The following is a transcript of an interview with Senator Raphael Warnock, Democrat of Georgia, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” broadcast October 20, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s Weijia Jiang reporting from Atlanta. We now turn to the Democratic Senator, Rev. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, good morning.
SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK: Good morning. Margreet, nice to be with you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Before we get into the politics, Senator, I want to ask you about something that happened overnight in your state. We understand tragic news outside of Savannah: At least seven people have died when a ferry dock on a Georgia island collapsed. The White House says it stands by to provide resources. Does Georgia need them?
SEN. WARNOCK: Margaret, this is tragic news. The Gullah Geechee community is such a rich community with a resilient tradition, and there they were celebrating, and as people were leaving a gangway to the wharf collapsed. We know we have lost at least seven people, but my prayers go out to those families. I pledge all the resources of my office to get to the bottom of this, and we stand with the community of Sapelo Island, Georgia, not far from my hometown.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re sorry to hear that, sir. I want to continue with politics. We are so close to Election Day. You know, 33% of registered voters in Georgia are black, more than any other swing state. Our CBS polls show that Black voters are still voting heavily Democratic, as in previous elections, and are supporting Harris at the same rate they supported Biden in 2020, but we are seeing expressed likelihood of turnout lagging behind white voters . What do you need to do to activate people to show up?
SEN. WARNOCK: Oh, we’ve just got to get on with the work. And the good news is: that’s exactly what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are doing. They take nothing for granted. You know, I’ve been through some tough races in Georgia, and you have to leave it all on the field. And so she has been here several times. She’s going to be here later today to worship at the New Birth Church, and we’re looking forward to… and I understand she’s coming again later, later this week, so we’re going to continue to do the work, and we’re going to have her cross the finish line in Georgia and in the country.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You know, the last time you were with us, sir, in March, you and I talked about why Gaza was such a resonant issue among black pastors and black voters. Our latest poll shows that 60% of black voters believe the US should push Israel to reduce or stop military action. Just last week, the government sent a letter to Israel calling on the government to allow aid to Gaza. It has fallen to the lowest level in a year and warns that action must be taken within 30 days. Are you disappointed that the Biden Harris administration has failed to convince the US ally to do more on the humanitarian front?
SEN. WARNOCK: Listen, I’m deeply concerned about what’s happening in that part of the world, the Palestinian civilians, the Israeli civilians who were caught in the middle of this conflict. We must center the humanity of both the Palestinian and Israeli people. I support our efforts to ensure that our ally can defend itself. It’s in a cool, cool neighborhood. I think we are at a new turning point. We are at a crucial moment. I was encouraged to see Vice President Harris calling for peace at this moment, after the assassination of the Hamas leader, and that is what we need. We need peace, and we must use all our resources to achieve it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But do you think this will hurt Vice President Harris, with younger voters? She hasn’t really expressed any different policies than President Biden?
SEN. WARNOCK: Well, listen, let me be very clear. I’m mainly concerned about what happens to the people in that region, not about the politics surrounding it. As I, as I said a few months ago, we have to make sure that our children, Palestinian children and Israeli children, are doing well. And here’s the thing, here’s the contrast. Donald Trump will not even fully support a two-state solution. He has been very, very clear with his Project 2025 that he would actually end aid to Gaza and the West Bank. The contrast between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, they are the ones on the run, could not be greater. And we must continue to try to pacify this conflict, bring the hostages home, and ensure a peace that, or a path that honors the humanity of the Palestinian and Israeli people.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator, we’ve seen incredible voter turnout in Georgia’s elections so far. However, on Friday, Vice President Harris spoke about attacks on the freedom to vote, and she specifically referred to the state of Georgia, as you know the Department of Justice and the state had been fighting over some state laws until 2021. that the Justice Department said black Georgians had their voting rights denied or abridged because of their race or color. The Justice Department did not win that case. Do you think the vice president’s continued comments here could backfire in terms of discouraging people from voting?
SEN. WARNOCK: No, I think the goal of voter suppression is to discourage people from voting. Look, we’ve seen the Georgia State Board of Elections’ shenanigans for what they are. This attempt to literally change the rules as people vote, and the courts have rightly pushed back on that. Remember, during my runoff election, my last runoff election, I had to sue the state of Georgia and state officials so that people could vote during the first weekend of the runoff election. Fortunately, the courts ruled in my election, and besides, my margin of victory was close to the number of people who voted that first weekend and said, “we couldn’t vote.” The court was right in my case. This week they did well again, but I think the most important thing is that people show up. The way to respond to this is by not allowing, by not allowing anyone to silence your voice. I’m glad we’re seeing this incredible turnout across our state. I think this speaks to the vigilance of the Georgian people, and I hope they will keep this up through the early voting, which ends on November 1. Then they will get others there on November 5.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But your governor, Brian Kemp, said the truth is that it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat in Georgia, and he has criticized the vice president and Democratic officials, saying they lied about Georgia’s election laws to raise campaign money and scare people. Doesn’t this high turnout mitigate some of what you call voter suppression efforts?
SEN. WARNOCK: Listen, I went through a few elections in Georgia and what we saw were lines around buildings. We saw the efforts of state officials to make it impossible for people to vote on the first weekend of our election cycle, and Georgians rose up in rebellion. Listen, just because voters are turning out doesn’t mean voter suppression isn’t happening. It just means that people are unwilling to silence their voices. And the good news is that they are showing up, and we will keep it that way between now and November 1st, and then showing up on Election Day on November 5th.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you maintain your belief that there were attempts to suppress the vote in Georgia?
SEN. WARNOCK: Listen, we saw what the State Board of Elections did this past week:
[CROSSTALK STARTS]
MARGARET BRENNAN: -But the court,
SEN. WARNOCK: They’re literally trying to change the rules in the middle of an election.
MARGARET: -But the court rejected them,
[CROSSTALK ENDS]
SEN. WARNOCK: -And the courts, the courts, had to undo what they were trying to do. And what I say to the Georgian people is that the way to respond to this is to keep showing up, because if we show up, we win.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And finally, are you concerned at all about the political violence in your state?
SEN. WARNOCK: Listen, I think it’s really important that we remind ourselves that in the United States of America, we have robust arguments about the direction of the country, about the size of government, about what government should deliver. And those arguments are robust and sometimes impetuous to prevent violence. And so I trust that cooler heads will prevail, and that we will ultimately remember that, contrary to what Donald Trump has suggested, our enemies are not in it. We are an American people. We don’t always agree on everything, but the great thing is that we can have this conversation. That is what democracy looks like, and we are now seeing it become a reality
MARGARET BRENNAN: Got it. Thank you for your time this morning.
SEN. WARNOCK: Nice to be with you
MARGARET BRENNAN: “Face the Nation” is back in a minute. Stay with us.
