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Will Rollins: “I've been thinking a lot about John Lewis and the Freedom…”

Featuring: Will Rollins, Democratic | Former Candidate, U.S. House California, District 41

Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023

Published August 26, 2023 | Video Starts at 42:35

And hopefully next time we chat, my AC will be working in my apartment. So that's one thing I wanna say. The second thing I wanna say is I've been thinking a lot about John Lewis and the Freedom riders in the 1960s lately. And it is easy in this modern era to get cynical, and it is easy to feel hopeless, given what's happened to the country in the last few years. (42:35–42:43)

CLAIM

Asserts that he has been reflecting on historical civil rights figures and events.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Will Rollins

“The party believed that I was going to win.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 00:26-00:30
“I flew back with the lead over Calvert of about 10,000 votes.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 00:41-00:46
“I get an alert on my phone from the LA Times that says that Ken Calvert has defeated Will Rollins and California's 41st.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 01:35-01:43
“Donald Trump comes on screen, and the networks all start covering his new decision to run again in 2024.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 02:45-02:55
“There really has never been a moment like this in American history.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 03:33-03:37
“We were the only red to blue candidate in California, the only democratic challenger in the entire state to win independent voters.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 04:34-04:44
“In our race, we know that we had a ten point turnout gap between Republicans and Democrats.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 04:58-05:04
“About 61% of registered Republicans voted and 50% of registered Democrats voted.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 05:04-05:12
“I only lost to Calvert by about four and a half points.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 05:14-05:19
“This was actually a district that Donald Trump won by about one point in 2020.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 06:16-06:23
“We think President Biden will win this district in 24.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 06:22-06:26
“Democrats have a voter registration advantage [in California's 41st district].”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 06:28-06:32
“We lost less than 1% of [President Biden's] vote share total in this congressional district in the midterms.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 06:38-06:46
“The party's already put California 41 on its offensive target list for this next election.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 07:02-07:10
“We got endorsed by the former republican assembly leader in California, the former Republican elected sheriff in Riverside county.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 07:24-07:32
“We raised a lot of money in the last election.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 08:11-08:14
“We could afford very little broadcast television ads.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 08:26-08:32
“A lot of folks in that part of the district have been represented by Ken Calvert for over 30 years.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 08:32-08:38
“We got some of the best national media coverage that we could have asked for after the election.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 08:58-09:05
“Democratic turnout was lower by double digits in those cities compared to the Coachella Valley.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 09:42-09:48
“No congressional candidate in the entire history of the state has ever raised as much as we just did in our first quarter after launching in…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 10:23-10:35
“We were the number two fundraiser among all congressional challengers in the United States, Democrat or Republican.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 10:48-10:56
“30 members of the California delegation, all three of the US Senate candidates in California, Speaker Pelosi, former US Senator Barbara…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 11:17-11:26
“Chair Del Bene flew to Southern California, spent an hour and a half with me one on one.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 14:03-14:09
“There's about 25% of Republicans who have said that they are opposed to Donald Trump as their nominee.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 15:25-15:34
“If we can get something like 25% of Republicans, registered Republicans voting for this campaign in the next election, I mean, we're going…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 15:34-15:47
“The DCCC has, as I understand it, already bought some digital ads talking about Ken Calvert's record on choice.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 16:51-17:01
“Speaker Pelosi also has announced that she's raising... millions of dollars towards the five to seven California house districts, including…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 18:13-18:32
“We've already gotten some very, very powerful help early in this campaign.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 18:31-18:38
“Unfortunately, because we have a lack of political leadership from some of the folks in the house, like Ken Calvert and McCarthy and others…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 19:16-19:37
“A representative from [a far right member of the California State Assembly's] office got up and said, we'd like everybody here to support…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 20:29-20:42
“Gen Z and millennials can make up a majority of the electorate if they choose to turn out.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 23:19-23:27
“If you don't want the government making decisions about your body, about contraception, about your decision of when you might start a…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 23:45-23:57
“In 2024, with the White House, the Senate, and Congress all at stake, people know now that they absolutely have to vote.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 24:53-25:01
“Reproductive freedom has been a huge issue for young people.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 25:01-25:05
“I'm running against a guy who has gotten more money from the NRA than any other member of Congress from California.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 25:34-25:40
“He will not even vote to support federal red flag laws, which are just designed to take guns away from people who have threatened to shoot…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 25:40-25:50
“We need more members of Congress who are focused on making sure that people who have to go commute around Southern California are spending…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 26:34-26:49
“The Coachella Valley is going to be uninhabitable if we don't have political leadership that recognizes the existential threat that is…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 27:08-27:17
“We did win a majority of Latino voters in this district, which is great, but we need to expand that majority.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 27:41-27:48
“30% of the electorate is Latino.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 27:48-27:51
“The rate for high school graduation [is] lower for Latino kids in this congressional district than it is for white kids.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 28:59-29:06
“The employment rate for Latino young Latinos between the ages of 18 and 30 is lower in Riverside county than it is for white kids of the…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 29:06-29:16
“Ken Calvert lowered the mortgage interest deduction and capped the state and local income tax deduction in California in 2017.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 30:29-30:38
“That caused a lot of tax bills on Californians to go up.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 30:38-30:43
“If you have a mortgage now that's above 750 in Riverside county, which is becoming increasingly common because of the skyrocketing home…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 30:58-31:12
“You are deducting less of your state taxes, thanks to Ken Calvert.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 31:12-31:16
“Let's ban all members of Congress from trading stock.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 32:36-32:40
“Let's impose some term limits on members of Congress so that we're not stuck with the same folks representing us for more than a half…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 32:39-32:47
“Let's ban all members of Congress from lobbying after their service is complete.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 32:48-32:55
“Let's pass some anti corporate PAC reforms so that we're not just getting the airwaves flooded by corporate and dark money every time we…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 32:55-33:06
“We are working to expand [Republican support].”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 34:50-34:56
“Republicans have won at the national level twice, the popular vote, and getting it up to nearly 40 years.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 36:41-36:52
“They've got a six three majority on the US Supreme Court.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 37:00-37:05
“We have what others have called an anti majoritarian court.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 37:14-37:20
“The court right now gets to pick and choose which cases it hears.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 39:44-39:49
“The 303 creative case, which was literally invented by far right religious zealots.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 39:50-39:57
“It may not have even been a credible, a real plaintiff that was involved in that.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 40:08-40:13
“The plaintiff that was cited in the briefs says that he was never. He never asked for a cake to be made.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 40:12-40:18
“Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, even Justice Roberts, you know, unfortunately, with his wife's role as a legal recruiter for some of the…”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 40:50-41:04
“Congress should pass and enforce anti corruption ethical reforms that apply to the Supreme Court.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 41:06-41:13
“It is easy in this modern era to get cynical, and it is easy to feel hopeless, given what's happened to the country in the last few years.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 42:42-42:54
“There is no greater form of heroism than [John Lewis and the Freedom riders] in a lot of ways.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 43:16-43:22
“What makes America exceptional is not that we are perfect, it's that our union must become more perfect.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 43:52-43:59
“I believe that we will win this next election because we will all honor our legacy as Americans to stand up and do the right thing.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 44:08-44:17
“Thank you for being a part of our team and helping to protect our democracy and the future of the United States.”
Will Rollins CTD Town Hall, August 2023 | Uploaded August 26, 2023 | 44:22-44:30