Hopeful Visions for America's Future

We need the hopeful versions of what America can be. Is it bad? Yes. Is it bleak? Absolutely There is a way out. and the only way out as our friend Melissa Murray has told me is through. I'm Jane Koston and this is Foday The the show that's recording on the G. If the podcast looks and sounds a little different today, we've had a bit of a rush start coming back from the fourth. Turns out our building lost WiFi over the long weekend, but the news stops for nothing and no one On today's show, we sit down with MmS Now, Simone Sanders Townsend to unpack America's two hundred fiftieth birthday and what it means to be patriotic in the Trump era Before we get into all that Here's what we're following today, Monday, july sixth. I asked for a review because I didn't think it was a foul You know, again, I'm good at this stuff. I didn't think it was a foul I thought it was two great athletes to crash into each other and got entangled. That was not a That was not a guy punching somebody in the face or anything that you know, would be different. FIFA resnded a red card given to one of the U.S team's most important players this weekend, allegedly after getting some pressure from the White House Maybe During the US' game against Bosnia Herzegovina, striker Flo Balan was given a red car for stepping on an opposing player's ankle while going for the ball A red card meant that not only was Balan kicked out of the game, but he was also suspended for tonight's game against Belgium According to New York Times Trump called FIFA's president and asked that the governing committee review the play But according to exclusive reporting from the New York Post, US. soccer also threatened to launch legal action against FIFA over allegedly misusing its video assistant referee process. FIFA's disciplinary committee ultimately resinded the card. So Bal again will play tonight, as FIFA declined a challenge from the Belgian Federation over the reversal But the US is not alone UK Prime Minister Kiir Starmer reportedly pressured the organization not to change the time of England's game against Mexico despite bad weather England one, three to two The Trump administration plans to open a five hundred and twenty eight bed holding facility for migrant families and unaccompanied children next to an airport hub in Alexandria, Louisiana The site would speed up deportations by removing logistical headaches caused by wrangling children from foster homes and shelters across the country and not having anywhere to put them during final preparations for flight U. S. immmigration and Customs enforcement is calling the facility a quote staging area not a detention center, and says people would only be there a few days at most However, several immigration advocates expressed concern that children could be held at a new facility for weeks or months which has happened at other federal immigration holding sites As Iran and the U.S. continue to negotiate over a permanent end of the war, people in the Islamic Republic are mourning their late suupreme leader, Ayatollah Alihamini The throngs of mourners flooded into Tehran today for a procession as part of Homminy's funeral Some called for the death of President Trump Tomandi was killed in an airirstrike at the start of the war launched by Israel and the US Iran's new supreme leader, and the son of the late Ayatolla, has yet to make an appearance in the funeral ceremonies. He is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the airstrike that killed his father According to an exclusive political report, Maine Democratic Senate candidate, Graham Platner is being accused of sexually assaulting a woman he dated. Danny Rosico shared the alleged incident with Flitico, saying that Platinner forced her to have sex with him in twenty twenty one He allegedly came to her home uninvited and intoxicated and forced himself ono her despite repeated objections Platner denied the allegations Rasico told Plitico, quote, I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself like This is no longer my choice She previously told New York Times, Platinner's behavior was, quote unsettling Rasico also said she was torn about coming forward because she agrees with Platinir's politics. Here's Platner in a video message posted to social media after the report's publication. So Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful the political reality it will inflict We are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward the state that I love peopleeople that I love movement I belong to and the goal of defeating Susan Collins. And that's the news. Let's talk about the fourourth of July America's two hundred and fiftieth birthday celebration of the National Mall had everything Thunderstorms, Heat warnings, flyovers, Trump giving a speech well after eleven PM Eastern time because of those aforementioned thunderstorms that forced attendees to find shelter a speech where he ranted about Cunism Communism is the exact opposite of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It's death. Tyranny. Pursuit of evil The goless communist morality states that anything is justified to bring about inhuman visions and and to really propose What's good? They don't want good. They don't love God Happy birthday America. Also the people who oppose me hate God. So yeah, it was a strange fourth of July, which makes sense because the Trump administration has tried to make it all about Trump. And yet, that's spent this weekend feeling pretty patriotic. See, I truly love this country. and as much as Trump wants us to believe otherwise, he doesn't define what it means to be an American So to talk more about patriotism July and where we go from here to Simone, Sandrers Townsend She's the co host of Emmas Now's The Week Night, and the podcast Clock It with Simona and Eugene. Simone, welcome to What Aay Thank you for having me. I'm happy to be here. What a day indeed, okay? What a day. So Trump's much anticipated salute to America two hundred fifty seems to have gone as well as his reflectingool renovation. What were your takeaways from his big fourourth of July celebration that seems to have taken place at Lake? Midnight Eastern time I mean, so you know, I live in Washington, DC and I was home while this was happening. And you know were we were anticipating all the different fireworks and we were literally taking friendly wagers to see if it was even going to happen Saturday night or if they were going to hold and do it on Sunday because They had so many fireworks, like usually they're about I think the number is around nine thousand fireworks. This year, they ordered well over eight hundred thousand fireworks. And so like just the sheer money that they spent of our taxpayer dollars is literally insane. But obviously, it kicked off, it went, it happened I don't believe that there are any accidents And it is not lost on me that during the shelter in place part of Saturday night where folks had to be evacuated from the Freedom two hundred fifty, not the America two hundred fifty. Freedom two hundred fifty is a Trump thing. America two hundred fifty is a bipartisan commission, Trump co opted and turned it into Freedom two hundred fifty. It's not lost on me that one of the shelter in place locations for folks who had gone down there, many of whom I think would identify as MAGA was the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Literally, I saw videos and pictures of people sheltered in place on the floor of the main level of the museum. And all I could think of is that h Some of these folks are the same people that believe that America is teaching the history wrong or that we focus too much on slavery, that the bad parts shouldn't be taught so on and so forth. And literally, these folks were surrounded by some of the very history that they tried to refute and deny Look. I don't I was not here for the Freedom two hundred fifty situation, but I am here for America two hundred fifty. I'm here for the Smi Qin centennial celebration. And I think that although Trump tried to make it about him all across the country, we saw examples of the two hundred fiftieth celebration being about the people. that have pushed this country forward over history and also how far we have yet to go. So I look a mess is a way to describe what we saw Saturday. But We should not allow the conversation to be solely just about Donald Trump, because frankly, that's what he wants very authoritarian of him, might I ask We'll get back to my conversation with Simone Sanders Townsend in a moment to talk about a different approach to the fourth of July But if you like the show, make sure to subscribe, leave a five star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, watch us on YouTube, and share with your friends. More to come after some ads. 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Call eight hundred three thirty three four Ke for Details hso safy event and seven hundred six twenty six to deeala for warranty details Let's get back to my conversation with Simone Sanders Townsend I'm actually so happy you've said that because it feels as if Trump wants to coapt the idea of patriotism. You wanted this entire celebration to be about celebrating him, which I will not do. But This entire weekend, I'm not sure about you You, I still felt pretty patriotic. I was seeing so many examples across the country of people celebrating What I believe about this country, a nation of immigrants, a nation of people coming together on behalf of the common good, a nation that wants to improve and do better and has been attempting to do so. with's in fits and startarts for two hundred fifty years Y, this is my country as well and the country of my family and my ancestors. How are you feeling this weekend? Besides obviously hot and dealing with thunderstorms. Yes, was I was feeling sad. I had to pull in the furniture off the patio Look, that I think that you can hold two truths at the same time Am I disappointed in parts of this country, specifically in some of the discourse that is happening right now coming directly from the top, the president of the United States, who wants to tell a story of America that is very small, right? Am I disappointed in that? Absolutely. But am I proud to be an American? Absolutely. There is not a place in this world I would rather have been born than in the United States of America. It's only here that so many of our stories are even possible. And frankly, that is the story of this country. So what I have been thinking about in the lead up to two hundred fifty and even, you know, now we're a couple days after, is the unfinished story, if you will, of America and that America was founded on an idea that and you know what? The idea has expanded over the course of our history, but not because, you know, folks thought it was the right thing to do, quote unquote, It's because the people pushed it to be so. In the preamble to the Cstitution, you know, we, the people in order to form a more perfect union, that way did not include us. Okaykay? We were not We weren't on the list But the we has expanded to include us and so many more people because of the work folks have did, because people pointed out the inconsistencies in this country. So I was thinking a lot about like Frederick Douglas and his speech like What too the sllave is a Fourth of July. and I was watching a lot of different You know, everybody had a special, you know, CNN had a special. ABC had a special. there there was a special everywhere. Ch Disney had a special. they had specials. Friday night, Saturday, Sunday all the specials. And I don't remember which one I was watching. They mentioned Frederick Douglas and what to the slave is the fourourth of July. And I think that That speech is often remembered as like a condemnation of America's hypocrisy. And I think it was that. But I also think the reason that the speech was even mentioned, the reason we're even still talking about it is because Frederick Douglas took America's, you know own stated ideals seriously, you know His argument was that how can you ask enslaved people to celebrate liberty when they are living proof that America has not extended liberty to everyone So that speech is about the unfinished work of America, and frankly is very applicable today Yeah I kept thinking also about Dr. Martin Luther King's idea of the promisory note of the you know we were promised something and we are coming to collect on that promise. We are a part of this nation and we will again prove Once and for all that we deserve to be part of the decisions made in this nation. Absolutely. I read a lot about reconstruction actually, which I frankly think we're in another post reconstruction period in America becausecause some of the same questions that we were asking during reconstruction and then coming out of reconstruction some of the same questions that America is asking itself right now, like who gets to belong? Wh gets to vote? What defines Americans so an American, so on and so forth And When you talk about the promise that Dr. King talked about L The struggle that doror King fought for was eighty eight years after reconstruction had collapsed Think about it, it took eighty eight years. That's what the culmination of the Voting Rights Act of nineteen sixty five was precursor Civil Rights Act of nineteen sixty four. There's eighty eight years between the collapse of Reconstruction and the Voting Rights Act of nineteen sixty five First of all, I'm like, I had to do my math a couple of times because I'm like, Is it only eighty eight, but also eighty eight is a very long time And in those eighty eight years, our country went through so much. I think we are in another and what Dr. King was talking about what he and the other civil rights leaders were fighting for was frankly, just to get back to where we were during reconstruction When there were black men who were elected at every levels of government, when black people did hold positions of power and rank in this country. That's what they were fighting to get back to I think we're in another period like that, except we don't have another eighty years. And so the kind of questions that we are asking ourselves about who gets to belong, about what kind of country do do we want to be, about who Who gets to have power in this country? And how can the folks that say they want power gain it? And once they get it, what are they going to do with it? I think those questions are fundamentally American questions and questions we need to get answers to sooner than later because we cannot wait another eighty eight years. and frankly The folks who have a very dark vision of this country They are acting right now. Okay, you saw the Patriot front marching through the streets I was like, Wh is going They have a clear vision of who they think this country is for They're not waiting, they're not writing white papers about what to do. They're not having a bunch of meetings and theses and hypothesizing about, well, what could we do? They're acting on what they believe their vision is right now. And so I think the counter to that, the pro Dmocracy coalition, the folks in this country that believe in an expansive version of American democracy We got to act on it as well At that point, Trumps speech was not the only one we heard this weekend. On july third, New York City Mayor Ram Ramani gave his own independence Day speech. And he focused on the ways in which immigrants and the immigrant experience built this country. He himself is a naturalized citizen, but given everything we just talked about, and last week's birth rightright citizenship Supreme Court decision, speaking of questions I thought were settled How did that message strike you First of all, I enjoyed the many different mayors and governors across the country who stood up and gave their own hopeful and frankly, truthful, sometimes searing accounts of where America is right now at two hundred fifty. I loved what Mer Mam Dami did. And I believe Mir Mam Dami was surrounded by recently naturalized citizens I just think it's so powerful because that's what this country is about. In America, your citizenship is not defined by ancestry. And I think there are a lot of people that would disagree with that statement. But the reality of the situation is it's not in America, citizenship is defined by like, do you believe in this Constitution? Do you believe in the ideals that were set forth? Like do you want to work to make a more perfect union And I love that Mayor Mam Dami highlighted that and elevated that. I also liked I don't know if you saw Governor Westmoore a did a speech as well. He gave his speech, I believe on Independence Day that morning. and rast with Moore's speech, I thought was so interesting because Governor Moore is a veteran, right? He's a sitting governor, frankly the only black governor in the United States of America at this time. And he is speaking from a tradition that says, know patriotism requires service. Donald Trump's message is often like look at what they, whoever they is, have taken from you And Moore's message on july fourth was, look at what has been entrusted to us And I think that that is a very different civic posture, frankly, similar to what Mayor Mam Dami was saying, and we need the hopeful versions of what America can be. Is it bad? Yes, Is it bleak? Absolutely There is a way out. and the only way out as our friend Melissa Murray has told me is through And so in order to get through, you got to have a vision. You have to know where you're going. And I think Mayor Mom Dami and Governor Moore and others have been laying out various versions of that vision. and frankly, people need that because where there is no hope that people perish Simone, thank you so much for joining me My pleasure. Thankk you for having me. It's good to see you. We'll be clocking it and I'll be tuning in. That was my conversation with Simone Sanders Townseon, co host of the podcast Clock It with Simone and Eugene, and the weeek night on MS Now Before we go Youo ammong Us hasn't made a confusing, morally ambiguous decision. If you said not me, you have nothing in common with the dumpster fire that is the Supreme Court Strict scrutiny hosts,elissa Kate and Leia are here to help break down everything you need to know about last week's incredibly consequential Supreme Court decisions, and much, much more