Harry Reid on fear among some Americans after Trump election; Trump says "stop it" to those causing harassment and tells protesters "don't be afraid"
Given below is USA Senate Minority leader (Democrat) Harry Reid's statement (slightly edited) dated Nov. 11th 2016 on Donald Trump being elected as USA's 45th president. The statement is taken from http://www.reid.senate.gov/press_releases/2016-11-11-reid-statement-on-the-election-of-donald-trump.
[USA Senator Harry Reid:] I have personally been on the ballot in Nevada for 26 elections and I have never seen anything like the reaction to the election completed last Tuesday. The election of Donald Trump has emboldened the forces of hate and bigotry in America.
White nationalists, Vladimir Putin and ISIS are celebrating Donald Trump’s victory, while innocent, law-abiding Americans are wracked with fear – especially African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Muslim Americans, LGBT Americans and Asian Americans. Watching white nationalists celebrate while innocent Americans cry tears of fear does not feel like America.
I have heard more stories in the past 48 hours of Americans living in fear of their own government and their fellow Americans than I can remember hearing in five decades in politics. Hispanic Americans who fear their families will be torn apart, African Americans being heckled on the street, Muslim Americans afraid to wear a headscarf, gay and lesbian couples having slurs hurled at them and feeling afraid to walk down the street holding hands. American children waking up in the middle of the night crying, terrified that Trump will take their parents away. Young girls unable to understand why a man who brags about sexually assaulting women has been elected president.
I have a large family. I have one daughter and twelve granddaughters. The texts, emails and phone calls I have received from them have been filled with fear – fear for themselves, fear for their Hispanic and African American friends, for their Muslim and Jewish friends, for their LBGT friends, for their Asian friends. I’ve felt their tears and I’ve felt their fear.
We as a nation must find a way to move forward without consigning those who Trump has threatened to the shadows. Their fear is entirely rational, because Donald Trump has talked openly about doing terrible things to them. Every news piece that breathlessly obsesses over inauguration preparations compounds their fear by normalizing a man who has threatened to tear families apart, who has bragged about sexually assaulting women and who has directed crowds of thousands to intimidate reporters and assault African Americans. Their fear is legitimate and we must refuse to let it fall through the cracks between the fluff pieces.
If this is going to be a time of healing, we must first put the responsibility for healing where it belongs: at the feet of Donald Trump, a --snip-- who lost the popular vote and fueled his campaign with bigotry and hate. Winning the electoral college does not absolve Trump of the grave sins he committed against millions of Americans. Donald Trump may not possess the capacity to assuage those fears, but he owes it to this nation to try.
If Trump wants to roll back the tide of hate he unleashed, he has a tremendous amount of work to do and he must begin immediately.
--- end USA Senator Harry Reid's statement ---
Ravi: Note the article: Trump pits establishment against populism at the top of his White House team, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-pits-establishment-against-populism-at-the-top-of-his-white-house-team/2016/11/13/0ec346ee-a9e4-11e6-a31b-4b6397e625d0_story.html, Nov. 13th 2016
The article mentions that USA president-elect Trump has named head of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, 44, as his chief of staff. At the same time, Trump has named his campaign chief and former head of right-wing Breitbart News, Stephen K. Bannon, 62, as his chief strategist and senior counselor.
It also mentions that Senate Minority Leader, Harry M. Reid issued a statement, "President-elect Trump’s choice of Steve Bannon as his top aide signals that White Supremacists will be represented at the highest levels in Trump’s White House."
The article states that Mr. Trump said in a recent CBS 60 minutes interview, in response to the protests against his being elected, as follows: "Don’t be afraid".. "We are going to bring our country back. But certainly, don’t be afraid. You know, we just had an election and sort of like you have to be given a little time."
And in the same CBS 60 minutes interview, in response to reports about harassment of African-Americans, gay people, Latinos, Muslims and others (after his election), Trump is reported to have said that he did not hear such reports (earlier) and that he hates to hear such reports. Trump also said, "I am so saddened to hear that. And I say, ‘Stop it.’ If it — if it helps. I will say this, and I will say right to the cameras: ‘Stop it"
Donald Trump message to protesters .. "Don't be afraid" ... - CBS 60 MINUTES, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk_iJk183E0, 3 min 6 secs.
Given below is a transcript of parts of the above video clip:
[Around 0:55] CBS Interviewer: When they demonstrate against you and there are signs out there, I mean, don't you say to yourself, I guess you don't. You know, do I have to worry about this? Do I have to go out and assuage them? Do I have to tell them, not be afraid? They are afraid.
Mr. Trump: I would tell them, don't be afraid. Absolutely.
CBS: That's not what you're saying. I said it.
Trump: No. no. .. I am saying it. I've been saying it. Don't be afraid.
...
CBS: I want to ask you all [Trump and his family] about something that's going on right now around the country. A lot of people are afraid. They are really afraid. African-Americans think there is a target on their back. Muslims are terrified.
Trump: I think its horrible if that's happening. I think its built up by the press. Because, frankly, they will take every single little incident that they can find in this country, which could have been there if I weren't even around doing this, and they will make it into an event. Because that's the way the press is.
CBS: Do any of you want to say anything about this fear (that's out there)?
Mr. Trump's son (Don?): I think the fears, .. while they may be there, some fabricated, some not, are totally unfounded.
CBS: Do you want to say anything to those people?
Trump: (I would say) Don't do it. That's terrible. Because I am going to bring this country together.
CBS: They are harassing Latinos, Muslims ..
Trump: I am so saddened to hear that and I say, stop it. If it - if it helps, I will say this, [Trump turns and faces the camera] and I will say right to the cameras, stop it.
--- end part transcript of video ---
Please note that I have a PUBLICLY NEUTRAL informal-student-observer role in these posts that I put up about the USA presidential elections. Of course, as I am an Indian citizen living in India, there is no question of me voting in these elections.
[I thank USA Senator Harry Reid and CBS, USA, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts/transcript dealing with fear that some Americans have due to Trump being elected president, from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
[USA Senator Harry Reid:] I have personally been on the ballot in Nevada for 26 elections and I have never seen anything like the reaction to the election completed last Tuesday. The election of Donald Trump has emboldened the forces of hate and bigotry in America.
White nationalists, Vladimir Putin and ISIS are celebrating Donald Trump’s victory, while innocent, law-abiding Americans are wracked with fear – especially African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Muslim Americans, LGBT Americans and Asian Americans. Watching white nationalists celebrate while innocent Americans cry tears of fear does not feel like America.
I have heard more stories in the past 48 hours of Americans living in fear of their own government and their fellow Americans than I can remember hearing in five decades in politics. Hispanic Americans who fear their families will be torn apart, African Americans being heckled on the street, Muslim Americans afraid to wear a headscarf, gay and lesbian couples having slurs hurled at them and feeling afraid to walk down the street holding hands. American children waking up in the middle of the night crying, terrified that Trump will take their parents away. Young girls unable to understand why a man who brags about sexually assaulting women has been elected president.
I have a large family. I have one daughter and twelve granddaughters. The texts, emails and phone calls I have received from them have been filled with fear – fear for themselves, fear for their Hispanic and African American friends, for their Muslim and Jewish friends, for their LBGT friends, for their Asian friends. I’ve felt their tears and I’ve felt their fear.
We as a nation must find a way to move forward without consigning those who Trump has threatened to the shadows. Their fear is entirely rational, because Donald Trump has talked openly about doing terrible things to them. Every news piece that breathlessly obsesses over inauguration preparations compounds their fear by normalizing a man who has threatened to tear families apart, who has bragged about sexually assaulting women and who has directed crowds of thousands to intimidate reporters and assault African Americans. Their fear is legitimate and we must refuse to let it fall through the cracks between the fluff pieces.
If this is going to be a time of healing, we must first put the responsibility for healing where it belongs: at the feet of Donald Trump, a --snip-- who lost the popular vote and fueled his campaign with bigotry and hate. Winning the electoral college does not absolve Trump of the grave sins he committed against millions of Americans. Donald Trump may not possess the capacity to assuage those fears, but he owes it to this nation to try.
If Trump wants to roll back the tide of hate he unleashed, he has a tremendous amount of work to do and he must begin immediately.
--- end USA Senator Harry Reid's statement ---
Ravi: Note the article: Trump pits establishment against populism at the top of his White House team, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-pits-establishment-against-populism-at-the-top-of-his-white-house-team/2016/11/13/0ec346ee-a9e4-11e6-a31b-4b6397e625d0_story.html, Nov. 13th 2016
The article mentions that USA president-elect Trump has named head of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, 44, as his chief of staff. At the same time, Trump has named his campaign chief and former head of right-wing Breitbart News, Stephen K. Bannon, 62, as his chief strategist and senior counselor.
It also mentions that Senate Minority Leader, Harry M. Reid issued a statement, "President-elect Trump’s choice of Steve Bannon as his top aide signals that White Supremacists will be represented at the highest levels in Trump’s White House."
The article states that Mr. Trump said in a recent CBS 60 minutes interview, in response to the protests against his being elected, as follows: "Don’t be afraid".. "We are going to bring our country back. But certainly, don’t be afraid. You know, we just had an election and sort of like you have to be given a little time."
And in the same CBS 60 minutes interview, in response to reports about harassment of African-Americans, gay people, Latinos, Muslims and others (after his election), Trump is reported to have said that he did not hear such reports (earlier) and that he hates to hear such reports. Trump also said, "I am so saddened to hear that. And I say, ‘Stop it.’ If it — if it helps. I will say this, and I will say right to the cameras: ‘Stop it"
Donald Trump message to protesters .. "Don't be afraid" ... - CBS 60 MINUTES, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk_iJk183E0, 3 min 6 secs.
Given below is a transcript of parts of the above video clip:
[Around 0:55] CBS Interviewer: When they demonstrate against you and there are signs out there, I mean, don't you say to yourself, I guess you don't. You know, do I have to worry about this? Do I have to go out and assuage them? Do I have to tell them, not be afraid? They are afraid.
Mr. Trump: I would tell them, don't be afraid. Absolutely.
CBS: That's not what you're saying. I said it.
Trump: No. no. .. I am saying it. I've been saying it. Don't be afraid.
...
CBS: I want to ask you all [Trump and his family] about something that's going on right now around the country. A lot of people are afraid. They are really afraid. African-Americans think there is a target on their back. Muslims are terrified.
Trump: I think its horrible if that's happening. I think its built up by the press. Because, frankly, they will take every single little incident that they can find in this country, which could have been there if I weren't even around doing this, and they will make it into an event. Because that's the way the press is.
CBS: Do any of you want to say anything about this fear (that's out there)?
Mr. Trump's son (Don?): I think the fears, .. while they may be there, some fabricated, some not, are totally unfounded.
CBS: Do you want to say anything to those people?
Trump: (I would say) Don't do it. That's terrible. Because I am going to bring this country together.
CBS: They are harassing Latinos, Muslims ..
Trump: I am so saddened to hear that and I say, stop it. If it - if it helps, I will say this, [Trump turns and faces the camera] and I will say right to the cameras, stop it.
--- end part transcript of video ---
Please note that I have a PUBLICLY NEUTRAL informal-student-observer role in these posts that I put up about the USA presidential elections. Of course, as I am an Indian citizen living in India, there is no question of me voting in these elections.
[I thank USA Senator Harry Reid and CBS, USA, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts/transcript dealing with fear that some Americans have due to Trump being elected president, from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
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