To the backlash over President Trump's now deleted racist social
media post depicting former President Obama and former First Lady
Michelle Obama as apes.
Images of black people as apes have been used throughout
American history to dehumanize and stigmatize the community.
The fallout is rippling through the Republican Party now.
Chief Washington correspondent Jon Karl interviewed Republican Congressman Mike Lawler
on the on AB CS this week.
Here's part of their conversation.
Well, I think sometimes in our public discourse, it is
best to just say I'm sorry.
You know, I take the White House at their word
that this was a mistake.
But at the end of the day, given the history
of our nation, given the insensitivities with some of the
stereotypes that have long been promulgated to attack African Americans,
I think it's imperative to recognize that and meet the
moment.
For more now, Marc Morial, president of the National Urban
League joins me live.
Mark, thank you so much for being with us.
Good morning to you.
So you just heard there from Congressman Mike Lawler.
What do you make of how many Republicans have been
responding so far?
It it Republicans have been, there has been condemnation so
far in a way that we've not seen many Republicans
speak out against the president.
Janae, it is not enough.
What I'd like to see is the Congress of the
United States passed a resolution of condemnation of these reprehensible
remarks.
It's important in this moment that every elected member of
Congress be on record in condemnation of this.
This was a disparagement of two great Americans who've served
this country who are outside of active politics today, and
just a continuation of a pattern coming from the 47th
president.
The second observation I would make is I am absolutely
certain, Janae, that the American people do not want a
president who revels in division, racial division, political division, sectional
division, division every day to condemn some Americans for some
physical characteristic, for some political characteristic.
And that what the people in this country want is
a leader and leaders who seek to unite a very
diverse and very nation.
And so this flunks the presidential leadership test by 1000
miles.
And that's the point.
We need to focus on what we want our presidents
to do, and that is to work towards unity.
This has just been a pattern, a continuing division and
disparagement, and I want to condemn it as forcefully as
I can because it is untoward.
But those members of Congress, condemnation here and there from
certain members who may think it's in their political interests,
doesn't go far enough.
We need a unified Congress to say by way of
a resolution, this is unacceptable, Mr.
President, and we want you to know that it is
unacceptable.
And so, Mark, what do you make of President Trump's
reaction when he was asked about this?
He refused to apologize, saying quote, I didn't make a
mistake.
Because he's following the advice he got years ago from
Roy Cohn.
Never admit anything.
And you know, Janay, to admit and to apologize from
time to time is an act of human humility.
And when we see leaders do it, it demonstrates sense
of character.
It doesn't surprise me that he wouldn't take responsibility.
And the fact that he would not very quickly take
responsibility and say it was wrong is why the Congress
by joint resolution should condemn this.
And faith leaders and American citizens should say we don't
want a president that divides us by party all the
time, by race, by gender, by gender orientation, by religion.
This is not who we are as a nation.
And that's the important reason why we speak up against
these things.
This is not who we are.
This is not the nation that we are.
And that's why I think the president's approval numbers have
become so low, because people want a president who works
hard every day to find common ground and to unite
us, doesn't make disparaging statements.
So Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are revered Americans, and
they've conducted themselves with great dignity and purpose over the
years.
They don't deserve this kind of gutter attack that this
certainly represents.
And so I hope that the Congress will not.
We've not heard from Leader Thune.
We've not heard from Speaker Johnson.
Where are their voices in this?
And I would call them at this moment to speak
up to what your character and your principles are, even
if it means you've got to have the courage to
criticize the leader of your own party.
That's what leadership is all about.
And Mark, I have to ask you, it is Black
History Month.
What do you make of the timing of this post?
It's awful.
But what's also awful is that this president has failed
to even recognize Black History Month in the way in
which every president in the past has remembered Black History
Month is by law recognized in February.
And so it's it's just a continuing string of insults
to the American people and certainly to those of us
in the black community.
But we're not going to be deterred and we're not
going to be intimidated and we're going to speak out.
And I think the majority of the Americans stand with
us when it comes to the notion that we do
not want leaders that spend their time constantly dividing us.
No, that's not who we are as a nation.
And the president who I've never met, you know, I
think that he has an opportunity in a moment like
this to demonstrate a sense of character and not just
continue to follow the advice he got from Roy Cohn
years ago, which is never to admit anything, never to
apologize for anything.
OK, that may be your position, but that's why I
want Congress to do its job and condemn, which was
really, really just absolutely reprehensible, but to send a bigger
message.
And that is, we do not want to constantly be
divided every day with rhetoric and aspersions and divisions.
Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, thank you
so much for spending time with us this morning.
We appreciate you.