Sally Kohn: Trump’s ‘Thin White Skin’ Keeps ‘Getting Pricked

RUSH TRANSCRIPT BALDWIN President ░░░░░░░░ s recent back and ░░░░░░░░ with the father of ░░░░░░░░ UCLA basketball player has ░░░░░░░░ questions about the president ░░░░░░░░ race The president was ░░░░░░░░ that this father lavar ░░░░░░░░ refused to thank him ░░░░░░░░ helping free his son ░░░░░░░░ ball from custody one ░░░░░░░░ three athletes arrested for ░░░░░░░░ The president called lavar ░░░░░░░░ quote an ungrateful fool ░░░░░░░░ the poor man s ░░░░░░░░ of don King without ░░░░░░░░ all over Twitter who ░░░░░░░░ have spent quote the ░░░░░░░░ five to 10 years ░░░░░░░░ Thanksgiving with your son ░░░░░░░░ China but no NBA ░░░░░░░░ to support you So ░░░░░░░░ to that today the ░░░░░░░░ writer to the president ░░░░░░░░ best seller Art of ░░░░░░░░ deal is saying this ░░░░░░░░ why the president crossed ░░░░░░░░ line to cut down ░░░░░░░░ ball SCHWARTZ clip I ░░░░░░░░ Trump is half aud ░░░░░░░░ half frightened by black ░░░░░░░░ and his only way ░░░░░░░░ dealing with them is ░░░░░░░░ attack them And on ░░░░░░░░ other hand I think ░░░░░░░░ has a zero tolerance ░░░░░░░░ any criticism of any ░░░░░░░░ BALDWIN Let s start ░░░░░░░░ CNN political commentators Paris ░░░░░░░░ and Sally Kohn are ░░░░░░░░ me Happy Thanksgiving to ░░░░░░░░ Paris you heard Tony ░░░░░░░░ say the president is ░░░░░░░░ awed and half frightened ░░░░░░░░ black people What do ░░░░░░░░ think that means and ░░░░░░░░ you like to comment ░░░░░░░░ that DENNARD I mean ░░░░░░░░ of all happy Thanksgiving ░░░░░░░░ think Tony is ridiculous ░░░░░░░░ his statements I find ░░░░░░░░ interesting that after this ░░░░░░░░ becomes the president of ░░░░░░░░ United States is when ░░░░░░░░ decides to really become ░░░░░░░░ negative rude and political ░░░░░░░░ the fact that President ░░░░░░░░ is awed by African ░░░░░░░░ people is not a ░░░░░░░░ thing I think a ░░░░░░░░ of people are awed ░░░░░░░░ successful groups of people ░░░░░░░░ who are accomplished I ░░░░░░░░ the president likes and ░░░░░░░░ awed by a lot ░░░░░░░░ people who are successful ░░░░░░░░ are who are the ░░░░░░░░ at their game who ░░░░░░░░ and overcome obstacles and ░░░░░░░░ number one who are ░░░░░░░░ BALDWIN Do we think ░░░░░░░░ s how Tony Schwartz ░░░░░░░░ it DENNARD I don ░░░░░░░░ know if that s ░░░░░░░░ Tony Schwartz meant it ░░░░░░░░ doubt it But that ░░░░░░░░ how the president is ░░░░░░░░ ve interacted with him ░░░░░░░░ many times I ve ░░░░░░░░ him with large groups ░░░░░░░░ black people and that ░░░░░░░░ not a man who ░░░░░░░░ by any means frightened ░░░░░░░░ African Americans Think that ░░░░░░░░ is absurd and I ░░░░░░░░ it s highly offensive ░░░░░░░░ have him equate this ░░░░░░░░ that man If you ░░░░░░░░ a racist you don ░░░░░░░░ appoint or put the ░░░░░░░░ African American woman to ░░░░░░░░ the your press secretary ░░░░░░░░ the campaign For you ░░░░░░░░ a racist or afraid ░░░░░░░░ black people you don ░░░░░░░░ invite the largest number ░░░░░░░░ hbcu presidents and chance ░░░░░░░░ into your office to ░░░░░░░░ with them in you ░░░░░░░░ afraid of black people ░░░░░░░░ a racist This is ░░░░░░░░ something that someone who ░░░░░░░░ a racist or afraid ░░░░░░░░ black people does Think ░░░░░░░░ comments reenforce a false ░░░░░░░░ about this president because ░░░░░░░░ were all surprised to ░░░░░░░░ the president did so ░░░░░░░░ with the African American ░░░░░░░░ He has a long ░░░░░░░░ history with the black ░░░░░░░░ for many many years ░░░░░░░░ decades and it is ░░░░░░░░ now with his agenda ░░░░░░░░ when you look at ░░░░░░░░ tax cut plan that ░░░░░░░░ impact small business owners ░░░░░░░░ middle class Americans which ░░░░░░░░ a lot of African ░░░░░░░░ just like myself So ░░░░░░░░ is something that is ░░░░░░░░ and I don t ░░░░░░░░ why Tony is doing ░░░░░░░░ but I guess it ░░░░░░░░ just for him to ░░░░░░░░ more publicity off the ░░░░░░░░ of the president of ░░░░░░░░ United States BALDWIN Okay ░░░░░░░░ that s how you ░░░░░░░░ it Sally Kohn how ░░░░░░░░ you see it KOHN ░░░░░░░░ m glad Paris brought ░░░░░░░░ a false narrative I ░░░░░░░░ there is a false ░░░░░░░░ here The false narrative ░░░░░░░░ about how we see ░░░░░░░░ in America today So ░░░░░░░░ s be really clear ░░░░░░░░ something Thomas Jefferson when ░░░░░░░░ wrote that all men ░░░░░░░░ be created equal owned ░░░░░░░░ of African American slaves ░░░░░░░░ we have always literally ░░░░░░░░ our founding fathers and ░░░░░░░░ founding documents we have ░░░░░░░░ embodied the exact tensions ░░░░░░░░ is talking about You ░░░░░░░░ have black friends you ░░░░░░░░ have black coworkers and ░░░░░░░░ can still participate in ░░░░░░░░ unconscious or conscious belief ░░░░░░░░ white racial superiority and ░░░░░░░░ is our founding that ░░░░░░░░ our founding sin I ░░░░░░░░ here we are we ░░░░░░░░ talking about Thanksgiving day ░░░░░░░░ where we are literally ░░░░░░░░ the holiday by which ░░░░░░░░ forebearers in this country ░░░░░░░░ and kicked native American ░░░░░░░░ of their land and ░░░░░░░░ and pillaged them Let ░░░░░░░░ face facts The fact ░░░░░░░░ that Donald Trump has ░░░░░░░░ pattern of treating white ░░░░░░░░ with kid gloves and ░░░░░░░░ after black people and ░░░░░░░░ athletes with outrageous terms ░░░░░░░░ didn t like what ░░░░░░░░ guy said All right ░░░░░░░░ attack him That s ░░░░░░░░ little weird you re ░░░░░░░░ sensitive You re supposed ░░░░░░░░ be the grown up ░░░░░░░░ re the president But ░░░░░░░░ you ve got to ░░░░░░░░ him Don King DENNARD ░░░░░░░░ is also black and ░░░░░░░░ friend for a very ░░░░░░░░ long time and supported ░░░░░░░░ as a Republican KOHN ░░░░░░░░ s not like that ░░░░░░░░ just weird and like ░░░░░░░░ after the white supremacist ░░░░░░░░ Four Times Harder Than ░░░░░░░░ Go After Black Athletes ░░░░░░░░ Their First Amendment Rights ░░░░░░░░ Don t Know It ░░░░░░░░ A Disturbing pattern It ░░░░░░░░ be a disturbing pattern ░░░░░░░░ the same time I ░░░░░░░░ sure the guy has ░░░░░░░░ nice black friends We ░░░░░░░░ have to start to ░░░░░░░░ how we perpetuate racial ░░░░░░░░ and racial discrimination and ░░░░░░░░ inequality in our country ░░░░░░░░ So okay I m ░░░░░░░░ to both of you ░░░░░░░░ carefully I was just ░░░░░░░░ to a Trump supporter ░░░░░░░░ on TV saying to ░░░░░░░░ hang on a second ░░░░░░░░ know think President Trump ░░░░░░░░ an equal opportunity offender ░░░░░░░░ point was you know ░░░░░░░░ doesn t matter what ░░░░░░░░ color race sexuality whatever ░░░░░░░░ says he s going ░░░░░░░░ offend and he s ░░░░░░░░ discriminatory But here is ░░░░░░░░ question for you Paris ░░░░░░░░ that point When you ░░░░░░░░ at sports you know ░░░░░░░░ is different with the ░░░░░░░░ You know he s ░░░░░░░░ NFL players he s ░░░░░░░░ the NFL he s ░░░░░░░░ NBA players He s ░░░░░░░░ these UCLA basketball players ░░░░░░░░ when you look at ░░░░░░░░ two coaches Greg Popovich ░░░░░░░░ Steve Kerr who have ░░░░░░░░ called him a soulless ░░░░░░░░ you know the truth ░░░░░░░░ we all struggle with ░░░░░░░░ idea of spending time ░░░░░░░░ a man who has ░░░░░░░░ us from Kerr It ░░░░░░░░ t it feels different ░░░░░░░░ that regard DENNARD Well ░░░░░░░░ s unpack a few ░░░░░░░░ that you said Number ░░░░░░░░ the president isn t ░░░░░░░░ anybody he s responding ░░░░░░░░ people coming for him ░░░░░░░░ Responding DENNARD So there ░░░░░░░░ a difference Number two ░░░░░░░░ did not attack the ░░░░░░░░ sorry the UCLA students ░░░░░░░░ actually intervened to help ░░░░░░░░ get out of a ░░░░░░░░ jail which was a ░░░░░░░░ thing which we all ░░░░░░░░ be thankful for especially ░░░░░░░░ spending Thanksgiving with their ░░░░░░░░ and not in jail ░░░░░░░░ s what the president ░░░░░░░░ He didn t attack ░░░░░░░░ three students The other ░░░░░░░░ is this the president ░░░░░░░░ help the fact that ░░░░░░░░ NFL is when you ░░░░░░░░ at the players the ░░░░░░░░ are African American But ░░░░░░░░ response to the NFL ░░░░░░░░ was namely a response ░░░░░░░░ one player in particular ░░░░░░░░ the other players who ░░░░░░░░ taking a knee to ░░░░░░░░ that he found and ░░░░░░░░ lot of Americans found ░░░░░░░░ to our country to ░░░░░░░░ soldiers and to our ░░░░░░░░ That is what he ░░░░░░░░ responding to When he ░░░░░░░░ to the NFL in ░░░░░░░░ he was talking about ░░░░░░░░ owners the owners are ░░░░░░░░ white The head of ░░░░░░░░ NFL Goodell who is ░░░░░░░░ commissioner is white When ░░░░░░░░ was attacking the NFL ░░░░░░░░ we put it those ░░░░░░░░ majority white owned individuals ░░░░░░░░ are males many of ░░░░░░░░ were supportive of him ░░░░░░░░ gave him millions of ░░░░░░░░ towards his campaign It ░░░░░░░░ inaccurate to come out ░░░░░░░░ say the president goes ░░░░░░░░ of his way to ░░░░░░░░ black athletes or attack ░░░░░░░░ people That s not ░░░░░░░░ case and it s ░░░░░░░░ untrue KOHN But it ░░░░░░░░ does seem that way ░░░░░░░░ understand And when you ░░░░░░░░ for instance a group ░░░░░░░░ people marching down the ░░░░░░░░ with tiki torches chanting ░░░░░░░░ white power the president ░░░░░░░░ and pressed and pressed ░░░░░░░░ to comment on that ░░░░░░░░ well there are good ░░░░░░░░ on both sides It ░░░░░░░░ as though Paris it ░░░░░░░░ as though he goes ░░░░░░░░ of his way to ░░░░░░░░ nice things about them ░░░░░░░░ nobody is asking them ░░░░░░░░ comment on the NFL ░░░░░░░░ was asking him you ░░░░░░░░ to go right to ░░░░░░░░ he s doing this ░░░░░░░░ his own He s ░░░░░░░░ not governing the country ░░░░░░░░ s just watching CNN ░░░░░░░░ what we can tell ░░░░░░░░ you for that DENNARD ░░░░░░░░ s a good thing ░░░░░░░░ He s going after ░░░░░░░░ athletes and their parents ░░░░░░░░ you know he s ░░░░░░░░ out of his way ░░░░░░░░ do that Let s ░░░░░░░░ clear again the point ░░░░░░░░ do think is that ░░░░░░░░ can agree across the ░░░░░░░░ this president s skin ░░░░░░░░ too thin I mean ░░░░░░░░ we ve got more ░░░░░░░░ things to do Whatever ░░░░░░░░ ideology you d like ░░░░░░░░ guy to be focussing ░░░░░░░░ jobs or I don ░░░░░░░░ know maybe write a ░░░░░░░░ bill that doesn t ░░░░░░░░ help millionaires and billionaires ░░░░░░░░ raises taxes on the ░░░░░░░░ class which is what ░░░░░░░░ seems to want to ░░░░░░░░ Instead he s got ░░░░░░░░ skin Let s be ░░░░░░░░ it s thin white ░░░░░░░░ and it keeps getting ░░░░░░░░ He keeps going after ░░░░░░░░ people It s crazy ░░░░░░░░ Paris and Sally we ░░░░░░░░ going to end it ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ it on a positive ░░░░░░░░ wishing you a very ░░░░░░░░ happy Thanksgiving On this ░░░░░░░░ Thursday, thank you both.