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Meet the Press
Meet the Press NOW — April 10
00:49:45
Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. Rizwan Saeed Sheikh joins Meet the Press NOW as Vice President JD Vance travels to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran. NBC News correspondent Liz Kreutz walks through the return of NASA's Artemis II mission to Earth. NBC News senior reporter Jane Timm reports on President Trump's involvement in an Indiana Republican state Senate primary.
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- [00:01]
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Kristen Welker
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- [01:54]
Garrett Hake
Look, we're looking forward to the negotiation. I think it's going to be positive. We'll of course see. As the President of the United States said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand. If they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive. So we're trying to have a positive negotiation. The president has gave us some pretty clear guidelines and we're going to see
- [02:17]
Kristen Welker
ahead of the talks. President Trump is clearly trying to ramp up pressure on the Iranians and threatening renewed military action if the talks fail. The president posting on social media Iran is doing a very poor job of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which he claims Tehran promised to do. Also telling Iran it has, quote, no cards and saying the only reason they are alive today is to negotiate in an Interview with the New York Post. The president also saying the military is, quote, loading up the ships with the best weapons ever made and if there is no deal, quote, we will be using those weapons. Tehran, meanwhile, is hitting back Iran's speaker of the Parliament who is leading the Iranian delegation to the peace talk, saying there will be no negotiations unless there is a ceasefire between Israel and the Iranian backed proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon, along with the release of Iranian assets frozen by sanctions. But these were the images out of southern Lebanon today. Another major explosion as Israel continues its heavy bombardment of Hezbollah. As for the Strait of Hormuz, the other major sticking point leading up to this weekend's peace talks, Iran says the strait remains closed with traffic through that waterway at a near standstill. According to S and P Global Market Intelligence, only two vessels transited the strait, none of which were tankers. And joining me now is NBC News senior White House correspondent Garrett Hake. And NBC News international correspondent Matt Bradley is in Tel Aviv. Thanks to both of you for starting us off on this high stakes day. Garrett, let me talk to start with you. The president continuing to accuse Iran of violating the ceasefire. So what exactly is the administration thinking is realistic to get out of these talks?
- [04:00]
Garrett Hake
Yeah, it's a great question. And the White House, as you might expect, is projecting total confidence that they'll get, you know, a sort of broad based deal out of all of this. But I think the thing that they most need is an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz, the closure of which was the thing that would be most under the president's skin. These last couple of weeks had led to those threats about, you know, erasing Iran's civilization. And to the graphic you just showed to the point you just made is still very much not open, despite the fact that that was the basis the president said for him declaring this cease fire to be operational in the first place on Tuesday. So I think that's the potentially the lowest hanging fruit, but also the key kind of economic win that they need to achieve out of these talks over the next couple of days. Whether they're able to go beyond that or not I think is very much an open question. But the administration believes they've been successful enough in their military goals that they don't necessarily need agreement on, you know, ballistic missiles or nuclear production right now that they've weakened Iran so much in those areas. They can talk about those things later perhaps.
- [05:02]
Kristen Welker
Well, it's an interesting timeline that you lay out, Garrett. Let me ask you, because Vice President J.D. vance leading these talks, it's notable because, of course, according to our reporting, initially in private conversations with President Trump, he was one of the top voices opposed to going into a war with Iran. Once the president gave the green light, it's our understanding the vice president was on board with making sure that the war was waged effectively. Talk about the stakes for the vice president, who's, of course, a potential 2028 hopeful as well.
- [05:34]
Garrett Hake
That's right. I mean, I was talking to someone close to the vice president, close to this White House today, who made the point that all of that. All of that being said, the vice president goes into this knowing that he is there to speak for the president, not for his own particular political views on this, and that while the president may give him a little bit more latitude than other officials to negotiate, at the end of the day, any deal is going to be something that has to be agreed to by the president. This person also kind of pushed off my question about whether Vance's lack of experience in this era, in this area could come back to Biden basically saying that, you know, the experienced professionals on Iran are the ones who got us into this. 47 years of a standoff with the Iranians as they maybe were trying to develop a nuclear weapon, that they think Vance brings a certain degree of credibility, tells the Iranians we're serious about peace and is someone new for them to talk to after they've lost a huge degree of trust in Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, with whom they were negotiating twice over the last year when the bombs started falling on Iran.
- [06:37]
Kristen Welker
Well, that's such an important point, Garrett, and explains why we may see the vice president there leading this delegation. Let's talk about the political pressures President Trump is feeling at home. We are starting to hear from some of his most outspoken MAGA supporters who are very clear they're not in support of this war, but more so, we're starting to see the impact on the economy, those high gas prices. We got an inflation number today that was not good for the president. And, of course, all of the volatility that we've been watching on Wall Street. Garrett, if these talks fall apart, what recourse does the White House have? Is the president going to resume this war which is so unpopular with the American public?
- [07:20]
Garrett Hake
Yeah, the options are all bad here for the White House if the talks don't work. Chris said. I mean, it speaks to the asymmetry of this moment where the US can dominate Iran on the battlefield, but still need to work with them to get the economic outcomes that we'd like here, the president insists that he's willing to go right back to dropping bombs and firing missiles. He gave kind of an aggressive sounding interview to the New York Post today saying all the ships are being reloaded in this moment, but all the ships in the world, you know, weren't at least as they were deployed in this conflict before Tuesday, able to get the Strait of Hormuz open to a degree that could kind of calm these energy markets. And it's not clear that that'll change, you know, next week or the week after. So really it's going to be talks or it's going to be another thing that the White House doesn't really like, which is a reliance on allies globally to perhaps create the kind of coalition that critics have argued should have existed on the front end to police the strait or convince the Iranians that some kind of negotiated settlement, if not peace, is the way to get everybody back to where they want. Because those economic numbers are just not sustainable as we head into a midterm year for Republicans, especially with so many of the loudest voices in the MAGA sphere, if you will, the Tucker Carlson's and Megyn Kelly's of the world being very upset to find this administration in this moment.
- [08:37]
Kristen Welker
Garrett, I think it's an important point that term not sustainable. Garrett Hake, starting us off from the White House. Thank you so much, Garrett, really appreciate it. Matt Bradley, I want to turn to you now live in Tel Aviv. Talk to me about your conversations with officials in Israel. How closely are they watching these talks in Islamabad? What are they watching for?
- [08:58]
Matt Bradley
Well, very, very closely, of course. I mean, this is a make or break moment. I mean, what they're watching for really is to salvage what they have left. Kristen, the fact is this all started out with in Iran as a dream for Benjamin Netanyahu and his partners in government and now it's a nightmare. Why? Well, because Israel no longer has any traction on these negotiations. They're going to be doing it secondhand, basically through the United States. They have no diplomatic relations with Pakistan, so they can't even send delegates to this meeting. But this is important because what we've seen in the past couple of weeks is that Israel, you could say, as the kids say, shot their shot. They went after Iran and now they have essentially some sort of ceasefire that's been imposed on them. And we've seen that in Iran and then lately in Lebanon, the Israelis seeming to rush to catch up to meet their military objectives before the door closes. The door has closed on Iran. The Israelis are no longer firing missiles at Iran, but not in Lebanon. But it is closing with substantial pressure from the Trump administration on Benjamin Netanyahu to stop their fight in Lebanon against Hezbollah in order to push with these treaty negotiations in Pakistan. This is a very, very delicate moment for the Israelis. They're both trying to reach out to the Lebanese government distinct from Hezbollah, while at the same time continuing their fight against Hezbollah, which is an Iranian proxy. It is a very, very difficult diplomatic maneuver, but it's going to be essential not just for Israel and Lebanon, but for the US And Iran and the entire region because it plays such a central role in these negotiations to solidify the cease fire between Iran on one side and Israel and the US on the other.
- [10:41]
Kristen Welker
Matt, let me follow up with you on that point. President Trump urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to scale back his attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Has that actually happened? What are you seeing there?
- [10:56]
Matt Bradley
Well, it looks as though this is these are smaller attacks than what we saw about two days ago when we saw what was essentially, as the Israelis described, the largest strikes and the most expansive, most powerful attacks against Hezbollah in generations. So that was hard to beat. So it has diminished since then since that extremely high level of violence that Israel was meeting out against Hezbollah. But whether or not it's gone down to the level of what we might call a restrained fight or what President Trump wants or what the Iranians want or what Hezbollah wants or what the Lebanese government wants, well, it looks like the Israelis are still continuing to attack Hezbollah in a ferocious manner. And Hezbollah still firing rockets into northern Israel. So the fight over northern Israel's border in Lebanon is not over, not by a long shot. It could be over if President Trump put enough pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu to stop that fight. But for now, it looks like Israel is trying to have it both ways, reaching out to the Lebanese government to create some sort of more permanent diplomatic solution, all at the same time trying to bludgeon Hezbollah, trying to make sure they are finished once and for all militarily, not diplomatically.
- [12:08]
Kristen Welker
All right, Matt Bradley live for us in Tel Aviv. Matt, please continue to stay safe. We really appreciate it. Thank you for that reporting. Joining me now is Pakistan's ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh. As we've said, Pakistan is hosting and mediating this weekend's talks between the US and Iran. Mr. Ambassador, thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate it.
- [12:30]
Rizwan Saeed Sheikh
Thank you, Kristen, for having me.
- [12:32]
Kristen Welker
Well, this is a critical moment and Pakistan is the mediator in These high stakes talks, let's just set the scene here because Pakistan's parliamentary, or I should say Iran's parliamentary speaker who's leading the talks from the Iranian side is saying that the talks will not move forward forward if there's not an actual ceasefire in Lebanon. It sounds like Israel has scaled back its attacks but hasn't halted the attacks altogether. Do you think these talks are actually going to happen tomorrow?
- [13:07]
Rizwan Saeed Sheikh
I think a lot of diplomatic effort and intense diplomatic effort has gone into bringing things to this good stage where it stands. And Pakistan, in keeping with its long standing tradition of making things happen on the international scene, has certainly put in a lot. Our partners, multiple partners, countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have certainly made a lot of effort. Others have made a lot of effort. So while this thing has been brought to this stage and the delegations are either flying in or have already flown in, I believe the talks are very much on the cards. And if there are any issues perhaps that might not have been resolved to the satisfaction of either of the two conflicting parties, I believe those are threads that can be picked up within the talks themselves. And once they sit down in Islamabad tomorrow and discuss matters at length, if there are any wrinkles that need to be ironed out before that, that should be done. But since the delegations are either airborne, as I said, or are already there, it stands to happen, I believe.
- [14:37]
Kristen Welker
Okay, so you're confident these talks are going to move forward? I want to be very clear on where Pakistan stands. Do you believe that there needs to be a cease fire that applies to Lebanon in order for these talks to move forward? Because the White House and Israel saying Lebanon was not a part of the cease fire agreement. Iran says that's not the case. How do you see it?
- [14:59]
Rizwan Saeed Sheikh
I think whatever has been part of discussions going into these talks needs to be honored, whether it is one or the other point and would certainly have a salutary impact on not just the optics or, you know, completion of the process that has gone into reaching this stage, but the substantive discussions themselves.
- [15:24]
Kristen Welker
I want to play you a little bit of what Vice President J.D. vance had to say about the situation and Iran's lead negotiator. Take a listen to what he had to say.
- [15:32]
Garrett Hake
I think this comes from a legitimate misunderstanding. I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn't. Let me just say this. I actually wonder how good he is at understanding English because there are things that he said that frankly didn't make sense in some of the, in the context of the negotiations that we've had.
- [15:51]
Kristen Welker
So Vice President J.D. vance saying, this is all a big misunderstanding. What do you say to people who hear that and say, if there was a misunderstanding about the very definition of what a ceasefire should look like, how can an agreement be reached to end these hostilities in Iran, which is far more complicated?
- [16:11]
Rizwan Saeed Sheikh
I think the most significant part of this whole episode that is that would start unfolding in Islam tomorrow is the constructive spirit with which both sides have approached it. I mean, it would not have been agreed to had they not been confident of the talks in Islamabad or had they not been ready to conduct those talks in Islamabad. So while they agreed to it, and they are, either they are already there or they are on the way to Islamabad as we speak, it stands to take place, and it is in the nature of conflict that it is not fully resolved until it is resolved. So that is where it's a work in progress. And if there are matters that need to be fine tuned, the process itself, the talks themselves will address it.
- [17:14]
Kristen Welker
And there are so many sticking points, and they're very complicated issues. What do you think can be accomplished in these talks? In other words, what are the tangible results that you think can be achieved?
- [17:31]
Rizwan Saeed Sheikh
Well, as a facilitator, the role is to bring the conflicting parties together and let them decide what satisfies them or what does not. But in diplomacy, we say that at the end of any negotiation, if both sides have a good or an equal measure of comfort or an equal measure of discomfort, then the negotiations are successful because you find the way forward. So as a facilitator, Pakistan basically is bringing them together and we would be ready to afford maybe advice if it is solicited, if it is required, on whichever aspect it is required, and to the extent that it is required, because ultimately it is upon the conflicting parties themselves to strike a solution. So while we wish them well, we bring the good intentions of the entire international community, because we have been receiving calls, our leadership has been, I mean, 50 plus only yesterday of support. So while everybody is watching with bated breath and hoping that this brings a result, what is the result exactly that the two sides are looking for will only be known at the end of it.
- [19:02]
Kristen Welker
I have to ask you, because President Trump has warned, has threatened to hit Iran hard if no deal is reached, do you take President Trump at his words?
- [19:15]
Rizwan Saeed Sheikh
I think in a conflict, hostilities are basically the name of the game. They have taken place. For now. There is an agreement on ceasefire. And for now, the word of President Trump, the word of the Iranian leadership that they are ready to hold hostilities and go for a negotiated settlement, lend dialogue and diplomacy. Space and opportunity is more in play and should be focused on. If we get this right, I think we would not have to go anywhere else.
- [19:51]
Kristen Welker
Well, it would be hugely significant. Ambassador Shaikh, thank you so much for being here to bring us your perspective on this critical matter at this critical moment.
- [20:02]
Rizwan Saeed Sheikh
Thank you, Kristen.
- [20:03]
Kristen Welker
Thank you. Wonderful to have you. Turning now to the economic fallout from the war against Iran as the conflict pushes consumer prices higher and consumer confidence lower. The Labor Department today reporting that prices jumped nearly a full percentage point in March compared to a month earlier and 3.3% higher compared to a year ago. Those numbers fueled by the largest one month increase in gas prices in nearly 60 years. Now a separate survey from the University of Michigan found consumers are growing more pessimistic about the economy, with consumer sentiment falling to a record low in April, down nearly 11% for March. Although we should note that most of this data was collected before for this week's cease fire agreement. NBC News business and data correspondent Brian Chung joins me now. Brian, thanks so much for being here. So break down these numbers. What do they tell us about the health of the economy and how much the war with Iran is impacting these figures?
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Brian Chung
Yeah, Kristen, your context is so important because this report does not cover the cease fire, but it is the first report that we're getting that shows the beginnings of this war. Again, because it covers the month of March, as you pointed out, 3.3%. That's the price change for everything here in America as far as the price tags that we as consumers see at the store, on the roads everywhere, 3.3% higher in March of this year compared to March of last year. And you'll notice that is a notable acceleration from the 2.4% that we saw in the February to February period. I should point out, though, economists were expecting this to be high because of rising energy prices. And here's where the breakdown is seen in terms of food, energy and shelter. Now, what we're talking about are monthly figures, how much the prices change between February and March. Energy prices up, I get this, almost 11% in just one month. A lot of that because of the soaring price of gasoline as a result of the ships that were stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, food prices going sideways, although we'll be watching for that because fertilizer was also stuck in the strait. That could lead to higher food prices in months to come, but also shelter costs only up 3, 10 of a percent. We watch that because that is the biggest expenditure for most Americans, just putting a roof over your head. We'll be watching for that as well.
- [22:10]
Kristen Welker
Well, I want to ask you about the cease fire. Has it actually had an impact on gas prices? President Trump has said when the war ends, the gas prices are going to start to drop immediately.
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Brian Chung
Yeah. Well, we did see gas prices as far as measured by triple A on a daily basis, fall by $0.01 to $4.15. But I should point out that again, this is the overall picture on inflation rates. But when we look at gas prices, it has still been enormously higher compared to where it was prior to this war beginning. We were looking at sub $3 a gallon averages prior to this war beginning, but again, we soared well above $4 a gallon. And actually that happened around the time that we flipped the calendar from March into April, which makes this data so important to think about within the context of it was collected over the period of March. So if you look at the April numbers, gas prices were continuing to rise. That's the reason why economists that we've heard from so far today have said it's really going to be that April report where we see inflation not just fed further in the categories of gasoline, but potentially in things like food and things like car prices, other types of categories as well.
- [23:13]
Liz Kreutz
Kristen?
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Kristen Welker
Brian, before I let you go, I have to ask you about this new figure we're getting from the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment survey. It shows it fell 11% in April. What does that tell you about how consumers feel the war is impacting their finances?
- [23:28]
Brian Chung
Yeah, Well, I mean, it's as simple as Americans don't feel good about their finances as a result of the war. And it's notable that the University of Michigan saying that that number is the lowest that they've seen on record. They've only been doing this since about the early 2010s, to be fair. But nonetheless, you see what's happening at the pump. Prices are rising. That has led to a noticeable decline in how Americans feel about the economy. The concern is that this could ripple into the economy from the for from the standpoint of Americans just choosing not to spend because they feel so pessimistic about the economy, that would stop start a chain of events that could really lead to other types of economic indicators deteriorating as well. We'll have to see.
- [24:05]
Kristen Welker
All right, Brian Trung tracking it all for us. Thank you so much for being here on this Friday. We really appreciate it. And coming up, all eyes on Islamabad. We are digging deeper into the high stakes effort underway right now to keep peace talks on track as the accusations fly and Israel pounds Hezbollah. Plus Cuba in crisis. More key takeaways from my exclusive, exclusive historic sit down interview with the President of Cuba and what he told me about putting his life on the line as the island nation faces a dire economic emergency and takeover threats from the Trump administration. Stay with us. You're watching Meet the Press. Now.
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- [26:27]
Kristen Welker
Welcome back. Iranian state media is now reporting that Iran's negotiating delegation has arrived in Pakistan ahead of the Talks with the U.S. now, as we noted, President Trump is threatening military action if a deal is not reached, with Iran saying US Naval ships in the Middle east are being loaded up with new weapons. The President telling the New York Post, quote, we're going to find out in about 24 hours. We're going to know soon about whether or not the talks are a success. But Iran says it won't move forward with the peace talks unless there is a ceasefire in Lebanon and sanctions on Iranian assets are lifted, raising the question about whether these negotiations will actually lead to success. Joining me now is Elise labet, host of the podcast Cosmopolitics. Elise, thank you so much for being here. Great to see you. Really appreciate your being here. I want to start off with these high stakes talks right in Pakistan. You just heard my conversation with the ambassador. What are you going to be watching for this weekend, Elise? And do you expect these talks to move forward given everything that we're seeing with Lebanon?
- [27:29]
Elise Labet
I think they're going to start taking place. I think they're going to sit down tomorrow and I think you know that you heard the President say, I'm telling Israel to low key it. Yes, on the airstrikes. And you did see that the Israelis and the Lebanese are going to be sitting down for negotiations. Look, the Lebanese have not been as forward leaning as the US Or Israel would like them to be in terms of trying to disarm Hezbollah. But you do have a Lebanese government now, more so than in any period in recent history, that is willing to try and defang Hezbollah and take more control. And they've been looking to have these negotiations for a while. And so the fact that they're sitting down I think is really important.
- [28:11]
Kristen Welker
Talk about this delegation led by Vice President J.D.
- [28:15]
Elise Labet
vance.
- [28:15]
Kristen Welker
It's reported that Iran actually asked for Vance to be the lead here and not Kushner and Witkoff, who will be a part of the delegation as well. I think it's notable because the vice president was initially opposed to the war. Once the president pressed the green light, he said, okay, I'm going to be on board with trying to carry it out effectively. What do you make of the makeup of this delegation?
- [28:37]
Elise Labet
Well, I think Vice President Bance has said some really interesting things over the last few days about the they don't speak English very well. They really didn't understand us. And then he was when the President said There was a 10 point plan of Iran's that was workable, the Vice President said, well, that's not the bad plan that you're thinking about. I've seen some other plans. So, you know, there's a lot of kind of smoke and mirrors going on. I think the Vice President seems pretty forward leaning about a deal, but my understanding from talking to some of the Gulf allies that, you know, really want any deal with the Iranians to be ironclad in terms of their security, in terms of the strait opening up in terms of dealing with some of these threats by Iran. They're happy that Jared Kushner is at the table because they say Jared is not Wedded to a deal. He understands the Gulf, obviously, he's doing business with them, but he understands the Gulf, he understands their need, and he's not going to walk away with some, you know, less than, you know, some mediocre deal. I think the best we can hope for tomorrow, Kristen, and I think the Pakistani ambassador was trying to say this without saying it so directly as to be less than diplomatic is let this start a process. Let the two sides begin to talk. If there's a deal tomorrow, it's not going to be durable. You know, there's so many years of distrust. There's so many things to work out. If there's enough to keep going, and both sides are still operating in good faith, I think they're thinking there that, you know, that's enough to have a process and maybe that could curb down the tensions.
- [30:12]
Kristen Welker
I think that's such an important point that people should lower their expectations.
- [30:17]
Elise Labet
There's not going to be a deal. Right.
- [30:19]
Kristen Welker
Deal. Right. That what there may be is a prolonged cease fire. And that in and of itself.
- [30:23]
Elise Labet
And the. And the ambassador was kind of saying, look, this could be the beginning of a process, but both sides need to operate in good faith. And, oh, yeah, President Trump, please don't bomb the Iranians while we're talking like you did the last two times. That was implicit, but he didn't say it out loud. He was saying that both sides need to come with good faith. And I think that's what he meant.
- [30:43]
Kristen Welker
Well, we know that a number of countries, the entire world will be watching closely, including Cuba. You have done extensive reporting on Cuba on that region. I was just there interviewing the president of Cuba. I appreciate your being here to help break it down a little bit. I want to play a little bit of my interview, Elise. This is when I asked the president to respond to President Trump's threats that Cuba could be next. Take a look at what he has to say. Are you afraid for yourself, for your family? Or are you prepared to, as you say, make the ultimate sacrifice if you are attacked, have no fear. I am willing to give my life for the.
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Garrett Hake
Of course,
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Kristen Welker
I would like that to
- [31:32]
Brian Chung
be the attitude of the U.S. government.
- [31:34]
Kristen Welker
I think the American people is a sensitive people. They wouldn't allow the country would invade a very small island that does not pose any concern in terms of national security for the United States. I'm willing to give my life. Defiance, Alice. He said he thinks a deal is possible with the Trump administration, but would not commit to any concessions, including that he would step down. What do you mean?
- [32:01]
Elise Labet
Right, he's giving, he's willing to give his life, but he's not willing to step down. And you interviewed the deputy foreign minister a few weeks ago. That was kind of a little bit, you know, everyone's saying the right things for the Cuban government in terms of we're not going to make concessions if it's kind of like Venezuela or even Iran, if you can keep the system in place and get rid of the figurehead at the top. The figurehead is just a figurehead. And so it may be that the Cubans are willing to sacrifice the president. And maybe that's not why the Cuban president is willing to be forward leaning on a deal, because he knows he could be the one. But listen, they gave this interview to you for a reason. The foreign minister spoke to you for a reason. And there are talks going on. I think what's really important right now is that they are worried. You heard President Trump just say the other day, oh, the US Military is ready to move on from Iran and go to its next conquest. They are worried that it's Cuba. Is President Trump thinking we don't know that it's. He says he thinks it's going well. Is it not going well in Iran? Does he want to turn the page? That's what the Cubans are afraid of.
- [33:09]
Kristen Welker
Well, they're afraid and they're watching so closely to see what might happen next.
- [33:14]
Elise Labet
The beginning.
- [33:15]
Kristen Welker
It really is. Elyse Leavitt, thank you so much. Great to have you. Really appreciate all of your great analysis. Coming up next, countdown to splashdown. We're just hours away from the epic conclusion of the Artemis 2 crew's record breaking journey around the moon. We will walk you through what to expect and the dangers that lie ahead. Stay with us on Meet the Press now.
- [33:41]
Alaina and Ash
Hey, weirdos. I'm Alaina. And I'm Ash. And we are the hosts of Morbid Podcast Podcast. Each week we dive into the dark and fascinating world of true crime, spooky history, and the unexplained. From infamous killers and unsolved mysteries to haunted places and strange legends. We cover it all with research, empathy, humor, and a few creative expletives. It's smart, it's spooky, and it's just the right amount of weird. Two new episodes drop every week and there's even a bonus once a month. Find us wherever you. You listen to podcasts. Yay.
- [34:15]
Kristen Welker
Woo. You know that thing where you get an amazing pair of shoes at a really great price and want to tell everyone about it? Yeah. So do we here at Designer Shoe Warehouse. We'll give you something to brag about,
- [34:36]
Jane Tim
like the latest styles from brands you
- [34:37]
Kristen Welker
love love, or the trends everyone's obsessing
- [34:40]
Alaina and Ash
over or shoes that make you feel like, well, you.
- [34:44]
Kristen Welker
So go ahead, show off a little. Buying shoes that get you and prices
- [34:47]
Garrett Hake
that get your budget.
- [34:48]
Kristen Welker
Head to your DSW store or dsw.com today. DSW. Let us surprise you. She loves it hot, he loves it cool. The Pod by eight Sleep is a smart mattress cover that fits on your bed and keeps each side at the perfect temperature all night long. By staying comfortably warm or cool, the pod helps you sleep deeper and wake up feeling more rested. Every morning. You get daily health insights and a sleep fitness score. However you sleep, the pod by Eight Sleep adapts to you. Try it@8sleep.com. Look at this.
- [35:31]
Elise Labet
Welcome back.
- [35:32]
Kristen Welker
After 10 days in space, the crew on board NASA's Artemis 2 is about to embark on the most dangerous 15 minutes of its mission returning to Earth. Here's a live look at the crew's Orion capsule just hours before its return home. That capsule is slated to begin its re entry to the Earth's atmosphere just before 8:00pm Eastern Time before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego. The capsule expected to be exposed to temperatures of around 5000 degrees that is about half the temperature of the sun's surface. Artemis return will mark the end of its history making mission which included capturing these stunning photos of the moon's surface. The mission also marking the farthest humans have ever Traveled from Earth. NBC's Liz Kreutz joins me now from San Diego. Liz, thanks so much for being here. So you have the best assignment basically of the day. Let's start off with just putting this in to context. Liz, why is re entry so dangerous? Break it down for us.
- [36:36]
Elise Labet
Yeah.
- [36:36]
Liz Kreutz
Yeah. We are very lucky to be in beautiful San Diego right now for this historic moment. And it is so dangerous, Kristen, like you mentioned, mainly because of the heat, also because of the speed. It'll be entering the Earth's atmosphere at 25,000 miles an hour. But it really comes down to the heat and it's hard to think about this moment in that re entry moment without recalling what happened during the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003 when one of the heat shields broke or part of it broke and it ultimately led to the space shuttle disintegrating in that re entry period, killing all seven astronauts on board. So this is a very exciting moment, but it is also extremely dangerous. Thankfully, by all accounts, NASA says they are well prepared for this moment and are very confident, confident it's going to be successful today.
- [37:19]
Kristen Welker
Yeah, we are so thankful to hear that as we eagerly await that reentry. Walk us through what we can expect during that 15 minute period.
- [37:32]
Elise Labet
Yeah.
- [37:32]
Liz Kreutz
So reentry is going to happen into the atmosphere. Will happen around 4:53pm California time, 7:53 your time. There'll be a six minute window then where we get no communications, a communication blackout with the astronaut. That is going to be the most intense period. We're all going to be on pins and needles. Eventually they will re emerge and that is when parachutes will be deployed. The Orion capsule will dramatically decrease in speed and ultimately splash down about 60 miles off the coast here in San diego at about 20 miles per hour. And there's Navy dive teams and medical teams that have been training for over a year for this moment. They will be right there to retrieve the astronauts to check on them. They will then be helicoptered from the Orion capsule to to the USS Murphy recovery ship that is there. They'll be treated again and evaluated and then they will be helicoptered to right behind me here at the Navy base here in Coronado. And if they are all feeling well, they will then be flown tonight to Houston.
- [38:24]
Kristen Welker
Well, we know the whole country will be watching. Liz, thank you so very much. And please tune in tonight for special live coverage of the Artemis 2 splashdown. It all takes off at 7:30 Eastern right here on NBC News. Now coming up after the break, NBC News exclusive reporting on the lengths White House officials are going to to exact revenge on lawmakers who defy the president. That story's next on MEET THE press. Now. Welcome back now to an NBC News exclusive showing just how far President Trump has went willing to go in his effort to exact revenge on the Republican state lawmakers who broke with him last year. Opposing a redistricting plan for Indiana. President Trump endorsed Republican Brenda Wilson in a race against state Senator Greg Good, one of seven Republicans who voted against the Trump backed Indiana redistricting plan. But the White House worried a third candidate, Alexandra Wilson, could play the spoiler, allowing good to win. So the Trump administration pushed Wilson to end her campaign. Wilson shared exclusively with NBC's Jane Timm voicemails, text messages and phone conversations she recorded with the White House, both enticing her to leave the race with potential job opportunities and warning her of possible attacks against her if she stayed in the race. Here's part of a phone conversation Wilson had with White House political director Matt Brazeau which she recorded. I don't know if there's something that, like, we can elevate you two to be a bigger impact to the people of your community.
- [40:05]
Rizwan Saeed Sheikh
I'm just trying to think outside the
- [40:06]
Kristen Welker
box to where we can kill two
- [40:07]
Brian Chung
birds with one stone.
- [40:08]
Kristen Welker
And you have the ability to affect change and do exactly what you're talking about doing.
- [40:12]
Rizwan Saeed Sheikh
But also we have the ability to
- [40:16]
Kristen Welker
take the opera and move on. NBC News senior reporter Jane Tim broke that story and spoke exclusively to Alexandra Wilson. She joins me now. Jane, first of all, this is a huge scoop. Congratulations. Really fantastic reporting. Start off by explaining who Alexandra Wilson is and why the Trump administration wanted her out of this race.
- [40:40]
Jane Tim
Thank you so much. You know, Alexandra Wilson is a 34 year old. She's a mom. She's a network engineer. She decided she wanted to run for office because she was really worried about a big, big renovation project to her local schools and how it might raise her taxes. You know, she said, life's really expensive right now, and I'm concerned about this. But because she shares a surname with and she has no relation to the Trump endorsed candidate Brenda Wilson, the White House thought she might be a spoiler, as you said, that people might be confused because her first name is Alexandra. Her name would come first on the ballot versus Brenda Wilson. And they said, you know, she might split the opposition vote and help Greg Good, the incumbent that Trump wants out of office to help him survive his primary. People said that it was a dirty trick by Democrats or a plant from the other campaign. Alexander Wilson says she just wanted to make a difference in her community.
- [41:35]
Kristen Welker
It's just extraordinary. And you actually spoke to her. Take us inside that interview. What did she tell you? Jane?
- [41:41]
Jane Tim
We had a long conversation as she was driving back from Indianapolis where she had to go for the election commission where because a local Republican lawyer and an ally of Governor Mike Braun has been challenging her eligibility to appear on the ballot. And you know, I talked to her about this and I asked her how she felt. She said she found some of these, these things insulting. Let's play a little bit of our conversation about what she thought.
- [42:05]
Elise Labet
I have been accused of dirty tricks, political dirty tricks.
- [42:09]
Kristen Welker
This is exactly what is a political dirty trick. I'm a legitimate candidate with concerns for my district that would like to represent my district. And I have every right to be involved as anybody else on the ballot.
- [42:24]
Jane Tim
And she said she was not dissuaded from her campaign. She said it was exactly the wrong strategy to go about it. She is even more determined to compete in this race.
- [42:35]
Kristen Welker
Well, it's pretty remarkable that not only is she not deterred by this pressure campaign, but she's sharing all of this information. So what has the reaction been from the White House, Jane? Are we hearing from officials there?
- [42:48]
Jane Tim
Yeah, you know, I called the White House to ask them what they thought. Caroline Levitt, she said this is just what, quote, this is what the political team does. They talk to candidates around the country. It's not coming from a place of malice. She said, you know, the president is intimately involved in races up and down the ballot and that this is just how his White House operates. But it's important to say this isn't an open seat. This isn't about the imperiled control of Congress. This is a Republican primary in a deep red state for a part time legislature. You know, these jobs are about $33,000 salaries a year. It's not even a full time job. So this is really in large part about the President's desire for political revenge that his he's laser focused on this race.
- [43:37]
Kristen Welker
Have you heard from Brenda Wilson or Greg Good, Jane?
- [43:40]
Jane Tim
You know, neither of them wanted to comment for this story. No one got back to me the other candidates, but Greg Good has been tweeting this story quite a bit today, posting that he was legislating while people were trying to get him out of the race.
- [43:55]
Kristen Welker
Wow. All right. Well, we'll see how it all shakes out. Jane. Tim, thank you for bringing us us this exclusive reporting. We really appreciate it. And still to come, is it a turning point? President Trump spars with several high profile conservative influencers over his threats to wipe out an entire civilization in Iran. What the escalating MAGA feud could mean for the midterms. The panel's next. This is Meet the Press now. Welcome back. President Trump is lashing out at several big name conservative media figures after they publicly criticized his threats earlier this week to wipe out Iranian civilization. The president bashing those media figures who've been among his staunchest supporters in the past, calling them all, quote, low iq, nutjobs, troublemakers and losers just trying to latch onto maga. Joining me now to break this all down is our panel. Daniela Diaz, congressional reporter for notice. Kendra Barkoff, former spokesperson to then Vice President Joe Biden and managing director at skdk and Rob Bluey, president and executive editor of the Daily Signal. Thanks to all of you for being here. Daniela, let me start with you. So my colleague John Allen reported earlier this week that the rift that was forming in MAGA world over the President's threats about Iran to wipe out the entire Iranian civilization have backfired. That we see all of these MAGA figures speaking out and saying enough is enough. What do you make of this? Is it just these loud voices or are we starting to see some real cracks?
- [45:33]
Kendra Barkoff
It should be a major warning sign for President Donald Trump that some of his staunchest followers, people who have advocated and promoted him, especially leading up to the 2024 November election, are now speaking against this Iran war. I mean, it should be concerning him and maybe that truth social post that he had criticizing them and their concerns of this war. He should probably be listening to what they're saying when they're the base. I was in Iowa earlier this week with Senator Alyssa Slotin and I talked to a lot of voters and the Iran war is something that they do not understand on both sides and they're seeing their gas prices go up. It's really hard to explain to American voters the mechanics in the foreign relations of why we're in this war in the first place. It's not something that's really reaching the American voter across the country. And so this is a huge thing that Donald Trump is going to have to explain, especially considering this, these midterms are going to be so essential for him to keep the majority.
- [46:26]
Kristen Welker
Absolutely. Rob, put this into context and what you're seeing because the White House, the president's aides say this is not a real break in maga, that if you look at polling of the president's base supporters, they are still firmly behind him. Is that the case or do you think that his support is starting to fray among some of his staunchest support supporters?
- [46:47]
Rob Bluey
Well, President Trump needs to stay focused on the mission and that is completing the job in Iran and then getting refocused on the domestic issues that Danielle talked about. I mean, there are so many things leading up to this midterm election that will be at stake. And I think you covered it earlier in the show, Chris. Means militarily they're having success politically, they're having a challenge explaining it. And every time you are explaining in politics, you're probably losing. And I think that what the President was doing yesterday was sending a clear message to the Tucker Carlson's and Megyn Kelly's of the world that he's not going to be intimidated or bullied. Now, from a messaging standpoint, I'm not sure I would have taken the bait because you know what Tucker Carlson did today? He put out new merchandise with low IQ on a hat and now he's trying to make the most of it and draw more attention to himself.
- [47:31]
Kristen Welker
Kendra, how does this all play in the midterms? Because people are focused on the economy and affordability. This is a foreign policy issue right now. It's obviously very in focus. But do you think that by November the page gets turned back to the economy?
- [47:46]
Daniela Diaz
I don't. Because people have been paying for high prices. The entirety that he has been president of the United States, you had his own advisors in a New York Times article saying publicly, this is not what MAGA voted for. Getting into foreign wars is not what we have. Our base has voted for. And so when you're having his own advisors in the New York Times publicly say, this is not what we voted for, how are you gonna get the mainstream Republicans to vote for him in the fall? You're gonna see a major shift.
- [48:13]
Kristen Welker
Rob, respond to that and the fact that President Trump said this is an excursion, but, boy, he is looking for a way out, and it's not clear he's found the exit.
- [48:22]
Rob Bluey
I do think the party probably comes together and that MAGA base is there. Whether there's the turnout is a question that I think we can debate and we'll have to wait and see. It's the independent voters that had broken for President Trump in 2016 and 2024 that I think he probably most has to worry about when it comes to these congressional and Senate races. Because if they're displeased with the direction of the country and they see that the gas price of gas is still high in groceries and rent and all of those things are at levels they were under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Yeah, they're going to be facing some headwinds.
- [48:52]
Kristen Welker
All right, let's talk about the Democrats now, because many potential 2028 hopefuls have converged at this conference hosted by the Reverend Al Sharpton. Former Vice President Kamala Harris made some comments today that are raising some eyebrows, getting a lot of attention. Let's play them, get everyone's reaction on the other side. Listen, I might. I might. I'm thinking about it. I'm thinking about it in the context of then, you know, is who and where and how can the best job
- [49:24]
Elise Labet
be done for the American people? That's how I'm thinking about it.
- [49:27]
Kristen Welker
Daniella, that, of course, in a response to whether she's thinking about running for president again. What do you make of that response? She seems to be increasingly leaning into the idea of running.
- [49:38]
Kendra Barkoff
I'm not surprised. I don't know if anyone here is surprised. I mean, look, it was let's go back to the November 2024 election. It was a situation where she became the nominee because of a lot of criticism of President, then President Joe Biden. I covered all of that outrage from House Democrats, Senate Democrats during that time. And it's now possibly going to be a new opportunity for her to run for president. I mean, it's going to be a very crowded field. Like I said. I was just with Alyssa Slotkin in Iowa. She did not rule it out. I mean, there's probably going to be
- [50:10]
Kristen Welker
dozens of candidates, a lot of people not ruling it out, even at this
- [50:13]
Kendra Barkoff
conference with Al Sharpton. I mean, it's a dozen people that he's been speaking to about running for president. But I'm not surprised that she's eyeing this, considering she might want another opportunity and this time on her own merit.
- [50:25]
Kristen Welker
Kendra, given the devastating loss in 2024, how do you, how do other Democrats hear what they heard from the vice president? And who are you watching for?
- [50:35]
Daniela Diaz
I think this is all about wanting to be relevant, right? I think at the end of the day, nobody wants to be left behind. Nobody wants to be forgotten about. Everybody runs for office because, let's be honest, everybody has a little bit of an ego. And so I think this is her wanting to stay relevant with the party and people to not forget about her. I mean, you have Donald Trump, who constitutionally cannot run again and fully has not ruled out the fact that he won't try to run again. So I would, you know, I think she wants to stay apart of the conversation. Whether or not she ends up pulling the trigger at the end of the day is something to be seen. But I do think that Democrats are looking for a fresh face and are wanting people who haven't been in politics in the past. And I think that's frankly why Trump kind of won the first time around if he wasn't a part of this. They want somebody new and fresh and somebody who thinks outside of the box and different.
- [51:32]
Kristen Welker
Part of the generational battle that we're
- [51:34]
Daniela Diaz
seeing, I think so inside the party.
- [51:36]
Kristen Welker
Rob, let's talk about the Republicans. A lot of people think Vice President J.D. vance is the heir apparent, and yet we have seen Secretary of State Marco Rubio emerge as obviously, given the war in Iran, someone who has taken the lead on a number of issues increasingly in President Trump's favor. How do you see that field playing out as we get closer to 2020?
- [52:02]
Rob Bluey
It's going to be fascinating to watch, Kristen. And you know as well as I do that. Foreign policy has dominated this second term of President Trump, probably more so than I expected it would. And that's given Marco Rubio this national stage in which he is often at the center of these conversations. Now, JD Vance obviously playing a big role this coming weekend in terms of the Iran war. So, I mean, it'll give him an opportunity to demonstrate what he's able to accomplish. But I ultimately think that Rubio, if J.D. vance moves forward, will defer. He's indicated that publicly, and I think he'll probably keep his order.
- [52:33]
Kristen Welker
Kendra, who do Democrats fear more, JD Vance or Marco Rubio? Who would be the tougher candidate for Democrats?
- [52:40]
Daniela Diaz
I. That is an excellent question. I think, you know, winning the primary, I think it'll be Mark Rubio. I think. I think. I think the tougher candidate for Democrats is Mark Rubio. Nobody wants to see J.B. vance.
- [52:55]
Kristen Welker
What do you think? I mean, in terms of how this is playing out, politically speaking. Here we have JD Vance on the world stage leading these talks to try to bring this war to an end. He has sort of reemerged, even though the Secretary of state has gotten a lot of attention recently.
- [53:12]
Kendra Barkoff
Well, and I think we all read the New York Times story was referenced earlier, and it seems that J.D. vance played a huge role in trying to advise President Donald Trump against this war. And that's a narrative that could help him in a year when it comes time. But I, I know that things can really change in the next two years and there may be a situation where we don't remember this moment. And in two years, we're in a completely different situation and the country looks completely different and issues are completely different and who knows what we'll be then?
- [53:40]
Kristen Welker
Yeah, great points. All right, guys, great conversation. Thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate it. And thank you so much for watching Meet the Press. Now we'll be back on Monday, and if it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press. On your local NBC news station. I'll have exclusive interviews with the president of Cuba, Congressman Byron Donalds and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. You do not want to miss it. There is much more ahead on NBC News now.
- [54:09]
Alaina and Ash
Hey, weirdos. I'm Alaina. And I'm Ash. And we are the hosts of Morbid Podcast. Each week, we dive into the dark and fascinating world of true crime, spooky history, and the unexplained. From infamous killers and unsolved mysteries to haunted places and strange legends. We cover it all with research, empathy, humor, and a few creative expletives. It's smart, it's spooky, and it's just the right amount of weird. Two new episodes drop every week, and there's even a bonus once a month. Find us wherever you listen to podcasts.
- [54:42]
Elise Labet
Yay.
- [54:43]
Kristen Welker
Woo.