NAACP Top Lawyer EXPOSES Trump’s Gutting Of Civil Rights

[00:00:00]You worked in the Justice Department trying to clear up the backlog on civil rights cases. How does it feel today knowing that was one of your passions? You've always been in civil rights. You've been an activist, but to now see the demolished efforts that you've had to see civil rights departments in almost every agency gone. Well, I guess every agency gone. Tell me what that is personally and also what that means for this nation.

[00:00:34]>> It is astounding to see what this president and this administration has done when it comes to civil rights in our country. And every single American every single American is more vulnerable today because of it is less safe because of it. Uh the Civil Rights Division and the Justice Department have been hollowed out under acting attorney general Todd Blanch. Uh they have weaponized the Justice Department to target people who they think have political views that don't align with theirs. They've targeted black people and women in particular. uh Attorney General Tish James, uh Representative Lam Monica uh MacGyver of New Jersey, uh and so many others.

[00:01:26]>> Lisa Cook, Lisa Cook, they're still going after her, >> right? Uh they have put forward a $1.8 million slush fund to reward the violent insurrectionist who targeted the capital on January 6th. Um they've tried to put forward an an agreement that would immunize uh President Trump, his sons, and other allies from uh potential tax liability.

[00:01:56]Uh they have turned our civil rights laws on their head to open up baseless investigations into colleges and universities and nonprofit organizations.

[00:02:09]They've targeted civil rights groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has been at the forefront of the fight against hate crimes in our country. The list is simply endless. Uh to me, uh it is gut-wrenching because there is so much of this work that must be done that needs to be done across the country. During my time leading the division, we did work in every corner of the country, rural, urban, uh you name it. You know, we're contending with issues impacting students with disabilities, um, violence against women, hate crimes impacting black people, uh, Jewish people, Latinos, the LGBTQ community, human trafficking violations. Uh all of this work has been abandoned not just at the Justice Department, but as you noted, civil rights enforcement has been shut down writ large across virtually every agency agency across the federal government. It is horrific and it is the number one reason why we should all stand opposed to the confirmation of Todd Blanch who's seeking to become attorney general.

[00:03:30]So, have you ever met Todd Blanch? Do you know Todd Blanch? Tell us what you can about Todd Blanch beyond what we know from what we read and what we see.

[00:03:40]I have not met him personally, but the NAACP conducted a thorough and comprehensive report which we submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee in advance of his uh hearing last week. And the record speaks for itself. Um, under Todd Blanch's watch, this Justice Department has become the personal law firm of Donald Trump. Uh, this Justice Department is not committed to fair and independent and impartial enforcement of the law. this Justice Department um you know has has filed motions before courts seeking to vacate the sedicious conspiracy convictions um that that you know many January 6 insurrectionists received. um he has, you know, um you know, really hollowed out and gutted the Justice Department and we should fully expect that all of this will be on steroids if he were confirmed as the next attorney general.

[00:04:53]>> So many people who have been in justice in some way, shape or form or other as officials, um judges, et former judges, etc. have written a letter against Todd Blanch. Do you believe because there are some people who do believe that he may not be confirmed. Do you are you hearing rumblings or do you feel because you you understand this process. Do you believe that there's a chance that he may not be confirmed?

[00:05:19]>> I certainly hope he is not confirmed. He does he is not qualified to serve as the confirmed head of our nation's chief law enforcement agency. There have been voices of opposition across the ideological spectrum from every corner of the country and the public can see for themselves, you know, that he again has operated this Justice Department as if it were the law firm of Donald Trump.

[00:05:48]U he is not operating an agency that is focused on protecting and safeguarding the rights of all Americans. does not deserve to be this nation's uh next attorney general. And he's also enforcing, as you said, the anti- civil rights divisions in in any department.

[00:06:08]But one of the things, and you and I have talked about this, it's not just shutting down the department. You're shutting down the data. The data is what people need to use to be able to go to court and fight in court with statistics and examples to prove that they've been discriminated against or something is wrong. And that's also shut down too.

[00:06:27]Correct.

[00:06:28]>> That's right. We've seen an unprecedented attack on all of our civil rights laws, but on disperate impact liability in particular. We know that uh there is not often smoking gun evidence of discrimination that you don't always have uh evidence of discriminatory purpose. And so for years and the Supreme Court has approved this, we've used disperate impact liability showing the particular policy that an employer or a landlord or some entity may operate that has a harsher impact on women, a harsher uh effect on people with disabilities, a harsher effect on black people. and we've been able to marshall that evidence to establish violations of our civil rights laws. And this justice department has uh not only attack disperate impact liability, but is now no longer requiring, for example, that employers collect data that would give us just basic information about what's happening, what's not happening, and and really is the bedrock evidence that you need to prove discrimination in our country. It it it truly is shameful and a setback for all Americans.

[00:07:48]So Mary says it has to be gut-wrenching for everyone who worked in the civil rights division. The Justice Department is a joke. Cynthia says, "What motivates people like Todd Blanch to take on roles that they are so utterly unqualified to do? It would be I would be ashamed."

[00:08:06]Isn't that something? It's a lot of people. Yeah. Go. Yeah. Go ahead.

[00:08:11]>> No, indeed. And I appreciate the the the shout out to the tremendous career staff of the civil rights division. Many of them have been driven out. Many of them worked across Republican and Democratic administrations. They could have been making money doing something else, but believed in standing up to serve the public and were shamefully driven out under this administration.

[00:08:35]Um Todd Blanch is somebody who comes from government. He worked at the US Attorney's Office and worked alongside career staff like the ones that um I led during my time leading the civil rights division. Um I it it it's hard to understand the 180 shift that we've seen in Todd Blanch, but as he has made clear, he loves the president and he is blind faith uh to the president, not to the American people and should not be our next attorney general. So, let's say this and let's make it clear. There is there used to be an invisible wall between justice and the White House. Correct. A a a very firm wall to protect the Justice Department's independence. Absolutely.

[00:09:23]>> Right. This is what it used to look like. I mean, they might have been nominated and confirmed, but the integral part of it, the Justice Department had to work on its own without influence from the White House.

[00:09:37]And now, >> go ahead.

[00:09:40]>> That's the oath you take as a lawyer to to fairly enforce the law, not to enforce the law against so-called political enemies or against poor people uh or people who are disfavored. You take an oath as a lawyer to fairly enforce the law, to faithfully investigate the facts, to only pursue a case where you have a colorable claim.

[00:10:06]And that's not what's happening now.

[00:10:09]You heard it. That's it. You've heard it. And and we see it. We we we see it.

[00:10:15]We feel it. I mean, people are are walking in these streets scared.

[00:10:19]Everyone is concerned because there is injustice in place of justice. There is injustice in place of justice. And just alone, look at what's happening in Texas and particularly in Maine. That Colombian National 30s, killed. There were body cameras. There were body cameras, but weren't tor turned on. The accountability, where is it? So, and I want you to see something.

[00:10:49]Um, I talked to uh Juan Pirano of LUAC and Joyce Vance. Um, you know, prosecute, former prosecutor herself. I want you to watch something that we did uh this week. Uh, team, play that, please.

[00:11:03]>> There was a three-year-old little girl in that car. You know, we know that they shot at least six times into that vehicle. That Yoan was um shot four times. We've all seen the videos of his lifeless body or, you know, or fatally injured coming out of the out of the vehicle and he was kept on the scene for over 5 hours with his wife and young daughter basically nearby. You know, it is a tragedy.

[00:11:30]>> There were body cameras in Maine, but they were not turned on and there were none in Texas. Juan, um, talk to me about this body camera issue because I remember, uh, from Obama when all of this police brutality when it happened to black folks, they were pushing for body cams and then we were talking about, oh, the body cams can't hold uh, so much uh, recorded information, but you have to turn the body cameras on. There is no excuse for the administration to not follow through having sought the equipment and and taxpayer dollars to carry this out.

[00:12:10]>> Kristen, I know. I know. It makes you it makes you want to holler.

[00:12:15]>> Yeah.

[00:12:16]>> Yeah. Well, it also comes back to where we started, right? Nolan Well should be alive today. And uh shame on this justice department for turning its back on uh crime victims across our country uh for not investigating um deaths like the tragic death of Nos Nolan Wells, like the tragic deaths of um 11 people who have been killed at the hands of ICE, the 40 people who have died while in uh detention at ICE centers, at ICE detention centers across the country. Um, this justice department has the authority under laws like 18 USC 242 and the Matthew Shepard and James Bird hate crimes prevention act to um investigate and look into uh these crimes and they haven't been uh and as a result every American across our country is more vulnerable today. Every American should be alarmed at the direction our country is moving right now. But it's also not doom and gloom. April, um, here at the NAACP convention, we um, showcased the work that many of our state attorneys general are doing in this moment. We had attorney general Keith Ellison um, who has beenwame Raul who's been fighting back here in Illinois and Nick Brown who's been fighting back in the state of Washington. And we've got folks here who are galvanized and fired up and understand that this election cycle is one where our voices must be heard and heard um at the highest levels possible because there is so much at stake in our country right now. So, um you know, I want to make sure that folks don't feel uh uh completely overwhelmed in this moment. We've got state law enforcement officers stepping up to try and fill the gaps created by this uh spineless um administration that we have. And voters uh who are really galvanized and understand the assignment, the need to really turn out and vote like hell this election season and vote like hell this election season.

[00:14:38]Yes. Because this we have not seen this before. But as I thank you and and go to close this this this great impactful newsmaking interview, I want to ask you two things. If you can give me a synopsis of a synopsis on both answers.

[00:14:57]What's the current climate of hate that the NAACP sees? And uh also what is the most pressing issue right now that that the NAACP is focused on?

[00:15:09]>> Yeah.

[00:15:10]Um, hate crimes are sadly alive and well across our country. Uh, racially motivated hate crimes, uh, hate, uh, fueled by animus towards immigrant communities and animist towards the LGBTQ community, animous towards uh, religious minorities.

[00:15:32]And, you know, um, it's one area that keeps me up at night, right? because we have lives at stake and uh this justice department has you know all but abandoned enforcement of the Matthew Shepard and James Bird hate crimes prevention act. Um so so and and it is fueled right by this administration's policy which are you know driven by so much animus towards um people of color and minority groups.

[00:16:01]We are squarely focused on this issue, but probably more so than any other issue, April. We're focused on voting rights. We're focused on the challenges that we face in the wake of the Supreme Court's Cala decision. And we are fighting back against everything that this administration is doing. Every new tactic that they come up with, you know, day by day that it's all about suppressing the voices of voters. We're in court fighting the executive order that seeks to uh limit access to vote by mail this election se. Um this administration is 0 to6 on the lawsuits they've brought to try and access uh private voter registration lists from states. Um, we're beating back the slave act or save act as they call it uh which would put forth ownorous requirements uh for registering to vote. So we have a a a fullon assault uh to beat back the voter suppression being waged by this administration and we're standing up uh fearlessly to make sure that everyone can vote this election season.

[00:17:16]Kristen Clark, general counsel for the NAACP. And she was the former head of the civil rights division for the Department of Justice when justice had some had the scales to balance. You know, when justice was justice, now justice is injustice. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your service.

[00:17:37]Thank you for your service. Thank you.

[00:17:39]>> Thanks for having me.

[00:17:40]>> Thank you, Kristen Clark.