Meet the Press NOW — August 5

Summary

MEET THE PRESS NOW — August 5, 2026
Summary & Key Discussion Points

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Episode Overview

This episode of Meet the Press NOW, hosted by Kristen Welker, focuses on the fallout from Michigan’s pivotal primary elections, the surge of the progressive movement in the Democratic Party, reaction from both parties to these results, and the implications for the general elections in November 2026. The episode also features interviews with winners like Abdul El-Sayed and William Lawrence, deep dives into voting trends, party unity efforts, and a discussion of developments in national and international politics.

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Key Segments & Insights

1. Progressive Wins Reshape the Michigan Democratic Landscape

[00:35-04:40] — Overview of Primary Results

• The progressive movement is gaining momentum inside the Democratic Party. The highest-profile victory: Abdul El-Sayed’s narrow win over establishment-backed Congresswoman Haley Stevens in the Michigan Senate primary.
• Other progressive wins: William Lawrence in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District and Donovan McKinney in the 13th District; Cindy Holscher in Kansas’ Democratic governor primary.
• Of four Bernie Sanders-endorsed candidates, three won. The exception: Cori Bush, who lost her rematch to Wesley Bell in Missouri.
• Unifying party factions and winning battleground voters is the new challenge for progressives.

Notable Quotes:

• "We took on a machine you're not supposed to be able to beat." — Abdul El-Sayed [01:35]
• "The power of our many is greater than the power of their money." — Abdul El-Sayed [01:53]
• "There is so much more that unites us now... The things that unite us are so much bigger than the things that divide us." — Abdul El-Sayed [02:47]

GOP Reaction:

• GOP leaders quickly labeled Al-Sayed and other progressive winners as "radical" and "socialist."
  • "The Communists are the new base." — William Lawrence, mockingly echoing GOP rhetoric [04:06]
  • "They should have a new party, the Communists of America." — Kristen Welker (sarcastically quoting GOP) [04:08]

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2. The Battle for Michigan: Data Breakdown

[05:38-11:23] — Analysis with Steve Kornacki

• Voter Dynamics:
  • Stevens excelled with Black voters (Detroit, Flint, Saginaw) and higher-income suburbs.
  • El-Sayed dominated counties with the youngest median ages (university towns: Lansing, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Marquette).
  • A wave of new, younger voters, including students and young professionals, drove El-Sayed’s surge.
• In Congressional races, a similar pattern emerged: youth-driven margins for progressives in college towns.

Notable Analysis:

• "Young voters, I mean in their 20s and their 30s... That's where he really ran up the score last night." — Steve Kornacki [06:15]
• Discussion of Lawrence's win: split opposition allowed a progressive to win in a Trump-leaning district [09:11].

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3. Party Unity & General Election Strategy

[11:55-18:34] — Reports from the Ground and Expert Panel

• Party leaders (Stevens, Whitmer, Peters) urge unity behind El-Sayed.
• El-Sayed faces coordinated GOP attacks framing him as "un-American," linking him to controversial leftist statements by surrogate Hasan Piker. El-Sayed has distanced himself from Piker’s rhetoric but leverages his influence among young progressives.
• Upcoming Democratic unity rally aims to reconcile party divides and broaden the coalition.

Notable Quotes:

• "The focus will be bringing this party together... they know they have a very tough fight ahead with Mike Rogers." — Shaquille Brewster [12:00]
• "While they don't agree with everything you hear from Hasan Piker, they do know that he has influence... they actually credit the fact that El Sayed has appeared with him for helping get that energy and the young base." — Shaquille Brewster [14:17]

Prize Demographics:

• El-Sayed won the youth and liberal base, but needs to improve turnout and favorability with Black voters (key for statewide viability).
• Despite higher turnout, a close margin and “split” moderate vote suggest work is needed to consolidate support.

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4. The Money Game & Electoral Math

[18:34-22:04] — Panel: Bridget Bowman & Jessica Taylor

• Michigan’s Senate seat remains a toss-up. Defending Michigan is critical for Democrats’ Senate majority hopes.
• Fundraising: El-Sayed built a strong small-donor base but starts nearly from zero for the general election after an expensive primary. Both major-party PACs are investing heavily for the fall.

Notable Quotes:

• "There is not a path that I see for Democrats to get the Senate majority unless they defend Michigan." — Jessica Taylor [18:49]
• "If you add together the Stevens vote and the McMorrow vote, that was actually more than the El-Sayed vote. So he's really recognized he does have to win over some of these folks." — Bridget Bowman [17:55]

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5. One-on-One: William Lawrence Interview

[24:33-32:15]

Key Topics:

• Lawrence positioned his win as movement-based, not just driven by a split field.
• Addressed GOP claims of socialism: “We’re focused on issues... that are appealing to people across the spectrum,” citing opposition to AI data centers, cost of living, and endless wars.
• Openly accepts party and DNC support, reiterating he won’t take corporate PAC money.
• On potential accusations of hypocrisy: "There's no purity in politics... There are Democrats around the country who are contributing... for the sake of putting a check on this President's out of control agenda and lowering costs." [29:38]
• On unifying with party establishment figures after criticizing them: Lawrence emphasizes common ground and hard work, welcomes Senator Slotkin’s endorsement.
• Pledges support for Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker if Democrats retake the House.

Notable Quotes:

• "No, we're focused on issues here in the district that are appealing to people across the political spectrum." — William Lawrence [26:56]
• "We're all on the same page to defeat Tom Barrett... I've said all along and I stand by my pledge not to take a single dime of corporate PAC money." — William Lawrence [28:52]
• "There's no purity in politics and we know that there's so much big money in politics." — William Lawrence [29:38]

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6. National & International Developments

[33:10-42:40]

• Strait of Hormuz Deal: President Trump signals a deal could reopen this strategic shipping lane soon, restoring optimism in global oil markets, but Iranian sources deny immediate progress. Reporting emphasizes the complex and contradictory nature of U.S.-Iran diplomacy.
• DOJ Drama: Tension between Trump and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro over dropping charges in high-profile vandalism case. Trump is publicly undecided about her future in the post.

Notable Quotes:

• "I haven't made a determination." — President Trump on Pirro’s job status [36:06]

• Max Miller (OH) Scandal: Congressman denies abuse allegations from ex-wife (Senator Moreno’s daughter) and others; the House Ethics Committee will review. Family drama spills into heated campaign rhetoric.

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7. Closing Panel: The Road Ahead in Michigan

[43:39-51:57] — Jasmine Wright, Steve Rochetti, Sarah Chamberlain

• Both parties are quickly unifying and gearing up for a bruising Senate race.
• Demographics and turnout patterns (youth vs. Black voters) will be decisive.
• GOP plans to run a centrist campaign with Mike Rogers, hoping to capitalize on claims that Democrats have shifted too far left.
• Democrats and progressives must balance activism with coalition-building to reach moderates and non-voting populations.
• Both parties acknowledge the national consequences of the Michigan Senate race.

Notable Quotes:

• "Sometimes, you know, intra family squabbles are the biggest ones. But we all know that when we walk out the house, we stand united." — Abdul El-Sayed [46:33]
• "Candidates matter and we have the best candidates in Michigan. Mike Rogers is certainly not a MAGA." — Sarah Chamberlain [45:50]
• "Trump's underwater on the economy. He's underwater with respect to the Iran war... in each one of these battleground states." — Steve Rochetti [49:37]

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Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• "We took on a machine you're not supposed to be able to beat." — Abdul El-Sayed [01:35]
• "The Communists are the new base." — William Lawrence, echoing GOP rhetoric [04:06]
• "We’re all on the same page to defeat Tom Barrett... I stand by my pledge not to take a single dime of corporate PAC money." — William Lawrence [28:52]
• "There's no purity in politics and we know that there's so much big money in politics." — William Lawrence [29:38]
• "If anything, when you've got 500,000 more voters who came out... that means their voices have been heard." — Abdul El-Sayed [46:33]
• "This is going to be a fight. And this, I believe the United States Senate comes down to the Michigan race." — Sarah Chamberlain [45:50]

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Key Timestamps

• Primary Recap & Progressive Wins: [00:35–04:40]
• Michigan Data Deep Dive (Kornacki): [05:38–11:23]
• Party Unity/General Election Strategy: [11:55–18:34]
• Panel: Money & Electoral Math: [18:34–22:04]
• William Lawrence Interview: [24:33–32:15]
• National/International Update: [33:10–42:40]
• Panel: Path Forward, Michigan Analysis: [43:39–51:57]

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Episode Takeaways

• Progressives made significant inroads in Michigan primaries, but face challenges uniting the party and appealing to swing constituencies, particularly Black voters.
• The Michigan Senate race is a national bellwether; both parties are mobilizing resources and messaging for a high-stakes, polarizing battle.
• The youth vote proved decisive for progressive victories, but energizing and broadening the coalition will be crucial for November.
• Ongoing national dramas—foreign policy uncertainty, DOJ turmoil, candidate scandals—intertwine with the domestic battleground narrative, raising the overall stakes for both parties.
• The episode’s tone blended data-driven analysis, pointed political banter, and a focus on coalition-building, reflecting the urgency and polarization of the 2026 midterms.

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Transcript

[Kristen Welker]

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[Kelly O'Donnell]

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[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

but not in an awkward picture day kind of way. Celebrate new beginnings with original pieces. Welcome to Meet the Press now. I'm Kristen Welker in Washington where it is now full steam ahead for both parties to the midterms after a dramatic night of results in the year's biggest remaining primary night. The results making it clear the insurgent progressive movement on the left is gaining strength inside the Democratic Party in the highest profile race of the night, the Democratic Senate primary, and must win. Michigan progressive Abdul Al said narrowly defeated establishment backed Congresswoman Haley Stevens. Speaking in Detroit today, Al said, saying his victory represents the power of the movement.

[Abdul El-Sayed]

We took on a machine you're not supposed to be able to beat. $70 million of outside spending, a record amount of money spent in a campaign against a Democrat in a primary. In any campaign, the power of our many is greater than the power of their money.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Progressives also notching wins in Michigan's 7th Congressional District, a key battleground in November where the two moderate candidates split the vote leading to victory for activist William Lawrence. And in the 13th district where Donovan McKinney knocked off incumbent Congressman Sri than in the Democratic governor's primary in Kansas, Cindy Holscher, the more progressive candidate, won over the establishment backed candidate there. It was not a clean sweep though for progressives. Of the four candidates endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, three one with former congresswoman and squad member Cori Bush losing her rematch against Congressman Wesley Bell. Now the question is whether these progressive candidates can unite their party and win battleground voters in November. Today, Al said both wings of the party have a common goal as bitter

[Abdul El-Sayed]

and as divisive and as cynical as the campaign against us might have been. I want us to realize that there is so much more that unites us now because the campaign that Mike Rogers and Donald Trump and their GOP MAGA allies are launching is already more bitter. The things that unite us are so much Bigger than the things that divide us. We're going to build a movement that reaches out to everybody. I know not everybody's going to agree with me on everything. That's not how this works. But I do know that they agree with me on the need to beat Mike Rogers and the need to hold Donald Trump accountable.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

In her concession statement, Congresswoman Stevens offered her support to Al Said in the general election. And Senators Schumer and Jilla Brand said the party's campaign arm will work with him to defeat the Republican candidate, Mike Rogers. Meanwhile, Republicans are eager to define Al Said before he can define himself, using last night's progressive victories to paint him and his party as radicals.

[Kristen Welker]

I have never seen someone so radical, so extreme get nominated by a political party. And the DSA candidates in the state in two different congressional races look like they're pulling it off as well. The Democrat Party is lost to this hardcore socialist attitude.

[William Lawrence]

The Communists are the new base.

[Kristen Welker]

I think they should, should have a new party, the Communists of America. And it will do well.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

It'll get about 10% of the vote. It is gearing up to be a personal and nasty general election with the Republican Senate campaign arm already up with their first ad against Assayed. Take a look.

[Kristen Welker]

Abdul Rahman Mohammed El Sayed, the most radical Senate candidate in America. Pretty damn dangerous. Abdul El Sayed.

[Yamiche Alcindor]

Too radical.

[Kristen Welker]

Too dangerous. Wrong for Michigan.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, today, El Sayed reacting, and he fired back.

[Abdul El-Sayed]

Mike, listen, man, if you can't say the name, it's Abd Al Rahman. Keep the name out your damn mouth. My name is not raising your gas prices. My name is not taking us to war. My name is not the reason you can't afford your groceries. You know what is? Their BS policies. Mike Rogers is a guy whose politics and vision and perspective are old. Mike Rogers is a guy who has never shied away from a corporation he

[Shaquille Brewster]

could do a favor for.

[Abdul El-Sayed]

Mike Rogers is a guy who, believe it or not, went back to Florida so he could lick every single boot Donald Trump owns to beg for his endorsement. I'm so sorry. If you want a senator who's going to lick some boots, fine, go vote for Mike Rogers. But if you want a senator who's going to stand up to Donald Trump, then you've got your option right here.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

And joining me now to break down last night's results at the big board, of course, is NBC chief data analyst Steve Kornacki. Shaquille Brewster is on the ground for us in Michigan. And with me on set, NBC national politics reporter Bridget Bowman and Jessica Taylor, Senate and governor's editor for the Cook Political. Thrilled to have all of you to start us off. Steve, I have to start with you. This was a narrower victory than the polls portended. How did Abdul Al Said pull this win off?

[Kristen Welker]

Yeah, I mean, a couple of things here. Just take a look at where the vote kind of was strong for each candidate from the Stevens standpoint.

[William Lawrence]

Look.

[Kristen Welker]

Where did she win? She won right here in Macomb County. This is a big population center, you know, big blue collar suburbs just north of Detroit. She won in Oakland county here. These are the sort of the higher income suburbs north of Detroit. And she won in Wayne county. Specifically. She won in Detroit, meaning she did very well with black voters. Detroit's 3/4 black. She won Detroit overwhelmingly. That also is why she did well here. The city of Flint, Genesee county and Saginaw, these are other places with substantial black populations. So the suburbs of Detroit, black voters. She did well there. Where did it go? Right for El Said. Well, one thing that really jumps out at me when I look at this map is if you look at the counties where they have the youngest median age in the state. Okay, what are we talking about? We're talking about Ingham County. That's where Lansing, the state capital, is. It's also where Michigan State University is. And you can see El Sayed, he cleaned up there. There's actually this was a bit of a surprise, I think, to some folks last night. Why was El Sayed doing so well in Grand Rapids, in Kent County? Why was he doing so well next door in Ottawa county, where Holland is? They have very young median ages in those two counties relative to the rest of the state. There's also some college counties on here. This is Isabella County, Central Michigan University. This is where Kalamazoo is. Western Michigan University up here in the up. This is where Northern Michigan University is in, in Marquette. So those sort of college areas, places where there are younger voters. When I say young voters, I mean in their 20s and in their 30s. I think that's where he really ran up the score last night. That's what jumps out at me looking at this map.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, and Steve, how big a role did turnout play in his victory? There were some new voters who turned out last night, right?

[Kristen Welker]

I mean, I think so. When you're, when you're looking at the pattern I'm showing you here, that's where I think you're. You're looking for new voters, folks who are young in college areas, you know, young professionals, newcomers as well. That's one of the things that's happening here in western Michigan, particularly around Grand Rapids, a lot of new arrivals in the last couple years. So, yeah, I, I think the sort of the makeup of the Democratic electorate here in Michigan maybe over the last few years, over the last decade or so has evolved a bit. But, yeah, sort of the traditional where you'd kind of look traditionally, a lot of the places for strength in a Democratic primary. That's where Stevens was doing. Well, as I say outside, was doing it in some different places.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, and of course, there were some other progressive victories in Michigan. Michigan 13, Michigan 7. Talk about what we saw there. Did it mirror the win that Al said had?

[Kristen Welker]

Yeah, that Michigan 7th District, I think really is sort of a, a congressional district version of the same thing we're talking about here with the Senate race. You put this up. William Lawrence, sort of the candidate of the left definitely to, you know, a split establishment here, Brink and Mozdom. None could attain separation from the other. And it allowed Lawrence to win this thing actually by margin pretty easily. But again, take a look at this here. We're going to the seventh District again. It is right around Lansing.

[William Lawrence]

Okay.

[Kristen Welker]

It's right around the state Capitol, Lansing and East Lansing. And again, young voters, Michigan State University, Ingham county has one of the lowest median ages in the state. And take a look at how it went there for Lawrence. That's where he really rolled up the margins. I mean, he benefited from the split opposition outside of here, but half the vote came from Ingham county, one of the youngest in the state. Big state University town, East Lansing there. And that's where he just rolled up his biggest margin. So what that means, you know, with Lawrence winning this primary, I say it's sort of a congressional district version of the Senate race. We're asking the same question. Is Al said too far to the left to win in a state that Donald Trump carried? Is Lawrence too far to the left to win in a district that Donald Trump carried? This was a one point Trump district, just like the state was a one point Trump state. And he will be going up against Tom Barrett, freshman Republican, didn't face opposition here. So similar dynamics.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, we will be watching all the way to November. Before I let you go, Steve, let's talk about Missouri won that race between Cori Bush and Wesley Bell. She was trying to win back her old seat. This was a rematch. She fell short and she did so pretty early on in the evening. Steve, this one was a decisive victory.

[Kristen Welker]

Yeah, this is, I mean, we. How many of these primaries have we had the last few months where we see this setup, the candidate from the left going against the sort of more establishment, moderate, almost incumbent. And cities, we've seen this in cities in particular, right, Washington, D.C. and New York and Denver. Here we are in St. Louis. And no, Cori Bush was not. Didn't just lose, she was crushed. Remember, Bush had held this seat. She lost to Bell in the primary in 2024. That primary was much closer than this. One of the dynamics that you saw zooming in here in that 2024 primary was a big divide between the city of St. Louis, that's where a bunch of the district is, and the inner suburbs of St. Louis County. And there was a divide last night. You can see Bell only won the city of St. Louis narrowly, and he did run up the score in St. Louis County. But two years ago, when we were looking at this primary, St. Louis City was a big, you know, a big win for Bush, almost enough to carry her a couple years ago. So this kind of bucks the trend that we've been seeing in a lot of these other primaries, especially in Michigan.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Yeah, just fascinating patchwork of results last night for progressive Steve Kornacki, as always, thank you so much. Hope you got a few hours of sleep last night, my friend. Let's turn to Shaq Brewster, someone else who was up late, late with us overnight. Shaq, good to see you. So let's talk about this. You were at Al Said headquarters. They had pretty good enthusiasm throughout the night, even when it got pretty tight. You talked about the fact that the campaign already started looking ahead to the general election. What is the strategy at this point, Shaq?

[Shaquille Brewster]

Yeah, I think they do feel good about their positioning, even though the results were more narrow than perhaps they expected going into election night. It was even before election day where you heard El Sayed really starting to ramp up his attacks against Rodgers. And you heard that today in his first press conference after that victory. But step one for this party is coming back together and uniting the deep divides that were revealed in this primary race. I think that's why you heard El Sayed praising Stevens, talking about the positive conversation that you heard from him. Stevens releasing a statement praising El Cyd and saying that she's going to roll up her sleeves to stop Mike Rogers from winning the Senate. And then the key candidates, the key politicians that helped back Stevens, we're talking about Governor Whitmer, retiring Senator Gary Peters. They all released statements backing El Sayed. So right now, the focus will be bringing this party together, kind of going over and getting past, moving past the deep divides that we saw over the course of the primary because they know they have a very tough fight ahead with Mike Rogers waiting now.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Yeah, they sure do. And we played some of that in our Seattle against Al said today, Mike Rogers also attacking him as un American. I'm going to play a little bit of that, Shaq, and get your reaction on the other side.

[Kristen Welker]

Never in my lifetime thought I would be running against a guy who believed that America deserved 9 11. I'm telling you, this is about the heart and soul of our country. The whole country is looking at us here in Michigan. They're looking at you and they're hoping we do everything that we can do together to make sure that we stop this in its tracks. You cannot have an anti American 9 11America's fault candidate win an election. And I don't care where it is, but we're not going to let it happen here in Michigan.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

So Shaq, let's just explain for folks what he's talking about. Rogers suggesting Al said supports these 2019 comments from a streamer and Al Said supporter Hassan Piker that America deserved 9 11. That's something that Piker has said. What's the reality check here? Has also disavowed those comments.

[Shaquille Brewster]

He has distanced himself from those comments for sure, saying that no, he does not put believe America deserved 9 11. He also distanced himself from comments that Piker made regarding Hamas, comments that were sympathetic or felt sympathetic toward that terrorist group. So while he has distanced himself from him, we did see Piker last night at that celebration event at that watch party last night. He also appeared multiple times on the campaign trail with Piker as well. And when you talk to his campaign, the messaging that they have is that while they don't agree with everything that you hear from Hasan Piker, they do know that he has influence, especially among young progressive voters. And they actually credit the fact that El Sayed has appeared with him on that stream, has done those events with him for helping them get that energy and the young base and young support that he's been getting. So that's definitely going to be a criticism that's going to continue. You heard Mike Rogers. I was in the room when he made those attacks. You're going to hear that continuously between now and November, Kristen.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

And there's going to be a big unity rally on Friday. What is the strategy to try to unify the party between now and November, Shaq? It gets a lot harder after they leave that rally.

[Shaquille Brewster]

Absolutely. And I think we're seeing the starts of it right now when you have these party leaders coming together and backing him. But another message that you hear from El Sayed is that while yes, he wants to unify the party, he believes that is very important. He believes his message will bring in some of those new voters. You were kind of having that conversation with Steve a little bit earlier. The campaign does believe they were able to do that a little bit in this primary, but they want to kind of put that on turbo drive as we get to the general election. They believe the messaging of Medicare for all, of abolishing ice, of ending US Military aid to Israel will be popular among general election voters. Voters who sometimes don't even come out to vote or even El Salad has been very, even voters who have voted for President Trump in the past. This will be a very clear test of that theory. When you have Mike Rogers bringing out those contrasts, highlighting those contrasts and El Said leaning into what he did throughout that primary campaign, well, it is going

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

to be a fascinating, even if bruising battle that we're about to witness. Thank you so much, Shaq Brewster. Really appreciate it. Bridget, let me turn to you. Let's talk a little bit more about who made up this win for Abdul Al Said. We're talking about younger voters, educated voters, less working class voters. What can you tell us about who helped him win and what does it suggest about what we might see in the general election?

[Bridget Bowman]

Yeah, so we took a look at some of the counties that Steve was also talking about, counties where El Sayed did really well, that were some of these bigger counties where we could get into the data in counties where Stevens did well. And if you look at where El Sayed did pretty well, it is like you said, it's these younger counties, the county that included Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan. And you get these clear pictures of the two ideological factions within the Democratic Party right now, these younger, very far left, very liberal progressives and these more moderate black voters as well. And the black voter piece is really key when you think about that's where Stevens really kept this race very close, is with the support among black voters. And that could be a warning sign for El Said looking ahead to November. He needs black voters in order to win. He it's going to be a real problem for him if a big chunk of them stay home.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, it's notable because Democratic turnout in Michigan was higher in the Senate race than the gubernatorial race. What do you make of that?

[Bridget Bowman]

Yeah, that's right. That's in part because the Senate race was a lot more competitive than the governor's race. There was a lot more, a ton of money spent on that race compared to the governor's race. But it does really show, as we've seen in election after election so far this year, that there is a of lot, lot of energy on the Democratic side. It's a good sign for El Said going into November for sure. But on the flip side, this race was really close. If you add together the Stevens vote and the McMorrow vote, that was actually more than the El Said vote. So he's really recognized he does have to win over some of these folks. You saw that in his press conference today. He called out Jewish voters in particular. So he's kind of showing some signs that he's trying to mend some fences going into November because he needs as many Democrats to show up as he can.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

He sure does. I mean, Jess, we're talking about just how close this was. Cook has rated this Senate seat as a toss up. Does that stay, does anything change about that? Given what we witnessed last night, we

[Jessica Taylor]

are keeping it a toss up. But Democrats would have felt much better, I think, had Haley Stevens won. Just because I think that she was going to bring out those black voters. We see those younger voters that are lower propensity. Someone like El Sayed has clearly shown that he can bring them out. Will he continue to do that? I think. Does he turn off independent voters that he needs as well in there? So, you know, there's, there was a lot of money that was being spent on Steven's side. But El Sayed showed that he, I think had the momentum. Certainly it was closer than polls. But there is not a path that I see for Democrats to get the Senate majority unless they defend Michigan.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Let me follow up with you on that. Let me put the map back up of the battleground races that we are watching as we head into November. Talk a little bit about the importance of Michigan. Why is it so impossible for Democrats to win back the Senate if they can't hold on to Michigan?

[Jessica Taylor]

Democrats already have to pitch a perfect game to even get four seats because. Because that requires them winning at least two seats that are double digit Trump states. If they lose Michigan, that means they need three double digit Trump states and they would need to flip five seats total if they lose one of their defensive seats. So you know, they want to be playing offense and not defense. But Michigan is still their biggest threat to lose right now.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Bridget, you know one of the big issues in this primary was the Money that was being spent outside talked about the fact that he was outspent by nearly 11 to 1. It is a staggering figure. We interviewed Senator Bernie Sanders last night. He made the same point about this race. But what do you anticipate in the general election? Is he going to have to accept, in fact, some of that money as he heads into the general against Mike Rogers?

[Bridget Bowman]

Yeah, I definitely wouldn't expect AIPAC to be playing general election for him, of course, but he is going to need money. This is going to be a really expensive of race, but it does seem like both parties are gearing up here. The super PACs tied to Republicans and Democrats, the super PACs that play in Senate races have already reserved millions and millions of dollars in ads for the fall. So both parties are really ramping up here. The trouble for El Sayed is he had to spend a lot of money also to win his race. He's probably starting at close to zero going into November. But the good thing for him is he was actually one of the stronger fundraising candidates of the field, in part because of that small dollar donor enthusiasm. The help from Senator Sanders, too, on the fundraising front was definitely big for him. So we'll see if that small dollar machine really turns on, especially now that he's the nominee. But expect a lot of money to flow into Michigan.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, Jessica, what are you watching for in terms of how the Democratic Party might allocate its resources to these various states? I mean, I've heard Democrats say, look, Georgia is basically one that they are starting to think about writing off, off the map. North Carolina looks very tough for them.

[Jessica Taylor]

North Carolina, the Republican super PAC is in there right now. To me, that's kind of a test. Can they make this a closer race? But I wouldn't be surprised to see some of that money. They still haven't reserved money in Texas. And that's a race that Republicans are feeling increasingly nervous about. They're feeling nervous about Iowa. Both of those states we have in the lean Republican column right now. And that's even without thinking about Ohio. That's going to be incredibly expensive. So, and Republicans right now because of the Supreme Court ruling, they have more money to coordinate with campaigns. We see Democrats still raising more money at the candidate level level. But the playing field is going to be a lot more even across the Senate battleground than we've seen in some time.

[Kristen Welker]

All right.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, Jessica, Bridget, what a fascinating night. Thank you both for being here to help us break down all of the results. We really appreciate it. Coming up, we'll dive deeper into the results from last night and the electability questions facing progressive candidates. My one on one with progressive activist William Lawrence, one of the big winners of last night. That that's coming up next. Plus, our panel of political pros breaks down the challenges facing both parties as Republicans battle a bleak political environment and Democrats battle bitter ideological divisions. Stay with us. You're watching MEET THE press. Now.

[Kristen Welker]

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[Bridget Bowman]

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[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Welcome back. We want to turn now to a key battleground race. We showc you on the program yesterday as Democrats look to flip the House in November, progressive activist William Lawrence beat out his two more moderate opponents in Michigan's 7th congressional district. Lawrence was backed by Bernie Sanders and Abdul Al said. He now faces incumbent Republican Tom Barrett in November as Democrats try to win back the Michigan House seat that once belonged to Senator Alyssa Slotkin. It's gearing up to be one of the country's most important House races of the midterms. And joining me now is the Winner of Michigan Michigan's 7th congressional district Democratic primary, William Lawrence. Congratulations and thank you so much for coming back to the program. We really appreciate it.

[William Lawrence]

Thank you very much. I'm so glad to be back.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, we're glad to have you back to talk about this win. Let's talk about the results. If you look at the breakdown, the majority of the vote seemed to be divided between your two more moderate opponents. How did you read these results? Do you see it as a big win for the progressive movement or do you see this as a tactical win, given that the vote was Split.

[William Lawrence]

I see it as a validation of the movement we've been building for the last year here in mid Michigan. And what I see is actually very broad and strong support from throughout the district. Of course we did very well in Lansing, but we also won in Livingston county and in Eaton county and in Clinton county, all places where people had doubts about how I and our movement would be able to perform. So I'm proud to say that we've built a grassroots campaign that is spanning every single corner of this district and we're fired up to go beat Tom Barrett on November 3rd.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Let me ask you about the Senate race. Of course that has gotten a lot of attention as well. Abdul Al said did win. He endorsed you. He won by a smaller margin though than the polls would suggest he would have. Does that concern you about his chances going into the general election?

[William Lawrence]

I'm not concerned about his chances. I know that he as well as Representative Stevens are both ready to undertake the work of uniting the party after what has been a very hard fought primary. And I've been thrilled to see the statements from both of those campaigns as well as other Democratic leaders across the state today with a laser focus on beating Mike Rogers so we can defend this Senate district in November.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, let's go back to your race. This is what the National Republican Congressional Committee said about your race. The Democrats path to the House majority is evaporating in real time. Every embarrassing defeat leaves them with a radical socialist nominee, an emptier bank account and another must win seat off the board. How do you plan to counter those attacks? That progressive candidates are socialists?

[William Lawrence]

No, we're focused on issues here in the district that are appealing to people across the political spectrum. You know, saying no to AI data centers is an issue which is dramatically popular with Republicans and independent voters. Stopping these stupid wars. I mean, I talk to people every day who are Republican voters and they say, I believe Trump when he said he wasn't going to start any more wars. And look at where we are now. An utter catastrophe in Iran that is causing gas and groceries to go through the roof. And Tom Barrett just voted to fund it. And meanwhile the rest of life continues to get more expensive, like the cost of health care which Tom Barrett has voted to increase through his vote on the big ugly bill. And so you see this from the national Republicans because they know Barrett is a deeply flawed and weak nominee who has not done the job of representing and they're trying to spin it however they can to cover up his weakness. But those of us on the ground here in mid Michigan are very clear about that.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, let me get you to respond now to the dnc. The DNC releasing a statement last night congratulating you on your win, calling you a quote, proven organizer and saying the DNC is all in to help you. Do you welcome the DNC's support?

[William Lawrence]

Absolutely, I welcome their support and the support of everybody around the country who understands that we need to put a check on this out of control president, stop these stupid wars and stop these AI data centers. And the path to do all of that is by flipping Michigan's 7th district because we know that Barrett is dramatically unpopular, he hasn't done the job and he's going to go in November.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, you during your campaign called the Democratic Party establishment, quote, corporate funded and empiric. Will you now accept financing from the Democratic National Committee and other establishment groups?

[William Lawrence]

Certainly. We're all on the same page to defeat Tom Barrett and flip this district in November. And I look forward to welcoming the support of allies from across the Democratic ecosystem to get that done. I've said all along and I stand by my pledge not to take a single dime of corporate PAC money, but we're looking forward to raising the resources in every other way that is necessary to flip this district.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Do you worry that if you in fact accept financing from the dnc, for example, that that would open you up to allegations of hypocrisy? Given how outspoken you have been against corporate funding, is that not yet another extension of it?

[William Lawrence]

You know, I got this question a few times in the district and what I've said to folks is that, you know, there's no purity in politics and we know that there's so much big money in politics. And if I didn't want to have anything to do with raising money by the millions of dollars, I would have never gotten into this race. But the good news is that there are Democrats around the country who are contributing to organizations like the DNC and others for the sake of putting a check on this President's out of control agenda and lowering costs for people here in mid Michigan. And I look forward to doing that work.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, Senator Alyssa Slotkin, who once held the seat you are running for, congratulated you on your victory. She's thrown her support behind you. You had called her a warmonger at one point. What do you say to some of her supporters who might have hesitation about throwing their support behind you given the past tension?

[William Lawrence]

Well, I'm thankful to Senator Slotkin for her support and for her tireless work to represent Michigan and previously this district in Congress and along the campaign trail since last August, I've met a lot of people who said, you know, I just loved Alyssa Slotkin. I still love her. And I love you for the same reason, because you work hard, you show up in the entire district, including the big cities and the small towns, and you tell it like it is. You're not here to play partisan Games in Washington, D.C. you're here to do the work, to represent the people of mid Michigan. So I think we've got a lot of common ground in our approach to politics, and I look forward to working with her to take this district back.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, just quickly, before I let you go, you have said you would support Leader Jeffries as speaker if you win, if Democrats win back the House in November. I know that's a lot of ifs. Some other progressive House candidates, though, have said they would not support him. Why do you think he would be the best leader for Democrats?

[William Lawrence]

Well, I just believe that he's the one who can unite the entire party to elect a Democratic speaker and to have a historic tenure rolling back the negative impacts of the Trump and Barrett agenda and delivering real economic security for the American people. So I look forward to voting for him to be the next speaker of the House.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

All right, William Lawrence, thank you so very much. We will be watching your race very closely. We appreciate it. We're also going to talk to your opponent, Republican Congressman Tom Barrett, tomorrow. Thanks for being here.

[William Lawrence]

Thank you again. It's a pleasure.

[Bridget Bowman]

All right.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, coming up next, presidential problems at home and abroad. We'll have the latest developments around talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the Oval Office showdown between President Trump, Trump and his longtime ally, U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro. Stay with us. You're watching MEET THE press.

[Jessica Taylor]

Now,

[Bridget Bowman]

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[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Welcome. Now, turning now to developments overseas. Late last night, President Trump signaled a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, that vital shipping lane that Iran is seeking to control. Could happen as soon as today on

[Kristen Welker]

the Strait of Hormuz reporting that you might open as soon as tomorrow.

[William Lawrence]

Could happen tomorrow. A lot of progress has been made.

[Kristen Welker]

And they called me and they said, please, let's talk. They want to talk now.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Remember, reopening the strait was part of the President's 14 point memorandum of understanding with Iran. But weeks after the two sides side signed that agreement, the US And Iran resumed strikes over the waterway Today, oil prices once again tumbling on that new optimism that shipping through the strait could pick back up. Joining me now is NBC News White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor. Yamiche, great to see you. This is my first time talking to you since you were on leave. So welcome back. It's great to have you back. So let's talk about this potential deal, Yamiche, what do we know about it? Could it in fact come as soon as today?

[Yamiche Alcindor]

Well, right now we don't know that much about this deal. What we do know is that the president has said a lot of progress has been made as you played out there for our viewers. He also has said essentially that he believes an announcement could be coming as soon as today. We also know that Iran and Oman have been saying that they are in talks, that they are close. Here's the issue, though. Iran is saying even if there was a deal reached between them and Oman, it doesn't mean that the strait is going to open right back up because they're still also angry about the US Blockade. So I think it's going to be very clear and very interesting to continue to watch even if a deal is announced, what the actual actions are that happen. Because Iran has been saying over and over again that it's not negotiating with the United States, whereas you heard the president say that Iran is essentially begging for talks and is talking to the United States. So there's a lot of unclearness here as these deals and as these deals and negotiations continue to be discussed, yet

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

administration officials have talked about just how challenging it is to negotiate with the Iranians. I want to shift gears here, Yamiche. I want to talk about this drama with Jeanine Pirro. What is the status of her job after she dropped those charges in the Reflecting Pool vandalism case? It infuriated the president. Yamiche.

[Yamiche Alcindor]

Well, I can tell you that there's still a big question of whether or not Jeanine Pirro is going to remain the top, top federal prosecutor here in Washington, D.C. the President is non committal about keeping her in that job. I want to play for you what he told reporters just yesterday. Take a Listen.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Well, I just think she was totally wrong.

[William Lawrence]

In my opinion, it was major vandalism. And I told her I was not happy.

[Kristen Welker]

Is she safe? Are you going to keep her in the.

[William Lawrence]

I haven't made a determination.

[Yamiche Alcindor]

And as you remember, Kristen, the president has been really speaking harshly about Jeanine Pirro, saying she choked, she folded like an umbrella there. He's saying that he's not sure he's going to keep her in the job. We should also remind folks that Jeanine Pirro, when she came to that meeting that got heated, we were told by some sources that they had it out that she brought evidence with her, a stack of paper and a rolling briefcase that we saw her here at the White House with. I think a key part of whether or not she keeps this job is going to be the future. They're not just the case dealing with the former Olympian, but there are others who were charged with vandalizing the Reflecting Pool. So I wonder the way that she handles those cases, whether that's going to impact. We should remind folks that President Trump and Jeanine Pira have known each other for decades. So she keeps this job. It could be because they're just simply friends. And while he's angry at her, he does ultimately think that maybe she's doing a good job because at least she's keeping her job for now.

[Shaquille Brewster]

Kristen.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

All right. Well, I know you're going to continue to track every twist and turn you miss. So great to have you back. Really appreciate it. Coming up after the break, going nowhere. Ohio Republican Congressman Max Miller does not drop out of his race by today's 4pm deadline as he battles allegations of domestic abuse. We'll have his very latest fiery comments and much more on MEET THE PRESS now. Welcome back. Embattled Republican Congressman Max Miller is vowing to stay in his reelection race despite domestic abuse allegations made against him by his ex wife. The Ohio congressman refused to drop out by 4pm Eastern today, which was the deadline to remove his name from the November ballot. Miller denying the accusations brought by his ex wife, the daughter of Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno, who is now saying that Miller should not serve in Congress. Miller calling his former father in law's remarks politically motivated while claiming without any evidence that Moreno is trying to distract from skeletons in his own closet.

[Kristen Welker]

Everything that's happening right now is sadly political because no father of a daughter who would come to them with these ridiculous allegations would wait on their hands

[Shaquille Brewster]

for two years and do nothing.

[Kristen Welker]

Only because he felt the political pressure, because some of the nasty rumors that were circulating about him that he doesn't

[Jasmine Wright]

want to get out.

[Kristen Welker]

But this was nothing more than a political move because he knows I've never hurt his daughter. I've never hurt our granddaughter.

[Shaquille Brewster]

And if that was true, three different

[Kristen Welker]

investigations would have removed my daughter from me throughout all of this.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

The House Ethics Committee, meanwhile, will review the allegations against Miller, who called for that investigation himself. NBC News chief Justice and national affairs correspondent Kelly o' Donnell joins me now. Kelly, thanks so much for being here. This is a developing story, so let's break down the very latest. Congressman Miller now going after Senator Bernie Moreno again, his ex father in law. Just to remind the viewers, what is he saying?

[Kelly O'Donnell]

They were once close, they were family and now anything but. So part of what Miller is saying is he's making these accusations that it is Moreno who is trying to hide his own skeletons. He also made an accusation that he had offered his own daughter. So this is the senator offering his daughter $5 million to leave the family. Today, Moreno is saying that that is untrue and scoffing at that. He is also expressing continued concern, saying that he believes that Miller needs to get help, needs to step back from this and to work on his family. So Moreno, who had not talked about this publicly for a couple of years, said he did, did so at the request of his daughter, who has not spoken publicly. She's only put out a statement through a spokesperson. They have been involved in the court process. So there is communication that happens between the parties here. And there is a two year old child at the center of this. So there is a family in crisis and then there's a political situation and they have converged a lot, but it's important at times to separate them. Senator Moreno did speak again today and here's part of what he had to say.

[Kristen Welker]

And so to watch this media tour that he feels he needs to do for my daughter, it's gut wrenching. Nobody likes somebody to call them the. You have mental problems, which by the way is categorically false. My daughter's never been institutionalized. She's never been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

[William Lawrence]

The fact that I have to have

[Kristen Welker]

to say those things that I, I offered her $5 million to leave my family. That is literally insane that I disobeyed this okay. With my fingers. Never happened. So you look at things like that and go, why do you care so much about this job? I would give up everything in my life for that little girl. And I just wish that he felt the exact same way.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

So you get the personal nature of the accusations, we're not able to independently go through any of this. We have been able to look at police reports to see some of allegations that Emily Moreno made against her then husband. And through the time they've been divorced with the handoffs, when the child is being moved from one parent to another, there's some record on that. But these things, we are relying on these public officials to talk about it and it has obviously devolved a bit

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

these allegations by Miller's ex wife, the daughter of Senator Bernie Moreno, they're not the only allegations he's facing, Kelly.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Well, he has a history that he again refutes. He denies that he, he has ever been an abuser in a relationship. But there are a couple of instances, one of them with another public person, Stephanie Grisham, who served as press secretary in the first administration. Trump administration. Trump won as we sometimes call it. So did Max Miller. He was a staffer. That's how you and I both first met him. And they had a relationship. She has written about it publicly at first. She did not name him, later did saying that he turned abusive. They have a settlement because he filed defamation. And so now neither of them is talking about it. But that exists as a part of the record. And there's also reporting about an incident when he was in high school. He says none of those things is true and he is correct that there's been no prosecution of him on these matters involving his ex wife and that there has been some police interaction and so forth. And he continues to have custody of his daughter shared with him. She is seeking to get full custody of the child.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

All right, Kelly o', Donnell, thank you so much for bringing us the very latest on this case. We really appreciate it. Coming up next, we will break down the bitter fight ahead for Michigan Senate with both parties signaling scorched earth campaigns in a must win race for Democrats. Stay with us. You're watching MEET THE PRESS now. Welcome back. Joining me now is the panel, Jasmine Wright, White House correspondent for notice, Steve Rochetti, former advisor to President Biden and a MEET the PRESS contributor and Sarah Chamberlain, president and CEO of the Republican Main Street Partnership. Thanks to all of you for being here. Steve, we're thrilled to have you as a contributor. So Jasmine, let me start with you. Obviously, a huge night in Michigan. We saw these big wins by progressives. They didn't sweep the board last night. But what were your takeaways?

[Jasmine Wright]

Well, I think that the convention is Dr. Abdul said has a lot of work to do when you look at the map because of how narrow his win was. But my real takeaway is what's been happening today, which is that you're seeing seeing Democrats coalesce at large behind El said, even Democrats like Chuck Schumer who supported or who theoretically supported Haley Stevens. I mean, that is something that I think when I've talked to Democrats today that they haven't seen necessarily happen so quickly in other really competitive states, particularly ones that got as nasty as this one. And so you're seeing Democrats really try to put all their power and all their might behind them and what is expected to be a pretty tough campaign come November.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Steve, how do you see the general election playing out? When I talked to Democrats, we interviewed Senator Sanders last night, he said the focus now is on unifying the party. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell said the same thing. How challenging is that going to be, though? And what is the path to victory?

[Steve Rochetti]

I don't think that. I mean, the path to victory is the national political environment, which is revolves around the frustration and really the disappointment of the Trump presidency for people alone over the country. And that is a massive unifying element for Democratic candidates from the center, from the left, from, you know, red, green, purple, any variety of Democrat. It is a unifying aspect of this. There is so much disappointment in the Trump presidency. There's so much frustration that it's easy to reconcile even when there are differences within the party, which there certainly were in this race. But exactly as you described it, Jasmine there, Governor Whitmer, Lissa Slotkin, Senator Slotkin, it's going to happen across the board in Michigan.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Let me get your response to that, Sarah. This idea that yes, the landscape might be challenging, this is a purple state, but that President Trump and as Steve is pointing out, if you look at the polls, facing some of his lowest approval ratings to date is seen as a liability.

[Sarah Chamberlain]

So he is seen in some states as liability. But I would actually argue candidates matter and we have the best candidates in Michigan. Mike Rogers is certainly not a mega he's actually a Main Street Republican, great middle of the road gentleman. And I think we got the best candidate possible last night for him to have victory. I mean, he only lost she was a great candidate, the sitting senator, he only lost by a small margin to her. So in this one, this is why the Democrats had to unite very quickly last night or in this morning around him, because this is going to be a fight. And this, I believe the United States Senate comes down to the Michigan race.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Let's play a little bit of what else I had had to say Today he held a press conference. We'll do analysis on the other side.

[Abdul El-Sayed]

Sometimes, you know, intra family quabbles squabble are the biggest ones. But we all know that when we walk out the house, we stand united and sometimes we got to have it out about the conversation about who we are and who we want to be. And I think I'll tell you that the things that unite us are so much bigger than the things that divide us. If anything, when you've got 500,000 more voters who came out to be a part of a process to pick a nominee, that means, means that their voices have been heard. And we're going to build a movement that reaches out to everybody.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Jasmine, what are your sources telling you about this movement that reaches out to everybody? When I've talked to folks with the outside campaign, they say part of the goal is to get new voters actually to come out.

[Jasmine Wright]

And I think that that's going to have to be a part of their goal. But they can't ignore the folks who didn't come out for him in droves and instead went out to Haley Stevens. Obviously I'm thinking of black, black voters in Michigan, a huge part of that electorate. They overwhelmingly supported Stevens up and down across that state. That is going to be a constituency that they're going to have to focus on. Low, low paid white voters. That is going to be a haptic. That is going to have to be a constituency that they focus on. Those again, came out in droves for Haley Stevens. So there is some concern, I think, from the larger Democratic establishments and folks I talked to today about how they are going to be reaching out to those people. Yes, they can find new voters across the map, but how are they going to focus on what is believed to be Democrats, bread and butter. And so I think that you're going to see some of these leaders that traditionally have support with those communities come in and try to help Dr. Abdul Syed in this show of unity. But another thing you mentioned, Mike Rogers. Yes, he won or excuse me, he lost facing Alyssa Slotkin by, I think it was 0.3%, 19,000 votes that in a state that Trump won, he did underperform. So you are seeing Democrats also point back to those numbers. Yes, he has some negatives and I mean Dr. Abdul said. But Democrats are also hoping that if Rogers is as weak as he was against Alyssa Slotkin, that provides them an advantage.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

What about that idea that he did? Did he underperform last time? He did underperform. You think he'll do better?

[Sarah Chamberlain]

He knows that they're running a different campaign. They're going after the African American vote, they're going after the lower income white votes. Everything that, that, as you said last night, voted for her. Now, we think that it's open game and that's where Rogers is going to go. So he did learn a lot from two years ago. And candidates matter. He really is the best candidate for the Republicans in this mission.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Again, Steve, you know, you've heard today Mike Rogers try to paint Al Said as being a communist, basically trying to impose the fear factor that if you vote for this person who's far left, your lives are going to get a whole lot worse. And I hear you talking about President Trump, but is that enough to fight and to actually win in this state? That is so close, complex.

[Steve Rochetti]

I think it's massively important. And you just can't underestimate the frustration. And look, Trump's underwater on the economy. He's underwater with respect to the Iran war. He's underwater with respect to health care. He's underwater not only in Michigan, but in each one of these battleground states. He's just running with very low job approval ratings. He's even underwater on immigration enforcement, on something that used to be his calling card. And I just don't know how Mike Rogers creates some kind of campaign theory of the case that provides real separation for him in a race like that.

[Sarah Chamberlain]

But are the people in Michigan so upset about everything that Trump is doing to vote for a man who's pretty much a social, I mean, he wants to defund police. I mean, he's made a lot of comments in the last few years that like, okay, do they turn out to

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

moderate on those comments? Steve, what do you think?

[Steve Rochetti]

Look, I think he's got a strong working class voter orientation to his campaign. It is very, very targeted on prices and cost of living and what middle class families are experiencing in the state. And I just think that's where it's going to remain. And he isyou. Maybe he said over and over and over again today that hisyou know, his intention here is to unify the party and to, you know, pick up different kinds of Democrats.

[Sarah Chamberlain]

So his opinions have evolved in the last couple years.

[Steve Rochetti]

Well, look, I would say your opinion of a week ago probably matters much more. And Mike Rogers just isn't going to be able to have that kind of separation.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

Jasmine, let me ask you big picture. In the last 30 seconds or so that we have here, it's not just Michigan. I mean, we're seeing President Trump try to paint every progressive candidate and there have been some significant wins across the country as too far to the left communist. He lumps them all in as communists. Do you think that strategy could work?

[Jasmine Wright]

I mean, paired with also Democrats then painting folks on the far left as people who are too far outside of the mainstream and therefore they should vote for their side of the candidates that haven't been winning? I mean, that is another conversation that they're all going to have to have. But it is coming from both sides that the left side is too far and also the right side's too far.

[Moderator/Host (Kristen Welker)]

All right, guys, great conversation. Thank you so much for being here. Really appreciate it. Jasmine, Steve and Sarah, thank you for watching. We're back tomorrow with more Meet the Press. Now. There's much more ahead on NBC News.

[Jasmine Wright]

Now,

[Kristen Welker]

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[William Lawrence]

Deal.

[Kristen Welker]

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[Jessica Taylor]

Tax extra.