Current Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez joined Chuck Todd on Meet the Press today to discuss a wide variety of issues currently facing the DNC. Not surprisingly, much of the conversation centered around former interim DNC Chairwoman Donna Brazile's new book, Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House.
In Hacks, Brazile alleges that the 2016 Democratic party primary was rigged via Clinton operatives within the DNC as well as a culture of corruption that slighted Bernie Sanders' primary efforts.
Perez stressed his main focus as new DNC chair was reforming the party to earn the trust of the voters. When asked by Todd about the claim made by Brazile that she seriously considered replacing Hillary Clinton due to her failing health, Perez called it "ludicrous."
Perez: "I have great respect for Donna, I consider her a friend. She has done a lot for the Democratic party. The charge that Hillary Clinton was some how incapacitated is quite frankly ludicrous. Hillary Clinton was a tireless Senator, a tireless Secretary, and a tireless candidate...She was a workhorse."
Todd then asked whether or not Brazile fell for Russian propaganda, as the Clinton 2016 campaign team suggested in an open letter last night. The letter published on medium.com said:
"We were shocked to learn the news that Donna Brazile actively considered overturning the will of the Democratic voters by attempting to replace Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine as the Democratic Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees. It is particularly troubling and puzzling that she would seemingly buy into false Russian-fueled propaganda, spread by both the Russians and our opponent, about our candidate’s health."
Perez responded that he had no idea what Brazile "fell for...but frankly what saddens me is that people who read that charge, which is just without merit, are going to perhaps start wondering about other claims in the book."
However, to most people it would seem the only way to verify whether "other claims in the book" are true or not would be an investigation into them. Yet Perez refused to say whether or not such an investigation would take place.
TODD: “Don’t you owe the Sanders campaign an investigation, I mean Donna Brazile put that charge out. Don’t you and Keith Ellison, shouldn’t you guys look back and see if her charges are true?”
PEREZ: "Again, I totally agree with the notion that the DNC fell short during critical moments."
TODD: "So they did play favorites?"
Perez: ”...of the primary. I think we have to do better, Chuck. I was very clear during the campaign for DNC chair that we have to make sure at the end of the process everybody feels they got a fair shake. That’s how we earn people’s trust.”
He never answered whether or not the DNC was playing favorites nor if he owed Sanders or other progressives within the party an investigation. Perez truthfully did not give any clear specifics to how exactly he planned on earning back the trust of the voters, only saying "winning back jobs" and elections was a top priority.
His full interview on Meet The Press can be watched below.
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