METROFOCUS: OCTOBER 30, 2019

> TONIGHT ON 'METROFOCUS,' THE STATE OF IMPEACHMENT.

AS THE FIRST OFFICIAL TO LISTEN TO THE CALL BETWEEN PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE SPEAKS OUT, HOUSE DEMOCRATS TAKE IMPEACHMENT TO THE NEXT PHASE.

IN A MOMENT, A LOOK AT HOW WE GOT HERE WITH FORMER 'TIME 'MAGAZINE EDITOR RICHARD STENGEL.

THEN AS THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS PLAYS OUT THE BIG DECISION FACING MODERATE DEMOCRATS IN SWING DISTRICTS.

COULD THEIR POLITICAL FUTURE BE AT STAKE.

THOSE STORIES AND MORE AS 'METROFOCUS' STARTS RIGHT NOW.

> THIS IS 'METROFOCUS' WITH RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD AND JENNA FLANAGAN.

'METROFOCUS' IS MADE POSSIBLE BY JAMES AND MERRYL TISCH, SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, THE SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM, BERNARD AND IRENE SCHWARTZ, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, AND BY --

> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO 'METROFOCUS,' I'M JACK FORD.

IMPEACHMENT.

HEADLINES AROUND THE WORLD HAVE RESONATED WITH THE WORD SINCE NEWS BROKE THAT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ALLEGEDLY SOUGHT AID FROM UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT IN A KWID KWO PRO.

ONE OFFICIAL IS CLAIMING THIS CALL BOLSTERING VLADIMIR PUTIN ANTIDEMOCRATIC NARRATIVE.

RUSSIA HAS PREVIOUSLY FURTHERED THIS AGENDA BY SPREADING MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION DURING THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

FORMER UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND FORMER EDITOR IN CHIEF AT 'TIME' AND WELL-REGARDED AUTHOR RICHARD STENGEL JOINS US TO TALK ABOUT THIS AND MORE FROM HIS NEW BOOK TITLED 'INFORMATION WARS: HOW WE LOST THE GLOBAL BATTLE AGAINST DISINFORMATION AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.'

HIS BOOK LAYS OUT EXACTLY HOW RUSSIA INTERFERED IN THE 2016 ELECTION AND HOW WE CAN EDUCATE OURSELVES FROM SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION GOING INTO THE 2020 ELECTION.

AND WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE HIM WITH US NOW.

GREAT TO SEE YOU, JACK.

LET ME START OFF WITH THE NOTION OF DISINFORMATION.

AND THE SIMPLE QUESTION IS WHAT IS THAT EXACTLY?

YES, DISINFORMATION IS DIFFERENT THAN MISINFORMATION IN THE FOLLOWING SENSE: DISINFORMATION THE FALSE, UNTRUE INFORMATION THAT'S USED FOR A STRATEGIC PURPOSE, TO PERSUADE YOU OF SOMETHING THAT'S NOT TRUE.

MISINFORMATION MAY BE A MISTAKE.

WE IN JOURNALISM HAVE PRACTICED MISINFORMATION FOR A WHILE BECAUSE WE DO MAKE MISTAKES.

IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN PROPAGANDA WHICH I SAY IS MAYBE TRUE OR FALSE, ALSO TRYING TO PERSUADE YOU OF A POINT OF VIEW USUALLY ABOUT A NATION OR A COUNTRY.

I WAS STRUCK BY A QUOTE THAT YOU HAD SAID BEFORE.

AND YOU SAID YOU HAD LONG THOUGHT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A FAKE NEWS PROBLEM.

WE HAVE A MEDIA LITERACY PROBLEM.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?

ONE OF THE THINGS I FOUND WHEN I WAS AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND I SAW ALL OF THIS DISINFORMATION THAT THE RUSSIANS WERE DOING AND I ALSO WAS COUNTERING ISIS DISINFORMATION, I WAS STRUCK BY EVEN AFTER SPENDING MY WHOLE CAREER AS A JOURNALIST THAT PEOPLE COULDN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FACT AND FICTION.

THEY DIDN'T LOOK AT THE PROVENANCE, THE ORIGIN OF WHERE THAT INFORMATION CAME FROM.

IT MADE ME REALIZE WE DID A BAD JOB EXPLAINING WHAT WE DO, THE SCHOOLS DIDN'T DO A GOOD JOB OF TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO SUS OUT WHAT'S FACTUAL AND WHAT'S NOT.

AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS.

IN WHAT FASHION?

HOW DO YOU THINK THAT SHOULD BE DONE?

YOU TEACH PEOPLE WHAT'S A TRUSTED SOURCE, WHAT'S NOT A TRUSTED SOURCE, HOW DO YOU FIGURE THAT OUT?

READING SOMETHING OUT ON THE INTERNET AS KIDS WILL SAY IS DIFFERENT THAN READING SOMETHING ON 'THE NEW YORK TIMES' ON THE INTERNET OR 'THE WASHINGTON POST.'

I'VE BEEN SURPRISED THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT AS WELL VERSED IN THIS AS I IMAGINED THEY WOULD BE.

AND BY THE WAY, IN ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP, PEOPLE -- YOU USE FOOTNOTES, PRIMARY SOURCES.

WE NEED TO DO THE SAME THING FOR JOURNALISM.

WHAT ABOUT THE DELIVERY PLATFORMS NOWADAYS FOR NEWS AND FOR JOURNALISM?

YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF YOU'RE GETTING YOUR NEWS IN A BURST OF 240 CHARACTERS.

I'M NOT AGAINST THAT.

I ACTUALLY THINK IT'S -- THE BENEFITS OF THE INTERNET ARE TREMENDOUSLY OUTWEIGH THE DRAW BACKS.

AND TWITTER, WHICH YOU'RE REFERRING TO, IS INSTANT.

BUT OF COURSE IT HAS LINKS TO MUCH LONGER PIECES.

THERE'S A VIRTUE I THINK IN SOMETIMES TRYING TO CONDENSE YOUR IDEAS INTO A SMALL NUMBER OF CHARACTERS.

I'M NOT AGAINST THAT.

I JUST WANT TO FIGURE OUT WAYS THAT WE CAN USE IT IN A MORE HOLISTIC WAY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.

LET ME TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WRITE ABOUT HERE, AND YOU MENTIONED IT BEFORE WHEN YOU WERE IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU FOUND IN TERMS OF RUSSIA, WHAT THEY WERE DOING HERE, HOW THEY MANAGED TO WEAPONIZE, FOR INSTANCE, THE INTERNET.

YES.

TELL US ABOUT THAT.

THEY HAVEN'T WEAPONIZED THE WHOLE INTERNET BUT A SECTOR OF IT.

BUT ENOUGH OF IT, I GUESS.

ONE OF THE THINGS I SAW, WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE A FEW WEEKS LATER, PUTIN ANNEXED CRIMEA IN ONE OF THE LARGEST ILLEGAL LAND GRABS SINCE WORLD WAR II.

BUT WHAT I ALSO NOTICED WHEN I STARTED TWEETING ABOUT IT WAS I STARTED GETTING HIT BY RESPONSES FROM FOLKS WITH RUSSIAN-SOUNDING NAMES SAYING I WAS A HYPOCRITE AND PROP GANDIST AND A LIAR.

WE STARTED LOOKING AT IT AND WHAT THE RUSSIANS WERE DOING IN THE RUSSIAN PERIPHERY IN THE BALTICS AND POLAND AND GERMANY.

THERE WAS A WHOLE RISE OF DISINFORMATION.

THAT WAS THE TIME THAT THE INTERNET RESEARCH AGENCY WAS STARTED BY A CRONY OF PUTINS.

HUNDREDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD COME IN EYE DAY CREATING ALL OF THESE FALSE NARRATIVES, CREATING DIFFERENT PERSONAS ON FACEBOOK, ON TWITTER, WHATEVER.

WE SAW THE KIND OF BIRTH OF THIS RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION EFFORT WHICH CARRIED OVER INTO THE 2016 CAMPAIGN.

I SAY IT'S A KIND OF TEMPLATE FOR THEM.

THEY SAW HOW SUCCESSFUL IT WAS IN RUSSIAN AND UKRAINE, AND THEN THEY TRANSFERRED IT TO ENGLISH.

AND THEY HAVEN'T STOPPED.

ARE WE ABLE LOOKING BACK AT IT TO CALCULATE JUST WHAT THE IMPACT WAS OF THE RUSSIANS' INTERFERENCE IN THE 2016 ELECTION?

YOU KNOW, THAT IS THE COLLECTION?

THERE ARE CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY KNOW THE ANSWER.

AND I'VE LOOKED AT THIS NOW FOR A LONG TIME.

I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER.

WHERE I THINK THEY GOT THE MOST PURCHASE -- WE SAW SOME OF THIS IN THAT SENATE INTELLIGENCE REPORT, SOME OF IT FROM THE MUELLER REPORT -- IS TRYING TO PERSUADE PEOPLE NOT TO VOTE, VOTER SUPPRESSION.

THEY DID A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FALSE CONTENT TARGETED AT AFRICAN-AMERICAN USERS, A SITE CALLED BLACKTIVIST.

THEY WERE TRYING TO PERSUADE BLACK PEOPLE NOT TO VOTE.

THEY ALSO DID SUPPORT FOR JILL STEIN.

IN THE THREE STATES THAT TRUMP BEAT HILLARY CLINTON IN, WISCONSIN, PENNSYLVANIA, MICHIGAN, HIS MARGIN OF VICTORY WAS SMALLER THAN THE NUMBER OF VOTES THAT JILL STEIN GOT AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTERS IN THOSE THREE PLACES WAS NOT NEARLY AS HIGH AS IN 2012.

YOU MENTIONED ISIS.

THAT MIGHT SURPRISE PEOPLE.

WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION.

WHAT DID YOU DISCOVER ABOUT ISIS?

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REPORTED TO ME AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT WAS THE ONE ENTITY THAT DID COUNTER ISIS MESSAGING.

IT WAS STARTED BY SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON.

AND THERE IT WAS INTERESTING.

IN SOME WAYS IT'S A MODEL FOR WHAT MIGHT BE GOING ON.

NOW, THEY DIDN'T CAMOUFLAGE THEIR IDENTITIES.

THEY WERE IN FAVOR OF THE CALIPHATE, NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CALIPHATE AS AN IDEA.

BUT THEY ALSO USED THOSE PLATFORMS TO RECRUIT PEOPLE.

WHAT I WORRY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IN 2020 IS THESE RUSSIAN TROLLS ARE RECRUITING AMERICANS WHO DON'T KNOW THEY'RE DEALING WITH RUSSIAN TROLLS TO DO THINGS THAT WOULD HURT OUR ELECTION.

IT SOUNDS -- EVEN THOUGH IT CERTAINLY SOUNDS INSIDIOUS, BUT ALSO SOUNDS FAIRLY INGENIOUS.

I AM NOT SOMEBODY WHO IS TERRIBLY WELL-VERSED IN THAT WORLD.

I CAN EXIST.

BUT IS THAT AN OVERSTATEMENT?

I THINK IT IS AN OVERSTATEMENT.

AND HERE'S WHY.

BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THEY'RE TARGETING DON'T HAVE MEDIA LITERACY.

IT'S LIKE THE --

BACK TO THE QUESTION I LED OFF WITH YOU ABOUT THE NOTION OF MEDIA LITERACY.

YEAH.

IT'S LIKE THE EMAILS YOU GET FROM THE NIGERIAN PRINCE WHO NEEDS $20,000 AND THEY'RE OFTEN FILLED WITH GRAMMATICAL MISTAKES AND SPELLING ERRORS.

THAT'S DELIBERATE.

IT'S DELIBERATE BECAUSE THEY KNOW IF YOU ANSWER SOMETHING THAT HAS THAT MANY MISTAKES IF HAD IT, YOU'RE A LIVEWIRE.

AND WHAT THE RUSSIANS DID WAS SIMILAR.

THEY HAD POOR GRAMMAR.

THEIR ENGLISH WAS TERRIBLE.

BUT WHEN THEY SAID HILLARY CLINTON WAS STARTING A CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING RING OR THE POPE ENDORSED DONALD TRUMP, PEOPLE WHO WERE LIABLE TO BELIEVE THAT WOULD BELIEVE IT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS AS MESSED UP AS THE EMAILS FROM THE NIGERIAN PRINCE.

THAT'S COMPLETELY FASCINATED BECAUSE I THOUGHT THIS IS THE WAY WE GET RID OF THESE GUYS.

BUT AS YOU SAID IF SOMEONE CLICKS ON IT, WE'RE REALING THEM IN NOW.

THEY'RE NOT SOPHISTICATED.

IN THE BOOK I GAVE EXAMPLES OF RUSSIANS WHO TWEETED AT ME AND ALL THE WORDS WE CAN'T SAY ON TELEVISION, THEY COULDN'T EVEN SPELL.

FACEBOOK JUST CAME OUT AND THERE WAS AN INSTANCE WHERE THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS CLEARLY FALSE THAT THEY GOT OUT ON THEIR PLATFORM.

AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT'S NOT OUR JOB ESSENTIALLY TO BE THE FACT CHECKERS OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS ESSENTIALLY UNDERSTANDABLY IN FREE SPEECH LANGUAGE SAYING LOOK, WE PUT THINGS OUT THERE, AND PEOPLE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

THEY CAN ABSORB IT.

THEY CAN REJECT IT.

THEY CAN DO WHATEVER WE WANT, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE THE FACT-CHECKING GATE KEEPERS.

WHERE DOES THAT TAKE US?

WELL, AS A LEGAL MAVEN, YOU KNOW THAT THE FIRST AMENDMENT APPLIES TO GOVERNMENT.

IT DOESN'T APPLY TO PRIVATE COMPANIES.

RIGHT.

THOSE PLATFORM COMPANIES HAVE THEIR OWN CONSTITUTIONS THAT CALL THE TERMS OF SERVICE AGREEMENT.

THEY CAN TAKE ANY KIND OF THINGS THAT THEY WANT.

ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS I MAKE IN THE BOOK IS THE COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT OF 1996 SECTION 230 REALLY HELPED CREATE THESE GREAT PLATFORM COMPANIES.

AND ONE WAY THEY DID THAT IS THEY GAVE THEM IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY FOR THE CONTENT THEY PUBLISH BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T TRADITIONAL PUBLISHERS IN THE SENSE.

THEY'RE JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE.

THEY'RE PUTTING IT OUT THERE, THIRD PARTY CONTENT.

BUT THE LAW NEEDS TO CHANGE.

THEY NEED TO HAVE MORE LIABILITY FOR THAT CONTENT.

NOT THE SAME LIABILITY THAT 'TIME' MAGAZINE HAS FOR ERR WORD THAT'S EDITED AND CURATED BUT THEY CAN'T HAVE HATE SPEECH.

THEY CAN'T HAVE VERIFY BLI DEMONSTRABLY FALSE CONTENT.

THE REASON THEY PROTECTED IT BECAUSE THEY SAID IT WAS AN AD, POLITICAL SPEECH.

YOU CANNOT PROTECT DEMON STRA BLI FALSE CONTENT.

WE HEAR THINGS DESCRIBED AS ECHO CHAMBERS, WE GO TO HEAR WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR.

DOES THAT SUGGEST WE'RE VERY FAR AWAY FROM MEDIA LITERACY, INDEED WE'RE REACTING AWAY FROM IT AND WE SHOULDN'T BE OPTIMISTIC MOVING ON IN THE FUTURE?

YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS HUMAN NATURE, RIGHT?

AND SMART COGNITIVE SCIENTISTS WHO HAVE CREATED THESE IDEAS OF COGNITIVE BIAS HAVE TALKED ABOUT CONFIRMATION BIAS WHICH IS THAT WE'RE MORE RECEPTIVE TO INFORMATION WE AGREE WITH AND WE'RE LESS RECEPTIVE TO INFORMATION THAT WE DON'T.

AND WE SEEK OUT WHAT WE AGREE WITH, RIGHT?

SO, THAT'S HUMAN NATURE.

AND IN FACT ONE OF THE DIFFICULTIES OF GETTING THIS KIND OF AWFUL FALSE DISINFORMATION OFF OF THE WEB IS THAT THERE'S ANOTHER COGNITIVE BIAS, THE BACKFIRE EFFECT, WHICH IS THAT PEOPLE THAT HAVE STRONGLY HELD BELIEFS, IF YOU TRY TO DISABUSE THEM OF THAT BELIEF, THEY HOLD THE BELIEF EVEN MORE STRONGLY.

SO, HOW DO YOU DISABUSE THEM OF IT?

I ACTUALLY THINK PART OF THE ANSWER IS TO GIVE CONTENT COMPANIES MORE RELIABILITY.

THEY HAVE TO TAKE OFF HATE SPEECH, FALSE SPEECH, AND THAT WILL IMPROVE THINGS.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HUMAN NATURE HERE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE THAT RIGHT AWAY.

'INFORMATION WARS: HOW WE LOST THE GLOBAL BATTLE AGAINST DISINFORMATION AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.'

IT READS LIKE A NOVEL.

THANK YOU.

IT'S A STORY.

IT IS A STORY.

YOU'RE GREAT AT TELLING IT.

COME BACK AND VISIT US.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I'D LOVE TO.

> WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP FACING POSSIBLE IMPEACHMENT, MODERATE DEMOCRATS IN SWING DISTRICTS ARE CONFRONTED WITH A DIFFICULT DECISION.

SHOULD THEY OPPOSE THE IMPEACHMENT OF A PRESIDENT FOR WHOM A MAJORITY OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS VOTED IN 2016, OR SHOULD THEY SUPPORT THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS AND POSSIBLY PUT THEIR POLITICAL FUTURES AT RISK.

MIKIE SHERRILL HAS DECIDED TO BACK THE INQUIRY.

SHE'S PART OF DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS IN SWING DISTRICTS WHO URGE CONGRESS TO FIND OUT IF PRESIDENT TRUMP ABUSED HIS POWER WHILE DEALING WITH UKRAINE.

SHE SPOKE ABOUT HER DECISION.

TO SEE THAT WE HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO HAS GONE TO THE HEAD OF A COUNTRY FIGHTING A WAR WITH RUSSIA AND WITHHELD CRITICAL ARMAMENTS AND THEN PRESSURED THAT PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE TO INVESTIGATE COMPETITOR OF THE PRESIDENT IN THE ELECTION REALLY CROSSED A LINE FOR ME ANDNS NATIONAL SECURITY AT HOME.

AND JOINING US NOW IS STATE OF AFFAIRS ANCHOR STEVE ADUBATO.

CONGRESSWOMAN SHERRILL KIND OF EXPLAINED WHY SHE DID WHAT SHE DID.

I WONDER IF YOU CAN ELABORATE ON THAT AND TELL US WHAT KIND OF CONSEQUENCES SHE MAY BE FACING.

SHE'S THE FIRST DEMOCRAT TO REPRESENT THAT DISTRICT IN DECADES.

REPUBLICANS HAVE WON IT.

HERE'S MY VIEW OF IT.

I ACTUALLY INTERVIEWED MIKIE SHERRILL SOON AFTER SHE TOOK OFFICE AND WHEN I ASKED HER ABOUT THE QUESTION OF THE PRESIDENT, SHE WAS LIKE NO, TOO SOON, IT'S GOING TO DISTRACT US FROM WHAT WE NEED TO DO.

EXACTLY WHY SHE'S DOING THIS.R B LET'S REMEMBER, SHE'S A VETERAN.

SHE SERVED IN THE NAVY.

SHE WAS A FIGHTER PILOT.

SHE TOOK AN OATH.

SHE SAID I TOOK TWO OATHS, ONE IN CONGRESS, THE OTHER TO DEFEND OUR COUNTRY.

I BELIEVE SHE BELIEVES THAT WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAS DONE HERE AND THAT TRANSCRIPT OF THAT CONVERSATION AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THEN HAS CAUSED HER TO HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO DO WHAT SHE'S DOING.

AND SHE'S ALSO LED OTHERS TO GO ALONG WITH HER BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF THESE OTHER MODERATE DEMOCRATS WOULD NOT BE WHERE WE ARE IF NOT FOR CONGRESSWOMAN SHERRILL.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DISTRICT.

YOU SAY THE DISTRICT FOR DECADES HAS BEEN UNDER REPUBLICAN CONTROL, 35 YEARS TO BE PRECISE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

LET'S BREAK IT DOWN.

NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM HER BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THIS.

NO, SHE DIDN'T.

BUT IN THOSE 35 YEARS IT WAS TWO REPUBLICANS WHO SERVED, ONE FOR 10 YEARS, ONE FOR 25 YEARS.

AND INCUMBENCY HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH HOLDING THEIR SEAT.

NUMBER TWO IS SHE BEAT J.

WEBBER, HER OPPONENT REPUBLICAN BY 15 POINTS.

BY 15 POINTS.

NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT.

AND TRUMP ONLY WON THAT DISTRICT BY LESS THAN 1%,.9%. SO, IT'S A RISK.

BUT COMPARED TO SOME OF THESE OTHER GUYS AND WOMEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

I HEAR YOU.

IF YOU WANT TO DO THE PROFILES AND COURAGE THING, I'M GOING TO ARGUE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE PUTTING MORE AT RISK THAN SHE IS.

BUT LET'S NOT KID OURSELVES.

THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE AND PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE INCREDIBLE ABILITY THEY HAVE TO RAISE MONEY LARGELY THROUGH INCUMBENCY, THEY'RE GOING TO TARGET CONGRESSWOMAN MIKIE SHERRILL.

THEY'VE ALREADY SAID THEY WILL.

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

SHE RAN AGAINST SOMEONE WHO WAS NOT IN CONGRESS, JAY WEBBER.

HE OR SHE IS GOING TO HAVE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS POTENTIALLY TO BEAT MIKIE SHERRILL.

AND TO SAY SHE'S SLOWING DOWN CONGRESS, SLOWING DOWN PROGRESS BECAUSE SHE GOT INVOLVED IN THE IMPEACHMENT AND THEREFORE CONGRESS SHUTS DOWN, THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T DEAL WITH THEM, AND IT'S ALL HER FAULT.

THEY'RE COMING AFTER HER.

IT'S A RISK.

THERE WERE THREE OTHER DEMOCRATS WHO FLIPPED SEATS IN 2018.

MEL NOW SKI, CLINTON WON THAT DISTRICT.

BUT DISTRICT TWO --

JEFF VAN DREW.

WE TALK ABOUT SOUTH JERSEY A LOT.

HE'S A CONGRESSMAN REPRESENTING THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE STATE.

HE'S CONSERVATIVE.

HE'S CONSERVATIVE MODERATE.

SHE'S STEVE SWEENEY, JOE BIDEN TYPE.

EVEN MORE TO THE CENTER.

HE'S NOT FOR IMPEACHMENT.

SORRY FOR INTERRUPTING.

CONGRESSMAN VAN DRU IS SAYING I MAY NOT LIKE WHAT THE PRESIDENT DID.

I THINK THIS IS UNSEEMLY, BUT THIS IS BAD FOR THE COUNTRY.

NOTHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO DEAL WITH INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT GOING TO DEAL WITH WATER ISSUES, NOT DEAL WITH A WHOLE RANGE OF ISSUES.

I THINK HE'S SAYING THIS IS A BAD IDEA EVEN IF I DON'T LIKE THE PRESIDENT.

KIM, DISTRICT THREE, TRUMP DID PRETTY WELL IN THAT DISTRICT.

HE DID.

HE DID.

WHAT'S HE SAYING?

ANYTHING?

DEPENDS UPON WHAT DAY IT IS, SORRY CONGRESSMAN.

THERE ARE TIMES HE SUPPORTS THE INQUIRY.

HE SUPPORTS THE INQUIRY.

WE NEED TO PURSUE THE INQUIRY.

HE DOES NOT SAY HE'S FOR IMPEACHMENT.

BUT CONGRESSWOMAN SHERRILL --

SHE'S MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE.

SHE SUPPORTS THE INQUIRY, BUT IF YOU REALLY READ BETWEEN THE LINES, SHE SEEMS TO ME IS SAYING WE HAVE THIS EVIDENCE, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH DUE PROCESS.

BUT THERE'S SOME SAY THEY'RE FURTHER ALONG.

SHE'S WAY FURTHER ALONG THAN CONGRESSMAN KIM.

OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS THERE HAVE BEEN EVENTS WHERE SOME OF THESE DEMOCRATIC MODERATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PARTICIPATED WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED PUBLICLY.

ON IMPEACHMENT.

ON IMPEACHMENT, YES.

MAX ROSE IN STATTEN ISLAND.

THERE WAS A DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE HIS OFFICE BECAUSE HE ALSO SUPPORTED THE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.

DO YOU SEE THAT HAPPENING IN NEW JERSEY?

WHAT'S INTERESTING, I LOVE THEY'RE HOLDING THESE MEETINGS.

ONE IN MICHIGAN WAS LAMBASTED.

I WILL SAY THIS IN NEW JERSEY, SO FAR IN NEW JERSEY -- AND THIS COULD BE BECAUSE THE POLL NUMBERS IN NEW JERSEY SAY A SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY IN NEW JERSEY SUPPORT THE IMPEACHMENT.

NOT JUST THE INQUIRY BUT REMOVAL FROM OFFICE.

EVERY TOWN MEETING FOR A MEMBER OF CONGRESS WHO HAS BEEN OUT FRONT ON THIS AND BEEN CRITICAL OF THE PRESIDENT AND MOVING TOWARD IMPEACHMENT, THEY HAVE NOT HAD THE KIND OF VITREAL YOU'RE DESCRIBING RIGHT NOW THAT MAX ROSE FACED IN STA TON ISLAND.

ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, ASSUMING NO NEW BLOCKBUSTER THING HAPPENS --

BIG ASSUMPTION.

YEAH.

WELL, ASSUMING THAT, IF IMPEACHMENT IS THE PREDOMINANT ISSUE BETWEEN NOW AND ELECTION, HOW DO YOU THINK THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE DEMOCRATS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THE DEMOCRATS PARTICULARLY IN NEW JERSEY.

I THINK THE DEMOCRATS LIKE JEFF ANDREW DOWN IN THE SOUTH, I BELIEVE HE BELIEVES AND I THINK HE'S RIGHT THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN HIS DISTRICT DO NOT SUPPORT IMPEACHMENT, ASSUMING THINGS STAY THE SAME.

I THINK CONGRESSWOMAN SHERRILL IS GOING TO HAVE A TOUGH TIME BECAUSE OF THE MONEY THAT COMES IN.

EVEN IF MORE PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT IMPEACHMENT IN HER DISTRICT THAN DON'T.

I THINK CONGRESSMAN KIM AND TOM MULL NOW SKI, IT SPENDS WHO THEIR OPPONENTS ARE, AND THE WAY THEY PLAY THIS.

IF THEY MOVE TO A MORE AGGRESSIVE IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDING, I THINK IT COULD AFFECT THEIR RACES VERY MUCH.

LISTEN, NEW JERSEY, FOUR REPS RAPHE, FOUR DISTRICTS HELD BY REPUBLICANS, THAT WAS A BIG PART OF THE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE LOWER HOUSE.

NEW JERSEY COULD LEAD THE COUNTRY OR DICTATE WHERE THE HOUSE GOES.

ALL RIGHT.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

WE'LL SEE WHAT DEVELOPS.

23 YEARS TOGETHER, RAPHE.

IT JUST SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY.

GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.

> AS THE ARTS FUNDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS ONE INS SUBSTITUTION OF LEARNING IS HELPING TO PRESERVE A CREATIVE NICHE FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE.

THE WILDWOOD PROGRAM ALLOWS STUDENTS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES CREATIVELY AND FREELY THROUGH THE ARTS.

WILDWOOD ALSO PARTNERS WITH THE ALBANY BARN AND ART ORGANIZATIONS THAT TAKES THESE CHILDRENS' WORKS AND REIMAGINES THEM WITH THE HELP OF A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST.

I'M ALLY PARROT.

I'M THE ART TEACHER HERE AT WILDWOOD SCHOOL.

THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR.

♪ THE WILDWOOD SCHOOL IS A SCHOOL FOR KIDS WITH AUTISM AND OTHER NEUROLOGICAL DISABILITIES.

WE WORK WITH A BROAD RANGE OF STUDENTS AND ABILITY LEVELS.

IT'S JUST A REALLY INCLUSIVE PLACE FOR STUDENTS WHO DON'T NECESSARILY FIT IN IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

THEY COME TO US AND WE GET TO SEE THEIR POTENTIAL REALIZED.

♪

SO, TODAY WE WERE WORKING ON OUR PIECES FOR THE THIRD COLLABORATIVE ART SHOW AT THE ALBANY BARN.

SO, HOW IT WORKS IS THE STUDENTS FROM WILDWOOD CREATE PIECES, THEY PICK A MEDIUM, PICKED WHAT THEY WANT TO PAINT ON, PICKED THEIR SUBJECT.

AND WE SENT WORK SAMPLES TO THE ALBANY BARN FOR THEIR ARTISTS TO BASE THEIR WORK ON.

ALBANY BARN IS A BUSINESS INCUBATOR AND RESIDENCY PROGRAM FOR ARTISTS IN THE REGION.

WE GET SAMPLES FROM THE WILDWOOD SCHOOL AND THE WILDWOOD ADULT ARTISTS PROGRAM.

AND WHAT WE DO IS WE LOOK FOR ARTISTS WITHIN OUR NETWORK WHOSE EITHER STYLE OR IMAGERY OR COLOR PALLET MATCH WITH THE WORK WE'VE RECEIVED.

WE TRY TO MAKE PAIRING BETWEEN THE ARTISTS AT THE BARN AND ARTISTS AT WILDWOOD.

IT'S BEEN KIND OF COOL TO SEE WHAT EACH ARTIST FROM THE BARN GRAVITATES TOWARDS IN TERMS OF FINDING INSPIRATION FOR THE FINAL PIECE AND PARING UP THE FINAL PIECES TO BE IN THE EXHIBITION.

IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE STUDENTS TO GO SEE THEIR ARTWORK IN THE GALLERY AND SEE THE FAMILIES AND HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE OF THEIR FAMILIES COMING AND SEEING THE PIECES IN THE GALLERY.

IT'S REALLY GREAT TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND BE A PART OF IT AND LET OUR ART COMMUNITY KNOW KIND OF WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE MADE OF.

♪ FOR THE ARTISTS FROM THE BARN, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO STEP OUTSIDE OF THEIR QUOTE/UNQUOTE NORMAL ART WORK.

SO, THEY'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT PRODUCING SOMETHING THAT FITS INTO A SERIES OR THAT KIND OF MAKES SENSE IN THEIR OVERALL PORTFOLIO OF WORK.

BUT THEY'RE REALLY DOING SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS EVENT AND IT'S ALMOST, YOU KNOW, A GIFT.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE RIGHT TERM.

BUT IT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GIVING BACK TO THEIR COLLABORATOR THAT REALLY THEY HAVE SUCH A SENSE OF APPRECIATION FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE WORKED WITH THEM.

I MEAN, IT'S SO FREE AND EXPRESSIVE.

IT'S MESSY WHICH IS GREAT.

WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT IS IT OKAY TO MAKE A MESS IN ART?

YES, WE IT IS OKAY TO MAKE A MESS IN ART.

WE JUST NEED TO CLEAN UP WHEN WE'RE FINISHED.

IT'S JUST WHO THEY ARE.

I'M LOOKING AT SOME OF THE PIECES OVER THERE AND IT'S JUST THE WAY THEY TALK AND THE THINGS THEY LIKE COMES THROUGH SO MUCH IN THEIR ARTWORK.

THIS IS WHEN THINGS COME OUT THAT I NEVER KNEW.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT CERTAIN STUDENTS LIKE A CERTAIN COLOR OR LIKES TO DRAW BIRDS OR TREES APPARENTLY.

AND THEY GET A LOT OUT OF BEING ABLE TO COME IN AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES FREELY.

> 'METROFOCUS' IS MADE POSSIBLE BY JAMES AND MERRYL TISCH, SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, THE SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B.

POYTA PROGRAMMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM, BERNARD AND IRENE SCHWARTZ, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, AND BY --