it. And President Biden assigned orders to advance racial equity in the federal government and FEMA has made changes. FEMA officials say it's already spent $9 billion almost half of their recent $20 billion infusion from Congress in less than a week. They'll need to ask Congress for more money. But history shows that money probably will not be distributed equitably among those who need it.

With me now is Chauncia Willis. She's the co-founder and CEO for the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management. Good to have you with me.

CHAUNCIA WILLIS, CEO, INSTITUTE FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Thank you for having me.

BLACKWELL: So listen, there's this study from 2018 that is just stunning. It's from Rice University, University of Pittsburgh. It looked at two counties, Black counties with -- let me just say, suffered ten billion in Hazard damage, right? Same amount. Black survive wealth decreased by an average of $27,000. White survivors average wealth increased by $126,000. And sometimes, you know, we conflate how and why. Like, how did you fall? I tripped over the curb. Why did you fall? Because I wasn't paying attention. They're distinct questions and answers.

[08:20:19]

So let's start with the how. How is this happening that we're seeing this disparity?

WILLIS: That's a great question. And the disparity is astonishing, right? What's happening is that our disaster management system actually mirrors our societal system, where there is discrimination and bias built into systems.

So we think about redlining. We think about the lack of insurance in underserved communities. We think about even FEMA having a requirement that you have insurance to be resilient. Those things are not going to really facilitate a smooth recovery and a full recovery for everyone.

Recovery for everyone is a myth. It's not true. Some people will have generational impacts from a disaster and back-to-back, disasters are starting to occur. They're not happening in a singular fashion. They're compounding. And it's absolutely traumatic, and it's horrible for people who want to recover and want to have full lives. Everyone won't recover, and we have to be honest about that, and the reason is because of inequity.

BLACKWELL: Now you're just coming in from Tampa after Hurricane Milton. Why is it continuing? Because this is an administration that, at the very beginning, said that it was invested in equity and a DEI approach to this and other elements of the federal government. Why is it still going on?

WILLIS: Well, people bring their bias to the table. When disaster responders are coming in to assist their people first, when planners are planning for disasters, they're people, so people have inherent bias. I think Harvard University actually identified over 155 different biases. So someone who's coming to help is going to have a bias.

I can remember sitting in an operations center after Hurricane Katrina, and actually hearing someone say, I don't think we should give those people another dime. They're just going to buy another 40 ounce with it. So people are bringing their bias, and so our organization is really seeking to combat that bias by sending out equity response teams to support the operation.

FEMA is already overwhelmed. They're doing quite a lot. They're doing the best they can, I believe. However, every community needs that additional support, and our teams go out and we are looking for those inequity markers. One community receiving support, one community not. That's what we're looking for.

BLACKWELL: The former president has made this point of criticizing President Biden administration and FEMA's response to natural disasters. Is this disparity respective of political party, or does it go from administration to administration regardless of party?

WILLIS: Unfortunately, it goes from administration to administration. Now I will say that the former president is most probably targeting misinformation to underserved populations. I've even heard people say that they are playing in our face. Charlemagne, the guy just had an interview where a person from Tampa called in and said, hey, they're playing in our face. They're giving all this money to immigrants and towards the border and all of these things. When we need help, we need support. Well, the truth is that those are separate pots of money. That's misinformation.

And whether or not it's this current administration or the next administration, the same people will need help. It's about humanity. It's about equity. It's about meeting people where they are and being intentional to provide that level of service to everyone.

BLACKWELL: Chauncia Willis, thank you for helping us understand this. It's something we all need to pay attention to.

WILLIS: Thank you for having me.

BLACKWELL: Certainly. Now, for more information on how you can help hurricane victims, including from Milton in Florida. Go to cnn.com/impact, I was there earlier this week and covered, of course, the hurricane as it came through, where I was in Central Florida, didn't see as much damage as we saw on the coast, but you've seen from our reporters just how bad it is, and that's after Helene just about two weeks prior.

All right. Breaking news now, the White House has just released a report on Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris's medical history. We've got our chief medical correspondent, Doctor Sanjay Gupta, here to break it all down. Morning. Good morning. All right. What to say?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, she's 50. Nine-year-old, pretty healthy woman. That's the headline. I mean, they have a lot of detail in here. It's just a page and a half, which is pretty standard for all these candidates and presidents. She has allergies. She's treated for that. She wears contact lenses. And the most significant thing is her family history is significant for colon cancer.

[08:25:20]

Her mother died of colon cancer at age 70. And when that happens, you have to get screenings regularly, starting usually at a younger age, more frequently. And according to the medical report, she's been having that done along with mammograms.

I will say it's most notable, in some ways, Victor for making clear on what she does not have. No history of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiac disease, lung disease, cancer. So they're probably alluding back to her mom's history, saying she's been screened. There's no evidence of cancer and no evidence of things even like osteoporosis.

So you know, they end this letter. As I've read so many of these letters over the last quarter century, basically saying she is fit for duty, both physically and mentally. Essentially, she has the mental resiliency required to execute the duties of the presidency. Last physical exam was April 2024 and this is essentially a letter from her primary care doctor.

BLACKWELL: Now is that the type of transparency that you would expect? I remember that Senator McCain released his records, right? Years of records. Is this more common what you'd expect from a nominee?

GUPTA: This is more common. And this, you know, I've been doing this for a long time. I was there when Senator McCain released all those records thousands of pages of records. And, you know, he had a significant history. He had a cancer history. He had been a prisoner of war, as, you know, in Vietnam. So there was all this stuff that was interesting and relevant I think for medical reporters.

This is pretty standard. I think as medical reporters, we always want more. Was there any pertinent surgical history? For example, any other medications? But they give her numbers here.

They do talk about her medications. And as I point out, a lot of times these medical records. You can cut to the chase by saying, hey, look, we've ruled these things out, diabetes, neurological disorders, cardiac disease. So it's pretty standard, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Also a letter released on behalf of former President Trump. But how do these letters compare?

GUPTA: Well, you know, it's interesting with President Trump, I was there in 2018 when he did a press briefing with his doctor at that point, yeah, and it was, it was a tough one to decipher. I'll be honest with you, because we were reading one thing, we were hearing something else from doctor, Ronnie Jackson. At the time, there was evidence that President Trump, at the time, had heart disease. It wasn't reflected in some of his medical records.

What we typically got from the Trump campaign was basically saying, not only is he healthy, but he is the healthiest president to ever, you know.

BLACKWELL: Could lift to 200. I remember that. Yes.

GUPTA: Without a trace of irony in his voice, he could lift a 200. So you know, point is that it's hard to decipher these things. And I'll just say Victor as a reporter, they're not required to release any kind of medical records. This isn't a requirement of a candidate or the president to do so. So when they do so, it's sort of because the public wants to know. Is the leader or potential leader going to be able to fulfill the duties of President?

But as I think you're alluding to, we have not gotten a lot of information on the former President Trump. He did say that he had two baseline cognitive screenings in the past. Again, he has that history of heart disease in the past. But other than that, they say he's fully fit to execute the duties of President as well. He's 78 years old, as you know, so he'd be the oldest, in this case, second-term president ever.

BLACKWELL: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta with the breaking news. Thank you.

GUPTA: You got it.

BLACKWELL: All right, both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are leaning into immigration as a way to reach Latino voters in the final weeks of the presidential campaign. We'll talk about how it's being received in the community. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:33:17]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: We started the show looking at new polling out from the New York Times and Siena College this morning showing former President Trump chipping away at Vice President Harris's support among black voters, especially black men.

Is there any shift happening among Hispanic men too? Hector Sanchez Barba is the president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota, a nonprofit focused on boosting the Latino vote. Good morning to you. So I'll just put that question right to you the anxiety that we're

seeing as it relates to black voters, specifically black men. Does the campaign have reason to be as anxious as it relates to Latino voters and Latino men?

HECTOR SANCHEZ BARBA, PRESIDENT AND CEO, MI FAMILIA VOTA: Thank you for the invitation, Victor, has been a very important campaign. I think the center of this campaign has to be about issues, and we need to focus on border education. This is what we do day to day in Mi Familia Vota, we have the largest field infrastructure, and we know that when we are at the doors, we talk to people, we educate them about the drastic difference between both candidates, the Latino vote clearly understand and makes a statement on where we stand.

I think the best example to really see the drastic difference between both candidates was what happened right now with the Univision town hall of the Vice President and the Aurora speech of Donald Trump. We really see the vice president stating clearly the facts about each one of the policy issues, for example, on immigration, stay away from all the extremism that Donald Trump represents, and stating the facts on border security, but also on a clear alignment on solutions on immigration, also on the economy, on housing, on health care, et cetera.

[08:35:00]

On the other hand, we saw a higher level of extremism right now with Donald Trump really aligning his campaign again on an anti-immigrant agenda, pushing the level of extremism, inciting hate against our community, hate crimes against Latinos keep increasing because of Donald Trump has positioned an anti-immigrant agenda at the center, and it's unacceptable what we're seeing from that campaign.

BLACKWELL: But Hector, let me challenge you here, because this isn't new from the very first day in July of 2015 This is what Donald Trump said. Now, he did better in 2020 with Latino voters, according to the exit polls, than he did in 2016 and the 2024 polls suggest he might do better than he did in 2020.

So if all of that is true, and we heard what he said in Aurora, why is his share of the Latino vote getting larger?

BARBA: It's about border education. The Latino community were the most under invested when it comes to border education, border participation, all the different issues related to democracy, and that's what we're doing as an organization --

BLACKWELL: But are you suggesting that Latino voters just have not had accurate information for nine years now?

BARBA: That's correct. We are under attack, Victor, high levels of misinformation in Spanish. They are literally attacking us in Spanish, with misinformation, with information that is totally wrong about this election. And let me tell you something. This is about facts and this is about issues that are important for the community. We recently released a policy agenda with the most important issues

for the Latino community, and there is a clear alignment with the Vice President on these issues. There has been a full access to the Vice President discussing these issues, making sure that those issues are reflected in her policy priorities. She called to discuss the issue. The campaign has been fully open.

The Trump campaign and the Trump administration was fully closed to the Latino community for four years when he was a president, and right now, they haven't responded to the issue priorities.

BLACKWELL: Let me ask you, if you say that the Trump campaign has been fully closed, they have made it well known that they're reaching out to Latino men. The Harris campaign launched Hombres con Harris, Men for Harris on Wednesday, is it too late?

BARBA: Yes. No. We've been connecting with this administration and with the various campaign on issues related to Latino men. This administration, the Biden administration and Vice President Harris have been very clear we're mostly working class families in the black and Latino community, Victor, we know this. We know the issues that are important, on the economy, on housing, on wages.

This administration has been very strong on these issues, of the important elements to educate the communities about these important issues. This is what we're doing. There is a lot of miscommunication. There is intimidation. My canvassers are being intimidating in the doors, by the right wingers, by the followers of Donald Trump.

We're seeing a lot of horrible things related to democracy, and we need to say, stop. We're going to be fighting on the front lines to making sure that we make this a better and more inclusive democracy. We're not going to allow them to win, because it's the worst thing that will happen to our democracy, having a second term of Donald Trump.

BLACKWELL: Hector Sanchez Barba. Thank you so much for being with me.

Coming up, how the biggest night in fashion plans to honor black style. We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:43:11]

BLACKWELL: A lot to talk about in this next conversation. Fall just got here, but some of us are already looking forward to next spring and the Met Gala, the theme will be "Superfine: Tailoring, Black Style." Colman Domingo, Pharrell Williams, ASAP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton and LeBron James will co-chair the gala.

CNN senior entertainment reporter Lisa France is here. So I'm looking forward to it, but I don't know why they made this choice. Is that clear yet?

LISA FRANCE, CNN SENIOR ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: It's not clear to me. I'm not sure either, especially with everything that's going on in this country, there's a lot of conversation. Lot of conversation about the other right and so, and about people of color and our rights, about the LGBTQ plus community and their rights.

And so it's interesting that they're going to be celebrating Black dandies --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

FRANCE: -- and there's concern. Social media is really worried that this could go left real quick.

BLACKWELL: I mean, you know, I just -- I hope that people don't take things too literally, and somebody makes a huge mistake.

FRANCE: Yes. I'm going to need people to really, like, study this.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

FRANCE: I mean, it's important, because this is historical. This is the first time that the Met Gala is focusing on black design. So this is, like, a really big deal. And for me, I'm just excited, because with ASAP Rocky being involved. We know Rihanna is going to be there.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Rihanna will be there.

FRANCE: And so Rihanna at the Met Gala is always amazing, but people really need to study the history of what this means and what it means in terms of black culture. It's about luxury and elegance and doing things big, but it has a potential, really, to go wrong --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

FRANCE: -- and that's what people are concerned about.

BLACKWELL: And Colman Domingo always hits it right just on the male.

FRANCE: Always. I feel like he just gets out of bed. And it's couture. It's couture.

BLACKWELL: It is just good. So you're also -- let's talk about this in the next episode, final episode?

FRANCE: Yes, final episode.

BLACKWELL: Of TV on the EDGE.

FRANCE: Yes.

BLACKWELL: And we all remember next year would be the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

FRANCE: Right.

[08:45:00]

BLACKWELL: And Kanye West's remarks during that telethon.

FRANCE: During that telethon. I mean, so famous where he said, George Bush does not care about black people. That's what we'll be talking about. And that was also very historical. A lot of people don't realize that that's very strongly connected to Black Lives Matter.

And so we discussed that. It's really interesting, and just to look back and look at where Kanye West is now, versus who Kanye West was back then. And it was a different time in a different world. But, I mean, who can forget that moment? I mean, and Mike Myers face.

BLACKWELL: He didn't know what to do.

FRANCE: None of us knew what to do, none of us. We all were like, did that really just happen?

BLACKWELL: Yes.

FRANCE: I mean, my man, he completely went off script and did his own thing, but you know, and I missed the old Kanye.

BLACKWELL: As he says, I miss the old Kanye. We're showing some of the pictures of the new Kanye now. Lisa France, thanks so much for coming in.

FRANCE: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Comics and campaigns collide in Atlanta. Up next, comedian George Wallace joins us with his unique Hey Michaela, his unique take on the state of the race.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:50:28]

BLACKWELL: So the reality in 2024 especially this close to an election, is that you cannot escape hearing about the presidential election, because you find politics everywhere, music and sports, comedy. I follow comedian George Wallace for a long time, and notice politics has started taking up a lot of his attention too. He brought that up at a Comics for Kamala event he hosted last night here in Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE WALLACE, COMEDIAN: This is a great night. You know, this is usually about comedy, but this is the most important night that I've ever done. Sometime I choke up, and sometimes I get mad. I get mad at you, undecided. What the hell is wrong with you? What the hell you undecided about?

I get choked up. I started cussing. I used to be a Christian for 47 years. I'm sorry I was a Christian. Any preacher's in here, because I have to apologize. I was a Christian for 47 years, until Trump got involved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Hey, George Wallace.

WALLACE: I said that last night. I have no idea what I'm saying.

BLACKWELL: If you'll remember, I don't know.

WALLACE: Oh, my God. Last night was so great being here in Atlanta, and I had people from all over the world to come see me last night. I couldn't believe it. George Wallace and friends at the Uptown Comedy Theater. It was crazy, and I didn't even it's amazing. I don't know -- I was talking about -- I start to cuss.

Well, since Trump has been in office, I started to cuss because this guy has just changed my life and changed a lot of people's lives too. I blame him for the races, the hate in the country. I just don't like him. And I talked about it last night five white people I don't like Donald Trump, Margaret Taylor Greene, Jim Jordan, Judge, Clarence Thomas and Herschel Walker.

Yes, I said it that white people. But I should be president -- I really should be running for president, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Why?

WALLACE: Because I -- people would vote for me and first thing, first of all, I'm going to pass Chick-fil-A going to be open on Sunday.

BLACKWELL: Please, open a Chik-fil-A on Sunday.

WALLACE: See how many votes I will give you. Ever driving by Chick- fil-A on Sunday, you pull in, you go, Oh, hell, they closed.

BLACKWELL: Why did you get so involved? Because again, I follow you on socials, and usually they're jokes and a little politics. Now it's mostly this race.

WALLACE: I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia in the 50s, so especially to all of the black men out there trying to make a decision. I rode the back of the bus for you. I was here with Dr. King. I was at his funeral, and you need to know what's good for you, what's good for your daughter, what's good for your mom. It's not -- Trump has never. There's no evidence that Trump has ever done anything for the black men that are undecided. And you need to come on board.

And it's simple. All you got to do is think, out of the two candidates, you know, it's right or wrong, who would stop by if you're walking down the street, which one would shake your hand? So I think about something, and then, you know, and I'm from New York. I live right down the street from Trump Tower, and New Yorkers know Trump is a B.S., you know why I know that? Because that's what I do for a living. I'm a BS, all B.S.'s know each other. I mean, we don't know each other, but we know each other.

BLACKWELL: Let me play this for you. This is on Fox News.

WALLACE: Fox News.

BLACKWELL: Yes, you weren't on Fox.

WALLACE: I know damn well. I don't know Fox --

BLACKWELL: This was a conversation that happened. Brian Kilmeade, one of the hosts of Fox and Friends retold an Eddie Griffin joke. You know Eddie Griffin?

WALLACE: Yes, of course. I know him.

BLACKWELL: This is part of the joke he told about why black men are voting for Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN KILMEADE, FOX AND FRIENDS HOST: He's relatively an X rated black, but very black comedians, very funny.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Watch your language here.

KILMEADE: I know please. Says the black community goes, he offered a humorous argument that Trump has certain credentials the black community likes. He's got three baby mamas, 43 felony cases and counting. He's selling high, top 10 issues like Michael Jordan, and he got shot like Tupac. He goes, I'm voting for him. He goes, I'm going to try, he goes, I wouldn't be surprised he dropped an album next.

LAWRENCE JONES, FOX AND FRIENDS HOST: I don't think the codes. I mean, I think he's clearly making a joke.

KILMEADE: He's having a fun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

JONES: And I think the community cares much about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And Lawrence Jones, of course, says the community doesn't care about that. What do you think when you hear jokes like that?

WALLACE: That's just a joke. Trust me, that's he just a joke. Nine times out of 10, he's voting. I know he's voting for Kamala. He better be voting for or I'll kill him. Eddie Griffin, he better be voting all you got, especially here in Atlanta. I met a guy named Waka Flocka Flame like I said I was supposed to be a Christian. I've been a Christian comedian for 47 years --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

WALLACE: -- until I met Waka Flocka Flame. Now I don't cuss, but Waka Flocka is my curse word. I mean, if you're at home, Waka Flocka, you can say it ain't cussing, but it's so you go and say, Waka Flocka.

BLACKWELL: You know, it's eight something in the morning in here. WALLACE: But that's not cursing.

BLACKWELL: I know. Yeah.

WALLACE: No. Yes

BLACKWELL: Back on to you.

WALLACE: I went to church Sunday. My Bishop walked up in the pulpit and I said, look at this Waka Flocka.

[08:55:02]

BLACKWELL: I saw you online trying to win this falconry day contest with RFK Jr. and Don Jr.

WALLACE: Well, listen to me. I do so much stupid stuff, and I don't know too much about that stuff. And I live in New York also. So about this hunting and all of that. I'm not into it. Don't know too much about it to be honest with you.

BLACKWELL: Are you watching the debates?

WALLACE: Are you kidding?

BLACKWELL: What'd you think?

WALLACE: Oh, I thought she ate his butt up. She ate his butt. You talking about the two?

BLACKWELL: Yes.

WALLACE: Oh, she was so wonderful. I love that lady. She's so good. She's so smart. How does he call her she's not qualified? He's not qualified. He's a liar, he's a thief, he's a racist. I mean, I'm mad about this. I'm sorry America that I'm mad about it, but I'm just caught up in it.

BLACKWELL: Serious question here, and you talked about this at the top black men, we heard what former President Obama said to black men.

WALLACE: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Are you concerned, though? Because the polls show that, for as much as we can trust polls, we know what they've shown us in the past, that her numbers are soft with black men?

WALLACE: That's what you think. You wait until November 6. You're going to see the black men are going to change. Black men are going to be there. We're going to be -- all you Waka Flockas out there, you are going to vote. I'm your daddy. I'm your real daddy too.

Listen, we will be there. The men will be there. You'll see Detroit, especially here in Atlanta. I did the show here in Atlanta last night. I think we had 50-50, there's usually more ladies than men.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

WALLACE: But my men were there. The number one owner of Popeyes was there, representing me, the former mayor of Atlanta was there. Congresswoman --

BLACKWELL: Nikema Williams is there.

WALLACE: Yes, she was there. Jennifer Holliday was there. Jennifer, you know, when you have people show up like that for your show.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

WALLACE: It was Atlanta, just great. And by the way, this is my hometown. I shouldn't talk about this, but everybody from all over America, if you want to ever go to Africa, you call Delta, and they're going to fly you to Atlanta.

BLACKWELL: George Wallace.

WALLACE: And you won't know the difference.

BLACKWELL: Thanks so much with being me.

WALLACE: There's so many black people in Atlanta playing hip hop music at the Cracker Barrel.

BLACKWELL: And thank you for joining me.

WALLACE: There's so many black people in Atlanta.

BLACKWELL: I'll be back here next Saturday, 8:00 a.m. Eastern.

WALLACE: Yes. Come at CNN. The comedy (ph) news network.

BLACKWELL: Smerconish is up after a break.

WALLACE: I'm George Wallace. I love you. There's absolutely nothing you can do about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)