On Thursday night's edition of The ReidOut, MSNBC host Joy Reid invited Bishop William Barber of the "Poor People's Campaign" to lash out at Republicans for being anti-union while at the same time panicking that former President Donald Trump will win over the votes of the striking autoworkers in Michigan.
"They are showing their colors. I am actually glad that this debate is happening because what they normally want to do is hide behind culture wars, Joy, and talk about immigrants and gay people and being against wokeism," Barber kvetched.
"The American people don't really get to see what they’re really against is you being able to buy food, you being able to eat. You being able to pay your bills. And so it’s critical that we see this," he added.
If Barber cared about Americans being able to buy food and eat, he would condemn the sky-high inflation that Biden's reckless spending policies have caused.
Turning his ire toward Trump, Barber fretted "You see Trump making this move. Autocrats have often down through history played to the working class and the poor in a time of economic tension. And the Biden administration I think needs to take this very seriously."
He advocated Biden and the Democrats "need to convene a major gathering with all the religious leaders and poor and low-wage workers, union or nonunion. And let's get living wages back on the agenda. Let’s get it back in the narrative. In fact, the Senate ought to pass it. Schumer and all them ought to pass it."
"There ought to be a major gathering because if not, don't underestimate the ability of Trump to slip in and try to take some of these workers off with him," Barber worried.
The transcript is below:
MSNBC’s The ReidOut
9/21/2023
7:39:18 p.m. EasternBISHOP WILLIAM BARBER (CO-CHAIR, POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN): They are showing their colors. I am actually glad that this debate is happening because what they normally want to do is hide behind culture wars, Joy, and talk about immigrants and gay people and being against wokeism. And the American people don't really get to see what they’re really against is you being able to buy food, you being able to eat. You being able to pay your bills. And so it’s critical that we see this.
But on the other side, you see Trump making this move. Autocrats have often down through history played to the working class and the poor in a time of economic tension. And the Biden administration I think needs to take this very seriously. They need to convene a major gathering with all the religious leaders and poor and low-wage workers, union or nonunion. And let's get living wages back on the agenda. Let’s get it back in the narrative. In fact, the Senate ought to pass it. Schumer and all them ought to pass it. There ought to be a major gathering because if not, don't underestimate the ability of Trump to slip in and try to take some of these workers off with him.
