On Wednesday's News One Now, far-left host Roland Martin bordered on caricature when he teased the show by asking if President Donald Trump is "putting thousands of African-American troops but more importantly their families at risk" by talking tough on North Korea, as if the lives of white troops were not worthy of note if war broke out.
And, as a segment was devoted to griping over alleged "voter suppression" efforts by the Justice Department, one guest provocatively demanded that Republicans "come get your racist cousins" in the DOJ as he asserted that "This is racism, white nationalism, and part of Jeff Sessions's strategy to turn back -- roll back the 20th century."
Shortly after 7:00 a.m. ET, after beginning the tease by recalling current flooding in New Orleans, Martin turned to "voter suppression" as he continued:
In another move by the Trump administration to reverse Obama-era policies and to trample on voting rights, the Department of Justice now supports a plan in Ohio to purge eligible voters from the rolls -- another mass voter suppression campaign by Donald Trump.
The left-wing host -- who used to be a CNN contributor but lately has been a recurring guest on MSNBC -- then oddly suggested that the show would discuss how African-Americans specifically would be impacted by potential war in North Korea as he added:
Lots of scary talk about North Korea nuclear weapons, most of it coming from President Trump. Is that putting thousands of African-American troops but more importantly their families at risk? We will talk with retired Army General William "Kip" Ward in a simulcast with the Tom Joyner morning show.
Martin never got around to explaining why he was concerned specifically about how African-American troops but not white troops would be impacted by war as the racial element was dropped when retired General William Ward as a guest discussed the North Korea situation.
Earlier in the show, Martin also devoted a segment to one of his favorite topics -- Republicans allegedly trying to engage in "voter suppression" to hurt black voter participation. The most incendiary portion came when guest and Professor Greg Carr of Howard University accused Attorney General Jeff Sessions of racism. After Martin commented that "The political folks are the ones driving this in DOJ," Carr responded:
Absolutely. GOP, message to you: Come get your racist cousins. This is racism, white nationalism, and part of Jeff Sessions's strategy to turn back -- roll back the 20th century. The parallel is in the period after Reconstruction when the states began in their state constitutions to roll this back.
That's why you have to have a federal government. There's a reason why no career lawyers signed onto this brief. They have moved this to the political apparatus. And you got an attorney general -- I'm sorry, secretary of state -- in Ohio who's running for governor, and all of these cats are trying to get it close enough to steal. If they can get it close enough to steal, they will steal it. They will steal it.
Below is a transcript of relevant portions of the Wednesday, August 9, News One Now:
7:01 a.m. ET [TEASE]
ROLAND MARTIN: In another move by the Trump administration to reverse Obama-era policies and to trample on voting rights, the Department of Justice now supports a plan in Ohio to purge eligible voters from the rolls -- another mass voter suppression campaign by Donald Trump. Lots of scary talk about North Korea nuclear weapons, most of it coming from President Trump. Is that putting thousands of African-American troops but more importantly their families at risk? We will talk with retired Army General William "Kip" Ward in a simulcast with the Tom Joyner morning show.
(..)
7:11 a.m. ET
MARTIN: All right, folks, we've been covering voter suppression on this show over the last several years, and we now see more of this by the Trump Department of Justice. The Department filed a brief in an Ohio case headed to the Supreme Court which reversed the Obama administration's position in favor of voting rights. Under current Ohio law, if a voter has not cast a vote in two years, the state will send them a notice by mail.
If the voter does not respond to that notice and casts no ballot for the next four years, he or she will be purged from voter rolls. Well, that's a problem because, again, it impacts voters. The Ohio voting -- so, first of all, again, that's what happens to Ohio. It goes to the Supreme Court. ... Again, another example of this Trump administration and Republicans desiring to suppress the vote.
(...)
MARTIN: And what's crazy about this is, if you choose not to vote, first of all, I wish folks do vote, but if you choose not to vote, fine. But what's the logic in removing people just because they didn't vote?
KRISTEN CLARKE, LAWYERS COMMUNITY FOR CIVIL RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW: That's right. This -- there is no logic to what the state of Ohio is doing.
(...)
MARTIN: According to analysis by Reuters, neighborhoods that have a high proportion of poor African-American residents will be hit hardest by this purging effort. We keep saying it -- Republicans, look, if you want black votes, Donald Trump said, "What the hell do you have to lose?" We see a lot. This consistent Republican efforts to purge voters.
(...)
MARTIN: And that's the fundamental issue right there. The political folks are the ones driving this in DOJ.
GREG CARR, HOWARD UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES: Absolutely. GOP, message to you: Come get your racist cousins. This is racism, white nationalism, and part of Jeff Sessions's strategy to turn back -- roll back the 20th century. The parallel is in the period after Reconstruction when the states began in their state constitutions to roll this back.
That's why you have to have a federal government. There's a reason why no career lawyers signed onto this brief. They have moved this to the political apparatus. And you got an attorney general -- I'm sorry, secretary of state -- in Ohio who's running for governor, and all of these cats are trying to get it close enough to steal. If they can get it close enough to steal, they will steal it. They will steal it.
