MS NOW EXCLUSIVE: Scott Colom's FIRST sit-down interview after HISTORIC win

- Are you gonna be involved in the campaign efforts. next year here in your state, in addition to a very full slate. in the United States Senate? - Yeah, I can walk a chew gum at the same time. I mean, I'm a geriatric millennial. (laughing). - You are a millennial. You came out to TI last night. I said, "Oh, we up 5,000.". The millennials is back. We taking over. (upbeat music). (upbeat music). - Greetings and welcome back to Clock It.

What you are about to hear or watch. is my interview with Mississippi Senator-elect Scott Columb. The first black senator elected by Mississippi voters. and the first Democrat the state has sent to the Senate. since 1982. I wasn't even alive then. We spoke in his hometown of Columbus, Mississippi. on Thursday, November 12th. Now, at this point, I don't know that I need to introduce the. clocking audience to. Senator-elect Columb. I have been telling you all for months that I thought he had a. real shot at unseating.

Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith. Now, you probably remember her, too, right? Because she famously told her constituents to pick another. protein when the Trump administration's. policies drove beef prices through the roof. But soon, she'll be out the door. Enjoy my conversation with the Senator-elect, his first after his race was called. Well, greetings, Senator-elect Scott Colum. We are here at Columbus High School. It's amazing, thank you for sitting down and doing this.

- Well, listen, thank you for coming to Mississippi. It's an honor to have you in the home of your father, and I know that he's gotta be so proud. of our state at this moment. - Oh my goodness, I know he is looking down like, "I can't believe it happened.". Let's get into this. So, Hyrum Revels and Blanche Bruce, they were both chosen by the state legislature. when they served as senators from Mississippi. So you were the first black Mississippian. that the voters themselves. ever sent to the United States Congress.

When did that actually land for you? - You know, I never focused on that. because I was so focused on winning every day. You know, to me, this election had really high stakes. And that meant I had to be comfortable on election day, feeling like I gave everything I had. And you know, once the Calais decision came down. and they started carving up Memphis, threatening to carve up the Delta and Jackson, I knew that that was a threat to go backwards. in a way that's gonna hurt a state like Mississippi.

And so I started focusing, giving everything I got, being as creative as I could be, listening to the right people, staying in prayer and just working hard. And at this moment, it's hard for me. to think of the historical gravity. without recognizing the people that made this happen. Mecca Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Vernon Dahmer, so many people that sacrificed so much. for a moment like this to be possible. But as I said last night, they stayed in prayer, they had faith, and they did the work.

- Last night, you didn't even open with your own story. You opened with Revel's story. Why him, and why him first, obviously? - I thought that people need to know that in America, we've made progress before. I mean, Hiram Revels gave an amazing prayer. that resulted in him getting momentum to be elected, not elected, but selected to be a senator. And there was a lot of progress in Mississippi. on public education, on voting rights, and we lost that progress for a century.

And, you know, oftentimes people look at Mississippi. and ignore the fact that the country allowed it to happen. too. I mean, there was, you know, Mississippi didn't just take. away voting rights from African Americans. The country allowed that to happen. Mississippi didn't just do Jim Crow. The country allowed Jim. Crow to happen. And so for me, I wanted that story to be a reminder of the. progress, but I also wanted people to understand the promise of our. country.

because here you are at a time where people thought. that this was not possible. And I believed in Mississippi. I believed in the value of our state. I believed in the progress. And so that faith, those prayers and that work. showed the country that Mississippi matters. - Do you think we're in another post reconstruction. or another reconstruction moment right now in this country? - I think we have--. - Hold on one second. - Yeah, let me get that off of you. - I want you to get Mike Pence, okay? (laughing). - Thank you, thank you, thank you. Somebody should've told him.

Oh yeah, he's getting out. - Do you think we're in another post-reconstruction moment. or a second reconstruction moment. in this country right now? - Well, I think we always have to be mindful. that when we have progress, there are gonna be certain forces. that try to attack that progress. And history is not linear. There's steps forward, there's steps forward, but there's also potential for steps back. And we gotta make sure we don't take more steps backwards. than we do forward. But you know, I still believe in America.

You know, I was, I still believe that we're a country. that can be, where people can be judged. by the content of their character. and not the color of their skin. We're unique in this world. because we're one of the few countries. that has a melting pot. I mean, in China, in Japan, they don't have the same diversity that we have. We just have to have people that understands. the potential in that. And that is a strength of our country and not a detriment.

- You said you, of course, you say you didn't run on history. and I don't think you ran on history at all. You ran on the work and the work, but you did make history. And so now that it is all said and done, how does it feel? - I'll tell you Simone, it may be hard. for other people to accept this. That's too much about me. When I was first elected district attorney, I was 32 years old. - You unseated a 37 year incumbent, I'm told. - Yeah. - That's a long time to be elected. - And these voters at 32 allowed me.

to be the chief law enforcement officer. of four counties in a majority white district. White voters trusted me. And I was the youngest person in my office. And I had people that guided me. and people that trusted me. And for me, I kept telling people, it's not my job to focus on being the first African. American. It's my job to make sure the next African American. that has the values, the vision, the work ethic, that I don't make it tougher for them. Because I accept the responsibility. that I wanna be judged in ways. that maybe other people aren't gonna be judged.

And I take the responsibility. that my ancestors sacrificed so much for me to be here, I have to take that responsibility, be very ethical, be very transparent, be somebody that folks can trust to do what's right. based on his values, based on what he thinks is right. And I don't want to do anything to embarrass my parents, anything to embarrass my ancestors. And my job is to make it easy for the next person. - Your mother is a trailblazer herself. What did Judge Cologne say to you last night?

- Listen, you know, she didn't say much. She had the biggest smile in the world. She has the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. But she had already given me what I needed. You know, when I-- - And what was that? - Well, when I grew up, she would always tell me, "Don't ever quit, Scott.". It didn't matter if I was playing basketball. or trying to learn how to spell words, she would just always say, "Never quit.". And she would tell me, that's something you're gonna need in life. And when you're a kid, you kind of get tired of it. (laughs). Like, "Mom, okay, don't quit.". But when I became an adult,

I remember realizing that's the most important thing. she gave me. And I pass it down to my children. I tell my daughters, "Cologne girls never quit.". And that's what this moment represents for our state. We're a state that has a lot of potential. and will never quit on Mississippi, Mississippi schools, Mississippi's education, Mississippi's future. And I think my mom had already given me what I needed. - You know, you spoke about Medgar Evers. You talked about him last night,

coming home from Normandy to a world and a country. that wouldn't allow him to vote. He dedicated his life. He was murdered working on that effort. We actually spoke to his, my team reached out, we spoke to his daughter, Rena, today. And Rena Evers Everett, and she sent. an exclusive statement to us, and I wanna read part of it to you. She said, "Our progress wasn't handed to us, "we fought for it. "My parents, Medgar and Merle Evers, "devoted themselves to securing the right. "of black Mississippians to vote. "and have their voices heard.

"My father gave his life for that cause, and my mother has carried their shared mission forward. for more than six decades. Their courage helped make this moment possible. What do you want to say back to her? - I totally agree. God blessed their family. God blessed Medgar. People forget that he was a veteran. He served our country. And when he came home to Mississippi, they wouldn't let him vote. And instead of accepting that, he decided that he was going to live the values. of our country and he fought for the right to vote.

and a coward killed him in cold blood. Didn't even do anything, shot him in the back. and took a father from his children, took a husband from his wife, and instead of living in that bitterness, you know, that family, Murley, the whole family went to work to continue that legacy. And I absolutely stand on their shoulders. and from the bottom of my heart, I'm gonna do everything I can to make 'em proud.

- What's the first thing that you will deliver. that they can point to and say, mm-hmm, this is what that was for? - Well, I'll tell you, voting rights. I mean, I don't know if that's something I can do--. - Should that be HR1? Should that be the first bill going forward, you think? - Absolutely, because we can't have. this partisan gerrymandering where places like Memphis. are carved up in ways where it's basically. about denying the people of Memphis. the vote, the power of their vote in their voice. And it's not about, and when I tell Republican voters,

and I knew it was a good message, it's not about the voters. President Trump did not demand redistricting. to be able to deliver for Republican voters. He did it to try to make it easier for himself. And Republican voters have to understand. that you need to be empowered. You need every voter empowered. And we gotta get rid of partisan gerrymander. We gotta reinstate the Voting Rights Act. We need to make sure that voters are protected, that voices are protected, and that voters pick the leaders and. not leaders pick the. voters. So if it is not, so one, do you think it should be the first.

bill the Democrats put forward? And then secondly, are you considering, are you going to. offer this bill? Well, I think that the first thing we got to do is focus on. affordability, right? You know, I think it's not realistic that President Trump's. going to sign that bill. And so for me, I think-. But should they put it forward anyway? We should put it forward to build momentum for the next. president, to keep that pressure. But we also got to focus on delivering for people that are. really suffering. I mean, for example, I've been a big opponent of the tariffs.

They've been terrible for Mississippi. They've hurt farmers. They've hurt consumers. The war in Iran has been terrible for everybody. And so what I say is let's take our power back. The executive branch was never meant to have all this power. We need balance, and we got to get the power back on tariffs so. we can get low tariffs. We've got to get out of the war in Iran as quickly as possible, because that's been a terrible foreign policy decision, and it's not going to get better. If anything in history, from the Iraq war. to the Afghanistan war teaches us anything, it doesn't get better.

So, you know, we need to be smart about that. And we need to get costs down, because we've got a mandate. to make life more affordable for Americans. - What could you do in the United States Senate? What's a bill you can pass that could actually lower costs. for people in this state and across the country? - Well, the first bill I would propose, and I think we might get a chance. to get some Republicans to support it, and a chance that President Trump will sign it, is no federal income tax for anybody. making under 75,000 a year. - And how will you pay for that? - Listen, we'll figure it out. We'll find ways to pay for wars, you know?

I mean, you know, I'm gonna learn the budget system. and figure out where the money is. There's a lot of stuff that's happening. in our tax system that's unfair. I don't think it's great that we got people. barring against their stock, living off their debt. so they don't have to pay income tax, that's something that needs to get fixed. We can get a lot of money if we focus on fixing that. But, you know, we gotta get money in people's pockets. People are struggling out there. And, you know, I think too many of our leaders. are not listening to those voters, and we gotta make sure we're listening,

'cause if we listen, we learn, and if we learn, we can deliver. - Can I ask you about Chuck Schumer? - Yeah, sure. - First, did you speak to him yesterday? - Yeah, I did. - Okay, what did he say? - Well, he congratulated me, and I thanked him for his part in making this happen. - Tell me about his part in making this happen. And I'm asking because I have had extensive conversations. with the DSCC, I've spoken to Senator Schumer. He was frankly one of the first people. that privately told me that he thought. that you had a chance here.

But then when I look at the financial investment. that the Democratic Centennial Campaign Committee. made in this race in September, or in July, They left you off of the list of the $40 million investment, and I believe it was six days before election day. They did send $500,000, but that was six days before election day. So what exactly was Senator Schumer's part. in making this happen? - Well, I would say that he did initially understand. that our party has to look south for future leadership.

I think that it's not accurate. to say he recruited me, though. - Why is that not accurate? Because, you know, the people of Mississippi recruited me. You think I was listening to somebody that lives in Brooklyn. when I was deciding to run for United States Senate? No, I listened to the people of Mississippi. Congressman Thompson and I had long conversations about it. Derrick Johnson, you know, I have Republican friends in this district. I asked them what they thought about it. They said, "We think you could be her.". And so those were the voices I was listening to. And I talked to several national leaders.

like Reverend Warnock about the potential. of winning this race and how it would have to happen. And so I pushed back on the idea that I was recruited, not as a disrespect to anybody, but just as an acknowledgement. that the people of Mississippi. are the folks that deserve the credit. - So what did Senator Schumer, and I'm gonna press on this. because there are a lot of people right now. taking credit for your victory. There are a lot of people saying they read the tea leaves. I would argue I read the tea leaves, okay, to be clear, 'cause I was talking to the people here in Mississippi. You know, the people in Mississippi.

were the ones that actually put you on my radar. And so what exactly did Senator Schumer do? Because if the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. did not submit--. commit a substantial amount of money to help you win, if they didn't recruit you, right, if they didn't, I don't think they gave you all your staff. So what was their role here? And if they didn't have a prominent role, should they be taking credit? Well, I think that, you know, I have. to be careful about talking too much about the past. And the reason is there's no benefit to it, right? I am happy.

- People do wanna know, I will say. They do wanna know. - Well, I think that, you know, this is what I would say to the leadership. of the Democratic Party. This is a moment where you can show your commitment. to the South by taking actions now that show that, listen, we respect the fact that now the South matters. We can win in the South. Scott showed how he could do it with very limited resources. I mean, there were other states. I got hundreds of millions of dollars, right? I got limited resources. We had to get it the hard way.

And that shows the potential of not just Mississippi, but Louisiana, Alabama, other states in the South. We have to compete in that area. And I wanna be a leader with other people. in fighting for this area of the country. But they need to make sure they take actions going forward. that make that achievable for me. When it comes to committees, when it comes to allowing rural voices to be heard, That's where the rubber hits the road. - What committee would you like to serve on? What did you tell Chuck Sumer? 'Cause I know, I'm sure you asked, sir.

- Well, I think that I wanna be on a committee. that delivers for Mississippi. - And what committee would that be? - Well, let me keep that conversation. - Appropriations? (laughing). Senate Judiciary, I mean, Ag? - I mean, I think Agriculture and Appropriations. are very important committees for Mississippi. That would send a strong signal that we understand. importance of delivering for the voters of Mississippi and it. would send a signal. that the party understands that Mississippi matters and the. South.

matters. But I understand that we got a, I'm a team player. It's not about me. I. want the team to be effective. I want the country to be. successful and I don't. want to relitigate decisions because we won and I just want. to make sure the. people of Mississippi get the credit. Okay I got one more. question about Chuck. Schumer. Yeah. Are you supporting him for Senate. Majority Leader? I don't know my. What are my options? What are my options? Well, right, that's a good question. Right now, Senator Schumer is the only person that has. declared as running for Senate Majority. Leader. So, are you looking for somebody else to be recruited to run. against him?

No, I'm looking for a person that's going to be committed to. Mississippi and rule of. voices. I mean, I've kept saying over and over again that it's not a. good thing that both the majority. leader of the House and the Senate, they're going to be. majority leaders in January, that. they live in the same borough. That's not a good sign. And we need to make sure that, like for example, if you're in New York, appropriation might not matter. that much to you because you're a state. that has a lot of economic activity, you got a lot of capital in that state. But if you got voices that are Mississippi, you know that appropriations and agriculture.

matter a lot to a place like Mississippi. And if you're able to listen to those voices. and make sure that you understand their needs. and putting them in position to be successful, then that's the type of leadership I want. - So, to be determined if Senator Schumer has your vote. - I mean, I think that, yeah, I got to know my options. and I'm not trying to be cute, but I just want to make sure people are looking out. for the folks in Mississippi, because they did this. You know, you've been down here, you know the hard work of people that didn't have money. I mean, it wasn't like we had a bunch of money down here.

We did it the Mississippi way. We got it out the mud, we were 10 toes down, and that's why this victory feels so special. - I want to talk about the pipeline. I talked to Congressman Thompson last night after your victory. rally, and he had a lot. to say about the pipeline. But I want to ask you about one other call you had on Victory. Day, I guess we could call. it, a week after Election Day. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, the reason this race was able to be. called-because I have. to tell you, I was one of the people on the phone saying, well, what does the AP need. to call this thing?

(Laughter.). Me, too. OK? Well, the reason that this race was able to be called was, in. fact, because Senator Hyde-Smith-it's. my understanding after speaking to your campaign manager. that she called you to concede. What did she say to you on that phone call? - Yeah, she just said, "Congratulations and good luck.". And I said, you know, I was kinda, 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 over. My dad taught me a long time ago,

when you're in the battle, you do everything it takes 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 me. - You know, it is interesting. because there are a lot of people that have now learned. what they will call is your story. And they learned that when Joe Biden was president, that he actually recommended you.

He wanted to nominate you for a federal judgeship. - Right. - And you know, the way the Senate works, the senators of that state have to give something. called a blue slip, and it's kind of like a nod of approval. that says yes, this person can go forward. Senator Wicker happily gave a blue slip for you, but it was Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith that did not. Now, did this play any kind of factor in you saying, well you know what, okay, I'm going to run. for the United States Senate? - Well, not really. - Not really, what does that mean? - Because I'm a Christian. I mean, I forgive her. You know, I just don't, it's not good for the soul.

to hold, you know, anger and feelings like that. towards somebody. And also as a district attorney, I. have to deal with victims that have lost their loved ones. to gun violence. And I've seen them forgive that person. So for me, you know, losing a judgeship, I wasn't entitled to it. I got Congressman Ben Thompson and Senior Senator Roger. Wicker to agree. That ain't easy to do. So I thought that would be enough. But, you know, I also want to point out. that Michael Prenell and Dale Bell.

were two federal marshal nominees that she also blocked. And I think their story needs to be told as well, because they were extremely qualified. They went through the process. It's not an easy process. -Were they Black? -They were African-American, yes. -Do you think that that played a factor? -I'll tell you this. We just got to look at the record, right? There were four people that President Biden nominated. Three of them were African-American. One of them was white. Only the one white person made it through, Taiji, as U.S. Attorney. All three people were blocked. Three black people were blocked. That's not a good representation. of our state. I mean, I don't know if our motives were her motives were.

she never expressed any motives to me other than what she said. publicly. But I think there should have been more attention to pay to. that in the in-state media and more people should have been. demanding. Answers from her I'm talking in the state from her. Why are you blocking three out of four nominees and the three. that you're blocking are all African American, you know. That's not a good thing. It's not a good thing and it's a good question to ask. If I get her, I will ask for her. Yeah, good luck with that. Senator Wicker, have you spoke to him? Yes, I have. And what was that conversation? It was a great conversation.

He said, you know, let's find things we can work on that. benefit Mississippi. I've known your father a long time. I don't know you as well, but everything I've heard about you. has been, you know, you're a person that does what he says he's going to do. You know, you're transparent. That's why I supported your nomination. And he told me, "Listen, there were a lot of Republicans in. your area that wrote letters. saying that you were a good district attorney. That's why I supported you. You know, I think your dad's a great person.". He said, "If we disagree, we're going to be respectful about. it.".

And you know, we have the, we may not agree on everything, but. when we disagree, we'll. be respectful. And you know, the thing about it is we're not a state that can. get too balled down in. parts and food fights. We have to be a state that's focused on delivering for. Mississippi to make sure our children, our elderly people, you know, that our hospitals can reach its. potential. There are eight rural hospitals, if I'm correct. Some of them are in danger of closing. Yeah. What are you going to do to keep them open?

Well, the first thing we got to do is counsel these Medicaid. cuts coming next year. And I would call on people like Senator Josh Hawley. Right after the big, beautiful betrayal, I call it betrayal, right after it passed, he. was, "We got to do something about these Medicaid cuts. you know, it's going to hurt rural Missouri. I mean, I would think that you look at what happened in North. Carolina, you looked at what happened in Maine, you look at what happened in a lot of these states, some of that was about the health care cuts. And I think these Republican senators need to understand.

that they've got to make sure health care is affordable and. accessible, because otherwise we're going to have hospitals closing. in areas that they represent. Their constituents are not going to have hospitals. And if they thought this was a bad election, if they don't get that fixed, 2028 is gonna be a wipeout. - You talked about Congressman Bennie Thompson. I was watching him. I snuck down there during the victory rally. and I was sitting on the floor on the ground. and I was sitting in front of some veterans. and they were literally watching your speech in awe. and when I heard you mention Congressman Thompson,

I looked over and he looked like. he was getting kind of choked up. So I asked him afterwards, I said, sir, you look like you was about to cry. What, how do you feel? He was like, "I feel great. "It's like seeing your son move forward.". And he said that you were in the first class. of the Mississippi Black Leadership Institute. that they had here in the state, and that they knew they needed to build a bench. Congressman Thompson told me, he said he looked behind and said there was nobody. And so they went to build a bench, and you were the first class of that bench building, and that that is the work, and that organizing,

and the data operations that they have built. right here in Mississippi. is part of what made this win possible. Do you think that the operations here in Mississippi. need to be replicated across the South? And are you concerned about what Republicans. are now saying about Congressman Thompson and his district? - I am very concerned about that, because the reality is the people of the Delta, the people of Jackson, chose Congressman Thompson to be their congressman. If you can't beat 'em, just accept the will of the voters. If you think he's doing a poor job,

All you gotta do is fund somebody to run against them. and explain to the voters. why they could get better representation. They don't even wanna try to do that. And the other thing I would say is, and I say this with respect to Governor Reeves. and to all the other leaders, they represent the Delta too. They represent Jackson too. So when they consistently say, well, why isn't the Delta doing better? Why isn't Jackson doing better? That ain't just on Congressman Bennie Thompson. That's on them as well. And so they have to make sure they do their part to partner. with Congressman Thompson.

to help Jackson reach his potential, the Delta reach its. potential, the Soda, the Golden. Triangle area, the Gulf Coast, the Hills, the Piney Woods. All parts of our state have to matter. You know, there were no legislative elections in. Mississippi this year. Across the country, more than 6,000 state legislative seats. were on the ballot, but. not one in Mississippi. The legislative elections are next year. The state auditor is now talking about running for governor. All these people talking about running for governor, people that have said, many of them, that they want to do redistricting next year.

Are you gonna be involved in the campaign efforts next year. here in your state in addition to a very full slate. in the United States Senate? - Yeah, I can walk with two gum at the same time. I mean, I'm a geriatric millennial. (laughing). - You are a millennial. You came out to TI last night. I said, "Oh, we up 5,000.". The millennials is back. We taking over. - You know, I think that I want to make sure. those leaders know that this election is a testament. to what they should be focused on. and what they should not be focused on.

Focusing on empowering Republican leaders. to determine what voters matter. is not going to make anybody's life better. And I think the voters are going to reject that. and it's going to get even worse next year. What the Democrats have to do though is, and that's not something I can do alone, the chair of the party, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, they've got to find candidates to run in these districts. so they're all competitive. They got to make sure they get a good statewide. slate of candidates who know how to fundraise, who know how to touch voters,

who can develop a good message that appeals to all voters. If they do that, then they can hold the feet to the fire of the Republicans. because if I was running for governor, I'd be talking about gas, I'd be talking about groceries, and I'd be talking about healthcare. Because if you ain't talking about that, boy, you ain't talking to no voters. - That's what the people say. Can we talk about your wife? - Yeah, of course. - I met your wife for the first time last night, but all of my friends here in Mississippi. that I know have been talking about her. They say she was really the secret sauce.

to your campaign, and she ran the taco truck. Talk to me about your wife. I like to say behind every successful black man. is a bad-ass black lady. - Well, she's not behind me, she's right there next to me. I mean, listen, I've married the love of my life. and I can never lose an election. I really can't because I won the most important election. when she said yes. And every election I had, she's been a part of it. My first election for district attorney, she was my field organizer, my political director,

my canvassing coordinator, she did everything. And she helped me win that election. And this election, you know, I got two young daughters now. So she had to balance being a mother, being a husband, managing a food truck, she had help from her friends, and they did an outstanding job. because they took ownership of that, it was very present in the communities that needed to know, we cared about them, and I could not have won this election without her, and she's the boss. - You do have two young daughters, is everybody moving to Washington, D.C.? - No, we're staying in Mississippi.

- Staying in Mississippi. - Yeah, absolutely. Listen, you know, I'm a very Mississippi person. I am obviously gonna work in D.C. to deliver for our state, but I wanna stay close to the people. You know, Carly Thompson doesn't get enough credit. for the fact, this man's never done a TV commercial. Never. He's never done a TV ad. - You know what? - Never. - I don't think, I think you are correct, okay? - He's proud of that. - Why? - 'Cause he campaigns so much. He's touching voters constantly.

I mean, this guy will go to a class reunion with 10 people. (laughing). But he said, "These 10 people, these are 10 important people.". - Get the voters where they are, - That's what the streets say. - And you know, that's a value that I have to keep. because that's how you maintain the trust of these voters. 'Cause we did something historic. People are excited. They feel like their vote matters in ways. that they didn't realize for a long period of time. And what I gotta do is not only deliver, but also stay very present.

so they can keep telling me their concerns. I can keep listening. I can stay close to the problem. I don't wanna be a DC person. I wanna stay a Mississippi person. - You wanna stay a Mississippi person. I think your wife will appreciate that. - Absolutely. - There are some basketballs around here, and the streets tell me you actually used to play. basketball. - Yeah, three-point champion. - Okay, well we gonna see. - Two years in a row. - Can we get a basketball and just check it out? - Of course, let's do it. - Okay, we gonna see. - Let me take my jacket off. - Okay, all right, I'm gonna keep my jacket on. Part of my outfit. Your coach, the coach, what was his name? - Coach Sammy Smith. - Coach Sammy Smith. - Big, important person in my life. - Really? - Oh yeah.

- They said that when, whatever area he lives in now with his wife, that you were coming to the area, and they were like, "Oh, Scott Coloma's coming, "do you know him?". And he was like, "Do I know him?". And they surprised you with him there. - Yeah, it was fantastic. - My husband gonna be like, "Why are you on camera playing basketball?". - Can you shoot? - I think I can shoot a little bit. Let me just, let me see what I'm working with. - Are these board balls? - Let me not embarrass Sean Townsend today. - That's it. Oh my God, listen. - Ooh, a little brick, a little brick.

Okay, let's see what you got. You won a three-point contest. You gotta get behind a three-point situation. - Man, oh my gosh. - All right, Data, it's been a minute. One thing I didn't get a chance to ask you, sir. Ooh, Jesus, this is terrible. - We're not gonna show you, there you go. - Hey, there we go. - We're not gonna show your husband this footage. - Don't embarrass the staff out here. Pete Hexeth. - Yeah. - Obviously, the impeachment resolution failed, didn't get out of the House,

But if Democrats bring it back in the next Congress, are you gonna vote to impeach Pete Hexler? - Well listen, I'm a district attorney. - Or to convict him, actually. - Well my thing is I'm a district attorney. I don't prejudge things, right? I'm gonna look at the evidence. I'm gonna see what the allegations are. Look at what his defense is. That's what you're supposed to do when you, hey, what's up coach? Hey, what a surprise. How you doing, man? Bless you, man. Did y'all notice he's having a--. - I did not. Coach Demi is the one that told me. - Oh my God. - That he saw you. and came and surprised you. - Oh my God, God bless you.

We're just talking about Pete Hexham. (laughing). - Okay. - Yes, yes. And if he said he's-- - Do I need to be in this? - You can stay, yeah. - You can, yeah. - He said he need to see the evidence. He's a prosecutor. - I gotta see the evidence. I mean, you know, and, yeah, we gotta see what the evidence is, see what the allegations are, see what his defense is. You know, we also need to make sure. we're focusing in on the people. and not focus on political fights that, you know, are not gonna actually. make anybody's life better. My question for him is, when do we get out the war in Iran? That's what I want to know his answer to.

Coach Sam is like, yeah, we need to stop coming to Nub. The gas has been killing us. Let's do that first. Yeah, let's get out of the war in Iran. You know, we were promised no more endless wars. The president said these Middle East wars. were not good for America. We found ourselves in another one. And it doesn't look like there's a clean strategy as to how. this is going to end in a way that's beneficial to America. But I don't want to prejudge them. I want to make sure I look at what the evidence is. and make sure we do what's right for our country. - All right.

Coach Sammy, he missed his first three pointer. that he just shot. So is he really a three point champion? Let me hold this for you. Bounce the ball, get them together. - The deal is, he did win three times. - I got you, he did. - And he did win against me once. - There we go. Oh my God. - Oh, it's a lot of air balls. - I don't want to hit air balls. - How proud of you are this one right here? - Man, I'm so proud of him. I'm so proud of Columbus. I'm so proud, I'm proud of everything. that's happening in this city.

And the big thing about it is Scott, I can't say I knew that, but I knew something. - Oh man, yeah. - I knew something. And this is not the end. - No, it's not. - You know that, and you sleepy? - No, not at all. I ain't tired at all. (laughing). - Coach brought these, I believe. - Which one is Scott? - Oh my God, I probably look like a tough guy. in this photo. There he is right there. - Which one is he? Oh wow. - There he is right there. - Oh wow. - Yeah, this is amazing. - And then here, where is he here? - Right there. - Oh wow.

Oh, he says he played varsity, okay. - Listen, why wouldn't I smile? (laughing). Why wouldn't I smile? Coach, why you tell us to smile? 'Cause you wasn't smiling. (laughing). - He told me that at one point you told him. that you wanted to be a basketball coach. - Absolutely. - And he had to talk you up out of that. - 100%. (laughing). - That's not what I'm doing. - Yeah, he did, no, you know, and, but you told me he would support me if I did it, and I think I would've been a good basketball coach, but what he said was he felt like God had something, you know, different and better for me, for me.

And he, you know, I think there's a lot of honor in. coaching, you have a lot of influence on young people. I think I'm an example of that, but I think God did want something different in my life, and he's guided me in a crazy, you know, listen, I didn't think I was gonna be United States Senator. I mean, I'm not one of these people. that was in high school, one day I'm gonna be United States Senator. In college, you know, it was, I started believing politics was possible. when President Obama won. You know, that was a turning point, I think, for a lot of people,

because we felt like, wow, if the country will elect an African American. to be president, then maybe anything is possible. And I thought that public service was honorable. I got that value from my mom. My dad really encouraged me to not worry about money. He kept telling me, "Don't, you're not.". You know, 'cause he, you know, my parents were not born with money. They earned money over a long period of time, but they passed down to me the value of helping other people. And Coach Smith was a big part of that. Now he was tough on me.

He's nice to me now, but he was tough on me. But you know, you learn so many important values. - I play basketball. Teamwork, I mean, everybody's got a good team player. Somebody that understands when to pass, somebody that understands when to shoot, somebody that understands when it's time. to sit on the bench. - It's called discipline. - Yeah. - It's called discipline. Okay, can I see some three point shots? - Yeah, let me see. - How long you been shooting? - This is my third shot. - Since he been here, third shot. - Since he been here, third shot. Now I made one as well. I didn't make a three, but I did. - Can I get three? - Yeah, let's see. - Let's start off with a three pointer.

- Wait, let's start it right first. - Yeah. - Oh. (laughing). Okay. (laughing). - But ask somebody. (laughing). - Oh, there we go. Oh my God, that was short. - Oh, it's a lot of bricks out here. These the bricks Noddy was talking about. in that speech last night? - Come on. - Oh. - Game over. (laughing). - Rogers let it be known. - He made a three-point on national TV. There you go. - Game over. Thank you for coming out here, Christopher. - Thank you so much. - Thank you so much, Senator-elect. - God bless you guys.

- Scott Cologne, we appreciate you for just bringing us. down here to Columbus, Mississippi. - Absolutely, thank you for doing it. - And we'll be watching. Now you gotta come to the table at the weeknight. when you get to D.C. - Absolutely, I can't wait. - You gotta get on set, on set. - You know this suit is the first suit I wore. when I went on national TV. - Was it? - So I was on your program first, and it was when you did somebody else's show, you were the host, MJB. - Oh, I was, I did--. - What was that show? - It was the 11th Hour. - 11th Hour. - Yeah, they were like, we got Scott Cologne, do you wanna keep him?

- I said, "Oh, I think he is!". I got the question! - Yeah, and then-- - Well, look, full circle. - I wore this suit, and I was like, "You know what? "That was good luck. "I impressed you enough that you continue. "to believe Missy was possible.". - I did. - So I had to wear. my good luck suit today, and I'm gonna make a three-pointer before we go. I gotta make one. - We're gonna change something. - Yeah. - Oh, he gotta sign. the shirt. - Oh my gosh. - Cologne, for Senate, Cologne, the Senate. - We're just gonna mark it out to four. - It's right, D. We just gonna mark it out? - Yeah, I don't, I can't write on this shirt. - That's okay.

And two things, I'm gonna sign from Columbus. - Yeah, yeah. - You're gonna sign mine, I'm gonna sign yours. - You know, I think we should give it to Simone. - We got another one, I will take it. I'll put it in my office. - That'll work, that'll work. - You gonna sign it? - Yeah, yeah, of course. This is historic. I'm gonna put Mississippi Matters. - There you go. - Oh wow. - You saw that for her.

I gotta make this three, I can't go out here and die. You can't ever leave a court without making one. - There we go, there we go. - Okay, all right, I was about to say. - I'm still in the closet. - Okay, is that cool? Okay, that pressure to close the case. Amazing, oh thank you, thank you so much. - Thank you, thank you. Thank you, Senator-elect. It was very good to see you. -Thank you so much. It's amazing. -Welcome back to. Mississippi. - Thank you, thank you, thank you. [MUSIC PLAYING]. (upbeat music). (upbeat music). (upbeat music). (upbeat music). (gentle music).