CNN political commentator, Van Jones hosted a special town hall event titled The Messy Truth Tuesday night, to talk about how “both parties kind of suck.” During the forum he admitted that there was an elitist vein running through the Democratic Party, and that many rust belt voters supported Donald Trump because their harsh economic reality. But the constructive conversation turned dark at the end of the program when radical progressive Michael Moore begged congressional Democrats to obstruct Republicans at every turn.
Moore’s angry ranting was sparked by a Stony Brook University student who wondered, in part, if the right path for Democrats would be to work with Republicans for proper reforms. “No, no, no, no, no this is not the Kumbaya moment here,” Moore exclaimed. “The Democrats in congress, they represent the majority of Americans – I’ll say it again, the majority of Americans wanted Hillary Clinton,” Moore claimed.
But Moore’s claim that Clinton won a majority of votes is factually false. According to CNN, Clinton had only won 48.2 percent of the overall vote total. That is a plurality of votes not a majority.
“It is the responsibility of this minority of Democrats in congress to block, obstruct, disrupt and do whatever they can to prevent the onslaught that is going to happen with Donald Trump that the American people do not support,” he demanded, while speaking over Jones who was trying to rein him in.
“Listen, when the Republicans did this, they blocked our president on everything,” Jones told Moore then asking, “Are you saying that now Democrats should have a policy of imposing that same suffering for four more years? You're saying we shouldn't even try to find any way out?” But Moore wasn’t having it, ranting:
Their job is to stop the suffering that these people are going to cause, and let me tell you something. He's going to be inaugurated on January 20, and January 21, which is a Saturday, don't be surprised if the Republicans call a Saturday session of congress, and they are going to pass law after law after law and have him sign it the next day, and it’s going to be one piece of suffering against people after another. It is the job of the Democrats now to stop the suffering that he is about to create for the American people.
Jones tried to warn Moore that his plan had a high probability of back firing. “It's easy to say that, but when you have to go back to a district and you got to say, we're going to turn down infrastructure and that type of stuff, it's going to be tougher than that,” Jones explained.
The radical film maker then threatened congressional Democrats, warning that, “Myself and thousands like me are going to be at those town halls in the districts in the spring. And we will primary them.” Moore’s call for more Washington gridlock left Jones in a rather awkward position just as the program was ending.
Transcript below:
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CNN
The Messy Truth with Van Jones
December 6, 2016
10:03:57 PM EasternVAN JONES: We got Rebecca Liebson here, a sophomore at Stony Brook University. She’s got a tough political question for you.
REBECCA LIEBSON: Hi. So, I’ve grown up in an era that's been greatly characterized by political gridlock. So with that being said, what do you think is the best move going forward for the congressional Democrats? Do you think that they're going to be as oppositional as the GOP was—
MICHAEL MOORE: Boy, I hope so.
LIEBSON: --under Obama, or do you think they're going to try to reach across the isle and from some sort of coalition?
MOORE: No, no, no, no, no this is not the Kumbaya moment here. The Democrats in congress, they represent the majority of Americans – I’ll say it again, the majority of Americans wanted Hillary Clinton. The majority of Americans did not want Donald Trump. It is the responsibility of this minority of Democrats in congress—
JONES: Oh, wait. Hold on.
MOORE: -- to block, obstruct, disrupt and do whatever they can to prevent the onslaught—
JONES: Michael, Michael, Michael. Wait, stop.
MOORE: --that is going to happen with Donald Trump that the American people do not support.
JONES: Wait a minute. I keep feeling so odd, sir.
MOORE: I ruined your cumbia moment, I’m sorry.
JONES: But let me just push back on you. I'm on the left side of Pluto just like you. But let me just say a couple things here.
MOORE: I wore a tie for you.
JONES: And I appreciate that, sir. Listen, when the Republicans did this, they blocked our president on everything. And you know who suffered? Those workers suffered, the kids in Oakland suffered, the whole country suffered. Are you saying that now Democrats should have a policy of imposing that same suffering for four more years? You're saying we shouldn't even try to find any way out?
MOORE: Their job is to stop the suffering that these people are going to cause, and let me tell you something. He's going to be inaugurated on January 20, and January 21, which is a Saturday, don't be surprised if the Republicans call a Saturday session of congress, and they are going to pass law after law after law and have him sign it the next day, and it’s going to be one piece of suffering against people after another. It is the job of the Democrats now to stop the suffering that he is about to create for the American people. That is their job, and they have to do it, and they better be planning it right now instead of being the wimps they usually are.
JONES: Here's the messy truth for Democrats. It's easy to say that, but when you have to go back to a district and you got to say, we're going to turn down infrastructure and that type of stuff, it's going to be tougher than that. But listen—
MOORE: I don't say turn it down. I’m just saying-- but they need to know when they go back to the district this spring, in the same way the Tea Party was there in 29 [2009], myself and thousands like me are going to be at those town halls in the districts in the spring. And we will primary them-- these Democrats if they don't do their job.
JONES: Consider yourself warned!
MOORE: That’s the messy truth!
