Paris Dennard: ‘The Only Political Stunt’ We Saw Was by the 49ers, When They Took a Knee, Not Pence

RUSH TRANSCRIPT BOLDUAN For ░░░░░░░░ on this let me ░░░░░░░░ in CNN political commentator ░░░░░░░░ host of B E ░░░░░░░░ News Marc Lamont Hill ░░░░░░░░ CNN political commentator and ░░░░░░░░ director of Black Outreach ░░░░░░░░ for President George W ░░░░░░░░ White House Paris Dennard ░░░░░░░░ you so much for ░░░░░░░░ in Marc first you ░░░░░░░░ is what Pence did ░░░░░░░░ stunt versus a protest ░░░░░░░░ itself LAMONT HILL Well ░░░░░░░░ s staged He made ░░░░░░░░ decision to go to ░░░░░░░░ game NFL players aren ░░░░░░░░ walking around looking for ░░░░░░░░ to crash They staged ░░░░░░░░ protest at the game ░░░░░░░░ they re supposed to ░░░░░░░░ at because it s ░░░░░░░░ job Mike Pence knew ░░░░░░░░ of time that if ░░░░░░░░ were to kneel for ░░░░░░░░ anthem he would leave ░░░░░░░░ Trump instructed him to ░░░░░░░░ so He knew the ░░░░░░░░ were playing the Colts ░░░░░░░░ the 49ers would kneel ░░░░░░░░ to Jake Tapper and ░░░░░░░░ the press was told ░░░░░░░░ would leave the game ░░░░░░░░ He went in knowing ░░░░░░░░ was going to leave ░░░░░░░░ game early He has ░░░░░░░░ right to protest but ░░░░░░░░ find it interesting such ░░░░░░░░ dollars would be used ░░░░░░░░ him to fly somewhere ░░░░░░░░ protest and shine a ░░░░░░░░ light on players protesting ░░░░░░░░ violence as opposed to ░░░░░░░░ actual anthem as he ░░░░░░░░ suggesting To me it ░░░░░░░░ a very disappointing waste ░░░░░░░░ money and really bad ░░░░░░░░ BOLDUAN Paris protest or ░░░░░░░░ I mean protest and ░░░░░░░░ stunt can be the ░░░░░░░░ thing The fact that ░░░░░░░░ the reporter traveling with ░░░░░░░░ Vice President whose job ░░░░░░░░ is to track the ░░░░░░░░ of the VP the ░░░░░░░░ was told not to ░░░░░░░░ out of the press ░░░░░░░░ because it could be ░░░░░░░░ early departure Is that ░░░░░░░░ beginning and end of ░░░░░░░░ folks need to know ░░░░░░░░ this DENNARD It s ░░░░░░░░ beginning of the truth ░░░░░░░░ the truth is the ░░░░░░░░ political stunt that we ░░░░░░░░ was done by the ░░░░░░░░ Francisco 49ers when they ░░░░░░░░ to make a political ░░░░░░░░ by taking a knee ░░░░░░░░ the national anthem which ░░░░░░░░ view in this country ░░░░░░░░ being disrespectful to the ░░░░░░░░ Now what the Vice ░░░░░░░░ did was say to ░░░░░░░░ If they are going ░░░░░░░░ be disrespectful to the ░░░░░░░░ I will not stay ░░░░░░░░ participate in this event ░░░░░░░░ did the Vice President ░░░░░░░░ could have stayed the ░░░░░░░░ time had the San ░░░░░░░░ 49ers not taken a ░░░░░░░░ So he didn t ░░░░░░░░ what they were going ░░░░░░░░ do That s why ░░░░░░░░ told the press BOLDUAN ░░░░░░░░ s the 49ers LAMONT ░░░░░░░░ That s not true ░░░░░░░░ BOLDUAN They were going ░░░░░░░░ kneel DENNARD I don ░░░░░░░░ know they re going ░░░░░░░░ kneel BOLDUAN Folks have ░░░░░░░░ it every game since ░░░░░░░░ season DENNARD Nobody thought ░░░░░░░░ Dallas Cowboys would take ░░░░░░░░ knee with their owner ░░░░░░░░ Jones at the game ░░░░░░░░ the BOLDUAN That s ░░░░░░░░ the 49ers LAMONT HILL ░░░░░░░░ on Paris You re ░░░░░░░░ dishonest brother DENNARD I ░░░░░░░░ not being dishonest LAMONT ░░░░░░░░ Let me finish DENNARD ░░░░░░░░ don t like my ░░░░░░░░ LAMONT HILL You re ░░░░░░░░ okay A player said ░░░░░░░░ m going to kneel ░░░░░░░░ game this season He ░░░░░░░░ that at the beginning ░░░░░░░░ the season We are ░░░░░░░░ in the middle of ░░░░░░░░ season He said I ░░░░░░░░ going to kneel every ░░░░░░░░ this season Could you ░░░░░░░░ it is reasonable to ░░░░░░░░ if a player says ░░░░░░░░ m going to kneel ░░░░░░░░ game he s probably ░░░░░░░░ to kneel every game ░░░░░░░░ season DENNARD It s ░░░░░░░░ to assume somebody can ░░░░░░░░ up their mind and ░░░░░░░░ I m not going ░░░░░░░░ continue to be disrespectful ░░░░░░░░ the flag I choose ░░░░░░░░ way LAMONT HILL No ░░░░░░░░ re avoiding my question ░░░░░░░░ DENNARD I m not ░░░░░░░░ your question My this ░░░░░░░░ my response to you ░░░░░░░░ The vice president had ░░░░░░░░ right to go to ░░░░░░░░ game The vice president ░░░░░░░░ LAMONT HILL That s ░░░░░░░░ what I m asking ░░░░░░░░ DENNARD The vice president ░░░░░░░░ if they take a ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ He told the press ░░░░░░░░ this happens I m ░░░░░░░░ to leave So what ░░░░░░░░ the problem LAMONT HILL ░░░░░░░░ Let but ply point ░░░░░░░░ The problem The difference ░░░░░░░░ if the White House ░░░░░░░░ just say yes this ░░░░░░░░ a stunt and wanted ░░░░░░░░ prove a point LAMONT ░░░░░░░░ That s fine Just ░░░░░░░░ that Even if Paris ░░░░░░░░ not answering my question ░░░░░░░░ speaks to an issue ░░░░░░░░ Mark this isn t ░░░░░░░░ show so I don ░░░░░░░░ have to answer you ░░░░░░░░ HILL We re having ░░░░░░░░ conversation It s just ░░░░░░░░ But so don t ░░░░░░░░ I ll answer for ░░░░░░░░ the player said I ░░░░░░░░ going to kneel tomorrow ░░░░░░░░ Pence knew he was ░░░░░░░░ to kneel tomorrow and ░░░░░░░░ came to the game ░░░░░░░░ made a decision to ░░░░░░░░ to a game where ░░░░░░░░ knew players would kneel ░░░░░░░░ he could leave That ░░░░░░░░ okay He has a ░░░░░░░░ to do that I ░░░░░░░░ not saying he s ░░░░░░░░ to want to do ░░░░░░░░ Call it what it ░░░░░░░░ Protests are stunts It ░░░░░░░░ a spectacle designed to ░░░░░░░░ attention to something The ░░░░░░░░ want to draw attention ░░░░░░░░ police violence against black ░░░░░░░░ and Mike Pence wanted ░░░░░░░░ draw attention to the ░░░░░░░░ people as opposed to ░░░░░░░░ issue of police violence ░░░░░░░░ That s not the ░░░░░░░░ LAMONT HILL He could ░░░░░░░░ me finish He could ░░░░░░░░ stood up and said ░░░░░░░░ know what I m ░░░░░░░░ at charlottesville and basically ░░░░░░░░ kk rally that happened ░░░░░░░░ days ago He picks ░░░░░░░░ fight with NFL players ░░░░░░░░ protesting police violence and ░░░░░░░░ the argument saying they ░░░░░░░░ disrespecting the flag not ░░░░░░░░ did Mike Pence mention ░░░░░░░░ violence which the players ░░░░░░░░ challenging BOLDUAN Paris do ░░░░░░░░ DENNARD I think Go ░░░░░░░░ BOLDUAN Do you have ░░░░░░░░ problem with the fact ░░░░░░░░ this was when it ░░░░░░░░ the vice president and ░░░░░░░░ dollars no surprise that ░░░░░░░░ 49er players were going ░░░░░░░░ kneel they do it ░░░░░░░░ every game I mean ░░░░░░░░ it is it a ░░░░░░░░ for you that it ░░░░░░░░ at the taxpayer expense ░░░░░░░░ No because if because ░░░░░░░░ the end of the ░░░░░░░░ if he would have ░░░░░░░░ the entire game nobody ░░░░░░░░ have had any complaints ░░░░░░░░ him using taxpayer dollars ░░░░░░░░ go to the event ░░░░░░░░ honor Peyton manning which ░░░░░░░░ why he was originally ░░░░░░░░ Look he s the ░░░░░░░░ president of the United ░░░░░░░░ Any time any member ░░░░░░░░ the vice president s ░░░░░░░░ or the vice president ░░░░░░░░ the president go anywhere ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ the taxpayer s experience ░░░░░░░░ is not new to ░░░░░░░░ this administration when president ░░░░░░░░ went to basketball games ░░░░░░░░ town out of town ░░░░░░░░ Absolutely right DENNARD That ░░░░░░░░ what happens BOLDUAN I ░░░░░░░░ just saying DENNARD My ░░░░░░░░ it doesn t matter ░░░░░░░░ When it becomes obvious ░░░░░░░░ it s going to ░░░░░░░░ what it s going ░░░░░░░░ be DENNARD Well listen ░░░░░░░░ don t the Miami ░░░░░░░░ owner changed his mind ░░░░░░░░ it came to protesting ░░░░░░░░ said the president has ░░░░░░░░ this debate and made ░░░░░░░░ debate about patriotism and ░░░░░░░░ they changed the policy ░░░░░░░░ the San Francisco 49ers ░░░░░░░░ have changed the policy ░░░░░░░░ do not know The ░░░░░░░░ president went there decided ░░░░░░░░ they were going to ░░░░░░░░ disrespectful he was going ░░░░░░░░ leave he left and ░░░░░░░░ over LAMONT HILL Wow ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ mark have a thought ░░░░░░░░ don t think that ░░░░░░░░ that started the protests ░░░░░░░░ kneeling are going to ░░░░░░░░ the president can change ░░░░░░░░ contours of the debate ░░░░░░░░ weren t protesting patriotism ░░░░░░░░ HILL They don t ░░░░░░░░ to decide DENNARD The ░░░░░░░░ is the act not ░░░░░░░░ not their right to ░░░░░░░░ against police brutality It ░░░░░░░░ the way they re ░░░░░░░░ it which is disrespectful ░░░░░░░░ not patriotic The owner ░░░░░░░░ the dolphinses if has ░░░░░░░░ his tune That s ░░░░░░░░ Jerry Jones has said ░░░░░░░░ you do it you ░░░░░░░░ going to leave BOLDUAN ░░░░░░░░ ahead mark have the ░░░░░░░░ word LAMONT HILL So ░░░░░░░░ the the issue here ░░░░░░░░ issue here is that ░░░░░░░░ don t get to ░░░░░░░░ the meaning of other ░░░░░░░░ s protests number one ░░░░░░░░ number two you don ░░░░░░░░ get to decide other ░░░░░░░░ s patriotism And it ░░░░░░░░ I find it that ░░░░░░░░ height of arrogance for ░░░░░░░░ for the president but ░░░░░░░░ any white person to ░░░░░░░░ black people being oppressed ░░░░░░░░ protest doesn t mean ░░░░░░░░ you think it means ░░░░░░░░ you re not patriotic ░░░░░░░░ you are somehow challenging ░░░░░░░░ supremacy and challenging violence ░░░░░░░░ don t get to ░░░░░░░░ that It s not ░░░░░░░░ to a flag to ░░░░░░░░ any more than it ░░░░░░░░ disrespectful to have a ░░░░░░░░ boycott ord bridge to ░░░░░░░░ on the Pettis bridge ░░░░░░░░ the voting rights act ░░░░░░░░ are spectacles designed to ░░░░░░░░ attention to something That ░░░░░░░░ what this is about ░░░░░░░░ the flag The height ░░░░░░░░ disrespect of the flag ░░░░░░░░ anthem is Mike Pence ░░░░░░░░ it as a stunt ░░░░░░░░ as opposed to what ░░░░░░░░ really for from the ░░░░░░░░ ideals of the country ░░░░░░░░ the players are trying ░░░░░░░░ taking a knee and ░░░░░░░░ America to be as ░░░░░░░░ as its democratic promise.”