WEBVTT - The Biden Renaissance Continues.  Lanhee Chen Talks to A&G

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<v Speaker 1>The Armstrong and Getty Show. Jim Crow laws are just

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<v Speaker 1>anothetical to who we are. This makes Jim Crow look

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<v Speaker 1>like Jim Eagle. Most people don't know. You walk into

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<v Speaker 1>a store and you buy a gun, you have a

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<v Speaker 1>background check, but you go to a gun show you

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<v Speaker 1>can buy whatever you want, no background check. Yeah, it's

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<v Speaker 1>just not true. Um, And they walked that back later

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<v Speaker 1>in the day, which leads to a number of questions. Anyway,

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<v Speaker 1>thanks for joining us today. Yeah, the Jim Crow tweets

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<v Speaker 1>are not only untrue, but they're utterly repugnant to say.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's discuss that in a number of different topics with

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<v Speaker 1>Lan he Chen. My computer has frozen, so I'm gonna

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<v Speaker 1>try to do this from memory. Lan he is the

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<v Speaker 1>David and Diane Stephy Research Fellow in American Public Policy

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<v Speaker 1>and the Uver. It's it's the proud son of David

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<v Speaker 1>and Diane Steffie. They don't leave, that's correct, and also

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<v Speaker 1>the the director of Domestic Policy Studies at Stanford University.

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<v Speaker 1>How did I do, Lony? You? You know, you got

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<v Speaker 1>about there and then and then you and then you

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<v Speaker 1>said this thing about being the kid of thee that

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<v Speaker 1>was Jack. Did please see what I have to deal

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<v Speaker 1>with every day. So hey, first good, First of all,

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<v Speaker 1>thank you very much for being here. We really look

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<v Speaker 1>forward to these chats. So the Biden quotes whether it's

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<v Speaker 1>the Jim Crow stuff, which again is repugnant and totally inaccurate,

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<v Speaker 1>or or deciding in kneed your fashion to support a

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<v Speaker 1>boycott of Atlanta, heavily black city, the stuff about the

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<v Speaker 1>gun show, is Joe Biden confused? Is he misinformed or

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<v Speaker 1>has he embraced really hardcore rhetoric? Be it true or not?

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<v Speaker 1>Do you have any idea? I think it is the

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<v Speaker 1>classic example of you do what you get away with,

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<v Speaker 1>and there is very very little effort to hold the

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<v Speaker 1>president accountable when he says things that are false. Now, look,

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<v Speaker 1>the reality is we all know politicians have a tendency

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<v Speaker 1>to try to stretch the truth a little bit. But

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<v Speaker 1>in this case, you guys have played just a couple

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<v Speaker 1>of examples of when he just he just says things

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<v Speaker 1>that aren't that just flat aren't true. Um, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>nowhere has that been more apparent than when he's talking

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<v Speaker 1>about this Georgia elections law. You know, he keeps repeating

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<v Speaker 1>this example that he says, look, it's people can't even

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<v Speaker 1>get water when they're waiting in line and it's a

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<v Speaker 1>hot day to vote. Uh you know which, multiple establishments,

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<v Speaker 1>both left and right, have said looking, actually, that's not

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<v Speaker 1>really true. As it turns out, if you're a poll worker,

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<v Speaker 1>you can give someone in line water, But if you're

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<v Speaker 1>an employee of a union, let's say, or you're a

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<v Speaker 1>member of Q and on, you can't walk up and

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<v Speaker 1>hand someone water when they're in line. That makes a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of sense. We don't have electioneering in California. We

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<v Speaker 1>don't have it. They don't have it in New York

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<v Speaker 1>and now they don't have it enjoy So these are

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<v Speaker 1>the kinds of things where I just think he does

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<v Speaker 1>it because he can get away with it. You know

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<v Speaker 1>that the the renaissance with Joe Biden has not ended,

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<v Speaker 1>and he's gonna take advantage of that. And that's really

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<v Speaker 1>what this is. Just to to focus on the All

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<v Speaker 1>Star Game thing for a bit. We're talking earlier about that.

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<v Speaker 1>There are now, i mean top to bottom Democrats in

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<v Speaker 1>Georgia are a ghast that the All Star Game got yanked.

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<v Speaker 1>They're piste off. Do you think that was just an

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<v Speaker 1>in artful move or it seems to me he's just

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<v Speaker 1>he's slowed down to the point he doesn't even have

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<v Speaker 1>the ability to punt anymore. He just spews out an answer. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, I don't I don't think there's a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of thought necessarily given to what he's going to say

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<v Speaker 1>before he says it. Uh, you know, the All Star

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<v Speaker 1>Game thing. Look, I think that is a classic example

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<v Speaker 1>of quick trigger reaction that we see from corporate America,

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<v Speaker 1>I include Major League Baseball and corporate America. They feel

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<v Speaker 1>like they were under a tremendous and out of pressure

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<v Speaker 1>and so they did something which you know, in retrospect,

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<v Speaker 1>I think they probably I don't know that they'll regret it,

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<v Speaker 1>but I think there's elements of it that they regret.

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<v Speaker 1>And also, by the way, the folks in Georgia, Democrats

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<v Speaker 1>and Republicans, they realize that when the All Star Game goes,

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<v Speaker 1>that means a lot of revenue for local businesses and

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<v Speaker 1>the local economy. They mean the tension for Atlanta and

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<v Speaker 1>for for the ballpark they've got there. So you know,

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<v Speaker 1>the people in Georgia have reason to be upset. Is

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<v Speaker 1>there any chance he's playing three dimensional chess like the

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<v Speaker 1>people are always talking about with Trump in that he's thinking,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, if people are talking about the All Star Game,

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<v Speaker 1>if people are talking about, you know, what I said

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<v Speaker 1>or didn't say about guns, but they aren't discussing this

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<v Speaker 1>couple trillion dollar change in the way we structure society.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm fine with that. Call me stupid on guns all

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<v Speaker 1>day long. Will pass the two trillion dollar completely change

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<v Speaker 1>America into France thing, and then I'll be happy. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I'm not sure if it's three dimensional chess,

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<v Speaker 1>but I do think it's clever in the sense that

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<v Speaker 1>he recognizes he is going to get about as as

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<v Speaker 1>long as a leash from the media as any president

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<v Speaker 1>ever has in history of this country. And so he's

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<v Speaker 1>gonna take advantage of that. He's going to do everything

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<v Speaker 1>he can to make sure that, you know, he tells

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<v Speaker 1>his story and he gets his point of view out there,

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<v Speaker 1>and if there is something that's potentially a bad story,

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<v Speaker 1>he's going to figure out how he can distract people

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<v Speaker 1>from it. And he has that, and he has that opportunity,

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<v Speaker 1>uh and and he takes advantage of it. So in

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<v Speaker 1>that sense, I don't know about three dimensional chess. I

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<v Speaker 1>just think he knows what he has, and he's using

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<v Speaker 1>the assets that he has. Let's have pivot just a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit, although it has a great deal to do

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<v Speaker 1>with the giant Restructuring America plan. Uh. Joe Manchin with

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<v Speaker 1>some strong statements about never ending or altering the filibuster. Uh.

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<v Speaker 1>There are more and more noises that well Democrats are

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<v Speaker 1>willing to compromise on some of the aspects of this plan.

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<v Speaker 1>How does this Senate feel to you right now? The

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<v Speaker 1>Senate feels to me to be completely bogged out oun Uh.

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<v Speaker 1>And I think one of the things, and one of

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<v Speaker 1>the reasons why Joe Mansion made the statement he did,

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<v Speaker 1>is because he's trying to figure out how can we

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<v Speaker 1>make things more functional? Now. He's not some you know,

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<v Speaker 1>patron saint of policymaking. He's just doing this because he

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<v Speaker 1>realizes that for West Virginia, for his home constituency, he's

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<v Speaker 1>elected by a relatively conservative state and he's a Democrat,

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<v Speaker 1>and if he's going to get re elected, he needs

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<v Speaker 1>to show that he's going to get something done. He

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<v Speaker 1>needs to be able to bring something back to the

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<v Speaker 1>people of West Virginia the show that he's been productive,

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<v Speaker 1>and he cannot do that with the Senate being the

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<v Speaker 1>way that it is now, which is completely partisan, completely

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<v Speaker 1>uh in apt, and unable to really move legislation unless

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<v Speaker 1>it's done on a party line basis. And he's saying, look,

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<v Speaker 1>that's not good for the Senate, and frankly, it's not

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<v Speaker 1>good for him. So I'm glad Mansion said it because

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<v Speaker 1>he actually has some sway in terms of how these

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<v Speaker 1>things are going to go. But look, at the end

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<v Speaker 1>of the day, it's very difficult for me to envision

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<v Speaker 1>the Senate getting anything done at all in a productive fashion.

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<v Speaker 1>And some of that is because of the Senate, but

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<v Speaker 1>some of that, frankly, is because Biden's made the decision, Hey, look,

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<v Speaker 1>if I don't have to work with Republicans, why would I.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll just do whatever I need to do and and

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<v Speaker 1>toward my agenda, as I see said, And and that's

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<v Speaker 1>basically the decision he's made. To some states politics. The

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<v Speaker 1>biggest state in the country, California, gonna have the first

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<v Speaker 1>ever trans governor in Caitlyn Jenner. Well, you know, it's

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<v Speaker 1>funny that a lot of Republicans have been saying, oh gosh,

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<v Speaker 1>you know what, what what what Republicans need to win

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<v Speaker 1>in this recall race is like another Arnold. I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>sure Caitlyn Jenner is another Arnold, but I think it

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<v Speaker 1>responds to the reality that this recall race it's such

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<v Speaker 1>a jump ball guys that I think you've got a

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<v Speaker 1>bunch of people who think, why don't I just get in?

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<v Speaker 1>You never know what's going to happen, and I think

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<v Speaker 1>that's one of the things that's driving you know, whether

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<v Speaker 1>it's Caitlin Jenner or anybody else is thinking about this race.

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<v Speaker 1>So I think the first interesting moment, of course, will

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<v Speaker 1>be when a Democrat decides to get in. That will

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<v Speaker 1>be the moment to pay attention to. And that moment

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<v Speaker 1>may never come, but if it does, that's when the

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<v Speaker 1>race really gets interesting. Well, if a Democrat gets in,

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<v Speaker 1>they better sleep with one eye open, I mean, because

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<v Speaker 1>the knives are going to be out for him. Literally, really, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I mean, it's it's yeah, it's And that's

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<v Speaker 1>why all the Democrats so far have been, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>very nicely nodding and saying we support Gave and Jessom,

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<v Speaker 1>we support Gave Jes. But look, the reality is they

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<v Speaker 1>can wead Poles as well as anybody else can. If

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<v Speaker 1>they see that Gavin Newsom for some reason begins to

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<v Speaker 1>sink and his numbers, you know, continue to fall, then

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<v Speaker 1>the natural political marketplace will take over, and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>folks with decide all of a sudden they have an

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<v Speaker 1>interest in it. I think interesting. So we'll finish up

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<v Speaker 1>with a little fill in the blank, lony, with your indulgence,

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<v Speaker 1>with all the respect of the to the tragedy and

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<v Speaker 1>sadness of the couple of recent shooting incidents. Uh fulfill

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<v Speaker 1>in the finished the sentence. The current discussion about gun

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<v Speaker 1>laws will uh not lead to any significant changes anytime soon. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it's it's it's you know, I mean, it's just there's

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<v Speaker 1>both both sides of the argument try to posture in

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<v Speaker 1>their own way, and it really prohibits us from having

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<v Speaker 1>a bigger conversation about what we need to do. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>do you what do you think we need to do? What?

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<v Speaker 1>Because when when there are shootings, I'm horrified. I wish

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<v Speaker 1>there were less of them. Um, But then I hear

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<v Speaker 1>people propose gun laws that I don't think either they're

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<v Speaker 1>either not constitutional or they wouldn't help. Do you have

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<v Speaker 1>an idea of anything that could bring us to less

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<v Speaker 1>of these shootings. Well, what I would say is, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>I do think that there is targeted legislation to your

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<v Speaker 1>point that is constitutional, that you know, things that need

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<v Speaker 1>to be looked at that Congress has talked about. Even

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<v Speaker 1>President Trump talked about some of these things when he

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<v Speaker 1>was in office. But beyond that, one thing I'll say is,

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<v Speaker 1>I do think we need to address some of the

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<v Speaker 1>mental health issues that we have in this country. And

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<v Speaker 1>we don't do nearly enough to fund mental health. We

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<v Speaker 1>don't do nearly enough to identify situations before they get

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<v Speaker 1>to the point where people are unfortunately doing things because

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<v Speaker 1>they're they're not in their right mind. I'm not proposing,

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<v Speaker 1>by the way that all of these situations are described

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<v Speaker 1>by people not in their right mind, but I will

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<v Speaker 1>tell you I believe there's a significant correlation between those

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<v Speaker 1>who have mental health issues and those who are, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>unfortunately engaging in some of these kinds of crimes. And

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<v Speaker 1>I do think it's important for us to take a

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<v Speaker 1>good hard look at how we can improve and better

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<v Speaker 1>address mental health issues in this country. There's no doubt.

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<v Speaker 1>Lani Chen David and Diane Stiffy, fellow in American Public

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<v Speaker 1>Policy Studies at the Over Institution, Director Domestic Policy Studies

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<v Speaker 1>at Stanford Lani. Great to talk to you, Thanks a million,

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<v Speaker 1>thanks guys. All right, you got it.