Sen. Paul: I'm proud of Trump for showing restraint with Iran
Trump signs executive order imposing new 'hard-hitting' sanctions on Iran; reaction from Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
This is a rush transcript from "The Story," June 24, 2019. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you want, you want to have votes, but I doubt you're going to get it. Do your job, just so you can have a moral compass when you leave this place.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are ways to assess the way (INAUDIBLE), do you understand? Get the people, there are racist off the street.
MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG, D-IND., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If anyone who is on patrol is shown to be a racist or to do something racist in a way that is substantiated, that is their last day on the street.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARTHA MACCALLUM, HOST: Very tense moments for South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg when he stepped off of the campaign trail to head back home to South Bend and he faced some of those angry constituents after a shooting by a police officer left a man dead.
Officials say that Officer Ryan O'Neal was responding to a call about cars being broken into. O'Neal says that he encountered Eric Logan who he says approached him with a knife and refused to drop it. O'Neal did not turn on his required body camera. Eric Logan's mother has also confronted the mayor.
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SHIRLEY NEWBILL, MOTHER OF ERIC LOGAN: It's time for you to do something. If you can't do it, step you're -- down. And I'm tired of talking now. And I'm tired of hearing your lies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: So, that as race becomes an increasingly heated issue leading up to the Democrat debates this week. Look for the candidates to turn on each other at points perhaps as they battle for the crucial black vote, which makes up 60 percent of the South Carolina Democrat primary vote, where Buttigieg had been campaigning.
Now, Joe Biden also been doing some explaining about his relationship with two segregationist Senate colleagues' decades ago after saying that they were able to "work together." Biden won't apologize and says that his comment was misunderstood. Here is candidate and Senator Cory Booker.
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SEN. CORY BOOKER, D-N.J., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is about him invoking a terrible power dynamic that he showed a lack of understanding or insensitivity to. By invoking this idea that he was called son by white segregationist who yes, they see him, in him their son.
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MACCALLUM: Here now, Geraldo Rivera Fox News correspondent-at-large. Juan Williams, Fox News political analyst, and co-host of the five. And Robert Wolf, former economic adviser to President Obama and a Fox News contributor. Gentlemen, thank you for being here.
Geraldo, let me start with you first. Do you think the attack on Pete Buttigieg was fair or unfair?
GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT-AT-LARGE: Well, I think that it's a fact, Martha that he has failed to integrate the police department in South Bend, Indiana. He's failed to get the cops there to turn on their body cams. You just saw the tragic result of that. The people in the -- you know, and the black -- one-third of South Bend has apparently turned against the mayor. He's had an incredible run Mayor Pete has.
But I think that the robber has met the road and it seems to me that unless he can turn this around, obviously his candidacy will hit South Carolina and end there. It just seems to me, it's -- he's not being accepted by the African-American community. And if you can't get at -- you know, if you -- if you -- if you can't go black, you can't go back.
MACCALLUM: Juan.
JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think Geraldo is on point. It's 60 percent of the electorate, Democrats in -- electorate in South Carolina going to a very critical primary.
But I think the bigger point here is has he had success now? What we've seen is Pete Buttigieg moving up in the polls. He and Elizabeth Warren are the two Democrats who have shown substantial gains over the last three months. Clearly, Joe Biden has a substantial lead, no question. But as you point out, in the open Martha, their questions about Joe Biden opening the door by talking about his ability to work with segregationist years ago.
And people are saying, especially now with Trump in the White House and all the racial static about him, do you really want to brag about working with a guy as a segregationist like Jim Eastland?
So, you know, the door is open but I don't think that's anywhere near as serious of what Pete Buttigieg is going through because I think Pete Buttigieg is proving to be a guy from a small town, a small town mayor. And he has to prove he can deal with a crisis.
If he doesn't deal with this, it's a terrible sign for someone who says he wants to handle the nation's crisis.
MACCALLUM: Yes, and there was a vigil on Monday that he did not return to attend. He's gotten some criticism for that. You know, I think it's important to point out that we don't know. You know, this is yet to be adjudicated. We don't know what happened in the situation.
And we do know that -- you know it takes a long time generally for this process play out. The man was killed in this situation has a record. He has done some time in jail for cocaine and possession of a weapon.
And you know, there's a process here that has to play out, Robert. And it seems like -- you know, when all these situations, you jump the gun and then you point the finger at the mayor, and he's not responding properly, and you know, there are steps to go through here as tragic as it is.
ROBERT WOLF, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: And I think the mayor is going through these steps. He's been right away doing a Town Hall. He's made it very transparent. He has said he made mistakes on the body cameras. He made mistakes by not having as many minority officers over the years. He's also got involved in the department of justice civil rights area. And his ask for an independent investigation.
So, and I would say as much as we talk about him on the rise in the presidential campaign, he stopped campaigning for the week, and he prioritized what he needed to do which is his job as mayor. So, I would say that to Geraldo's point, yes, he has a real uphill battle when it comes with the African-American community.
That being said, I think he actually show a lot of leadership this week. And it really depends what he does going forward. And does he make the changes that are necessary to be viewed as one who can lead the country?
MACCALLUM: I mean, South Carolina, Joe Biden in the early stages. Geraldo seems to be doing well. And perhaps, you know, some of this issues that we face so much attention to, a lot of Democrats according to the polls, haven't -- aren't really paying any attention to a lot of this stuff yet. So, maybe Joe Biden gets a pass on some of that.
RIVERA: He does. I think that Martha, you hit the -- you know, hit right on the nail on the head there. Joe Biden has the most incredible credibility with African-Americans for the main reason is he was a loyal vice president to the first African-American president in the history of the republic.
He had Obama's back. You know, he was loyal, he was consistent, he was strong, he helped in the early days to legitimatize President Obama and his historic role there. I think when you talk to James Clyburn, and John Lewis, and these lions of the civil rights movement, they give Biden, if not a pass, they say (INAUDIBLE). All right let's move on to stuff that's really important.
MACCALLUM: Yes.
RIVERA: And Joe Biden is someone that they believe is tried and true.
MACCALLUM: You know, I want to go back to a tweet that the president put out back on Memorial Day. He said, "Anyone associated with the 1994 Crime Bill will not have a chance of being elected. In particular, African- Americans will not be able to vote for you. I, on the other hand, was responsible for criminal justice reform, which had tremendous support and fixed the bad 1994 bill.
You know, Juan, President Trump got more African-American votes than any Republican who has run. You know, and he said, you wrote a book, entitled, What If You Got to Lose? He is looking at African-American voters and saying, I'm not necessarily tweeting you in a monolithic way. I'm treating you as, you know, part of the economy. And yet, employment rate is better than ever for this group as well as for other groups. Is that a message that's going to resonate with voters who maybe have voted Democrat in the past?
WILLIAMS: Not with this president. I mean, clearly, he has a record. I mean, we could just reiterate some of the basics from Charlottesville on and some of the statements that he's made. But I mean, you know, I was noticing, for example, today, Martha that Condi Rice, a Republican (INAUDIBLE) said very clearly, you know, things are better today in terms of race relations that they've been. There is no question for people who want to speak in dramatic terms about going backwards, even under President Trump. But remember --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Let's play that because we have that ready if you don't mind, I just like to take a look at it to show everybody.
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CONDOLEEZZA RICE, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: It sure doesn't feel worse than when I grew up in Jim Crow, Alabama. OK? So, let's drop this notion that we're worse race relations today than we were in the past, really. That means we've made no progress, really. And so, I think the hyperbole about how much worse it is isn't doing us any good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: Right. So, I think that she makes an important point. But remember, there is no Condi Rice in the Trump administration. There is no Colin Powell. They aren't exactly leaders of that stature that you can say he understands even from a conservative point of view. The black experience in America to the contrary, I think, the closest you might come is Omarosa. That's a reality T.V. star who is now very critical --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Yes, but what I'm saying is does it, you know, a person's experience that they're having right now, whether is the economy and the having a job or criminal justice reform matter more than some of -- you know, than comments or who you happen to hire? Robert, last thought on that.
WOLF: Well, I would just say on criminal justice reform and with Vice President Biden said, you had John Lewis, James Clyburn, Senator (INAUDIBLE) all come out in support. You also had the majority of the black caucus vote for the crime bill in the early '90s.
I mean, if we go back in history, they reduce -- the crime bill had did a lot of good things. I'm not -- I'm not saying there were a lot of bad things as well. But it reduced first-time -- those first timers, it started the Defense of Woman's Act. So, there's a lot of things that it brought to the forefront.
MACCALLUM: Thanks, guys. It's good to have you here. Also coming up today. Next, Bernie Sanders lays down a big marker ahead of the big debates going further than any of his opponents today, unveiling a plan to erase all student debt for every American and make college completely free. Here is how he says he will do it.
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SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, I-VT., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our proposal which costs $2.2 trillion over 10 years will be fully paid for by a tax on Wall Street speculation, similar to what exists in dozens of countries around the world. The American people bailed out Wall Street, now it is time for Wall Street to come to the aid of the middle class of this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: Former education secretary Bill Bennett, has tackled the issue of rising tuitions for decades, and he joins me now. Bill, good to see you tonight. But before I get to that, I want to ask you just to quickly respond to what we talked about in the first part of this segment, which is whether or not the issue of race is changing for the electorate as we head into this next election.
BILL BENNETT, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, the candidates -- some of the candidates sure do want to emphasize it. But I agree with you, I think a lot of the electorate does it. You know, they're attacking Biden, many of them for his backwardness on race relations. And yet, this South Carolina Democratic constituency seems very supportive of Joe Biden.
More people look past race these days because Condoleezza is -- Condoleezza Rice is right. We've made tremendous progress. And even though some people want to draw all this attention to race, most voters know we've made this progress. And as the president has pointed out, some of the greatest progress in the last couple of years.
MACCALLUM: All right. So, moving on to the other issue of Bernie Sanders idea, you know, tax Wall Street and give everybody free college education. Elizabeth Warren has a plan that if you make over $250,000 you wouldn't get that relief from student loans. But Bernie Sanders is saying no, it's got to be free, and it's got to be free for everybody in America.
BENNETT: Yes, well, it's interesting. You know, it's like a poker game. Elizabeth Warren says, "Here is my plan $1.8 billion." And Bernie says, "Fine, I raise you $400 billion to a $2.2.
MACCALLUM: Exactly.
BENNETT: Be careful with a poker game with two socialists, because -- guard your wallet, it could be the end of the game. This is the wrong end of the problem there they're attacking at Martha. Because when the federal government 2007 took over the student loan business from the private sector, it made things worse. And it has made a large part of this problem.
By the way, students who were repaying their loans after the government takeover, a lot of people don't know this. We're not paying it back into a student loan fund, they were paying for Obamacare. That's where a lot of that money was going. That's one of the reasons that the Obama administration wanted to do it.
But look, how are you going to do this? $8,000 at a State University for a year, but maybe $60,000 for the prestige private university that's all forgiven? What about the people who paid their loans back? How are you going to sort that out?
But the main point here is that the colleges and universities, well when they see free tuition, you know what they're going to do? They're going to raise tuition.
MACCALLUM: Yes.
BENNETT: I mean, if it's free, it's free. And there's something that I wrote, but years ago about this, saying, "The more the federal government makes available in terms of money with its crazy rules, the higher tuitions going to go and that's the way it's been.
MACCALLUM: Yes, that's the Bennett hypothesis which I read about. You know, I mean, it raises -- just one last question for you.
BENNETT: Sure.
MACCALLUM: You know, in terms of whether or not everybody needs to go to college. Because then, you know, you're in an environment where you know is it also going to be if you want to be an electrician or a plumber, will that also be paid for? I mean, what if you want different kinds of skills. And there's no inflation either, anywhere except in college tuition, which is wrong as well.
BENNETT: Well, there's dignity in all kinds of work, and there's also good income in all kinds of work. I've heard about the welders who -- you know, get $100,000 a year. But there's a better way to address this, and I will tell you, I'm having some conversations with some colleagues with this administration, and I think getting the private sector back involved and using the kind of discipline of the market here, I think can go a long way.
And I think you will see something from the Trump administration, a lot more realistic than Sanders and --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Warren.
BENNETT: Senator --
MACCALLUM: Senator Warren?
BENNETT: Warren -- Senator Warren. Right, senator (INAUDIBLE)
MACCALLUM: I look forward to hear more about that.
BENNETT: (INAUDIBLE) Senator Warren, right.
MACCALLUM: Yes, keep us possibly, we want to hear more about that.
BENNETT: Yes, you will.
MACCALLUM: OK. Bill Bennett, thank you always, sir.
BENNET: You bet. I'll be.
MACCALLUM: Great to see you tonight. You bet.
BENNETT: You bet. Thank you.
MACCALLUM: Senator Rand Paul urged the president not to attack Iran. So, what does he think about the president's latest move which was a big one today? That's next.
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MACCALLUM: -- President latest move which was a big one today. That's next.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: These measures represents a strong and proportionate response to Iran's increasingly provocative actions. We will continue to increase pressure on Tehran. I can only tell you, we cannot ever let Iran have a nuclear weapon and it won't happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: President Trump targeting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini. The President said he is responsible for the regime's hostile conduct. The "hard-hitting sanctions" go right to the financial restrictions on top officials in Iran including leaders in their Navy.
Now, Iran's Foreign Minister firing back by tweeting that the U.S. military has no business in the Persian Gulf and has a "thirst for war." Joining me now Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator, good to see you. Thanks for coming back on to THE STORY tonight.
SEN. RAND PAUL, R-KY.: Thanks for having me.
MACCALLUM: You bet. What's your -- what's your reaction to these sanctions, good idea?
PAUL: You know, I'm really proud of President Trump for showing restraint. I think it shows -- it really takes a statesman to show restraint amidst a chorus of voices for war. Whether the sanctions will work I think it's another story.
Currently, from the Iranian perspective, they see the sanctions as an act of war cutting off their ability to sell any oil to Asia which the previous sanctions actually allowed them to sell some oil. It's actually I think becoming so stringent that they have a couple of possibilities. They say, oh we're sorry and we're going to negotiate or they say we're really, really mad and we're going to fight.
Unfortunately, it looks like we've got their back up against the wall and I think we're more likely to have more military confrontations that we are to have diplomacy. I'm very open and would like to have diplomacy. I know the president said he would talk without preconditions.
The problem is right now because we pulled out in an agreement that Iran was actually adhering to, the Iranians feel like you know, we're not acting in a good-faith manner.
MACCALLUM: So you believe that we should have stayed in that agreement?
PAUL: You know, I didn't agree with the fact that we gave up the money early. When I -- you know, the President has said this repeatedly. We gave him $150 billion up front. I think that was a mistake. The problem is that's already done.
That was a carrot, but we gave up the carrot too easily. Now that it's gone, we have no other carrots, all we have is stick. And so we're adding -- you know, we're adding the stick which is more sanctions but I don't know if that's bringing them -- you know, they came to the negotiating table initially because they had a carrot and the carrot was the money. We gave it up too easily but they were still complying.
I would have built upon the nuclear deal to try to get a ballistic missile deal. Instead, getting rid of the nuclear deal, we've got to start over on the nuclear deal and the ballistic missile deal. And I think we also have to realize that if you want the Iranians to agree to a ballistic missile, conventional ballistic missile deal, the Saudis would have to be part of it.
They're not going to give up their weapons with the Saudis not giving up any. And I agree with the president. I don't want them to have nuclear weapons but I also don't want the Saudis to have nuclear weapons. I wouldn't give the Saudis nuclear technology. I think that pushes the Iranians to breakout from the nuclear agreement.
MACCALLUM: Interesting. This is a quote from an article in the American Spectator which is titled Trump is winning the little cold war with Iran. And it says the best approach to this ideological war against Iran is through containment, deterrence, and multilateralism. The same tools that the United States effectively used to defeat the Soviet Union's global threat in the Cold War. Do you see that as a similarity?
PAUL: Well, you know, I'm a big fan of George Kennan who was the original author of containment of the Soviet Union. And containment is a much better way of looking at the world rather than thinking like John Bolton and we're going to topple every regime we don't like in Thomas Jefferson is going to be elected the next time around.
Containment is a much more realistic approach to foreign policy. And yes, they need to be contained. We need to do everything we can to convince them not to break out to get nuclear weapons, but that's going to have to involve some kind of carrot. And so one carrot that could be offered is letting go of the additional tariffs, they're cutting -- additional sanctions that are cutting off the flow of oil to the east.
I think that should be something that's not getting rid of all sanctions, but if you put that on the table and say look, maybe we've gone too far on that but we're going to have to have something in response and that means we got to be done with all this sort of military confrontation that Iran is sort of provoking with us now.
But I think there is a deal to be had but they're not going to come to the table without some sort of offer. But right now I don't think we even have adequate channels to have a conversation. I think we're not talking at all.
MACCALLUM: No. I mean, it doesn't seem like they want to talk. You know, I mean, unlike the North Koreans who actually have expressed some interest in talking and has -- you know, I mean that's obviously slow progress on that front but they said they want to talk.
I mean, in fact in the parliament today in Iran they were chanting death to America you know, standing up as we would in Congress but these guys are standing up and you know, pounding their fists and shouting death to America.
I want to play this from President Trump from the interview on Sunday about what he would do -- you know, why he's not looking for war but. Listen to this.
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TRUMP: I'm not looking for war and if there is it'll be obliteration like you've never seen before. But I'm not looking to do that, but you can't have a nuclear weapon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: What do think?
PAUL: Well, you know, I think they're without question the U.S. has incredible military dominance over any country in the world at this point and with Iran, it wouldn't be an even match. We have you know, 1,000 fold military superiority. So we do have the ability to do all that.
But out of that chaos what happens? If we were to do that and we were to go all-in with a war against mainland Iran, you get chaos again. What comes out of chaos? Terrorism and you know, struggle, and civil war, and chaos, and famine.
MACCALLUM: Senator Rand Paul, always good to see you, sir. Thank you very much.
PAUL: Thanks, Martha.
MACCALLUM: Big story breaking just moments ago. The Chicago Police are now releasing their own 70 hours of the video of the Jussie Smollett investigation. A live report breaking news on Jussie Smollett from the police in Chicago. Coming up also tonight, a STORY exclusive with moms who are leading the charge against drag queens story hours at your local library for little kids.
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MACCALLUM: So, this just in moments ago, President Trump taking a bit of a swipe at 2020 Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden in a new interview that has just been released with The Hill TV. Listen to what he had to say just outside the Oval Office. Watch.
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TRUMP: How he doesn't get President Obama to endorse him, there has to be some reason why he's not endorsing him. He was a vice president. They seem to have gotten along. And how President Obama is not endorsing him is rather a big secret.
If you want to know, if you know the answer please let me know because I think it's very -- and then he goes on lies and said I asked the president not to endorse me. Give me a break.
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MACCALLUM: And that from just outside the Oval Office little while ago. In the meantime, also breaking tonight, the Chicago police who have maligned really in this whole investigation have now just released their files of the alleged staged attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett.
The file includes nearly 70 hours of video that is connected to their investigation of this case. At one point, Smollett can be seen with the rope around his neck.
Matt Finn live in Chicago with this breaking story tonight. Hi, Matt.
MATT FINN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi. Right now. We are poring through hundreds files just released by the Chicago Police Department through our Freedom of Information request. All types of documents including detective notes and video. So far one noteworthy portion is the moment Chicago police apparently enter actor Jussie Smollett's apartment for the first time after the alleged attack that police say is a hoax.
A man who identifies himself as Smollett's creative director says he called police and he leads the officers up to Smollett's apartment. Saying Jussie Smollett is like a star. And the attackers put a makeshift noose around Smollett's neck.
Smollett's acquaintance then points out the white rope around Smollett's neck. Smollett tells police he just wanted officers to see the rope and then says they poured bleach n me.
Here is that moment captured on Chicago police body worn cameras.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the reason I called you because this (muted).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to (Inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I do. I just wanted you to see (Inaudible). Here's the bleach on me. He put a bleach on me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FINN: Martha, there's also apparently video that shows the Osundairo brothers on the way to this alleged hoax according to police and there's also police video that we have seen that shows them later being arrested. Much more to come from this document dubbed, Martha.
MACCALLUM: Yes, and including an investigation into why the case got dropped. Which the Chicago police were very surprised about. Matt, thank you very much.
Coming up next tonight, protest erupts in response to Drag Queen Story Hour which has been taking place at some of your local public libraries across the country. Is this appropriate for children who are ages two to five? We will have both sides next.
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MACCALLUM: OK. From coast to coast, public libraries are hosting events advertised for children. That was for tweens and tween. I wish to point to points as drag queen story hours.
The events feature drag queens who sit down in some cases, but this one is dancing and read stories to the younger children who are two to five. Supporters say that they teach diversity and acceptance. But opponents say that they aim to indoctrinate and unnecessarily expose children to sexuality.
The deeply polarizing issue is generating protest that have gotten so heated that local police have called in SWAT team as some of these to provide security. In moments we're going to talk to three mothers who are leading the charge to shut them down.
But we begin with a drag story our supporter Jonathan Cook who is the executive director of the Solano Pride Center in Fairfield, California. Jonathan, thanks for being with us tonight. Good to have you with us.
JONATHAN COOK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOLANO PRIDE CENTER: Thanks for having me, Martha.
MACCALLUM: You bet. So, you know, I mean, the question is appropriateness, you know. I mean, I understand diversity and wanting everyone to understand that people who are different from them. But, you know, when you're talking about children who are ages two to five and, Lino, let's put up some of the videos of some of these experiences. Why is that appropriate for such young children?
COOK: Well, you know, the drag queen story hour that we were able to host at our local library here in Solano was really able to be appropriate. It's age appropriate for preschool and kindergarten age and the books are approved by a library staff.
The book that we write in particular was called "Julian is a Mermaid" and it's about a kid in the Bronx in New York who was accepted by his grandmother and able to really kind of explore what his gender is. And it really is a touching story about love and acceptance.
And it was really a beautiful thing to be able to see so many people coming together for a reading in a library and our library was the largest turnout for this story time which is scheduled regularly. And it was really touching to see so many people --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: I understand that but if parents, you know, want to suppose you have a child who you think maybe struggling with some of these issues, right? Then I'm going to, you know, maybe get some of these books or you know, figure out how to talk to my child, right?
But I guess the question is, why this is appropriate at a public library when, you know, a lot of these images and these people are very provocative. And there's a sexualization element to it no matter how tame it is. They have what, enormous eyelashes, and you know, like outfits and the shoes, the huge platform shoes.
And the women who are about to come on, I know because, you know, just from reading of some of what they said. They think that these are negative images for girls, negative images for women. That it's a mockery of femininity and they find that difficult for girls.
COOK: Yes. Well, I think the children are really going to be able to imagine and it's no different for me than seeing Minnie Mouse been able to read to kids or interactive with kids at Disneyland with big eyelashes and everything like that. So, we've had story times where people are dressed up as Spiderman --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Yes. But the image that we just showed, you didn't get to see it. That one was for teenagers.
COOK: No.
MACCALLUM: But you know, this woman pulled off her skirt and then she reveals like this very tight-fitting thing underneath. This -- yes. I mean, we're showing it again and I wish that you could see it. But you know, like she being in front of everyone then she lays down on the floor and starts rolling around.
I mean, how is that -- how is that appropriate at a library which is supposed to be based on education and literature and history. You know, this is, why should the focus of a library be that?
COOK: Well, I can only speak for the story time that we held in our library.
MACCALLUM: Right.
COOK: The drag queen, her name is Apple Adams and she was dressed like --
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Yes, I saw the video of that.
COOK: -- an anime character --
MACCALLUM: Yes.
COOK: -- that was very age appropriate. And it shows representation, I think that's important for not just LGBT youth but for youth in general to be able to see diversity and representation really matters.
Because we know that 40 percent of homeless youth in America identify as LGBTQ. And if we can do anything to show that loving people for who they are, celebrating diversity. I think those are the type of messages that our library should be sharing exactly.
MACCALLUM: You know, I understand the big picture of what you're saying. I would question though whether or not it's appropriate these kids are so little. They are two to five years old.
COOK: Right.
MACCALLUM: They haven't even had an opportunity to think about their own, you know, sort of place in their bodies and, you know, how they feel about it. It's just see -- and you know, I was just looking like some movies, you know, that are about drag queens. And most of them are all like PG-13 or even R. And they are just documentaries or movies that are about that lifestyle.
And you know, I think that for people who just want to show up at the library that day and read with their kid, they don't necessarily, you know, might not feel that it's appropriate. But you know --
COOK: Right.
MACCALLUM: -- last thought before I --
COOK: Sure. No, I share your concern. Drag comes from the bar culture. But I think for a library -- there's a way to do it that's age appropriate. And I'm really thankful that parents chose to bring their kids to this, to show support as we celebrate the 50 years of the Stonewall anniversary in New York.
I would encourage people to visit to Solanopride.org to learn more about what we do. Thank you for having this dialogue. Because I think it's really important for us to talk about diversity and acceptance.
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: Well, that's what we do here.
COOK: Yes.
MACCALLUM: And we do want to encourage that kind of open conversation. But it is controversial, obviously. We thank you for showing up and for talking about it. Jonathan Cook, good to have you here tonight.
COOK: You bet. Thank you, Martha.
MACCALLUM: Same to you. OK. So, let's bring on the moms who are on the other side of this debate. Anna Bohach and Kim Hall, co-founders of 500 Mom Strong, a group against drag queen story hours and Lynn Meagher who is also a member of their group.
And Lynn, I want to start with you, because you brought us the video that we showed that was for a teen and tween event at the library near you. And we're playing it again now, Renton library. They also had it out condoms at that event, right? Lynn?
LYNN MEAGHER, MEMBER, 500 MOM STRONG: Yes, can you hear me?
MACCALLUM: Yes, I can hear you.
(CROSSTALK)
MEAGHER: I'm right here.
MACCALLUM: We're playing the video that you sent.
MEAGHER: Yes.
MACCALLUM: You took this video, is that correct?
MEAGHER: Yes, I did. I took that video on Saturday afternoon at the Renton library. There was an event held there build for teens and tweens. There were vendor tables in the middle of the library stocked with bowl -- big bowls of condoms, lube, some items that I had to have explained to me. I didn't know what these were for. So, I'm not quite sure why the teens and tweens needed to have them.
MACCALLUM: Yes.
MEAGHER: There were some bookmarks that were pretty anatomically accurate and there was a lot of information and most of it was about sex.
MACCALLUM: Yes.
MEAGHER: Yes.
MACCALLUM: So, Kim, let me bring you in. Talk to me about the group that you founded, 500 Mom Strong. And why you felt it was important to speak out about your feeling about these events?
KIM HALL, CO-FOUNDER, 500 MOM STRONG: Well, when Anna and I first found out about it -- excuse me - we couldn't believe that this group is coming for our children now. Now they want to groom our children into their unhealthy lifestyle. And we just decided that it had to, absolutely it had to stop.
I had a career where I went around the country auditing, encoding medical records all over the country, large hospitals, small rural hospitals. And I saw the effects of HIV and AIDS on young men. And it's heartbreaking.
And by their own words, these drag queens are telling us that they are grooming our children to be drag queens into the homosexual lifestyle.
MACCALLUM: Well, I mean, if you listen to what Jonathan, my last guest says, he claims that it's more about allowing kids who might feel different to, you know, understand that other people feel like they do as well. And then it's OK and, you know, sort of giving these kids a little bit of an opportunity to see people who are different than themselves.
HALL: Well, I've had kids and I have grandkids and I had kids that thought they were Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle or Superman or Batman or you know, my little ponies even. Kids are going to play all kinds of things. That doesn't mean you accept what they want to be, you know. Teenage mutant ninja turtle you can play that but you're not really a teenage mutant ninja turtle.
You know, that's the role of the parent to guide children into the right role that they should be for the rest of their life.
MACCALLUM: All right. Well, --
(CROSSTALK)
HALL: You know, you can look in your underpants you're a girl, you look in your underpants, you're a boy.
MACCALLUM: OK. All right.
(CROSSTALK)
HALL: That's not hard to understand.
MACCALLUM: I think we all understand that are kids who, you know, encounter some confusion about that. It's a very small part of the population. But as Jonathan said, that's what they're trying to do. And we understand that you guys feel differently about it. That's the crux of the debate. Thank you very much to all of you for joining us tonight. Good to have you with us.
Coming up next, the inspiring young entrepreneur who is breaking boundaries and winning prestigious awards in the process. Here he comes. Hi, John.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACCALLUM: Well, we first introduce you to our friend, John Cronin, the co-founder of John's Crazy Socks more than a year ago. His prize-winning company donates a portion of their earnings to charities and hires employees with differing skills while fulfilling one simple mission, to spread happiness.
Now John has made history as the very first person with Down syndrome to win an E.Y. Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN CRONIN, CO-FOUNDER, JOHN'S CRAZY SOCKS: I have Down syndrome, but Down syndrome has never held me back.
(APPLAUSE)
MACCALLUM: I love those cheers. Joining me now John -- hi, John, his dad Mark, the co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Congratulations, John.
J. CRONIN: Thank you so much.
MACCALLUM: What was it like to win that award?
J. CRONIN: I like this award because it inspired me. I'm inspired to win with my dad. I had great. I can be entrepreneur, what a natural.
MARK CRONIN, CO-FOUNDER, JOHN'S CRAZY SOCKS: You know, a natural entrepreneur.
MACCALLUM: You are a natural entrepreneur.
J. CRONIN: Yes. I want one.
MACCALLUM: You are a natural entrepreneur because you are and same to your dad. And the thing that I love about the fact that you won this really nice award which we're showing on the set here. You can turn it around so that we can -- yes, the entrepreneur of the year award. Because what it says to me is, you are, you're a really good businessman.
J. CRONIN: I am.
MACCALLUM: You are.
J. CRONIN: I am.
MACCALLUM: I mean, you guys are really good at marketing and your social media which you really worked really hard at, you know. Having that big presence. Did you always, did you ever think that you would going to go into business like, is that what you wanted to do when you're a child?
J. CRONIN: When I was a kid, I want crazy socks (Inaudible) I look around and I wanted to go into business with my dad (Inaudible). I wanted to create socks. I wanted to have crazy socks.
MACCALLUM: What are you talking about?
J. CRONIN: Yes.
MACCALLUM: Everyone likes them, right?
J. CRONIN: Right.
MACCALLUM: Everyone likes them and they make people happy.
J. CRONIN: As they (Inaudible)
MACCALLUM: And you've been winning a lot of awards, right? You got -- look, the whole table is full of awards.
M. CRONIN: You got to your show your --
J. CRONIN: Right.
M. CRONIN: -- special Olympic medals.
J. CRONIN: This is a medal from special Olympics. One of them is track. One of them is from track and --
(CROSSTALK)
M. CRONIN: The Jacqueline (Ph), right?
J. CRONIN: -- snowshoe.
MACCALLUM: Snowshoe. I remember you tell me you're going to do that.
J. CRONIN: Snowshoe and other ribbons. I did a (Inaudible) I went to (Inaudible) college in (Inaudible) track and field.
MACCALLUM: It's great.
M. CRONIN: The New York State games.
J. CRONIN: The New State games.
M. CRONIN: We love the Special Olympics so much.
J. CRONIN: Right.
M. CRONIN: We donate 5 percent of our earnings to the Special Olympics, right.
(CROSSTALK)
J. CRONIN: To the Special Olympics. That's different from soccer.
MACCALLUM: That's beautiful. So, you give 5 percent. So, your business model is that you are selling socks. You're also selling greeting cards now. John just gave me this beautiful greeting card. This a thank you note from him. Let's show off some of the socks. Because you got Fourth of July.
M. CRONIN: He designed that socks.
J. CRONIN: I did.
MACCALLUM: That is nice.
MACCALLUM: I designed those socks.
MACCALLUM: Beautiful.
J. CRONIN: And also, I am spreading happy (Inaudible)
MACCALLUM: Nice.
J. CRONIN: And in fact, I'm wearing them right now.
MACCALLUM: You are?
J. CRONIN: I am.
M. CRONIN: And we have some great patriotic socks, right?
J. CRONIN: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
MACCALLUM: For the Fourth of July.
M. CRONIN: Right. And Apollo 11.
MACCALLUM: That is fantastic.
J. CRONIN: That is great socks.
MACCALLUM: Fiftieth anniversary.
M. CRONIN: Right. So, yes.
MACCALLUM: I love how creative you guys are in putting all this together. And John, like, I mean, Mark, like I said to John, you know, you not only run something that's nice for people and employs a lot of people with different abilities. But you're making it work. It's a good business.
M. CRONIN: Well, that's because of the social mission.
MACCALLUM: yes.
M. CRONIN: We have to run a rigorous business. But it also succeeds because of the social impact. More than half of our employees have a different ability. And we're showing the world what they can do and giving back is baked into everything we do. So, it's not just sell stuff. We're raising money for our charity partners. We raised over $300,000 for our charity partners. So, not only you're an entrepreneur.
J. CRONIN: Right.
M. CRONIN: You're a philanthropist.
J. CRONIN: I am.
M. CRONIN: And our customers support us by buying socks, they are creating jobs. They are giving back. They're sharing the experience.
MACCALLUM: Congratulations, guys. It's great to see you. Thank you for stopping by again. Mark and John, congratulations on your big award.
J. CRONIN: Thank you so much.
MACCALLUM: Thank you so much.
MACCALLUM: I'm so glad being here tonight.
MACCALLUM: We love having you here. We'll see you soon. More of "The Story" coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MACCALLUM: Finally, tonight, one of the last original members of the Tuskegee Red Tails has died at age 99. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Friend flew 142 combat missions in World War II, even flying wing man for Benjamin Davis, Jr. who later go on to become the first black general of the United States Air Force.
In his 28-year career, he also served in Korea and in Vietnam, telling a local paper quote, "I never felt that I was anything but an American doing his job." That is "The Story" for this Monday night. Thanks for joining.
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