Cory Booker evades questions on Dem policies, changes topic to Paul Manafort

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and guest Senator Cory Booker during Friday's March 8, 2019 show.  (CBS)

2020 presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, appeared on “The Late Show” and completely hijacked a portion of the interview that was meant to discuss policy.

Returning from a commercial break, “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert wanted to delve into specific proposals being pushed by congressional Democrats, but Booker managed to avoid any tough questions that may have been asked.

“Let’s talk about some specific policies that have been thrown out by the new Democrats in Congress,” Colbert said, “and by some of the people".

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“Can I just say one thing?” Booker interrupted. “Because this news came out about Paul Manafort and I’m really ticked off about this.”

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Manafort, who was President Donald Trump’s campaign chairman during the 2016 election, was sentenced this week to 47 months in prison, which fell short of the 19-24 year prison sentence the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller recommended.

“One of my friends says that we have a criminal justice system that treats you better if you’re rich and guilty than if you’re poor and innocent,” Booker told Colbert. “And there are people from neighborhoods like mine in America who get convictions for doing things that two of the last three presidents have admitted to doing.”

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“In our country, we prey upon the most vulnerable citizens in our nation; poor folks, mentally ill folks, addicted folks, and overwhelmingly black and brown folks,” Booker continued.

“Were you shocked that he only got 47 months?” Colbert asked.

“No, this criminal justice system can’t surprise me anymore,” Booker responded.

The New Jersey Democrat went on to declare that Manafort “betrayed our nation” and repeated his efforts in pushing for criminal justice in Congress.

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It is uncertain if Colbert would have asked Booker about policies like the Green New Deal, Medicare For All, reparations, or the newly-passed anti-hate resolution that was originally meant to condemn anti-Semitism in reaction to controversial remarks by Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. Colbert ran out of time before he could ask.