← Deadline: White House
Deadline: White House
"A lesson from Talarico's senate campaign"
00:42:22
As James Talarico’s senate campaign in Texas continues gaining momentum, here is a simple takeaway from one of his latest ads: Focus on what voters care about. And that’s prices.
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- [00:00]
Commercial Announcer
Watch Disclosure Day at home now with exclusive bonus features. If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? Well, now the truth belongs to 7 billion people in an original event film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by David Koepp, starring Emily Blunt, Josh o', Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson and Colman Domingo. Find Disclosure Day on major digital platforms now with no subscription required. Also in theaters.
- [00:32]
Cyndi Lauper
Join me Cyndi Lauper with chef Michele Bernstein and Dr. Panico to talk about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, the potential connection and risk of developing permanent joint damage.
- [00:46]
Pharmaceutical Representative
Cosentic secukinumab is prescribed for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, 300 milligram dose and adults with active psoriatic arthritis, 150 milligram dose. Don't use if you're allergic to Cosentyx before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. An increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. Like tuberculosis or other serious bacterial, fungal or viral infections, some are fatal. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms like fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough had a vaccine or planned to, or if inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen serious allergic reactions and severe eczema like skin reactions may occur. Learn more at 1-844-cosentix or cosentyx.com Cindy.
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James Talarico
Too many Texans feel like they're drowning the cost of groceries, gas, health care. I'm James Tallarico in the State House. I brought both parties together to make life more affordable, capping the cost of insulin, cutting taxes for small businesses and passing the largest property tax cut in Texas history. In the Sen. I'll take on corruption and keep fighting to lower your costs. I approve this message because it shouldn't be this hard to keep your head above water.
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Nicole Wallace
Hi again, everyone. It's five o' clock in New York as James Talarico's Senate campaign in Texas continues to gain momentum and rise in the polls. And we'll get into the specifics in that race in a minute. There's a simple takeaway from that ad of his focus on what voters say they care about most, and that is the price of everything and the economy. The high cost of goods and services, groceries and gas, deeply troubling to all Americans in the year 2026. But you would never know that by listening to the Republicans. Instead, they're stuck back in the year 2020, relitigating Donald Trump's embarrassing defeat to Joe Biden in the presidential election, making voter fraud, which Bill Barr said isn't a thing, called it bullshit, the centerpiece of their campaigns. Even today we saw Republicans grilling Dr. Anthony Fauci from Capitol Hill over the origins of the 2019 coronavirus pandemic. Today, Covid doesn't even make the list of top issues on voters minds. When Republicans actually do address the things that voters say are top of mind, things like health care and affordability, they seem to be trying to make their political fate worse. The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the Trump administration not renewing a subsidy put in place during Joe Biden's presidency that keeps premium costs down for people on Medicare. Quote, the move will eliminate a program that is giving insurance companies an estimated $3.6 billion in subsidies this year to blunt increases in premiums for the Medicare prescription plans known as Part D. The program will end after 2026, according to administration officials. High drug costs are a perennial political issue, especially for seniors on fixed incomes and health care. Affordability is expected to be a focus in the midterm elections. Roughly 25 million people have Part D plans and they will learn about their 2027 rates in the fall. So right before voters head to the polls in the fall, many of them, and these are the most active participants in midterm elections are going to find out their health care premiums are going up. Policies like these, along with the deeply unpopular war in Iran that is also ushering in soaring gas prices. Oh, and along with corruption on a scale we have never seen before in this country, attacks on human rights and the weaponization of our government is what Donald Trump is offering the American voters. And newsflash, apparently it's not what they want. According to a new CNN poll, a record high 73% of all adults say Donald Trump has not paid enough attention to the country's most important problems. This afternoon, a stunningly low number and a brand new quinnipiac poll. Donald Trump's approval rating now stands at 32% with 58% of all Americans saying they disapprove of Donald Trump. That 32% is an all time low for both of Donald Trump's terms. In the history of Quinnipiac's polling, Donald Trump and the GOP not focused on the nation's most pressing issues is where we begin the hour with some of our favorite experts in France. New York Times opinion writer and host of the Fast Politics podcast, Molly Jong. Fast is here. Charlie Sykes is back. He's the author of the to the Contrary Newsletter and joining me at the table, Democratic strategist and chief communications officer for the political organization MoveOn, Joel Payne is here. Charlie Sykes, let me start with you. I know the call and response is he doesn't care about politics because he's trying to cheat. Not caring about politics is something that affects every voter. Right? Every voter sees him fixated on potentially manufacturing intelligence to satisfy his bruised ego from his defeat in 2020. But rigging the election is still sort of a Hail Mary. I mean, what do you make of the disproportionate response to political fortunes that are falling by the day based on all polls?
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Charlie Sykes
Well, this is extraordinary. We've been talking about this for years, but I've never seen this kind of tone deafness from the president who ran, of course, as a populist. You cited that CNN poll which shows, you know, 73% of adults say he hasn't paid attention to the most important issues. But around three quarters of Americans now say that Trump is not in touch with the problems ordinary Americans face in their daily lives. And what does Donald Trump's administration do? They say, hold my beer. We're going to cut subsidies for senior citizens for their drug prices. And we're gonna let, let them all know right before the midterm elections who thought that was a good idea. I suppose we ought to also note that the subset of voters most likely to turn out in a midterm election. So we're seeing this pattern where Donald Trump, who has in the past had what I've described as the reptilian instinct for public opinion, seems increasingly isolated from these issues. And although it looks like he doesn't care. Look, we know that Donald Trump is obsessed with not losing, you know, not being defeated. But he keeps handing one crap sandwich after another to the Republicans who are on the ballot. And this is one of those stories. When I first saw it earlier today, I thought, no, this can't possibly be true. They can't possibly have thought this was a good idea to do this at this moment. You know, and you mentioned all the other things. They're talking about relitigating. The American people are watching Donald Trump obsessing about his ballroom, his reflecting pond. They're watching Donald Trump obsessed with his own ego, his various vanity projects, while the cost of living continues to rise. And what does he do? He puts a big exclamation mark on it with this particular move. It really is kind of amazing for this administration.
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Nicole Wallace
I mean, Molly, during fast, I raised this issue with a little bit of trepidation But Steve Bannon, who I think was pardoned once for felony fraud charges, I think he went to jail for obstruction of Congress. So I'm not holding him up as anything other than perhaps the source of what we perceive to be Donald Trump's reptilian political sensibility. But he seemed to have have the role of keeping alive the real life experiences of the MAGA voter. The cost of health care, the cost of gas, the promise to never embroil the United States of America in a forever war. He's either been exiled or kicked off the island or he's in on the oligarchy. I mean, I don't know which it is, but there is clearly no one around Donald Trump who can even make Donald Trump pretend to care about his own base of voters.
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Molly Jong-Fast
Yeah. You know who another person like that was? Marjorie Taylor Greene. And remember this division started. Look, inflation is for sure a real issue. And people vote on the price of gas and the price of groceries and the price of eggs. And you'll remember Donald Trump had this weave where he talked about lowering the price of bacon. So he did run on making things cheaper. But I think it's worth remembering that part of the Steve Bannon Marjorie Taylor Greene split comes from the Epstein files. Comes the fact that Donald Trump ran on this idea that he was going to end Q anon, I mean, remember from 2016 that he was going to end all of these terrible crimes that may or may not have happened. And then he's confronted with probably the largest sex trafficking ring in American history and he pivots and says there's nothing to see here. And in fact, you know, goes back and forth about releasing the files. So he has had these instincts that were populist. But then in the end, he sort of, you know, pivoted back to a very unpopulist instincts of not wanting to release the file. So they do ultimately get released, sort of, and not being focused on affordability. But again, it's important to remember the president is always blamed for the economy, rightly or wrongly. In this case, I think he did have quite a lot to do with the inflation that we're seeing.
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Nicole Wallace
Let me show you what voters are saying, Joel, in their own words,
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Josh Turek
we
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Audience Member
need to reinvest in America. And I do think under President Trump, a lot of those things have been accomplished. More than 90% of Republicans and well over 70% of Democrats believe that it's not too much to ask to show an ID when you vote. On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the one big, beautiful bill.
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Mike Flood
My biggest gripe with you and fellow Republicans is your compliance with this president. He imposed tariffs. Congress imposed here, not the president. You did nothing. He attacked Iran. He didn't confer with you. You declare war, not the president. He talks about taking over Greenland, Canada, Cuba. You know, when it's very few people spoken in. My question is, why are you so compliant with this man? Are you afraid he was going to run a MAGA guy against you or what?
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Nicole Wallace
So that was Republican Congressman Mike Flood. This is the interesting thing about the midterms. As deeply unpopular as all of Trump's policies are, there's a lot of statewide polling that picks up even more anger at the members of Congress for both the deeply unpopular policies and their fecklessness and weakness in going along with them. And it started, I think it started with the immigration overreach. You know, why don't you speak up? Why don't you say something about ICE rushing into our cities and states in a militarized fashion?
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Joel Payne
Yeah. If you observe this and, you know, looking at that town hall, there's this, like, ritual flogging of Republican members of Congress that Donald Trump's been doing, frankly, since he's been on the public scene, since he's been president the first time, and this time, and they will fetch and beg to whatever he tells them to do. Voters are different. And it kind of seems like what he's doing right now is he's almost challenging Republican voters. It's like he's daring them to not go along with the bit. He's doing it on every issue. He's doing it on immigration by overreaching. He's doing it by the priority he's focusing on. Focused on a ballroom, I'm focused on a pond. I'm not focused on the one thing that all the data tells us that we know he was sent to Washington to do, to make people's lives more affordable. So this tactic that he's used with Republican members of Congress, he's trying to do it with his base of voters, and it seems like they're rebelling. I mean, that 32% number that you cited earlier, I mean, as Sarah Longwell, the Bulwark, likes to talk about it, the Bush line, which is essentially the place, the break point, where you will probably start to see Republicans make the decision that Donald Trump's legacy is not worth them losing their jobs. I mean, that's where we are right now. The last thing I would say, Nicole, is this is somewhat related with someone unrelated. You think about that White House correspondents dinner the other day and the terrible jokes and whether they were offensive or not, obviously they were, but how poorly they were received. And it seemed like it was the first time he had actually tested the material out. And it seemed like the first time he had tested the material out outside of his small cadre of advisors and sycophants and people who love everything he says. And that actually seems connected to every single thing Donald Trump says. It seems like the first time he is out in public talking about these things. It's the first time he has considered that people outside of his base will challenge him. And that's a very dangerous place for a president to be.
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Nicole Wallace
Well, I'll deal with the elephant in the room. I was there when Bush was at 32%. And my personal feelings about him aside, I can tell you how hard it is to be engaged in politics at 32%. It's hard to find districts where you can land Air Force One. It's hard to find places to do events. It's hard to find people to come on stage with you. Now, I know we talk about all the ways, Charlie Sykes. That Trump has perverted and changed our politics, but the question now is, will Republicans identify their own inner reptilian survival skills and do anything to try to, you know, grab onto the raft or the piece of wood floating when the Titanic hits the iceberg?
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Charlie Sykes
Probably not, because they haven't in the past. We're going to get a good clue tomorrow when we see the vote on Todd Blanch, because that's as a vote to embrace everything Donald Trump is doing that you can imagine. So we'll see what John Cornyn will do, what Thom Tillis will do. But for a lot of these Republicans, look, they're just simply along for the ride. And they know that if they break with Donald Trump prematurely, they will not only lose their jobs, but they will be excommunicated from that entire Republican world, that entire ecosystem. So many of them may think, I may lose my job, but I can become a lobbyist or I can get an appointment. If you break with Trump, I, you might be looking down the barrel of the Department of Justice. So I don't anticipate it happening before the election. However, you know, if in fact, there is a shellacking, Donald Trump's lame duck status becomes more dramatic. I would like to say that that would be a light at the end of the tunnel. But as we all know, the weaker Donald Trump gets, the more dangerous he gets. And I think Joel made a very Very interesting point that you are increasingly seeing somebody who has created this hermetically sealed bubble around himself where he's not getting the kind of input from the outside that's an Achilles heel for any authoritarian, you know, and any Roman emperor was constantly told that he was absolutely wonderful and that he should write more poetry, you know, and that he was, you know, the best looking man in the entire empire. These are not strengths, these are real vulnerabilities, particularly in a democratic society. And I think that does explain a lot of this tone deafness from Donald, Donald Trump, that if Stephen Miller likes it, it must be okay, right? I'm gonna run this by Carolyn Levitt and his other aides. And then you step outside that room and the rest of the American public, including many Republicans, are just like, what is wrong with you? Are horrified by all of it. And I think you are seeing that.
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Nicole Wallace
And the authors of Regime Change chronicle how it happens. I mean, how it's been operationalized that a woman, I forget her name, prints out positive. They're not even articles anymore. They're like posts on some weird social media platform that I'm sure none of the four of us are on. I want to share one more piece of political news. President Obama has entered the chat. This is from the New York Times, Molly. Former President Barack Obama hold a fundraiser in late August for the national Democratic Redistricting Committee, a fresh sign that Democrats intend to continue their aggressive push to gerrymander congressional districts ahead of the 2028 election. While Democrats appear to have exhausted all their options for new maps before the midterm elections, their focus on the 2028 election still requires investment in crucial state level elections. This fall, Democrats hope to protect or build trifectas in various states. Single party control of both chambers of legislatures, plus the governor's office or Democratic super majorities that will allow them to override a hostile governor's veto. This ability, I think of President Obama's to see and try to fix the structural asymmetry is one of the most important things sort of happening beneath the surface.
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Molly Jong-Fast
Yeah, I think that Obama still is like one of the most popular. I'm not sure exactly the poll, but he's one of the most popular political figures. He still has that magic that a lot of political figures don't necessarily have in this partizan environment. So to have him come back and to have him focus on state legislatures, I mean, even at this moment, if you think about the like how much state legislatures matter and how much redistricting matters, remember Republicans have redistricted before this midterm in ways that have made it so that it's much harder for Democrats to win back the House. And they're going to have to win more. Districts are going to have to win by more. There's a real Republican structural advantage now. And that is really important to see Obama focus on that. And remember, part of the superpower of these celebrities like Obama is to be able to break through the noise, to break through the algorithm and to get attention to things that might otherwise not get attention. And so this is deeply meaningful, super important. And I think ultimately will mean that there'll be more money brought to it and more focus. And focus really is when it comes to things like state legislatures and redistricting, which are sort of not such sexy topics. It's really important to get voters and donors focused on that stuff.
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Nicole Wallace
All right, no one's going anywhere. We come back. There's more Obama news to tell you about. He's back in the game and on
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Segment Host
a basketball court trying to flip a seat in the United States Senate. We'll show you his newest video and endorsement next. Also ahead, there are fears that Donald Trump's war of choice in Iran is expanding. And Donald Trump himself is doing nothing to suggest otherwise. His profanity lace rant on what he's vowing to do next is later in the hour for us.
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Nicole Wallace
Also had a special tribute to a beloved baseball coach who was one of
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Segment Host
the first people in this country to stand up to ice and the hundreds of lives he changed deadline. White House continues after a quick break. Don't go anywhere.
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Commercial Announcer
Watch Disclosure Day at home now with exclusive bonus features. If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? Well, now the truth belongs to 7 billion people in an original event film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by David Koepp, starring Emily Blunt, Josh o', Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson and Colman Domingo. Find Disclosure Day on major digital platforms now with no subscription required. Also in theaters.
- [20:48]
Ali Velshi
Now you can watch Ally Velshi five nights a week in primetime on Ms. Now as he takes command of the 11th Hour.
- [20:55]
News Anchor
The breaking news in the last hour,
- [20:57]
Ali Velshi
the 11th Hour with Ali Velshi weeknights at 11:00pm Eastern on Ms. Now.
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Nicole Wallace
Speaking of President Obama, he was the last Democratic presidential candidate to win Iowa. He won the state's caucuses back in 2008 and then went on to win the state in both general elections in 2008 and 2012. Now he is putting his Hefty political weight behind Iowa's Democratic candidate for Senate, Josh Turek. Hoping to turn that state blue once again. His endorsement came in the form of something near and dear to both Obama and Turek. Playing basketball. Take a look.
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Barack Obama
Ball game. Who's got next?
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Josh Turek
I got it. You ready for me, Josh?
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Joel Payne
I'm ready.
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Josh Turek
Let's go. We playing horse or what?
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Barack Obama
We're playing Iowa.
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Josh Turek
I know a little something about winning Iowa.
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Barack Obama
All right, here we go.
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Josh Turek
Are we ready?
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Barack Obama
You know when it's in.
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Josh Turek
Come on. I'm not gonna just give it away.
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Barack Obama
All right.
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Josh Turek
That thing is silky smooth.
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Barack Obama
Thousands of hours of practice.
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Josh Turek
You were the shooter.
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Barack Obama
Four time Paralympian, two time gold medalist,
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Charlie Sykes
back to back gold, gold medals.
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Josh Turek
Oh, I thought I had that one. That's Iowa right there, buddy. A lot of people have heard me say this. Of all the things I've done in politics, Iowa was my favorite thing. There was just a magic about regular folks showing up in gyms like this, like this, and just talking out, how do we move our state forward, how to move the country forward? I've seen enough. Not only did I get whooped, but you've got here a man of character, somebody who knows how to win. Now the ball's in your court, Iowa. Let's make sure that we send Josh Turek to the United States Senate.
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Barack Obama
Tell you what, he's a good shooter. Yeah, I was impressed.
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Nicole Wallace
He's a great ad. It's a great race to cover. We're back with Molly, Charlie and Joel. Joel, your thoughts?
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Joel Payne
Yeah, it's hard not to smile with that ad. President Obama, I mean, like, he's the best. He also looked a little better there than he looked at the WNBA All Star game where I think Jonquil Jones gave him some work in the post. But be that as it may, whenever I see Obama in Iowa and look, this is gonna be a boon for Josh Turek. This is the exact type of person that you wanna be. Side by side with you. I think about that 2008 campaign where Obama cut his teeth on the national political stage. And I had a bird's eye view. I was there. I was working for the Edwards campaign, a rival campaign. And I remember Obama was able, you know, the story gets told oftentimes he brought together the coalition of, like, young voters, Latinos, black voters. But first, the first challenge Obama met was with independent voters and some Republican leaning Democrats, Reagan Democrats, and frankly, a lot of people in the middle of the country who I think maybe don't fill the kind of traditional Democratic constituency checklist that we think of Obama is excellent at appealing to those types of folks. And that's exactly the category of voters who Turek is going to not just need to win with, but really overperform with to be successful. So having President Obama right there with him will be excellent. The other thing I will just say really quickly, Rob sand is the gubernatorial candidate in Iowa who is going to be an excellent candidate. I think it's among the best chances Democrats have had to take that seat back since chet Culver some 20 years ago. And what I would say is similar how in Texas, Ken Paxton is going to drag Republican energy down and be such a negative drag. Rob sand is going to help with a Josh Turek to be a rising tide lifting all boats in Iowa for Democrats. And that's a real advantage Democrats have in a state that I don't think gets talked about enough.
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Nicole Wallace
Well, the piece about independence is so important. I obviously was on the McCain campaign. This is the day of my elephants in the room taking a seat at the table. But the power he had with independence was rooted in two really, three things. One, people just liked him.
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Segment Host
Right.
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Nicole Wallace
Like, they just, they just liked his, they liked his message, they liked him. Two, it was, you know, 2008 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were raging on. They were deeply unpopular. People were exhausted by them and deeply opposed to them. And three, we were, you know, in an economic calamity. I mean, all of those dynamics are present right now.
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Joel Payne
Yeah. And the type of coalition that's durable for not just the primary, but for two general election campaigns, I mean, yes, it's black voters, it's young voters. In Iowa, you have a lot of college educated voters, both college aged and older, and again, independents. So having someone who knows how to put that kind of coalition together on the ground, you know, that's an excellent endorser for Josh Turek. And I think he'll get a lot of mileage out of that ad.
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Nicole Wallace
I mean, Charlie Saks, what's interesting to see Obama enter the campaign season is that there is no, you know, Trump used a combination of fear, celebrity and riches. All three of those things are deeply unpopular now politically, what is your sense of how Republicans counter this?
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Charlie Sykes
Well, first of all, I mean, I was on the opposite side of, you know, in 2008, 2012. But I'm watching this ad and I'm feeling a sense of real nostalgia for what politics used to be like, that politics was not always so ugly. It was not a matter of trolling and trying to upset the opposition there was a fundamental decency and seriousness about. So you watch that ad and you remember it wasn't always like the way it is right now. And maybe there's a time in the future where it's not going to be like this. And I think that's that's kind of the it feels like it kind of transcends the partisan political divide. The other thing about ads like this, and you played the ad from Texas, look, Texas and Iowa are both they're reaches for Democrats. If Democrats win in Iowa and Texas, you know that it's been an absolute wave. But what's also, I think, you know, illustrated in the these ads is that you have candidates that are actually dealing with the concerns of voters and that are laser targeted on voters in Iowa and voters in Texas, as opposed to what we talked about earlier, where you have an administration that doesn't seem to be focused on voters anywhere. So, you know, these are it is kind of interesting that at this particular point they're bringing out these kinds of candidates. Clearly, Democrats in Iowa have gotten their act together. Democrats in Texas seem to be getting their act together. I wish that was the case in every single state. But these are remarkable stories. If I'm a Republican and I'm looking at that, I'm going, whoa, this is going to be a really difficult year. And watching that makes it even more difficult for them.
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Nicole Wallace
I think that's right. Joel, Charlie, Molly, thank you so much for starting us off. To be continued. I'm sure when we come back, Donald Trump is now vowing a massive escalation of that deeply unpopular war with Iran. We'll bring you that response reporting next.
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Ali Velshi
Now you can watch Ali Vchy five nights a week in prime time on Ms. Now, as he takes command of the 11th hour.
- [28:12]
News Anchor
The Justice Department is facing its own legal obstacles over this case.
- [28:16]
Ali Velshi
Putting today's stories in perspective.
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News Anchor
This one is perhaps one of the more interesting surprises.
- [28:21]
Ali Velshi
And tomorrow's headlines in focus.
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News Anchor
Economists are warning that American consumers are soon going to feel the hurt.
- [28:27]
Ali Velshi
The Eleventh Hour with Ali Velshi, weeknights at 11pm Eastern on Ms. Now,
- [28:38]
Nicole Wallace
Fears of a wider war in Iran are growing today as the United States and Saudi Arabia attacked Iranian proxies after a pause in fighting. New York Times is reporting this, quote, american and Saudi fighter jets attacked Iranian linked militias in Iraq on Tuesday, and Iran fired missiles at military bases in Jordan and oil tankers. The latest strikes further widened the war in the Middle east, trying Iran allied groups in Iraq and Yemen and potentially Lebanon into the Fighting their involvement raised the question of whether Iran could be encouraging its proxies to open additional fronts in a war that threatens to embroil more countries in the region. Donald Trump shows zero signs of a caring or b trying to quell the growing escalation, telling Fox News this, quote, we're going to beat the effing s out of them. We'll be hitting them hard. They're going to get a beating, end quote. Trump also said that Iran's attack on a military base in Jordan came as a complete surprise. The question remains how much longer the Republican Party will allow Trump and his administration to continue to operate and escalate this war without oversight from Congress. Let's bring into our coverage Margaret Donovan. She served in the US army and was a captain in the JAG Corps. Also joining us, Paul Reichman. He's the host of the Independent Americans podcast and the founder and CEO of Independent Veterans of America. Margaret, the only thing that I'm sure polls worse than the war in Iran, which is currently polling at a 62% disapproval from the American people, is a widening war in the Middle east involving more countries.
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Paul Reichman
Yeah. I think one of the most fascinating things about what you just said, Nicole, is that this is the president just sort of musing as to whether or not he's going to expand the war. And I think this is just an important point to remember. And I know I beat this drum a lot, and it's worth beating again. War is not meant to be started in the United States by a single person. On February 28, the entire country woke up and learned that one man took us into war. That scenario is precisely, precisely what the framers wanted to avoid when they wrote the Constitution. They vested war powers. It is shared in between the legislative branch and the executive branch, but they specifically vested the power to declare war. And that verb, declare, that was actually discussed at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. What verb should we use when we're talking about the power to start a war under our new, our new republic? And they settled on declare specifically because they realized that war, as we're seeing, is a runaway train. It can cost you resources, it will cost you lives, and it is completely out of your control once it has begun. And so that is why in Article 1 of the Constitution, the power to declare war vests with Congress, also the power to fund the military. Article two puts, of course, the president as the commander in chief once we're there. But that allocation of powers in the Constitution reflects exactly the perils of when one person brings US into war. And I think that the war powers votes that we're seeing going on right now is an embodiment of we the people speaking for what they will and will not stand for through their elected representatives that they will not abide.
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Nicole Wallace
I mean, Paul, you always ask, you know, what are they doing about it? All Democrats are, almost all Democrats are voting to stop this and that. The news seems to be that increasingly Republicans are joining them.
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Margaret Donovan
Yes, because it's getting worse. I've called it a sucking chest wound. And it just keeps pulling in more and more resources. Everything from our military resources to our economic strength to the lives of our sons and daughters to now Trump's polls. I mean, he's at historic lows, I think around 35%, which is as low as he was around January6. And among independents, it's 24%. So that's a massive alarm bell for Republicans, which I think is starting to move Senate Republicans. They're finally standing up to him. They're finally breaking on Iran. They're going back to their districts this summer and they're hearing about how unpopular this war is because it is unauthorized. I would argue it's unconstitutional, but it's so deeply unpopular across every political background. And now it's expanding. Saudis. The Saudis are getting involved, the Egyptians are getting involved, and it's beyond our control. That's why I think the Saudis cut that nuke deal last week, because they want an insurance if Trump and America have to pull out. Because we know America doesn't have the stomach for long, protracted wars, but our presidents keep getting us into them.
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Nicole Wallace
Let me show you what Lindsey Graham said in footage that the Wall Street Journal obtained about how we got into the Iran war in Iran.
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Lindsey Graham
It's the best thing I've ever done.
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Charlie Sykes
He loves blowing stuff up.
- [33:18]
Lindsey Graham
So, you know, there are a lot of people inside didn't want to do it. So I had my challenges. But President Trump, when he gets into the zone, he listens, asks good questions, you know, no tweeting. He has done nothing. He hadn't tweeted much at all. No drama. He's been a great wartime president. I said last night that Trump and Beebe are like Roosevelt and Churchill. I mean, they're the right two guys to confront this evil
- [33:53]
Nicole Wallace
again. The late Senator Lindsey Graham is free to his opinions and to sharing them, but the American people do not agree with that assessment. Just 33% approve of the war. And as Paul Rykov said, the numbers among independents and Democrats are dramatically lower than that, Yeah.
- [34:11]
Paul Reichman
I mean, that's surprising. Lindsey Graham, of course, is a former JAG officer and I know many people that worked with him and found him very enjoyable to work with and had very nice things to say about him. But the fact of the matter is that when you go to war, it costs you things, it costs you lives, it costs you resources. And we are going to see the effects of that for years to come, if not generations to come, in terms of our stockpile reductions. And, and there are Americans who are no longer with us because of what we've started. So, you know, I just. One more point I'd like to make. I hear a lot of chatter about, you know, you're not supporting the troops if you're not supporting this war. As a two time combat veteran, it is not, not supporting the troops to demand that there is a coherent plan. You are supporting the troops by saying that you don't want them sent aimlessly into a battle at a dangerous place without a thought out plan for how you're going to use them and use that precious resource. So, you know, I just certainly hope that the people are able to speak again through their elected representatives to stop this.
- [35:18]
Nicole Wallace
How does it land when a president is so erratic in their public statements?
- [35:24]
Paul Reichman
Well, it is certainly not good for stability and you can imagine how much that might undermine our authority to our enemies abroad. But I think speaking to people in the service, I think for the most part, people who are on the ground still wearing the uniform, they are looking to their leaders within. And so there is some amount of blocking out politics in general when you're serving, particularly when you're serving overseas. So you just hope that there are enough good leaders left in the military to properly lead those still in uniform.
- [35:56]
Nicole Wallace
Margaret, thank you for being here, being part of this conversation. Paul sticks around for something really special and important to both of us. Come back. Remembering Yeoman Wilder.
- [36:04]
Segment Host
He's a beloved baseball coach who famously
- [36:07]
Nicole Wallace
shielded his young players when ICE agents showed up at his practice in the early days of the second Trump term.
- [36:14]
Segment Host
That's next.
- [36:21]
Nicole Wallace
What did the bystanders do?
- [36:25]
Yeoman Wilder
They were. I'm a New Yorker, bone on bone. And we're tough people here, but we. I saw cowards. And I hate to say that as somebody who loves the city.
- [36:53]
Nicole Wallace
It's okay, they're kids. Yeah, tell me, tell me what, what did you want to see? And what, and what, what disappointed you?
- [37:04]
Yeoman Wilder
Obeying to authoritarianism, to authority. That was out of line. Pissing on the Constitution. And I became of it.
- [37:23]
Nicole Wallace
I don't care.
- [37:26]
Yeoman Wilder
I don't care.
- [37:31]
Nicole Wallace
Little over a year ago, we introduced you to that man. That is New York City baseball coach, local legend, Yeoman Wilder. We met Yeoman after he protected some of his baseball players and informed them of their constitutional rights when ICE agents showed up at their practice and attempted to ask his players where they were from and where their parents were from. So we're terribly sad to tell you today that Yeoman Wilder passed away earlier this month. Yeoman founded the Harlem Youth Baseball Academy, which for more than two decades developed young baseball players both on and off the field in the New York City area. Yeoman Wilder is responsible for helping more than 400 young men earn college baseball scholarships, including developing multiple major league baseball players. His family describes him like this. Yeoman stood up against injustice and was a beloved brother, uncle and brother in law to many. His family extended throughout the neighborhood, and his impact was felt far and wide. He was the glue that kept our family together and was always there to help any of us when he could. With Yeoman's death, the baseball community has lost an iconic and now famous coach and mentor. And this country has lost a patriot who used America's pastime to show what this country looks like at its best. For me, Yeoman was the first person, Paul, who I saw do something that the powerful people refused to do in that first year of Trump's presidency. Yeoman stood up against ICE when law firms were capitulating, basically by the day when universities were cutting deals, basically by the week when Republicans were falling in line behind military troops in the streets of American cities, behind ICE raids that were sweeping up American citizens, behind detentions of young children at the Dilley Detention Center. And Yeoman Wilder stood up to ice.
- [39:26]
Margaret Donovan
Yeah, Coach Yeoman Wilder was a hero. And he led by example. He showed with courage and integrity and community and real patriotism is all about. He's a legend in New York City, in the baseball community, and now his legend will grow around the country and I hope around the world. As you know, my kids both play baseball in New York City. A small community. And every baseball community was worried and continues to be worried about ICE threats and something like this happening. But Coach Yeoman Wilder stepped up and he showed his players what real leadership is all about. And he built not just a generation of baseball players, but a generation of leaders who can follow his example, who can lead heroically, who can meet this moment. And I think that's going to be his legacy, is so many young men and women who are inspired by his example Going to step up because we're going to need more leaders in the days ahead. Mr. Rogers used to always say, look for the helpers. Coach Owen Wilder is an example of one of those helpers that ran in when others were running out.
- [40:22]
Nicole Wallace
I think he also highlighted in that interview two things. One, how most people weren't doing that. Like, these were kids, right? These were kids at practice. And he described New Yorkers who he said were tough people as being the most generous. I guess explanation is they were too afraid, too afraid to do anything. And I think he forced people to answer the question, what would you do? And I wonder if you had that reaction to him.
- [40:53]
Margaret Donovan
I did. He was like a thunderbolt of courage and conscience in a time when we needed it. And that's why it went viral, because he was so real and so true. And I've had this conversation with the coaching community and all the sports my kids play in, basketball and football, and they've had to run scenarios. What do we do if ice comes? That's actually a scenario scenario that sports programs have to think about, especially at a time when there are so many migrant kids who come to sports for community, for stability, for leadership, for safety. A lot of these programs provide vital childcare. And when I started targeting kids, they needed someone to step up and coach you. Almost like a real life superhero. And I hope the mayor recognizes him, the governor recognizes him, the president should, because he's the kind of leader we need to amplify and show us an example. Our young men, especially in this country, I think, think are really starving for leadership that they can follow and they can look up to and coach. Yeoman Wilder is that kind of leader that we want our kids to look like and be like.
- [41:49]
Nicole Wallace
I also think yeoman is sort of a test for who has courage in this moment. I mean, Major League Baseball should wrap their arms around Yeoman Wilder and support his program and support his players as well.
- [42:01]
Margaret Donovan
Yeah, there it is. It's out there. Come on. Major League Baseball, Yankees, Mets, everybody in the Tri State area especially this is a man whose legacy will inspire generations. And we all have to do all we can to amplify it and remember that, you know, this is still the environment our kids are living in. And we've got to protect our kids first. And that starts by showing courage in that moment and meeting the moment. And there'll be other moments that'll come. And if you need some guts and you need some inspiration, think about Coach Yeoman Wilder.
- [42:29]
Nicole Wallace
Paul Rykoff, thank you for sticking around
- [42:31]
Segment Host
for this conversation one more break. We'll be right back.
- [42:39]
Nicole Wallace
If you really listen to the people who made the choice to spend their lives and devote their careers to public service, many of them say that you never really stop serving your country. Sue Gordon is one of those people. A former Deputy Director of National Intelligence who spent decades at the CIA, sue told me on this week's episode of the Best People podcast that the health struggles that she's facing right now have not diminished her desire to to serve or the love she feels for our country. My eagle eyed viewers have tracked your health journey and they will be upset if I don't ask you how you're feeling and doing.
- [43:19]
Sue Gordon
Well, I think one great I'm here and I think there were early days of the diagnosis that if you believe the Internet and if you ever get sick, don't believe the Internet because they're not talking about you. But if I had believed the Internet, I didn't have much time. And thanks to just a lot of things. Look at me, I'm here. It's still a journey for anyone who's been on this one. They know the truth is it steals some of your innocence and you fight every day. So my doctors would love it if I would stop being special. But I'm good and here and I haven't lost an ounce of passion for who we are. Not one. And I don't hate America. When I say harsh things about us. That is the best love that there is. We are a great country. We have so many strengths, so many things that we have not lost. So if I am harsh on leadership, it's because I believe the only responsibility of leaders is to preserve the opportunity for our women and men to get where they need to go.
- [44:43]
Nicole Wallace
She's extraordinary. To listen to the rest of what she had to say, scan the QR code on your screen or download the best people wherever you get your podcast. As always, please let me know what you think of this one. Instagram or bluesky Quick break.
- [44:56]
Segment Host
We'll be right back.
- [45:06]
Nicole Wallace
Thank you so much for letting us into your homes tonight. We are grateful.
- [45:10]
Shaquille O'Neal
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- [45:26]
Zepbound Representative
Zepbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea and obesity to improve their OSA. Zepbound is approved as a 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 or 15mg injection. Zepbound contains Tirzepatide and should not be used with other tirzepatide containing products or any GLP1 receptor agonist medicine. It is not known if Zepbound is safe and effective for use in children. Don't share needles or pens or reuse needles. Don't take if allergic to it or if you or someone in your family had medullary thyroid cancer or if you've had multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. Tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop Zepbound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction. Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes before scheduled procedures with anesthesia. If you're nursing pregnant plant to be or taking birth control pills, taking Zepbound with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsen kidney problems.
- [46:33]
Shaquille O'Neal
Talk to your doctor, call 1-800-545-5979 or visit zepbound.lilly.com.