Raphael Warnock says Maine voters ‘will decide’ on Platner but ‘character matters’: Full interview

[0:02] Welcome back. And joining me now is Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia. [0:08] He's the author of the new book, The Crooked Places Made Straight. Senator Warnock, [0:13] welcome back to Meet the Press. Great to be here with you. [0:18] It's great to have you back. We are going to talk about your new book. I have it right here, [0:23] The Crooked Places Made Straight, in just a moment. I do want to start off, though, [0:27] Senator, by asking you about the Voting Rights Act. As you know, it was weakened [0:31] with the Supreme Court's recent ruling that a Louisiana map designed to protect minority [0:37] representation amounted to a, quote, unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The decision opened the door [0:45] to redistricting all across the country. Do you think race should be used as a factor to draw [0:52] congressional lines, Senator? Well, I think that's exactly what the Supreme Court is doing. [0:58] The Supreme Court that we're witnessing right now is packed, sadly, with partisans. And they made [1:07] a decidedly partisan decision by pretending that you can disaggregate racial gerrymandering from [1:16] partisan gerrymandering. And as a result of that, look at the results. We're seeing southern states [1:22] with a vengeance move to diminish and mute the voices of their black citizens. And so we should [1:32] be asking these state governors, these state legislatures, do they think it makes sense to [1:37] take the whole country back to a Jim Crow era so that the Congress will look more like 1954 than 2024? [1:44] Well, and that takes me to my next question, because some of your colleagues and fellow Democrats [1:51] are calling for adding additional seats to the Supreme Court. Would you support that? Would you [1:58] vote to add additional seats to the Supreme Court, Senator? I think we have to look at what's [2:05] happening in our country because it's very serious. Donald Trump in this most recent iteration began [2:12] this terrible race to the bottom that we're seeing with gerrymandering by calling into Texas and saying, [2:18] I need five more seats. The Supreme Court then poured fuel on that fire. And with a vengeance, [2:26] while people are literally casting their votes, we're seeing state legislatures, uh, led by craven [2:33] politicians, uh, race to try to play with the lines, to jimmy rig the outcome in order to make it [2:42] impossible for ordinary American citizens to hold their elected officials accountable at a time [2:48] where this economy is not working for us. And the Supreme Court, uh, continues to undermine its own [2:54] credibility. I think that all options have to be on the table. We definitely need reform to this court. [3:00] We need a code of ethics and, uh, all options at this point, uh, have to be on the table. [3:07] So that includes adding seats and or term limits? All options have to be on the table. [3:15] Okay. Senator, let me talk to you about the midterms. One of the big headlines this week, [3:22] Democrats officially nominating Graham Plattner as their Senate candidate in Maine, despite a swirl of [3:28] controversies from allegations of abusive behavior from ex-girlfriends, which he firmly denies to a [3:35] tattoo associated with a Nazi symbol. He says he obtained that without understanding its meaning. [3:40] He has since covered it up. Do you believe Graham Plattner has the character to serve in the United [3:47] States Senate? Well, here's what I'll say. Character matters. And, uh, that's what I'm saying, uh, in this, [3:56] uh, new book that I've written, uh, the crooked place is made straight. And, uh, I think that the voters [4:03] of Maine have an opportunity to see who they want to represent them in the United States Senate. They [4:08] will decide that. You know, you are considered a leader within the Democratic Party. Do you plan to [4:13] campaign for Graham Plattner, Senator? I intend to focus on the people of Georgia. You know, I'm, I'm, [4:23] I'm very proud of the fact that Georgia elected its first black senator and its first Jewish senator [4:29] in one fell swoop in 2021. My brother, John Ossoff is, is in a real fight. Uh, I think, uh, [4:37] you know, people are pop feeling positive about that outcome, but I would remind people that it's [4:43] still Georgia. It's a very purple state. And so I'll be focused on that race. I will be working [4:48] to do everything I can to make sure that we have the majority come November, because quite frankly, [4:55] the future of our democracy depends on it. Okay. And, uh, so I, I will be moving all over, [5:01] all over the country doing whatever I can. But I think at the end of the day, the voters in these [5:05] states will, will clearly make their decision about who they want to support. Okay. I don't hear you [5:10] saying you're going to Maine. Let me ask you about your book. And I want to read a quote. You talk about [5:15] your central argument about character in politics. You say, quote, to get more equity in the land, [5:21] we desperately need more integrity, more leaders committed to truth, regardless of party politics. [5:28] So just to be clear, are you calling for your own party to examine its character and politics as well, [5:36] Senator? Oh, absolutely. Listen, I, I often say that I'm, I'm not a Senator who used to be a pastor. [5:44] I'm a pastor in the Senate. And I wrote this book, which, uh, began as a sermon actually that I preached [5:50] before my own congregation. And then I found myself preaching it in Jewish temples and churches and [5:56] small storefronts at the national cathedral. And, and this is a pastor serving in the Senate, [6:02] speaking to my country in a moment where, uh, our shouting matches between the left and the right [6:08] are getting louder and louder. And the vision is getting smaller and smaller. And we have way too [6:15] many politicians who are so focused on the next election that they're not thinking about the next [6:21] generation. We need integrity. We need people who love democracy more than they love power. [6:28] And when you, when we don't have that, we're seeing what happens. You, you have a lawless president [6:33] who's being enabled by politicians who will do anything to stay in power. I think that's bad for [6:39] the democracy and I would hold all of us accountable. All right. Well, let me ask you [6:43] about another key section in your book. You reflect on the politics of the moment. You write quote, [6:50] the stakes could not be higher. We could lose our democracy. We could lose our planet. We could lose [6:56] our souls. This does come as you're joining other democratic senators in basically what's a simulation [7:03] examining what might happen if Republicans interfered in the midterm elections. How [7:10] seriously do you take interference in the midterm elections? Is this a hypothetical [7:15] Senator? Is this something you're really worried about? Sadly, no, it's not a hypothetical at all. [7:23] We've seen more than enough evidence to know that this president will do anything to stay in power. [7:31] I represent the people of Fulton County, Georgia, where he recently sent the FBI in to raid [7:38] the board of elections, to snatch elections records from an election back in 2020. We have seen his [7:49] harassment of election workers, everyday election workers, subpoena asking for more information, [7:58] subpoenas being offered, the effort to pass the so-called SAVE Act, which really ought to be called [8:05] the Save Donald Trump's Power Act. We've seen more than enough evidence and an unchecked paramilitary [8:14] force that Washington Republicans just gave $70 billion more to the other night, even though they're [8:21] already larger than the Marines. And so I take this very seriously. Democracy is precious. It is [8:29] it is the political enactment of a spiritual idea that each of us has within ourselves a spark of [8:36] the divine. And so we ought to have a vote. We ought to have a voice in the direction of our country [8:41] and our destiny within it. It is not just one issue alongside other issues. The democracy is the house [8:48] in which we get to fight for what matters. And so we have to remain vigilant and take this very seriously. [8:53] I want to ask you about one more aspect of your book. You write about how the members of Ebenezer [8:59] Baptist Church were initially a little uneasy when you said you wanted to run for the US Senate. You [9:05] say, quote, a few hundred people showed up and it immediately became apparent that not everyone [9:10] supported the idea of their pastor running for public office. The meeting was tense. Many were nervous. [9:16] Politics is an ugly game. What would be the implications of their pastor entering the fray [9:23] during such a fraught and divided time? Senator, how do you think they would feel [9:28] if you decided to run for president in 2028? And is that something you're considering? [9:32] I got to give you some points. That's the most creative way I've heard that question yet. Let [9:38] me just say Ebenezer is a great church. I'm proud to lead this congregation. I've been there now 21 years [9:44] and I preach there most Sundays. I'm doing some guest preaching this morning. [9:51] And I'm glad that they love this country enough that they were willing to extend themselves and say, [9:57] yes, the man who leads our congregation, we'll let him represent the people of Georgia and the United [10:03] States Senate. It's the high honor of my life. And at every juncture, I'm continuing to try to make [10:09] the best use of my gifts and opportunities to serve. And my work in politics is really an extension of that [10:17] ministry. I have to try one more time. You're not ruling out a run for president in 2028, Senator? [10:22] Oh, I am firmly focused on 2026. I hope we can have an election where the people's voices actually [10:31] matter in 2028. And in order for that to happen, we have to be very, very focused on 2026. We need [10:39] some guardrails on this president. We need to win the House and the Senate. And that is my total focus [10:44] right now. All right. Well, congratulations on the book, The Crooked Places Made Straight. Senator [10:49] Warnock. Thank you so very much. We thank you for watching. And remember, [10:53] stay updated on breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or watch live on our YouTube channel.