Chuck Todd’s Full Exchange with Karen Bass on Her Ties To Cuba

CHUCK TODD Let me ░░░░░░░░ to the issue of ░░░░░░░░ A lot of people ░░░░░░░░ turned to this issue ░░░░░░░░ you as they ve ░░░░░░░░ in You spent some ░░░░░░░░ there in the 70s ░░░░░░░░ a young activist I ░░░░░░░░ working with a group ░░░░░░░░ the Venceremos Brigade building ░░░░░░░░ in Cuba You have ░░░░░░░░ the idea that you ░░░░░░░░ somehow celebrating the Castro ░░░░░░░░ But looking back do ░░░░░░░░ look back on that ░░░░░░░░ think you were a ░░░░░░░░ na ve REP KAREN ░░░░░░░░ Oh I think as ░░░░░░░░ 19 year old would ░░░░░░░░ sure In my early ░░░░░░░░ I went to Cuba ░░░░░░░░ help the Cuban people ░░░░░░░░ build houses But over ░░░░░░░░ last 20 years Chuck ░░░░░░░░ have been working one ░░░░░░░░ ve always believed in ░░░░░░░░ the divide between our ░░░░░░░░ countries Cuba s 90 ░░░░░░░░ away But for the ░░░░░░░░ 20 years I ve ░░░░░░░░ been working on health ░░░░░░░░ related issues in Cuba ░░░░░░░░ know the Cubans train ░░░░░░░░ S doctors And I ░░░░░░░░ been recruiting those doctors ░░░░░░░░ work in the inner ░░░░░░░░ because they come in ░░░░░░░░ free The Cubans also ░░░░░░░░ two medicines one for ░░░░░░░░ of which my mother ░░░░░░░░ for lung cancer which ░░░░░░░░ father died for and ░░░░░░░░ would like to have ░░░░░░░░ drugs tested in the ░░░░░░░░ States Now that doesn ░░░░░░░░ excuse the fact that ░░░░░░░░ know the Castro regime ░░░░░░░░ been a brutal regime ░░░░░░░░ its people I know ░░░░░░░░ there is not freedom ░░░░░░░░ press freedom of association ░░░░░░░░ interestingly when I went ░░░░░░░░ my late teens and ░░░░░░░░ twenties you know one ░░░░░░░░ the things that one ░░░░░░░░ the reasons was to ░░░░░░░░ relations with the Americans ░░░░░░░░ were there because there ░░░░░░░░ over 100 young people ░░░░░░░░ were there And all ░░░░░░░░ us worked on different ░░░░░░░░ Well what s interesting ░░░░░░░░ that we had the ░░░░░░░░ to come home and ░░░░░░░░ against our own government ░░░░░░░░ the Cuban people most ░░░░░░░░ cannot do that They ░░░░░░░░ t do it then ░░░░░░░░ they can t do ░░░░░░░░ now CHUCK TODD But ░░░░░░░░ I have to say ░░░░░░░░ sound a lot tougher ░░░░░░░░ Castro now than you ░░░░░░░░ when you described him ░░░░░░░░ comandante en jefe when ░░░░░░░░ died And then you ░░░░░░░░ something that I found ░░░░░░░░ You said you didn ░░░░░░░░ quite realize how sensitive ░░░░░░░░ were in South Florida ░░░░░░░░ this still REP KAREN ░░░░░░░░ No Oh go ahead ░░░░░░░░ TODD And so I ░░░░░░░░ just curious sort of ░░░░░░░░ you thought well Californians ░░░░░░░░ t mind that description ░░░░░░░░ it might offend Floridians ░░░░░░░░ that a minute It ░░░░░░░░ seemed as if you ░░░░░░░░ a soft view of ░░░░░░░░ if you will REP ░░░░░░░░ BASS Yeah And let ░░░░░░░░ explain too because I ░░░░░░░░ the use of the ░░░░░░░░ comandante en jefe what ░░░░░░░░ meant by that is ░░░░░░░░ that clearly in Florida ░░░░░░░░ is a term that ░░░░░░░░ endearing to him I ░░░░░░░░ t see it that ░░░░░░░░ I was expressing condolences ░░░░░░░░ the Cuban people to ░░░░░░░░ people in Cuba not ░░░░░░░░ around the world I ░░░░░░░░ t think that is ░░░░░░░░ toxic expression in California ░░░░░░░░ let me just say ░░░░░░░░ lesson learned Wouldn t ░░░░░░░░ that again Talked immediately ░░░░░░░░ my colleagues from Florida ░░░░░░░░ realized that that was ░░░░░░░░ that just shouldn t ░░░░░░░░ been said CHUCK TODD ░░░░░░░░ it s not you ░░░░░░░░ you were expressing condolences ░░░░░░░░ the Cuban people There ░░░░░░░░ many people who believe ░░░░░░░░ the Castro regime in ░░░░░░░░ was keeping them confined ░░░░░░░░ stifling their freedom That ░░░░░░░░ getting rid of Castro ░░░░░░░░ ve been a celebration ░░░░░░░░ some REP KAREN BASS ░░░░░░░░ maybe And in the ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ different because you know ░░░░░░░░ certainly didn t have ░░░░░░░░ freedom and wouldn t ░░░░░░░░ the freedom to celebrate ░░░░░░░░ So I think that ░░░░░░░░ is just very important ░░░░░░░░ way the Obama administration ░░░░░░░░ opened up relations with ░░░░░░░░ I think the best ░░░░░░░░ to bring about change ░░░░░░░░ the island is for ░░░░░░░░ to have closer relations ░░░░░░░░ a country that is ░░░░░░░░ miles away CHUCK TODD ░░░░░░░░ very quickly I m ░░░░░░░░ of your reaction You ░░░░░░░░ called Communist Karen yesterday ░░░░░░░░ the Trump campaign And ░░░░░░░░ Marco Rubio said you ░░░░░░░░ be essentially implied that ░░░░░░░░ was nobody who has ░░░░░░░░ been considered for the ░░░░░░░░ presidency that was seen ░░░░░░░░ so much of a ░░░░░░░░ sympathizer How do you ░░░░░░░░ REP KAREN BASS Well ░░░░░░░░ don t consider myself ░░░░░░░░ Castro sympathizer Number two ░░░░░░░░ position on Cuba is ░░░░░░░░ no different than the ░░░░░░░░ of the Obama administration ░░░░░░░░ a matter of fact ░░░░░░░░ was honored to go ░░░░░░░░ Cuba with President Obama ░░░░░░░░ went to Cuba with ░░░░░░░░ Kerry when we raised ░░░░░░░░ flag So there really ░░░░░░░░ t anything different And ░░░░░░░░ frankly I believe the ░░░░░░░░ have decided to brand ░░░░░░░░ entire Democratic party as ░░░░░░░░ and Communists So I ░░░░░░░░ not surprised by Rubio ░░░░░░░░ characterization of me or ░░░░░░░░ a role I would ░░░░░░░░ if I were on ░░░░░░░░ ticket CHUCK TODD Congresswoman ░░░░░░░░ Bass Democrat from California ░░░░░░░░ do you think of ░░░░░░░░ the extra scrutiny you ░░░░░░░░ getting all the extra ░░░░░░░░ Good or bad REP ░░░░░░░░ BASS Well you know ░░░░░░░░ I mean it s ░░░░░░░░ because really my focus ░░░░░░░░ about what this country ░░░░░░░░ going through I don ░░░░░░░░ want to see another ░░░░░░░░ 000 Americans dead And ░░░░░░░░ reason for that is ░░░░░░░░ the lack of leadership ░░░░░░░░ have in the White ░░░░░░░░ we are 90 days ░░░░░░░░ from an election And ░░░░░░░░ am looking forward to ░░░░░░░░ President Biden raise his ░░░░░░░░ and being sworn in ░░░░░░░░ I m on the ░░░░░░░░ or not I will ░░░░░░░░ just as hard to ░░░░░░░░ him elected because I ░░░░░░░░ he has the leadership ░░░░░░░░ get us out of ░░░░░░░░ crisis that we re ░░░░░░░░ right now CHUCK TODD ░░░░░░░░ Karen Bass really appreciate ░░░░░░░░ coming on sharing your ░░░░░░░░ with us Most importantly ░░░░░░░░ safe and healthy REP ░░░░░░░░ BASS Thank you You ░░░░░░░░