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Meet the Press NOW — July 10
00:49:50
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) reacts to President Trump removing the remaining Democratic members of the Election Assistance Commission ahead of midterms. Maine Senate candidate Jordan Wood (D) explains his decision to jump back into the race after Graham Platner suspended his campaign. Georgia State Rep. Steven Sainz (R) and West Virginia State Del. Kayla Young (D) join for a Common Ground conversation.
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- [00:00]
Donald Trump
Craig.
- [00:00]
Craig Melvin
I'm Craig Melvin. Cheers.
- [00:02]
Unknown Speaker (Cheers)
Cheers.
- [00:02]
Cheers.
- [00:03]
Craig Melvin
I've always been a glass half full kind of guy, and now I'm talking to some people who look at the world that way, too. Some really fascinating folks who share their defining moments, their triumphs, their challenges. Their stories are funny and quite candid. So I hope you'll join me each week. And who knows, you might just come away with your own glass half full.
- [00:24]
Willie Geist
Search Glass Half Full with Craig Melvin From Today on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.
- [00:31]
Kate Snow
Hi, it's Kate Snow, NBC News anchor and host of the NBC News podcast the Drink. And this month, I'm having mojitos with comedian Eric Andre. Was I a little bit worried he might prank me? Absolutely. But he promised he'd behave. Mostly did. Here at the Drink, we are all about the journey, and Eric's journey to success is anything but typical. We talk about his childhood, his brief run in music, and the decade he spent hustling in New York City before his hit TV show changed everything. It's a conversation peppered with humor, but also a real look at the path behind his larger than life Persona. We hope you'll join us for the Drink. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:23]
Kristen Welker
Welcome to MEET the press. Now. I'm Kristen Welker in Washington, where President Trump is once again ramping up his effort to exert influence over elections in America ahead of the midterms, taking the extraordinary step of gutting the leadership at the Election Assistance Commission. Now, that's the bipartisan federal organization that serves as a guardrail for free and fair elections in America. And today, the president announcing he is refusing to sign bipartisan legislation to address housing costs because Congress will not pass his bill to overhaul voting laws. It's a bill the White House had previously called one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history. The housing bill will become law at midnight, though without the president's signature, and the White House says the president will not veto it. But the president is denying his own party a victory lap on this bill and stepping on their midterm messaging on affordability, all while continuing to focus on an election overhaul bill that has no chance of passing. Meanwhile, the firings at the Election Assistance Commission are the first by President Trump since the Supreme Court granted him sweeping new authority to remove members of independent federal agencies. It's a decision the president heralded at the time as a major win for him and also his administration. The right and not me.
- [02:44]
Donald Trump
It gives a president the right to do what the president should have the right to do. And it's very interesting. It's a big ruling. It's been going on for almost 100 years. They've been working on this. And you know, that it comes down at my term is a very great honor, but it bestows additional powers or maybe the same power on the president. The president has the right to do this and that has to do with a lot of agencies all throughout the system. So it's considered, you know, the biggest of the group. And I can understand that. This has been going on for almost 100 years.
- [03:19]
Kristen Welker
And today's developments come just days after the Justice Department threatened criminal charges against state election officials if they do not crack down on non citizen voting, which multiple studies have found is extremely rare. NBC News Julie Serkin joins me now from the White House. Julie, great to see you. Thanks so much for starting us off. So let's start right there with the president firing the final three commissioners on the Election Assistance Commission. What is your reporting? What are your sources telling you about why the president did this and what his goals are here?
- [03:52]
Julie Serkin
Well, Kristen, he feels emboldened, plain and simple. A White House official actually hung that Supreme Court decision that you just talked about as a reason for why they feel like there is precedent to do this moving forward. The administration had also pushed back back on Democratic concerns. Prominent Democrats, including Leader Schumer, as you can imagine, Kristen, sounding the alarms about this move being done so close to the midterm elections. This is a commission that is really not too well known. It consists of two Democrats, two Republicans. One of the Republicans actually resigned several months ago. But now this move by the administration, by the president means there is nobody to dole out funds, federal funding to states so that they can run their elections, nobody to test the voting equipment to make sure that these states and localities are ready when the midterms come up. And that's just a couple of months away, Kristen. And the president, now there are fears could replace all of those board members with people who are friendly to him.
- [04:45]
Kristen Welker
Well, let me ask you, Julie, about this housing bill which the president already upset Republicans by canceling the signing ceremony at the Capitol. That happened a couple weeks ago. Everything was set up for it to go forward. What has the White House's message been to congressional Republicans who want to campaign on this bipartisan housing bill ahead of the midterms, particularly those Julian swing districts?
- [05:07]
Julie Serkin
Yeah. Well, it's such an important question. This really is the biggest thing that Republicans, Kristen, have to campaign on into the midterms. The issue of affordability has proven to be one that has been so potent not only in Republican circles, also in Democratic circles, of course, we saw Mayor Mamdani's victory and that's something the president paid attention to. And that is why that after calling especially for that institutional investor piece, Kristen, that's that part of the bill that essentially prohibits, makes it much more difficult from Wall street to come in and buy all those single family homes that drive the prices for millions of Americans. That's what the president asked for back at the State of the Union. Number of White House officials over the last couple of weeks and months have told me, have urged, even despite the president's statement saying he doesn't really care about this bill, that he wants it done now, the president saying I'm not going to sign it into law, but it becomes law anyway. And so when I talked to a senior Republican leadership aide just this morning, Kristen, they told me we did our job. Republicans are going to say that they passed a monumental piece of housing legislation, that they are addressing the affordability issue. What the president does is not something that we can control. Kristen.
- [06:11]
Kristen Welker
All right, Julie Serkin starting us off from the White House. Julie, thank you so very much. Really appreciate it. Joining me now is Republican Congressman Mike Lawler of New York speaking of swing districts. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate it.
- [06:25]
Mike Lawler
Thanks for having me, Kristen.
- [06:27]
Kristen Welker
So before we get into the midterms, let's just talk about this housing bill. You're a co sponsor of the bill. The president saying he's not going to sign it, but he's also not going to veto it. But do you think the president's making a mistake by not signing this bill, Congressman?
- [06:44]
Mike Lawler
I do. I, I've said this repeatedly. I think the president should sign it and should declare victory. This was a bill that we worked hard on with his administration with a Republican led Senate and House and we're able to get broad bipartisan support. And most of the provisions in the bill are led by Republicans. There are a few Democratic provisions, but this is a big win on the issue of housing, which I've said repeatedly is one of the biggest drivers of unaffordability in America. It's the first comprehensive bipartisan housing package in 36 years. And from my vantage point, it does a few things. Number one, it increases supply. We're 8 million units underbuilt nationwide. It cuts red tape significantly. It increases access to capital and especially reforms community banks, which is critical to get more money into the hands of home builders and buyers and ultimately it will help reduce cost. When you look at my district, for instance, Westchester county, the average home value went from 700,000 to 1.1 million over the last five years. That's a massive increase that makes it very unaffordable for a lot of families, especially young people. And, and the average age of a first time home buyer, Kristen, is now 40 years old. I'm going to be 40 in September. I bought my house at 28. So we have a lot of work to do on the issue of housing. I think it's one of the biggest issues impacting the American people. And this is a big bipartisan win. And I certainly, as I did a few weeks ago, encourage the president directly to sign it. I'm glad he's not going to veto it. But I do think this is a big win and I certainly, for one, will be campaigning on it. Six of my bills are in the final package.
- [08:40]
Kristen Welker
Well, and to the point that you're making about housing really being at the crux of affordability, I do want to play a little bit of what President Trump said about this very bill last month. Take a look.
- [08:52]
Donald Trump
Here's what I would like to sign much more than a bill that big deal. It's a yawn. Some people says wonderful to me, compared to the Save America act, just about everything is a big yawn.
- [09:09]
Kristen Welker
It's a big yawn compared to the Save America Act. Congressman, look, I know you support the Save America act, that's the President's effort to overhaul election, some of the election guidelines in the country. But do you think it's more important than the housing bill? I mean, what would your response be to him?
- [09:26]
Mike Lawler
Look, my number one priority for my district has always been the issue of affordability and the cost of living. It's why I fought so hard to lift the cap on salt and deliver real tax relief to my constituents. You know, my constituents saw anywhere from a 5,000 to $20,000 tax refund because of the working families tax cut. No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security and the increase in Salt cap from 10,000 to 40,000. But housing is a issue along with energy prices. You know, Chris, in, in New York, utility rates are up 58% over the last six years. That has nothing to do with Washington or what's happening in the Middle east and everything to do with policy out of Albany where they shut down nuclear power, shut down natural gas, block pipelines. I want to work on permitting reform. That is something that I think we can get done this Congress as well. And I've said repeatedly, and I've said it to the president, housing and permitting reform are the two biggest things we can do to address affordability. I understand his position on the SAVE Act. I support, you know, photo id. I support proof of citizenship. But the fact is that when we're talking about the American people and what they are most concerned about, most Americans are concerned about the cost of living. And that remains my priority and my focus.
- [10:49]
Kristen Welker
Well, when the president refers to the housing bill, which, by the way, housing as you're mapping out a part of the American dream as a big yawn, does that undercut your efforts to win in this swing district?
- [11:05]
Mike Lawler
You know, look, I've been very clear on my views on this, and, you know, my constituents know who I am. It's a district that Kamala Harris won, Joe Biden won. There's 80,000 more Democrats than Republicans. But I've gone into every community in my district. I've done over 2,000 in person events over the last three years. I've closed over 9,000 individual constituent cases, brought back over $120 million to my district. Between benefits due to constituents and community project funding, I've passed dozens of bills. I've been rated among the most bipartisan and effective members of Congress repeatedly. So, you know, I'm going to run on my record. I'm going to run on addressing the issues that matter to my constituents, and I'm delivering for them. And, and that's what I'm. I'm proud of the work that we've done.
- [11:56]
Kristen Welker
I do want to get your take on the president firing the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission. Republicans have long argued for fair elections. How do you think removing those commissioners just a few months before the midterms impacts people's confidence, or lack thereof, in the election process. Congressman, do you agree with the move or do you disagree with it?
- [12:19]
Mike Lawler
Well, obviously, the Supreme Court decision gave the President the authority to do it. I would not have done it at this moment heading into the midterms. But elections are administered at the state level, and I have full confidence in the state of New York to administer the elections. It is bipartisan in New York. One Republican, one Democrat in every county. And the staff are co equal. They do a great job of administering the elections. So I am fully confident in what's going to happen in November, and I look forward to winning.
- [12:55]
Kristen Welker
Very quickly. Chuck Schumer saying that this is to further seize control of the election process. He says whether or not there is any impact from the decision. It is the appearance of the President meddling in the election process. Do you agree with Chuck Schumer in this instance? Given that you're saying you would not have taken this action right now?
- [13:17]
Mike Lawler
Now, look, I don't agree with Chuck Schumer on just about anything at this point. He's proven himself to be hyper partisan. He was fully in favor of Graham Platner as the main Democratic nominee until he wasn't. So frankly, anything Chuck Schumer says is entirely political at this point.
- [13:35]
Kristen Welker
Let me ask you, big picture about your race. As you well know, the Cook Political Report considers your district, the 17th, to be the only true toss up district in New York City. Democrats have picked a combat veteran, Kate Connolly, to go against you in November. What's your strategy, Congressman, to pull out a win in November? You think you can do it?
- [13:59]
Mike Lawler
Oh, for sure. Look, I've won three times in two to one Democratic districts. I am from the district. I've lived my whole life here. Kate Conley parachuted in here at the behest of National Democrats to run. And while I respect her service, the fact is she served on the Biden administration administration in the NSC during the fall of Kabul in Afghanistan and the terrorist attack at Abbey Gate. As the Director of Counterterrorism, she'll have to answer for that. In addition, the fact is, whatever she calls herself, whether it's a moderate or a progressive, she does not disagree with the views of the Democrats that are winning in New York. She supports abolishing ice. She supports sanctuary cities. She supports open borders. She supports increasing tax in the largest tax increase in American history. So at the end of the day, there will be a very clear contrast between my record and hers. And I look forward to it. And frankly, Kristin, I challenge her again to six televised debates. And I would welcome you, Kristen, to host one immediately. There's no reason why we should wait until October or late September. Let's get it started. Now, this is one of the most competitive races in the country. It will determine control of Congress. And you know, she likes to tout that she's a combat veteran. She's called me a coward multiple times. Let's go. Let's debate.
- [15:31]
Kristen Welker
All right. Well, we're going to track it very closely. And as you know, I like a good debate, Congressman. So let's see what happens. Congressman.
- [15:37]
Mike Lawler
I welcome it anytime, Kristen. Let's follow up.
- [15:40]
Unknown Speaker (Thank you)
Thank you.
- [15:41]
Kristen Welker
Thank you so much. Thanks so much for being here. I really appreciate it. And I do wanna turn back. I do wa. Thank you, Congressman. I do wanna turn back to the President's gutting of the Election Assistance Commission. Joining me now is Matthew Weil. He's a former staffer at the Election Assistance Commission and is now vice president of the Bipartisan Policy Center. Thank you so much for joining me. Really appreciate it.
- [16:03]
Matthew Weil
Thank you for having me.
- [16:04]
Kristen Welker
So let's just talk big picture here so that people understand exactly what we're talking about. What is the Election Assistance Commission? What does it do? Why is it so critical?
- [16:16]
Matthew Weil
Yeah, the Election Assistance Commission was set up after the 2000 Florida election when there was a realization that the country really needed to upgrade its voting systems and its voting processes. So the eac, over its two decades of service, has doled out about three and a half million dollars in grants to replace punch card machines, lever machines to upgrade security, both physical and cyber. It sets the guidelines by which we test the election technology. It puts out reports, it collects data. So it's really the voice of election officials, state and local election officials in Washington for when these debates over election administration happen. It works with Congress, it works with all the administrations, and it really provides a bipartisan look at what can modernize voting for all Americans.
- [17:08]
Kristen Welker
Can the EAC function effectively without any commissioners?
- [17:14]
Matthew Weil
So there has been a point in the EAC's history where they did not have any commissioners. So from 2011 to 2014, we also had no commissioners. They had all resigned or they had all taken other jobs at the same time. And so at that time, the EAC was really hamstrung. They couldn't do much, but they've changed a lot of the processes. So at this point, most things that aren't policy related. So not the changing of the guidelines for election system testing, but the testing itself can still happen. So things like that can happen if the Congress appropriates election security grants, those can be doled out to the states. So the EAC can still function, but what it's lost is its best emissaries to go out into the country, learn what's happening in all of the counties, taking that knowledge to other counties so that we can improve voting all over the country.
- [18:06]
Kristen Welker
Now, you have said that firing the commissioners won't have necessarily a large impact immediately. At what point do you think it could start to matter? What's the timeline look like here?
- [18:19]
Matthew Weil
Yeah, the EAC at this point, whether head commissioners or now that it does not, was unlikely to make an impact on any voters experience this November. The timelines for a lot of these changes are quite long. So I know the President has shown a willingness or an interest in updating the certification requirements for voting systems. That process is laid out in statute. It's laid out in regulation. It includes numerous statutory boards that are represented by all the states in the country. It's represented by the disabilities community, the military community. All these people have input into changing things like that. And then there's a public comment period that takes about half a year. So again, at this point in the election calendar, the EAC was not going to have much of an impact on any individual's vote. Where it starts having an impact is if we do want to upgrade those systems. That process has to start now because it takes a long time. We're even late in the process if we want to update something for 2028. So really at this point, with no commissioners that are confirmed, you're looking at a long timeline to any kind of updates to the voting system guidelines, if that's the interest of this administration.
- [19:31]
Unknown Speaker (All right)
All right.
- [19:31]
Kristen Welker
Matthew Weil, thank you so much for joining us and for your insights. We really appreciate it. Coming up, President Trump declares the cease fire with Iran is in no uncertain terms over, but says the US Will still continue talks with Iran even as Israel reportedly warns of a new Iranian plot to assassinate the president. Plus, the very latest in scramble to replace Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, who's delaying his exit from the race as a new contingent of contenders steps forward. We'll speak with one of them. That's straight ahead. You're watching MEET THE PRESS Now.
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Willie Geist
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Unknown Speaker (All right)
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Willie Geist
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- [21:50]
Kristen Welker
Welcome back. Questions continue to swirl around the Trump administration and the renewed prospect of a prolonged conflict with Iran. Today, President Trump posting on social media Iran has asked to continue peace talks and the US has agreed. But he reiterated the ceasefire is over. It also comes amid reports not confirmed by NBC News that Israel shared intelligence with the US About a new Iranian plot to assassinate the president. In an interview with the New York Post, President Trump pushed back on that report, saying he's been on Iran's kill list for a long time and adding, quote, the only thing is I've left instructions if anything happens to just literally bomb them at levels they've never seen before. Joining me now is NBC News senior national security correspondent Courtney Kubecourt. Back with us. Thank you so much for being here. So what is the latest here? Obviously, there were strikes overnight. Are you anticipating more tonight and over the weekend?
- [22:45]
Courtney Kuby
It's hard to say. So Iran has not been active in the Gulf or, excuse me, in the Strait of Hormuz in the last few hours. So it seems as if that is the pattern where Iran lashes out either at allies or in the Strait of Hormuz and the US Military responds. It's possible that we're in a bit of a break from that pattern, but it could also re tick up at any point. I think one of the big questions here is are there elements, you know, there's a concern about the IRGC being the one who is starting these fights. And could they just keep starting these fights? How fractured is the leadership here? What we have to remember, if in fact the US the Iranians, irgc, it does start attacking commercial shipping again, we will see continued military strikes. There is no doubt about that.
- [23:32]
Kristen Welker
Well, your point about just how fractured the leadership is, court is really at the root of why it is so challenging to get a deal with Iran. And talking to allies of the president, they say this, that who are we exactly negotiating with. So I guess the question becomes looming over all of this. The president's comments that he's at the top of the list for Iran to assassinate and now this new reporting by the Wall Street Journal that there's Israeli intelligence that points to a fresh assassination plot. The president downplayed that. What are you hearing? What do we know about all this?
- [24:07]
Courtney Kuby
Yeah, the president has been on their list for years now. Back to Qasem Soleimani and frankly, probably even before that. So at this point, it's not clear that there is some fresh plot. But anytime you would have a renewed conflict. So remember, there was still this ceasefire. It was holding when President Trump was going over to Turkey. But then when the US And Iran started trading fire, that would increase any kind of a Secret Service concern about the president. So it doesn't surprise me that there's been an even heightened concern about him this week as this firing has gone back and forth. But we're not aware of any specific plot. You know, back to what we were, we were talking about with the negotiations and how this is so difficult. What's really fascinating is to watch how this has evolved since the war. There was a time during the really active part of the war, major combat operations, where we were hearing that one of the reasons that Iran was holding on is because of their decentralized leadership. So they were able to sort of have the lower level leaders make decisions, even go so far as to fire ballistic missiles in some cases. Well, now that's hurting the efforts at peace because the decentralized leadership in some cases is still calling the shots and they could derail the peace process prospect.
- [25:19]
Kristen Welker
What about the president's threat to potentially reimpose the naval blockade?
- [25:24]
Courtney Kuby
They could do it at almost a moment's notice. They still have about two dozen ships out there. They got hundreds of aircraft. The reality is they still have air helicopters, fixed wing drones that are flying every single day and they have the ability to go forward with it. It's an option that's on the table, but I've been asking constantly about it and I don't get the at this point, it doesn't seem that the president decided to actually pull the lever and restart it yet at this point.
- [25:50]
Kristen Welker
All right, Courtney Kuby is always on top of all of the developments out of Iran. Thanks so much for being here on this Friday. Really appreciate it. Coming up next, crowded contest. We'll speak with the latest candidate to jump into the race to replace Graham Platner as Maine Dem Democrats confront an unprecedented situation with control of Congress potentially on the line. Stay with us. You're watching Meet the Press. Now.
- [26:21]
Luis Martabia
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Jordan Wood
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- [27:17]
Unknown Speaker (Cheers)
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Matt Gorman
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Stephen Saenz
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- [27:52]
Kristen Welker
Welcome back. Maine Democrats have less than three weeks to pick a candidate to replace embattled Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, and the race is on even as sources tell NBC News Platner may not officially file his paperwork to withdraw until the Monday deadline. So far, six candidates have tossed their names in the ring. Maine Democratic leaders have suggested they'll hold a delegate convention before the July 27 deadline to certify a replacement nominee, but details of how that would work remain unclear. Joining me now is one of those candidates, Jordan Wood, a former congressional staffer who ran for the seat of retiring Congressman Jared golden in last month's primary. Thank you so much for joining me. Really appreciate it.
- [28:36]
Jordan Wood
Thanks for having me.
- [28:38]
Kristen Welker
So let's start with your decision to get into this race. You briefly ran for the seat before switching and making an unsuccessful bid to be the Democratic candidate to replace retiring Congressman Jared Goldin. What is your strategy to win a Senate race when you were not successful in that House primary?
- [28:56]
Unknown Speaker (Thank you)
Yeah.
- [28:57]
Jordan Wood
So this emergency, it's unprecedented for our state, I think any state to be dealing with. We need to keep focused on the goal of defeating Susan Collins in November to elect a Democratic majority that is going to stand up to Trump, hold him accountable, but more importantly Deliver for the people of Maine.
- [29:15]
Donald Trump
And.
- [29:15]
Jordan Wood
And we've got to come out with a candidate here that is best positioned to do that. And I think we need to both continue to carry on the movement, the platform that was supported in the primary, and separate the candidate and Graham Platner, who has demonstrated he is too flawed to carry on. But I campaigned with Grant. Platner was in the Senate raise before going over to the House race. And Graham and I have the same platform. We both support Medicare for all. I support putting conditions on future aid to Israel and ending the genocide in Gaza. I support getting rid of the filibuster so that we can guarantee abortion rights, democracy reform, and so many other issues. So I feel confident that I am a candidate who can carry on with that platform because I have run on it, and the people of May know that. I've had town halls in all 16 counties across the state. And so I feel like we owe it to voters to have a process where there is a pool of candidates considered as a candidate who just got 20,000 votes in the last election, I owe it to the people of Maine to let them make another decision.
- [30:25]
Kristen Welker
You got 20,000 votes. Graham Platner in his primary got 150,000 votes. Do you think you have enough time to energize Democrats, independents, the type of voters you would need in order to win in November? How are you going to do that?
- [30:45]
Jordan Wood
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I mentioned we've had town halls in all 16 counties over 40 so far. We're starting them again on Monday. People here, independents, but particularly people that voted in this primary, are very committed to defeating Susan Collins. We do not want to go through six more years of her as a senator. And that will rally people together. There is too much at stake for the future of our country, for our democracy to not be that put everything into this challenge. And I know that Susan Collins was elected when I was in second grade. She was my senator for much of my life. And I know why people need change, because she is no longer delivering for us the way that we need to.
- [31:29]
Kristen Welker
Well, you are talking about the policies on which you agree with Graham Platner. Would you accept his endorsement if he offered it to you?
- [31:39]
Jordan Wood
No, I would not accept his personal endorsement. But I welcome unions, progressive organizations, leaders, people that were part of this movement to come join this campaign. But I think it is best that Graham step aside and not make himself a focus of this general election because they will undermine the effort to beat Susan Collins.
- [31:59]
Kristen Welker
You know, it's interesting because you called on Platner to drop out of the Senate race back in October after those Reddit posts came to light, as well as that Nazi tattoo, which he says he doesn't know what the meaning of that was initially. But do you think it was a mistake by others in your party to hang on so long? Should others have come to the same revelation sooner?
- [32:24]
Jordan Wood
Yes, I do. And it was not an easy decision I made in October. We have ranked choice voting here in Maine. And so one thing that Graham and I talked about on the campaign trail is that it's okay to have two aligned progressives. We're both millennial reformers running because it doesn't take away from the other's campaign. You can work in coalition. And when the first disclosure of these Reddit posts came out, I waited to see how Graham responded to them as they built. But I was not satisfied with his explanation and how long these had gone on. My husband is Jewish. We are gay. Some of the homophobic slur, I just. I didn't feel like he understood the pain he caused other people. But on the tattoo as well, I was not satisfied with his explanation. As I said at the time, I've heard rumors since early September that this tattoo existed. I did not believe it. It was shocking that that was true. But I do not believe in so many people I talk to and supporters that it does not make sense that Jordan, you would have heard this rumor before Graham knew what had been on his chest for 18 years. But to me, Graham was lying about that. And that's the big crisis we deal with here, is if you are not gonna be truthful and transparent about these transgressions in the past. I believe deeply in forgiveness and second chances, but we don't know what else you could be lying about. And it is such a risk, with so much at stake, for our country to nominate a candidate that hasn't been truthful with the people surrounding them, that are helping them get elected. Ultimately, people did not agree with me, and I stepped down to run in another seat because I do agree with Graham on the issues.
- [34:10]
Kristen Welker
Let me ask you, because Platner has yet to formally withdraw from the race, now sources are telling us that he's planning to do so on Monday. That's when the deadline is. What's your reaction to him pushing it all the way to the deadline? And are you concerned that whoever his replacement is will be challenged to unify the party, given the fact that he's really criticized the establishment of the party on his way out?
- [34:39]
Jordan Wood
Yeah, we take a different approach to this. I do think, I'm not sure why he's waiting till Monday, maybe till the process is finalized. But it's pretty well known now. But he is stepping aside. And I think there is a lot of work to do in a short amount of time to bring this party together. But I think, I believe that voters in Maine, they know me. I have campaigned across the state for a year. They know that my agenda, the platform I'm running on, has been consistent since before Graham even got in this race. People are craving a new generation of leaders, young people to run. Graham is a few years older than I am. And all of this allows me to, I do not hold resentment or any grudges that that over time I was correct. I want to bring people together, move on so that we can defeat Susan Collins. And that is what I hear from voters, supporters who asked me to stay in the race, who asked me to do this and put my name forward and I believe just uniquely positioned to do this.
- [35:47]
Kristen Welker
Jordan, you know, you call yourself a progressive reformer. Do you think this crisis with Graham Platner has set back the progressive movement?
- [35:57]
Jordan Wood
No. The movement is so much bigger than one person. And I believe that when I decided to get in this race, I was told by an establishment that I was too progressive, that I was too young. And also that Maine was not a place that was going to elect the first gay man to the U.S. senate. The last one really bothered me a lot because that's not who we are as Mainers. We're a very independent and welcoming place. We're the first state that passed gay marriage over ballot initiative. And we will prove the skeptics wrong. There are a lot of people that are saying the Senate race is lost. The people in Maine do not believe that we will come together. We will deliver change. And Susan Collins is running for her sixth term and she was supposed to run for two. People want new leadership that is going to deliver for us and stand up to Trump in his lawlessness.
- [36:47]
Kristen Welker
All right. Jordan Wood, thank you so much for joining us. We're going to track every single twist and turn. We appreciate your perspective today.
- [36:55]
Jordan Wood
Thanks for having me.
- [36:57]
Kristen Welker
Thank you so much. Coming up after the break, midterm missteps. Democrats navigate their mess in Maine as Republicans struggle to keep President Trump focused on affordability issues. The panel's next. You're watching MEET THE PRESS now. Welcome back. Joining me now is our panel, Deepa Shivram, White house correspondent for NPR John McCarthy, former senior advisor to President Biden and Matt Gorman, Republican Strategist and an NBC News contributor. Thanks to all of you for being here. Gee, I wish we had something to talk about.
- [37:35]
Deepa Shivram
It's Friday.
- [37:35]
Julie Serkin
We're so close.
- [37:38]
Kristen Welker
Let's start in Maine.
- [37:39]
Deepa Shivram
Sure.
- [37:40]
Kristen Welker
Look, you just heard my conversation with Jordan Wood, and I continue to go back to this point. Jordan Wood, one of several candidates now vying to replace Graham Platner, who's also saying, I don't want his endorsement. And that's the crux of the challenge for these candidates to embrace his policies but distance ourselves from him.
- [38:00]
Deepa Shivram
Right. I mean, and with not very much time in the equation, very much getting 2024 flashbacks here, it's a lot. Yeah. It's just such a complicated position for any of these folks to be in with that ticking time clock that we're talking about. And also just the. The fallout from everything that's happened. I mean, you've already lost so much enthusiasm and that, you know, like, excitement people had about this race for that to fall away, to kind of close that gap. And then we were talking just earlier about, like, an enthusiasm gap.
- [38:32]
Unknown Speaker (Thank you)
Right.
- [38:32]
Deepa Shivram
A charisma gap. Like, filling all of these voids now is just such a tall order that it just. It doesn't really leave exactly, like, a one path forward. That makes sense, John.
- [38:43]
Kristen Welker
You know, the thing that seems to be looming so large over this is 2024, and this, the memory of former Vice President Kamala Harris getting into the race late. Now, she wrote a book basically saying the shortened timeline is why she lost. You can debate that all day long, but there's no doubt that a shortened timeline doesn't help. How do you see this unfolding?
- [39:03]
John McCarthy
It certainly doesn't help. And, I mean, the vice president had the advantage of being the sitting vice president with near universal name id. I mean, in this race, this person's going to be stepping in and having to both define themselves. And then Susan Collins still hasn't had to have been defined for voters yet. So, I mean, they're going to have to step in and do something that's pretty, pretty massive. I do give the state party credit here, though, because I do think that that's one of the biggest differences from 2024. They've put forward a very clear process. They're looking forward to kind of bringing people into it. They want to have an open conversation about who that gets to be, which I think is a very big shift from what happened in 2024.
- [39:35]
Kristen Welker
Matt, take us inside your conversations with Republicans. How is the Collins campaign feeling right now? I mean, undoubtedly they're sitting back saying, boy, this is a mess. At the same time, she had a pretty clear playbook against Graham Platner.
- [39:50]
Matt Gorman
Well, she was running against an alleged rapist, the Nazi tattoo. So I guess there's nowhere to go but up if you're the Democrats. But also, I mean, look, they're looking also to 2024 is what the playbook is for this, too. They anticipate at the end of the month, whenever this nominee comes through, it could be a very complicated and messy process. There'll be a gush of money, there'll be a deluge of positive press. Then the real work will begin just like it did in 2024. It wasn't until really, as we were talking September, that you really started to actually have really scrutiny on Kamala Harris in the spotlight. At the initial gush of the convention, all the attention from the switch was off for a little bit. And they anticipate, I would believe, a lot of that will go in the exact same way. And look, everyone realizes it's going to be a tough race. It's not going to be easy no matter what. And I think Collins is ready for that.
- [40:35]
Deepa Shivram
I will say, like, there was an interesting thing that played out post 2024, which was the recognition that there wasn't really a lot of choice for voters. Right. This happened very quickly with Kamala Harris. It all speedballed very fast. And that was on purpose on her campaign's part. But. But in this situation, I'm really curious and really watching to see if the abundance of choice, or at least having more choice, works in favor for Democratic voters and if they come away feeling like that maybe was a positive compared to 2024.
- [41:00]
Kristen Welker
Tom, what do you make of that point and this divide that we're really seeing being tested right now? I think within the Democratic Party, there's always been a sharp divide, but, boy, this is a moment where the divide between the moderates and the progressives is quite stark.
- [41:14]
John McCarthy
Yeah, certainly. I mean, that's playing out for the party kind of across the board. And I think the. That, you know, we have a generational shift that is happening in the party. You're not just running to be the party's nominee for president or governor. You're also looking to be one of the new stars that people think and talk about, the top 10 names you think of when you think for the party. So I do think that Democrats are generally quite excited about the amount of options we have for almost every race in the country. It's a great bench and I think that's exciting. Democrats. It's a good, exciting time to be in the party.
- [41:39]
Kristen Welker
Let's talk, Matt, about what President Trump announced today, which is that he's not going to sign the bipartisan housing bill bill. He's not going to veto it either. This is something that I was talking to Congressman Mike Lawler. He says it is central to affordability for voters. I want to play a little bit of what Republican lawmakers had to say and I'll get your reaction on the other side.
- [42:01]
Matthew Weil
I suspect that the housing bill is
- [42:03]
Craig Melvin
going to become law and he'll be
- [42:05]
Matthew Weil
able to take a victory.
- [42:06]
Donald Trump
Lab court.
- [42:07]
Stephen Saenz
I did my job and I got this housing bill passed and I'm confident that the president will sign the bill eventually.
- [42:15]
Unknown Speaker (Cheers)
The housing bills reflects months of work that contain a number of policy provisions that are in align with the Trump economic policy and have been worked on by Trump officials both at the Treasury Department and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. I believe the bill will be signed into law, but he doesn't send that. Well, keep asking, Matt.
- [42:37]
Kristen Welker
Could the president not signing the law. It's going to go through, but could that be a political liability for Republicans?
- [42:45]
Matt Gorman
No, I don't. I mean, look, I'm talking to folks close to the White House. They anticipate somewhat more of this sort of thing in the next couple of years. I was talking to folks on the Hill. I think again, they're relieved that he's not vetoing this. As I understand they went to him and said, look, we can overturn this. It wouldn't be good for anybody too. But also for a guy like Mike Lawler, it gives him a little bit of separation from a president in a swing seat. So I don't think it's going to preclude somebody like a Mike Lawler. You saw John Huston there to say, look, I did this. I was a little bit independent against the president as well.
- [43:12]
Kristen Welker
John, do you think that Democrats are going to make hay of this?
- [43:15]
John McCarthy
Yeah, certainly. I mean, Democratic strategy at this point is kind of let the president be the president. This is just another self inflicted wound from him. He has the opportunity to go out there and talk about something that is on everyone's mind, affordability. It's like in the name of the bill. And he won't be able to do that now. And instead he's going to be kind of tied up in this war of choice that he's started and you know, talking about ballrooms and arches and that everything he does in that vein says that I'm concerned about myself, not concerned about you. This is a huge miss for the president.
- [43:42]
Kristen Welker
Deepa, what are lawmakers saying to you that you've been talking to about this?
- [43:45]
Deepa Shivram
I mean, I just think if you put it in perspective of a number of things that the President has said that he wants to work on, there are multiple examples where, you know, he has this agenda and then he speaks in a way or takes actions in a way that sort of steps on the toes of that agenda or steps on the toes of, you know, previous remarks he had made. I think it's going to be interesting just how voters take this, especially because, as we know, affordability is the top concern. High costs are a top concern. And housing is just, you go to places like Nevada, you go to places where, you know, voters are really, really pinched and they talk about housing more than anything else. So for lawmakers, I mean, that's the message they're going to be hearing.
- [44:20]
Kristen Welker
It is, Matt, the top issue, affordability, the top issue, how does President Trump pivot from Iran trying to find an off ramp there, not signing the housing bill to really making the case with less than four months that affordability is top of mind?
- [44:36]
Matt Gorman
Look, at the end of the day, though, I mean, look, guys like Lawler and guys like Houston are going to be on the ballot. So they, they, they need to be. Actually, the tip making that case certainly needs Trump to help. Absolutely, I agree with that. I also think with the Iran stuff, what's been telling me in the last, I would say 72 hours since the ceasefire has gone kaput is that the oil markets have been relatively flexible. And I think that could allow for the fact that if oil markets are not going haywire, $150 barrels of oil aren't happening. We could see low level kinetic activity between Iran and the US Consistently for the foreseeable future without affecting the economy writ large.
- [45:11]
Kristen Welker
Yeah. John, how do you see Iran at this point? Because the President does appear to be looking for an off ramp. We have seen gas prices come down. Yes, they ticked back up about 5 cents per gallon in one day this week because of these renewed hostilities. But how do you see this playing out? There's still four months, there's still time to some extent for these prices to come down.
- [45:34]
John McCarthy
Yeah, I mean, the President has been searching for an off ramp is in pretty evergreen statement from the last few months here. So the President has not been able to bring people along. And this, the American people still don't know why we're in this conflict. He has not defined the parameters and he hasn't defined what success looks like. So, you know, I think that as long as he's talking about this conflict, he's not talking about costs. That's going to be a huge problem for him. Yes, it's four months away, but that's not that much time.
- [45:56]
Kristen Welker
Deepa, what strikes me is the president doesn't seem to know what his next steps are going to be in Iran or whether a deal is possible.
- [46:04]
Deepa Shivram
I mean, that's just been the case from the beginning. I think the whiplash that, that we've all heard and experienced since the beginning of this war has been pretty present. And especially in the last couple of weeks, especially coming out of that NATO summit that he was at in Turkey. I think we're just at a point where we don't know and it could change literally within days. And that's just what we've been dealing with for a while now. And that puts voters in a really precarious position because they just simply don't know what to expect.
- [46:31]
Kristen Welker
Okay, guys, really appreciate it. Deepa, Matt and John, great Friday conversation. Thank you. Coming up next, growing consensus by bring together Gen Z and millennial legislators from opposite sides of the aisle. We'll have the very latest installment of our Common Ground series coming up next. Stay with us. You're WATCHING THE PRESS now. Welcome back. As we mentioned, the White House and Congress remain at a standstill with the president refusing to sign a housing bill that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support as he continues to push lawmakers to pass a voter ID bill. But amid that gridlock, a group of young state legislators, part of the Future Caucus, are gathering to discuss bipartisan strategies to address challenges in their communities and how to deliver results for the American people. Joining me now on set for our latest installment of our Common Ground series, two of those state legislators, Democrat state delegate Kayla Young of West Virginia and Republican state representatives Stephen Saenz of Georgia. Thanks to both of you for being here. Thanks to having, we really appreciate it. Let me start with you, Representative signs talk about what the Future Caucus is. What do you hope to accomplish?
- [47:48]
Stephen Saenz
Absolutely. I don't think Spain was the only one making scores today. You know, really it's a place that gives because proximity matters, especially in a relationship oriented profession like state legislators, where not professionals, we're all citizen oriented legislators. And being able to be in the room not just with those that you share a background with and a partisan connection with, but also those who represent everyone else in this beautiful union we have really gives you the ability to understand that policy perspective in a 360 way.
- [48:22]
Kristen Welker
State delegate Young, how do you see it? What do you think? What do you hope you can accomplish? And how important is bipartisanship to caucus?
- [48:30]
Unknown Speaker (Thank you)
It's incredibly important. We bring together lawmakers from all over the country and we get together based on our age, not our partisanship. So we don't even know what what party we are. We just get together and talk about policy. And we're honestly much more effective than the lawmakers that we serve with. We care about getting things done for people.
- [48:47]
Kristen Welker
Well, let's talk about one of the headlines today, the president saying he's not going to sign the housing bill. It is a bipartisan piece of legislation. State representative signs. How do you see this? Do you have any concern that it could impact Republican chances of trying to hold on to the House and Senate?
- [49:06]
Stephen Saenz
You know, one thing that I try to focus on, at least in the state House is how where is the pragmatism instead of the partisanship? And I think that I can't speak for D.C. and I very much intentionally state in a state house oriented lens. We did a lot of great success with literacy bill and it took a cross partisan effort to do that. And I hope that whether it be in housing or any other issue that our federal government needs and has to tackle right now, especially on affordability issues which both Republican households and Democrat households are feeling that that gets done. How the sausage gets made up here, I want, I'm not a content expert
- [49:42]
Kristen Welker
in how do you see this decision? Look, this is still going to become law. This is effectively the president saying he wants to pass his voter ID bill and this is his method of trying to make that argument. So the law is going to pass?
- [49:58]
Unknown Speaker (Thank you)
Yeah, it's absolutely going to pass. And I think it's just another example of why Congress remains in gridlock and remains makes voters apathetic, quite frankly. And they should really be looking to their state lawmakers to be getting things done because we are.
- [50:11]
Kristen Welker
You know, you made such an interesting point and you've touched on this, which is the gridlock here, how the sausage gets made here. How do you think people in your state perceive what is happening here in Washington? Do you get the sense that they're fed up?
- [50:27]
Unknown Speaker (Thank you)
Absolutely. They're completely fed up and they're apathetic about voting in general because of it. And I can understand why, because they want government to be a little more boring and to just function like it's supposed to.
- [50:37]
Kristen Welker
And what do you make of that? What do you hear from your constituents about what happens here in Washington and what's your message to Washington lawmakers?
- [50:46]
Stephen Saenz
Yeah, there's a level of feeling of a disconnection. But I also think, you know, just because you're, you're cross partisan doesn't mean you can't. Look at the president's focus on election integrity is a great example. My voters want to not just have a credible election, which we do in Georgia, but have faith in that election. And I think that emphasis is in the way you put it. Nothing wrong with that, but there's definitely a feeling that we need more responsib responsiveness quickly. And I agree. The state House is the place that you can get quick and meaningful solutions that Congress is just not capable of moving in that speed.
- [51:22]
Kristen Welker
One of the things that we are tracking is the divide in both parties. State Delegate Young, we're seeing this in the Democratic Party. We spent a lot of time talking about this related to the Graham Platner crisis in Maine, for example. But it does highlight this divide between progressives and moderates within the Democratic Party. How do you see this divide playing out? Is there room for both and do you think that we're seeing real the emergence of Democratic socialism and Democrats are further to the left?
- [51:53]
Unknown Speaker (Thank you)
Yeah, I think we'll see come fall. Right. We don't know exactly. Primaries are one thing, but generals are a completely different thing. I think voters and the American people want and deserve pragmatism and people that can actually get things done rather than being able to say that they're the winner of an election or the winner of a policy. It doesn't need to be red versus blue all the time. We just need to get stuff done.
- [52:12]
Kristen Welker
And state representative signs. How do you see the divide in your party? In the Republican Party where you do have, again, moderates, you have the populist, you have the more conservative members of your party.
- [52:21]
Stephen Saenz
Absolutely. In Georgia, we went through a very competitive primary for our governor, and I was excited how the results came out. And we had a person who's practical, who knows the lens of poverty and success and small business. But what we see is a very deep divide in a lot of different issues and feelings. It's when those feelings become a reducing point to getting things done that it's a negative. Our democracy is messy and ever more perfect. Union is what we're working towards. We haven't achieved it and I appreciate that messiness.
- [52:55]
Kristen Welker
Yeah. Well, speaking of the gubernatorial race, billionaire Rick Jackson won the Republican primary, poured in more than $100 million of his own money. You endorsed him. You're referencing him. How do you see that playing out? And do you think that the fact that he's a billionaire, his billionaire status helps hurts? How do voters see that?
- [53:15]
Stephen Saenz
I think going from a foster child to a billionaire in Georgia shows an American dream, a complet self made man who knows both levels of poverty. I was excited to be the first member, a committee chairman to endorse him in the state House and it was because I saw him as a future of our conservative platform. That's not that is pro family, pro compassion, but also pro free market small business enterprise.
- [53:37]
Kristen Welker
We only have about 10 seconds left, but how do you see that divide? Zoramdani told me he doesn't think billionaires should exist.
- [53:44]
Unknown Speaker (Thank you)
Yeah, I'm not sure billionaires should exist when we have kids that go to bed hungry.
- [53:49]
Unknown Speaker (Cheers)
All right.
- [53:49]
Kristen Welker
We'll leave it there. Thank you for a fantastic bipartisan conversation. Stephen Signs and Kayla Young really appreciate it. We'll be back Monday with more MEET THE PRESS now. And if it's Sunday, it's MEET THE press. I'll have exclusive interviews with Congressman Ro Khanna and Senators Lindsey Graham and Adam Schiff. There's more ahead on NBC News.
- [54:05]
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