Mediaboss Marketing

Democratic presidential hopefulMike Bloomberg is slated to do an interview with civil rights icon the Rev. Al Sharpton on Sunday amid scrutiny of the former New York City mayor'spast support for "stop and frisk."

Bloomberg's interviewwill air at 5 p.m. Sunday on Sharptons Politics Nation program on MSNBC.

The former mayorhas faced a wave of criticism recently after resurfaced comments showed him defending the stop-and-frisk police practice, which studies have shown was ineffective in reducing crime and overwhelmingly targeted men of color.

"The way you should get the guns out of the kids' hands is to throw them up against the wall and frisk them," Bloomberg said in unearthedaudio from 2015.

Ninety-five percent of your murders murderers and murder victims fit one M.O. You can just take the description, Xerox it and pass it out to all the cops," he added. "They are male, minorities, 16 to 25. Thats true in New York, its true in virtually every city."

The unsurfaced comments led to a spike in criticism from activists and calls from other 2020 Democrats that Bloombergexplain the remarks.

Bloomberghasapologized for his past support for the law enforcement practice andrepeated his mea culpa earlier this month.

By the time I left office, I cut it back by 95%, but I should've done it faster and sooner," he said in a statement. "I regret that and I have apologized and I have taken responsibility for taking too long to understand the impact it had on Black and Latino communities."

Several presidential rivals went after Bloombergduring the latest Democratic debate in Las Vegas this week, with former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenButtigieg campaign claims 'irregularities' in Nevada caucuses Poll: Sanders leads 2020 Democratic field with 28 percent, followed by Warren and Biden More than 6 in 10 expect Trump to be reelected: poll MORE ripping the stop-and-friskprogram as "abhorrent" and Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenPoll: Sanders leads 2020 Democratic field with 28 percent, followed by Warren and Biden More than 6 in 10 expect Trump to be reelected: poll Sanders has wide leads in two of three battleground states: survey MORE (D-Mass.) callingBloomberg's apology inadequate.

Ive sat, Ive apologized, Ive asked for forgiveness, but the bottom line is that we stopped too many people and we got to make sure we do something about criminal justice in thiscountry,the former mayor saidduring the debate Wednesday.

Sharpton has criticized Bloomberg in the past over the practice and said this week he would have to repair the damage caused by stop and frisk, while noting that other candidates have baggage as well.

I also dont want to see him as a leaf that the other candidates dump some of their racial baggage, he said on MSNBC earlier this week. I want to know what Bernies gonna say about the vote he did for the [1994] crime bill, where people went to jail.

"No matter his reason for voting for it, it was a law that incarcerated people. Joe Biden wrote it," Bloomberg added before noting that Sen. Amy KlobucharAmy Jean KlobucharPoll: Sanders leads 2020 Democratic field with 28 percent, followed by Warren and Biden Sanders has wide leads in two of three battleground states: survey Democrats: It's Trump's world, and we're just living in it MORE (D-Minn.) is facing scrutiny over her past as a prosecutor. All of them have racial baggage.

View post:
Bloomberg to do interview with Al Sharpton | TheHill - The Hill