MS NOW Exclusive Preview: Symone speaks to Scott Colom on his historic win

I'm going to bring in co-host. of the weeknight here on MSNOW, Simone Sanders-Townsend. Because she just sat down with Mississippi. Senator-elect Scott Colombs. Simone, I know you were talking to him. about the when. You also had a question for him. about Cindy Hyde-Smith and whether the two. of them had a chance to speak yet. What did you hear? Yes, Katie, greetings and thank you. I'm here at Columbus High School in Columbus, Mississippi. This is the high school that Senator Scott Colombe. went to. and we conducted our interview.

in the gym that he literally used. to play basketball in. I asked him about a lot in this interview, but I have a clip for you. And in this clip before it, I asked him what was his. conversation. with Senator Cindy Hyde Smith when. she called him to concede in that election. And what did she say? And this is what Senator Alex Scott. Colombe told me. She just said congratulations and good a. lot. And I said, you know, I was kind of it was a. surreal moment. and I just said well thank you. and God bless you.

I hope I said thank you for your service. because at this point the campaign is over. The politics is over. My dad taught me a long time. ago when you're in the battle, you do everything you can take to win. within the law. But once it's over everybody's friends again. You know and I don't have anything negative to. say about her. I'm sure she served to the best. of her abilities and what she thought was right. I just thought that we needed to go. in a new direction and the voters agree with.

Katie, in addition to that, we discussed in this. interview, I talked to him about that most people, a lot of people in this country, they now know his quote-unquote origin story. as Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith blocking. his ascension to the federal judiciary. after President Biden nominated him. Senator Wicker, the senior senator from. Mississippi, supported his nomination. So did Congressman Benny. I ASKED HIM, DID THAT PLAY A FACTOR IN. HIM DECIDING. TO RUN FOR THE UNITED STATES SENATE? HE SAID, WELL, NOT REALLY. AND I ASKED WHAT DOES THAT.

MEAN? AND HE SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M A CHRISTIAN. HE TOLD ME HE WAS A Christian. and that he forgives her. And he says it's just not good for the soul, you know, to hold on to anger. and feelings like that towards. somebody. And then he talked about being a district. attorney and learning how to forgive people. So it was a very, very lengthy and meaty. interview. I talked to him about Senator Schumer. He had some very interesting comments about. him. He talked about working with Senator Wicker. And we also talked to him about his priorities, the committees he wants to sit on, as well as the history, clearly,

that was made in this moment. with his official naming and becoming the. senator-elect from Mississippi, Katie. I'll let you hold on to the Schumer answer. as a tease for later, but I want to talk about. I WANTED TO KNOW IF HE THOUGHT, GIVEN THAT BLACK VOTERS PLAYED SUCH A KEY ROLE,

AND I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT JAMIE. HARRISON HAS BEEN BEATING THE DRUM ABOUT. AND TALKING ABOUT FOR DECADES, AND. ESPECIALLY IN THE LEAD-UP TO THIS ELECTION, BLACK VOTERS DELIVERED DECISIVE VICTORIES. HERE IN MISSISSIPPI, BUT FRANKLY ACROSS THE. SOUTH AND I REALLY. THOUGHT HE WOULD SAY THAT H .R. 1. HAD TO BE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS FIRST. HE ESSENTIALLY SAID THAT YOU. YOU HAVE TO DO VOTING RIGHTS FIRST. AND IT SHOULD BE ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES. BUT HE ALSO SAID THAT THE FIRST. THING THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE. OF IS AFFORDABILITY. HE SAID PEOPLE ARE HURTING.

HE SAID IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE IN THIS COUNTRY. AND HE BELIEVES THAT DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS. I mean, he name-checked in Mississippi. He said given what happened in Maine, he talked about given what is-what happened. in South Carolina, that voters are across the. country looking. for relief and that the United States. Senate will have to deliver on that. I also ASKED ABOUT THE COMMITTEES THINKING OF. COURSE HE'S A DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THINKING HE WOULD LIKE TO SERVE ON JUDICIARY. I ASKED HIM WHAT HE ASKED CHUCK SCHUMER. FOR AND HE SAID HE'S GOING TO HOLD THE. CONVERSATION BUT I PUSHED. I SAID APPROPRIATIONS, ACT AND HE SAID HE SAID HE.

WANTS. TO SERVE ON A COMMITTEE THAT WILL. BE HELPFUL TO MISSISSIPPIANS AND, OF COURSE, APPROPRIATIONS OR. AGRICULTURE. WOULD BE TWO OF THOSE COMMITTEES. YOU SAW THAT RIGHT THERE. 87%, JAMIE, SAID THEY ARE VERY. CONCERNED ABOUT THE. COST OF LIVING PRICES. SO, HOW DO DEMOCRATS TACKLE THAT HEAD ON? WELL, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THEY ARE. GOING TO HAVE TO TACKLE ARE THE RISING. HEALTHCARE COST. WE KNOW BECAUSE OF DONALD TRUMP'S BIG, BEAUTIFUL BUILD. THOSE COSTS ARE GOING TO GO UP. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR,

AND SO DEMOCRATS HAVE TO FIND. SOME WAY TO ADDRESS THAT. COULD BE A REFUNDABLE TAX CREDIT OR SOMETHING. THAT THEY CAN GET IMMEDIATELY. COULD BE INCREASING OR RECONSTITUTING. THE CHILD TAX CREDIT THAT WE HAD. DURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, BUT WE GOT TO FIND SOME WAY TO. PUT MORE MONEY INTO PEOPLE'S POCKETS. AND IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE. THEY DESPERATELY NEED IT. AND I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS. I REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAYS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING THROUGH COUCH CUSHIONS JUST TO GET. ENOUGH MONEY FOR MY GRANDFATHER TO GET.

A GALLON OF A GAS. AND THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE ARE RIGHT NOW. IT IS HARD FOR THEM. AND SO DEMOCRATS HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING. THAT THEY CAN TO PUT A BILL ON DONALD. TRUMP'S DESK, TO MAKE HIM SIGN IT. AND IF HE DOESN'T SIGN IT, THEY'VE GOT TO DO EVERYTHING. THAT THEY CAN TO LET THE AMERICAN. PEOPLE KNOW IT'S DONALD TRUMP. AND THE MAGA REPUBLICANS ARE. STANDING IN THE WAY OF ANY REAL RELIEF. CAN THEY DO IT FAST? THAT WAS ONE OF THE KNOCKS IN THE BIDEN. ADMINISTRATION. THEY JUST DIDN'T DO ANYTHING FAST ENOUGH. WELL, THEY DEFINITELY SHOULD PASS BILLS.

VERY QUICKLY. AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALL THIS TALK ABOUT. WHAT COULD. HELP PEOPLE. AND THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS TO REDUCE COSTS. KAPPA'S PUT FORWARD A LOT OF IDEAS TO. REDUCE COSTS. BUT I WOULD JUST SAY IF WE ENDED. THE TARIFFS AND ENDED THE WAR, THAT FOR AN AVERAGE FAMILY IS $3 ,000 A YEAR. LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN. IT'S $3 ,000 A YEAR. FAMILIES ARE PAYING FOR JUST THOSE TWO ITEMS. SO I THINK THIS CALLS ON DEMOCRATS TO. DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY'RE FIGHTING.

THOSE ARE THE TWO POINTS THAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE. AND CANDIDATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY CAMPAIGNED. BOTH ATTACKING THE TARIFFS AND THE IRAN WAR AND. RISING GAS PRICES. AND WE SAW UNIFORMITY ON THOSE MESSAGES. SO THEY HAVE- THERE IS A BOATLOAD OF. AFFIRMATIVE IDEAS THEY CAN DO AFTER THEY. WORK ON THOSE TWO ITEMS. BUT I THINK IF AMERICANS GOT. RELIEF ON THOSE ISSUES, WORKING-CLASS VOTERS OF ALL COLORS WHO REALLY. DELIVER, BLACK WORKING-CLASS VOTERS THE MOST,

WHO DELIVERED AT THE HIGHEST. RATES WOULD SEE RELIEF VERY QUICKLY. AND IT'S GOING TO BE A NEGOTIATION WITH THIS. PRESIDENT ON THOSE POLICIES. THEY ARE VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO HIS HEART, BUT THEY ARE ALSO WHAT FUELED THIS. VICTORY ACROSS THE BOARD. AND AMERICANS ARE EXPECTING DEMOCRATS TO FIGHT. POLICIES THAT ARE HURTING THEM. THIS IS SUCH A BIG MOMENT. WHAT HAPPENED LAST TUESDAY, TUESDAY BEFORE LAST, WAS HUGE. I MEAN, I WAS ON SET WITH YOU, SIMONE, ARGUING THAT I I DO THINK IT IS THE BEGINNING.

OF THE END OF MAGA. IF DEMOCRATS CAN DELIVER, IF DEMOCRATS CAN DELIVER OR. SHOW AMERICANS. THAT THEY WILL TRY TO DELIVER FOR THEM. AND THEN GIVEN THE PRESIDENCY THEY CAN. DELIVER WITHOUT A THE PRESIDENT WHO IS. GOING TO BE VETOING ALL OF THEIR PRIORITIES. I STARTED THE SHOW WITH BILL. CLINTON AND NEWT GINGRICH COMING. TOGETHER TO REDUCE THE DEFICIT. TO PEOPLE WHO DID NOT LIKE. I DON'T THINK THEY WANT TO PUT IT MILDLY, BUT THEY CAME. TOGETHER AND DID A BIG THING. DO YOU SEE, SIMONE, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A BIG.

THING TO HAPPEN. OVER THESE NEXT TWO ABLE TO DO THIS IN. THE NEXT TWO YEARS. I REALLY DO. LOOK, DONALD TRUMP DOES NOT HAVE VERY MANY CLOSELY HELD. BELIEFS EXCEPT WHEN IT COMES TO. HIS MONEY AND MY OWN. I DON'T THINK THE DEMOCRATS CAN AFFORD, FRANKLY, TO NOT DO THINGS OR HEDGE TO. NOT DO THEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T THINK. THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WILL GO. ALONG WITH IT OR THAT DONALD. TRUMP WILL SIGN IT OR THAT THEIR REPUBLICAN. COLLEAGUES WILL BE ON BOARD. THEY HAVE TO GET CAUGHT TRYING, OKAY,

AS MANY OF MY MENTORS LIKE TO SAY. THEY HAVE TO PUT A CONTRAST ON THE TABLE. AND, FRANKLY, GIVEN THE SHELLACKING, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, THAT Republicans in the House. and the Senate received last Tuesday, I do think that there will be. a willingness for them also to. be able to say they did something. Remember, their elections, not just in 2027, but also in 2028. So I know the Democrats are having. some very clear conversations. about what some of those things could be. Obviously, health care is also a front of mind.

for folks. So we'll see. But they have to put some bills. on the table and not be concerned. about what the president will. or won't sign. It's his problem if he vetoes it, not the Democrats. All right, Simone, thanks for joining us. You can catch more of Simone and that interview. with Senator-elect Scott Colom tonight at 7 p .m. Eastern on the weeknight.