Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner, bypassed the debate before the Iowa caucuses because he objected to the participation of moderator Megyn Kelly as well a press release defending her.Beyond the Trump tantrum, we wondered if this had something bigger to say about the state of the media and politics and how politics is practiced today.
Michel MartinI noted, though, that other strong critics of Donald Trump did attend the inauguration. Hillary Clinton went. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders went. I saw Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. I saw Congressman James Clyburn, all of whom have been critics of Donald Trump.
Michel MartinOne of the reasons I think that Donald Trump has been a popular figure, he's very available to the media. But he also has a reputation for and has a history of attacking people when he thinks they're not sufficiently deferential to him. I think that's clear.
Michel MartinYou probably know the name of Rosa Parks. You probably know that her refusal to move to the colored section in the back of a city bus sparked the Montgomery bus boycotts, one of the pivotal moments in the American civil rights movement.
Michel MartinWhat you might not know is that shortly after she worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others, Rosa Parks had to leave her home in Alabama to escape the constant threat of violence.
Michel MartinMaxine Waters is a Democrat from California in her 13th term. She is a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and the ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee. She is among the six-dozen Democratic lawmakers who boycotted Donald's Trump inauguration. She did participate in the women's march.
Michel Martin