[Pnews] Steven Van Zandt Tried To Get Trump To Release Leonard Peltier From Prison

[Prisoner News]

huffpost.com
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/steven-van-zandt-leonard-peltier-trump-biden_n_631f64fde4b082746be21d4a>
Steven Van Zandt Tried To Get Trump To Release Leonard Peltier From Prison
Jennifer Bendery - September 12, 2022
------------------------------
[image: image.png]

On Monday, for the 45th time, Leonard Peltier celebrated his birthday in a
federal prison.

The Native American rights activist, now 78, has spent most of his life
behind bars. He was convicted by the U.S. government of aiding and abetting
in the murder of two FBI agents during a 1975 shootout on Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation in South Dakota.

There are so many problems
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/leonard-peltier-joe-biden-clemency_n_6266f6d9e4b0dc52f49aaf1f>
with Peltier’s imprisonment that it’s hard to know where to begin. There
was no evidence that he committed a crime. The FBI threatened and coerced
witnesses into lying during his trial. The prosecutors hid exculpatory
evidence. His two co-defendants were acquitted based on self-defense. A
juror admitted she was biased against Native Americans on the second day of
the trial but was allowed to stay on anyway.

In the decades since, some of the same U.S. government officials who helped
put Peltier in prison in the first place ― including a federal judge and a
U.S. attorney
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/leonard-peltier-joe-biden-clemency_n_6266f6d9e4b0dc52f49aaf1f>
― have admitted how flawed his trial and treatment have been and have
pleaded for his clemency. His prolonged imprisonment has sparked outcry
from federal lawmakers, leaders in Indigenous communities, celebrities and
international human rights leaders, including Pope Francis, the Dalai Lama,
Nelson Mandela, Coretta Scott King and Amnesty International USA.

As recently as July, United Nations legal experts took the extraordinary
step of calling on President Joe Biden
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/leonard-peltier-un-human-rights-council-biden_n_62dafaa6e4b0a6852c37cd93>
to release him immediately.

So why is Peltier still in prison? Because the FBI continues to oppose
releasing him, leaning on arguments that are wildly outdated, misleading or
flat-out wrong
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fbi-leonard-peltier-clemency-biden_n_62473d07e4b0587dee695e6e>.
To many, Peltier is now simply America’s longest-serving political prisoner
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/leonard-peltier-prison-clemency-biden_n_618049f3e4b059d0bfc19e5c>.


In anticipation of Peltier’s birthday, HuffPost last week talked to one of
his most visible and dedicated advocates: Steven Van Zandt. Most people
know Van Zandt as Bruce Springsteen’s guitarist, a mobster actor on “The
Sopranos” or through his various artistic accomplishments. But he has also
been publicly calling for Peltier’s freedom for decades. He wrote a song
about Peltier <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iac5lWDK0lc>, he regularly
talks about him on Twitter and, it turns out, Van Zandt thought he had a
real shot at convincing former President Donald Trump to grant him
clemency, except… everyone he was working with on Trump’s team kept going
to jail.

Here’s a transcript of our interview, during which Van Zandt urged Biden to
release Peltier and said he previously asked Springsteen to also be an
advocate with former President Barack Obama. Van Zandt also called on Biden
to embrace the edgy, lasers-shooting-out-of-his-eyes, super-genius ”
<https://www.vox.com/culture/23300286/biden-dark-brandon-meme-maga-why-confusing-explained>Dark
Brandon” meme
<https://www.vox.com/culture/23300286/biden-dark-brandon-meme-maga-why-confusing-explained>
that progressives are clamoring for and even offered Biden a speech to
deliver to the nation about why everyone should vote for Democrats,
because, as he put it, ”we’re in the middle of a fucking war. A war, OK?”

*This interview has been edited for brevity.*

*Hi, Steven. Thanks for making the time.*

Yeah, no, for Leonard, we’d do anything. You know? It’s insane. We’re
running out of time. I’m like six, what, seven presidents into this?

*You’ve been following his situation for so long, and I’m wondering how
this all started for you. Were you following this in the news when the
shootout happened?*

No, no, I came to it fairly late, actually. I didn’t learn about it until
10 years later. I was doing research for one of my records, and it had a
Native American theme. I ended up starting a foundation at the time that
dealt with nothing but Native America. I noticed that the South African
apartheid system was basically based on what we did with our Native
Americans, and the whole homeland policy kind of came from our basic
reservation thing.

So that connection was made, and I started doing lots of research and we
ended up, at the time, the Solidarity Foundation ended up with more
information about Native America than the [Bureau of Indian Affairs].
[Laughs.] I mean, they used to come to us for information. So, yeah, I
started to fight the good fight for Native America back then. I was trying
to make that my next big issue. And, honestly, it was impossible. I did not
succeed. [Laughs.] And I realized, this is how we took over the country in
the first place. [Laughs.] The same problems still exist, you know?

So it was quite a frustrating couple of years, but I learned a lot. I was
spending a lot of time out there, at Pine Ridge, so I learned about
Leonard, and, of course, I was outraged back then. I just couldn’t believe
how obvious this was.

The closest I came [to helping to get Peltier out of prison], to be honest
with you, was Trump.

*What happened?*

Well, I started, you know, getting close to various people. And they kept
going to jail.

*The Trump people you were talking to kept going to jail?*

Yeah. And every time I was just on the verge of making the move, they go to
jail.

*How many times did that happen?*

That happened twice. And another two or three that were, you know, that
should be in jail. [Laughs.] So it was just like, it was just so
frustrating.
[image: Leonard Peltier's prolonged imprisonment is “arbitrary," and the
U.S. government should release him immediately, United Nations legal
experts recently wrote.]
Leonard Peltier's prolonged imprisonment is “arbitrary," and the U.S.
government should release him immediately, United Nations legal experts
recently wrote.

Associated Press

*Do you know if, before those people went to jail, that the message had
gotten through to Trump that this was something that he should do?*

I’ll never be sure. And then we tried to get to his kids and Jared
[Kushner] and, I mean, I honestly thought in a bizarre way that Trump was
our best shot. I’m sure he would do it today, wouldn’t he. [Laughs.] I’m
thinking, you know, it’s got to be somebody not afraid of insulting the
FBI. I think he probably would not have a problem with this today.
[Laughs.] But even the FBI, I mean, I’ve got friends in the FBI, and
everybody feels the same way about it.

*What do your friends say over there?*

That they’re not going to fight on his behalf, but they know it’s wrong.

*Have you had any contact with Biden’s White House about Leonard?*

You know, I played it smart with Trump because I had Leonard on my mind the
entire time, and right up until near the end I didn’t say one single
critical thing about him, OK? And that was not easy. I really was like, I’m
going to try and be cool because I got bigger things on my mind.

With Biden, you know, I love the man, but I’ve been just sick ever since he
got in. It’s just been so frustrating. Every move he’s made has been the
wrong move. This week he’s finally waking up, and I hope he wakes up. But,
you know, I’ve been calling Merrick Garland “Barney Fife”
<https://www.metv.com/lists/this-week-on-the-month-of-mayberry-the-best-of-barney-fife>
for two years. I’ve been very critical of them because, you know, I’m not
mad at the Republicans. They’re all criminals, you know what I mean?
Criminals do what criminals do. But where are the tough good guys? Where
are the good guys that are supposed to be defending us? And arresting these
creeps? It’s just not happening. I’m like, enough with this bipartisanship
nonsense.

So finally this week, I am thrilled, he finally is fighting back a little
bit.

*Do you know about the Dark Brandon memes?*

Yeah. Let’s hope he stays. But, I mean, I’ll be happier when the “semi”
part of the “semi-fascist”
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/biden-maga-semi-fascism_n_630825a9e4b063d5e619e130>
goes away.

*So you haven’t reached out to Biden folks about Leonard.*

No, I’ve been very critical of them. So I have been reluctant to do that.
I’ve been doing it through third parties, of course, constantly. But I
don’t really know them. I mean, I talked to [White House chief of staff]
Ron Klain once. I talked to several others.

*Did you talk to him about Leonard?*

No, it was a general thing, just trying to get them to wake up, you know?
Fight this war, you know? What they don’t seem to understand is his
approval rating is not just about the economy. That’s part of it.
Unfortunately, he made the mistake of taking credit for these inflations,
which he had nothing to do with…. America likes strength, OK? If he came
across as strong as he’s now sounding this week, believe me, his approval
rating is going to jump up because it’s not just about inflation. If he
explains, first of all, if the original [“Build Back Better”] deal had gone
through, the $4 trillion one, there wouldn’t have been inflation. OK?

It’s a little more complicated than that. And the truth is, if it had
passed, because of the creep traitors [Sens. Kyrsten] Sinema and [Joe]
Manchin, if they had actually been real Democrats and didn’t want to kill
the Democratic Party and kill this administration, and had gone along with
it, that would’ve completely wiped out the inflation problem, I’m telling
you right now. But instead, he takes this, “Well, can’t we all get all
along” attitude when we’re in the middle of a fucking war. A war, OK?

*It is pretty appalling that some of the bad things happening around here
in plain view don’t seem to have consequences.*

You know, this starts with [special counsel Robert] Mueller. I hate to say
it, but that was our last best hope. Here’s a guy who spent his whole life,
a legitimate hero, doing nothing but service for the country and ends his
career a sniveling coward ― outsmarted by Rudy Giuliani standing by a
fictitious protocol that does not exist. You can’t indict a sitting
president. Where is it written? Show me. It doesn’t exist. And if the guy
was going to follow that fictitious protocol, he shouldn’t have took the
gig in the first place.

And, of course, the Congress doesn’t do one thing about it. And then DOJ
does nothing about it. And now the seven-year thing has passed, the
opportunity to indict on that.

What are we waiting for here? You know, Trump is guilty of treason in like
10 different ways. But maybe they’re getting smart finally.

*What is it with Leonard’s situation that has kept you so focused on it for
literally decades? What is behind the staying power there?*

I hate injustice. I hate injustice, and I hate bullies. I just can’t
tolerate it. Injustice that is this outrageous, he’s now become a symbol of
the general injustice against Native Americans since the beginning. He’s
literally our domestic political prisoner, you know? I appreciate us
getting prisoners out of other places.

*You mean like Brittney Griner.*

Yeah, you know, and I’m all for that obviously. I thought that should’ve
happened a lot sooner, to be honest. But this is like, we have one of
these. We have an absolute domestic political prisoner, and we should be
embarrassed about that. I don’t know what it’s going to take. I mean seven
fucking presidents, man. Come on.
[image: "We have an absolute domestic political prisoner, and we should be
embarrassed about that," Steven Van Zandt says of Leonard Peltier. He is
pictured with Bruce Springsteen at the 2018 New Jersey Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony in Asbury Park.]
"We have an absolute domestic political prisoner, and we should be
embarrassed about that," Steven Van Zandt says of Leonard Peltier. He is
pictured with Bruce Springsteen at the 2018 New Jersey Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony in Asbury Park.

Bobby Bank via Getty Images

*So if you had five minutes alone with Biden, what would you say?*

I would say, listen, Joe. You want to run again? You want to win? You want
to keep the House and Senate? I’ll give you a speech right now that will
jump your approval rating up 10 points immediately.

And here’s the speech: “I have tried with all my heart to embrace
bipartisanship. But unfortunately, the Republicans, they don’t want to hear
it. They want to take away your Social Security. They want to take away
your Medicare. They don’t want to care about your children in school.
They’re trying to tell you, you know, what books to read, what you can
read, what history you can know, what women can do with their bodies.
They’re supposed to be representing freedom? How is that freedom? So it’s
time to declare war on those who have obviously decided they’re not
interested in being American anymore. They are anti-American. They are
un-American, all right? Because we believe in diversity. We don’t believe
in suppressing the vote, and we don’t believe in gerrymandering and
cheating on voting, OK? So it’s time to actually face the facts. It’s time
for everybody out there to become Democrats and vote Democrat and let’s get
this thing done.”

And then my last 30 seconds would be, “By the way, Joe, let’s get Leonard
Peltier out of jail, OK?” Because enough is enough.

And, by the way, Joe has been, you know, pretty terrific with getting
Native Americans into his Cabinet. I think probably more than maybe anybody
in history, I don’t know. So I’d say, OK, now let’s complete the job. And,
by the way, on the side, I would say, politically it doesn’t hurt. It’s not
going to hurt you in North Dakota and South Dakota and Arizona and places
where they have a big Native American population, which you could use on
your side. OK? Let’s do something that’s at least symbolic for them and
maybe with real substance, I would hope also.

So that would be like my general conversation. I’d be like, it’s time to
declare war, man. Show them you’re a fighter. You know? You’re not going to
take this lying down. You’ve been trying and trying and trying, and believe
me, everybody’s going to believe that because you’ve been like Mr. Rodney
King here, ‘Can’t we all get along,’ while they beat the shit of you. You
know? All due respect, you’re following the footsteps of Obama, who I love,
I’m sorry, but who brought a knife to a gunfight. It’s time to fight back.

*Speaking of Obama, did you reach out to his folks at all about Leonard?*

Yes. And I even told Bruce [Springsteen] to mention it to him.

*What happened?*

Nothing.

*Did Bruce mention it to Obama?*

I don’t know. I think so.

*Does Bruce share your feelings on this?*

I’ve told him about it. I haven’t made a big deal out of it with him, but
he knows what I do. He has his own things, I don’t want to impose on his
own, you know, he has many, many things he’s fighting for as well.

*Anything else you want to say about Leonard Peltier or politics generally?*

I think if the midterms go the way they should, you know, if the goddamn
DNC and DCCC and DLCC and all these campaign organizations wake the fuck
up, OK, and explain to people, you’ve got to be insane to vote for
Republicans, OK? What’s the matter with you, you know? I mean, they’re
taking away Social Security and Medicare. Isn’t that enough?

*We haven’t even talked about Jan. 6.*

Oh fuh-get it. Fuh-get it. This is exactly the problem, OK? What are they
doing with these people? They’re giving them fucking parking tickets. I
mean, they should have been literally shot, OK? As they would’ve been had
they been Black or had they been Muslim. Had they been anything except
white supremacists, they would’ve been killed on the spot. Appropriately
so. And what happens? You give them parking tickets. And guess what? That’s
not scaring anybody into law and order. And this complete lawlessness, it
starts at the top. It starts with a guy going on TV saying, “Overthrow the
government,” and he’s playing golf every day.

[Fox News’ Sean] Hannity and [Tucker] Carlson, they should be arrested for
murder after what they did with COVID. Trump should be arrested for murder,
the biggest mass murderer in history, murdered a million people. People
forgot about that? He didn’t believe in science. He didn’t believe his
daily briefing. He didn’t read it 30 days in a row saying an emergency is
coming, which he admitted to [Bob] Woodward in his book. He admitted it to
him. A million people he murdered, not one person on Fifth Avenue. I mean,
what does it take? He admits to obstruction of justice on NBC, saying “I
fired [FBI Director James] Comey because he was investigating me.” Is there
any better definition of obstruction of justice than that? I fired him
because he was investigating me for a crime?

This is what’s been going on, and people see this. It filters down, and
there’s this whole talk of violence, violence, violence. I mean, fucking
Lindsey Graham. Yeah, Mr. Tough Guy, you know. He’s a real [laughs], he’s a
real tough one, huh? There’s going to be violence in the streets
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lindsey-graham-warning-riots-trump-charged-classified-documents_n_630c2ab3e4b07744a2f82df7>?
I’m sure you’re going to be right out there, Lindsey, you know, leading the
rioters. [Laughs.] But that constant talk of violence, you know, this is
what fascism is all about. That’s why I hope the “semi” part of Biden’s
description starts to go away.

Anyway, I’m just venting. Do your thing.
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