Killer Mike Talks 2020 Election Hopes and Beyond With Bernie Sanders During ‘Fridays for Unity’

Killer Mike discussed his hopes for the 2020 election and the future of the progressive movement in a conversation with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders as part of IndieLand’s Fridays for Unity event.

In the lead-up to Election Day, the rapper said he felt encouraged by early voting turnout, especially among African-Americans, which he believed boded well for the future. “I want the good guys to win, meaning the progressives that are within the party, and I want to see us stay active locally,” Killer Mike said. “I think that, as important as this election is, more important is, after this Election Day, we plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize as progressives on the ground.”

Mike went on to talk about the necessity of the wealthy paying higher taxes as an investment in America, the progressive shifts he’s seen down ballot in his hometown of Atlanta and the importance of ensuring there’s a restorative justice element to marijuana legalization, where those locked up for non-violent drug offenses have an easy pathway into the legal weed business. The rapper-activist also praised Sanders for helping push the discussion about some aspects of the Democratic platform further to the left, while Sanders stressed the importance of voting out Trump in order to pave the way for a more progressive future.

“I think if we can get Biden in the White House, we open the door — we’re not gonna solve all the problems, but we’re gonna open the door to the kids of ideas we need to protect working families,” Sanders said.

Mike added, “I have to say, although I have not talked to Biden, I have had a couple conversations with Senator [Kamala] Harris. I’m very encouraged by her statements in terms of what she plans to do, and help this country do in terms of policy. I’m very encouraged that, as a former prosecutor, that she wishes to steer us in a more restorative justice place.”