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Meet the Press
Meet the Press NOW — August 7
00:52:55
The White House downplays the new jobs report which showed an unexpected loss. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss party unity ahead of the midterm matchup between Abdul El-Sayed (D) and Mike Rogers (R). Former Trump White House attorney Ty Cobb examines Trump’s latest attempt to limit birthright citizenship. AI data centers emerge as a key issue ahead of the midterms.
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Kristen Welker
Do you remember in school when your teacher had a favorite of everything? A favorite marker, a favorite element, and yes, even a favorite student who wasn't me. So let's move on.
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Haley Stevens
I want to talk about their real favorite Kleenex tissues.
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Kristen Welker
According to teacher lists, Kleenex is the number one facial tissue trusted by teachers. They're silky soft, help prevent skin irritation.
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Haley Stevens
And now with Kleenex, Snap and Go,
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Kristen Welker
you can take them anywhere. Stock up on the ultimate classroom favorite for whatever happens next. Crap Kleenex ready for the first day of school. Shop Etsy for back to school basics
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Haley Stevens
like personalized backpacks made to stand out, but not in an awkward picture day kind of way.
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Kristen Welker
Celebrate new beginnings with original pieces. Welcome to MEET THE press. Now, I'm Kristen Welker in Washington, where we're tracking some troubling new signs for the job market in an economy already rattled by the ongoing Iran war as the conflict shows few signs of ending despite a flurry of diplomacy that notably does not appear to include the U.S. all of it a sharp reality check for President Trump, who has sought to sell a more positive spin on the issues tied to the economy and affordability. With the midterms fast approaching, the US lost 23,000 jobs last month. Economists were expecting this report would a gain in jobs. Unemployment ticked down slightly to 4.1%, in part driven by more people giving up on looking for work. In a statement, the White House, reacting to the report, saying, quote, the Trump industrial resurgence is on schedule. It's part of a larger trend of volatility in the labor Market In President Trump's second term, with the US shedding jobs in six of the last 14 months, a pattern not seen since the Great Recession. It also comes as the Iran war has driven up. Energy prices at prices at the pump are still more than a dollar higher than before the war, although they've come down off their recent highs. Amid the economic turbulence, President Trump said earlier this week he deserves the highest grade possible on the issue.
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Donald Trump
We're doing an unbelievable job. Costs are coming way down. I inherited, you know, they talk about costs. I inherited very, very high costs. And they're all coming down now. The food, the groceries, it's all coming down. We've done a great job. You know, I think we should be given an A on the economy, but I think that's coming.
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Kristen Welker
Americans, however, largely disagree. More than two thirds give the economy a poor rating, and they give the president low marks for his handling of issues surrounding the economy. The president has also struggled to convince Americans the War against Iran has been a success. Nearly two thirds of Americans say the war is not worth fighting, and 60% disapprove of President Trump's handling of it. The gap between public sentiment and the president's posture on both the war and the economy has some Republicans worried ahead of the midterms. The president addressed some of those concerns in a new interview with Punchbowl.
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Ty Cobb
Your critics on the Hill, Republicans say
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Ryan Nobles
privately, you don't really care about Congress.
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Kristen Welker
You don't care about losing the majority.
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Ryan Nobles
You'll do your thing either way.
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Brian Chung
You're president. You could do.
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Donald Trump
No, that's not right.
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Ty Cobb
Is that not right?
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Donald Trump
Yeah, it's not right. I'd love to win. We're going to fight hard. We raised a lot of money. I raised a lot of money to for just this purpose. I'm going to spend it for. I'm going to help Republicans dismiss. And so when you say I don't care.
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Kristen Welker
No, I didn't say that.
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Ryan Nobles
I said some people say that.
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Donald Trump
Yeah, look, I mean, I could do a lot easier. I said to somebody, wait a minute, you don't understand.
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Alan Smith
I won.
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Donald Trump
I'm not campaigning now. That's the other thing. I get a tremendous vote. I have records in many of the states. The most votes ever in Texas and Florida and many, many states, Alabama. The question is, will they vote? Because a lot of them are very angry at Republicans, to be honest with you.
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Gabe Gutierrez
Why is it?
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Brian Chung
I don't know.
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Donald Trump
I mean, they're angry at Republicans, but
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Kristen Welker
they're not angry at me.
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Ty Cobb
Why?
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Donald Trump
They're not angry at me, but they are angry at Republicans.
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Kristen Welker
Joining me now is NBC News senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez, NBC News business and data correspondent Brian Chung, and NBC News chief international correspondent Keir Simmons. Gabe, let me start with you at the White House. These latest jobs numbers clashing with the president's rhetoric about the economy. Take me inside your conversations with sources in the administration. What are they saying about this latest report and how it relates to the midterms?
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Gabe Gutierrez
Well, Kristen, I thought it was very interesting, the sound bite you just played there from the Punchbowl interview with the president, saying that some people are upset at Republicans, but they're not upset with me. And that appears to be his thinking on this, that since he's not technically on the ballot during this midterm election, it's not really his fault. Well, that remains to be seen. You show those poll numbers, a lot of voters very concerned about his handling of the economy. But what we're hearing from the White House today They're really downplaying these jobs numbers. We heard from Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, earlier today, calling these latest numbers noisy and touting what the administration sees as its economic victories. Manufacturing jobs are seeing an uptick, although, as you pointed out, the jobs numbers are far worse than expected. The unemployment also ticking down, although, as you point out, that analysts say that's due in part to fewer people looking for work. Now, the White House again trying to make the argument that things will get better, that gas prices will come down once the war in Iran is over. But there are real questions about where that moves forward. But again, White House officials trying to sound optimistic. They say that, yes, the President is trying to head out and get his message across that he went to Las Vegas today, excuse me, this week, but what he has been doing, rather than, you know, talking up his, his accomplishments so much, he has found that he is blaming Democrats heading into this midterms. In the absence of touting his own economic accomplishments, he's trying to paint Democrats and their candidates as communist, a message that he feels will do very well over the coming months. Chris?
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Kristen Welker
Gabe, as you well know, what is looming over all of this is the war with Iran. I wanna read something that Iran's top negotiator posted today on social media. He wrote, massive pack coming. Wait, never mind. They want to negotiate. That's theater diplomacy on loop. What has the reaction been inside the White House? And is there a sense amongst the president's allies that he needs to have a clearer strategy or at least lay out a clearer strategy for the American people?
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Gabe Gutierrez
Well, certainly, Kristen, it doesn't appear that the administration has a clear strategy, at least not one that they have articulated thus far. But the president is trying to argue that, yes, the Iranians want to make a deal, that what they say in public is different than what they're telling the administration privately. However, a lot of skeptics, even within the president's own party heading into this midterm campaign, what the president this week really has been upset about or angry about has been what he sees as leaks regarding any shortage in munitions, which he has not been happy about. Neither have White House officials, and they're trying to dispel that. At the same time, there doesn't appear to be a clear strategy when it comes to exiting this war and for negotiations moving forward.
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Brian Chung
Krista.
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Kristen Welker
Gabe, very quickly, today, a federal appeals court affirmed a judge's ruling to block the construction of the White House ballroom. It's another setback for the president and his priorities. How is the administration reacting? He's trying to take this to the Supreme Court, right?
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Gabe Gutierrez
Oh, that's right. He posted on social media a short time ago, choosing to weigh in on this, saying that the administration would appeal this to the Supreme Court, trying to make the argument that it's a gift to the American people from President Trump. Although while he has claimed that no taxpayer money will be used for this, he does say, excuse me, his administration has asked Congress for a billion dollars when it comes to security upgrades. Now, the president trying to make the argument that that new ballroom and the construction you just saw there is necessary for national security, that the project involves an underground bunker and hospital facilities. Underground. But Kristin, it remains to be seen whether, whether the Supreme Court takes up this appeal and if it doesn't, what happens to the construction pit that is left here in the White House after the demolition of the East Wing.
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Kristen Welker
I was just thinking the same exact question when you look at how far along they are. Gib Gutierrez, thank you so much for starting us off from the White House. Brian Chung, let me turn to you. Let's look at these latest jobs numbers. What does it say about the labor market? Even economists were caught off guard, right?
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Amisha Cross
Yeah.
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Brian Chung
Kristen, this tells us that the labor market is not chugging at the quite firepower that we had been seeing in earlier parts of the year. You could see 23,000 jobs. That's how many we lost in the month of July. You would have to go back to February to go back to a month where we saw a contraction in the amount of people on non farm payrolls. According to the government. Again, we were expecting 83,000 jobs to be added to the economy during this month. So this was a huge miss and a noticeable step down. It's almost like a line since March of the amount of jobs that we've been adding per month. Now, when you take a look at the unemployment rate, it did tick down to 4.1% from 4.2%, but not necessarily for good reasons. That's because there were fewer people looking for work, which means the numerator in that fraction got, you know, it changed. And for that reason the unemployment rate did tick down. But you want more people looking for work, not the opposite. As far as the changes by industry, it's no surprise that with the net amount of jobs contracting in the month of July, you could see retail trade, financial activities, leisure and hospitality all losing jobs in the month. Healthcare, which has been a bright part of this labor market over the past few months, did continue to add jobs, 22,000 in the month. But again, overall, all some yellow flags over where this labor market is going with the contraction in the month of July.
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Kristen Welker
Well, of course, affordability is the big issue, Brian. Are paychecks actually keeping up with inflation?
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Brian Chung
And that is another point of caution in this particular report because we got to read on wages. How much in or average hourly earnings did a person make compared to those average hourly earnings last year? And that increase was 3.2% in the August 2026 to August 2025 period. The bad news is the last read on inflation that we got from July to July period was 3.5%. That means that prices at the store are rising at a faster pace than the wallets rather than the income that's going into your wallet. That is something that is of, of alarm there.
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Kristen Welker
Well, all eyes on the Fed now. They are obviously watching these numbers quite closely. They'll get one more jobs report before they meet in September. What do you anticipate? How might the Fed respond to this?
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Brian Chung
Yeah, well, it's really interesting because as a result of this particular report, you had some saying maybe the Fed won't be as eager to hike interest rates in September as was the chatter going into that decision. But you also have some that are saying, whoa, hey, pump the brakes because there's a lot of data coming in, as you point out. We'll get another job support, but even next Wednesday, we'll get another read on this number right here, inflation. If this number is high, that would put back onto the table the interest rate hike in September. A lot can happen between now and then. And as we know, there's a new person leading the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, who's been a bit of Pandora's box himself.
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Ryan Nobles
Yeah.
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Kristen Welker
All right. Kevin Hassett saying that the president had been in contact with Kevin Warsh. All right, Brian Chung, thank you so very much for breaking down all the numbers for us. Keir Simmons, let me turn to you in Doha. Watching all of this very closely. You obviously there in the region. I want to play a little bit of something the president said about the Strait of Hormuz. I'll get your reaction on the other side.
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Haley Stevens
Haf had you been reached to reopen the strain of Hormuz?
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Donald Trump
Well, I don't want to say it has been it's sort of open right now. You know, we have a thing called the blockade headed up by the US Navy and we control it. And now we control it, but they can always shoot something. But I think we're doing Very well. I just, you know, I'm involved in the negotiation. I think we're doing fine. But could be, it could be sin.
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Kristen Welker
So he says the Strait of Hormuz is sort of open. The latest maritime data shows shipping through the strait remains much lower than its pre war levels. Kir, what are you hearing about the status of talks in a potential deal?
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Keir Simmons
Yeah, I mean, you're right to reference those figures. You know, the Strait of Hormuz is effectively not open. The number of visible ships passing through the strait at times on a day barely makes double figures. So you know that it's not working. And we are really on a knife edge now waiting for the news of whether or not there is a deal. The issue, and it's really interesting to talk to Kristen just after you talk about the inflation question. The issue for the president is he's really stuck between a rock and a hard place because, you know, those inflation figures, those, that inflation question is a question that ties to the straight, of course. And so if, for example, this weekend he escalates and gets back into a tit for tat conflict with Iran, that will have an impact on those inflation figures which he clearly wants to control and he clearly wants to put a lid on. And on the other hand, he's facing an Iranian regime which is, is doubling down on its demands. So the Iranian news agencies, Fars, for example, which is one of the agencies there, it is talking about a deal that will mean charges for vessels going through the straits, maybe even there are proposals in Iran for a ban on US And Israeli ships to go through the straits. So it's really difficult for the president, to say the least, and he doesn't really face any good choices here.
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Kristen Welker
Well, potentially complicating all of this, Kir, you're hearing from some of your sources about potential attacks on Saudi Arabia. Now, what more can you tell us about this?
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Keir Simmons
Yeah, listen, the situation with the Houthis in Yemen has been getting more and more unstable. And then I was told by a senior Saudi official that there was a plan supervised by a part of the Iranian military, the irgc, to target Saudi Arabia from militias in Iraq. And militias meaning presumably the Houthis in Yemen through the day. Now, it does look as if that plan has been stood down, or at least in part has been. But it does illustrate how this whole thing has spread. And the issue with Yemen and the Houthis is they are beside the Bab El Mandeb, which is another shipping lane, which is another piece of the economic, global economic puzzle. That can impact inflation. And that challenge isn't going away. Whether or not that particular threat that I was told about has reduced potentially through the day to day, possibly because of the news that we and others published earlier today.
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Kristen Welker
All right, well, great reporting, Kieran. I know you'll continue to track it. Thank you so much for joining us from Doha. Please continue to stay safe there. Turning now to Capitol Hill, where President Trump appears to have notch a win after Republican Senator Bill Cassidy announced today he will support Todd Blanch's nomination to be Attorney General. It gives Blanch the votes needed to secure confirmation. Here's some of what Senator Cassidy said on the Senate floor this morning. Mr. Blanch is not perfect and he
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Alan Smith
will tell you this.
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Pat McCrory
But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanch.
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Alan Smith
It is between Mr. Blanch and another
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Pat McCrory
acting Attorney general who may not run the department effectively under President Trump and
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Alan Smith
who
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Ty Cobb
indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche. This is not a referendum on President Trump.
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Pat McCrory
It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances. All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche.
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Kristen Welker
So just for some context here, Cassidy's support was critical. With Senator Mitch McConnell out and missing votes indefinitely. And after Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski both announced they would oppose Blanche's nomin, NBC News chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles joins me now. Ryan, thanks so much for joining us on this Friday. So talk about the state of play. Is there any chance of last minute drama to confirm Blanche or is he basically on a glide path here?
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Ryan Nobles
There's no chance, Kristen. Todd Blanche will be the next Attorney General. He has the votes necessary. Cassidy was the only remaining holdout. And honestly, I don't think there are too many people that thought that Cassidy would actually take the step of voting no. He seemed pretty clear and deliberative in this process. He gave Blanche multiple opportunities to help him get to a yes. And as he talked about in his speech, he's more concerned about the idea of the Attorney General's office being held by someone that isn't confirmed by the Senate. He thinks that having a Senate confirmed Attorney General will allow them the opportunity to be more, allow them to conduct more oversight. There was a worry that if they had turned the Blanche nomination down that the president would have just kept him in that, that space as an acting Attorney general. So Cassidy, when judging all of those different things at his disposal, decided it was better to vote yes than no. And that means Todd Blanche will be the next Attorney general.
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Kristen Welker
And we're hearing from Lisa Murkowski. What are you hearing from her?
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Donald Trump
Yeah.
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Ryan Nobles
So Lisa Murkowski really had us on edge this morning because after Susan Collins said that she was voting no, she put out a statement early this morning saying that she was also a no. That's why there was so much attention paid to Bill Cassidy. She basically came down to the fact that she was very concerned that the weapon fund is not in a place where it could go, could not be resurrected. And she's also worried about the independence between the Department of Justice and the White House, given that Todd Blanche has such a close personal relationship with President Trump. But she doesn't fault Bill Cassidy for his vote. This is what she told us just a few minutes ago.
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Haley Stevens
I knew it was a hard decision for me as well.
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Kristen Welker
If it was easy that I was going to get to know, I probably would have made a statement a long time ago. But if you've notice, I've been saying that comment for quite a period of time. So I absolutely respect where Senator Cassidy came down. And we each have to make our own determinations. And as long as people are giving it the due thought and due consideration,
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Haley Stevens
I would expect all of our respective decisions would be respected.
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Ryan Nobles
So even though it might have felt like there was a little bit of drama up here earlier today, Kristen, when it comes to congressional Republicans and President Trump, they almost always fold. And that's exactly what ended up happening today.
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Alan Smith
All right.
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Kristen Welker
Well, we will watch to see if the vote in fact happens today. We also have more primary results. Last night, incumbent Republican Andy Ogles of Tennessee lost his primary despite having the president's endorsement. What happened here?
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Ryan Nobles
This is actually a fascinating development, Kristen, and there's many components to it that are leading to this trend of incumbents losing their seats attack happening actually on both the right and the left. Part of is it. Part of it is a redistricting problem. While these districts have been redistricted to help Republicans, what they're doing is creating new districts where the existing Republicans aren't necessarily familiar with their constituents. That's what happened here in Tennessee. But there's also a trend line where more and more Freedom Caucus members are either losing their seats or just leaving Congress outright. Andy Ogles is an example of that in Tennessee. But we also saw Dan Crenshaw lose his primary a bit as well. There are several other Republicans, Matt Gaetz, another one that have just decided to get up and leave Congress. Actually, Matt Gates, not a technically a Freedom Caucus member, but from that wing of the party. And so in this case, what is unique about it, though, is that Ogle still had President Trump's endorsement. It was not enough and he's no longer going to be a member of Congress after this year.
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Kristen Welker
Fascinating development, as you say, points to some of the ongoing fallout from the redistricting efforts. Ryan Nobles, thanks so much. Great to see you as always. Coming up. Coming up, team of rivals. Michigan Democrats turn to the difficult task of unifying after a divisive Senate primary. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who narrowly lost to Abdul Al Said joins us next. Plus, President Trump challenging the Supreme Court's decision and issuing new executive orders targeting birthright citizenship. One of the president's former attorneys breaks it down. You're watching MEET THE PRESS now. Stay with us. The GLP1 pill you've been waiting for
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Amisha Cross
is now on ROE.
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Kristen Welker
Yep, it's finally here with the same clinically proven ingredient now in a pill. And now on Roe. It's the first FDA approved GLP1 pill for weight loss at the lowest price available. That's one daily GLP1 pill. For big results now on RO, go to RO CO. Listen to see if you qualify RX only go to RO CO safety for serious side effects and boxed warning associated with GLP1s. Welcome back. Michigan Democrats are coming together tonight for a unity rally meant to heal some of the wounds caused by a bruising primary. Tonight's event will be headlined by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who lives in Michigan and whose name has been floated as a 2028 presidential contender. The rally comes just days after Abd Al Said narrowly defeated Congresswoman Haley Stevens by just over 15,000 votes in a seat that is critical for Democrats if they want to retake the Senate. After his win, Al Said extended an olive branch to Congresswoman Stevens. Listen, there is so much more we agree on.
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Brian Chung
I'm looking forward to unifying together the
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Kristen Welker
congresswoman and I, the senator and I,
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Brian Chung
we've had some great conversations about where we go from here.
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Kristen Welker
And we cannot wait to come together and win in November, November. And joining me now is Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens. Thank you so much for joining me, Congresswoman. Really appreciate it.
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Haley Stevens
Hey, thank you.
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Kristen Welker
Let me just start with this unity rally tonight just to set the stage here. Are you planning to attend and what do you hope to hear from Abdul Al Said?
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Haley Stevens
Oh, this, this is our, we've got a good ticket going. All right. And so the Pete Buttigieg, Abdul, Jocelyn Benson, our amazing candidate for governor. You know, the whole crew is up there. A lot of Dems are there. And you know, we want everyone to shine. I'm here In Detroit. I'm winding down my campaign office and look, the primary's over. I know people always want to talk about these things, even after they've happened. Abdul got more votes. It was, you know, all the prognosticators talking about the infighting. News flash, Democrats like Democrats. A lot of Democrats came out to the polls on election day, a lot more than Republicans. And now they're all gathered around, you know, with our awesome ticket. I was grabbing coffee and Royal Oak this morning, talking to voters. People are voting. People in Detroit are voting. That's what we want to have happen because we will beat Republicans. We are going to stop the madness with this corrupt, broken, cost increasing, out of control stuff that's been going on. I feel no one likes it.
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Kristen Welker
People aren't happy here, just to be very clear. See, but you're not going tonight. You're not going to be at the unity rally.
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Haley Stevens
Well, I'm not. This is for the ticket. I mean, if they, you know, it's okay. I'm supporting them. I'm all happy to be here. I just told you, there's no drama, okay? I know you want the drama. I don't have drama.
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Kristen Welker
I'm a proud Democrat.
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Haley Stevens
I told them, they want, you know, I'm gonna go do whatever with the party. I'm a soldier. I was a door knocker in 06. I door knocked in the early 2000s. You know, look, it's not about that. This is about supporting our awesome Democratic candidates that are on the ticket who will beat these Republicans. We gotta get together. We're united. I'm on the team. You know, everyone knows. I'll say it again for the folks watching, I'm a passionate Zionist Democrat. It's not my only issue. I'm a manufacturing policy nerd. I got an awesome pedigree with lessening our dependence on China, creating manufacturing jobs. Oh, my gosh, we want to do that here in Michigan. Trump's been costing us jobs right and left with the erratic tariffs. It's a major problem.
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Kristen Welker
Let me ask you, because you heard Abdullah Sayed say that he spoke to you. Has he asked you to campaign with him and do you plan to do that? What can we expect to see?
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Haley Stevens
Look, Abdul's out there, he's working his tail off. I'm not trying to drive him crazy. I did that enough in the primary. Okay? I mean, I think he likes me. We hugged, we had a good time, you know, you know, enough of all this. I mean, this is about helping people. Like I am in Detroit right now. Where there's amazing things happening in this city. It's an incredible city. And there's, there's people who need government services, who this administration is trying to, to, you know, rip from them Medicaid health care. It's so real. I mean, there is a hospital right down the street. It's called Henry Ford Hospital. Some people are mad at them because they're off with the unions. My friends at the Teamsters, they're great people. You know they're going to be getting out the vote. Abdul wants to do the pro act. Alyssa Slotkin wants to do the pro act. She's our senator. She's helping guide this ticket. I know she wants to work with Abdul. She's all on board. This is happening. You know we're gonna win.
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Kristen Welker
Let me ask you, speaking of the general, Abdul Al Said will be facing off against Mike Rogers, as you well know, the Republican candidate. He's trying to appeal to some of your voters. Congresswoman, listen to what his message is. I'll get your reaction on the other side.
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Alan Smith
To the vast majority of people across Michigan who do not want to throw their support behind a campaign filled with anger, divisiveness, calls for violence and the views that are out of touch with your values. Well, you have a home with us.
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Kristen Welker
Do you have concerns that some of those moderate voters who turned out for you could in fact vote for Mike Rogers? And what's your message to them?
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Haley Stevens
Well, look, the beauty of the primary is all the views have been aired out. Everything that needed to be said was said. We had a long, amazing American democratic process. We nominated our candidate, we got through it. The votes were cast. You know, that's the people lose sight of that, that votes get cast. They got counted. I loved watching it. It was amazing. And it's going to be amazing in November when we beat Mike Rogers. I mean, he, look, he's going to say every which way thing out of both sides of his mouth. This is a multi, multi millionaire. He became a lobbyist, he sold out, he moved to Florida. He. Look, I don't know what his objective is. He was an anti Trump, now he's a Trump. Now what is he doing for Michigan? He's not articulating what our manufacturers need. He's running an ad about workshop in the schools. Well, Trump cut the grants for the public schools. I mean, go talk to Mumford High School here in Detroit. You know, we have the largest number of First Robotics teams in the country here in Michigan. And Trump is only making it harder for those kids to learn the skills of the future. And Mike's lying. You know, we need good Democrats who care about good government services so that we can deliver for constituents and people, period.
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Kristen Welker
Let me ask you about one of the big issues. As you know, the dividing lines between you and Al Said on the campaign trail. Support for Israel. Michael Horowitz, a Jewish community leader in Detroit, said this after Mr. Al Said's win. He said, quote, I can't vote for Al Said. He went on to say he's leaning strongly to Rogers. Have heard from many in the Jewish community who say they will be supporting Rogers. What is your reaction to that? And could it cost the sea?
- [28:59]
Haley Stevens
Look, it's a private decision. You know, I'm not going to drum up drama. So you keep asking me to get on your show. I mean, people are going to respectfully cast votes. I know Michael Horowitz. I have not talked to him. I think he's a great guy. I've actually been over to his house for dinner. He's my constituent. But, you know, and I haven't talked to him. You know, I really haven't. I will, but, you know, and respectfully, you know, my job, I'm a congresswoman, it's to listen to people. It's to hear them out. Michael votes. I don't think he misses elections. People are going to go take a private vote. There was some pain after the last election in 20 or during the 24 cycle. We all knew that. That played out, you know, very heavily in the media. That's democracy. That's people voting. I know you guys have. Have, you know, an objective and a media and the money and all the stuff that goes into what's happening, but you should pay more attention to what actually happens on election night. Come and interview the clerks. You know, I just talked these.
- [29:59]
Kristen Welker
No, we covered all of it. Congress, I'm glad you did it.
- [30:03]
Haley Stevens
I'm not taxing the integrity of your. No, you do a great job and you were a great debate moderator. I. I'm not a big student of the media. I'm just encouraging you and I. You can ask me any question and I'm answering. You know, I, I gotta brush the. A little bit, but.
- [30:18]
Kristen Welker
Well, no, I appreciate that and I appreciate your answering the question.
- [30:22]
Haley Stevens
There you go.
- [30:23]
Kristen Welker
She's a good anchor. Look, I know. We appreciate it. We appreciate your answering all of these questions, but, look, one of the things we noticed on election day, Congresswoman, you did better in counties with higher black populations. What does Al said need to do in order to reach out to to court some of those black voters who threw their support behind you. How do you make sure they don't stay home on election day?
- [30:51]
Haley Stevens
Look, I win the House races, okay? So I, I'm guiding these House candidates, okay? We got Christina Hines. I want everyone watching to pay attention to Macomb county, all right? It's home of the Reagan Democrats, and it's an amazing place. It's got all the unions, halls, lots of manufacturing, arsenal, defense. Christina Hines is running for Congress there. She's going to flip that seat. I know how to win these House races. That's what I've done. I'm parked in the House right now, so I can. I'd like to, you know. Of course, you know, if Abdul wants to go do something, he's got Garland Gilchrist, he's got me, he's got people. I'm over here. I told Pelosi and Hakeem and the team that's going to. Well, Pelosi is retiring. Hakeem is going to be the speaker. Okay? And we are going to make him the speaker from a place called Michigan. All right? That's what's happening. And so Christina's going to flip a seat Cali Bar, way in the north. She's got a good chance. We're looking at Sean McCain in the fourth congressional. Hillary Skolton's a good friend. I mean, are hot seats in Michigan. You're all coming in. Let's talk to them. Christina does some great work in the black community and with voting rights and, you know, victims abuse. She was a former victims abuse prosecutor.
- [32:06]
Kristen Welker
Well, look, there's so much to cover. We will be covering all of it. And we'll be talking to voters, too, because as you point out, that's one of the most important things. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, clearly I am happy
- [32:17]
Haley Stevens
to keep talking to you.
- [32:18]
Kristen Welker
Well, thank you. Come on back soon. Great. Great to see you. Appreciate that very much. I really appreciate your being here as well. I will be speaking with Michigan Senate candidate Abdul Al Said exclusively this Sunday on Meet the Press on your local NBC station. So make sure to tune in. You don't want to miss that conversation. We'll delve into everything I was just talking about with the congresswoman coming up. Up next, courting legal controversy. I'll speak with Ty Cobb, a top member of the president's legal team during his first term, about the administration's new efforts to sidestep the Supreme Court, prosecute a former adviser, and profit from the president's public statement. Stay with us. You're watching Meet the Press now. I'm Hannah. I've lost 75 pounds in 20 months with GLP1s diet and exercise on row.
- [33:09]
Haley Stevens
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Kristen Welker
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Haley Stevens
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Kristen Welker
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Haley Stevens
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Kristen Welker
3.1% in placebo arm Rx only. To stay informed about serious side effects, go to RO Safety. Welcome back. With a stagnant war and signs of a stagnant economy, the White House is turning its focus to a core issue issue for the president's base, immigration. President Trump signed two executive orders yesterday aimed at restricting eligibility for birthright citizenship. It comes a little more than a month after the Supreme Court rejected the president's initial attempt to limit birthright citizenship. The president blasting the court's decision while a top administration official insisted these new, narrower measures will withstand legal scrutiny.
- [34:10]
Donald Trump
I thought we were going to win it at the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, we had a bad decision, very unfair decision. Our country suffers because of it and we're ending in a different way.
- [34:20]
Kristen Welker
There's absolutely nothing in here that runs afoul of any of the Supreme Court's
- [34:23]
Alan Smith
opinions on the subject. This is frankly, it's action that's overdue.
- [34:28]
Kristen Welker
Joining me now is Ty Cobb, who served as a White House attorney during the first Trump administration. Ty, thanks so much as always for being here. We always appreciate your insights.
- [34:38]
Ty Cobb
My pleasure to be with you, Kristen, always.
- [34:41]
Kristen Welker
So as I was listening to President Trump make this announcement in the Oval Office, the top question in my mind, why would these executive orders stand up to legal scrutiny when his first attempt to knock down birthright citizenship failed? How do you see this? Do you think there's any more legal standing for these executive orders?
- [35:01]
Ty Cobb
No, I don't. You know, Justice Roberts and his chief Justice Roberts, in his opinion made it very clear that, you know, people who are in the United States are not, when they give birth, you know, are not beyond the jurisdiction of the United States. And that's the standard for determining who has birthright citizenship. Now, I will say one of these orders with regard to the children of diplomats does try to expand the diplomatic exemption that already applies so that that'll get slightly different consideration than the attempt to penalize immigrants that are distinct from that which of course, Trump has renewed his war on immigrants and minorities and women by this birthright citizenship order and the efforts to renew the effort to remove Lisa Cook today. So I think the war is going to continue against people of color and people that this administration does not like. But I don't think this birthright citizenship order will go anywhere.
- [36:14]
Kristen Welker
Do you think, though, Ty, that it will actually be taken up at some point by the Supreme Court, assuming that it makes its way through the legal system, there are going to be inevitable legal challenges. And if so, how do you anticipate the administration will argue?
- [36:29]
Ty Cobb
I think the Supreme Court will be mindful of the force and effect of its current opinion and not necessarily necessarily inclined to take up the case if, as I suspect, Trump loses in the lower courts. If they do take it up, it will be to try to refine that analysis. And that'll be, you know, unfortunate, I think. But I think they may well have the opinion that they've already resolved this.
- [37:01]
Kristen Welker
Let me ask you about some other legal news this week. The Senate Homeland Security Governmental Affairs Committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress and then referred them matter to the Justice Department. So a lot of people are wondering, what's DOJ going to do? Do you anticipate DOJ will seek to prosecute him?
- [37:20]
Ty Cobb
I think any other DOJ would not for two reasons. One, the referral did not come from the full Senate. It's the first referral in decades for contempt of Congress that was not voted on by the body that referred the matter. It was only done by a committee. Rand Paul skipped the the time honored duty of having the full Senate vote on it because he knew he would lose. But this Justice Department keep in mind, will do anything that the president desires. This is really part of the Trump crime family, as they've shown by pursuing these revenge prosecutions and trying to loot the treasury for $1.8 billion for a slush fund for the January 6 looters and and violent seditionists and that they also, you know, Todd Blanche, of course, immunized the president unilaterally and every life form to whom he's related from IRS scrutiny on a going backward basis where the evidence was that he had failed to pay over $100 million in taxes. So I think we shouldn't suspect anything ethical or appropriate or historically normal from this Justice Department. And if they're going to prosecute David Hearn just to pursue the president's fantasy that it was not his ineptitude or corruption that caused the reflecting pool to Dissolve. It was some alleged vandals that he imagined.
- [38:52]
Kristen Welker
Well, let me ask you about one other matter before I let you go, which is this hype over the Truth Social issue. This past week, Truth Social launch a paid subscription service that basically grants subscribers early access to President Trump's social media posts. And of course, as we know, Ty, those posts can actually move markets. So there is some concern about market manipulation and insider trading. Do you think this move will face legal challenges? Are there any legal issues with should face legal challenges?
- [39:29]
Ty Cobb
There are a lot of legal issues. I mean, it's a violation of the emoluments clause. It's wholesale corruption. But it's in your face corruption. It's of the type that Trump has tried to inoculate the country to. I mean, the man made over $2 billion just in publicly reported income last year, including having made over 22,000 stock trades. Now compare that, of course, in scale to Obama, who made 13 trades, and Biden, who made none, or excuse me, I'm sorry, Obama, who made none, and Biden, who made 13, and Trump made 22,000, many of them in government contract with government contractors and many of them involving companies about whom he later said positive things in an effort to move the market. So, you know, the insider trading that's going on in the country, whether it's in oil futures or, you know, Trump's other trading or in the reports from Iran that were sent through the State Department about the fact that Witkoff and Jared Kushner appeared to be involved in insider trading in terms of their efforts in the Iran negotiations. So this is the most corrupt administration in our history, and Trump may be the most corrupt person to ever walk the planet.
- [40:51]
Kristen Welker
All right, on that note, we will leave it there. Ty Cobb, thank you so very much for joining us. I hope you have a great weekend. Ty, thank you.
- [40:58]
Ty Cobb
Thank you, Chris. And always wonderful to be with you.
- [41:00]
Kristen Welker
Always wonderful to have you, Ty. Thanks so much. Coming up after the break, how the explosive growth of AI data centers and the resources needed to fuel them is powering a politically potent issue for the midterms. You're watching MEET THE Press now. Welcome back. As we look to November's midterms, one issue seems to be emerging across several major the booming backlash to data centers being built across the country to power the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry. The issue is quickly becoming a top focus for many candidates, especially on the left, who see it as key to their campaigns and a way to reach across political divides. Take a listen to some of our recent candidate Interviews on the topic, whether
- [41:49]
Haley Stevens
it comes to a moratorium on data centers, raising the minimum wage, ensuring that we're investing in our public schools, and taxing the wealthiest and mega corporations.
- [41:58]
Kristen Welker
Ours is a campaign that continues to
- [42:00]
Haley Stevens
run on the important issues impacting Wisconsinites every day.
- [42:04]
Kristen Welker
We're focused on issues here in the
- [42:06]
Pat McCrory
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.
- [42:16]
Kristen Welker
We are seeing these hyperscale data centers
- [42:18]
Haley Stevens
come into communities that are sucking up water, jacking up utility rates, and often leaving the taxpayer with a huge burden. This year, it's what I'm hearing at every single stop I've made on the campaign trail.
- [42:31]
Kristen Welker
Meanwhile, Republican candidates have been trying to strike the right balance between acknowledging the growing backlash, but also favoring the potential investment that comes from the AI boom.
- [42:45]
Pat McCrory
I respect local control. I respect the decision making of our local governments and our local constituents to
- [42:51]
Brian Chung
make these decisions for themselves without the,
- [42:54]
Pat McCrory
without the federal government coming in or without big corporations stepping in to force them into that decision.
- [43:01]
Kristen Welker
Joining me now is NBC News political reporter Alan Smith, who's been investigating this growing backlash to data centers. Thanks so much for joining me, Alan. I really appreciate it. So you heard those candidates there, the progressive candidates, promising these bans on data centers. You've been looking into this. How much of a boost is this giving their campaigns?
- [43:22]
Pat McCrory
Well, Kristen, these guys are reading a lot of the same polls we are. There was a survey earlier this year that showed about 7 in 10 voters oppose these data centers being built in their communities. And a Quinnipiac poll specifically of Pennsylvania found that number to be about 74%. So when you have polling that high on a certain issue, it's showing that there's bipartisan opposition. And when you see a lot of these progressives focusing on this issue in their races, they see this as twofold. They see this as an issue that in their primaries they can use against center left Dems who welcome these data center developments in their state. And then they can really turn, turn that campaign into overdrive in the general election versus Republicans. Now you are seeing some Republicans recalibrate on this though, as we get closer to November.
- [44:08]
Kristen Welker
Yeah, well, you know, the president has started to acknowledge that these centers are an issue. Here's what he recently said about them.
- [44:15]
Donald Trump
I think any community that turns down AI is making a big mistake because your taxes are going to go way down. If you own a house, it's going to be more valuable. It's a tremendous thing. And I see it. It's almost like there' there's a campaign against, you know, data centers. But data centers, if you look at the stats, everything's good around them.
- [44:36]
Kristen Welker
So is that where Republicans want to be on this issue?
- [44:41]
Pat McCrory
Well, the Trump administration has also really sought to promote this ratepayer protection pledge that it came out with earlier this year, basically having these data center operators guarantee that their developments aren't going to raise electricity bills on everyday Americans. But it is really interesting to hear the president talk like that. He has been increasingly campaigning for data centers recently in a number of interviews and at White House events. This is such a core part of his economic agenda, the rapid data center build out across the country. So it's really interesting to hear him kind of campaign strongly for them when the polls right now show whether or not it's good policy. The politics of aren't great. This is a 7030 issue at the moment.
- [45:23]
Kristen Welker
Well, to that point, this week we saw Texas Governor Greg Abbott announcing a pause on data center approvals pending a state audit. It follows a moratorium by Governor Kathy Hochul of New York. Is that part of the election year politics we're looking at?
- [45:39]
Pat McCrory
I mean, Kristen, it is impossible to divorce this from purely the politics of the moment. I mean, Kathy Hochul and Greg Abbott are both on the ballot this fall, but we really are seeing a sea change in how lawmakers and officials are approaching this issue from a policy perspective. Most leaders were welcoming these data center developments with open arms, really, until the last year when the opposition to them really started to grow. And I think the fact that you're seeing whether it's Kathy Hochul or Greg Abbott, two governors who have sparred a lot online similar tax on this, I think that really tells you where, where a lot of this is headed.
- [46:20]
Alan Smith
Yeah.
- [46:20]
Kristen Welker
All right, Alan Smith, a lot to cover there. Thank you so much. Really appreciate it. Joining me now is our panel, Democratic strategist and former Obama campaign advisor Amisha Cross, and former North Carolina Republican Governor Pat McCrory. Thanks to both of you for joining me on this Friday. Governor, I want to start with you on something we've been talking about a little bit earlier in the show, Congressman Andy Ogles losing his Tennessee primary primary last night after President Trump had endorsed him. How do you see this loss? Is it a knock on President Trump or was it a knock on Andy Ogles? A little bit of both.
- [46:55]
Alan Smith
Well, the winner broke a record because there really hasn't been anyone who's lost who President Trump has endorsed in A Republican primary. I lost when I was not endorsed for the U.S. senate and that was after I had a 30 point lead. So this may show a major shift. We also saw this in a state Senate campaign in North Carolina, Carolina, three months ago in a Republican primary where President Trump endorsed the Senate president Republican who had been there for years. He did not endorse a sheriff and the sheriff beat him by 22 votes. So at the state level, Trump's endorsement didn't work for the first time. And now at a US Congress level, this could be a major turning point on what candidates do, especially coming up in Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia, Georgia. Do they campaign with President Trump or not? And by the way, the Democrats are going to have similar choices in Michigan. Does do Democrats send national figures, including former President Obama to Michigan and get on the same stage? There are going to be some very interesting political questions that we'll see answered the next probably two weeks.
- [48:07]
Kristen Welker
Well, you lay it out so well. It is the big question, who's going to be on the trail with whom? I tried to get Haley Stevens to answer that question in part. Let me ask you, because Andy Ogles is the ninth member of the House to lose reelection in the primary. The majority of them have been Democrats. And I think we have a graphic showing all nine who've lost their primary battles. We should note Representatives Green and Johnson were actually forced into member versus member primaries because of redistricting. But what does it say about this moment? Is there an anti incumbency surgeon right now?
- [48:44]
Amisha Cross
It's anti incumbency for sure, but I would argue it's more so anti establishment. This is a movement that I would argue is happening across the country with the backdrop of an affordability crisis. The backdrop of individuals losing health care, not being able to feed their families, seeing cuts to food stamps, seeing housing instability regularly. They're telling you with their mouths regularly. In addition to talking in all types of social and digital spaces about how hard it is to pursue every everyday life. And unfortunately for many status quo politicians, their prognostications and their current seats where they have not been able to solve these crises are really causing them to take L's in the ballot box. I think it is as simple as that. Affordability reigns supreme and if you do not have a plan, then you are bound to lose. Some people would argue that this is the Democratic socialist day in the sun. I don't necessarily think that that's true. There are some Democratic socialists who are doing well, but there are some who are also not not doing well. Moreover, the policy platforms that they are pushing make sense. And for Democrats who are running on those same platforms who are also showcasing in many cases these are newcomer Democrats, it's harder to do if you've already been in office for multiple terms. They are showcasing that they are actually listening to the people on the ground. That's what is really making a difference this election cycle.
- [49:56]
Kristen Welker
All right. Well, let's talk about the Senate race in Michigan. Governor Mike Rogers put out a video today making his pitch to Michigan voters. I want to play along little bit of it for you and get your reaction on the other side.
- [50:08]
Alan Smith
If you're among the majority of Democratic voters that woke up on Wednesday feeling, well, hopeless because the person who won does not represent your values, well, just know there is still hope. And to the vast majority of people across Michigan who do not want to throw their support behind a campaign filled with anger, divisiveness, calls for violence and the views that are out of touch with your view values, well, you have a home with us, Governor.
- [50:36]
Kristen Welker
Is that pitch going to be effective?
- [50:39]
Alan Smith
It's a smart move. And I think both parties are going to go after the independent vote because the independent vote is the thing that's going to turn this election in North Carolina, Georgia and in Michigan. And in Michigan has some unique dynamics, too. You have a pretty big independent streak. Even the city of Detroit has a current mayor who's very popular, who almost flies ran as an independent and he's very popular. So it's going to be interesting other endorsements that go on in this race. But that was a smart move by the congressman to act as moderate as possible to go after the independent vote and label his opponent as extreme. Both parties do this. They label their opponent and try to stick that label between then and election day and right now the label for where the Democratic nominee is extremist. And I've had that done toward me. It's a very common trick in politics
- [51:32]
Kristen Welker
by both parties and it can work. Amisha, what does Abdul Al Sayed? What do Democrats in Michigan need to do to hold on to that seat which is currently in Democratic hands?
- [51:46]
Amisha Cross
Well, I think that they're actually doing it. When we hear Al said when people call him extreme on the right, it's a quite frank, really funny. Is it extreme to say that you want American taxpayer dollars to go to Americans? Is it extreme to say that you wanted to fund health care here, that you wanted to fund schools here, that you wanted to fund the priorities that the American people want and they so desperately need? Again, this Backdrop of inaffordability. Is it extreme to say that you are proud to be an American? I have yet to see a single video, a single campaign message since this man was literally in college. During his commencement address, he told talked about how strong and how much it is meant for him to be here in this country, what America has been to him and the progress of this country. I think it's very important that we can criticize this country for the things that do not go well. That is something that the Constitution allows us to do. It is also very important to not label someone who may have a name. There was another person who had a funny name just a few years ago. I worked on his presidential campaign. As an outsider or as somebody who's extremist just because they may look different, have a different name and a different, different religion. That's not extreme. What is extreme is what we've seen from President Trump's policies and the policies on the right that have made Americans lives a whole lot harder.
- [52:55]
Kristen Welker
Well, Governor, pick up on that point because the number one issue for voters continues to be the economy. We just got that jobs report today which showed that the economy shed thousands of jobs. Do you think President Trump is going to be a liability for a candidate like Mike Rogers in a party purple state?
- [53:17]
Alan Smith
Well, again, we're going to see who joins who on the campaign trail. I've been caught in this in governor's races. When President Bush was low in the pollings, he called me up and said, I want to come to North Carolina for a fundraiser. And my advisors are going, no, we don't want them. Of course I was courteous. I said, we'd love to have you, but he was in the 30s at the time. So you're going to see who hangs around the Senate candidates in many Michigan, in North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio. And that will be determined what the polls say. By the way, your very introduction. This could turn on local issues. And one local issue is data centers. It's a national issue, but you're going to see candidates go to local issues at the end to maybe swing that one or two percentage vote. And data centers could be it.
- [54:07]
Kristen Welker
I think data centers is going to be a huge issue. I think you're so right to point that out, Amisha. Governor McCrory, thank you both so much. Hope you both have a fantastic weekend.
- [54:17]
Alan Smith
Thank you.
- [54:18]
Amisha Cross
Thanks, Rev.
- [54:19]
Kristen Welker
Thanks for being here, guys. We will be back Monday with more Meet the Press now. And if it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press on your local NBC station. I'LL have exclusive interviews, a network exclusive with Abdul Al Said and Senators Jim Banks and Chris Murphy. You do not want to miss these conversations. There's much more ahead on NBC News now. Hi, I'm Kate Snow, NBC News anchor and host of the NBC News podcast the Drink. 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.