Fox News "The Story with Martha McCallum" - Transcript Interview with Kelly Loeffler
Interview
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Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia joins us now. You are against the WNBA players -- Senator Loeffler, thank you for joining us. We appreciate it. You are against them wearing black lives matter on their warm-up jerseys because you disagree with black lives matter as a political movement, is that a fair assessment?
SEN. KELLY LOEFFLER (R-GA): Well, thanks for having me on, Trace. That's right. Look, there's a big difference between the statement black lives matter. Of course, the life of every African-American matters, we have to root out racism where it exists.
But the political organization Black Lives Matter is very different. It has Marxist foundations and it's important that people understand what their goals are because sports should be about unifying.
Look, I grew up playing sports. All of us around the country wanted our sports during the pandemic, they have the power to unite us like nothing else and in fact, you know, this is the opportunity.
But this political platform, black lives matter, is funded through ActBlue which raises money for liberal organizations and Democrats. It has the objective of defunding the police, of defunding the military, destroying the nuclear family, it's anti-Semitic, it promotes violence in our cities and I think it's very important that Americans know this.
GALLAGHER: Yes. You say we need less politics in sports. The journalist Roxanne Jones wrote this, saying maybe you're not doing exactly that. Quoting here, "she's playing to her crowded and likely hopes her race- baiting message will resonate in November when she faces a tough special election among a field of 20 other candidates for her U.S. Senate seat.
The Republican senator was appointed back in 2019 by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, and ironically or perhaps intentionally, the senator appears guilty of the very thing she's accusing the WNBA of doing, injecting politics into sports." And your response?
LOEFFLER: It's outrageous. It's absolutely outrageous because guess what, free speech applies to all Americans no matter what your political party is and the threat of being canceled because you don't toe the line with a message with a political message is dangerous. That's not what this country is about.
I mean, look, China does that when Hong Kong protests, but America doesn't do that when someone speaks out. And I have always supported my players when they have different views, I've never suggested that anyone shouldn't be on the team for having a different view.
We all love to come together and welcome, that's what makes us free as the diversity of views. And so, I find it outrageous to suggest that protecting free speech is political. It's for all Americans and I've received a tremendous support from so many saying thank you for standing up, thank you for having a backbone for our country.
GALLAGHER: What do you make of some of the -- your former players coming out against you, I mean, your opponent, clearly, Congressman Doug Collins says that you're trying to just boost your conservative credentials.
But then you have former Dream point guard Layshia Clarendon saying, who now by the way is with the New York Liberty, saying that she's kind of ashamed that she went to your house for dinner, your thoughts on that?
LOEFFLER: Well, look, Collins is always pandering to the left, to the fake news, to the liberal media. Look. This is not about me, this is not about the team, this is about the right of all Americans to be able to express themselves, whether it's a religious speech, free speech, political speech, anything, and not be canceled for it.
You know, this is what's happening across the country. You hear small businesses, large businesses saying we are being boycotted because we spoke out --
GALLAGHER: Yes.
LOEFFLER: -- about a candidate or a cause, that's just wrong. That shouldn't happen in America.
GALLAGHER: Senator Kelly Loeffler, thank you for joining us. Thank you.
LOEFFLER: Thank you, Trace.
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