As Trump Continues his Winning Streak, Where Do Democrats Go from Here?

Summary

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Podcast Summary: “As Trump Continues his Winning Streak, Where Do Democrats Go from Here?”

Podcast: Here's the Scoop by NBC News
Host: Yasmin Vossoughian
Date: May 20, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the political aftermath of recent primary victories by Trump-endorsed Republican candidates and examines the prospects for Democrats heading into the 2026 midterms. Yasmin Vossoughian is joined by NBC News Chief Data Analyst Steve Kornacki to break down the importance of Trump’s influence within the GOP, the tightest House races, and the impact of redistricting. Later, former Senator Doug Jones discusses his campaign strategy as the Democratic nominee for governor in deep-red Alabama and reflects on the broader challenges Democrats face in states dominated by Trump loyalists. The episode wraps up with a tribute to Barney Frank’s legacy and an energizing recap of recent NBA playoff thrillers.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Trump’s Dominance in GOP Politics

• Trump’s Endorsement as a Deciding Factor

  • Trump’s endorsements continue to wield significant power in Republican primaries, ousting incumbents who have defied him.
  • Case in point: Ed Gal Ryan defeats Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s 4th congressional district, reflecting Trump’s grip on the party (04:39).
  • Steve Kornacki:

    “This was about Trump’s definition of what it means to be a loyal MAGA, Trump Republican in the age of Trump.” (05:17)

• Implications for GOP and November Elections

  • Trump’s approval in the broader electorate remains low, but within the party, loyalty is potent (06:33).
  • Kornacki:

    “The story of Trump and the Republican base for a decade now has been an unusually deep bond...that goes beyond what we’ve seen with most presidents before.” (06:33)

• Texas Republican Primary Showdown

  • Trump’s endorsement of Ken Paxton for Senate in Texas, viewed as a timely move based on shifting polls (07:42).
  • Kornacki:

    “Maybe Trump had seen some polling that showed him which way the wind was blowing...and he wanted to get ahead of this and get the win.” (07:42)

2. The State of the House Battlefield

• Gerrymandering and Redistricting Effects

  • Fewer competitive House districts due to political maps heavily favoring one party or the other.
  • The “battleground” is small, but with the House narrowly divided, even a few seats are crucial (02:38).
  • Kornacki:

    “The battlefield doesn’t have to be that big to be incredibly consequential to flip control of the House.” (02:38)

• Most Competitive Districts Identified

  • Pennsylvania’s 7th District highlighted as a swing race vital for Democrats’ hopes to reclaim the House.
  • Bob Brooks, backed by both Bernie Sanders and Josh Shapiro, to face incumbent Republican Ryan McKenzie (03:28).

• Redistricting Setbacks for Democrats

  • Court decisions have neutralized expected Democratic gains in Virginia and elsewhere.
  • Kornacki:

    “Events of the last month on the redistricting front are definitely poised to put Republicans in a position where they’re gonna net more out of it than the Democrats.” (08:41)

3. Doug Jones: Democrat in Deep-Red Alabama

• Jones’ Approach and Strategy

  • Focus on “kitchen table issues” like affordability, healthcare, and unity over division.
  • Doug Jones:

    “People are looking, they are tired of the chaos...and looking for folks that can work together and not divide us.” (12:48)

• Contrasting Tuberville and Addressing Flaws

  • Raises Tommy Tuberville’s residency in Florida as an authenticity and rule-of-law issue (14:55).
  • Criticizes Tuberville’s Senate record, legislative inactivity, and prioritization of partisan division.
  • Jones:

    “Tommy Tuberville is just as flawed, just in a different way...When you’ve been a sitting United States senator...with no legislation passed...that’s a record I don’t think people care about.” (14:55)

• Taking On the MAGA Machine

  • Asserts that Trump’s recent primary wins stem from a narrow sliver of hyper-loyal voters, not the general electorate.
  • Points to Democratic over-performance in unexpected places, suggesting MAGA’s grip is less certain for general elections (17:11).
  • Jones:

    “That MAGA coalition is fracturing a good bit, too...Look at the numbers last night, that’s what we’re seeing in Alabama.” (17:11)

• Finding Common Ground with Trump

  • Admits to previous agreement with Trump’s administration on defense spending and calls for suspending the gas tax.
  • Highlights federal investments benefiting Alabama while criticizing Trump’s treatment of local agriculture and foreign policy (18:17).
  • Jones:

    “We can find that common ground. That is what I did when I was in the United States Senate. It’s what I’ll do as governor.” (20:25)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Yasmin on Steve Kornacki’s unique state on election nights:

  “For this, I bring in no other than the tired, the weary and the ever excited election man himself, Steve Kornacki...” (01:45)

• Kornacki on the relative futility of most races:

  “In the vast majority of congressional districts...we already know [the outcome].” (02:38)

• Jones on the residency question:

  “Everybody knows [Tuberville] lives in Florida. He’s always lived in Florida. That’s just common knowledge.” (14:55)

• Jones on the mood of the electorate:

  “People are...tired of the chaos. They are hurting for their affordability. They are looking for folks that can work together and not divide us.” (12:48)

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Important Timestamps

• Trump’s power in Republican primaries: 04:39 – 06:33
• Most competitive House races: 03:28 – 04:39
• Redistricting effects and House control overview: 08:20 – 09:36
• Interview with Doug Jones begins: 12:05
• Jones criticism of Tuberville and residency: 14:55
• Jones on navigating the MAGA environment: 17:11
• Finding policy overlap/common ground: 18:17

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Brief: Other Segments

Remembering Barney Frank (22:01 – 25:10)

• Senior Politics Reporter Jonathan Allen discusses Barney Frank’s legacy as a Wall Street reformer, LGBTQ trailblazer, and civil rights advocate.
• Memorable anecdote about Frank being “the only one I’m certain was reading [the Wall Street Journal]” (23:20).
• Allen quoting Pelosi:

  “Little did the Pope know...that the replacement [for Father Drynan] would be a gay, left-handed, Jewish [man].” (24:11)

NBA Playoff Recap with Rohan Nadkarni (25:10 – 27:38)

• Knicks mount a 22-point comeback against the Cavaliers; low probability win (26:01).
• Spurs vs. Thunder: Western Conference finals deliver double overtime drama and rising rivalry (26:38).
• Nadkarni underscores the high energy and the “heavyweight fight” of current NBA playoff series (27:09).

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Final Thoughts

This episode offers a nuanced, fast-paced look at the current state of national politics as Trump’s influence grows inside the GOP and Democrats look for viable paths forward, especially in tough terrain like Alabama. Steve Kornacki’s sharp data insights and Doug Jones’ pragmatic optimism foreground the challenges ahead. The episode ends on a reflective, personal note with the passing of Barney Frank and a look at the excitement of the NBA playoffs—showing once again how politics and culture intersect in daily headlines.

Transcript

[Steve Kornacki]

With a large number of independents. Now, yeah, Trump's in trouble, Republicans are in trouble. But within the Republican Party, I just don't see any evidence of it.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Hey everybody, and welcome to here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasin Vasugin. So today on the show, the president is still on a winning streak from Tuesday night's primaries, but is it going to come back to bite the GOP come the midterms? Also, I'm talking to Doug Jones, former Democratic senator from the state of Alabama. He just won the Democratic primary for governor in his state. But I'm going to ask him how is he going to defeat Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville, who was backed by President Trump? Also, if you are wondering why the basketball fans in your life are not answering your text messages, I've got the answer for you. So Tuesday was a major primary day across about a half a dozen states. President Trump was not on the ballot, of course, but it felt like he was. In the Republican primary for Kentucky's 4th congressional district, another one of Trump's hand picked candidates, Ed Gal Ryan, ousted incumbent Thomas Massie. Now, Massie has defied the President on many different issues, but two in particular standing out the release of the Epstein files, which initially the President did not want, and the war with Iran, which Thomas Massie disagreed with. So I think the big question here is was it actually worth it? And what do Tuesday's primary results actually tell us about what is coming in November? For this, I bring in no other than the tired, the weary and the ever excited election man himself, Steve Kornacki, NBC News Chief Data analyst. Hi, Steve.

[Steve Kornacki]

Tired and excited. I guess it's a contrast of emotions

[Yasmin Vasugin]

here, but it's accurate, right?

[Steve Kornacki]

I think that's a pretty good summation.

[Doug Jones]

Yeah.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Okay.

[Steve Kornacki]

I've known you for fired but excited.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

All right, I'm gonna come back to Massey in a second cuz I know it's one of the biggest races that we were watching last night, but just talking in general here, I mentioned, right, there was primaries in half a dozen states. The maps are so gerrymandered now, Steve. Right. Decidedly red or blue, it seems at this point. Are there any House races really that feel like they're still up for grabs or are voters basically going to the polls and we're knowing the outcomes before we even actually get the outcomes in

[Steve Kornacki]

the vast majority of congressional districts? The answer is the latter. We already know. But of course, control of the House, the division, I should say in the House right now is just a couple seats so the battlefield doesn't have to be that big to be incredibly consequential to flip control of the House. So it is a much smaller battlefield than if you went back to Trump's first term. That midterm in 2018, if folks remember, Trump had an approval rating that looks a lot like his approval rating now. It was the blue wave midterm. Democrats gained 40 seats. It's a lot harder to look at the battlefield this year and say the Democrats are gonna be able to translate kind of Trump approval rating into that kind of gain.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

So when you talk about, really it's just a few seats that need to shift one way or the other, which House seats does, it seems, are still the most competitive when we're looking at November?

[Steve Kornacki]

Yeah, I mean, we saw one last night in the primary in Pennsylvania. There was a Democratic primary in the seventh District of Pennsylvania. This is the Lehigh Valley, you know, this is sort of the Allentown, Bethlehem area. Ryan McKenzie is the Republican who holds the seat. He won the seat in 2024 by defeating an incumb by 4,000 votes. So it was one of the most. It was one of the closest House races in the country in 2024. That's a 1 point margin. And it's a district that in 2020 went for Joe Biden and in 2024 went for Donald Trump. So it is going to be one of the most closely watched House races this general election this fall. It's one of those districts where if Democrats are taking back the House, this is one they really, I think, kind of have to win. So last night they had a primary and they, the Bob Brooks is the name of the candidate they came up with. It was a bit of an interesting story. He was endors, Bernie Sanders, pretty far off on the left there, and Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania. You don't necessarily often see Shapiro and Sanders on the same page, but they were with Brooks. So Brooks is going to be their candidate against Ryan McKenzie. And that's going to be one of those districts that it's different than what you were just saying. It's not one where we go into it knowing the outcome. It's going to be genuinely suspenseful.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

So let's talk about Thomas Massie, because one of the reasons why we were watching Massie's election in this key race is we wanted to understand if Trump's endorsement of Ed Gallerin, this newbie to the race, right, would actually get Gal Rhein over the finish line and defeat this incumbent, Thomas Massie. And then what that says about Trump's power in this primary calendar without him actually being on the ballot. And Massie lost. Right. He defied the President on many different things. As I mentioned earlier, the release of the Epstein files, the Iran wore two in particular. So I'm wondering, did Massie kind of misjudge the Republican voter and their loyalty to the MAGA movement and the President himself?

[Steve Kornacki]

Yeah, I mean, look, what I think we've seen here now is a string of these where there's the power of the Trump endorsement on the one hand, there's also the power of Trump looking at a Republican incumbent and saying, I want this guy out. This guy's been disloyal just this past weekend. Bill Cassidy, two term incumbent Republican senator, doesn't even get a quarter of the vote in the Republican primary. Trump had said Cassidy disloyal, voted to convict me in, in that second impeachment trial in 2021. I want him out. Three quarters of the voters in that Republican primary in Louisiana agreed with Trump and voted for somebody other than Cassidy. And now we go into Kentucky last night and here's Tom Massie and you know, he did a little bit better than Cassidy. He got 45% of the vote. But ultimately, you know, this was about, you know, Trump's definition of what it means to be a loyal MAGA Trump, Republican in the age of Trump, what it means to be loyal to Trump.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

You're the polling guy though. How do you reconcile this? How do you square this with Trump's approval rating? He's down amongst Republicans, two, four points. Yes, he's still up. I mean, I think approval rating as the latest numbers is 83% amongst Republicans, but still, that's down 4 points from the last polling and then 37% across the board. When it comes to approval ratings for the president, how do you square that with the success we're seeing?

[Steve Kornacki]

I just don't think he's really down with Republican voters and I just don't think he has been. I mean, it can jump around a couple points in the polls, but I think the story of Trump and the Republican base for a decade now has been an unusually deep bond that Trump has with his party's voters that goes beyond what we've seen with most presidents before. So, yes, you look outside the Republican Party, certainly with Democrats, that's been the case the whole time, but with a large number of independents now, yeah, Trump's in trouble, Republicans are in trouble. But within the Republican Party, I just don't see any evidence of it.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

So it seems as if Trump's camp, Trump's team, feels like they have some momentum now because now he's getting these wins, and he's saying, okay, I'm now going to endorse Attorney General Ken Paxton for the Senate Republican primary runoff in the state of Texas, up against John Cornyn, who has also not necessarily been loyal to the President of the United States. And I think arguably, some would say Ken Paxton is a flawed candidate. One of the reasons why the president hadn't endorsed him up until now is, is this gonna move the needle in Paxton's favor in this runoff in Texas?

[Steve Kornacki]

Yeah. I mean, one of the theories on why Trump made that decision to go with Paxton, your surprise decision, was that maybe Trump had seen some polling that kind of showed him which way the wind was blowing in this primary. And, you know, he. I think deep in it, sort of in his guts, I think Paxton has always kind of been more his guy anyway, simply because Paxton's always been much more loyal to Trump. You know, there's been some public polling even now in the last couple days that suggested that Paxton might be starting to open up a lead on corn. And so I wonder if that spurred Trump's thinking a little bit more that, like, hey, I kind of like this guy anyway. Now it's starting to look like he's gonna win. I might as well get ahead of this and get with him now and get the win.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Given this kind of idea of gerrymandering, redistricting that we have been talking about, not just in this conversation, but you and I have talked about persistently over the last few months, and obviously, the decisions that have come out of the Supreme Court. Has the picture changed for Democrats to take back control of the House and the Senate come November?

[Steve Kornacki]

On the House side, it's changed a little bit. I think the Democrats are still certainly favored to do that. But look, the Virginia map was supposed to be an additional. A net addition of four seats for the Democrats that's wiped off the table by the state Supreme Court ruling. So, ultimately, the events of the last month on the redistricting front, I think are definitely poised to put the Republicans in a position where they're gonna net more out of it than the Democrats. Now, that said, at the start of this cycle, the Republican cushion was basically two seats. They could afford a loss of two House seats. Otherwise, they lose control. I think with the redistricting, if that number is more like 8 or 10, that might be where it lands heading into 2026. That's still not much of a cushion when the president's job approval rating is sitting at essentially 40% right now. Smaller battlefield, I think it gives them maybe a fighting chance, but they'd still be underdogs for sure.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

What did I tell you? Tired but excited. I told you, tired but excited. Steve Kornacki, thank you.

[Steve Kornacki]

We hit the right subjects.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

We're gonna take a very quick break. And when we're back, I'm speaking with former Senator Doug Jones from Alabama. He just won the Democratic nomination for the state's governor's race. What does he see as his path to victory in a heavily pro Trump state? That's next. And also. Okay, so while you're waiting, while you're listening to all those ads, just go ahead and push the subscribe button or share this episode. Even better with your friends. Maybe not better, but close second. We'd love your support. We'll be right back.

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[Yasmin Vasugin]

This week on MEET THE press, the president's high stakes trip to China. We'll dive into that crucial summit in Beijing and what the impact could be for the global economy and US Foreign policy. Plus, former FBI director James Comey live in our studio this week on MEET THE press. Listen to the full episode now where every you get your podcast. And we are back with here's the scoop from NBC News. So the race for governor in the state of Alabama is going to be this epic rematch, right? On the one hand you have former Democratic senator for the state of Alabama, Doug Jones. On the other hand, you have current Republican senator for Alabama, Tommy Tuberville. These two actually went head to head back in 2020. I believe Senator Tuberville beat Doug Jones at the time by 20 percentage points. This time around, it's probably not going to be any easier for Doug Jones. But of course, he's hoping for a comeback and a chance to prove that Democrats can actually still resonate. They can actually still pull in votes in a heavily read, heavily Republican state like Alabama. But I want to find out how he actually plans to do that. So for this Democratic nominee for Alabama governor and former senator Doug Jones is here with me now. Welcome, Doug Jones.

[Doug Jones]

Hey, how are you this morning? Thanks for having me.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

So let's talk about today and beyond all the way to November. You're running for governor in the state of Alabama, a heavily read, heavy Republican state. This state has not seen a Democratic governor in office in over two decades. The last time that you won a statewide race was back in 2017. You were running against a flawed candidate, Roy Moore. That was also the first year in which President Trump was in the White House. Times haven't changed. How do you adjust your strategy? How are you planning on adjusting your strategy today through November and differentiate it from the way in which you ran back in 2017?

[Doug Jones]

You know, I think our strategy is essentially the same. The difference, though, is that I think people are more receptive even now. And remember, when we won in 2017, I was also the first Democrat elected to the US Senate in over two decades. So we've been here before, we have done this before, and we, we hit 2017 race talking about the very same issues that are important today. The kitchen table issues, affordability, electric bills, gas prices. Health care is a huge, huge issue in Alabama of the affordability of health care. The access to healthcare is a huge issue. And the second thing we're going to do is we're going to go straight at people and talk to them about who they are, their families, what's to them. And the thing that I think, though, is the biggest difference here for us is that I think now people are looking, they are tired of the chaos. They are hurting for their affordability. They are looking for folks that can work together and not divide us. And that's a big issue. I know it's, it may sound a little trite, but I'm telling you, it's a big issue out there right now.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

So you bring up Tommy Tuberville, Senator Tuberville, who you're running against. You've run against him before. You lost to him back in 2020. I mentioned Roy Moore back in 2017. He was a flawed candidate. He faced sexual misconduct allegations with underage girls. He denied the allegations at the time. Senator Tommy Tuberville is facing something else now as well. He's a former college football coach sitting U.S. senator. In his primary race, one of the Republican primary challengers challenged Tuberville's residency. McPheeter said that he believes Tuberville lives in a multimillion dollar home in Florida instead of a smaller home that he has listed as his residence in Auburn, Alabama. What is your campaign found out about Senator Tuberville's residency? And how are you planning on challenging that if in fact, there is validity to this?

[Doug Jones]

Oh, everybody knows he lives in Florida. He's always lived in Florida. That's just common knowledge. It's, I mean, everybody knows that he lives in Florida. But I want to mention there's more to it. The residency issue is a big deal. It's required that you live in Alabama for seven years leading up to the election. And there's a lot of case law about things like that. So it is, you know, that's typical of this. What we're seeing so much from a party that is dominating politics right now is that they just don't care about the rule of law. They don't think that, that the rules apply to them. And yeah, you know, in 2017, we had a flawed candidate. But I'm going to tell you something. Tommy Tuberville is just as flawed, just in a different way. He doesn't have those same allegations that Moore did. But let me tell you, when you, when you've been a sitting United States senator, you virtually had no legislation passed when you've been a senator and you have blocked the bipartisan nominations of generals, promotions of generals in which even members of your own party take to the Senate floor to roundly criticize you. When you, when you pit one race against the other, the way he's done with teachers, with those on SNAP benefits, those kind of things. And quite frankly, when you're one of the most prolific stock traders in all of Congress and making a lot of money off the information you get, as a United States senator sitting on the Agriculture Committee, you've got a record that I don't think people are care about because affordability is going to be an issue, but so is the moral corruption that we see going on in Washington and in Alabama, down in Montgomery, he's

[Yasmin Vasugin]

also backed by the President of the United States. And listen, in spite of President Trump's low approval ratings right now, he has been faring quite well in this primary season so far, especially when it comes to incumbent candidates even primarying other Republicans. Right. That we saw last night, for instance, with, with Massie. So how do you go up against the MAGA machine when you are facing, you know, when you are in a state? I should say that the president took by 30 points back in 2024, facing then candidate Kamala Harris.

[Doug Jones]

The primaries are a slit sliver of voters, and it is more his voters. It is a sliver of voters. Look what's happened in the general elections over the last year and a half. Look at the margins of victory in Virginia and in New Jersey. Look at the how Democrats overperformed in Marjorie Taylor Greene's district in Georgia. Look at the fact that, that in Florida, at his home residence, Donald Trump's now going to be represented by a Democrat in the state legislature. I don't think the primary election, I, I mean, certainly it shows a grip on the Republican Party, but that MAGA coalition is fracturing a good bit, too. We're looking at a general election in which we expect more people to come out to vote. And if you look at the numbers last night, that's what we're seeing in Alabama.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

I wonder if this is a question that you've ever had before, which is are there any issues that you align with when it comes to the president, President Trump, especially in a Southern conservative state like Alabama.

[Doug Jones]

Yeah, you know, look, when I was in the Senate, you know, I've voted with the administration on any number of issues, particularly with, at that time, defense spending. We increased defense spending. We beefed up our armed forces. Now, I got to tell you, I'm a little bit concerned about what the hell I see going on today with that. And I think I lined up a little bit more when I was in the Senate than what I see from this administration today. But certainly there are things, I'll give you one good example. Two months ago when the war started and all of a sudden gas prices started spiking in ways that people just could not handle it. The shock of incredibly high gas prices for our farmers and others. I called in Alabama, for the state of Alabama and the governor and the legislature to suspend the gas tax. Alabama's gas tax is 10 cents per gallon. And I called, I think it's 10, maybe it's more than that. Maybe like 30 cents. It's a lot, I'll put it that way. And I called for that suspension. Well, just the other day, the President of the United States calls for the same thing. I think that's a good thing right now. If he's not going to end this war and get prices down, at least do something to give folks a break. So, yeah, we can, we can always find that. And look, the president has sent some federal monies into Alabama. We've got a new submarine plant. I know that this is weird sounding, but we've got a submarine plant in north Alabama, 350 miles from the coast. They're building a submarine plant. But what I don't appreciate is the fact that he's treated farmers so bad and taking away their markets and their fertilizer prices are through the roof. I don't appreciate the fact that he's gotten so much and has ignored the economy in our states the way he has just to to, you know, to do a war in the Middle east that we're sending people over there to, that needs to end. So yes, we can find that common ground. That is what I did when I was in the United States Senate. It's what I'll do as governor of State of Alabama.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Former Senator Doug Jones. Thank you.

[Doug Jones]

Thank you. It's good to see you.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

And by the way, we reached out to Senator Tommy Tuberville's campaign team for comment. They have not immediately responded to our request. All right, we're going to take a very quick break. And when we are back, the hearts of NBA fans across the country are still racing after Game 1 in both conference finals.

[Rohan Nadkarni]

These are really the games that you dream about as a basketball fan.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Stay with us.

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[Yasmin Vasugin]

a subscription, fewer ads, deeper access and exclusive content. And now, during the Xfinity Member celebration, members can get an exclusive exclusive 50% off an annual subscription. Head to xfinity.com membership to learn more. Xfinity Imagine that subscription automatically renews each year at 65.99 plus taxes and fees until canceled offer ends May 20, 2026. Price is subject to change. Visit nbcnews.comxfinity for full offer terms and details. And we are back with here's the scoop from NBC News. We're going to leave you with two quick hits. First up, we are tipping our caps to former Massachusetts congressman Barney Frank who died today at the age of 86. Frank was best known for overhauling Wall street regulations in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. He is actually the Frank in the Dodd Frank act, but he was also an LGBTQ trailblazer, one of the first openly gay members of Congress, and the first to enter into a same sex marriage when he tied the knot with his longtime partner, Jim reddy, back in 2012. For this, I want to bring in senior national politics reporter Jonathan Allen, who actually interviewed Frank before he died. John, what is Barney Frank going to be most remembered for?

[Jonathan Allen]

You know, it's funny, Yasmin. I knew him really well. I covered him very closely in the House. And, you know, he was one of many members of Congress I saw with an open Wall Street Journal every day. He's the only one I'm certain was reading it. Incredibly smart, incredibly witty, sometimes acerbic. One other thing I just wanted to mention, when he was a student in the early 1960s, student at Harvard, he went to Mississippi to register voters. And it's something that wasn't often talked about in terms of his activism on civil rights, but that this was somebody who, not only for gay rights, but for African American civil rights, basically for every person of color in this country, you know, was a champion before many of them were born. And if you'll give me one more minute, Yasmin, I'll tell you something really funny.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Okay.

[Jonathan Allen]

Nancy Pelosi was once hosting an event to commemorate his congressional career as he was retiring. And Barney Frank had come to Congress after the Pope had told Congressman Robert Drynan that he had to leave Congress. And the reason he said that to Drynan was Drynan was a priest. And the Pope didn't like what Drynan was doing. He represented a district in Massachusetts. And the Pope said, you can either be a member of the cloth or you can be a congressman. You can't be both. So Drynan decided to stay a priest left Congress. Barney Frank was elected to replace him. And Nancy Pelosi, herself a very devout Catholic, said little did the Pope know when he forced Father Drynan out of Congress, that the replacement would be a gay, left handed, Jewish. And I think it's representative of a sort of opening of American society in a lot of ways, not only his election, but certainly the things that he fought for as a member of Congress.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Yeah, I mean, whatever side of the aisle you are on, Barney Frank, he had the resolve, he had the commitment to what he believed in. So, John Allen, with that, thank you. We gotta switch gears here. And talk about what is happening in basketball right now because you have the San Antonio spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder, they're tipping off tonight, right, for game two of the NBA Western Conference finals. And if the first games of this series last night, the night before are any indication of what is to come, it is going to be such a nail biter for that. I have NBC News sports reporter Rohan Nadkarni to talk through it. Because Rohan, last night's game, right, the Knicks, they were so far behind and there's not many people that I would think who thought the Knicks could actually come back the way in which they did. How did they do it?

[Rohan Nadkarni]

It was incredible. At one point in the fourth quarter, the Knicks had a 0.1% win probability, 22 point comeback. I mean, Jalen Brunson just continues to write his legend, you know, in the hearts of Knicks fans. Just single handedly carried them in that fourth quarter. Fifteen points, attacking James Harden over and over again. That's a series defining win for the Knicks. I mean they really snatched the soul out of the Cleveland Cavaliers. That comeback.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Then the Western Conference the night before, they went into double overtime. Right. Like both games were so intense to watch.

[Rohan Nadkarni]

These are really the games that you dream about as a basketball fan. We've been waiting all year to see Victor Wembanyama go against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a playoff setting. And it delivered on every single level. The intensity, the desperation, the talent on both sides. Yeah, this is a heavyweight fight already in the Western Conference.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Yeah. And we're just at the beginning. We got Spurs, Thunder tonight, Knicks Cavs tomorrow night. Are we going to see this same energy, you think, throughout the entire series?

[Rohan Nadkarni]

Oh, we're absolutely going to see the same energy. This is a legitimate rivalry. These teams don't like each other. The Thunder are a very proud franchise that the spurs have had their number this year. San Antonio's now 51 against OKC. Expect to see a huge punch back from the Thunder. Expect to see a really, really intense and focused effort. Like I said, this is a heavyweight fight. That was only round one. There are a lot more punches to be thrown, a lot more excitement to be had. I could absolutely see this series going the distance.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

I hate that we have to depend on teams not liking each other to see good basketball, but nonetheless we'll take it right now. Cause we all need to watch some just good sports. Rohan Nadkarni, thank you. That is gonna do it for us at Here's a scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the day may bring. And if you like what you heard, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And you can also subscribe to our daily newsletter, the Inside Scoop. It is a deeper dive on the main stories of the day that comes out every weeknight straight to your inbox. You can sign up for the Inside Scoop as part of our paid subscription at NBC News. We'll see you tomorrow.

[Doug Jones]

Politics is confusing. Governing is messy. But talking to each other about all this stuff, it should be easier.

[Steve Kornacki]

And that's where we come in.

[Doug Jones]

I'm David Green, the host of Left, Right and Center, where we gather each week to talk about what's happening in politics from every angle. Listen to Left, Right and Center from KCRW every Friday.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Wherever you get your podcasts.