NEWS: Abdul El-Sayed Holds Press Conference After Trump Lobs Attacks At Him During Rally

[0:03] My name is Pastor Lawrence W. Rogers. It's important that I say that there is a D in my last name, R-O-D-G-E-R-S. [0:13] And I pastor the oldest historically black church in the state of Michigan, the Second Baptist Church of Detroit. [0:20] And I have the privilege of opening us in prayer today. Let us bow our heads. [0:27] Eternal God, our creator, our sustainer, and the source of all justice, thank you for giving us this moment. [0:34] Thank you for the gift of life, for the strength of community, and for the opportunity to gather here today. [0:41] But God, as thankful as we are, our hearts are heavy. [0:45] Our hearts are heavy because a wave of brutality seems to have captivated the land. [0:50] We live in a nation that can find billions upon billions of dollars for wars and bombs, [0:56] yet somehow struggles to find the resources to provide health care for the sick, [1:01] education for our children, and food for the hungry and affordable housing. [1:07] A nation that can afford the instruments of destruction ought to be able to afford the necessities of life. [1:15] And God, we know that this does not have to be our future. [1:22] We've come here today thankful for Dr. Abdul El Saeed. [1:26] That's right, that's right. [1:27] And his commitment to compassion. [1:34] We are thankful for his advocacy for accessible health care, adequate education for every child, [1:40] and an economy that recognizes the dignity of working families and individuals. [1:45] We thank you for everyone gathered here who believes that public service should not be rooted, [1:51] rather public service should be rooted in serving people. [1:56] Dear Lord, we come here grateful, understanding that leadership should be measured by its concern for the vulnerable, [2:04] and that the greatness of a nation should be measured not simply by its wealth or military might, [2:11] but by how it treats the least among us. [2:15] Oh God, we are concerned about the consciousness of the American voter. [2:20] We are concerned about the public bombarded by millions upon millions of dollars [2:27] in political advertisements, misinformation, distortions, and unfair personal attacks. [2:35] In a world where falsehood can travel faster than truth, [2:39] where fear is too often used to divide neighbors, [2:43] and where confusion can drown out conscience, [2:45] we need your wisdom. [2:47] So I pray today, dear Lord, that you elevate the consciousness of the voter. [2:52] Give them the discernment to distinguish what is real from what is false. [2:56] Give us the courage to question what we hear, [2:59] the patience to examine what we see, [3:01] and the wisdom to recognize truth even when it challenges what we already believe. [3:07] Help us to remember that democracy is not merely about choosing leaders, [3:11] it's about deciding what kind of society we want to become. [3:16] That's right, that's right. [3:16] And dear Lord, finally, as we enter these next few days, [3:21] grant us the strength, the energy, and the endurance [3:25] to encourage every eligible citizen to exercise their sacred right to vote. [3:32] Strengthen those who are tired. [3:35] Encourage those who are discouraged. [3:36] Encourage give hope to those who feel their voices do not matter [3:40] because at this moment, their voice matters more than ever. [3:45] That's right. [3:45] May every voter have the freedom, the opportunity, [3:50] and the confidence to make their voice heard. [3:52] And may we become a people who answer the wave of brutality [3:57] with a wave of compassion, a wave of hope, [4:02] a wave of kindness, a wave of justice, and a wave of love. [4:08] Dear Lord, we ask all these things in the name of all truth, [4:11] in the name of all wisdom, in the name of all grace, [4:15] in the name of justice, in the name of hope, [4:17] let all of God's people say together, amen. [4:20] Amen. [4:30] Good afternoon, everyone. [4:37] Good afternoon. [4:38] Yes, it's a pleasure to be here. [4:39] My name is Shanae Watson-Whitaker. [4:41] I'm a mom of six, including one United States Navy veteran. [4:46] I'm a grandma of two, [4:48] and I'm also the director of Michigan Campaigns [4:51] for Reproductive Freedom for All. [4:53] Yes. [4:54] We are just one week away from Election Day, [4:57] and our more than 157,000 members across Michigan [5:01] are knocking doors and making calls to send Abdul to Washington. [5:05] Many of these same leader members helped get out the vote in 2022 [5:11] to pass Proposal 3. [5:12] I was the deputy campaign manager of that campaign. [5:15] We worked and knocked and gathered more than 750,000 signatures, [5:21] most for any ballot measure in Michigan, [5:23] and 2.5 million voters came together [5:27] to write reproductive freedom in our Constitution. [5:31] Rights are only as strong as the leaders responsible for upholding them. [5:34] We need Michigan leaders committed to protecting access [5:39] and pushback on Trump's administration to push for a national abortion ban. [5:45] There's no question Mike Rogers would be their ally in that effort in the U.S. Senate. [5:52] Electing Abdul is a crucial step towards building a Senate majority [5:56] that will protect access to reproductive care [5:59] and put a check on this administration's extreme agenda. [6:04] Mike Rogers spent 14 years in Congress working to chip away at our rights. [6:08] Listen to me, 14 years in Congress to chip away our rights. [6:14] He voted for a national abortion ban. [6:16] He supported bills to ban abortion from the moment of conception [6:20] over and over again. [6:23] And twice, he backed legislation to strip Mifepristone's FDA approval, [6:29] jeopardizing access for medication abortion. [6:33] Get this, he also said he would have voted against Prop 3. [6:38] 56% of Michiganders voted in favor of Prop 3. [6:41] And with that overwhelming support, now is the law of the land. [6:51] It's clear that Mike Rogers would be a MAGA lackey in the Senate. [6:56] So let's talk about Abdul El-Sayed. [6:59] Abdul is a doctor and a public health leader who ran Detroit's health department. [7:05] As a doctor, he championed reproductive freedom. [7:10] Abdul knows health care decisions belong between their patients and their doctors, [7:15] not politicians. [7:17] In the Senate, he will continue to be a vocal advocate for abortion rights. [7:22] He will fight to preserve access to contraception and IVF. [7:27] And he will defend the reproductive freedom for all Michiganders and every single American. [7:36] Who decides what happens to your body? [7:38] You do. [7:39] Abdul will make sure decisions about your body stay with you, which is why we must elect him to U.S. Senate. [7:52] Early voting is open right now through November 1st. [8:03] If you have an absentee ballot, make sure your clerk has it by 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3rd. [8:10] Vote Blue up and down the ballot. [8:14] Our power is in our vote. [8:16] If we don't use it, Mike Rogers and the people backing him will use theirs to take our rights away. [8:22] Thank you. [8:23] And I'd like to introduce you to President James Cotton. [8:27] Thank you. [8:53] Thank you. [8:54] Good afternoon. [8:55] My name is James Cotton. [8:57] I'm the proud president of Local 22. [9:00] I'd like to extend a warm welcome to everyone in attendance today. [9:06] I'm here today because our union proudly endorsed Abdul El Saeed. [9:13] We understand that he's the only candidate in the race that would have our backs, our people's backs, the union's back, and Detroiters. [9:22] Some of our biggest corporations spend billions of dollars on attack acts that are negative, but we're not falling for it. [9:31] It's a divide and conquer trick, which is the oldest trick in the book. [9:36] We see right through it. [9:38] We know that Abdul is the only candidate in the race willing to stand up and fight for our communities and our union. [9:46] Mike Rogers is trying to pretend like he cares about our community, but the union knows that he don't. [9:52] He didn't when he was in Congress. [9:55] He left thousands of workers in the hallways waiting to see him, standing by trash cans because he didn't have the time. [10:08] That is not support for our communities or our workers. [10:11] Abdul supports our community and our workers. [10:14] He supports Michiganders. [10:16] We need a fighter. [10:18] We need someone who will stand for our corporations and stand for our workers. [10:23] That's why we support Abdul. [10:26] Absolutely. [10:27] Thank you for your time. [10:34] Now I want to introduce Lakeisha Lumpkins, Detroit Federal Teachers Union. [10:43] I am Lakeia Wilson Lumpkins like pumpkins, president of Detroit Federation of Teachers, the largest teachers union in the state of Michigan, representing some of the finest educators in this state. [11:11] But I'm here to talk about our personal experience as Detroiters and as Detroit Public Schools employees and students, now Detroit Public Schools Community District. [11:25] See, back in 1999, there was a Michigan Senate leader whose name was Mike Rogers, and he exposed his hand at that time. [11:37] In 1999, Detroiters lost their right to elect a school board, the only school board in the state of Michigan that did not have elected members. [11:52] Our city's rights were disenfranchised, plain and simple, lest we not forget. [12:03] That's right. [12:04] We do not have short memories. [12:06] So we are here as representing Detroit Federation of Teachers because we are going to stand by the candidate that has a proven record, that is an ally for our students, [12:20] our children, the families that they serve, and, of course, education, public education. [12:27] I can tell you personally that Abdul has stood by and made sure that every student has received a pair of glasses. [12:39] And how do I know? [12:40] First hand, because my son was one of them. [12:43] Abdul Sayed is a doctor. [12:51] Don't let the smooth taste fool you. [12:53] And he is a public health professional. [12:56] And he is running to, I'm going to take your words, get money out of. [13:02] Out of this. [13:03] And money in your. [13:04] Out of this. [13:05] And deliver Medicare for. [13:07] All. [13:08] All right. [13:11] There is, there is no competition. [13:16] This is hands down. [13:18] This is Abdul's time. [13:20] That's right. [13:20] I am going to step aside because we have a long list of speakers today. [13:25] But I have the pleasure of introducing to you our lieutenant governor and candidate. [13:32] And candidate for secretary of state, Garland Gilchrist. [13:40] All of us have been part of a very important conversation. [14:08] And I want to talk to you first, not as the lieutenant governor of Michigan. [14:14] And not as the next secretary of state of Michigan, although I'm going to be that. [14:18] All right. [14:19] Say it. [14:20] Say it. [14:21] Claim it. [14:22] But I want to talk to you as a black man who lives in the city of Detroit. [14:27] All right. [14:29] And there's some things that Abdul and this campaign have in common with Detroit [14:35] and with black folks who live in Detroit. [14:39] We're used to people lying about us. [14:40] That's right. [14:44] We're used to people making assumptions about us before they see us or meet us. [14:48] And whenever that happens, it's always the worst version of it. [14:53] Don't sometimes you want somebody to assume something good about you? [14:55] We're used to people having lower expectations of us, questioning our credentials, our capability or our compassion. [15:12] But what I know about black folks in Detroit, what I know about my friend, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who I worked with on behalf of this city starting in 2015, [15:28] what I know is that we exceed those bad expectations. [15:34] What I know is that those assumptions about who we stand for and who we work for, that they fall away when you see the work that we do and who we do it for. [15:47] I worked alongside this man on behalf of and for the people of this city to make sure systems saw them and responded to them and delivered for them. [16:01] That is the kind of energy that I want in my senator. [16:07] That's the kind of energy that this city deserves from its senator. [16:12] And that is the kind of energy that this country needs to meet this moment from the entire United States. [16:18] And I can tell you, look, in Detroit, we are used to the country depending on us. [16:31] They've depended on us for generations, making them move, making them dance, inspiring them. [16:40] The country needs us as Detroiters to show up. [16:47] Abdul needs us as Detroiters to show up. [16:51] So let's show up. [16:52] Let's show them exactly how powerful and decisive we can be. [17:02] Because the last time I checked, whenever people in Detroit wanted somebody in office, they got an office. [17:10] Whether that was at the state level or at the national level. [17:14] What we do, what we think, what we say, and how we vote matters. [17:20] So let's come together and vote for my brother Abdul. [17:24] There's no mountain tall enough that we can't climb together. [17:33] There is no accomplishment we cannot achieve when we won't work together. [17:40] And there is no election we can't win if we all vote together. [17:44] So let's win this one for all of our people. [17:47] Let's win this one for every community. [17:50] Let's win this one for my babies in Detroit Public Schools. [17:54] Let's make it happen. [17:56] And so I'm so excited that this coalition has come together to support this campaign. [18:01] And I'd like to now bring to the microphone the leader of our city's city council. [18:08] Our president, Brother James Tate. [18:12] Give it up one more time for our next Secretary of State, Marlon Gilchrist. [18:30] Listen, it is an honor because the next voice you're going to hear is from our next U.S. senator. [18:35] That's correct. [18:35] So I'm going to say a couple of words and I'm going to get out of the way. [18:40] But I'm going to tell you a little bit about what I know, not what I heard. [18:42] I didn't learn about Dr. El-Sayed from a television commercial. [18:50] I was serving on the Detroit City Council when he became our health director. [18:56] I saw firsthand the challenges that he inherited as Detroit rebuilt our public health department [19:02] following emergency management, an emergency management policy that Mike Rogers fully supported. [19:08] I remember what emergency management meant for Detroiters as we watched important decisions [19:15] being made in our own neighborhoods being taken out of the hands of our elected officials. [19:21] That history will never leave me. [19:25] Today, though, today families are facing another very, very difficult reality. [19:30] The cost of groceries and gas is stretching households beyond their needs, their budgets. [19:36] Health care remains out of reach for too many people. [19:41] Seniors are worried about medication and parents are doing everything they can to provide for their children. [19:49] Mike Rogers, he voted 14 times to weaken Medicaid and 19 times against measures to expand children's health coverage [20:00] while he was in Congress. [20:01] We cannot send him back to do more damage to our people. [20:09] As council president, I see what happens when federal decisions put additional pressures on families [20:16] and people who are already struggling. [20:18] Our city departments and community partners, they have had to figure out, we all have had to figure out [20:24] how to fill all of these gaps that we have. [20:27] These are real consequences, y'all, affecting real families. [20:31] Mike Rogers applauded Donald Trump's big, beautiful bill, which gutted Medicaid and SNAP to give tax handouts [20:43] to his billionaire buddies. [20:47] And as a newly appointed member of the Detroit Election Commission, [20:51] it is a major concern of mine about the political rhetoric that casts doubts on Detroit's elections. [20:58] And Mike Rogers, yet again, he leans into all of the dangerous tropes when it comes to Detroit elections and our credibility. [21:08] He talked about that van, that mysterious van that had those ballots that got snuck into the back [21:15] without any credible evidence at all. [21:20] Showed no evidence to back up his claims. [21:22] He also discussed recently recruiting retired and off-duty police officers as poll watchers, [21:29] even advising them, hang your badge out to intimidate the folks. [21:36] Detroit voters deserve elections free of intimidation and accusations unsupported by any semblance of evidence. [21:46] I'm going to tell you, make it a little bit more personal, before I endorse Abdul, [21:50] and I do this very proudly and strongly, I sat down with him. [21:54] You remember this. [21:54] I do. [21:55] We sat down, and I handed him a list of priorities for the city of Detroit. [22:00] Right. [22:00] I wanted to discuss affordable housing and the need to fix HUD's area median income calculations. [22:08] Our aging infrastructure was another priority of mine, and Detroit has needs that require extremely serious federal investment. [22:20] I also raised the urgency for him to support the John Lewis Voting Rights Act's advancement. [22:26] We went through all of those items one by one by one by one, and he was like, I got you. [22:35] And he had a plan for each one. [22:37] Before we even left, he already had it. [22:40] He pulled it out. [22:40] It's important to make sure that we don't just hear folks just agree with you, but also come with a plan. [22:49] Days later, after we sat down, Abdul released his Thrive policy agenda, addressing all of those priorities that we discussed, housing, infrastructure, economic opportunity, protecting our voting rights, and many other policies that would improve the quality of the life for the people that I serve. [23:06] Again, he didn't just listen with an empathetic ear, he created an entire agenda, not just concepts of a plan, y'all remember that, y'all remember that, right? [23:17] But actual plans to address them, and I invite you to check that Thrive agenda out on Abdul4Senate.com to see for yourself. [23:28] That's experience, again, that I can talk about personally. [23:31] Now, Detroiters, we fought too hard. [23:34] We fought too hard for our voices to be heard to accept being overlooked or dismissed. [23:39] Anyone seeking to represent Michigan and Washington should absolutely understand that, and our challenges deserve serious attention. [23:50] Our residents deserve leadership that recognizes the consequences of decisions made far from our neighborhoods. [23:58] We are nine days until November 3rd. [24:03] Michigan is an early voting and no-excuse absentee state, and we're doing that right now. [24:08] You don't have to wait. [24:11] You can cast your ballot today. [24:13] Today. [24:15] Yeah. [24:16] So make sure you go out and you talk to your uncle, your cousin, your friend, whoever that is who may not have voted or may be apathetic, [24:26] and don't just do it one time because it may take more than that because this is deeply set in, this apathy that we have in our country, in our city. [24:34] It's going to take more than one conversation, y'all. [24:36] Let's get them a plan, and let's get them to the polls. [24:39] Let's lift everyone up together, and let's send Dr. Abdul El-Sayed to the U.S. Senate. [24:48] And it is my honor, my pleasure, to introduce to you the next U.S. Senator for the state of Michigan, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. [25:07] Can we hear it for our council president, James Tate? [25:17] And our next secretary of state, Garland Gilchrist, and our incredible DFT president, Lakia Wilson-Blumkins. [25:28] Fighting deuce deuce, president James Cotton. [25:34] Ms. Shanae Watson-Whitaker, who's been fighting for reproductive rights in this state for the longest. [25:39] And, of course, Pastor Rogers, thank you for that beautiful benediction and prayer. [25:43] I'm so grateful to be with all of you. [25:46] I see around me here folks with whom I've been able to work for the better part of a decade. [25:51] Fighting the fights that we need fought on behalf of our kids and behalf of our grandkids. [25:57] On behalf of a more just, a more equitable, a more sustainable Detroit, and a more just, equitable, sustainable Michigan in America. [26:03] See, I didn't just get here to start asking for votes. [26:06] I didn't just open an office, you know, 16 days ago, thinking maybe I could go sling some shots of tequila and win some votes. [26:14] I've been here since 2015. [26:20] I've been here before I ever thought I would run for office. [26:23] I've been here because I understood the incredible weight of the work that I had trained to do in public health. [26:32] And that work is about trying to leverage technical skills against the moral abomination of the fact that black moms die at three to four times the rate in childbirth. [26:44] Their babies die at twice the rate. [26:46] That children in this city face threefold the probability of asthma hospitalization. [26:50] Fourfold the probability of lead exposure. [26:53] I came because I knew that maybe I had some skills that I could leverage alongside the incredible passion and the work and the leadership of Detroiters. [27:02] Because I'm honored and grateful to have been able to serve this city and to have been able to serve this county alongside some incredible public officials who are here. [27:13] And what you learn when you're serving in a city like Detroit and a county like Wayne County is sometimes it really is Detroit versus everybody. [27:20] But that it doesn't have to be. [27:24] In fact, it shouldn't be. [27:25] But these are choices that are made by federal leaders and state leaders telling folks that somehow because it's the city of Detroit, it just deserves less. [27:35] And I think all of us are here united in the notion that actually, no, it actually deserves and deserves more. [27:41] Because the babies born in this city deserve to live. [27:45] They deserve to go to the best schools. [27:48] They deserve to breathe clean air and drink clean water. [27:51] They deserve to know that their future is not going to be pulled from them because of a trigger. [27:57] Because we failed to address the epidemic of gun violence. [28:00] They deserve to know that they're going to get a fantastic education and they're going to have an amazing job and they're going to live out a long, healthy life in beautiful homes. [28:10] They deserve that just like all kids in Michigan deserve that. [28:14] That's why I came to this city in 2015. [28:17] Now, I want to tell you, because it is so personal and shaped so much of my life, about a moment early on in my tenure walking into Spain Elementary, not too far away from here in Midtown. [28:34] It's in the shadow of some of the largest hospitals in our state. [28:40] And I remember walking into Spain Elementary because the leadership at DFT had called for an inspection. [28:47] And as Detroit's new health director, I came to inspect. [28:49] What I saw still to this day gives me chills. [28:54] Imagine a mold garden growing underneath the woodwork in a gym. [28:58] Imagine first graders bundled in their coats trying to learn how to read with icicles coming out of the ceiling because the boiler had been broken for two weeks. [29:06] And for the folks who are new here to Michigan, it gets cold in the winter here. [29:13] And that was because of a system of emergency management that had long since taken control of Detroit public schools away from the local community. [29:20] A system whose prototype was written and advanced by none other than then-State Senator Mike Rogers. [29:31] And the fact that he has the audacity to come here and talk about how he's an alternative for Detroiters. [29:37] Yes, he is the alternative for Detroiters that took away your right to self-determination in your own schools. [29:42] And in watching those kids and their struggle and their inspiration of trying to learn how to read, we launched a whole series of programs out of the Detroit Health Department, which, by the way, itself had been shut down because of emergency management. [30:06] We were barely a health department at the time, but we realized that those kids deserved a health department that was going to go and fight for them. [30:14] So to take on asthma, we took on some of the biggest corporate polluters in our state. [30:19] We forced Marathon Petroleum to reduce their emissions when they had wanted to increase them. [30:23] Spent $10 million of their own money to do it. [30:25] It was the first time the city had stood up to a polluter. [30:28] When we realized that 30% of those kids who would test positive for vision deficits would come back testing positive again next year, [30:38] we built a program that said, you know what, we can get you a pair of glasses. [30:42] We put optometrists in vans outside of schools so that as soon as a kid got a positive test, [30:48] they would go and get a full optometric exam and a pair of glasses within two weeks. [30:52] 16,000 pairs of glasses later. [30:55] That, my friend Mike, is how you take on the literacy challenge. [30:58] When we heard about the Flint water crisis, the first thing I could think of, well, what about those kids in our schools? [31:12] What is in the piping there? [31:14] So we had every school, daycare, and head start in the entire city tested for lead in the water. [31:18] In the first 68 schools we tested, 19 tested positive for lead. [31:23] We got them all on a pathway to being lead free and rewrote working alongside leaders across the state. [31:30] The state's lead policies after that. [31:33] My career, I didn't know this until I started running against him, has been a career of cleaning up the messes that Mike leaves. [31:39] That's right, that's right, that's right. [31:42] That part, that part. [31:44] So Detroit, I'm asking you, don't let Mike leave any more messes. [31:48] Now we find ourselves here and now paying nearly $5 for gas. [32:02] Six dollars. [32:05] $7, $8 for diesel. [32:07] We're paying for that at the grocery store. [32:10] Folks are struggling to see a doctor. [32:13] And you'd think that these would be the issues that, should a president of the United States come to Michigan and campaign, [32:19] you'd think those would be the issues he'd want to talk about. [32:21] That's not what he's talking about. [32:26] Because it would be uncomfortable to have to talk about the Iran war he started that he can't get us out of. [32:32] It would be uncomfortable to talk about a tariff war with Canada. [32:36] And by the way, we're the only city in the country where you can go south to get to Canada. [32:41] We like Canadians in Michigan. [32:43] We don't know how we feel about Ohio. [32:48] But we like Canadians in Michigan. [32:51] And we'd rather not have to pay $5,600 for a tariff war we don't want to fight because of Donald Trump's policies. [33:05] And so instead of having to talk about those issues, instead of having to answer for their policies, [33:13] Donald Trump decided to come here and talk about backsides. [33:17] He decided to come here and talk about me. [33:24] I'm not here to talk about me. [33:27] I'm here to talk about you. [33:28] And I've been here to talk about and to serve you for over a decade now. [33:33] We have an alternative in this race. [33:36] You have a choice between a corporate-backed politician who made millions off of his time in public service, [33:41] who wants to do the bidding of the worst president to ever serve in the office, and Donald Trump, [33:46] who cannot stand up to Iran war, cannot stand up to the tariff war, and will certainly not stand up for Detroiters. [33:51] That's right. [33:52] Or you've got someone who's willing to stand not quite as tall [33:55] and has been standing for Detroiters since I came here over a decade ago. [34:03] So with that, I am so deeply grateful to be surrounded by leaders in this community [34:17] who've been fighting the fight for justice and equality and opportunity and freedom in this city for a very long time. [34:25] I am so deeply honored to stand alongside you. [34:28] And I hope that I get to stand alongside you over these next six years. [34:32] And whatever comes beyond, after that, to be fighting for the kids that we all serve. [34:39] Because if there's one political philosophy that I believe in, underneath our Constitution, [34:44] it's what would we build if we treated all of our kids like all of our kids? [34:48] So with that, I'm going to ask Cole to step up, and I'll ask him to take some questions. [35:04] How was that? [35:15] He knows I got those Wolverine claws. [35:20] I've had the incredible privilege of serving here in Michigan. [35:35] I've been an Abdul in Michigan for nearly 42 years. [35:40] And I've had this amazing opportunity to be invited into people's homes, [35:48] and their churches, and their synagogues, and their temples, [35:52] and their backyards, and their public parks, [35:55] and their VFW halls, and their union halls. [35:58] And there are always a few small people who want to make America small like them. [36:06] You see them. They're very loud. [36:09] They bark. [36:13] And the vast majority of folks in this state believe in a big America. [36:19] They're open-minded. They're big-hearted. [36:23] And the story of America is those who believe in the big America, [36:28] overcoming the deception, the distraction, [36:35] the sad attempts of the small-minded to make us smaller. [36:40] So I know Michiganders, and I know that Michiganders are a lot bigger than that. [36:47] And I know they're going to look at that and say, [36:50] that's not me. That's not us. [36:52] That's not what I teach my kids. [36:54] That's not who I want them to be. [36:57] I have yet to find anybody who tells me, [37:00] even if they voted for Donald Trump, [37:02] that they point to him and say to their kids, [37:05] I want you to be just like that we grew up. [37:10] I've literally never met one. [37:13] So we're bigger than that. [37:15] We're gritty. [37:16] We are earnest. [37:18] And we don't want to be taken advantage of by a millionaire from Florida [37:21] or a billionaire from New York. [37:22] That's right. [37:23] Same. Same. [37:24] So I'm not worried, [37:26] because just like I did 18 months ago when I kicked off this campaign, [37:30] I am taking a bet on the bigness of Michiganders, [37:33] and that bet is going to pay off. [37:34] Praise God. [37:34] That's perfect. [37:35] Just to follow up on that a little bit, [37:41] I know you're brushing off the attack. [37:43] You have two young daughters. [37:44] I know at least one of them, I believe, [37:46] is old enough to understand what those attacks mean. [37:49] Are these attacks having a personal effect at all? [37:51] And to add on to that, [37:54] how do you work with someone? [37:55] If you win, [37:56] how would you be able to work with someone who's calling you a jihad? [38:01] He's a professional. [38:01] So on the point on my daughters, [38:05] I hope that I get to show them how, [38:10] even with those who are small-minded, [38:12] that you can bring whatever bigness is in them out of them. [38:14] That's right. [38:15] Say it. [38:16] At the end of the day, [38:18] I've been me my whole life. [38:19] For a lot of folks, [38:20] they're like, [38:20] this is so surprising. [38:23] I'm like, [38:23] I've been me my whole life. [38:26] And, you know, [38:29] people would assume that that means that I'm more sensitive. [38:34] If anything, [38:36] I'm always reminded how big the vast majority of folks really are. [38:41] And, you know, [38:42] you don't run for office if you don't believe in that. [38:46] So, you know, [38:47] for them, [38:48] God willing, [38:49] they get to watch the whole thing happen. [38:51] And I hope that they get to see the whole arc of this. [38:58] And it's not just my kids, [39:00] because there are a lot of kids watching. [39:03] And they may not pray like me. [39:06] They may not have family that comes from the same part of the world. [39:10] But they've been told that they're less than for something. [39:14] Because of the color of their skin, [39:16] because of where their family comes from, [39:18] because of what their parents do for work. [39:21] And they're watching. [39:24] And I want to show them that, [39:27] in the end, [39:28] the vast majority of people care less about the color of your skin. [39:34] They care less about what is said about you. [39:36] They care about the content of your character. [39:37] That's right. [39:38] So, [39:39] we get to show all those kids that. [39:42] Michigan gets to show all those kids that. [39:44] And like I told you, [39:45] the story of America is that we're not perfect. [39:48] Right? [39:48] The idea of a more perfect union is that you approach perfection, [39:51] but you never quite get there. [39:53] But, [39:53] there is no country better in the world at correcting. [39:57] We haven't corrected all of our issues. [39:59] But we are always working to correct. [40:01] And that's taking a bet on the greater angels of our nature. [40:04] So, [40:05] I'm betting on that. [40:06] I hope my daughters and all the kids out there get to watch that. [40:09] And I hope that we bet on them. [40:11] Because in the end, [40:11] it's their future that we're building. [40:14] And when it comes to working with President Trump, [40:17] look, [40:17] I'm going to work with anybody to get things done. [40:19] Right? [40:19] I'll just be honest with you. [40:20] Right? [40:20] Like, [40:21] I'm not here to defend myself. [40:22] Let's be clear. [40:23] Like, [40:24] my grandmother, [40:25] smartest, [40:25] wisest person I've ever met my whole life, [40:27] never got to go to school. [40:29] You know, [40:30] I, [40:32] but for an accident of history that gets me born here, [40:34] my life should have looked a lot different. [40:37] So, [40:37] I've had a really nice life. [40:38] On my worst day, [40:39] my life is better than most of my cousins' lives. [40:42] So, [40:43] I'm not here to defend myself. [40:45] This is not about me. [40:46] This is about getting done the things that [40:48] our kids and our grandkids need and deserve. [40:50] That's right. [40:51] So, [40:51] I will work with anyone. [40:52] If he wants to expand funding for schools, [40:57] if he wants to end this stupid war, [40:59] if he wants to stop these tariffs, [41:01] if he wants to expand affordable housing, [41:04] if he wants to expand healthcare, [41:06] let's do it. [41:07] All right. [41:07] Because it's about the work, [41:09] not about me. [41:09] That's right. [41:10] Yeah, yeah, yeah. [41:10] At the same time, [41:27] the deficit that is soaring, [41:30] social security is in jeopardy. [41:32] How do you balance both of those? [41:36] Let's be clear. [41:37] When Mike Rogers was in Congress for 14 years, [41:40] our deficit grew $12 trillion. [41:43] That's more than a quarter of the deficit we have right now. [41:47] So why does the deficit grow when their party's in power? [41:51] Because they do two things. [41:52] They cut taxes on billionaires, [41:54] and they take us to wars we got no business fighting and can't get out of. [41:58] That's what happened while he was in Congress. [42:00] For almost his entire tenure, [42:02] we were fighting stupid wars, [42:04] and they were cutting taxes on the richest people. [42:09] What is capitalism? [42:10] Capitalism is the process by which we allocate our capital [42:14] based on the laws of supply and demand. [42:15] Capitalism requires free entry and exit into markets. [42:19] Now, I don't think we live in capitalism. [42:21] I think we live in corporatism. [42:23] And corporations that have too much power, [42:26] they block free entry into markets [42:29] because they can do one of two things. [42:31] They can either out-compete you or buy you, [42:33] or they can buy access to politicians [42:35] who rig the rules against you. [42:37] And that's how our system has worked for a very long time. [42:42] And if you don't believe me, [42:43] everybody here probably has a phone. [42:45] Your phone was probably made by one of two manufacturers, [42:47] Samsung or Apple. [42:47] And you're probably getting carrier service [42:50] from one of three corporations, [42:51] AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile. [42:54] That's just the thing that all of us have. [42:57] So at the end of the day, [42:58] I believe in capitalism, [42:59] and I want capitalism to work. [43:01] So the way you address our rising prices [43:04] and our stagnating wages [43:06] is to address the power of a few corporations [43:08] to raise our prices [43:10] and address our stagnating wages. [43:11] And then, given that we are in the house [43:13] that labor built, [43:14] every worker deserves a union [43:16] in every sector of America. [43:21] While we're at it, [43:22] instead of sending our money abroad [43:24] to drop bombs on other people and their kids, [43:26] I would rather spend our money [43:27] to build our schools here for our kids. [43:29] That's right. [43:33] So, look, [43:34] if anybody wants to work with me [43:35] on making capitalism work, [43:37] I am looking forward to doing that. [43:39] If your vision of capitalism [43:40] is that you give a few corporations [43:42] a lot more money [43:43] and then pretend that somehow [43:44] we have a capitalist economy, [43:46] I'm probably not your guy. [43:48] How much money has been [44:00] into putting messages? [44:03] Are you worried that enough of Detroit [44:05] to show up for you? [44:07] And why? [44:10] So, look, [44:11] when this is all said and done, [44:14] there will never have been [44:15] a candidate in Michigan history [44:16] that has taken more outside spending [44:18] against me [44:18] than I have been taking in this race, right? [44:23] I think we're at 200 million [44:25] in the general election [44:26] and counting. [44:27] Is that right? [44:28] And then 70 million in the primary? [44:31] They don't spend that money [44:32] because it's fun. [44:34] I mean, [44:34] council president, [44:35] what could you all do with me? [44:38] With 270 million dollars. [44:41] But I have to list. [44:44] Infrastructure. [44:44] And they spent that money [44:46] to beat me. [44:47] Why? [44:48] Well, [44:48] because when I tell you [44:49] I want to stand up [44:51] to corporations [44:51] and I don't take their money, [44:52] you can imagine [44:53] if you're a corporation [44:54] with a lot of money, [44:54] you're like, [44:55] oh, hell no. [44:55] So they spent all that money [44:58] to try to beat me in a race. [45:00] And unfortunately, [45:01] those 30-second ads [45:02] when they're played [45:03] ad after ad after ad after ad [45:05] can be effective. [45:07] And at the same time, [45:08] voters are really smart, [45:09] particularly Detroit voters. [45:12] So they're going to spend [45:15] their money, of course, [45:15] because that's what [45:16] they're going to do. [45:17] I've beaten [45:18] a historic amount of money before. [45:21] And it wasn't me. [45:23] It was a movement of people [45:24] coming together [45:25] around a politics [45:26] of buy and for the people. [45:27] So as I said earlier, [45:32] the bet I'm taking [45:32] is on Michiganders. [45:34] The bet I'm taking [45:35] is on how smart they are [45:36] and how much they believe [45:37] in a politics [45:38] of buy and for the people. [45:40] So yes, [45:40] they're going to spend [45:40] a lot of money. [45:41] And in the end, [45:42] just like all the money [45:43] that was spent against me earlier [45:44] is going to end up [45:45] money in the drain. [45:46] I really wish [45:46] they would have just put that [45:47] into rebuilding [45:48] some Detroit schools [45:49] or improving [45:50] some of our infrastructure [45:51] or providing some people [45:52] some health care. [45:57] You're racist. [45:58] Oh, well, I'm not. [46:02] But Mil Tays, [46:03] News Nation, [46:04] I did just want to ask [46:05] about President Trump's rally [46:07] yesterday. [46:08] And at the rally, [46:09] Mike Rogers' campaign [46:10] handed out this paper [46:13] trying to tie you [46:14] once again [46:15] to a terrorist organization. [46:16] Oh, racist. [46:17] Oh, please. [46:18] What do you think [46:19] about his strategy there? [46:20] When you don't want [46:22] to talk about gas [46:22] and groceries [46:23] and seeing a doctor, [46:25] you just start making... [46:27] Deflection. [46:28] Exactly. [46:29] Deflections and deceptions [46:30] based on no evidence. [46:33] But, like, [46:34] that's their whole play. [46:35] You know what that tells you? [46:36] They have nothing to say [46:37] about solving [46:38] the problems in your life. [46:40] Their whole campaign strategy [46:41] is to talk about me. [46:42] You know who they're not [46:44] talking about? [46:45] They're not talking about you. [46:47] They're not talking about [46:48] your gas [46:49] or your groceries. [46:50] They're not talking about [46:51] your ability to send [46:51] your kid to a good school. [46:52] They're not talking about [46:53] whether or not [46:53] you can see a doctor. [46:54] They're not talking about [46:55] clean air or clean water. [46:56] They're not talking about [46:57] any of the things [46:57] that government's actually [46:58] supposed to solve. [46:59] Why? [46:59] Because Donald Trump [47:00] has created those problems. [47:02] They're his problems. [47:04] So, like I've always said, [47:08] my name and my faith [47:09] are not the reason [47:09] you can't afford your gas. [47:10] Not the reason [47:11] you can't afford your groceries. [47:12] Not the reason [47:13] you can't pay your rent [47:14] or your mortgage. [47:15] Not the reason [47:15] you can't see a doctor. [47:16] Not the reason [47:17] that a smokestock [47:18] is putting putrid air [47:19] into your kid's lungs. [47:19] Not the reason [47:20] that we've got PFAS [47:21] in our water [47:22] or there's lead [47:23] in our pipes. [47:25] It's their policies.