Meet the Press NOW — August 11

Summary

Meet the Press NOW — August 11, 2026

Host: Monica Alba (NBC News)
Summary prepared: August 11, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This episode of Meet the Press NOW focused on major U.S. political developments: contentious Democratic primaries in Wisconsin and Minnesota, a South Carolina Republican special election, a dramatic covert operation to protect President Trump from an Iranian threat during a recent overseas trip, and shifting bipartisan dynamics within Pennsylvania's Senate delegation. The episode combined on-the-ground reporting, data analysis, expert panel discussion, and investigative insight into security and electoral strategy.

---

Key Segments and Insights

1. Battleground Primaries: Wisconsin & Minnesota

• (01:08–05:16)
• Focus on the Democratic primaries as referendums on the party’s direction, highlighting the tension between progressive and establishment wings.

Wisconsin Governor’s Democratic Primary

• Francesca Hong, a Democratic Socialist, leads in polls.
• David Crowley, with an endorsement from outgoing Governor Evers, argues for coalition-building and party unity.
  • Quote - Crowley's call for unity:

    "We’re going to need someone who can build the necessary coalitions and speak to unity, not necessarily division." (David Crowley, 01:49)

• Voters are split between “head and heart” choices—electability vs. ideological alignment.
  • Quote - Voter on the dilemma:

    "In a primary, you get to vote for your conscience and in the major election, you tend to go for the candidate who is the lesser of two evils." (Voter, 10:27)

• 140,000+ early mail-in votes were cast before the final field was set, potentially impacting the outcome (Steve Kornacki, 06:43-07:38).

Minnesota Senate Democratic Primary

• Angie Craig (moderate) vs. Peggy Flanagan (progressive).
  • Craig’s focus: experience, electability, passing legislation.
  • Flanagan: criticizes Craig for outside spending; runs on a more progressive platform.
  • Both frame the race around electability and party unity.
• Electability & Unity: Voters and party officials stress quick post-primary unification, with plans for immediate “unity breakfasts” and events (Shaq Brewster, 12:13).

2. South Carolina’s Republican Senate Primary

• (04:17–09:17; 16:04–19:41)
• Special election to replace Lindsey Graham becomes a test of the power of President Trump’s endorsement.
• Darlene Graham (Senator Graham’s sister), backed by Trump, is confident but expects a runoff due to a crowded field.
  • Quote - On legacy and skepticism:

    "I don’t see it that way. I'm not being handed this seat. I realize that I have to earn voters, so I'm working really hard to do that." (Darlene Graham, 04:30)

  • Some voters express doubt, citing concerns over perceived nepotism and lack of a legislative record.
• Trump’s endorsement is influential but not decisive in the crowded field. Its power is expected to grow in a head-to-head runoff.

3. Presidential Security: Secret Turkey Departure

• (22:11–36:24)

Covert Operation Details

• New revelations about a complicated deception to secretly fly President Trump out of Turkey, prompted by a “serious Iranian threat.”
  • President boarded Air Force One for cameras, then was secretly transferred via catering truck to a different military aircraft.
  • Decoy plane carried senior staff and media.
  • Use of call signs and simultaneous takeoffs employed sleight of hand.
• Quote - On the unprecedented nature of the operation:

  “This is about a deception campaign...that in the process deceived the American people, deceived the American press corps, and even deceived some White House officials.” (John Hudson, 25:06)

Analysis and Context

• Threat included shoulder-fired missiles; context was Trump’s active military actions against Iran.
• Debate about sufficiency of retrofitted Qatari-gifted jet and missing security systems.
• Secret Service and national security analysts describe it as a creative, credible, and nimble response to an acute threat.
  • Quote - On the level of threat:

    “The threat level right now, both domestically and internationally, is very high. You’ve seen numerous assassination attempts on the President and others in the last 26 months.” (Bobby McDonald, 33:55)

4. Bipartisanship and Political Maneuvering in Pennsylvania

• (39:46–44:10)
• Unusual partnership between Democratic Senator John Fetterman and Republican Senator Dave McCormick sparks concern among Democrats and praise from Republicans.
  • Joint fundraising and visible outreach but little substantive bipartisan legislation thus far.
  • Democrats worry fundraising could help GOP in swing House districts, and Fetterman could face primary challengers in 2028.
  • Quote - Democratic anxiety:

    “I really have a problem with John Fetterman helping the Republicans to fundraise to beat Democrats in congressional races...it’s crazy stuff.” (Rep. Chris d'Aluisio, 41:25)

  • Republicans feel McCormick isn’t paying a political price for the partnership.

5. Party Strategies and National Implications

• (44:50–54:20)
• Both parties are defining election strategies: Republicans tying Democrats to socialism, Democrats emphasizing unity and economic populism.
• Panel explores how “woke” and populist movements shape party images, with a focus on electability in battleground states.
  • Quote - Republican strategist Rick Tyler:

    “Populism is not gonna work...fear, racism, division and uncertainty has been an electoral strategy for the MAGA movement." (47:48)

• Democrats stress need to go beyond just “anti-Trump” messaging to address voter concerns about affordability and quality of life.
• Vaccine politics resurface as President Trump raises disputed claims, despite internal warnings.
  • Quote - Shelby Talcott (on Trump’s vaccine focus):

    "This is something he’s been interested in for a really long time, actually, and he’s talked about it for decades.” (52:36)

  • Republican dismissal of vaccine-autism link described as “preposterous.” (Rick Tyler, 53:59)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On campaign divisions:

  “It's a divided household.” (Shaq Brewster reporting from Wisconsin, 11:02)

• On post-primary unity:

  “There's going to be a unity breakfast...trying to preach that message of unity.” (Shaq Brewster, 12:13)

• On secret security measures:

  “Some White House officials believed that they were on the plane carrying the President...when, in fact, the President was smuggled out of that plane in secrecy on a Turkish catering cart.” (John Hudson, 25:06)

• On threats to the president:

  “We would love to keep the President in the White House all the time, not let him out, but that’s not the American way.” (Bobby McDonald, 33:55)

• On Democratic anxiety over bipartisanship:

  “What Senator Fetterman here is doing is quite, quite confusing in a campaign season.” (Alan Smith, 41:10)

• On vaccine distraction:

  “No, it's preposterous. His press conference was embarrassing yesterday. There is no link between vaccines and autism that we know of. It’s been debunked 24 different times with 24 different state studies.” (Rick Tyler, 53:59)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Primary Election Coverage & Analysis: 01:08–19:41, 39:46–44:12
• Wisconsin Voter Voices & Unity Plans: 09:58–13:21
• South Carolina Senate Special (candidate & voter views): 16:04–19:41
• Presidential Secret Flight, National Security Roundtable: 22:11–36:24
• Panel: Party Messaging, “Socialism” Narrative, Economic Populism: 44:50–54:20
• Bipartisanship in Pennsylvania Senators: 39:46–44:12

---

Conclusion

This episode illustrated intense intra-party debates defining the Democratic primaries, the enduring impact of Trump’s support on Republican races, the length to which the White House will go to protect the president, concerns about bipartisanship and purity tests, and the ways both parties are strategizing ahead of the general election. The show offered a balanced mix of on-the-ground insights, analytical depth, and real voter voices reflecting the complicated mood of the 2026 election cycle.

Transcript

[Monica Alba]

Hello, I'm Ozempic and I'm other GLP1s. Kinda like Kim. Are you shaking a maraca? Nope, I'm shaking the pill version of Ozempic which no one should ever do except in ads like this. Nice disclaimer.

[Interviewer/Host]

Hey, thanks.

[Monica Alba]

Ask your doctor about which FDA approved uses of the Ozempic pen or pill may be right for you. Call 1-833-OZEMPIC or visit ozempic.com to view the medication guide and learn more about ozempic semaglutide tablets 9 milligrams and ozempic semagLutide injection 2 milligrams there's a pill version of Ozempic if you're considering Private student loan, Earnest is a smart place to start. We offer low rates, zero fees and flexible repayment options while covering up to 100% of college costs. Maybe that's why U.S. news named U.S. best Private Student Loan Lender four years in a row. Pay for school with confidence. Check your [e-mail] go loans made by finwise bank member FDIC and are subject to credit approval terms apply.

[Interviewer/Host]

Welcome to Meet the PRESS now. I'm Monica Alba and if it's Tuesday, voters are voting today. Six states are holding primary elections, including a pair of Democratic races in Wisconsin and Minnesota that are set to test the staying power of the progressive movement. After a string of wins this primary season, including last week in Michigan. In the Wisconsin governor's race, polls show Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong Kong with a lead in a wild primary that's seen candidates drop out and get back in the race. David Crowley, who recently reentered the race and now has the endorsement of Wisconsin's outgoing Governor Tony Evers, spoke with NBC's Shaquille Brewster about his closing message.

[Monica Alba]

With this Democratic primary, what does it come down to? What's the key difference between you and your opponent? Well, I think there's a lot of key differences. One, I mean we're going to need someone who can build the necessary coalitions and speak speak to unity, not necessarily division. We don't need to continue to divide our party or divide our state or our country. Do you think she divides the party? I think that right now we have a lot of people where the emotions are extremely high right now and people are tearing down other candidates in order to focus on their own.

[Interviewer/Host]

Meanwhile, Hong is pitching a message of change while trying to distance herself from some of her previous left wing positions, which Democrats worry could hurt her chances in in the general election.

[Monica Alba]

Be scary, but when I get scared. I look to the voters who remind me every day that not only are we deserving of change, but they get to be a part of making that change. This election belongs to the voters and we'll let the voters decide. What do you say to voters who see those comments and the back and forth about them and say it's either disqualifying or that in your clarification you're trying to have it both ways? What's disqualifying is Tom Tiffany still will not say who won the 2020 election.

[Interviewer/Host]

What's disqualifying is that he has vot

[Monica Alba]

to send tax dollars to forever wars for gas prices going up, for grocery stores going up. He doesn't care about Wisconsinites. He cares about the Trump administration, who he will put Trump first. And Wisconsin deserves a governor that will

[Interviewer/Host]

put Wisconsinites first in the Democratic Senate primary. In Minnesota, Congresswoman Angie Craig is also making an electability pitch to voters as she faces Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. Flanagan is running on a more progressive message and has criticized Craig for significant outside spending on her campaign's beh.

[Monica Alba]

This Senate seat at risk if the lieutenant governor is our candidate in November. I'm certainly making the contrast that I'm the experienced person in Washington who has a track record already of taking on Donald Trump and getting bills passed that make a difference in Minnesotans lives.

[Interviewer/Host]

This is up to the people of Minnesota if they want to send someone who's beholden to corporate special interests or if they want to send someone who's beholden only to Minnesotans. And on the Republican side of things, a South Carolina special election to replace the late Senator Lindsey Graham on November's ballot could prove a test of the power of the president's endorsement. He's thrown his support behind the former senator's sister, Darlene Graham in a crowded primary earlier Today, Graham telling NBC's Ryan Nobles she expects this race to go to a runoff.

[Monica Alba]

I expect to be in a runoff in two weeks. I feel confident that I will win. Senator, what would you say to folks that are saying that you're just being.

[Interviewer/Host]

I don't see it that way. I'm not being handed this seat. I realize that I have to earn voters, so I'm working really hard to do that. And joining me now is our NBC News team chief data analyst Steve Kornack. He's at the big board with what he's watching for tonight. Shaquille Brewster is covering the Wisconsin governor's race from Madison. And Charles Benson, chief political reporter at our Milwaukee affiliate WTMJ is in Milwaukee, where the city's NPR absentee ballots are being counted. And chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles is covering it all in South Carolina. Thanks to you all for being here on this Election Day. Steve, let's start with you. What are you watching for in these progressive versus establishment races tonight?

[Monica Alba]

Yeah, well, let's start in sort of the feature contest in that genre, and that is that Democratic primary for governor here in Wisconsin. A couple things. First of all, if you look at Hong and you look at where her path to victory would be tonight, I think you just think back a week ago to what we saw in Michigan with Al Said winning the Senate primary there. His vote, his support correlated pretty closely to the median age in counties in Michigan. The younger the median age, the better he was doing. The more you had like college towns, college areas. That's where he was getting, running up the score, getting, doing the best. So take a look here in Wisconsin, you got the mother load of sort of the College county, college town, that's Madison, Dane County. Dane's going to turn out more votes than any other county in Wisconsin probably tonight in this primary. You'd expect Kong to be doing very well there. You'd expect also some sort of smaller college towns. Think of like, you know, Portage, you could think Lacrosse county, places where you've got branches of the state university, where the median age tends younger. That's where she's going to be looking to, to run up the score there. One other thing that I'm looking at here, though, is the interesting dynamic you got at it of how topsy turvy this race has been with candidates getting in, candidates getting out. David Crowley, who is now her main opponent, the establishment, if they have any chance of stopping Hong, it's going to be with Crowley tonight. Remember, Crowley was out of the race for a little over a week in July. Then he got back in. He got back in because Sarah Rodriguez, lieutenant governor, got out. The key point, though, is that as all of this drama was playing out in July and this field was being shaped and reshaped and candidates were getting in and candidates were getting out, something around 140,000 votes were cast in that month, in the month of July by mail. Now, not all 140,000 of those are gonna be for the Democratic primary, but we know that Democrats tend to vote by mail a lot more than Republicans. That means a big chunk, a big chunk of the vote in this Democratic primary was cast before this became the Hong Crowley race that it essentially now is. So if Crowley has gotten A bunch of momentum late in this campaign to make this a game with Hong tonight, getting that sort of establishment wing to coalesce behind him. There's a world where he could get close but fall just short. And those 140,000 vote by mail that were cast long before this dynamic materialized could loom big.

[Interviewer/Host]

That's fascinating. We'll definitely be watching for that tonight, Stephen. Of course, we will see what happens in South Carolina. Do you think that this crowded Republican field could complicate a path to victory?

[Monica Alba]

Yeah, I mean, look, you get an open Senate seat in a state like South Carolina, you get it anywhere, you're going to get a lot of interest. So you take a look here on the Republican side. The question here really is if somebody were to get an outright majority tonight, obviously they win, but it's the runoff likely. Who's getting first, who's getting second? Most expect Darlene Graham will make that runoff. So the question then would be second place. And you've got here just go through this. You know, Ralph, Ralph Norman is a congressman. Russell Fry is a congressman. Mark Sanford, a former governor, a former congressman, some other candidates as well. Just keep in mind sort of the regional variances here. Norman, okay, he just ran for governor unsuccessfully in the Republican primary. His base is right up here, York county, around Rock Hill. It extends a bit into the upstate. Lot of Republican votes right there go to the sort of the Myrtle beach area, the peaty region they call it. That is where Fry's congressional district is. So you look for him to run up the score right there. Sanford, when he was in Congress, it was right here along the coast. But he might have a broader sort of base of support to from his days as governor. But there's sort of the regional question right here. Is one of these candidates going to sort of get more of a, of a bounce out of their home region that could get them potentially into that second place. But I think the expectation with Graham is her support may be more evenly widely distributed around the state. So then the question is from these sort of regional candidates here, which one can pack the most punch from their. Their neck of the woods?

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah. And we'll see about that runoff in just a couple of weeks. Steve Kornacki, thank you so much for all of your expertise there. And of course, tune in tonight, starting at 7pm Eastern to the Kornacki Cam for special coverage of the results as they come in. That is on nbcnews.com and on YouTube. Plus, for even more expert analysis, scan the QR code on your Screen right now and subscribe to the Data Dive with Steve Kornacki. Now let's head out to Wisconsin, where NBC's Shaq Brewster is there on the ground as well as Charles Benson. As voters are doing what they do best, voting. Shaq, let's start with you. You've been talking to those voters in Wisconsin all day. What are they telling you about this primary?

[Monica Alba]

Yeah, Monica, I'll tell you, it's definitely stressing out a lot of voters who I've been talking with, some telling me as they, as they left the polling booth that it's something that they didn't decide on until they were in that polling booth and making that final decision. It's a classic head versus heart battle for some of them. I want you to listen to some of the conversations I've been having with folks as they cast that batt for this contentious race for governor. Why did you vote for David Crowley? Because I think he can win. A lot of people think she's like too radical or not electable, but I think that she actually just knows what she wants to do and she doesn't really play by what donors think she should do. We're both really interested in the DSA candidate, but we're also both pretty worried about beating Tom Tiffany. I think in a primary you get to vote for your conscience and in the major election, you tend to go for the candidate who is the lesser of two evils. And so I voted for the candidate that was with my conscience. So you voted, Hong?

[Interviewer/Host]

I voted.

[Monica Alba]

It's a divided household. Let me dig a little bit. Who did you vote for? I voted for Crowley because I am a risk averse person. And I really was reading a lot about like, who has the chances to beat Tom Tiffany in the larger election. I apologize to that couple afterwards for maybe pushing a little bit too hard. But it's that conversation that so many Democrats are having here. And you got a sense of that in our conversation there for Crowley. He's saying that Hong essentially isn't ready for the limelight. We saw the the fact that she's had to walk back some of her previous comments, including those involving canceling Thanksgiving. She says she no longer wants to do that. Hong is saying it's about the issues. She believes her issues are popular based on the conversations they popular among Democrats. The question is, do enough Democrats believe that they'll be popular with the general electorate when it gets to November?

[Interviewer/Host]

A house divided. I love that. Shaq. Thanks for that. And also we heard some of Crowley and Hong's closing message. But whoever wins will have to basically unite both wings of the party. So did the candidates have a plan for that part?

[Monica Alba]

Yeah, they do. And specifically the Democratic Party here has a plan for that. We know that there's going to be a unity breakfast that will take place tomorrow. You'll have the nominees for governor, for lieutenant governor all there with some of Wisconsin's popular Democratic elected leaders, including Senator Tammy Baldwin. But we know it's not just going to be that breakfast. They're going to have five different days of events, dozens of stops across the state, trying to preach that message of unity. I think one thing that's unique for Wisconsin compared to what we saw in Michigan just last week is while the primary definitely got contentious and you have a lot of messaging, a lot of focus on the frontrunner, it hasn't been as divisive. When we saw them on the debate stage, they were not slinging attacks at one another. This did not get deeply personal. Many of the voters I talked to said they would consider another candidate if that other candidate does win the nomination. So there's less work that needs to be done than we've seen in other states. But without a doubt, there's going to need to be that focus on unifying the party here if they want to have a good shot at taking down Tom Tiffany in November.

[Interviewer/Host]

Jack Brewster there, thank you so much for your on the ground reporting as always, Charles, I want to turn to you now over in Milwaukee. What's happening where you are? Take us behind the scenes.

[Monica Alba]

Yes, I'm at a place called Central Count here in Milwaukee. This is where they count those early ballots that Steve talked about, the mail in ballots and then of course the in person absentee ballots, about 20,000 ballots here that will help determine the outcome of the race. You know, we sort of have put this election around. Francesca Hong versus David Crowley, Dane county versus Milwaukee county, where I am. And yes, Francesca Hong has built a solid base not only in Dane county but throughout the state. She's around. She's run a grassroots campaign using the phrase a campaign for the many and not the money. So she's hoping the dividends of doing all of those early campaign organizing and door knocking and holding meetings will pay dividends. David Crowley coming into this race really late, after being in it, drops out, gets back in with a key endorsement from Governor Tony Evers, the most popular politician in the state of Wisconsin based on job approval numbers. The other thing is when I talk about Dane county versus Milwaukee county, this is where David Crowley has been elected twice as the county executive. It is the biggest county in the state of Wisconsin. So does he, is he able to sort of overcome what the polls have said and climb this big hill that showed people still undecided? Can he make up that gap that was showing at least a potential here with that many undecided, can he close the race? That's what I'll be looking for tonight when the results come in. Milwaukee County, a big vote number versus Dane county, also a powerhouse for Democrats.

[Interviewer/Host]

Monica and Charles, how key are independent voters going to be heading into the general election there?

[Monica Alba]

I think that's going to tell the story. Look, I think the Democrats are going to find a way to unite around whoever is the nominee. The Republicans have been united around Tom Tiffany, the likely Republican nominee. He does have a primary, but he was endorsed by President Trump. So each side will probably rally around their candidates. But it's the independents who are maybe going to be a little bit leery about a Democratic socialist, independents who are going to be leery about a President Trump endorsement. And so both sides are going to have to wait those options as they fight for the independence which I think could determine the outcome of this election, which is always close, as you know, in battleground Wisconsin.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah, that's right. They often do. This will be a really interesting part of the race to watch for that test as you laid out. Charles, thank you so much for your reporting. And turning now to South Carolina, where Ryan has the view from Columbia. Ryan, Darlene Graham told you she's feeling confident about a win even if there is going to be a potential runoff. What are voters telling you?

[Monica Alba]

Yeah, first, Monica, she's confident about a win, but she's also pretty confident that it is going to a runoff, which means it's likely not to cross that 50% threshold today and will mean that she'll have at least two more work, weeks of work ahead of her. And part of the reason that she's going to have two more weeks worth of work is that voters are a little bit skeptical that she might just being handed this seat by President Trump and by Republican Party leaders. Listen to what one voter told me this morning about that exact topic, like somebody that represents the people and like somebody that is not necessarily given the opportunity just because of who, who their name is or who they are. So I assume that means Darlene Graham, are you worried that she's just being handed the seat? Yeah, I do. I think that, I mean, I don't know what her past voting history is or what her Issues are really, I understand that she's lost a brother and lost someone very special to her. And I, I sympathize with that. But at the same time, I don't think that it's necessary just to give it to her. And certainly it's anecdotal, but we did talk to quite a few voters who had a very similar sentiment, Monica. They like President Trump. They appreciate the fact that he's endorsed her. They like Lindsey Graham. They liked him, thought he represented their state well. But they just feel like they don't know enough about Darlene Graham to give her this seat for the next six years. So we'll have to see how that translates in tonight's vote totals tonight.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah, well, let's talk about that a little bit more because as you say, voters are a bit unsure about her track record. But she has been serving as the appointed senator from South Carolina for this short window of time. So does what we've seen so far on Capitol Hill just over the past month give us any clues into where she may differ from her late brother?

[Monica Alba]

Well, she's certainly making that argument to voters. She today touted the fact that she got the Russia sanctions bill over the line in her late brother's honor. She talked about her commitment to trying to get the president's voting changes bill to the Senate floor, even though that didn't happen. But what is interesting is the way she's making this pitch to South Carolina voters. She's acknowledged that what her brother was known for was his national security expertise, but she said that that's not going to be her focus. She's way more concerned about domestic issues like the rising cost of everyday goods. And that's put her into a tight spot because she has the president's support. But yet things like gas prices are still sky. So she wants to make this about kitchen table issues. She's dealing with the legacy of her brother. She's dealing with an unpopular president. So all of those things are playing a factor in what we're seeing here in terms of voters heading into the polls tonight.

[Interviewer/Host]

And Brian, you just mentioned the president. Of course he has endorsed Darlene Graham. Do you think this is a true test of his endorsement strength with this race?

[Monica Alba]

Make no mistake, every Republican candidate would like to have this endorsement. But what we're seeing play out here today is it's not going to be the end all be all, at least at this stage. If Darling Graham gets over the hump into the runoff and it's a one on one matchup, it's likely that Trump's endorsement will be more than enough to get her over the finish line, but she's got to get through this first stage first.

[Interviewer/Host]

Monica Brian Noble is covering a race that would have looked a lot differently just some weeks ago. With all these recent changes, of course, Ryan Nobles, thank you so much as always. And coming up, flying under the radar, NBC News confirms new details on the elaborate plot to hide President Trump inside a catering truck and secretly change planes to protect him from an Iranian threat. One of the Washington Post reporters who broke the story takes us inside the wild covert operation. You're watching Meet the Press now. There are moments that define who you are and who you're becoming. And when those moments arrive, what you drive should rise to meet them. The Range Rover Sport commands attention from the very first glance. Every line, every detail engineered for impact. Inside, refinement takes over with sculpted 22 way heated seating with available massage and a 13.1 inch touchscreen that puts everything within easy reach. But the Range Rover Sport isn't just about luxury. It's about uncompromised performance, too. Delivering a powerful, agile drive that feels as confident as it looks. And with nearly endless ways to personalize, from interior finishes to wheels to unique colors and accessories, your Range Rover Sport becomes unmistakably yours. For those who expect more from every moment, there's a vehicle designed to meet it. The Range Rover Sport Exclusive offers available now. Explore further@range rover.com looking to refresh your denim lineup without breaking the bank? That's where Old Navy comes in. Their denim collection has styles for everyone with great quality starting at just $22. The Arc Jean features a modern silhouette with a relaxed attitude. The extra high rise wide leg defines the waist, visually elongates the legs and creates an effortlessly chic look. Shop Old Navy jeans [e-mail] or visit

[Monica Alba]

your nearest Old Navy store. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Shaved ice by the beach, a trip to the state fair and a throwback flick at the local drive in. They're more than just items to check off the summer bucket list. They're also opportunities to earn 2% daily cash back when you use your Apple Card with Apple Pay. Apply for Apple Card now and use in minutes with Apple Pay subject to credit approval. Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and [e-mail]

[Interviewer/Host]

welcome back. NBC News is learning new details about an elaborate plot to secretly fly the president out of Turkey because of a threat from Iran. The Washington Post was the first to report the details of the operation that involved sneaking the President off of Air Force One onto a catering truck and into a different plane when he departed the NATO summit last month. You can see here on your screen President Trump boarding the older Air Force One in full view of the cameras. But minutes later, he was secretly carried off, off that plane via the catering truck. You can see highlighted right there, that catering truck then pulls away from Air Force One and then pulls up near the rear stairs of a separate military C32, a plane that the President actually used to depart Turkey, making the traditional Air Force One essentially a decoy. A US Official telling NBC News that Secretaries Rubio and Bessant and other senior staff remained on the decoy plane. And that official also describing the Iranian threat as extremely serious and included the possibility of the use of shoulder to air missiles. The President secretly re boarded the decoy plane in the UK so he could publicly deplane and switch to his Qatari gifted jet to fly back to Washington. Now, during the flight back, President Trump was pressed about security concerns and the decision not to fly the newly retrofitted plane out of Turkey.

[Monica Alba]

Do you know why they had us close our window blinds? That was not usually. Well, yeah, because you're, you know, probably on a dangerous flight. Because if this leaves bags that we have to deal with, anything that Iran was possibly thinking, Well, I mean, if they asked you to close your windows, probably they feel that way. They didn't ask me to close mine, but if they did, I would have done it now. These are sick people. So I could see something like that. I didn't, I didn't know they did that, but I could see something like that.

[Interviewer/Host]

Were you aware of any credible threat by Iran against your first?

[Monica Alba]

Well, I have a threat all the time. I'm number one on their list before you. But if I go, you go, right?

[Interviewer/Host]

If I go, you go. Well, at the time, the White House said it uses every tool at its disposal, including distraction and misdirection, to protect the President against any potential threat. When asked about the latest reporting, the White House did not dispute the details, instead reiterating that the new Air Force One is a state of the art aircraft with high level security protocols. Joining me now is one of the reporters on that story, John Hudson, National Security Reporter for the Washington Post. And also with me is NBC News Intelligence Report Dan delouse and Bobby McDonald, retired supervisory special agent for the U.S. secret Service. Thank you all for being here for this conversation. John, of course, I have to start with you, Take us inside your reporting and this elaborate plan to secretly move the president to a different plane when he left Turkey.

[Monica Alba]

Look, this is a pretty incredible circumstance. This is not just about the president moving from one plane to another plane. This is about a deception campaign that was aimed at deceiving a foreign power, but in the process deceived the American people, deceived the American press corps, and even deceived some White House officials who believed that they were on the plane carrying the President of the United States on Air Force One, when, in fact, the President was smuggled out of that plane in secrecy on a Turkish catering cart, moved to another plane, which took off and was flying around the same time the other Air Force One was flying. It's truly a historic Secret Service tradecraft event. And it raises all sorts of implications with how the White House deals with the American press and whether or not they're being straightforward enough when it comes to elaborate measures used to protect the president from a foreign threat.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah, and a lot of questions that the White House still hasn't answered about some of that. But Dan, put this into context for us in terms of the threat assessment and environment that the president was facing at that moment, because at the time when he was there in Turkey, he was actively ordering the US Military to strike Iran. So what did that mean for what they were potentially looking at here in terms of the threats?

[Monica Alba]

Well, imagine, you know, Iran is just over the border, so he's in Ankara, which is within range of Iranian ballistic missiles, drones. Right. And then, as you said, there was a specific threat, the White House says that involved shoulder launched weapons. And of course, an F15 fighter jet that's much faster than Air Force One and much smaller was hit and brought down by a shoulder launched missile. And then on top of that, there has been a persistent threat from Iran against Trump now for years, dating back to the strike that took out General Soleimani, the Iranian general, in 2020, to the point where when he ran For President in 2024, the Secret Service increased his security protection because they believed there was an assassination plot from Iran targeting him. So I think it's fair to say there was an acute threat. Now, there's some contradictions because the president and the administration also talk about how the Iranian military has been devastated and decimated. But, yes, there was clearly a threat there. And it does beg the question, right, should he have gone to Ankara given the threat? You know, that's another thing to ask

[Interviewer/Host]

in the first place, because of the war that was ongoing while he was flying There, John, over the course of your reporting, pick up on that. I mean, is it clear to you what did trigger the White House to take such extreme measures in this case?

[Monica Alba]

Well, what we learned is that it was a concern about a threat to the president's life stemming from Iran. In some ways, the context is clear. As Dan said, this is a country that borders Iran. But most importantly, this is a country that had its supreme leader assassinated at the opening day of the war. It's a country that had its political and civilian and military leadership killed at various echelons by US And Israeli bombing. They have a rationale and a motivation to go after the president. And that's a real risk the Secret Service has to take seriously. Now, we don't know how imminent it was. There are reports that some of this threat information was passed on by the Israelis. There are some intelligence officials who say said that the Israelis have inflated the threat posed by Iran in the past in order to influence U.S. decision making. But there's really not enough information yet to speculate on the strength of it. All we do know is that US Officials clearly took it extremely seriously because they conducted this elaborate operation.

[Interviewer/Host]

And it was the President himself who was kind of telling us about this in real time, saying that he had been shown some new intelligence, that he was on some of these lists. It appeared. But you're right, we don't have the full picture. But John, typically for most people watching, they assume that any plane the President is on is Air Force One would have that designation. But what did you learn about the call signs for these planes as they departed Turkey and landed in the U.K.

[Monica Alba]

yeah, that's exactly right. The call signs, they played a bit of a shell game when it came to the call signs. The plane that the president actually got on, that was basically the type of plane that the Secretary of State or the vice president, it's a smaller Boeing C2. And this plane does not have the big size of Air Force One, and it didn't have the Air Force One call sign. And so that's another one of the things when it comes to the flight tracker data and the public information airwaves that goes on, there was more sleight of hand in the operation.

[Interviewer/Host]

And Dan, weeks after that flight out of Turkey, we did learn that the Qatari gifted jet would need to be, quote, maxed out, that it was going to be sent basically for these additional measures and to be further retrofitted. What more are we learning about those additional security steps? And why would a plane like that then have been flying the president if it didn't have them in the first place?

[Monica Alba]

Well, this has been a persistent question, Right. That the White House has kind of struggled with. And there's been a debate and an argument. Right. So any expert will tell you that it would take years to take a normal 747 and outfit it the way an Air Force One is supposed to be outfitted, with all those security measures and features. And one of those would be a counter missile system. And that is not on that Qatari plane. And there are other systems that aren't on there because it really requires dismantling the plane practically to put them on. And this was done on a really fast, tight schedule. And they've openly admitted that some options, as they call them, aren't on this Qatari plane. So again, it does pose the question, is that Qatari gifted plane ready for primetime? Wow.

[Interviewer/Host]

Dan Delouse and John Hudson, I know we will be talking about this incredible reporting for days and weeks to come. Thank you both so much. And I do want to turn now to Bobby and hear what your reaction to this story, first reported by the Washington Post was. After learning the details of this and given your background, what was your main takeaway?

[Monica Alba]

Good afternoon, Monica. It's a pleasure to be with you. I think the first thing that jumped out at me is that this threat that was picked up by intelligence sources over in that region obviously had to be investigated quickly and obviously was deemed to be very credible, which then allows the Secret Service, in concert with the White House administration and the White House military office to get together to come up with a plan to bring the President home from Turkey the way that they did. Those three elements work in concert together, whether the President is going to the Kennedy center in D.C. for a quick visit or if he's going domestically traveling or if he's going internationally. So those three entities come together and work out a plan. Those plans are talked about anytime the president goes anywhere. They're chalk talked. I can't say that every scenario is chalk talked on every visit, but those folks get together. They know how to communicate. They know how to make the proper decisions and use the personnel and assets that they have on the ground with them there to develop a creative but nimble solution to the problem that was at hand.

[Interviewer/Host]

So based on that, then, is it your sense that this was a contingency plan that was already in the planning stages? Should it be needed when the president was traveling abroad to Turkey and then they essentially, essentially pressed go on the operation, or is this a plan that they would have come up with a bit more in real time based on the threat environment.

[Monica Alba]

Yeah, I don't, I don't think the specific plan was in place here unless they knew that the threat element was going to be detected prior to the departure from Turkey. I think that this was something that was put together after the intelligence was gleaned on the ground there and those entities came together and came up with a creative solution to the problem that was at hand. So I think it was done on the ground while they were in Turkey. But again, they may have had that intelligence before, but if that was the case, I doubt that the President would have headed that way.

[Interviewer/Host]

And based on your years with the Secret Service, I mean, just how serious of a threat would there need to be for the Secret Service to take an extreme measure and secretly move the President and not reveal that publicly until we learned about it in the press? What does that tell you?

[Monica Alba]

Yeah, Monica, look, the threat level right now, both domestically and internationally is very high. You've seen over the last 26 months numerous attempts of assassination on the President and others. You know, the Secret Service doesn't have a metric to be able to tell what it stops with respect to assassination attempts. So I think the issue here is that we would love to keep the President in the White House all the time, not let him out, but that's not the American way. You've got a number of things coming up with the UN General assembly in New York that the Secret Service will be handling, all of those country leaders. You've got the midterm elections coming around the corner. There's a lot going on and the Secret Service has to be sharp and continue to redevelop itself and be creative every single day to protect the President. There's a lot going on there. There has been precedent for other rather large scale operations in the past with President Clinton and President Bush. So there is precedent out there. I can't say that the President incident lends itself to be as high on the operation scale as this one. But obviously this decision was made and this is the way they chose to go. I'm going to leave it to you and your colleagues at the White House to be asking those probing questions of the White House administration with respect to the answers that you want to get with those other things. I think we're missing some pieces of the puzzle here.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah, we agree and we certainly will be pressing on those. Let me just ask you, before I let you go, when we talk about the Qatari government gifted plane that was retrofitted but needs additional measures. Do you have any concerns about the president traveling on that luxury jet given what we know now, especially when it comes to potential travel overseas, which the president will likely have in the coming months?

[Monica Alba]

Yeah, I've heard a lot of the reporting on this issue. And look, I don't think that the Air Force or the administration or the Secret Service would let the president on that plane and travel domestically and or internationally unless it at least met with the standard of the previous plane. I also want to say I don't think that the two planes as they move to England with both Secret Service personnel, White House personnel and press on the planes, I don't believe they were let out to dry or be on their own without any type of air support from the United States Air Force or our allies on the ground. I think that those were well protected. I don't know that we'll ever know the specifics of that, but I believe that they were part and parcel of this whole plan and were definitely looked out for while this process of this operation was going forward.

[Interviewer/Host]

Rob McDonald, thank you so much for your time and expertise today.

[Monica Alba]

Thank you, Monica. See you next.

[Interviewer/Host]

And up next, the desperate search for survivors. Rescuers digging through mountains of rubble after a powerful earthquake rocked western Colonial. Stay with us on MEET THE PRESS now. Welcome back. We are following breaking news out of Colombia where rescue operations are underway after a powerful deadly earthquake struck yesterday. At least 181 people were killed and hundreds of others were injured in the magnitude 70 which rocked western Colombia overnight. Firefighters rescued a 35 year old man trapped beneath the rubble. According to a citizen run website, more than 3,000 people have been reported missing by family members. Officials say about 1600 buildings were damaged or destroyed, including this one in Pereira which collapsed after the earthquake. This was a scene inside an airport there where you can see parts of the ceiling collapse collapse during the quake. Several airports in the region remain closed. And after the break, odd couple. The Democratic and Republican senators from Pennsylvania are teaming up and not everyone is thrilled about it. Keep it right here on MEET THE press.

[Monica Alba]

Now.

[Interviewer/Host]

There are moments that define who you are and who you're becoming. And when those moments arrive, what you drive should rise to meet them. The Range Rover Sport commands attention from the very first glance. Every line, every detail engineered for impact. Inside, refinement takes over with sculpted 22 way heated seating with available massage and a 13.1 inch touchscreen that puts everything within easy reach. But the Range Rover Sport isn't just about luxury. It's about uncompromised performance, too, delivering a powerful, agile drive that feels as confident as it looks. And with nearly endless ways to personalize, from interior finishes to wheels to unique colors and accessories, your Range Rover Sport becomes unmistakably yours. For those who expect more from every moment, there's a vehicle designed to meet it. The Range Rover Sport Exclusive offers available now. Explore further@range rover.com Fall is here, making it the perfect time to refresh your denim collection. That's where Old Navy comes in with great quality. Starting at just $22. The low rise Loose features a relaxed fit through the waist and thighs, a touch of stretch for added comfort that's perfect for everyday wear. The Low Rise Baggie also has a relaxed fit through the waist and thighs. Shop Old Navy jeans [e-mail] or visit your nearest Old Navy store.

[Monica Alba]

This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Shaved ice by the beach, a trip to the state fair, and a throwback flick at the local drive in. They're more than just items to check off the summer bucket list. There are also opportunities to earn 2% daily cash back when you use your Apple Card with Apple Pay. Apply for Apple Card now and use in minutes with Apple Pay subject to credit approval. Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch terms and [e-mail]

[Interviewer/Host]

welcome back. We've got some bipartisan election news today out of Arizona, where Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs announced she's picking former Mayor John Giles, a Republican turned independent, to be her running mate. Governor Hobbs is facing a potentially tough reelection fight against the Republican nominee, Congressman Andy Biggs. Meanwhile, in other bipartisan news, some Democrats are expressing anger and anxiety over the budding friendship and partnership between Pennsylvania's two senators, Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dave McCormick. As NBC News Alan Smith reports, the Senate's newest odd couple is raising Republican eyebrows and Democratic alarms. Alan Smith joins me now. Alan, thanks for being here. So tell us, how did this partnership between the senators develop and what have they actually accomplished together so far?

[Monica Alba]

Well, after Senator McCormick won his seat in 2024, former staffers to John Fetterman told me the senator was really eager to build a relationship with him out of the gate. And, you know, since then, their families have become pretty close. They've spent a lot of time with one another, and they've really taken it upon themselves to promote their relationship as a model for bipartisanship. Now, they have not really managed to accomplish much legislatively so far, but they have embarked on a number of initiatives, including creating a joint fundraising account that garnered a lot of attention.

[Interviewer/Host]

And, Alan, you report that Republicans are touting this as a sort of model of bipartisanship, while Democrats worry that it could lead to them losing one of their own. So tell us more about what is leading to Democrats anxiety in particular here.

[Monica Alba]

The joint fundraising committee that they launched, which was quite unusual, is at the top of the list for Democrats who are saying what is going on here. I'll read a quote from Chris d', Aluisio, who's actually a potential primary challenger to Senator Fetterman in 2028. He said, you know, I really have a problem with John Fetterman helping the Republicans to fundraise to beat Democrats in congressional races, races. And that's what this is. I'm doing everything I can so that we can win those districts. And to have John Fetterman now helping Republicans raise money to beat us, it's crazy stuff. Pennsylvania's home to four really pivotal swing House races this fall. And Chris d', Aluzio, you know, along with some others who are really tapped, are saying what Senator Fetterman here is doing is quite, quite confusing in a campaign season.

[Interviewer/Host]

And you also report that Senator Fetterman could face primary challengers in 2028. Of course, he's not up this year, but who could challenge him? Give us a sense of that.

[Monica Alba]

Well, Congressman d' Aluzio is certainly one person who could, who could mount a primary challenge to him. There's also former Congressman Connor Lamb, who spoke with me for this story. He had run against Fetterman in 2022 and fell short in that primary. Congressman Brendan Boyle from the Philadelphia area, someone else who could run. And there's also been rumors that maybe Congresswoman Summer Lee might run also. Now, what's interesting here is that the more people who run in the primary, there's actually a better chance that Senator Fetterman could emerge from it, even though his numbers with Democrats are not very strong right now. The more people who are in such a race would create a lane where he could potentially survive. So it's going to be really interesting to see how that shakes out.

[Interviewer/Host]

And we talked about some of the agita from Democrats. But on the flip side, why is Dave McCormick not facing any backlash for agreeing to work with the Democrat?

[Monica Alba]

I mean, Senator McCormick. And, you know, some Democrats have even said he's managed this relationship really, really in an impressive way, but he hasn't had to really make any overtures for Democratic initiatives as part of this relationship. I mean, he and Fetterman brought a booth to the Great American State Fair that President Trump held last month for Pennsylvania after Governor Josh Shapiro said no Pennsylvania businesses were willing to show up. He went with Senator McCormick or Senator Fetterman went with Senator McCormick to Philadelphia to promote the Trump accounts initiative. So there's really different Republican initiatives that they have promoted hand in hand. But, you know, Senator Fetterman's former staffers are saying they aren't really seeing what Senator Fetterman is getting back in the other direction from his GOP counterpart, as

[Interviewer/Host]

Senator Fetterman said on this show just a couple of weeks ago that he will not become a Republican, but has still threatened to potentially leave the Democratic Party. Fascinating stuff. Alan Smith, thank you so much for bringing us your reporting.

[Monica Alba]

Thanks, Monica.

[Interviewer/Host]

And coming up, the panel is here to talk about tonight's races. Plus, why the president's latest move on vaccines may be the last thing his party needs ahead of midterms. Keep it right here on MEET THE PRESS now. Welcome back. On this primary day, Republicans are trying to cast Democrats, Democrats as extremists ahead of the midterms and trying to tie the entire party to the growing Democratic socialist movement. Here's Georgia's Republican Senate candidate, Mike Collins. On the campaign trail yesterday.

[Monica Alba]

Jon Ossoff came out in support and endorsing that Abdul El Said, the Democrat Socialist of America movement candidate up there. I think all the pieces of the puzzle are coming together now because John Ossoff is the tip of the spear of this thing, y'. All. They do want him to run for president. John Ossoff votes 92% of the time with Bernie Sanders, and he's looking for the next person to take that mantle. And that's who it's going to be. And they got to get him reelected here in Georgia. And this is not just for Georgia to get rid of John Ossoff. This is for this country. And we need to stop this now in November.

[Interviewer/Host]

Joining me now is our panel, Shelby Talcott, White House correspondent at semafor, Antwan Seawright, Democratic strategist and CEO of Blueprint Strategy and Rick Tyler, Republican strategist. Thank you all for being here. Shelby, I do want to start with you and talk about this strategy, it seems, by Republicans to try to lump all Democrats together under this Democratic socialist label. What do you make? I mean, it's not surprising, I don't think, because there are progressive candidates and we've been hearing about this for months. Months. I've talked to administration officials and people who are involved in the midterms who as soon as some of these candidates on the Democratic side got into the race, they said if this person wins, this is going to be our strategy. So it's not surprising from the Republican side. I also think though, the question that the administration is grappling with is how can they not only try to paint these progressives as a extremists and also be indicative of the Democratic Party writ large, but also provide voters with a solution. And I think that latter is where they're still trying to answer the question of okay, if not them, then what is the Republican Party providing for these voters? And it does seem like we're getting a sense from the White House in some of their talking points that they will continue to talk about Bernie Sanders and Zoram Hamdani and Abdul Al said, is that your sense that that is sort of going to be the roadmap, the blueprint here? That's the roadmap. They're painting these individuals as the heads of the, of the Democratic Party. They're saying these progressives are what the Democratic Party stands for. And the reason that they're doing that is they believe that some of these more progressive policy stances that we've heard from some of these candidates are too extreme for moderate voters who are going to be voting in a general election. And that's where they think that they're going to be able to pick off some of these voters. Even the voters who they will say, say are not necessarily happy with the status quo here in Washington. And Rick, it was a little bit surprising. We saw NRSC Chair Senator Tim Scott predict on Sunday that he's optimistic that it's possible Republicans could get a 54 seat majority in the Senate. Do you agree and what do you make of this strategy?

[Monica Alba]

I love optimists. I do think that's optimistic. Look, the Democrats can say, and I've heard establishment Democrats also say that the these candidates that they're fielding for nominations today in Wisconsin you have a Democratic socialist running for governor and then you have one in Michigan last week these people would not be extreme in New York City or Brooklyn, certain parts of Brooklyn, but in Michigan they are. And if you actually want to win the Senate, fielding these kinds of candidates who have very controversial positions, in fact, in fact, Alexandria Otasio Cortez was trying to bail one of them out and misstep calling hung, you know, woke 1.0. I mean that's not helping. Like that doesn't help at all. Look, the WOKE movement in my view Gave away the middle class voters from the Democrats to the Republicans, and now that now the Democrats are trying to win them back. The interesting thing that I think is worth really thinking about is, is both the Republicans, from the Trump point of view, from the MAGA point of view, and from the Democratic socialist point of view, it's all economic populism. They have different solutions, but the language and the complaints are actually exactly the same, that the system is rigged against you. And here are my solutions. And both Democrats and Republicans are very angry about it. But populism is not gonna work. It's not gonna get you there. Fear, racism, division and uncertainty has been an electoral strategy for the MAGA movement in particular, that has worked in some cases. The difference between then and now is they have tatted all over their bodies this affordability crisis. They have corruption laying at their feet. And they also have a health care crisis that are affecting 18.2 million Americans in places where they have been electorally successful. They cannot run away from that. My advice to my party and our candidates, yell in the places you agree, whisper in the places you disagree. The one common denominator we can all focus on is the affordability crisis and how we improve the quality of life for everyday Americans.

[Interviewer/Host]

Antoine, let's actually turn to that exact issue, and in Minnesota in particular, because, of course, voters are voting there today. But also we had Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan on the show yesterday, and she spoke to this about trying to unify the party after such a competitive primary and what they need to do there. Let's play that sound. I mean, I think it has to be a broader anti Trump message. And I certainly think that's where, you know, Congresswoman Craig and I will be unified in making sure that Democrats hold the seat no matter what happens. We can't afford to give this, you know, Donald Trump one more seat in the United States Senate. The grift has to stop. We will hold the seats, and if she is victorious tomorrow, I will absolutely support her. But for Democrats, is unifying around that anti Trump message going to be enough in a general election?

[Monica Alba]

I think that's one element because, truth be told, voters will always vote easier, make it easier to vote against something than it is to vote for something. But our main strategy has to be consolidation and expansion. There's no doubt in my mind the Republican Party electorate has shrunk since the 2024 election cycle. There's also no doubt in my. There are a lot of angry people out there who want to try something different. We have to give them Something different to try. So it's a base plus election, which means independent thinkers and independent voters in some of these ballot ground places are going to be critical to the constituencies we need to win. This is precisely why Trump got elected, why they wanted to try something different. It's all economic populism. And we can see this in Europe, we can see it all over the world is the far right of the far left have these wacky ideas because they don't have the governing, because governing is actually, actually taking responsibility is actually hard to do. And yet they can snipe from the sidelines. And people say that, but they're both, both parties are very angry about the same thing. They do feel like the system is rigged against them. They think it works for the rich, it doesn't work for the, for the poor, it doesn't work for the working class. Trump won the working class. The Democrats are clearly trying to win it back, but they won't do it in states like Michigan with these, really, some of these wacky views of that. Except we have to, unfortunately, voters expect us to offer themselves something and not just say normal people offer them and they would clean the field. Republicans don't have to. It's a bad year. From a policy prescription, they don't have to offer anything. They can just put their names on the ballot and get away. We have to offer. But now they've turned the conversation between are you a socialist or not? And do you believe that we should get rid of the Senate? Do you believe that we should tax millionaires and billionaires out of the state? Like that's what the conversation is turned to.

[Interviewer/Host]

And that's a big part of the conversation, certainly, and for both parties. But another part of this conversation might be, Shelby, what the president just rolled out once again trying on vaccines yesterday. Something that parents and families, of course, care deeply about. The president reiterating some baseless claims yesterday. But what is your take on why the White House decided to do this, why they are doing this even closer and closer to the midterms, when we know, according to some reporting, that there had been warnings to RFK Jr. The HHS Secretary, to lay off some of this vaccine talk because it can be politically toxic. The simple answer is usually the easiest when it comes to the President. This is something he's been interested in for a really long time, actually, and he's talked about it for decades. And despite there being some people in the administration who are hesitant to make the vaccine conversation top of mind for voters, the president wants this and he's very interested in it. And one thing that I think is really interesting is how if you look at the executive order that the president rolled out yesterday on vaccines, it doesn't mention the autism argument that we heard a lot from the president. And so you're seeing, I think, a little bit of the disconnect between how the president is linking this and what the president wants to focus on and how maybe some of his advisors are trying to massage it. Do you think, Rick, he should be talking more about that?

[Monica Alba]

No, it's preposterous. His press conference was embarrassing yesterday. There is no link between vaccines and autism that we know of. It's been debunked 24 different times with 24 different states studies. And so no signs. Distractions come in many forms. Add this to the cat. Add this as a page to the catalog of distractions brought to you by Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

[Interviewer/Host]

Shelby, Antoine, Rick, we have to leave it there, but thank you so much. We will be back tomorrow, of course, with more MEET THE Press. Now. There's much more ahead on NBC News. Now.

[Monica Alba]

Snoring, gasping for air during sleep, daytime sleepiness. I'm Shaquille o' Neal and this is shouldn't be anybody's experience. Ask your doctor about Zepbound Tirzepatide, the first and only FDA approved prescription medicine for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. 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 15 milligram and injection. Zepbound contains Tirzepatide and should not be used with other Tirzepatide containing products or any GLP1 receptor agonist medicines. 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, plan 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. Talk to your doctor, call 1-800-545-5979 or visit zepbound.lilly.com.