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Meet the Press
Meet the Press NOW — August 4
00:49:42
Voters are casting their ballots in dozens of primary races across five states. Democratic candidates in Michigan’s seventh congressional district, William Lawrence and Matt Maasdam, join Meet the Press NOW ahead of tonight's consequential primary to make their final pitch to voters. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) discusses the key primary races across Michigan and what it will take for Democrats to unify ahead of November.
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This message is brought to you by AppleCard. 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 more@applecard.com hi, I'm Kate Snow, NBC
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News anchor and host of the NBC
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News podcast the Drink.
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This month I'm sitting down with the hilarious Leslie Jones. We chat about her remarkable journey from her childhood to family hardships, to the unexpected, almost accidental road that led her to comedy. From her unforgettable years at Saturday Night Live to her new show Roast My Rental, about vacation rentals gone terribly wrong. It is a funny, candid conversation and I hope you'll give it a listen. Join us for the Drink. Listen and follow now wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Beat the Press Now. I'm Kristen Welker in Washington. If it's Tuesday, voters are voting, heading to the polls to cast their ballots in primary races that will set key matchups in November's midterm elections. It is the biggest night remaining on the primary calendar with voting in dozens of races across five different states. And the marquee matchup is in battleground Michigan where the insurgent progressive movement on the left is facing its first major test in a purple state. The establishment backed candidate is Congresswoman Haley Stevens. The progressive backed candidate is Abdullah Sayed. The winner will face Trump backed Republican Mike Rogers, who's running unopposed. This is a must win race in November for Democrats if they want to take back control of the Senate. NBC Shaquille Brewster spoke with EL Said yesterday about the electability question that's been hanging over his entire primary.
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What do you say to someone who's
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skeptical that someone as progressive as you can win statewide in a state that's
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as purple as Michigan is?
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You know, purple implies a certain model that we've often foisted on politics for a long time, despite the fact that that model has proven incorrect for a very long time, that there's red and there's blue and in the middle there's
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purple and that if you're not a
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Democrat or Republican, that in the middle you're moderate?
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Right.
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I just don't think that's true. If everybody was so moderate, why would the state elect Donald Trump twice. I got an alternative hypothesis. The alternative hypothesis is that people are
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so sick and tired of establishments on
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both sides of the aisle that are
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bought off by the corporations who are nickel and diming them at every turn
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that they were willing to hold their nose and vote for Donald Trump twice.
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Al Said appears to have the momentum. He's criticized Stevens about the outside spending boosting her campaign, especially from groups affiliated with the pro Israel lobbying group aipac. Congresswoman Stevens has leaned into her establishment bona fides as she's as proof that she can get things done in Congress and painting Al Said as the easier candidate for Republican Mike Rogers to beat. There is a reason why Republicans are already spending thousands and thousands of dollars meddling in this primary trying to maybe get their preferred candidate. Look, when it comes to Michigan, I run through anyone and anything to stand up for us. And on the question of whether Democrats can unite behind a candidate after such a hotly contested primary, some voters telling NBC News yesterday their support in November is guaranteed. But others say they aren't so sure.
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I will vote for Stevens in the
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primary if El Sayed ends up winning tomorrow and becomes the nominee for the Democratic Party. What will be your calculus heading into November? Would you rather give that seat to a Republican or would you rather El Sayed? El Said, would you vote for Haley Stevens if she won tomorrow?
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I would have to think about it.
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Her vote's not guaranteed just because she's a Democrat.
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Yeah.
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No, I wouldn't say so. Joining me now, of course, on this big primary day is NBC's chief data analyst, Steve Kornacki, who's at the big board. NBC's Julie Cirkin is on the ground in Detroit. And NBC Sahil Kapoor is in Missouri, where we're watching another progressive moderate fight for a house seat in St. Louis. But Steve, I have to start with you, set the stage here. Let's talk about the big race in Michigan. What are the various different paths to victory for Al Said and for Stevens? What are you watching for?
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Yeah.
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Well, in a few hours, the map is going to start lighting up. And I think one thing to keep in mind here, so much of the vote as it comes in tonight in Michigan in this Democratic primary is going to come from the southeast part of the state, particularly right here, the state's biggest county, where its biggest city, Detroit, is, that's Wayne county right next door, Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, and the two big bedroom suburban communities here, counties, Oakland and Macomb together, just these four counties, you're probably looking at about half the vote that's going to be cast in this primary tonight. I think you can expect. Take a look in Washtenaw. The question there is going to be not who wins the county, but how much does Al said win it by demographically again, you know, big college area, Ann Arbor, University of Michigan. This is where he's expected to do very well. Can he run up a big score right there. Meanwhile, for Stevens, I think Oakland county, her political base into Macomb county, she wants to be doing well there. And the real wild card here is going to be Wayne county because we say Detroit, but Wayne is also much bigger than Detroit. Wayne county in fact itself is 20% of of all the votes that are going to be cast tonight in the primary. And there's a bit of a split there when you get outside of Wayne. You got other cities in Wayne county like Dearborn, like Dearborn Heights, like Hamtramck. Dearborn, the first a majority Arab American city in the United States of America. You can expect in places like that Al Said potentially to be posting some very big numbers in the city of Detroit, though Detroit itself is 75% black. And actually Al Said did not do that well there when he ran for governor in 2018. Polls have suggested Stevens is doing substantially better than Al Said with black voters. So can Stevens run up big numbers in Detroit? But Wayne county looms as the biggest wild card in this. It's the biggest piece of the puzzle. The bad news, Kristen, is if past is prologue, Wayne is also the slowest at putting its results out there. So if this is a close race, we could be waiting late into the night for Wayne County.
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Well, we are ready for all of it, Steve. Look, one of the big questions tonight is just how much momentum do these progressive candidates actually have. And progressive candidates are running in a number of different districts. So where else are you going to be watching for clues about this?
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Yeah, I mean take a look here in the 7th congressional district here tonight. This is a Democratic primary here, open nomination here. William Lawrence here endorsed by Bernie Sanders, very much a candidate of that left wing insurgency in the Democratic primary. This is a very competitive race. The Republican here I can show you. Tom Barrett is a first term incumbent. It's a very close congressional district at the presidential level. His race was very close in 2024. And Democrats, you take a look at this primary. Lawrence here has that progressive lane to himself. Bridget Brink, the former US Ambassador to the Ukraine, Matt Mosdom, he's endorsed by Alyssa Slotkin, the senator who used to represent this district is that sort of establishment wing split between those two candidates. And has it opened the door for Lawrence, who is very much in line with these progressive candidates who've been posting these, you know, sort of eyebrow raising victories in Democratic primaries around the country? Has it opened the door for him to win the nomination in this district? And again, as I say, this is the kind of district you're talking about here. I think that's one of the themes tonight in Michigan, Kristen, that's a little bit different than these other primaries. We've seen these left wing candidates winning primaries in deep blue districts, deep blue areas where Democrats really don't have to worry about the general election. This district, the seventh district, we or the Senate race to statewide in Michigan, a Trump state. Democrats very much do have to worry about the general election there. And some of these contests could raise the question of, you know, are they testing the limits of electability?
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And it's one of the big questions we will answer in November if those progressive candidates in fact are victorious. And Steve, we should say we are going to be talking to Lawrence and Mazdem coming up in just a bit. Steve Kornacki, thank you so much for setting the stage. We're going to see you all night long for our special coverage. And we want to say a hearty congratulations on launching the Data Dive with Steve Kornaki for expert analysis and updates on the midterms all season long. You can scan the QR code on your screen now to subscribe to Steve's new weekly newsletter out every Tuesday. All right, very exciting news there. But let's turn now to Julie Circuit on the ground in Detroit. So, Julie, you're there in Michigan. You've been talking to voters throughout the day. What is the mood there with that big Senate primary unfolding?
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Yeah, talking to voters not only in Detroit, where I am right now, we're at a high school. You hear a marching band behind me. Very festive primary day vibes here. But also in western Michigan in Grand Rapids. That's that young voter that you heard from who said he isn't sure if he would extend his support to Haley Stevens if she ends up winning tonight. He's an outside backer and that's kind of the back and forth that we found ourselves in. I'm, I'm hearing so many different things, Kristen, depending on the age of the voter, too. I talked to some older voters who are sticking with Haley Stevens, something that Steve Kornacki was saying there in terms of the black voter that's certainly something that Stevens has very much been focusing on. And in my conversations, anecdotally, I picked up on that to take a listen, though, to a little bit of what we heard, particularly from one voter who is a progressive. He has always been a Democrat, but he told me, Kristen, the Democrats can't count on his support if they don't start listening. Watch.
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I can say with like my whole
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heart, like all of my friends who
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are, you know, 25 younger, they won't vote for a candidate that's not pro
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Palestine and against Israel.
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Wow. And what happens if Republicans end up winning? Like, what if Mike Rogers wins the Senate seat because you guys didn't vote?
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The Democrats will have to take a
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look at themselves and realize that they need to change.
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And that is so fascinating to me because we've covered the New York City primaries. Democratic leaders back in D.C. downplayed those results. But we are in Michigan, we are in a purple state. And the Democrats here, the younger progressives, they still want the same thing that their friends in New York want.
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Yeah. And it's just fascinating, Julie, to hear just how central that issue of Israel has become, not just in the race that you're covering, but in other races as well. And I know you've been talking to other voters. Do you get the sense that they share that same passion as that voter you were just talking to there?
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They do share that same passion, Kristen, and I'm definitely picking up on that. But see, for older voters, it isn't just about that issue. This is part of that generational divide that I think I've picked up on, not just here, but also in the other primaries that I've covered. For example, I talked to one older voter, a 65 year old black man who's a Detroit native. He actually likes the socialist direction of the the party is heading in, but he told me it's not so black and white for him. He doesn't love just how far the conversation, the rhetoric around Israel has gone. And he really likes the fact that Haley Stevens was endorsed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. So it shows you that these are all still anecdotes. Democrats have a lot of work to do to figure out what kind of candidate they want to run in the future. Because this really is right now taking me back to 2016, what Republicans saw on the right with President Trump.
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Fascinating analogy there. Julie. Before I let you go, I do want to ask you because we did learn today that the Justice Department is actually monitoring polling sites in four Michigan cities. What are you hearing about that? What are you learning about that?
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Yeah, this happened in 2025, too, in that governor's election that I covered the New York City race as well in federal elections. We've seen seen the DOJ put poll watchers out at various locations. It's happening in four different cities in Michigan. They're not dressed in any official way. They're kind of just sitting around in a public area. People that we've spoken to and officials in Michigan have said that so far they've been cordial. We have not seen them in the polling location I'm standing at, but certainly a change than we've seen in the past. The secretary of state here in Michigan and Haley Stevens as well at a campaign stop earlier today saying this is why they're going to work to make sure our elections are not federalized. Kristen.
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All right, very busy day for you, Julie. Thank you so much. And of course, we will see you throughout the night in our special coverage. Really appreciate all of your fantastic reporting. We want to turn now to Sahil Kapoor, who is in Missouri. Sahil, you are covering the big rematch between Wesley Bell and Cori Bush. You've been talking to voters throughout the day. What are they saying? Where's the momentum?
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That's right, Kristen. Wesley Bell looks and sounds confident that he can hold on and defeat Cori Bush. He has a huge money advantage on the airwaves. He has incumbency, which in a year like this kind of cuts both ways. Cori Bush is highlighting the fact that Wesley Bell is supportive of US Aid to Israel. That's one of her poor messages. That was a huge issue back in 2024 as well. I talked to Wesley Bell about that and how he's framing up his campaign. Take a listen to what he said.
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What you know you're going to get from me is that I'm going to wake up every day thinking about the St. Louis region and how to make this place a better place than it was yesterday. You know, the M in Missouri doesn't stand for Middle east, it stands for Missouri. We are going to focus on the issues that matter to St. Louisans, and I think that's what this race is
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going to come down to.
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And Cori Bush, who I'm planning to interview next hour, is on the air with two ads, both of them, Kristen mentioned apac and she's connecting it to the home front, accusing Wesley Bell of wanting to spend money over there on a foreign government and not over here on priorities for Missourians on things like tornado relief so this is a real issue that's resonating on the ground. The question is, is that going to be enough to help push Cori Bush over the top?
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Well, you talk about the spending we have reported that Al said has been outspent significantly in Michigan. Cori Bush has also been outspent as well, right?
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Absolutely. It's a staggering sum, Kristen. It's 5.3 million spent on the airwaves overall. Off that 5.1 million is Wesley Bell and his allies. About 2 million of that is APAC super PAC, less than $200,000 spent by Cori Bush and on behalf of Cori Bush. So that's notable here. Now what's also interesting is that the APAC linked super PAC ads, they don't really mention Israel. They know that that's not a particularly winning issue, their side of it, at least with Democratic voters. They instead go after Cori Bush for the fact that she was very critical of Kamala Harris and the Biden Harris administration back in 2024. So there's a lot at stake here for the future of the Democratic Party and voters are all over the place here. Many voters I spoke to like both of the candidates, some of them were divided. I found one voter who supported Wesley Bell last time and is now supporting Cory Bush. Take a listen.
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I voted for him last time and
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so I'm voting for her this time.
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I think that he has been paid
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for and I think that there are
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people out there who are using their
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money and financial influence to buy candidates and I think that's the wrong direction for our country.
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And to put a finer point on that, Kristen, he did say pushing back on APAC is one important issue to him. This primary really could come down to how many more voters like that there are here.
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Sahil, great interviews, great reporting as always and we will see you in a few hours because folks, we are just getting started here. Special primary night coverage kicks off at 7:45 Eastern with the Kornacki cam tracking the results as they come in. You can watch it on YouTube or NBC news.com and our special coverage on news now begins at 9pm Eastern with me, Hallie and Steve Kornacki right here on NBC News. Now you do not want to miss it. We will have all of the results as we get them coming up. As I just mentioned, we are going to dive deeper into the race for Michigan's 7th congressional district, a key battleground where Democrats ideological rips are once again on display tonight. Two of the top primary candidates vying for that nomination will join me next. You're watching Meet the Press now.
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Welcome back. While all eyes are in Michigan's Senate Democratic primary battle between EL Sayed and Stevens tonight there's another race down ballot that's highlighting the divides in the Democratic Party. The three way primary in Michigan's 7th congressional district has become the latest front in the tug of war to shape the future of the party in a swing district that the Democrats are hoping to flip in their quest to retake control of the House. Two moderate candidates, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Brink and retired Navy SEAL Matt Masdom, are up against progressive activist William Lawrence, who co founded the Sunrise Movement that advocates for political action on climate change. Centrist voters are split between Masdem, who is backed by Senator Alyssa Slotkin who used to hold this seat, and Brink who has the backing of prominent local Democrats. It creates a potential opening for Lawrence who's backed by Senator Bernie Sanders as well as Al said. I will be speaking to Mr. Maslow in just a moment, but first joining me now is Democratic candidate for Michigan's 7th district, William Lawrence. Thank you so much for joining me, really appreciate it.
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Thank you. I'm so glad to be here.
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Well we are so glad to have you. This is literally the home stretch, just hours to go. So what is your closing message to voters?
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If you want an unbot independent minded candidate who is going to stand up against AI data centers, fight back against these stupid wars around the world and bring our money home to invest in the American people. I would love to earn your vote before the polls close at 8pm and
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how do you see the stakes? Because the moderate Democratic voters seem to be split between your opponents right now. Has this effectively given you a path to be the frontrunner? How do you see it?
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You know, I think voters are tired of corporate funded candidates on both sides of the aisle, whether they be Democrat or Republican. And we've built a powerful grassroots movement in this district by standing alongside regular folks against the billionaires in Silicon Valley and Wall street and the insiders in Washington, D.C. so I'm very proud of the movement that we built. And even now we have hundreds of volunteers out there making phone calls and knocking doors and making sure that people get out to the polls.
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So let's talk about the stakes here. They could not be higher. Democrats see this as a key pickup opportunity in their quest to try to win back the House. Obviously, Tom Barrett holds the seat right now. He won back in 2024. And there are concerns, as you know, that a progressive candidate may struggle in a swing district. I want to read you what State Senator Sarah Anthony told the New York Times. She said, quote, people are absolutely worried about Lawrence being able to beat Barrett. She added, the reclamations could be harming our party in ways we can't see yet. What do you say to those concerns? How do you respond?
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I feel great about our chances to beat Tom Barrett in November because he has not shown up to do the job. He does not answer to the voters. He's voted to cause all of our health insurance premiums to rise. He voted twice for this disastrous and expensive war in Iran, and he hasn't shown up to do a single town hall because he knows he can't answer for his record. So we've been really building this campaign on the foundation of accessibility and showing up in all the places where Barrett has refused to and serving the constituents in the way that he has not. So I'm excited about the opportunity, should things go our way tonight, to unite the Democratic Party, along with independent and frustrated Republican voters, to send an unbought and independent minded representative of Mid Michigan to Congress.
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Well, let me follow up with you on that point. How exactly would you do that? Obviously, some of your policy issues, Medicare for all, ending arms sales to Israel. What do you do to extend that olive branch to more moderate voters, independents and even some Republicans?
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Sure. Well, on that latter point, we see that as a major point of commonality. People have seen that these endless wars around the world and the blank check that we've given to Netanyahu's government have not made Americans any safer or more prosperous and in fact, have resulted in higher prices at the pump and at the grocery store. So I'm excited to take that message out to independent Republican voters as we've already been doing. And then another big issue that is uniting people is opposition to these AI data centers because people feel absolutely bullied by these Silicon Valley behemoths who are pushing their way into small towns across Michigan and trying to build these data centers with no regard for local democracy or self determination. And I know for a fact that there will be Republicans, registered Republicans, multiple time Trump voters who will be voting for me in the Democratic primary today because I have stood with them in calling for a federal moratorium on new data centers.
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Well, let me ask you about the Congressional Black Caucus because it's come out against your candidacy after some past comments resurfaced, calling out the older generation of black political leadership for holding up the Democratic establishment, saying it, quote, defangs the white left. You have apologized. We should make that very clear. But are you concerned on this Election Day that those past comments could hurt your chances in the general election, particularly amongst African American voters?
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You know, I'm really proud of the work I've done alongside the African American community here in the Lansing area, especially on the issue of housing, stopping unjust evictions, building affordable housing and creating pathways to home ownership in partnership with black led organizations. So people know where I've shown up and the work I've done. A lot of folks here in the Lansing area have reached out to have my back amidst the controversy about my past comments, which I have apologized for. And should things go our way tonight, I look forward to sitting down with the CBC in D.C. and, you know, introducing myself and mending fences so that we can flip this district in November.
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And let me ask you, whoever wins tonight, will you back the winner in a general election?
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I absolutely will. And I'm thrilled that all three candidates in this race have made that pledge multiple times in various forums and appearances across the district for the better part of the last year.
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And I do have to ask you, because the DOJ announced today it was going to monitor polling stations in four Michigan cities, including Lansing, which is, of course, where you are running. What have you heard about that and does it raise concerns for you?
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It absolutely does raise concerns. You know, we've heard some reports of the DOJ officials at certain polling sites today. There hasn't been any funny business reported that we've heard yet, although we are certainly monitoring the situation. But to me, it looks like a dry run and a fact finding mission to interfere in a bigger way with the general election in November. And that's because Trump knows that Tom Barrett is a deeply unpopular and vulnerable candidate who has not done the job to represent his constituents. And so he's in big trouble this November should Trump not intervene to try to interfere with the election in some way.
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All right.
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Well, we will be watching all of this unfold very carefully. William Lawrence, thank you. Thank you so very much. We're gonna track your race throughout the night and bring folks the results as we get them. And we do wanna say that joining us now is one of William Lawrence's opponents In that Michigan 7 race, Matt Masdem, a retired Navy Seal. Thank you so much for joining me.
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Thank you, Kristen. Appreciate it.
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B
Well, we appreciate your being here on Election Day. I do wanna have you respond to what you just heard from your opponent. He just told me he does see his campaign as having momentum in these closing hours. How do you respond and do you think you can beat him?
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D
We have a lot of momentum, too. Alyssa Slotkin endorsed this campaign. And, you know, we are running through the tape. I think it's going to be close at the end. And so. But I do think I can win. And we're excited to represent the voters really well here in Michigan. We're fighting for, you know, lower costs. We're fighting for accountability and we're fighting to get corruption out. And so those. That's our message. That's what I'm hearing on the doors. I love connecting with voters, and we can absolutely win this thing.
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B
Let me ask you, because both you and your other opponent, Bridget Brink, have suggested that one of you should drop out of the race to consolidate the more moderate vote. Neither of you has done that. And I wonder if on this Election Day, you're concerned that that may have, in fact created an opening for William Lawrence.
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D
I think what people in this district want is a fighter. You know, I showed that I was willing to fight for the Constitution for 20 years, and I'm going to fight for people in this district as their congressmen. And I think people are. People are mad. People are upset with the way things are. They're mad at Trump, they're mad at parties. They're mad that things cost too much and they want to see people stand up for them in Congress. I think Congress needs to get in gear and actually do the job that they're there that the Constitution intends. And that's what they want to see. They want to see somebody that's going to fight for them and stand up and do the right thing.
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B
Let me ask you to respond to some reaction from Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, who is backing Brink. She slammed you for suggesting Brink drop out, saying that this only comes up when there's a woman or a person of color on the ballot. What's your reaction to that type of criticism?
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D
I connect well with voters and I'm excited to do that more and more as we move forward. As I'M knocking doors, which I love to do. We really get around and hear the issues the district people think things cost way too much. People think Trump needs to be accountable for the rampant ICE raids for Iran. And so I think I do the best job in this race of connecting with voters. And I'm excited to have people vote for me in this race here on August 4th and then in the fall.
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B
So let's say you do win tonight. What is your strategy to court some of those more progressive voters who may vote for your opponent, William Lawrence, but also maintain your support amongst moderates and maybe try to win over some Republicans as well? It's a fine line to walk, particularly as you're trying to unseat the Republican congressman, Tom Barrett.
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D
You know, I said people are mad. There's a lot of energy in this race. And so I think they're excited to flip the seat in the fall. We've all pledged to get behind whoever wins, I think the people who are voting for us will follow. And Tom Barrett has done no favors to this district. He has voted against it at every turn. He's taken half a billion dollars from Michigan State. He's kicked tens of thousands of people off of health care and taken food from kids. And I find that unconscionable. I refuse to stand by while we say we don't have money for housing and health care, but we have money for tax cuts for billionaires and to drop bombs on other countries. And I do think my veteran status goes a long way to neutralize Barrett's veteran status. I think he ran on it last time as his platform, and this time around it's not an advantage for him. And I'm going to make him talk about the issues. And I'm excited because I don't think he'll do well there.
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B
Well, let me follow up with you on that point to some extent, because according to recent polling from The Washington Post, 74%, that's nearly three quarters of Democrats, want to reduce or end military support to Israel. You have not committed to ending all weapons sales. Do you think you're in line with where the Democratic base is on this issue? And how do you think that could play in tonight's results?
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D
I think we should have oversight of all the countries we provide aid to and work with. And whether it's Morocco or Israel, South Korea, I think your role is oversight in Congress. And so that's something that I want to do. I think it's important to do, and I'm looking forward to doing that for the country in this district. Like I said before, the things that I hear about over and over and over are that things cost way too much, are that we're trying to hold Trump accountable for his bad behavior and then make sure we incorruption. And I think a lot of people look like they're going to D.C. to get rich. I'm doing this purely out of service. I'm a servant leader and I'm here to serve the people of this district. And that's what I want to see in our leadership.
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B
Before I let you go, I'm going to ask you the same question that I asked Mr. Lawrence, which is this announcement by the DOJ that it plans to monitor polling sites in four Michigan cities, including in Lansing. What's your reaction to that?
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D
Yeah, I think that's the Trump administration trying to inoculate people to thinking this is normal and it's not. Whether it is having ice at the airports or monitors at polling stations. I think it's bad. And I think it starts little. And I think they incrementally get bigger
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and bigger and bigger.
- [31:07]
D
And we need to refuse it at every opportunity we have and push back. And so that's not the role of the federal government. That's the role of state government. And we're here to make sure that's the case.
- [31:17]
B
All right, Matt Masdon, we will be up late with you tonight. We really appreciate it. Thank you so very much for joining us on this Election Day.
- [31:24]
D
Thank you, Kristen. Appreciate it.
- [31:26]
B
Thank you. We do, too. Coming up next, the view from a veteran House lawmaker who knows a thing or two about what it takes to win in a purple state, Michigan. Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell is standing by. We'll tackle tonight's marquee races, the future of the Democratic Party and much, much more. Stay with us on MEET THE PRESS now. Welcome back. And joining me now is Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan. Congresswoman, thank you so much for being here with us. We really appreciate it.
- [31:58]
C
It's good to be with you.
- [32:00]
B
It's wonderful to have you. It's wonderful to see you. We just heard from two, as you just heard, hopefully, of the candidates in the primary field of Michigan's 7th congressional district. It's obviously a seat Democrats are eyeing, hoping to flip in November. Based on what you heard here, based on what you know, do you think one candidate or another is in the lead, is best positioned to win tonight?
- [32:25]
C
I think all three of the candidates that are running for the seventh District can win the seventh District. I think that has been a very competitive race. Three very strong candidates. Each has their own history of activism, engagement and we'll see who wins it. And then like we have to do on all of the races, unite to for the November election.
- [32:51]
B
Well, okay, you take me to my next question. That word unite. Let's talk about this Senate primary because it has gotten ugly, of course, between Haley Stevens and Abdul Al said. How does the party unite after tonight? Congresswoman Dingell so I want to say this to you.
- [33:11]
C
I know I keep saying this, we don't have a choice, but I actually think there's far it look, it has been very not pleasant ugly the last couple of weeks are everything that I hate about campaigning. But having said that, I know both of these candidates. I have been neutral in this race. I know that both of them have far more in common than they have differences. They care deeply about how Americans are struggling and that they're going to fight for an affordable America, that they are worried about the people that they are asking to vote for them and what's happening to the cost of their groceries, the cost of gasoline, the cost of housing. We have a broken health care system. They might disagree on the approach to fixing it, but neither of them would ever have supported a big blank bill. I'm on television. I won't tell you what I think. They wouldn't have cut SNAP benefits. They won't support a war in the Iran where you'd have troops in the ground. And they both care about if there's an opening on the street Supreme Court, who would be appointed to that and in November. That's what's at stake and that's why and they both have said that they will help bring people together.
- [34:27]
B
As you know, one of the big dividing lines is on the issue of Israel. How do you see Democrats coming together in a general election? Can they given the deep divisions that exist on that critical issue? Congresswoman,
- [34:45]
C
we have to. I just, you know, I probably am unique in that. I've lived in the middle of this issue for decades and not the last couple of years. I've lived in Dearborn, Michigan. My neighbors were Arab Americans and Muslims. And I've known many people of the Jewish faith and thankfully was brought up by nuns who taught me to respect and love everybody. And we live in a country where freedom of religion matters. And having said that, I've seen hate. I've seen too much hate. I've seen hate on both sides. I deeply believe Israel has a right to exist. I also do not like what I'VE seen in Gaza and more recently in southern Lebanon. I know people that have been killed by bombs. If you live in Dearborn, half of people there had family in Vince and Mill which has been destroyed. So I understand that hurt and that pain. We got to come together. We've got to figure out a way that they've been trying for centuries to find peace in the Mideast. I believe very strongly in a two state solution. And that's our job. Find a way to come together and to stand up to hate. When you see a rise in antisemitism, which I never thought I would see in this country in my lifetime, and it is very real. I have seen the hatred in Dearborn. I've had death threats for even talking to Muslims during my career. It's wrong. We got to stand up to hate and we got to find that being willing to stand up to hate and find common ground, something that brings us together.
- [36:21]
B
Congresswoman, let me ask you about the big question looming over the Al said campaign, which is if he in fact wins tonight, can he win in a general election? This is a purple state. I don't have to tell you that. It's your state. And the concerns that some Democrats have expressed that Mike Rogers would sail easily to victory, how do you respond to those concerns? How confident are you? Al say it could in fact win in a general election if, if he
- [36:50]
C
wins and we don't know who's going to win. You know, remember the polls all showed Hillary Clinton winning, but I've watched them both campaign Abdul excites a base. He I think that you're going to see people who are going to vote in November because they want a House and Senate that are not going to be a rubber stamp for the current president that are going to stand up would never have allowed a big bad bill to have passed. And I think that all of us are going to have a responsibility to remind people what is at stake, try to bring people together and to turn out that vote. And we all, whoever wins tonight are going to be committed to doing that. And I'm going to keep trying to bring people together to do just that.
- [37:37]
B
You know, tonight is a huge test for progressives because it's not just the Senate race as we've been talking about, it's House races in your state and other states as well. If tomorrow we all wake up and progressives have had a number of victories, what is the message and what's the takeaway for Democrats moving forward not just into November, but for 20, 28 as well.
- [38:03]
C
So I want. Everybody wants to make this. Let's divide us, let's put people against each other. I think you got to look at what the common ground is. I don't know what's going to. The seventh District is clearly a very competitive race. I do not believe that the Detroit race is something that can be attributed to labels. I think there are far more factors that are in there. You've got to remember the seventh District had three strong candidates in it. So two candidates may have been more similar. So, you know, look at what the candidates stand for and look for where that common ground is. And I believe that both Matt and Bridget, will and Will will work to help the other whoever wins that. So I think people have to not overread. I always, I like to use two examples, dingle examples. And what do you label me? What's my label? I'm one of the. I am the lead of Medicare for All in the House. I deeply believe that if you're sick in this country, you should be able to go to the doctor when you need to go to the doctor and get the medicine that you need. I think there are a lot of people even in the Republican Party that believe this. And we're the only industrialized nation in the world that doesn't do it. And my father in law was one of the authors of Social Security and when that bill was going through, he was called a communist. You tell me who calls Social Security communism in today's age?
- [39:29]
B
Quickly, before I let you go, Congresswoman, I have to get your reaction. The DNC's proposed 2028 primary calendar. Michigan would be among the first six states casting ballots. What do you say, though, to someone who may argue the calendar actually favors a more establishment candidate and makes it harder for someone from the left, the, you know, far left, to break through?
- [39:53]
C
I was on the Rules Committee. I felt very strongly that that calendar that you've seen is a reflection of this country. It brings regional balance to it. And there were people that thought we shouldn't have Michigan on it. Well, I'm going to tell you that we need to make sure that the issues that are going to be talked about in October, they're going to make a difference in the campaign. You need to see the candidates talk about them in the early primaries. So I think that this is a balanced calendar. You've got many different interesting states. You've got geographical diversity. You've got nationality, ethnic, cultural diversity. Farmers, manufacturing unions, college kids. It's a good diverse calendar. And I feel strongly we're delivering that.
- [40:40]
A
All right.
- [40:40]
B
Congressman Dingell, you're gonna be with us this evening. We appreciate your being here this afternoon. Look forward to talking to you throughout the night. Thank you so much.
- [40:50]
C
Thank you.
- [40:52]
B
Coming up after the break, we will have the very latest from right here in Washington. The breakthrough with Todd Blanche's nomination become the next attorney general. That's when we come right back.
- [41:05]
H
Stay with.
- [41:12]
B
Welcome back. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is now on the brink of officially becoming the next attorney general. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche's nomination today with a 12 to 10 vote along party lines. Blanche's nomination had been on hold after two committee Republicans, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, raised concerns about the fate of the proposed anti weaponization fund that was part of the Trump administration's settlement with the irs. Blanche announcing late Sunday he'd reached an agreement with Cornyn and Tillis to scrap that fund. Cornyn telling reporters today Blanche acted in good faith.
- [41:46]
D
Well, the weaponization fund is dead. We pointed out that the Department of Justice has represented that to numerous courts. And as to the idea that it could be revived in the future, I think it's highly unlikely that that could happen without the cooperation of the Department, Department of Justice. And I think Mr. Blanche gave us the assurances that it was dead and
- [42:10]
H
would not be revived.
- [42:11]
D
And in this case, we have no alternative but to take his word for that.
- [42:16]
B
Blanche's nomination now advances to a vote before the full Senate. That vote is expected to take place later this week. Our panel of political experts will join us next for much more news and analysis on tonight's big races. Keep it right here on MEET THE PRESS now. Welcome back. Joining me now is today's panel. Carrie Dan, managing editor for the Cook Political Report Ashley Etienne, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, and now a MEET THE PRESS contributor, and Garrett Graves, former Republican congressman from Louisiana. Thank you to all of you for being here on this huge primary night. Carrie, Dan, you and I are talking about the fact this is really the biggest night, the biggest remaining primary night until November set the stage.
- [43:04]
I
Well, the race really to watch here is the Michigan Senate race. It's one that we have been looking at from the beginning of the cycle as one that would be an enormous test of the progressive left in Abdul El Sayed, who appears to really have the momentum here. He is certainly acting today like a candidate who thinks he's going to win this primary and win it handily. And this has been just a titanic clash of the establishment versus a candidate he does not identify as a Democratic socialist formally, but he's basically sounding like one. He's endorsed by Bernie Sanders. I think what his success has been about, though, has not just been about policy, but I think that he and some of these other progressives who are on the ballot tonight have been able to express the righteous anger, the white hot rage that voters of all stripes have at Washington specifically and that Democratic primary voters have at a Democratic establishment that they don't think is serving them.
- [43:55]
B
Yeah, Ashley, pick up on that point. What will you take from the results? If Abdul Al Said does in fact win, is it an indictment of the Democratic establishment? What message does it send heading to November?
- [44:09]
J
No, I mean, I think, you know, that the DSA candidates in those like El said, like, you know, represent an existential threat to the Democratic Party. You know, it gets you think they're
- [44:20]
B
a threat to the entire party?
- [44:21]
J
I think so. Because what they're exposing is not only this frustration that exists within the Democratic Party, but it's also exposing the fact that the Democratic Party has yet to make any transitions, any changes in the last 25 years I've been a part of the party. So it no longer is sort of keeping up with where the base actually is, which is why we're eroding support, support among, you know, black and brown voters all across the board, young voters as well. So I think they're going to be sending a signal tonight to the Democratic Party and how the party responds is going to be telling about the future. Now I will say what's going to be also interesting what I'm watching for is, you know, how this is going to affect Democrats ability to govern in November. That's what's really going to be the key. They've got two converging factors. One, they're bleeding their incumbents. And also you're going to have a new wave of DSA candidates that are going to be in the caucus causing sort of a thorn in the side for people like Mr. Jeffries who are going to have to figure out how to manage such a dynamic caucus. So that's what I'm going to be watching tonight is what signals is this sent to the Democratic Party and then how do they respond in November?
- [45:24]
B
Congressman, let's talk about the view from the Republican Party. Mike Rogers told supporters that if Al Said wins, he said it looks pretty good for us in November. I've been talking to some folks in Michigan who say that type of comment could actually backfire on a day like today. And the other potential possibility is Are Republicans downplaying the energy around these progressive candidates? Do you think that Al Said could beat Rogers, Mike Rogers, in a general?
- [45:53]
H
I don't. And I think, you know, first of all, I want to say that shockingly, I think we're in agreement and that this is an existential threat to the Democratic Party, where we defer, probably have some departure and that I'm fine with that. Look, truly, I think it's interesting the way that this candidate that Elsa add, if you were in a true open primary situation, there's no way he would have a chance. And so it is interesting the way that you look at this and this party politics has resulted in a distorted election outcome or potentially a distorted election outcome. The second thing that I take away here is that this one's going to be a fascinating competition. It's a litmus test because you have Senator Schumer and Democrat leadership that supporting Haley Stevens, you have AOC and Sanders supporting El Sayad. And so it's gonna be very interesting to see how this plays out and who truly is in charge. Last point is that look, that, that concern, or I think it was described as rage in Washington. It's real. People are frustrated with politics, both parties with both parties and frustrated with politics. And I think that just circling back, I really think that we have distorted election outcomes in a way that's just not healthy by allowing these more fringe candidates to end up winning in the primary.
- [47:04]
J
I think Republicans are underestimating the sentiment on the ground in a place like Michigan. Trump is actually underwater by 8 percentage points in Michigan, higher in any other purple state and any other red state that we've seen. The other thing is you've got his tariff policies that have really not materialized. A manufacturing boom. It's increased the cost of living. And then you've got this war in Iran that's that shot up gas prices in a state like Michigan to $4. So I think the environment is right. And let's not forget Trump only won the state by 1%. So it's possible that we could actually win that state.
- [47:37]
B
Haverson, what about that? And how big of a drag do you think President Trump could be on Republicans in a general election given some of the high gas prices and the other factors that.
- [47:46]
C
Sure.
- [47:46]
H
Well, kumbaya moments over. Look, I think that first, let's keep in mind President Trump's not on the back ballot. Mike Rogers is. And you can look at the polls that were noted earlier. Haley Stevens apparently is a more competitive candidate in Michigan on a general election ballot. And so I think that seeing Mike Rogers, looking at what the polls show with Mike Rogers going head to head with Elsad, it looks like he could prevail in that case, which means that voters would elect a Republican.
- [48:13]
B
Carrie, let's talk about some other polling which broadly looks at views on socialism and it's really fascinating. 52% of Democrats have a favorable view of socialism, 43% unfavorable. But Carrie, look at what happens when you ask independents. 17% favorable, 77 unfavorable. What does that mean about progressives? Democratic socialist chances of getting elected in purple states in a general And I
- [48:41]
I
think it's so important that you said purple states because there are In a probably 8 out of 10 cases, these DSA or progressive candidates who have been elected over an incumbent or over an established back candidate are in very, very
- [48:53]
C
blue parts of the country.
- [48:55]
I
Right. When Zoran Mamda Ami was elected, Republicans were thrilled because they thought this is we'll be able to tie every candidate in America to him. I think you have a very hard time timing Roy Cooper in North Carolina to these DSA candidates. But in these purple states, both Michigan Senate and there's a Wisconsin governor's race where there is a DSA backed candidate who, who looks like she may be prevailing. Those are where I'm really looking in terms of statewide purple states and how these progressives are viewed by a general electorate. Independents, by the way, they don't like the Democratic Socialist label. They also don't like the President, they also don't like Republicans and they don't like regular Democrats.
- [49:31]
B
This is a good point. They're generally dissatisfied in this moment. Actually, you know, one of the big issues, and I started talking about this with Congresswoman Dingell is over Israel. And we've seen some of these candidates who've been backed by aipac, for example, with the capacity to significantly outspend their challengers. But it's one of the issues that's just divided Democrats. And Congresswoman Dingell says no, there's a path forward and there's a way to come together on this issue.
- [49:59]
J
Does she lay that out?
- [50:01]
B
I don't know what I'm asking for. I don't know how we, how do
- [50:04]
J
you, how we move forward on that. I mean, I may forget the exact numbers, But I think 100 Democrats in the House voted to not send funding to Israel. So I mean this split is incredibly real and I think it's, it's only deepening over time and again, it's even splitting leadership in the House where you had Hakeem Jeffries vote against his number two and number three on this very issue. So this is a real concern that I think Democrats again continue to ignore.
- [50:31]
B
Congressman, could you see Republicans and do you feel like Republicans are where voters are on this issue?
- [50:37]
H
I think that first you look back 15 years ago when you had Republicans and Democrats tripping over each other other to be supportive of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. It is incredible seeing this evolution. I think it is consistent with what you're seeing in this demand for socialism in some of these DSA candidates. For people who are interested in that form of government, I can give a whole list of countries where they're welcome to go and enjoy socialism. 250 years of a great democracy in the United States and I think we need 250 more.
- [51:04]
B
All right. Well, guys, thank you so much for setting the stage for election night. Carrie, appreciate your being here. Actually, Congressman, you will be with us all night, which we're really excited about. We'll see you about back here in just a couple of hours.
- [51:17]
H
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K
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- [52:41]
H
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- [52:47]
B
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