Rapper Killer Mike told Bernie Sanders his community doesn't see the point in voting anymore

By Fusion Staff  |  December 15, 2015 | 6:01pm
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Rapper Killer Mike has posted a new set of video interviews with Bernie Sanders, in which he grills the presidential candidate about the state of America, and his plans to fix it.

Speaking at his Atlanta barbershop, Mike said that while Sanders is currently his preferred candidate, he warned that many in the black community, and the American electorate at large, feel disillusioned about the electoral process, and may have a hard time bringing themselves to vote in 2016 because so many politicians seem bought.

“Whether those brothers [the Koch Brothers] buy Hillary, or buy Trump, the seat’s for sale,” Mike said. “How do we know the presidency of the United States is not bought and paid for?…We get discouraged, and we just don’t go vote.”

Sanders said he agrees there is a problem. While he is a democratic socialist in favor of free health care and free education for all Americans, he doesn’t have a problem with people making money. Rather, he fears that the wealthiest in the country are spending millions trying to influence elections.

Sanders continued that because he’s not being funded by large donors, he is not compromised. Here’s the meat of that exchange:

Later, the pair brought up gun control. Mike outed himself as a pro-gun enthusiast, saying he believed guns are necessary, just 50 years into what he said was true freedom, of protecting oneself in a hostile society.

“It’s the second-line of defense against tyranny,” after voting, he said.

Sanders replied that he is in favor of some gun control, holding up Vermont, which has “next to no” gun control, as an example. Indeed, Sanders himself has a favorable rating from the National Rifle Association, especially among Democrats, something he came under criticism for at the last Democratic debate.

Still, they agreed on closing the gun-show loophole, which allows gun buyers to avoid background checks if they purchase guns at shows.

Mike said he was hopeful that there was a “sleeping giant” of voters who could be rousted from their apathy to support Sanders, and even went as far as to say that Sanders could someday earn a spot next to Jesus and Martin Luther King in the barbershop pantheon.

Rob covers business, economics and the environment for Fusion. He previously worked at Business Insider. He grew up in Chicago.

 
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