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Transcript: The Rachel Maddow, 1/28/22

Guests: Pete Aguilar, Gwen Keyes Fleming, Ann Simmons, Patrick Murphy, Natosha Daniels

Summary

The January 6 Committee subpoenas the fake Trump electors. Interview with Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA). The Pentagon says over 100,000 Russian troops have now amassed at Ukraine`s borders and they have artillery and rockets ready for an all-out attack.

Transcript

AYMAN MOHYELDIN, MSNBC HOST: Good evening, Chris. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Enjoy the rest of your evening.

And thank you to all at home for joining us this hour. Rachel has the night. She`s going to be back on Monday.

But don`t worry, I know why you`re here. And the answer is, yes. We do have an update for you tonight on that story that Rachel has been covering for the last few days. The story of the indignant Irish fishermen and their face off with the Russian navy.

As Russia continues its military buildup on the borders in Ukraine, and the U.S. and its NATO allies these increasingly dire threats to Russia about what will happen if Russia invades, the Russian navy, believe it or not, has actually announced that it is going to do a big wildfire exercise right off the coast of Ireland. But this group of Irish fishermen, have decided, albeit upon themselves, that they are going to sail their fishing boats out into the middle of Russia`s planned war games because that is their fishing ground. Russian navy be damned!

Well, not only do we have the very latest on that story tonight, we will actually be speaking, right here, live, with one of those Irish fishermen. He just met personally with the Russian ambassador to Ireland. So, you will not want to miss that interview.

But we start tonight with news that has just broken today in the investigation into the fake election documents that Republicans created in multiple states to try and cast forged Electoral College votes for Donald Trump after the last election. In several states that Joe Biden won, states in which Joe Biden had been certified, I should emphasize, the winner, pro- Trump Republicans, nevertheless, forged and signed documents in which they reported to be the real and true electors for their state. And they submitted those fake elector certificates to Congress and then to the National Archives.

It was an effort, apparently, coordinated by the Trump campaign to try and give the vice president, Mike Pence, the option, at the very least, the option to accept the fake slates of electors, rather than the real ones on January the 6th. And by doing so, keeping President Trump in the White House.

Today, the January 6th investigation of Congress, subpoenaed 14 of those fake electors from seven states, seeking the documents and the depositions from all of them. Now, we knew that the January six investigation had been looking into the fake electors for sometime. And we learned, recently, that the investigators at the national archives had also, interestingly enough, been looking into at least one fraudulent state of electors, one of the two submitted from the state of Arizona. And we also knew that attorney general in Mexico and Michigan have referred the matter of the fake Trump electors in their states to federal prosecutors.

In at least one state, in Michigan, the attorney general there, Dana Nessel, has said that if the feds do not pursue charges, she is prepared to do so. The state of Michigan is prepared to do so.

And this week brought the first peep, if you will, about this issue that we have learned from the feds, from the Justice Department itself. This is from a rare TV interview with the Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA MONACO, DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: On the issue you raised in terms of fraudulent elector certifications has been reported. We have received those referrals. Our prosecutors are looking at those and I can`t say anything more on the investigations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOHYELDIN: All right. So, federal prosecutors here, they are looking at least -- at least the fake electors from the two states where the attorney general has referred it to the Justice Department. We can say that those federal investigations are ongoing, as you heard there.

But you know what`s interesting in all of this? It`s not like these fake electors were carrying out their scheme in secret or behind closed doors. They were not trying to hide what they were doing at the time.

Now, it`s the exact opposite. They were actually quite proud of it. In Nevada, for example, you have the fake electors there set themselves up right outside the state capitol. And they streamed the thing on a right- wing livestream when they signed those fake documents.

In Michigan, that same day, we have footage of Republicans claiming to be the states electors, demanding to be let into the state capitol while the real electors were inside, going about their business.

In Arizona, the state Republican Party itself, the actual party, tweeted out a video of the fake electors signing their forged election certificate. Folks, I don`t know how to say this any clearer -- they wanted everyone to know what they were doing.

But more recently, as there has been this renewed interest in what they were up to, as it has become clearer and clearer, that these Trump electors, and all these different states, we`re not just staging kooky publicity stunts to draw tension to themselves were seeking support of President Trump, they were part of a coordinated, multi-state effort to overturn the election.

[21:05:14]

Recently, the electors have been much more reticent, though, about their actions. Take Nevada, for example. "The Las Vegas Sun" tried without success to get comment multiple times from several of the fake electors, including the state`s Republican Party chairman who served, ironically enough, as the chairperson of the fake electors group.

Same thing in New Mexico. One elector told "The Albuquerque Journal", he had, quote, no regrets. But he would not answer any further questions. Attempts to reach the other electors went nowhere.

Producers on this show have also tried in vain to reach several electors. Again, no dice.

In Arizona, when a reporter from "The Arizona Republic" did in fact catch up with one of those electors, this is what he got.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Do you have direction from anybody in doing this? Was it you doing this? Or did someone give you advice on the manner in which --

STATE REP. JAKE HOFFMAN (R), ARIZONA: So, I am simply -- I was one of the electors. I`m not in charge of the electors. You would need to act as the party chair.

REPORTER: How did you hear about the plan? Were you told to be somewhere?

HOFFMAN: You would need to ask the party chairman.

REPORTER: You`re the person who received the call. You showed up, right? How did you know to show up that day?

HOFFMAN: So, as I said, you can go ahead and ask the party chair --

REPORTER: Ask her how you got a call, go somewhere?

HOFFMAN: You are welcome to talk to --

REPORTER: Do you not how you arrive in a place?

HOFFMAN: Thank you. I appreciate your question --

REPORTER: Do you really not how you got a call?

HOFFMAN: Have a great one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOHYELDIN: I mean, it just does not get any more awkward than that. That is how it has gone when reporters tried to question these fake electors about their scheme. And now, they are going to have to answer these questions and more under subpoena, because the January six investigation today subpoenaed two electors, in each of the seven states, the ones who were elected as a chairperson and a secretary to preside over the signing of these fraudulent documents.

Now, that list of 14 subpoenaed fake electors, actually and surprisingly includes prominent figures. It actually includes figures like the chairman of the state Republican Party in the state of Georgia, in the state of Nevada, and it`s interesting, because the chairman of the January 6th investigation, Congressman Bennie Thompson, said, quote, we believe the individuals we have subpoenaed today have information about how these so- called alternate electors met and who was behind that scheme.

Now, we encourage them to cooperate with the committee`s investigation, to get answers, and by January six for the American people and help ensure nothing like that day ever happens again.

And even as subpoenas go out today, NBC News tonight has confirmed news first responded by CNN, that the January six investigation has also subpoenaed Trump White House press secretary, deputy press secretary, Judd Deere. Investigators apparently wanted to ask Mr. Deere in particular about an oval office meeting with President Trump the day before the attack on the Capitol.

Now, all of which, when you think about it, goes to show really the scope of the January 6th investigation from meetings that took place in the White House, immediately around the events of January 6th, to these gatherings of fake electors in seven states that happened weeks earlier. Lots of questions and the timeline is just being flushed out.

Joining us now is California congressman and member of the January 6 investigation, Peter Aguilar.

Congressman, thank you so much, sir, for joining us. Really appreciate your time this evening.

Let me ask you about that last point that I just left on, the scope of the investigation. Why subpoena these fake Trump electors? How does what they were doing fit into what your investigation into the narrative that is being woven around January six and you`re trying to get to the bottom of it?

REP. PETE AGUILAR (D-CA): Thanks for having me, Ayman.

I think the importance of these 14 individuals is because we want to know how deep this conversation went with individuals in and around the White House. Was this something that they were directed to do by Republican Party officials? Or was this something that was more coordinated?

Those are some of the questions that we have. But I think it is deeply disturbing that not only did the state capitals in the seven states and sent these slates of electors to Congress, but they sent to the National Archives. They wanted to create this alternate universe that they reported to live in.

And so, I think it is deeply problematic. And we need to make sure that none of this ever happens again.

[21:10:02]

But we`re going to need to talk to those individuals as the chairman`s statement said. We are going to ask them to come forward and to speak with us.

MOHYELDIN: Have you -- and I guess I`m curious from this perspective, which is obviously you`re getting a lot of tips. To reach a certain threshold, where you want to subpoena these electors, you must have something credible that you`re going off on. Have you engaged yet with any of these electors that you subpoenaed today?

Do you have reason to believe that they will be cooperative or uncooperative based on what you know so far about this alleged scheme?

AGUILAR: The investigative team kind of guides our efforts of amazing attorneys who are helping us pull these threads, as you indicate. Oftentimes, when it gets to this step, we have had some preliminary conversations, maybe with individuals or with representatives and attorneys. And when I can tell you is that, as we have moved forward in the investigative manner, this is incredibly helpful. It has led us to this step.

And so, this is the next piece that we would like to get into. There are many other threads we will pull. But for this portion, a lot of the conversations that we have had have led us to want to dive a little bit deeper into these discussions with these 14 individuals.

MOHYELDIN: Can I just hone in for a moment on the back story of these individuals? Because a number of the fake electors who participated in this scheme said, at the time, that they believed they were creating these documents as kind of a backup in the event that the Trump campaign prevailed in its election challenges in court.

Obviously, that did not happen. The documents submitted from Pennsylvania and New Mexico were actually very explicit. They stated that.

Do you think those and other states may have been misled by the Trump campaign officials into believing that`s what they were in fact doing with these fake electors? When in fact, the Trump campaign intended to use those fake elector states to try and overturn the election in Congress.

AGUILAR: I think it is all together possible, but I also think it`s altogether possible that they were hearing multiple different conspiracy theories. And some different individuals in different states might have had different ideas of what was happening. And I think that puts the important on the finer points -- who were they coordinating with? Who were they talking to? Who was giving them advice on where to send this, who to recruit to help them?

Those are the important pieces that we want to get to the bottom of. And we pledge to our colleagues and the American public that we will turn over every stone and make sure that we seek the truth. So, this is the natural next step of where we need to go.

MOHYELDIN: Let me if I can, Congressman, just drill down for a moment on the timeline in particular on January 5th. Can you confirm that the NBC News reporting tonight that the committee has also subpoenaed Trump White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere? And if I can, a second part of that, is it the case that you are particularly interested in an oval office staff meeting on January 5th? The importance, if you will, of that meeting.

AGUILAR: Yes. We have issued a subpoena to that individual, the former White House aide. And I think it`s because he was a part of three conversations and continuing threats that we would like to have more conversations about. One was, he continued to fan the flames at the election was rigged. Leading up to January 5th and January 6th. January 5th, we have reason to believe he was in the oval office during that discussion. And on January 6th, we also feel that he played a role in coordinating the White House response to that -- as the insurrection was going on.

So, those were some of the conversations that we seek to have with that individual. And he has received a letter from the chairman.

MOHYELDIN: Has he responded to you or not yet?

AGUILAR: I`m not aware of a response today, but I think this was happening in real time today.

MOHYELDIN: OK. Congressman Pete Aguilar, thank you so much, sir, for joining us. A member of the January 6th investigation. Greatly appreciate you making some time for us, sir.

AGUILAR: Thanks, Ayman.

MOHYELDIN: And Donald Trump`s efforts to overturn the election results in 2020, as I was saying, there are no secret. Nor were the tactics used by some of Trump`s fake electors to help the former president keep the big lie afloat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Democratic Party electors, right up there in the Senate chambers, they are official, they`re certified, and they voted for Joe Biden. But Georgia Republicans, they met at exactly the same time, right behind those closed doors. They are not official, not certified, they still met. They chose Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[21:15:00]

MOHYELDIN: They are not official. They are not certified. But they still met. They chose Donald Trump.

That was a reporter from ABC`s Atlanta station on December 14th, 2020, the day 16 Georgia Republicans were spotted in the state capital, signing an elector slate, falsely claiming to be the duly elected and qualified electors from the state of Georgia. Even though, by then, it was clear, absolutely clear, Joe Biden won this state.

Now, today, two of those fake electors, including the current Georgia Republican state party chair, received subpoenas from the January 6 committee, directing them to share what they know about that scheme. And while we know the January 6 committee and as we mentioned, the Department of Justice, are currently investigating that, those Georgia electors could face criminal consequences in their own state.

"The Atlanta Journal Constitution" puts it this way: Those fake Georgia electors could come under scrutiny from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is investigating Trump`s attempts to reverse his defeat. Legal experts interviewed cited various federal and state laws against false statements, forgery, racketeering and election fraud that the alternative electors might have violated.

Joining us now is Gwen Keyes Fleming. She is a former district attorney in DeKalb County, which is right next to Fulton County. She is also the coauthor of a Brookings Institution report published last year. It found Donald Trump may have broken multiple laws in Georgia related to the 2020 election.

Ms. Keyes Fleming, I appreciate you making time to be with us tonight.

Let me start by asking your reaction today decision by the January 6th investigation to subpoena some of the people who signed the fake elector slates, including those in the state of Georgia.

Do you think they potentially committed crimes?

GWEN KEYES FLEMING, FORMER DEKALB COUNTY, GA DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Well, I think that is what we are waiting to see. The January six committee has done what they should do in terms of issuing subpoenas to be able to get more information. So that they can make the decisions that they need to make and issue a report so that we all know the depth to which there may have been violations in the laws that relates to the 2020 election.

I think though, too, the district attorney in Fulton County, also -- will be looking at some of this new information to determine how that may play into her investigations of the former president and others. So, we are looking to see what she is going to do in this matter as well.

MOHYELDIN: So, as you are probably aware, some of the legal experts that the Atlanta journal -- believe that there is in fact evidence to secure an indictment against these fake electors. Others, though, questioned whether or not proving intent and purpose in this case will be difficult. What is your legal take on this? How do you I guess determine the intent and whether or not these fake electors were simply ignorant or woefully ignorant about the intentions of the Trump campaign, which may have directed them to this scheme?

KEYES FLEMING: So, intent is one of the elements of every crime that you need to product prosecute. In this particular case, whether it`s the January six committee, or the D.A.`s or attorneys general around the country, they are already looking at all of the circumstances.

You look at the language of the documents. Each of these electoral documents indicate that these folks are duly elected. And argument, it is very clear that they were not -- you have the signatures on the documents, as you just showed earlier, videotapes, folks blatantly and proudly, signing these documents.

So, I think all of that will come to bear to be able to establish intent and, ultimately, it will be a jury`s decision as to whether all of these facts and others that may come to light through the investigations or through the depositions of the January six committee, whether the elements of these charges can be met.

MOHYELDIN: Do you think in this case the saying that some have suggested that they only signed the fake slates to keep Trump`s lawsuits alive in court, hypothetically, if a court had ruled that Trump was rightfully, you know, allowed to pursue whatever he was challenging at the time -- these fake electors were just as a backup plan. Would that legally be enough to keep them away from court, do you think?

KEYES FLEMING: I think you have to look at the evidence. And so far we know that there are only electors in two states that added the caveat language that included, if the court cases are successful, then we are legally elected. The other five did not include that.

[21:20:01]

So, again, it`s those types of distinctions that either jurors or others can look to, to evaluate whether the intent was there.

MOHYELDIN: All right. Gwen Keyes Fleming, former district of attorney in DeKalb Kentucky, Georgia, thank you so much for your time. Really appreciate it.

We still have a lot to get to tonight, including that must-see interview with Irish fishermen, Patrick Murphy, on going head to head against the Russian navy. We have that and a whole lot more.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MOHYELDIN: In the 1970s, Vladimir Putin was a college student in Leningrad and right before he graduated in 1975, the Soviet Union`s foreign intelligence agency, the KGB, ID him as someone who could actually join its efforts. And so, Putin became a young KGB recruit right out of college.

[21:25:02]

And at the time, and intelligence assessment of the young recruit actually made note of an interesting character flaw, if you will. Apparently, the KGB at the time observed that Putin had a quote, lowered sense of danger, meaning that he had a tendency to take on warranted risks. And if you fast forward nearly 50 years later, it seems not much has changed in Vladimir Putin. After weeks of escalating tensions, Putin appears to be gearing up for a full scale invasion of Ukraine. That is by a lot of people`s assessments.

The Pentagon says over 100,000 Russian troops have now amassed at Ukraine`s borders and they have artillery and rockets ready for an all out attack. They could invade all of Ukraine if they wanted to, not just a part of it. "Reuters" is also reporting that the Russian military, interestingly enough, has brought in blood supply and medical materials, needed to treat injuries. One that you would expect would occur if there were hostilities.

But despite Putin`s war footing here, the question is, are the risks of invasion for Putin too high? So, the State Department and the U.S. want to answer that. They are warning that plans for a key Russian gas line to Germany will be blocked should Russia invade Ukraine. And earlier this week, the White House announced that it is considering certain export control measures which could potentially cut off the Russian people, even the Russian military from key electronic supplies that are key from building everything to smartphones to -- that could really hamper their ability to build technology.

And the U.S. and the European Union have also discussed cutting off Russian banks from a key global banking system called SWIFT, thereby making it nearly impossible for financial institutions and companies to send money in or out of Russia. And, if all of that isn`t enough, the U.S. has also now floated possible personnel sanctions, or excuse me, personal sanctions against Vladimir Putin himself, a move that the U.S. has never taken against Putin himself.

At this point, that is the question. Can these deterrents move Vladimir Putin off the course many believe he is on?

Joining us now live from Moscow is Ann Simmons, Moscow bureau chief for "The Wall Street Journal".

Ann, thank you so much for staying up late and joining us on all the facets of this breaking story. There was one development I did not mention, but I significant one, President Biden telling reporters earlier today that he will be moving U.S. troops to Eastern Europe, and the NATO countries in the near term.

I know it is still in the middle of the night there, perhaps early morning and Russia, but do you think this will, in any way, or change any of the dynamics or the calculation, that we are seeing right now?

ANN SIMMONS, MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Well, thank you for having me, Ayman.

First of all, I would say that I could in fact provoke Mr. Putin in some way. The Russians have been very clear that they don`t like to be bullied. Mr. Putin has made clear that Russian troops are on Russian territory and he does not believe that they do need to pull back.

In many regards, Mr. Putin has won a small victory already because the world is now paying attention. Everyone wants to speak to Vladimir Putin, a shot at diplomacy. Everybody wants to speak to Russia and find out what Mr. Putin intends to do.

So, it is very difficult at this particular juncture to really pin down what the Russians next move will be.

MOHYELDIN: I`m curious whether you see it as well. Has Putin made it costly for NATO to, essentially, accept, not just Ukraine, but any country in eastern Europe where Russians can be stationed on its border? Has he made the cost of the future calculation -- saying, it`s not worth this headache to constantly have to worry about which country Russia will have troops on its border that could stop us all into a major confrontation?

SIMMONS: That could very well be the case. There is a certain level of instability now, insecurity, uncertainty. And it is something that Mr. Putin has wanted to create for Ukraine. Because there is no way that NATO is going to accept a country that has any kind of conflict on its territory.

So, already, there is the sense that Mr. Putin has won a small victory there, that there is insecurity in Ukraine just by the very presence of 100,000 troops on Ukraine`s border, 100,000 Russian troops.

Now, there is still no clear indication of whether or not those troops will move in at once to overcome Ukraine. The Russians have said they do not intend to invade.

[21:30:04]

And there could be small incursions into the country. There could be cyberattacks, which already, we have seen some indication of. There`s a possibility that the Russians could arm the separatists in the Donbas region. So, it is still a very tenuous situation. But in many ways, this is exactly what Mr. Putin wants and how he likes it, to kind of keep the West guessing.

MOHYELDIN: You know, you are in Moscow and I`m curious to get your thoughts on what Russians think. How do Russian citizens feel about a potential invasion of Ukraine? With such an attack be received well? Are they aware?

Do you think that they have a sense of what the international community might do in response? Do you get a sense that they think, hey, you know what, Ukraine is just simply not worth what would happen to us if Vladimir Putin goes ahead with us?

SIMMONS: Well, there are several schools of thought here. You certainly do read about this talk of innovation in newspapers and listen to it and hear about it on talk shows. Many Russians have Ukrainian relatives and the last thing they want is a war in Ukraine or with Ukraine.

Also, Eastern Ukraine, the territory that would be probably where a first incursion would occur, because that is where separatist who are very much in favor of having some kind of closer connection to Russia, that particular region is not Crimea. In 2014, as we know, Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine. And Russians were, in general, extremely happy and pleased about that. They thought -- they think that that is traditionally a part of Russia.

For eastern Ukraine, there is not a lot of talk about, you know, supporting an invasion into Eastern Ukraine, many Russians will tell you. All of this provocation, all of this talk, it`s politics. And a lot of them blame the west for kind of beating the drum of war.

MOHYELDIN: Ann Simmons, one of the best reporters covering this story right, Ann, thank you so much for staying up late, greatly appreciate it. Ann Simmons is "Wall Street Journal" Moscow bureau chief.

SIMMONS: Thank you.

MOHYELDIN: Up next, one of Rachel`s favorite stories this week, and quite frankly one of mine. One of the Irish fishermen that is standing up to Russia`s military navy is going to join us live. You will not want to miss this.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:36:48]

MOHYELDIN: The second largest natural harbor in the world is in Ireland. It is actually in County Cork. It is fittingly named Cork harbor.

And last spring actually, something odd happened there, and you can see it. There was a flotilla of fishing boats, about 50 of them, that actually went cruising down Cork harbor in a single file line. This was a protest that was organized by a group of Irish fishermen, who were upset, rightly so that their access to their old fishing grounds were being cut as a result of Brexit, and everything that was as a result of that.

Now, given these particular fisherman`s history of political activism, it really should not have been less of a surprise when that same group announced their newest plans just this week. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOMMY BOWE, TV HOST: Do you realize, these Irish fishing boats going out, when you go out there, these are going to be proper military warships? You know, like --

MUIREANN O`CONNELL: Like again, not to do Father Ted, but near, far away --

BOWE: What are you going to do? Are you just going to seal around these worship? I hope that they do not fire the missiles?

PATRICK MURPHY, IRISH FISHERMAN: Yeah, of course we are worried. This is why we are raising this issue, because if we did not, and we were out there and nobody knew about it, nobody looking after us. Now, people know we are there, so they know they are being watched. So, we are looking for, Tommy, is very simply, be allowed to do what we always do, fish. Just go out there and fish safely.

BOWE: But these are the Russians. We have a military expert on, yesterday. They may be led by a different, potentially, set of rules. They might use force. We do not know. But they might.

MURPHY: What are the chances of them doing it? It has been reduced, because we have raised the issue of the world is watching.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOHYELDIN: All they want to do is fish. That man you see there on your screen, or use on your screen, that was Patrick Murphy, he is the head of the fisherman`s organization that is based in Cork, the one that Rachel has been reporting on all week. They said that they were going to protest military exercises planned off the Irish coast next week, right in the way of where these fisherman`s usually do their job, where they learn their livelihood.

The fishermen said that they planned to deploy a flotilla of 60 trawlers in protest, right along where Russia is planning those live fire war games.

In response, the Russian government that any kind of protest by those fishermen would be reckless, and even dangerous.

And so this, week the Russian government invited Patrick Murphy, and other fishing representatives to their embassy in Dublin, that is Mr. Murphy right there on the right, to try to talk through this disagreement happening within Irish territorial waters.

At first glance, it appeared to work. The fisherman said that they were told by the Russian government that they would create a buffer zone to stay out of the fisherman`s way. But shortly after that meeting, the Russian government disputed the fisherman`s account of that meeting, and appearing to reneged on whatever promises they may have made to the fisherman`s face to face.

[21:40:01]

And today, the Russian embassy again made it clear that they expect those fishermen to stay very far away from their military exercises. The embassy said today in part, quote, the ambassador urged the fishermen to refrain from any provocative actions, which might endanger all involved.

Russia`s war games are set to start off the Irish coast in Thursday. The fishermen said they plan to hit the water starting Tuesday. Is the plan still on?

Joining me now is Patrick Murphy. He is the CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organization, the group that we were telling you about planning this protest against the Russian navy. He met with the Russian ambassador yesterday.

Mr. Murphy, it is great to have you. I know how late it is in Ireland. So, thank you so much for being here with us.

First off, tell me what it was like meeting with the Russian ambassador yesterday? What did he have to tell you about all of this?

MURPHY: First of all, Ayman, it is great to be on your show. I am just wondering, is it me on the television there, how this came about. So, meeting an ambassador (INAUDIBLE) is an honor, we got our list of that (INAUDIBLE) you are meeting. We met the ambassador when we had trouble with Brexit, we got a two-year extension from that. So, maybe we are getting used to meeting ambassadors.

And we did not want to shy away from any part of the job, as long as we can keep your boats fishing outside. And that is proving more and more difficult. And so, the flotilla (INAUDIBLE) we stocked there, maybe it leads into the story.

With Brexit, Ireland is a fishing nation, the last 25 percent of our fish, that`s a quarter of our fish was taken from us by the European Union, to the united kingdom`s in the trade deal. That has left us shock (ph) to fish, we have seen now that the could be decimation over fishing fleet.

So, for the United Nation, with 25 percent of the water, we could end up with the smallest fleet in Europe, with the smallest share of fish and Europe, and a dying industry.

So when this came about, it came about that we saw on social media, we did a little bit of research into what was happening, and we did not like what we found. So we put out the original statement to say that, you know, we were going to go out fishing, and that if we were fishing and somebody came along and said, listen, you have to move. In that stage, we were going to say no, not going to happen, we are going to continue to fish.

And the maritime law is on our side, despite what our own politicians have done to try to undermine us. So, let`s describe that, if you are driving down on the motorway, right, and somebody comes in off the side road and drives into the side of you, he is the one that caused collision. It is no different than marine law, if you are outside and somebody comes in from the side who is not pulling a net, he is stealing, and hits, who he is the one who caused the collision, it is not to you, you are doing your business.

So for anybody to say that the fishing boat is the one causing the danger (INAUDIBLE) before the other events are to start in the waters, and they cannot be correct as far as we are concerned.

And this is an area where we get fish, it is very complicated, you can see behind me up here, the area in question.

MOHYELDIN: Yeah.

MURPHY: That is a very lucrative place for a fish called Dublin prawns. There are so important that in Spain, when somebody is getting married, to show how good you are, or how well if you are, it counts by the amount of prawns that you put in the guests` dinner plate. That is what has been reported back to us. So, that will tell you how lucrative they are.

So, as we have said, very strict laws, so are fishing stuff from month to month, and you got to start, and if you do not catch it, you cannot carry it forward to the next month. So you lose. So if two boats go out, and one catches the full quota of the month, and the other catches five, the next month, they start off each one would get it, so the guy with five would lose the treat.

So, you see, if you`re impended in your effort going out there in the first week, it can be a plus, you know, you do not make any money, especially if the trip takes two weeks to make money, and within the week, you are told to go home, then you`re in debt rather than profits. So, our boats were concerned, that was the main point.

The second point is when we heard back that there would be ordnance fired into the sky, well, you know, we all know with gravity does, Mr. Newton, what goes up comes down.

[21:45:02]

So, we were concerned about that.

MOHYELDIN: It`s dangerous, yeah.

MURPHY: You have to understand, Ayman, we were getting no information from our own government. Nobody and the department, the marina, nobody was telling us anything about this. We were clueless.

So when we put out the statements, and as you see in one of the shows, they picked it up, and it became a big story very quickly, and everybody was talking about it and, of course, the Russian embassy, and the Indian ambassador heard about us, and in fairness to them, I give credit where credit is due, they contacted us. So, when they contacted us, they gave us the warning, and we went back and we told them look, we have serious concerns.

We sent some correspondence between the two of us, and within a couple of days he invited us up to the embassy. And, of course, I represent my fishermen, I do the best that I can, I`m a fisherman myself, I come from a small island community, I have seen my friends, some of my friends lost at the sea, so I know the dangers of it.

I myself had a few close calls on the water. So, you know, I know the dangers of that. We are not adverse to danger in our industry. We`re not shrinking violets. And it`s something that has just been ingrained in us.

So, when this came about, we just said very simply, all we want to do is fish. These are our fishing grounds, this is where we fish, and we don`t see any reason why -- that we are the ones that have to make way.

MOHYELDIN: Right.

MURPHY: That is our stance, and we said than that it would be our protest, is that if the Russian fleet came in and they wanted to do their exercises, and we were fishing, and they said go, our protest was no, we are just going to keep fishing here. And you have to leave, you have to go away.

And that was the main trust of our protest. And our boats are actually out in that area, they are not going to go out like the flotilla that you`ve seen in Cork. We have gathered them from all over the county, and again protesting about Brexit, because all those opposed that you see going up the river, everyone, they will be eliminated, and gone, and these are all family businesses that have been built up over generations.

(CROSSTALK)

MOHYELDIN: And it`s going to be -- I was going to say, I just wanted to jump in there real quick to say, it is something that is very important to you and your family and your community, it clearly now has geopolitical implications, so we will be following this story very closely.

Patrick Murphy, the CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organization, we wish you and your fishermen safety and we will be in touch over the next couple of days. Thank you so much for joining us, Patrick.

MURPHY: Thank you --

(CROSSTALK)

MOHYELDIN: Up next, the very latest on how some school boards are trying to ban certain books and the way some parents are actually fighting back and willing. We`ll tell you about that next. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:52:11]

MOHYELDIN: This week, the author of "Maus", the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust, tried, along with the rest of us to wrap his head around a Tennessee school board`s unanimous decision to ban his book from being taught in eighth grade classrooms. The reason the school board banned his book about the Holocaust was because it had rough, objectionable language.

As Mr. Spiegelman put it to "The New York Times", he got the impression that what the board members were asking was, quote, why can`t they teach a nicer Holocaust? This is a disturbing imagery. But you know what? It`s disturbing history.

The "Maus" example is just one example in an ongoing nationwide campaign to prevent U.S. students from learning history that parents quite frankly think is discomforting. This week, a Georgia House subcommittee held a hearing on a bill that would allow parents to protest any books or online material that they think might be harmful to their kids. In Texas, the fearmongering over critical race theory has reached library bookshelves.

And late last year, a Texas Republican lawmaker compiled a list of 850 books he thought would, quote, make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish because of race or sex. He sent the list to local superintendents asking if they were on their library shelves. In Round Rock, Texas, outside of Austin, a parent complained about a book by Jason Reynolds and Ibram Kendi`s called "Stamped: Racism, Anti-racism and You".

Now, the book is a history of racist ideas here in the United States. And the school district escalated that complaint and debated whether to remove the book from the curriculum entirely.

But while one parent actually try to get their book removed, hundreds of others banded together to make sure their children would learn real American history, including our countries deep history of racism. The Round Rock Black Parents Organization organized groups to come speak and support of literature that is not whitewashed. They made a petition to keep the book in the curriculum, more than 3,600 people signed on.

And here is the thing: They won. This group of parents seems to have come up with a blueprint for how to fight this kind of censorship that is taking place in our nation`s classrooms day by day.

Joining us now is Natosha Daniels, a former assistant principal in Round Rock, Texas. She is also one of the parents who led the effort to keep "Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism and You" on her school district`s reading list as a leader of the Round Rock Black Parents Association.

Ms. Daniels, thank you so much for joining us and being with us tonight.

We hear a lot about efforts to ban books in this country, certainly in conservative school districts. We hear less about successful efforts like yours to stop those bands from taking place.

Can you tell us about how you and other parents in the school district organized and were successful in keeping this book on the reading list?

[21:55:07]

NATOSHA DANIELS, ROUND ROCK BLACK PARENTS ASSOCIATION: I think -- first of all, thank you for having me.

And I think that one of the most successful things that we were able to do was partner with several organizations around us. So, it was not only run by parents, it was entire system together. It was educators in solidarity.

And I think -- and I think it`s the broader message is that this book bans are not going away because they`re part of a larger effort, in my opinion, to destabilize public education and to erase our history, right, like about black families. They don`t want us to learn our history. They don`t want us to know how great we are. And I think the key here is to understand that we are stronger together and Round Rock Black parents is a big testament of that.

MOHYELDIN: What -- what have you heard -- I`m curious, what you`ve heard from other parents and students about the efforts to actually ban this book from the curriculum? I mean, what were their concerns when they learned that the school district was considering removing it?

DANIELS: So, I actually contacted some -- the BSU -- the Black Student Unions presidents and I asked them their thoughts because I wanted to know from students. And one of the first things that a student told me was, if they`re trying to ban this book, then why are we reading "To Kill a Mockingbird` in eighth grade? Why are they not banning "Of Mice and Men"? That was their first thought and they were like, they are never going to ban stories of white savior-ism, only stories of blackness that will be banned.

And I think that is very telling that they recognized that -- I mean, this is blatant racism, the fact that they are not banning those other books.

MOHYELDIN: You are absolutely right. And I totally agree with you. This is something that will be with us in this country for sometime as we see these debates take place on school boards all across the country.

Natosha Daniels, former assistant principal and leader of the Round Rock Texas Black Parents Association, thank you so much for joining us tonight. Greatly appreciate it.

We have one more story to get to here tonight. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MOHYELDIN: That does it for us tonight. Rachel will be back here on Monday, and I will see you tomorrow night at 8:00 Eastern for my show "AYMAN" when my guest will be actress and comedian, Margaret Cho.

Now, it`s time for a special edition of "THE LAST WORD": Putin`s Endgame.

Good night.