1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: Hey, the folks. 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 2: In this episode, Robot and I continue our travels in Italy, 3 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:11,959 Speaker 2: but we take a break from hanging out with Italians 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 2: because we wanted to talk to three Americans, but not 5 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:17,799 Speaker 2: just any three Americans. 6 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: Three in particular. Two of them were there at that 7 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 1: Trump rally where he was shot, and the other was 8 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: at the R and C convention on night one for 9 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: a hell of a moment when Trump walked in and 10 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: with that, Welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. 11 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: Coming to you today from Rome, and it is weird. 12 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 3: Rose. 13 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: We've been here for a while now, it's gonna be 14 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: a week and a half here pretty soon, and we 15 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: have taken a break to do some work. But it's 16 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: not a complaint that we took a break, and we 17 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: shouldn't be celebrated for doing so. We actually wanted to 18 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: be more engaged. What's going on at home? 19 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think we talked about it in the last podcast. 20 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 4: As journalist, you know when major events happen and you're 21 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 4: not home or you're going to wherever the event took place. 22 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 4: And so now to be in this situation, yes we're 23 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 4: on vacation, but we still very much want to be 24 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:12,199 Speaker 4: a part of what's happening back home, what's happening politically, 25 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 4: what's happening to so many Americans. This is something the 26 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 4: attempted assassination of President Trump or former President Trump has 27 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 4: affected everybody in some way, and so we wanted to 28 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 4: hear from the people who were there when it happened 29 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 4: and who are following where the politics are taking us 30 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 4: from that moment on. 31 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: You know, I we've all had this moment, no matter 32 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: who you are, We've all called back home to fail. Right. 33 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 1: You move away from home and something happened. They tell 34 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: you your aunt's an hospital, well, your grandfather's sick or 35 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: something going on, and you call, you talk to your 36 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: mom and dad, and they always tell you the same thing. 37 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: You know, it's no reason to early come home. There's 38 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: nothing you can do right now, but you always feel 39 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: that pool and want to be back home. It's an 40 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: odd comparison, but that's what it feels like being here 41 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: in Italy when so much is happening back home. 42 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 4: Right, and so much of it is going to affect 43 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 4: all of our lives, and it's you know, I'm curious, 44 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 4: as I think a lot of people are, as to 45 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 4: whether or not this tragic event. I mean, a man 46 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 4: lost his life, the shooter, his family is dealing with 47 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 4: the aftermath of that, and then of course you've got 48 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 4: two people critically injured. Still, so you know, this is 49 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 4: a serious like and an almost an unprecedented Ronald Reagan 50 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 4: back in nineteen eighty one. And so the truth of 51 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,920 Speaker 4: the matter is we have been so politically divided as 52 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 4: a nation and it's just gotten worse and worse and worse. 53 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 4: And so the question is, with what happened at that 54 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 4: political rally in Pennsylvania, does it make the things get 55 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 4: even worse? Do people start pointing fingers even more? Do 56 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 4: we blame one another for this young man's decision? Or 57 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 4: is this a moment of being actually able to put 58 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 4: some of the mud slinging away, to find some sort 59 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 4: of unity or at least having a more civil conversation 60 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 4: about what each presidential candidate could bring to this country 61 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 4: instead of showing each other you know how horrible the 62 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 4: other is. 63 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm just let's go which way is it 64 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: going to go? 65 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 4: I think initially people will fill that sense of you know, 66 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 4: we are on America. Let's let's tone down the rhetoric. 67 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 4: Let's let's change how we're talking about one another, how 68 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 4: we're describing political parties us versus them. But then eventually 69 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 4: I fear that it will turn and it might even 70 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 4: get out later. 71 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: See, I can't, can't. I'm not gonna be able to 72 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: remember the journalist's name. It wasn't an on air of 73 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 1: someone who was prominent, but I believe was just fired 74 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: or at least suspended reprimanded for a social media post 75 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: in which I guess they thought they were being funny, 76 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: but was almost complaining that the guy was a bad shot. 77 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: Oh my god, that kind of stuff. That's awful, that 78 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: kind of stuff. And again, this is only the one 79 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: that I saw, but I bet there's a lot of 80 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: that kind of stuff out there. A lot is going 81 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: to weigh on what Trump does on at Thornz convention. 82 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: What is that speech going to sound like and look like? 83 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: But what do you compare? What was it? I remember 84 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: nine to eleven. There's something since nine eleven, but we 85 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: came together at nine eleven. Absolute like nobody's business as 86 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: a country didn't last that long. I remember the politicians 87 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: coming out on the steps of the Capitol and they 88 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: all I think they're saying that godless murders did something right, 89 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: and that was like, Wow, what unity did it in 90 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: the last three months? 91 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,679 Speaker 4: I didn't last very long at all. Yeah, at that point, wasn't. 92 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 4: President Bush had the highest OBAL rating out of any 93 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 4: recent president because of that sense of unity and that 94 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 4: we had to band together as a country. But this 95 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,839 Speaker 4: is really disturbing on so many levels. Think about all 96 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 4: the school shootings that we've covered. You know, it was 97 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 4: again fingerpointing between you know, should ar fifteens be allowed 98 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 4: in just baldy u WALDI, I mean, my god. 99 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 1: Baby's kill and we still didn't necessarily come together as 100 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 1: a country to do anything about. 101 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 4: No. I remember interviewing the mayor of Uvaldi and he 102 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 4: was blaming everything but the guns and got really upset 103 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 4: with me when I pushed back a little bit, and 104 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 4: it just it felt even more divisive. So sadly, a 105 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 4: lot of this violence that we've seen has not done that. 106 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 4: Maybe the in me is hopeful that maybe this time 107 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 4: it could be different, because this is such a serious. 108 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 4: We we're talking millimeters away. We can ending president former 109 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:09,719 Speaker 4: President Trump's life. Klimeters. 110 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,159 Speaker 1: We can't be taking a shot, said no, leaders, we 111 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:14,840 Speaker 1: just that just can't be done. And you said something, 112 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: I hadn't thought about that young man's family. Right, he's dead. 113 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 1: They've lost someone. That's tragic enough, but now all the 114 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: scrutiny and the I mean, when could those folks ever 115 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: get their lives back. I have no idea who these 116 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: people are, what they're about, where they're from, who how 117 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: good of folks they are. But I'm at this point 118 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: at least being as a human being and thinking about 119 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: that is a young man. I have no idea what's 120 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: going on his life, but his family now is dealing 121 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: with something I can't imagine. Maybe some people think that's 122 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: not what we should be talking about today, but I 123 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: think that's a part of all of our conversations, is 124 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 1: that we have got to consider everybody in it. And 125 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: don't get me wrong, he's not the forefront of people's 126 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 1: mind and sympathy. But at the same time, there are 127 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: just so many people impacted in such a significant way, 128 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: in a personal way, and I can't imagine what this 129 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 1: family is dealing with, his community, his high school, his friends. 130 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: Everybody is confused and hurt and saddened, and a lot 131 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: of people want to take a lot of anger out 132 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 1: on the people that were close to him, with him 133 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 1: and his family. So we'll see how that happens, which is. 134 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 4: The exact opposite of what I think so many people 135 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 4: would hope could happen, where there's empathy, sympathy, and curiosity 136 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 4: in the sense of how we always have this conversation, 137 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 4: how could we have prevented it? Were there signs? All 138 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 4: of those things. Those are good conversations to have, But 139 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 4: it's still frustrating, nonetheless, and it's still a very frightening 140 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 4: time we're in right now from a political standpoint, which 141 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 4: affects every single person in this country. To think that 142 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 4: we have been prosecuting politicians and politicians family members and 143 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:49,359 Speaker 4: now it's just elevated from the court system to now 144 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 4: gun vis it's just awful. 145 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:54,039 Speaker 1: But with that, and I know a lot of folks 146 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: listen to us, I've seen probably everybody listening to us 147 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,720 Speaker 1: has seen more bridge then we have because we are 148 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 1: here it is where we haven't been able to get 149 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: American television for the most part, and just was able 150 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: to watch a little bit on that the morning after. 151 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: But there are I know a lot of folks that 152 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 1: heard reports and eyewitness accounts and so we're going to 153 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: let you hear from We're going to let you hear conversations. 154 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: We had with two folks who were at the rally. 155 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: One of them, I believe you said, he was only 156 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: eight or ten rows back, so he just fairly folks. 157 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: But the other is a political report, a long time 158 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: political reporter, who was at the R and C convention. Now, 159 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: how many do you even know how many conventions? 160 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 4: You No, there have been several, and they're all usually, 161 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 4: you know, they're filled with pomp and circumstance. They have 162 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 4: the four day rundown, you have obviously we hear who 163 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 4: the vice presidential nominee or the candidate is going to 164 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 4: be on the non incumbent side, So there's just protocol, 165 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 4: and it's just kind of you know, you're rallying the base, 166 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 4: you're rallying the Republics and the Democrats, and it's it's 167 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 4: kind of, you know what you expect. It's not usually 168 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 4: a lot of surprises, but this time it was very, very, 169 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 4: very different. 170 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: And only because again, folks, that one of the people 171 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: you're gonna hear us talk about it was a reporter 172 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: and he was at the RNC convention, and I asked 173 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: you what about yours, Because every convention I find to 174 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: be released, they're just they're planned down to the letter, 175 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: the just the pageantry and to see kind of democracy 176 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: or our system on display like that, But you agree 177 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 1: with it not It's just it's an event. It's a 178 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 1: big party, and I've always enjoyed going to the convention 179 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: on both sides. I'm very curious and i want everybody 180 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: to hear from the guy we're going to talk to 181 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,680 Speaker 1: about what it was like when Trump walked in that room. 182 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 1: That's that's a moment like we have never ever seen before, 183 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: and I'm wondering if he thought it was different as well. 184 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: So folks, with that again, we want you to hear. 185 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: We are coming to you now from it from Rome 186 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,679 Speaker 1: in particular today. But we have three people we want 187 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: to talk to. One is Nico Mitchell. 188 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,959 Speaker 4: He was the bystander who this was his first political rally, 189 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,200 Speaker 4: by the way, that he had ever attended, and so 190 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 4: you know, he had no point of reference and didn't 191 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 4: really even know what to expect. So we're going to 192 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:18,959 Speaker 4: hear how he handled witnessing, what he saw, and what 193 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 4: he's feeling like now. And we're also going to talk 194 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 4: to Robert Truman, you mentioned he is a political reporter, 195 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 4: a national correspondent for News Nation. And then finally one 196 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 4: of my actually a former colleague of mine, Mike Kera. 197 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,839 Speaker 1: So folks, take a listen now to our conversation with Nico, Mike, 198 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:36,440 Speaker 1: and Robert, three people who had front row seats to 199 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: some of the most historical political drama this country has 200 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:52,439 Speaker 1: ever seen. And we do have Nico Mitchell here with 201 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:54,920 Speaker 1: us now, who was at that rally. Nico, I know 202 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 1: we're several days removed from that rally where Trump was shot. 203 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 1: You talked about how the next day you were still 204 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 1: shaken by it. Now a few days removed, when I 205 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:08,199 Speaker 1: know you had to be thinking about all the what ifs. 206 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: If what if I would have been here, I had 207 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: have sat there, what if? Just first of all, can 208 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 1: you tell me how are you after experiencing such a 209 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 1: traumatic event. 210 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 5: I'm doing well. 211 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 3: I'm in good spirits. 212 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 5: I would say, it's just a lot to process after 213 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:31,199 Speaker 5: what happened that day and after that rally. In fact, 214 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 5: I hate to say this, but I went to Pittsburgh, 215 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 5: PA for dinner and I was assaulted by two men 216 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 5: after that rally. So this is a very volatile situation 217 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 5: that day. For me, I was just shaken by what 218 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 5: happened to Donald Trump. Seeing that and witnessing that in 219 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,720 Speaker 5: real time is something that you can't forget. It's in 220 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 5: history now and having that happen to me as well, 221 00:10:57,320 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 5: it was surely a big day for me too. 222 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 4: Wow, Nikola, are you okay? Like I feel free to 223 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 4: share whatever happened? And it was obviously I'm hoping it 224 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 4: was unrelated. Can you just give us a sense of 225 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:10,200 Speaker 4: what happened? 226 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:11,720 Speaker 3: Well? 227 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:15,200 Speaker 5: I went to a restaurant where I had a group 228 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 5: of people who were agitated at the fact that I 229 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 5: had a Trump had on and realiation. I will tell 230 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,199 Speaker 5: you I did say the words make America great again. 231 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 5: And that's when all broke loose. It wasn't even the 232 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 5: group that I was engaging with that assaulted me. It 233 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 5: was the kitchen workers at the restaurant. So this is 234 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 5: a big thing. I have to call the police department 235 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 5: back tomorrow to see how I'm able to proceed forward. 236 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 1: I was expecting one thing, and we were talking here 237 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: right before we came on about which direction things are 238 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:52,559 Speaker 1: going to go, Like we're opening this, people will calm down. 239 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 1: We all come together. And you're telling me you left 240 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 1: a rally where a presidential candidate was shot and you 241 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: were assaulted because of your support for that candidate. Do 242 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:03,560 Speaker 1: I have that right? 243 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 5: Yes, that's correct, and I don't care where you fall 244 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 5: in politics. We need to show love first in the 245 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 5: society because everything is too volatile. We've gotten to the 246 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 5: point where hatred is spewing out of people's spirits. They're 247 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 5: calling for the death of Trump, They're calling for the 248 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 5: death of whoever it may be. We need to step 249 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 5: back and show humanity again. Where is the humane being 250 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 5: inside of each other? We have to be able to 251 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 5: show that first, so that way we're able to unite again. 252 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 5: Because after all, if we're talking about these issues, we 253 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 5: can come into agreement with a lot. But what happens 254 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:49,959 Speaker 5: is media and other factors fall into play where there's 255 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 5: there's divisional you know, all this division and this hatred 256 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 5: being spewed. So we just need to come together. So 257 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 5: I really can say about it, it's just it's just 258 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:00,440 Speaker 5: sad right now, Are. 259 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 4: O Nica That that is absolutely heartbreaking? TJ just mentioned. 260 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 4: I was actually like positive Polly, hopeful that this would 261 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 4: be a wake up call to the vitriol, to the 262 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 4: just the mean spiritedness of people. We can disagree, we 263 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 4: can prefer each other's candidates, but it doesn't mean it 264 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 4: has to resort to the extremes. Can you give me 265 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:27,560 Speaker 4: a sense of what what happened in the in the 266 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 4: assault afterwards? Did was it throwing punches? Was it? Give 267 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:34,160 Speaker 4: me a sense of just what that attack was like? 268 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 5: It was it was me and a woman. I was 269 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 5: verbal to her, she was verbal to me, so it 270 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 5: was a verbal argument, and then it escalated to two 271 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 5: men going outside waiting for me. I had no idea 272 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 5: that they had weapons on them, so that was something 273 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 5: that was a big deal to me. At that point, 274 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 5: I wanted the police to be called, and the restaurant 275 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 5: decided for two men who were kitchen workers to come out. 276 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 5: They both grabbed me. They slammed me on the table, 277 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 5: and then they took me outside and then they rammed 278 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 5: me into the pavement. And I still have wounds on 279 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 5: my hands, i have bruising on my body, bruising up 280 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 5: on my upper arms, and I'm going to go to 281 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 5: the doctor's office very soon so I can have all 282 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,360 Speaker 5: of that it documented. 283 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 1: Because this is a big deal a big deal. Why 284 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: did you and we were talking to you went from 285 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 1: New York to the rally in Pennsylvania where Trump was shot. 286 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: But why did you want to make a six plus out? 287 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: Why was it important to you to make that six 288 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 1: plus hour journey to be at that round? 289 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 5: To be quite honest with you, I'm a Christian first, 290 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 5: and I believe in Jesus. I believe in God, and 291 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 5: I had this conviction that came over me to support him. 292 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 5: I know he's a very volad old candidate. He's someone 293 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 5: who was there he talked about positively and negatively, but 294 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 5: I felt the need to in this election cycle that 295 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 5: we're living in a point of history that is unprecedented. 296 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 5: We've never seen politics the way it is today. So 297 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 5: that was my own personal conviction to go out there. 298 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 5: But I've been to a Trump rally before, but I 299 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 5: was there for journalistic reasons. So I've covered a Trump rally. 300 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 5: I've covered Bernie Sanders rally, so it's not just a 301 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 5: right wing thing. I've also covered the Democrat side. So 302 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 5: I just felt the need in this election cycle to 303 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 5: do it, and I went out there in support and 304 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 5: low and behold, I'm witnessing history unfold right before my 305 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 5: very eyes. I'll tell you I was scared at that 306 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 5: moment when Trump dropped down where the podium was, I 307 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 5: thought he was dead in that moment. And the other 308 00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 5: concern that I had was we've had so many actives 309 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 5: shits that happened in the United States. There was a 310 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 5: possibility that the active shooter could have turned around and 311 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 5: started opening fire on the crowd. 312 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, oh, I mean, I can't even did you know 313 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 4: immediately that it was gun fire? I know a lot 314 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 4: of folks said they thought it was fireworks and it 315 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 4: was chaotic, and it's just not something you're expecting to 316 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 4: hear or see. How quickly did you know this is scary, 317 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 4: this is bad? And then how did you react? 318 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 5: A lot of people online because when I posted that 319 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 5: video initially said to themselves or why didn't he run? 320 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 5: Or why didn't he do this or that? When you 321 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 5: are in a literal situation such as that, you don't 322 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 5: know how your body is going to respond, and you're 323 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 5: not expecting it, like you were saying. So when I 324 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 5: was just standing there, initially I thought it was fireworks. 325 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 5: I was confused at that point because I saw a 326 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 5: build a wing of smoke, and then there was a 327 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 5: water hose on the other side that burst it open 328 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 5: and water is spewing everywhere. So I'm saying to myself, 329 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 5: what is going on? Until I saw Trump drop down, 330 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 5: and I said to myself, I'm witnessing the death of 331 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 5: Trump right before my eyes. But thank God that the 332 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:16,680 Speaker 5: Secret Service rushed over to shield him and he. 333 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: Was able to get back up. 334 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:21,399 Speaker 5: And my heart goes out to the victim who was 335 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:23,400 Speaker 5: tragically taken in this situation. 336 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: Nigo, can you help me with the emotions that you 337 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:30,199 Speaker 1: must have gone through. I can't imagine how many and 338 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 1: maybe a thirty second period for hearing the snap snap, 339 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:37,199 Speaker 1: steps and steps now where that's confusion. Maybe initially you 340 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:40,680 Speaker 1: see him go down, that's absolute terror and fear that 341 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: President Trump has just been shot and killed. Then you 342 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: have to think, wow, is somebody still shooting in the crowd? 343 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 6: Wow? 344 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:49,119 Speaker 1: Should I take off running? Can you take me through? 345 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 1: I guess there were several steps and emotions that had 346 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:54,920 Speaker 1: to have you going all over the place. So can 347 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: you take me through how those emotions were coming. 348 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 5: They weren't from excitement from being at the rally, to 349 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 5: confusion to dreadful fear, and the only thing that you're 350 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 5: able to do is duck down and pray, because if 351 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,439 Speaker 5: you've ever been to a concert or any large venue 352 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 5: for that matter, you're unable to go anywhere. The only 353 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:20,200 Speaker 5: thing that you're able to do is is sit there 354 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 5: and hope for the best, because if you try running anywhere, 355 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 5: the crowd is blocking you. So I said to myself, 356 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,640 Speaker 5: Dear Lord, I'm praying that I'm able to get out 357 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 5: of this situation alive. I've seen the situations that have 358 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 5: happened in the United States before, such as Las Vegas 359 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 5: where those four people were taken just doing casual things 360 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:48,440 Speaker 5: as any other American would do. So these situations are 361 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 5: heart wrenching. And I've been in a situation before where 362 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:55,360 Speaker 5: I was at a mall, I was entering the all 363 00:18:55,920 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 5: people started rushing outwards past me in the alarms going off, 364 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:04,280 Speaker 5: and that was an active shooting situation before that was 365 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 5: in North Carolina. So but to be there and to 366 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,919 Speaker 5: hear the shots ring out, it's it was certainly something 367 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 5: to remember. 368 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 4: WOWK, that's just it's it's gutting to have experienced that. 369 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 4: And what was it like once they got the Secret 370 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:25,639 Speaker 4: Service members got Trump off as they were taking off 371 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 4: the stage. I know he was yelling fight, fight, fight. 372 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:30,040 Speaker 4: Can you give us a sense of what that was 373 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 4: like being in the crowd knowing what you've just seen, 374 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 4: but not having had time to process it, Like, what 375 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:37,879 Speaker 4: did everyone do as he was being ushered off? And 376 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 4: after he left, the. 377 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 3: People were very supportive. 378 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:46,800 Speaker 5: Uh, it was almost it was a rally cry for 379 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 5: being able to fight the good fight. Still, there's a 380 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:54,440 Speaker 5: lot that has happened to this man and he continues 381 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:58,240 Speaker 5: on with his political motivation to become the president once again. 382 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,360 Speaker 5: So his supporter are there for him. I see that, 383 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 5: I feel that, and I've never been always a supporter 384 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,320 Speaker 5: of his, but I definitely can see it through the crowd, 385 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 5: and it surely is something that if you're there, it 386 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 5: does feel I will say, it does feel like family 387 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 5: being there. People are very nice, they're cordial. So it 388 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:28,439 Speaker 5: was a rally cry. And now, from my understanding with Trump, 389 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 5: he actually has a hole in his ear because he 390 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,160 Speaker 5: still has the patch over him and he's still going 391 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 5: through everything. Now he's in Milwaukee doing the convention, so 392 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 5: this is this is a pivotal moment for him, and 393 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 5: praying for his safety. 394 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:45,960 Speaker 3: Going forward as well. 395 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,520 Speaker 1: Nikot, I don't know if you can if you had 396 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 1: gotten past all the fear and confusion enough to then 397 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 1: take in the emotion of the crowd. But that moment 398 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 1: when you all saw him get up, you saw him 399 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 1: put his fists in the air, you heard heard him screaming. 400 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:05,639 Speaker 1: Describe then, I guess what came out of the crowd, 401 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 1: the emotion of that moment, which will go down in history. 402 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:14,439 Speaker 5: It went from dreadful fear because the people who were 403 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 5: around me were screaming in horror, and they were laying 404 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:24,400 Speaker 5: low because they weren't sure what was going to happen next. Initially, 405 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 5: when I went down to the ground with my camera, 406 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 5: the lady next to me was saying, baby, get down, 407 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:36,120 Speaker 5: get down, get down, And I heard the screams from 408 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 5: others in the crowd. When Trumpet arose from back of 409 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:44,439 Speaker 5: the podium, it was a momentous feeling. It almost felt 410 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:47,679 Speaker 5: like there was a victory in the air. It was 411 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:51,879 Speaker 5: a feeling that a moment in history would only be 412 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:56,080 Speaker 5: able to describe as if you were witnessing another pivotal 413 00:21:56,119 --> 00:21:59,640 Speaker 5: point that happened along the ways back then and maybe 414 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:04,399 Speaker 5: even nineteen twenties nineteen forties World War Two. So this 415 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:08,639 Speaker 5: was a very, very visceral feeling. I felt as though joy, 416 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 5: happiness came over the crowd in that moment and they 417 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,680 Speaker 5: were ready to fight onwards. So there was not even 418 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,640 Speaker 5: a question of how are we able to move forward? 419 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,679 Speaker 5: But we're going to move forward regardless. 420 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 4: Niko, are you concerned about what the next few weeks 421 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 4: and months are going to be like leading up to 422 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 4: the actual presidential election in November? Where are your emotions 423 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 4: about what you're expecting or anticipating. 424 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,880 Speaker 5: To be quite honest, I am concerned about his safety. 425 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:42,959 Speaker 5: I'm not sure how all of this is going to 426 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:47,200 Speaker 5: play out. We are very volatile in the United States 427 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 5: of America today. It's a very scary feeling, and I'm 428 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 5: praying for everyone's safety. I don't care if you are 429 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 5: a Republican, Democrat, independent. I'm registered as an independent myself, 430 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 5: and I just want people to be safe. I want 431 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 5: people to be able to show love once again. I 432 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:09,080 Speaker 5: want people to have civil discussion once again. If you 433 00:23:09,119 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 5: even try to have a debate anymore, it's not even 434 00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:15,200 Speaker 5: a debate, it's a shouting match, and you're not even 435 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:20,640 Speaker 5: trying to find common ground. It's now just demonizing each other. 436 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:23,520 Speaker 5: So I just want people to be able to come 437 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 5: together at some point. But I see in the coming 438 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 5: weeks more volatile situations arising, unfortunately, just because of the 439 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 5: state of the world today. 440 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,560 Speaker 4: Will you still wear your Maga hat out after what happened? 441 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:47,359 Speaker 5: I thought about this critically. Probably I'm going to say yes, 442 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:52,640 Speaker 5: because I'm gonna be honest with you after what I 443 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 5: saw with Donald Trump and then the assault that happened 444 00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 5: to me, I felt a connection in that moment where 445 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:05,160 Speaker 5: what happened, and so we both shed blood that day, 446 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:08,640 Speaker 5: and I said to myself, I'm still going to support 447 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,119 Speaker 5: this man, even in the face of adversity. 448 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:14,119 Speaker 1: But Nico, you can support them, support them. You got 449 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: to have family friends saying, dude, why is it worth it. 450 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:21,399 Speaker 1: You can support them without the shirt, without them, without 451 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 1: talking to the woman in the restaurant, right, So you 452 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:25,680 Speaker 1: got to have people that love you saying, come o, 453 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 1: dco just leave the red hat at the house for 454 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: the Knights. 455 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 5: Well, I'll be honest with you. I did take it 456 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:38,920 Speaker 5: off on occasion, and then when that happened, I did 457 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:41,400 Speaker 5: take it off because I still have people who are 458 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:45,840 Speaker 5: looking at me and that moment after that happened, I 459 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:51,000 Speaker 5: said to myself, people are so volatile right now, especially 460 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:53,120 Speaker 5: in the area that I was, I felt as though 461 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 5: I could be killed. 462 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 3: And so. 463 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 5: I do feel as though I have to still represent 464 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 5: him in some capacity. And the only reason why I 465 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:06,399 Speaker 5: feel the need to even support him is because I 466 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 5: had a conviction that came spiritually from God to support 467 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,160 Speaker 5: this man. And I know a lot of people will 468 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 5: question that as to why I would feel that way, 469 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:20,960 Speaker 5: but I would just say, pray on it and and 470 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 5: if you have a connection to God, you know, just 471 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:25,879 Speaker 5: do your due diligence with it. 472 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:28,399 Speaker 1: Well, you make a good point to that. We we're 473 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 1: gonna leavi youa that. But you said, I know people 474 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:34,919 Speaker 1: are going to question when I say I had a 475 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:37,399 Speaker 1: spiritual connection. What if we just can all take a 476 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:40,920 Speaker 1: chance and not question and just respect it whatever. You know, 477 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 1: an atheist out there, you still respect where you're coming from. 478 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 1: And that's just so key. I think we don't. 479 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 4: We don't. We don't get people enough credit or at 480 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:50,120 Speaker 4: least in a grace for that song. 481 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 5: I've had people told me that I had some type 482 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 5: of mental illness because I'm supporting Trump. I've had people 483 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,640 Speaker 5: tell me that on my platforms, and I said to myself, 484 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:03,440 Speaker 5: this is not good. If you support Biden, I love 485 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:05,880 Speaker 5: you and I respect you. I've had people that I've 486 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 5: walked up to and asked do you support him? And 487 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 5: they would tell me no, or I'm indifferent, or I'm 488 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 5: supporting Biden, and I would say, I love you regardless. 489 00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:16,920 Speaker 5: God bless you, and if you need anything, I'm still 490 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:17,480 Speaker 5: here for you. 491 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 4: We hope there are more people like you, Nico in 492 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:24,440 Speaker 4: the world, and we're just glad you're safe and thank 493 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 4: you so much for sharing your story, and we hope 494 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:28,919 Speaker 4: you get checked out and get a good bill of 495 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:30,840 Speaker 4: health from the doctor. But we wish you well in 496 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:35,680 Speaker 4: making sure that you can find some peace and yes, 497 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 4: spread that love. Thank you so much for being with us, Nico. 498 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 5: Thank you, Amy and TJ. I appreciate being on here, 499 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 5: and God bless both of you and Jesus name. 500 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 1: Thank you so much. Thank you so much. 501 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 4: And joining us now is Robert Sherman. Robert is a 502 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 4: national correspondent for News Nation and also he was at 503 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,359 Speaker 4: the rally at the time of the attempted assassination and 504 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,920 Speaker 4: he's now currently at the Republican National Convention. So, Robert, 505 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:12,680 Speaker 4: you have had a front row seat to all of 506 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 4: the major events over the last few days, and so 507 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:18,399 Speaker 4: thank you for being with us and joining us. You 508 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 4: are not just a political reporter, you're also a conflict reporter. 509 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 4: So gunfire is not an unusual sound for you. You 510 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,879 Speaker 4: have been around it and in it for your career. 511 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 4: So take us back to that rally and what your 512 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:36,560 Speaker 4: immediate reaction was to what was happening. 513 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:38,639 Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean, what I would just say is is 514 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:41,399 Speaker 6: that we've covered so many of the former president's rallies 515 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 6: over the years, and this one was really no different. 516 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 6: The same kind of people who were dancing, singing, having 517 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:52,040 Speaker 6: a good time, massive security presence with the Secret Service, 518 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 6: and so the idea of some kind of an attack 519 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 6: being carried out one of these events, I mean, we've 520 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:00,879 Speaker 6: been to so many any of these that, but it's 521 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 6: never something that would ever cross your mind as being 522 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:08,919 Speaker 6: within the realm of possibility. But then you see the 523 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:12,800 Speaker 6: pandemonium breaking out and you see all the concern and 524 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 6: it was amazing. I mean, just in a couple of minutes, 525 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:19,280 Speaker 6: just about everybody in Butler, Pennsylvania knew what had happened 526 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 6: as law enforcement tried to regather control of the situation, 527 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 6: and then segueing here into the RNC, what I would 528 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:31,720 Speaker 6: say is is that very rarely is there much mystery 529 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:34,720 Speaker 6: when it comes into one of these events. We typically 530 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:37,359 Speaker 6: know how a political convention is going to go. But 531 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:42,440 Speaker 6: there's so much anticipation heading into Monday night with the 532 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 6: first public appearance of the former president since this assassination attempt, 533 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:49,960 Speaker 6: as well as the mystery about who is vice presidential 534 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 6: pick would be. And it has just been a very 535 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 6: surreal forty eight seventy two hours from Saturday until this point. 536 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 1: Have you gotten a sense that there's an increased a 537 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 1: little I won't say security, but what about just fear 538 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: among the people who are attending the convention? And quite frankly, Robert, 539 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:13,280 Speaker 1: what about you. We've been around a lot of politicians 540 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 1: and conventions and whatnot over the years. The security makes 541 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:18,880 Speaker 1: you feel safe, and it also makes you feel uncomfortable 542 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: sometimes like wow, all the securities needed. But you tell me, man, 543 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:25,000 Speaker 1: how does is there an increased sense of fear there? 544 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 3: Would you say? 545 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 6: I wouldn't necessarily say so, but there are a couple 546 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:31,760 Speaker 6: of distinctions be made from before the event and now 547 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 6: that we're in the event, there are were concerns about 548 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:37,880 Speaker 6: security from some people here because I wouldn't really know 549 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 6: what the security situation was like. But when you walk 550 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 6: around downtown Milwaukee right now, it is impossible to not 551 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 6: run into a massive law enforcement presence. It's very difficult 552 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 6: to get down get around the heart of the city, 553 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:53,040 Speaker 6: not just by driving but by walking as well. They 554 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:56,520 Speaker 6: are entire blocks that are corded off. And so when 555 00:29:56,520 --> 00:30:00,520 Speaker 6: you see that security presence massively, whether it is stay troopers, 556 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 6: local police, or the massive security presence just in general 557 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:07,720 Speaker 6: from the Secret Service that you see about. I mean 558 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 6: that is what people have talked to us, that they 559 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 6: wanted to see that show of force more or less, 560 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 6: and I would say that is a thing that has 561 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 6: put most people at ease here. But of course, going 562 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 6: back to Saturdays, is that there's always been the understanding that, 563 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:28,360 Speaker 6: you know, any kind of a security breach at a 564 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,720 Speaker 6: Trump that just seemed impossible up until this point. So 565 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:34,360 Speaker 6: people have been on guard, I would say, you know, 566 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:38,440 Speaker 6: from a healthy, cautious standpoint, but people have felt pretty 567 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 6: good here from those who we've talked to. But it 568 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:42,920 Speaker 6: was on the mind coming in before seeing this whole 569 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 6: security presence up close. 570 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: But Robert, was it on your mind from a personal standpoint? Again, 571 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:50,360 Speaker 1: she just said, your guy that's been around and been 572 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:52,520 Speaker 1: all over the world in conflict. But for you, and 573 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 1: I don't want to say you change anything, but is 574 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:55,880 Speaker 1: it on your mind in any different way? 575 00:30:57,120 --> 00:30:59,600 Speaker 6: You know, It's just it just opens the door of 576 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 6: possible abilities, right because I mean, once you, you know, have 577 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 6: the bubble popped the first time, when it comes to 578 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:08,960 Speaker 6: your own sense of security, then you know, you start 579 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 6: to ask the question about you know, well, if if 580 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 6: you know this wasn't as secure as we all thought 581 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 6: it was, you know what else is truly secure? So 582 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 6: I'm it something that was on our mind. But I 583 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,480 Speaker 6: mean not an overwhelming fear, I would say, just something 584 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 6: to be on guard about. There have been demonstrations that 585 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:26,560 Speaker 6: have been taking place here in Milwaukee, but those have 586 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 6: remained pretty tame up until this point. So it's it's 587 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:34,080 Speaker 6: it's not something that has you know, definitely commanded your mind, 588 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 6: but it's something that is always playing in the back 589 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 6: of your skull a little bit, especially after what happened Saturday. 590 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, I can only imagine and obviously, Robert. You know, 591 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:47,280 Speaker 4: we've been on the ground and we've covered a lot 592 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:52,440 Speaker 4: of really scary, violent, awful events around the world, and 593 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:56,760 Speaker 4: yet I've never been somewhere where an active shooting is 594 00:31:56,800 --> 00:32:00,920 Speaker 4: taking place as a human, not even as a reporter. 595 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:03,440 Speaker 4: I mean, did you were you in reporter mindset or 596 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:06,440 Speaker 4: when you heard those gunshots and you saw the president 597 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:09,680 Speaker 4: go down? Did the human sidekick in I'm just curious 598 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 4: what that must have been like for you, even as 599 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 4: a seasoned journalist, as a human being. 600 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:21,160 Speaker 6: It's just, you know, hearing all of this, it was 601 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 6: just a shock to so many people here. We actually 602 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:25,320 Speaker 6: had to pull back just a little bit from the 603 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 6: event due to connectivity issues. But then, I mean, you 604 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:33,400 Speaker 6: hear the gunshots and you you know, hear the pandemonium 605 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:37,280 Speaker 6: that is breaking out. I mean, it's just shock. 606 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 3: You know. 607 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:40,400 Speaker 6: I don't know how else to describe it as is 608 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:43,560 Speaker 6: that you you know, we're all looking at each other. 609 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:45,800 Speaker 6: It's like that there's no way that that's what it 610 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 6: could have been, right, I mean, we must have misheard something. 611 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:50,040 Speaker 6: When you talk to people on the ground, everybody describes 612 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:52,800 Speaker 6: it the same way, probably the way that you've heard 613 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:56,560 Speaker 6: people describe similar situations in your reporting careers, everyone says, well, 614 00:32:56,600 --> 00:33:00,680 Speaker 6: it sounds like fireworks. You would just never think that 615 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 6: that's what it was, that it was actually gunshots or 616 00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:05,880 Speaker 6: anything like that. But then, I mean, you see people 617 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,400 Speaker 6: running around, you see people concerned. You just don't know 618 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 6: what to think of that situation. It was just something 619 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:14,959 Speaker 6: that was so out of sight, out of mind up 620 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:15,760 Speaker 6: until that moment. 621 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 1: Were you and again, given your experience and reporting, and 622 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 1: everybody say it sounds like firecrackers? Did you right? Your training, 623 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,960 Speaker 1: your experience might tell you I'm hearing gunfire, but also 624 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 1: your experience in politics, like, no, there's no way there's gunfire. 625 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:36,280 Speaker 1: There's no way anybody shooting. Did you know immediately when 626 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:38,720 Speaker 1: you heard it that is gunfire? 627 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:39,720 Speaker 3: No? 628 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:42,720 Speaker 6: No, I definitely did not. I mean, especially someone coming 629 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 6: from Israel, you know where you hear rockets exploding overhead 630 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 6: on a rather consistent basis. 631 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 3: It was not. 632 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:55,000 Speaker 6: It was not something that that's what that I thought 633 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:55,360 Speaker 6: it was. 634 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:59,240 Speaker 4: Well, Robert, thank you so much for sharing your story 635 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 4: with us and come to us from Milwaukee. There on 636 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,480 Speaker 4: the floor of the Republican National Convention. And speaking of Milwaukee, 637 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:11,879 Speaker 4: we have Mike Thecara joining us from another location in Milwaukee. 638 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:15,160 Speaker 4: But yeah, Mike, we go way back. Nice to see 639 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:18,799 Speaker 4: you and hear from you. We were MSNBC colleagues back 640 00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 4: in the. 641 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:20,080 Speaker 3: Day, that's right. 642 00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:22,759 Speaker 7: And I think you were on Weekend today for a 643 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:24,720 Speaker 7: time and I was filing for them as well. 644 00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 3: So yeah, indeed we have a. 645 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:29,359 Speaker 4: Lot of history, and I can't to hear about your 646 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:32,240 Speaker 4: perspective with all that's happened. You've had a very busy 647 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:35,480 Speaker 4: last few days. Tell us what those have been like, 648 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:37,800 Speaker 4: where you are right now and what you've been dealing 649 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:39,280 Speaker 4: with professionally. 650 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:40,799 Speaker 3: Well professionally right. 651 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:43,960 Speaker 7: So, I'm the Washington Bureau chief and as such I 652 00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:46,520 Speaker 7: sort of organized the coverage for News Nation. 653 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:48,600 Speaker 3: We've got a great. 654 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:50,960 Speaker 7: Spot right on the floor our studios, right on the 655 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:53,880 Speaker 7: floor of the convention, where we're anchoring a lot of 656 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:57,360 Speaker 7: our special programming. You know, it's an amazing you know, 657 00:34:57,360 --> 00:34:59,200 Speaker 7: it's eighty five million dollars. It has to put this 658 00:34:59,239 --> 00:35:03,480 Speaker 7: thing on. And another former colleague of ours, Amy Philology, 659 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:07,839 Speaker 7: is the person producing and organizing and setting up all 660 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:10,400 Speaker 7: the camera angles and everything else, and he gave us 661 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:13,279 Speaker 7: a little backstage tour of that, which was really fascinating. 662 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:16,360 Speaker 7: Of everything in the convention, but for me personally, it's 663 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:18,480 Speaker 7: mostly about management. I'm still on the air a lot. 664 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:20,040 Speaker 7: Yesterday I was on the air a lot from the 665 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:25,279 Speaker 7: floor where Robert was today reporting on the surprise pick 666 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:27,120 Speaker 7: of Jade Vance. I guess it wasn't much a surprised, 667 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 7: but it was really amazing how that secret was kept 668 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:32,640 Speaker 7: up until the very last moment, and the former president 669 00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:35,360 Speaker 7: himself was able to announce it and surprise everybody because 670 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:37,520 Speaker 7: as far as I know, it had not been reported 671 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:40,640 Speaker 7: up until he posted on his truth social page. 672 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,000 Speaker 3: So you know, it's crazy, it's hectic. 673 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:46,760 Speaker 7: There are thousands of reporters here, there are more delegates, 674 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:49,920 Speaker 7: there are more party officials. It's a big party. They 675 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:53,440 Speaker 7: have events every day. You know, there's a certain giddiness 676 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:55,560 Speaker 7: among the people on the foreign and the Republican Party. 677 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:59,600 Speaker 7: I would say that's not unusual for conventions, but it 678 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:03,280 Speaker 7: seems be really sort of turbo charged this year for Republicans. 679 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 7: So it is a convention atmosphere and everything that goes 680 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:09,080 Speaker 7: with it, and now we have some added drama of course, 681 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:12,839 Speaker 7: as we saw on the floor last night. So you know, 682 00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:16,200 Speaker 7: as a professional journalist, these things are sort of the 683 00:36:16,239 --> 00:36:20,080 Speaker 7: Super Bowl leading up to the election, and certainly the 684 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:25,480 Speaker 7: production and organizing our Super Bowl level. And it's a 685 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:27,680 Speaker 7: privilege to be here to cover history. It's all I'll 686 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:29,000 Speaker 7: say I can say about that. 687 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:32,880 Speaker 1: How long have you been covering politics? Just give our 688 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:35,399 Speaker 1: listeners some perspective of who we got here? How long 689 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:36,880 Speaker 1: you been government politics? Wow? 690 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:42,799 Speaker 3: This is like my favorite subject me. I started in 691 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:43,480 Speaker 3: nineteen ninety. 692 00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:46,239 Speaker 7: I actually started with NHK, which is sort of the 693 00:36:46,239 --> 00:36:51,120 Speaker 7: BBC of Japan, a large Japanese broadcaster in Washington, at 694 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:54,360 Speaker 7: Washington Bureau at n HK, because I had been goofing 695 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:57,440 Speaker 7: around teaching, doing the English teacher thing after college in Japan. 696 00:36:58,040 --> 00:36:59,680 Speaker 3: So what is that thirty four years? 697 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:02,000 Speaker 1: Thirty four years? How many conventions do you do? You 698 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:03,480 Speaker 1: have account how many conventions you've done? 699 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:05,120 Speaker 3: I don't, you know. I should sit down and think 700 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:06,680 Speaker 3: about that a lot. 701 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:07,760 Speaker 1: It's been a bunch. 702 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:12,399 Speaker 3: Six, you know, and on and on. 703 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:15,239 Speaker 1: It's been a bunch. So I asked that for this reason, 704 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:18,480 Speaker 1: h we've covered conventions as well. And it doesn't matter 705 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:20,520 Speaker 1: about your political leanings, it doesn't matter. You're there to 706 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:22,839 Speaker 1: do a job. But there is just something cool about 707 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:25,560 Speaker 1: a convention, right it's just the pump and circumstances and 708 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:29,120 Speaker 1: the pageantry and the planning. It's just wonderful and the energy, 709 00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:31,759 Speaker 1: and everybody's excited about their candidate. But this is what 710 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:35,399 Speaker 1: I why I want to ask Mike, what did that 711 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:40,720 Speaker 1: feel like? What is the energy like? After that shooting 712 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,719 Speaker 1: that we saw in Pennsylvania. Now he comes back to 713 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:47,839 Speaker 1: even a greater heroes welcome that you can imagine. I'm 714 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:51,160 Speaker 1: trying to get some perspective, because these things are great, wonderful, 715 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:54,480 Speaker 1: energetic events. But how did that feel different when he 716 00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:54,920 Speaker 1: walked in? 717 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:58,640 Speaker 7: Well, first of all, you know, as journalists, and I 718 00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:01,000 Speaker 7: know you guys know this, you have to a certain detachment. 719 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 7: You can't get swept in it, up in it. You know, 720 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:06,719 Speaker 7: you're not there as a participant. You're there as an 721 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:09,399 Speaker 7: objective observer. And I still believe that's the best way 722 00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:13,000 Speaker 7: to go about being a journalist, especially in politics, although 723 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:17,719 Speaker 7: others seem to disagree. These days, I would say that 724 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:19,920 Speaker 7: the events of the last forty eight to seventy two 725 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:24,439 Speaker 7: hours in Butler, Pennsylvania have not only you know, there's 726 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:26,960 Speaker 7: a lot of talk of anger and tension, particularly towards 727 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:29,319 Speaker 7: the media. Let's face it and some of the things 728 00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:31,080 Speaker 7: that we've heard of the course last several days. But 729 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:33,239 Speaker 7: I think there's a conscious effort on the part of 730 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:34,920 Speaker 7: from the Candida on. 731 00:38:34,960 --> 00:38:36,600 Speaker 3: Down to de emphasize. 732 00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:40,040 Speaker 7: They're trying to accentuate the positive eliminate the negative, like 733 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:43,560 Speaker 7: the old song goes. I do think that what has 734 00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:47,800 Speaker 7: happened and the way the President has reacted initially after 735 00:38:47,840 --> 00:38:50,600 Speaker 7: that horrifying sort you know, it's a day of infamy 736 00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:51,759 Speaker 7: really no matter where you stand. 737 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:56,480 Speaker 3: I believe there is a feeling among a lot of 738 00:38:56,520 --> 00:38:57,320 Speaker 3: the folks that are. 739 00:38:57,160 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 7: There, whether they be members of Congress that I've talked to, 740 00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:02,120 Speaker 7: or it gets or just conversations in the hall that 741 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:06,400 Speaker 7: President Trump has a you know, is pretty much the 742 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:08,000 Speaker 7: odds on favor. And I don't want to say people 743 00:39:08,040 --> 00:39:09,719 Speaker 7: are taking it for granted that he's going to be 744 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,080 Speaker 7: vaulted back into the White House, which after all, is 745 00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:16,920 Speaker 7: the intention of these what are essentially television show productions 746 00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:17,880 Speaker 7: every night for four nights. 747 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:22,480 Speaker 3: And so there's a like I said, there's usually a giddiness. 748 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:24,960 Speaker 7: People in funny clothes, and there's plenty of cowboy hats 749 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:30,840 Speaker 7: and people in costumes and cheering and laughter bordering on 750 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:35,160 Speaker 7: goofiness really, but now there is that extra element that's 751 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:37,840 Speaker 7: sort of jet fuel that has infused a lot of 752 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:40,759 Speaker 7: the folks here. I think who, Yes, like the rest 753 00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:42,920 Speaker 7: of us, were shocked at what happened and the images 754 00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:45,880 Speaker 7: that we saw from Saturday night. But I feel as though, 755 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:49,600 Speaker 7: you know, the way the President reacted, speaking for the 756 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:51,520 Speaker 7: delegates and the people that I've talked to, the way 757 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:55,480 Speaker 7: the President reacted, you know, further lionizes him in their 758 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:59,280 Speaker 7: mind and sort of inspires them. So there's that extra 759 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:02,440 Speaker 7: element that on the floor of the convention, that extra 760 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:04,279 Speaker 7: element of enthusiasm. 761 00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:07,440 Speaker 4: I think, Yeah, we've been we've been watching what we 762 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:10,200 Speaker 4: can from from Italy, but it hasn't been a lot. 763 00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:15,440 Speaker 4: We've were seeing Trump walk into the convention hall to 764 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:18,560 Speaker 4: Lee Greenwoods, God Bless the USA, and just mis his 765 00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:21,840 Speaker 4: bandage on his ear. Can you just give us a 766 00:40:21,880 --> 00:40:22,319 Speaker 4: sense of. 767 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:24,600 Speaker 3: The tone and. 768 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:28,080 Speaker 4: The mood of the convention hall given what happened in 769 00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:32,400 Speaker 4: Pennsylvania and what you're expecting from the President when he 770 00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:34,319 Speaker 4: gives that speech at the end of the week. 771 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:38,320 Speaker 7: Well, you know, the President himself has said in an interview, 772 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:41,000 Speaker 7: I think it was on the airplane actually with the 773 00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:43,600 Speaker 7: Washington Examiner did two interviews the New York Post and 774 00:40:43,600 --> 00:40:48,040 Speaker 7: the Washington Examiner, obviously two media outlets associated with the 775 00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:49,280 Speaker 7: conservative side of things. 776 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:52,480 Speaker 3: He said he was going to retool it, make it 777 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:54,879 Speaker 3: about unity, you. 778 00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:58,560 Speaker 7: Know, coming together, because I think there's a sense that 779 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:01,640 Speaker 7: probably just fiab way, that people are sick of it. 780 00:41:02,200 --> 00:41:05,239 Speaker 7: You know, people are sick of divisions, people are sick 781 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:10,840 Speaker 7: of polarization, and the fact that Donald Trump narrowly escaped 782 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:14,480 Speaker 7: with his life sort of resets things in a way. 783 00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:17,120 Speaker 7: At least that's the feeling that you get talking to 784 00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:20,600 Speaker 7: folks in terms of their messaging strategy and the way 785 00:41:21,320 --> 00:41:23,160 Speaker 7: they feel as though with their finger on the pulse 786 00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:26,399 Speaker 7: of their constituencies that they wanted the direction they want 787 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:28,799 Speaker 7: to go in. Look, the convention is not going to 788 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:30,759 Speaker 7: be one or lost by how the people in that 789 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:33,040 Speaker 7: hall are going to be voting. I think we all 790 00:41:33,080 --> 00:41:34,719 Speaker 7: know that the convention is going to be one or 791 00:41:34,760 --> 00:41:38,719 Speaker 7: lost by people in the suburbs of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh 792 00:41:38,760 --> 00:41:42,319 Speaker 7: and Detroit and here in Milwaukee, which is of course 793 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:43,480 Speaker 7: one reason why this is. 794 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:44,839 Speaker 3: Being staged in Milwaukee. 795 00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:50,359 Speaker 7: And so a message of unity is probably something that's 796 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:53,360 Speaker 7: going to appeal to them more as opposed to some 797 00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:56,280 Speaker 7: of the more personal attacks and you know, the schoolyard 798 00:41:56,400 --> 00:41:59,680 Speaker 7: taunts that are sort of the trademark or President Trump. Now, 799 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:05,239 Speaker 7: whether he can suppress his natural inclination to do those things, 800 00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:08,040 Speaker 7: which you know has worked for him in the past 801 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:10,680 Speaker 7: is another question, and that's something we're going to have 802 00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:11,439 Speaker 7: to wait and see. 803 00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:15,960 Speaker 1: Mike, do you all have you all made any adjustments 804 00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:22,600 Speaker 1: in your coverage, how you cover politics, or even in 805 00:42:23,239 --> 00:42:27,520 Speaker 1: your security as a news organization. Have you all had 806 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:30,399 Speaker 1: to make any adjustments based on where we are now 807 00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:31,600 Speaker 1: at the events in Pennsylvania. 808 00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:35,880 Speaker 7: Well, not really, And mind you, we're not even seventy 809 00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:37,880 Speaker 7: two hours away from that hard as it is to believe, 810 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:41,359 Speaker 7: because so much has happened in between, and so you know, 811 00:42:41,640 --> 00:42:44,000 Speaker 7: whether there will be adjustments later down the road, I 812 00:42:44,040 --> 00:42:46,239 Speaker 7: don't know. I mean a large part I think. I 813 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:48,040 Speaker 7: don't think it's a secret to anybody that the press 814 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:54,760 Speaker 7: has come under heavier criticism. And yes, at Trump rallies, 815 00:42:54,800 --> 00:42:59,400 Speaker 7: the presidents frequently pointed to the riser who are chronicling 816 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:02,160 Speaker 7: the people, and that riser a chronicling what he's saying 817 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:05,200 Speaker 7: and doing and being critical. That's another trademarket is He's 818 00:43:05,239 --> 00:43:07,920 Speaker 7: done that since the twenty sixteen campaign as well, and 819 00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:13,080 Speaker 7: there's been increasing amounts of vitriol and hatred pointed towards 820 00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:15,440 Speaker 7: the press. And I think you actually saw an example 821 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:18,759 Speaker 7: of that of all times, right after the shooting, where 822 00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:20,799 Speaker 7: people were turning in the crowd were turning as the 823 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:23,320 Speaker 7: President was being whisked off the stage as he's pumping 824 00:43:23,360 --> 00:43:27,200 Speaker 7: his fist. Who were giving them press riser the platform 825 00:43:27,239 --> 00:43:29,800 Speaker 7: where the cameras and the reporters are set up towards 826 00:43:29,840 --> 00:43:31,719 Speaker 7: the back of the event giving us the finger. I 827 00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:36,680 Speaker 7: wasn't there, Robert was there, and so that's sort of 828 00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:39,480 Speaker 7: been building over time. January sixth, there was a lot 829 00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:42,320 Speaker 7: of anger directed towards the press. You know, they kept 830 00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:45,480 Speaker 7: there's an area of cameras outside the Capitol we call 831 00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:47,760 Speaker 7: the swamp just at the bottom of the Sense steps, 832 00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:51,200 Speaker 7: and you know, folks came along and cut the cables 833 00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:54,120 Speaker 7: and the wires and fiber lines that enable us to 834 00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:54,719 Speaker 7: get on the air. 835 00:43:55,160 --> 00:43:56,640 Speaker 3: So that's something that's been building. 836 00:43:57,680 --> 00:43:59,719 Speaker 7: I don't think about it too much, perhaps out of 837 00:43:59,719 --> 00:44:03,480 Speaker 7: self preservation, so I don't go crazy, but we do 838 00:44:03,600 --> 00:44:05,360 Speaker 7: take you know, I want to get into the security 839 00:44:05,360 --> 00:44:07,279 Speaker 7: steps that we take. But you know, we do take 840 00:44:07,320 --> 00:44:11,040 Speaker 7: steps to ensure the security of our reporters when they 841 00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:12,840 Speaker 7: go out into the field to it whether it's a 842 00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:17,839 Speaker 7: protest or anything else. You know, you guys know, part 843 00:44:17,840 --> 00:44:19,799 Speaker 7: of what we do is to run towards danger. I mean, 844 00:44:19,800 --> 00:44:22,960 Speaker 7: we're not heroes, but we're there. And some of us 845 00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:26,600 Speaker 7: believe this. It's journalism is altruism for cynics. I'm a cynic, 846 00:44:26,680 --> 00:44:28,279 Speaker 7: but I get to feel good about what I'm doing. 847 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:30,520 Speaker 7: And if I can chronicle history and if I can 848 00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:33,799 Speaker 7: be an eyewitness to historic events, then I'm going to 849 00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:35,279 Speaker 7: go try to do my best to do that. 850 00:44:35,560 --> 00:44:36,400 Speaker 3: I mean within limits. 851 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:39,440 Speaker 7: I don't want to die, but these those are you know, 852 00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:41,120 Speaker 7: that's part of the ethos of what we do. 853 00:44:41,920 --> 00:44:47,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm curious, Mike. You know, we we've been talking 854 00:44:47,960 --> 00:44:50,640 Speaker 4: a little bit about this in the podcast because the 855 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:54,640 Speaker 4: hope would be that things got to this point where yes, 856 00:44:55,160 --> 00:44:58,480 Speaker 4: a presidential candidate, a former president was shot at and 857 00:44:58,560 --> 00:45:04,919 Speaker 4: came within rable millimeters of dying. How is that going 858 00:45:04,960 --> 00:45:09,200 Speaker 4: to change? Is it going to change or change how 859 00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:13,840 Speaker 4: we treat each other, how candidates treat each other. Do 860 00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:17,440 Speaker 4: you think this has any impact on the mud slinging 861 00:45:17,680 --> 00:45:22,160 Speaker 4: and what we've seen from Trump himself, but from both 862 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:24,560 Speaker 4: sides of the aisle, in terms of how they talk 863 00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:26,759 Speaker 4: about each other, how they treat each other, what they 864 00:45:26,840 --> 00:45:28,440 Speaker 4: say about each other. Do you think this is going 865 00:45:28,440 --> 00:45:29,280 Speaker 4: to change anything? 866 00:45:29,760 --> 00:45:31,000 Speaker 3: You know, it's a great question. I don't know, and 867 00:45:31,040 --> 00:45:32,200 Speaker 3: I think everybody wants to know that. 868 00:45:32,640 --> 00:45:34,719 Speaker 7: And I think that anybody whos been around politics for 869 00:45:34,719 --> 00:45:40,040 Speaker 7: as long as we have is skeptical. Frankly, and in 870 00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:44,000 Speaker 7: these initial days and hours after the attack, the assassination 871 00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:47,600 Speaker 7: attempt that nearly killed Donald Trump, I think a lot 872 00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:49,680 Speaker 7: of people are hoping that that's the case. And certainly, 873 00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:53,600 Speaker 7: as we were talking about earlier, the rhetoric is being 874 00:45:53,680 --> 00:45:59,160 Speaker 7: recalibrated and retooled. I mean, we saw President Biden in 875 00:45:59,200 --> 00:46:02,200 Speaker 7: the Oval Office calling for I don't know if you 876 00:46:02,280 --> 00:46:04,520 Speaker 7: use the word civility, but calling for civility and a 877 00:46:04,560 --> 00:46:08,600 Speaker 7: toning down of the rhetoric. We're seeing Republicans at the 878 00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:11,160 Speaker 7: convention here in Milwaukee making a conscious effort to tone 879 00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:14,000 Speaker 7: that down. You know, I covered the House of Representatives 880 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:18,360 Speaker 7: for eleven years every day, and I guess I was 881 00:46:18,400 --> 00:46:20,839 Speaker 7: a little bit naive when I showed up because I 882 00:46:20,960 --> 00:46:23,120 Speaker 7: was under the impression that things were not quite as 883 00:46:23,120 --> 00:46:26,000 Speaker 7: partisan as they are. But you know, after a while, 884 00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:28,840 Speaker 7: you realize it's not necessarily unique in American history, and 885 00:46:29,200 --> 00:46:31,840 Speaker 7: the system is designed with such genius that it's intended 886 00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:38,600 Speaker 7: to channel all of human nature's tendencies to join a 887 00:46:38,600 --> 00:46:41,960 Speaker 7: group and fight it out right your shirt, skins, red, blue. 888 00:46:41,719 --> 00:46:42,680 Speaker 3: Whatever the case may be. 889 00:46:44,000 --> 00:46:46,919 Speaker 7: But it's sort of, as we said, sort of entering 890 00:46:46,960 --> 00:46:50,279 Speaker 7: another level of scariness over the course of the last 891 00:46:50,320 --> 00:46:55,520 Speaker 7: few days, culminating what we saw Saturday. So is what 892 00:46:55,800 --> 00:46:58,600 Speaker 7: the images, the shocking images and the sort of disquiet 893 00:46:59,280 --> 00:47:03,640 Speaker 7: that everybody's experienced, some of us anyway over after seeing 894 00:47:03,719 --> 00:47:07,759 Speaker 7: what happened Saturday, will let last. I guess a lot 895 00:47:07,760 --> 00:47:09,359 Speaker 7: of people are hoping, so I would admit that I'm 896 00:47:09,440 --> 00:47:13,160 Speaker 7: kind of hoping so, but I don't know, I'm a 897 00:47:13,200 --> 00:47:14,400 Speaker 7: little skeptical myself. 898 00:47:14,480 --> 00:47:15,960 Speaker 3: After eleven years in the house for every tent. 899 00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:25,839 Speaker 8: Yeah, Oh, they very honest, spoken from someone who has 900 00:47:25,960 --> 00:47:28,920 Speaker 8: been there in the swamp and all around. 901 00:47:28,960 --> 00:47:33,640 Speaker 4: So we really appreciate your perspective as somebody who has 902 00:47:33,680 --> 00:47:37,440 Speaker 4: been immersed in politics and covering politics for as long 903 00:47:37,480 --> 00:47:39,799 Speaker 4: as you have. We just really appreciate your perspective and 904 00:47:39,960 --> 00:47:43,480 Speaker 4: stay safe, Mike. And it was so great to see 905 00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:45,600 Speaker 4: you again, to hear from you again, and we wish 906 00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:46,880 Speaker 4: you all the best and just want to thank you 907 00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:47,920 Speaker 4: for being on the podcast. 908 00:47:48,080 --> 00:47:50,560 Speaker 3: Okay, you guys, keep living the La dolce vita. 909 00:47:50,680 --> 00:47:57,640 Speaker 4: Okay, all right, thank you everybody for listening, and you 910 00:47:57,640 --> 00:47:59,880 Speaker 4: know where to find us on Instagram, Amy and TJ 911 00:48:00,080 --> 00:48:04,160 Speaker 4: Podcast and you're gonna hear another final podcast from us 912 00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:07,680 Speaker 4: from Italy and then we'll be back home stateside. So 913 00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:09,680 Speaker 4: thanks for listening and we'll see you soon