Meet the Press NOW — July 14

Summary

Meet the Press NOW — July 14, 2026

Podcast Summary

Main Theme

This episode, hosted by Kelly O’Donnell, covers the fallout from a deadly ICE-involved shooting in Maine, broadening into the Trump administration's immigration policy, the sharp political ramifications for the upcoming Maine Senate race, the ongoing U.S.–Iran military conflict and its economic impact, and the heightened tensions around election integrity as President Trump signals a major primetime address. The guests include journalists, candidates, lawmakers, and analysts offering diverse perspectives on these urgent domestic and foreign issues.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. ICE Shootings and Shift in Enforcement Policy (01:12–06:53)

• Incident Overview:
  Two deadly ICE-involved shootings occurred in one week—the latest in Maine left Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian national, dead. He was not the target of enforcement.
• Policy Response:
  ICE suspended all vehicle pursuits nationwide. DHS Inspector General and FBI are investigating.
• Quotes & Analysis:
  • Senator Angus King (I-ME):
    "I just learned five minutes ago that ICE has suspended vehicle stops, which to me is an admission that this activity is dangerous and it cost a life in Maine..." (02:57)
  • Julia Ainslie (NBC Senior HSC):
    On policy shift:
    "It's hard to understate the shift change here... Now they're taking a completely different position saying that they are putting on pause much of their vehicle stops because they want to review these incidents..." (05:37)
    On ICE quotas and pressure:
    "This was to ask ICE officers...to boost arrest numbers, really by any means possible...That pressure has resulted in these deaths." (07:08)

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2. Political Fallout in Maine: Senate Race Impact (10:48–13:59, 14:08–22:01)

• Democratic Field:
  After leading candidate Graham Platner withdrew, at least six Democrats are vying to replace him. Many are calling for the abolition or dismantling of ICE.
• Republican Positioning:
  Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) faces pressure; attempting to maintain distance from aggressive ICE tactics.
• Local Perspective:
  • Alex Cytwal (Midcoast Villager):
    "This became an immediate galvanizing moment...All the leading candidates have...called for abolishing ICE...This is not something Susan Collins wants to talk about." (11:05)
• Candidate View:
  • Dan Cleban, Senate candidate:
    "ICE at this point has been so thoroughly corrupted by the Trump administration that it needs to be dismantled...We need an agency acting humanely..." (14:51; restated at 16:54)
    "I think their heart was in the right place...People are sick of a rigged system, and this kind of smells like that." (18:56)

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3. Broader Immigration Policy & Congressional Reactions (35:56–44:09)

• Congressional Critique:
  • Congresswoman Mejia (D-NJ) denounces ICE, supports abolition and replacement, and blasts quotas:
    "ICE agents are woefully underprepared and undertrained...a recruitment problem, a training problem, an accountability problem, and so a quota problem." (35:56)
    On removal of individuals with a deportation order: "I believe in the Constitution and the fact that every single person...has a right to due process..." (37:14)
• Midterm Impact:
  Mejia emphasizes that voters want safety and an end to "chaos in our streets," but opposes equating immigration offenses with a "death sentence." (38:05, 38:47)

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4. U.S.–Iran War and Its Economic Ripples (24:23–33:41, 53:26–55:37)

• Escalation:
  The US launched a fourth straight day of strikes, reimposed naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, and faces retaliatory Iranian attacks.
  President Trump has retreated from his plan to charge transit fees, emphasizing instead regional investments in the US.
• Key Quotes:
  • President Trump (on strategy shift):
    “The Gulf states are going to invest a tremendous amount of money into the United States. And that was very satisfactory to me. I think it’s actually much better." (25:35)
• Economic Consequences:
  • Oil prices surge to their highest since mid-June.
  • Brian Chung (NBC Data):
    "Food costs continuing to go up, shelter costs are continuing to go up...where we are seeing prices come down is in energy costs...But...prices have been nudging back up" (31:30, 33:00)
    Gas prices averaging $3.85/gallon, with analysts expecting $4 soon.

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5. Legislative & Geopolitical Notes (44:09–46:32)

• Senator Darlene Graham Sworn In:
  Lindsey Graham’s sister is sworn in to complete his Senate term, marking a historical first for South Carolina.
• Russian Sanctions Bill:
  Bipartisan bill, originally led by the late Senator Graham, targets Putin, Russian finance and energy.

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6. Trump’s Upcoming Primetime Address: Elections and Integrity (46:32–56:13)

• Context:
  Trump announces a major Thursday address, signaling a focus on election integrity and 2020 claims—citing new "findings."
• Panel Analysis:
  • John Allen (NBC):
    "I will be 1000% shocked if he doesn't say that elections in the United States are rigged, not free and not fair..." (48:09)
  • Molly Ball (Political Reporter):
    “He continues to be obsessed with [the SAVE Act]...He had an executive order on elections...struck down...I would expect all of these things to be in the mix..." (49:01)
  • Carlos Curbelo (Fmr. GOP Rep.):
    “This is extremely frustrating for congressional Republicans...Election integrity is not top of mind for most voters, especially...swing voters.” (50:59)
  • Arshi Siddiqui (Democratic Strategist):
    "This has been a running pattern by the president. The midterms are the shadow casting in a very significant way..." (52:26)
• Voting Restrictions:
  Concerns around new SAVE Act requirements—impacting women (due to name changes), states with low passport levels, and potential disenfranchisement.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Senator Angus King:
  “ICE has suspended vehicle stops, which to me is an admission that this activity is dangerous and it cost a life in Maine…” (02:57)

• Julia Ainslie:
  “That pressure has resulted in these deaths.” (07:08)

• Dan Cleban:
  “I think ICE...is just, I think, rotten to the core. It needs to go.” (16:54)

• President Trump (on Strait of Hormuz toll):
  “The Gulf states are going to invest a tremendous amount of money into the United States. And that was very satisfactory to me. I think it's actually much better.” (25:35)

• Congresswoman Mejia:
  “ICE agents are woefully underprepared and under trained...a quota problem.” (35:56)

• John Allen:
  “I will be 1000% shocked if [Trump] doesn’t say that elections in the United States are rigged...” (48:09)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Breaking News: ICE-involved shooting in Maine — 01:12
• Reactions and ICE policy shift — 02:57–06:53
• Arrest quotas and ICE officer stress — 07:08
• Maine Senate race, Democratic scramble — 10:48–13:59
• Dan Cleban interview (Senate candidate) — 14:08–22:01
• Iran conflict and economic impact — 24:23–33:41
• Congresswoman Mejia on ICE, progressive surge — 35:56–44:09
• New SC Senator, Russian sanctions bill — 44:09–46:32
• Trump's address and panel analysis — 46:32–56:13

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Tone and Language

The tone is urgent, investigative, and politically charged, matching the high-stakes nature of the twin crises (ICE shootings, Iran conflict) and the electoral volatility of a midterm year. Guests and anchors aim for clarity, often calling out policy implications and political spin, with candid exchanges especially regarding the quotas, law enforcement practices, and party dynamics.

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For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode provides a focused, comprehensive look at how rapidly evolving events—ICE shootings, foreign conflict, and political turmoil—interconnect and reverberate through law enforcement, electoral politics, global diplomacy, and voter sentiment just months ahead of the 2026 midterms. The discussion is rich in frontline reporting, insider perspectives, and brisk panel analysis, offering both breaking news and deeper context.

Transcript

[Announcer]

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[Kelly O'Donnell]

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[President Donald Trump]

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[Kelly O'Donnell]

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[Congresswoman Mejia]

It's the connections you make.

[President Donald Trump]

Without good mental and physical health, you have nothing.

[Congresswoman Mejia]

It tells me how to cook to keep myself healthy.

[NBC Correspondent]

I look at my app and I'm

[Dan Cleban]

like, wow, I didn't know I did 7,000 steps today. Start Today meets you where you are. Download the Start Today Wellness app now on your Apple or Android device. Terms Apply C app for detail.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Welcome to Meet the press. Now I'm Kelly o' Donnell in Washington. We begin with breaking news as the Trump administration grapples with the consequences of its aggressive immigration crackdown and questions about whether it is pushing agents to too far too fast after a second deadly ICE involved shooting in less than a week, this time in Maine. Both incidents involving agents attempting to make vehicle stops, both resulting in the deaths of men who were not the initial targets of the enforcement operations. Amid the increasing scrutiny, NBC News has learned that ICE has ordered its officers nationwide to stop vehicle pursuits. That's according to one current and two former DHS officials. This comes as we learn more about yesterday's shooting in Maine as well as the identity of the man killed. The Embassy of Colombia confirming that Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, a 26 year old Colombian national, was the person shot and killed in Maine. A senior DHS official familiar with the incident tells NBC News he was not the intended target of yesterday's operation, but did match the physical description of that target. Security video showing parts of the encounter and while the exact moment of the shooting is unclear, you can see the white vehicle occupied by Guerrero driving in a circle as an officer tries to grab the door. In another video, ICE officers are seen pulling an injured man from the vehicle and seeming to secure his hands behind his back. The Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General is now leading an investigation into the shooting. While on Capitol Hill, Maine independent Senator Angus King is demanding more information.

[President Donald Trump]

I just learned five minutes ago that ICE has suspended vehicle stops, which to me is an admission that this activity is dangerous and it cost a life in Maine that the gentleman wasn't even the target of the investigation. So the whole thing is just a tragedy on several levels. When you give a police force or law enforcement force like ICE a quota, which is what they've done, you have to arrest X number of people for a while. It was 3,500 people a day. Now I think it's something like 2,000. You're going to get tragic results like this.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Maine's Republican Senator Susan Collins is also speaking out about this and she's telling reporters she has spoken to Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen three times since yesterday's shooting and she says she encouraged him to halt those vehicle pursuits. We still are waiting the facts of this investigation. We don't know exactly what happened, but there are sufficient critical questions to justify

[Congresswoman Mejia]

bringing non emergency traffic stops to a halt.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

There are political implications here, too. The shooting has become a focus of Democrats and their frantic effort to find a candidate to take on Senator Collins in November's Senate election. After Graham Platner withdrew from the race last week. Six Democrats have already thrown their hats in the ring for the nomination, at least two of them now calling for abolishing ice. In the wake of yesterday's shooting.

[Dan Cleban]

We saw ICE murder people all across

[President Donald Trump]

this country and now we have in our state.

[Dan Cleban]

Enough is enough.

[President Donald Trump]

We need to abolish ice.

[Dan Cleban]

ICE in its current form has shown

[Announcer]

itself incapable of doing its job.

[Dan Cleban]

I think we are at the point where ICE needs to be abolished.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

NBC News senior Homeland Security correspondent Julia Ainslie is joining me now along with Alex Cytwal, deputy editor of the Midcoast Villager in Maine. And you may remember he's also a former colleague of ours here at NBC News. So you've seen Alex before. Julia, let me begin with you. This is an important update that you have been a part of the reporting team bringing us this today as ICE is ordering officers to stop pursuing people in vehicles. How significant is this and how long until it will be in place?

[Julia Ainslie]

Kelly, it's hard to understate the shift change here, especially not only in policy but in tone and the way that DHS is responding to this versus the way they responded to the shootings of two American citizens in Minneapolis as well as even the shooting of a man in Houston who was also in a vehicle just last week. Previously we heard about ICE saying that these were vehicle ramming incidents and that the men and women of ICE were under attack. Now they're taking a completely different positions saying that they are putting on pause Much of their vehicle stops because they want to review these incidents and find out if they need to train their men and women better on how to approach people who may be in a vehicle. Not only that, but we're also hearing from DHS that the person who was stopped, Johann Sebastian Guerrero, and became the victim of this shooting was not the intended target. They intended to arrest someone who had a final order of removal from this country from an immigration judge, and that was not him. So there's a bit of a recollecting here as they try to understand what happened and if there need to be better policies or better training in place to prevent these fatal shootings, which seem to keep happening in cars, like it did with Renee Nicole Goode, like it did with the man last week in Houston, and as it did just yesterday in May.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

And we understand that ICE has increased pressure on its officers to make sort of a quota of 2,000 arrests a day. When you consider halting these vehicle pursuits, how will that affect that goal or change that goal?

[Julia Ainslie]

It could definitely lower it. We were able to get the arrest numbers just from the last three days. It went from 1100 on Saturday to 1300, over 1300 on Sunday to over 1400 on Monday, the day of this fatal shooting in Maine. So certainly those numbers are not at the 2000 number, but they're about double what they were before this quota went in at the end of June. This was to ask ICE officers around the country not to move where they were and surge into any one city, but to boost arrest numbers, really by any means possible. They didn't need to target only the those with criminal records, but they needed to go out and get the numbers as high as they could. And people I've spoken to, even people who have been big supporters of Trump's policies and have worked for ICE and DHS under this administration, say the quota, the stress that these men and women are under, of what have led to these fatal shootings. An understanding here that people aren't getting enough days off. They're not getting the time off they requested. They're often working seven days a week, and in many cases, they're new. Remember, I, Scott Money became the richest law enforcement agency in the country with the passage of that budget reconciliation, the big beautiful bill, and they were able to hire 10,000 people in a very short period of time, and they shortened the training for that. So there's a lot of pressure on this agency now. And people I'm speaking to now say that pressure has resulted in these deaths.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

That's a lot of context. That really does help us to understand the picture, the pressure on the officers and what's happening in communities. I understand that the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General is now investigating. Is that unusual in your experience, for the IG to lead an investigation like this?

[Julia Ainslie]

They're usually the first ones to take up the hum.

[Announcer]

Kelly.

[Julia Ainslie]

The FBI is assisting, as they do, as you know, whenever there's an officer involved, shooting involving a federal agent, as there was in this case. So FBI was on the scene early yesterday and they'll be assisting the DHS Inspector general. Whether or not it rises to a criminal level would determine whether or not the IG would then refer charges or back to the Justice Department to take this any further. I will note one important exception, and that was after the death of Alex Pretty, when Christy Noem came out very quickly to say that FBI would be handling the investigation because of the fact that she had quickly said that Alex Pretty had drawn his weapon when in fact, that turned out not to be the case. And there was a sense that DHS was not equipped to handle that investigation in an independent way.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

When you raise Secretary Noem, that reminds me that we have not really seen Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen, who succeeded her in this role, yet publicly. Have you seen any information where he has commented or been seen dealing with this issue?

[Julia Ainslie]

Only what you just played, Kelly, from the two senators from Maine talking about how they've had frequent conversations with the Homeland Security secretary over the past 24:36 hours since this incident. But, no, we have not seen any statements that are attributed to Mark Wain Mullen. We have only one statement from a DHS spokesperson on the record. And other than that, we really just haven't heard as much. Remember, Mark Wayne Mullen was put into this job really to be very different from Kristi Noem. This was at a time where President Trump wanted eyes and his Homeland Security secretary not to be making the headlines that Kristi Noem became so well known for. So Mark Wayne Mullen has taken a softer approach. But don't fool, don't fool yourself or anyone should fool themselves into thinking that Mark Wen Mullen isn't part of the ramped up pressure on ice. It's coming from him. It's coming from Stephen Miller at the White House, also coming from the acting director of ICE telling people to go out and make more arrests. They might not want more headlines. They, of course, didn't want these to happen, but they do want more arrest numbers.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Really great reporting. Thank you, Julia. We Appreciate it. I'm going to turn now to Alex. And there is the political fallout of all of this. To what degree is the Senate race in Maine now focusing on this issue and maybe turning away from the Graham Platner controversy?

[Alex Cytwal]

Yeah, Kelly, this became an immediate galvanizing moment for this sprint to pick a new nominee. We have less than two weeks until the July 25 convention where that will happen ahead of a July 27 deadline under state law. All the leading candidates have been down to Biddeford or to a ICE facility in Scarborough. They've joined protest lines, they've called for abolishing ice. They've worn T shirts supporting immigrant groups. And you know, if you about how this race will work, this is gonna be an election among 600 delegates to the state convention elected this weekend at county conventions by the most active, plugged in die hard Democrats. So I think this is a place where the people who are gonna be selecting the new Democratic nominee are really looking for somebody to be bold, to be aggressive, to be active in combating this and taking the fight to Trump and to ice. And I think this is the, that Susan Collins wants right now and that's why she's been so active on this. In my neck of the woods in mid coast Maine, there's a town called Friendship that's one of the only red towns on the entire coast of Maine. The owner of the only store there was recently arrested by ICE and there was an outpouring of support in this conservative town to release him from custody. So this is not something that Susan Collins wants to talk about. And meanwhile it is an issue that, that can unite Democrats as they try to put Graham Platner behind them.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Might there be some room as a Republican who's been elected time and time again in Maine for her to focus on any opponent who would say abolishing ICE as opposed to something like reform, oversight, that kind of thing, or is that just too narrow a difference right now?

[Alex Cytwal]

I suspect we'll get there. And certainly the outside groups which have already been on air spending tens of millions of dollars, it's expected that this race will top $400 million in total spending by the end of it. I'm sure they will go there. And you know, of course, statements made now in the heat of a flash Democratic primary could be used against any Democratic candidates in November. But for now, you know, these candidates have to respond to their immediate political pressure. And in the June 9 primary, independents were allowed to vote. Unenrolled voters were allowed to vote this. Now this process ongoing right now is only open to registered Democrats. So the people that they are trying to win over right now are those 600 people who are going to be in the room on Bangor, you know, less than two weeks from now. And that's where all the focus is. And we have a debate coming up On Thursday with NewsCenter Maine, the NBC affiliate in Portland that will also, I'm sure this is going to be the lead topic and a major topic of discussion there.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

You are in the thick of it, Alex, with a real sprint toward this next time voters have their say. Thank you so much for being with us today.

[Alex Cytwal]

Thanks, Kelly.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

And joining me now is Dan Cleban and he is the co founder of the Maine Beer Company and one of at least six Democrats now seeking the state's Democratic state nomination for the Senate. Welcome to our program. Good to have you with us. Looks like you're in the office there with maybe some of your product behind you.

[Dan Cleban]

There are, how'd you guess? There?

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Yes. Well, sell what you have. Right. There are a couple of others in this race who I know you are learning their positions and certainly in this with them. Troy Jackson, Nirav Shah. They are calling for ICE to be abolished. Having a chance to address you now. Where do you stand on that issue?

[Dan Cleban]

Yeah, I mean, first I want to, I was at the vigil last night in Biddeford. It was a tremendous turnout, very somber mood. And my heart just goes out to the family of Joan Sebastian Guerrero, who was a father, a three year old and who witnessed him be shot down and killed. I can't imagine as a father of twin 15 year olds, I can't imagine what that is like for those kids. You know, I think that ICE at this point has been so thoroughly corrupted by the Trump administration that it needs to be dismantled. We need immigration enforcement, there's no doubt about that. But we need an agency that is acting humanely and that is acting like every other law enforcement agency in this country. They're supposed to be there to protect people. Instead, what ICE is doing is coming into our communities and sowing fear amongst our families and not just the immigrant community, but people who aren't immigrants amongst our small business community. My favorite bakery in Portland is owned by an immigrant. And I remember last winter her saying that she employs lawfully immigrants. Her saying that she didn't want her employees coming to work because she feared for their safety. This is not the way you go about immigration enforcement. And so I think it needs to be dismantled. Dismantled. I'm sorry. And look, this falls squarely on the front doorstep of Susan Collins. She's the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, and she keeps appropriating money to ICE without any sort of conditions put upon them. She just did it again last spring.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Let me drill down for a moment. When you say dismantling, is that abolishing, or is there some wiggle room there in your eyes about what ICE could or should be?

[Dan Cleban]

No, when I say dismantle, I think that they have been so thoroughly corrupted. ICE needs to go away. We need to rebuild a new Customs and Border Patrol ice, you know, a new enforcement agency. Again, that with a new culture to act humanely that isn't disruptive to communities. Certainly, we definitely want a strong border. And anybody who is here unlawfully and who is committing violent activities, they need to go. But ICE as currently constituted is just, I think, rotten to the core. It needs to go.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

That's interesting. Okay, so I also understand that there is a debate in this race. What is your understanding of your ability to participate and how important would that event be?

[Dan Cleban]

Yeah, I mean, look, I am not a career politician. I am the outsider in this race, much like Graham Platner was. And to date, I think the main Democratic Party has been committed to an open and fair process, and they've done a phenomenal job under. I mean, under the most difficult of circumstances in living up to that. I have heard that there is going to be a debate that is not going to allow all participants to participate, including myself. The fact that I didn't run for another race in this cycle shouldn't disqualify me or anybody else from participating in this Senate primary debate. So I hope that the main Democratic Party lives up to their commitment to an open and honest process. And I hope that the news station invites everybody. I applaud Troy Jackson for calling for everybody to be able to participate, and I hope that the other candidates do the same.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

So some concerns about the debate process, but also the nominating process. This is a sprint. How do you feel about how the party is handling it, and do you think it serves the voters best?

[Dan Cleban]

And like I said at the top of that other answer, I do think that to date, I mean, under the circumstances that were thrust upon the party, the party did not choose this. I think they've done as good a job as you can do in trying to provide an open, fair process. Obviously, it is unorthodox. It's going to be a challenge for all of the candidates, but I think their heart was in the right place and I think to date that they have done a good job, and I think they need to carry that same sort of commitment over to this debate process. I mean, people are sick of a rigged system and this kind of smells like that. People are sick of that. And at the end of the day, whoever emerges from this mini sprint primary, they need to be seen as legitimate. And I think this kind of debate process is not going to lend itself to that.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

And let's just explain to our viewers that you ran for the nomination last September and then dropped out of the race in April, citing a lack of financial resources. That hits lots of campaigns. Why do you think you can win the nomination now with this crowded field and this shortened process?

[Dan Cleban]

Actually, just quick point of correction, I actually dropped out last fall, and it wasn't because of financial restraints. I did it actually for the best interests of the party. Graham Platner had gotten into the race, I got into the race, and then our governor, Janet Mills, got into the race. And my interest has always been to beat Susan Collins. And a, a crowded, bloody primary was, I think, not going to yield the strongest nominee. So I voluntarily stepped aside to let the voters decide between Graham Platner and the governor. Obviously you might have crowded and bloody

[Kelly O'Donnell]

right now though too. I mean, it's, it's six of you vying for this.

[Dan Cleban]

But I will just remind folks, this is the race that I actually chose to run in. I didn't choose to run in other races, and I'm now hopping in a different race. My goal from talking to my wife and my family a year ago has to beat Susan Collins.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Do you think that now that Platner is out and this is a short time frame, just want to ask for the benefit of voters in Maine. Is there anything in your background that would come out in vetting that voters should consider?

[Dan Cleban]

No. I actually had a full vetting done on me prior to getting in this race because I realized that the stakes are so high we can't, I mean, unfortunately we lived through it, but I did not want to get into a race against Susan Collins and have it be jeopardized by some skeleton or some sort of October surprise. So I have been fully vetted. I've been happily married for 22 years, twin 15 year olds. I started a small business here, been doing that for the last two decades. Served on numerous community boards and trade association boards. You know, people know Dan Cleban. And so I can promise you, other than being happily married with, with kids in a successful small business, there's there's there's nothing in my background that, that I'm concerned about. I would never expose my family to this kind of brutal process if there was.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Politics is tough. It is tough. Dan, we appreciate your time today. It is full contact and thank you for sharing your views and giving voters not only in Maine, but around the country a sense of where you stand in what is one of the most talked about races. We really appreciate your time today than so much.

[Announcer]

Yeah.

[Dan Cleban]

And if people are interested more about the campaign.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Danformain.com you made the most of that. And coming up, we're going to turn our attention now to the president changing course on his plan to charge countries for passage through the Strait of Hormuz. We'll have more on what's happening in Iran today when we come back. This is Telemundo Deportes lead play by play voice Luiso Martabbia.

[Announcer]

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[Dan Cleban]

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[Kelly O'Donnell]

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[NBC Correspondent]

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[Kelly O'Donnell]

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[Congresswoman Mejia]

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[Kelly O'Donnell]

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[Dan Cleban]

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[Kelly O'Donnell]

Welcome back. We're turning now to the war in Iran, where last hour the Pentagon said it began launching yet another new wave of strikes on Iran, making this the fourth consecutive day of attack attacks as of 4pm Eastern. The administration is also now reimposing its naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. This comes as the Trump administration looks to degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. After last night's strikes by the U.S. iran struck back with attacks of its own. Iran's state media releasing this video that it says shows missiles being launched against US Target. Now, we should note NBC News cannot determine when or where that video was shot. Both the US And Iran are trying to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's army spokesperson saying that critical waterway will never be reopened through war or aggression by the US President Trump, meanwhile, saying that the US Maintains control of the strait, but this morning he retreated from his plan to place a toll on ships passing through it. The president was asked about that decision as he hosted the Iraqi PR Minister in the Oval Office today.

[President Donald Trump]

I was called by different people, different countries, kings and amirs, and all of the people that we all know and we all love. And they've been, frankly, they've been very strong partners. And they said, we'd love to do it a different way. We'd love to invest in the United States with billions and billions of dollars and continue our record setting, because we would. There's never been a time like this for the United States with the factories, with the plants, with everything else. And we would like to invest tremendously in the United States as opposed to charging a fee. The Gulf states are going to invest a tremendous amount of money into the United States. And that was very satisfactory to me. I think it's actually much better.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

He didn't reference the fact that it is illegal in international law to charge a fee in an international waterway. The latest tensions over the Strait of Hormuz is also causing oil prices prices to rise once again to their highest level since mid June. The president choosing to tout new economic data showing inflation eased in the month of May. But that was before oil prices began to tick up again. And here's more from the president on that issue.

[President Donald Trump]

The report was incredible. Inflation is way down. That means prices are coming way down and we're doing a great job. Remember that for the midterms, I say to that car, remember that, because nobody else could do it. Prices are way down. Prices are coming way down and we're going to bring them much lower.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Yet we should note that the government's data show that overall prices for consumers are not going down in any meaningful way, and prices remain significantly higher than policymakers would prefer. And joining me now, NBC News chief international correspondent Keir Simmons and NBC News business and data correspondent Brian Chung. And we're glad to have both of you gentlemen with us today to talk about this from two different perspectives here. You've been in the region. You have a sense of what the mood is like as the US Is launching the latest round of strikes. Give us a sense of where you think things stand right now.

[NBC Correspondent]

Well, Kelly, more strikes tonight, as you say, by the US Against Iran and also by Iran against its Gulf neighbors here. So the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's military corps, saying that it has launched strikes against Bahrain, which isn't far from here. Bahrain not confirming that, but Qatar, where I am condemning those kinds of strikes by Iran on Bahrain, on Kuwait, on Jordan. And then tonight, Kuwait's Ministry of Defense spokesperson saying one ballistic missile, five cruise missiles, missiles and 33 drones have been intercepted just this Tuesday evening. And you're seeing some pictures there even as we hear of more explosions inside Iran. So a fourth night, a fourth night now of this assault on Iran by U.S. central Command. We got through to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, former commander, irgc, former commander inside Tehran just before all this latest night of strikes began. And I wanted to ask him just about where we stand and what we should expect. Take a lesson. You're saying Iran, the irgc, is ready to shoot back, to fire back, and is capable of it?

[President Donald Trump]

Yes, I think everything is ready to answer. Everything is ready to attack, not just only in this area, area in this region, I think expansion of the operation

[Dan Cleban]

in the other places.

[NBC Correspondent]

Can they get back to negotiations?

[President Donald Trump]

I don't think so,

[NBC Correspondent]

Kelly. He was scathing about the potential for getting that memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US Back on track, remembering that that was signed just weeks ago.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

And it's rare to hear from someone in that role as an IIRGC commander. So that was significant. And are you getting a sense we've seen the president now changing tactics, saying that demand for a toll, that's off the shelf. He wants to have investments from nations in the region. How's that playing there?

[NBC Correspondent]

Well, I guess there will be some relief. I mean, certainly it was clearly an intervention from the leaders of countries like Qatar. We don't know exactly which leaders leaders, but you can guess, frankly, the uae, Saudi Arabia, all of them will hate the idea of a 20% toll on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which is, you know, you could take a ship from here to the Strait of Hormuz if you were brave enough at this point. Few are, they don't like it. And in fact the front page of the UAE newspaper, main UAE newspaper, talking about the tens of millions of dollars per ship it would cost to pay that that so they'll be glad that that's gone. But frankly it's small thing considering that just as we speak, Kelly, that naval blockade by the US is back on now here in this region and it's not clear when that when it will be reopened here.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Thank you for those updates. Really up to the minute on the conditions there. We appreciate it. And to turn now to Brian and all of this is happening as we're getting some new economic data and that takes us through some of the latest inflammation well maybe inflammation inflation news. Brian, tell us where are these new data points and what does it say about the state of the economy right now?

[Brian Chung]

Yeah, the inflammation as far as prices are concerned, not as bad as it was. And that was because the data that we were looking at reflected the MoU of understanding that we got in the middle of June with regards to the conflict between the US and Iran. 3.5%. That's how much prices rose in June of this year compared to June of last year. That was an improvement from the 4.2% we saw in the the May to May period. And if you zoom out, you can see on this chart ahead of you that is kind of reversing some of the unwelcome increase in inflation that we had seen since this war began in late February. It's also a pretty good improvement as you can see from that peak inflation we saw in 2022 where that rate of increase was somewhere closer to 9%. Now in terms of where where we have seen the changes in prices, food costs continuing to go up, shelter costs are continuing to go up. It's an important point you bring up that prices are not going down. On the whole, it's still a positive number number. But where we are seeing prices come down is in energy costs where prices were down by 6% over the one month period. Actually what we're talking about here are changes just between May and June. That is because on an average basis gas prices at the pump on a national average were coming down from like 450 in May to somewhere closer to just below $4 by the end of June. So that reflects this report. But again, what this does not reflect is the changes that we see now is over the last few weeks where prices, prices have been nudging back up.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Kelly that's exactly right. So the White House touting some of the information you just outlined. But because we've seen oil prices going back, how might that affect these numbers going forward in real terms for consumers?

[Brian Chung]

Yeah, well, and again, what we've seen is any time there's any threat to the Strait of Hormuz, you see oil prices spike in the markets and that means higher prices for us at the pump. So crude oil has already been going up. Currently, the average on Brent oil is almost $80. Rather, on WTI oil is almost $80. For international Brent oil, it's closer to $85. And again, what we were talking about in those inflation numbers, which seem pretty positive, was only this period of time. So in the next report, we're going to see the impact of that increase. And it's a good reason to think that this could go even higher because again, we have already seen further escalation in the Strait of Hormuz. Gas prices right now, 385 analysts saying the next stop on an average could be $4 a gallon.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Kelly, thank you for walking us through all of that. Brian, good to see you. And up next, the younger sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham is official, officially sworn in to serve out the remainder of his term. We'll bring you that unusual and special moment. Stay with us on Meet the Press. Now, How does a banana trigger a CIA backed coup? Do AirPods herald the arrival of a new global order?

[Brian Chung]

What do LED lights say about the future of humanity?

[Kelly O'Donnell]

I'm Ed Conway and in each episode

[Brian Chung]

of my new podcast, Stuff Matters, I

[Kelly O'Donnell]

take an object, crack it open and

[Brian Chung]

reveal the world shaping forces hidden inside.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

This is economics told through the things we think we understand. Search Stuff Matters on your podcast app to listen and follow.

[Congresswoman Mejia]

Honey, did you invite the minions over?

[Alex Cytwal]

Well, you know how we talked about

[Dan Cleban]

getting WI fi from Xfinity?

[Julia Ainslie]

Yeah.

[Dan Cleban]

Yeah, I ordered it this morning, was online in minutes, then they showed up.

[Congresswoman Mejia]

So they just came over to use

[Kelly O'Donnell]

the WI fi for what?

[Alex Cytwal]

Better not to know.

[Congresswoman Mejia]

Get online in minutes with same day

[Kelly O'Donnell]

WI fi from Xfinity plus, lock in

[Congresswoman Mejia]

your price for five years and see

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Minions and monsters only in theaters. Xfinity. Imagine that restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Learn [e-mail] SameDayWiFi welcome back. Democrats are renewing their calls for reforms to ICE in the wake of to deadly shootings in Maine and Texas. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling on the administration this afternoon to publicly release all information related to the shootings as well as calling for independent investigations into both incidents. Joining me now, we're pleased to have Congresswoman Mejia of New Jersey. She's a vocal advocate for immigration reform, including abolishing ice. Thank you for coming to be with us today. Now, the administration says it will stop pursuing vehicles as a part of the sort of practice of ICE officers right now. Is that enough and do you think it will be in any way able to calm things down?

[Congresswoman Mejia]

Well, I think first. First and foremost, thank you for having me on. I would say that it is clear that this requires a multipronged approach to ensure that the American people are kept safe. The bottom line is that ICE agents are woefully underprepared and under trained. It's clear they are increasing the. The encounters or violent encounters instead of de escalating. It is clear that we have a recruitment problem, a training problem, an accountability problem, and so a quota problem.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

If there is in fact a target for the number of apprehensions, apprehensions or arrests on a daily basis or weekly basis, do you have an issue with that?

[Congresswoman Mejia]

Well, I have an issue with the idea that we have rogue agents that are trigger happy and they're stopping people who aren't even the targets of the enforcement operation. How frightening is it to think that our own government is running around buckshot in our communities without actually having the correct information, the correct target, the correct training, and then in the end, it's resulting in death and murder.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Just to clarify for our audience your position. If someone is here illegally, if they've had a deportation order, do you believe it's appropriate for ICE to remove them?

[Congresswoman Mejia]

More than anything, I believe in the Constitution and the fact that every single person in these United States has a right to due process and equal protection. So I would like to see our government actually adhering to the Constitution. I believe that we to need, need to abolish and replace ice. Of course we need to have a system, an immigration system, so that we have the safety and integrity of our nation at the forefront. But the bottom line is these practices are putting every American at risk.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

You've seen that there are Republicans who are running in swing districts who are using this idea of abolishing ICE or dramatically changing its purpose as a way to appeal to their voters. How do you think this will affect the media midterms if Democrats are seen as so out of step with what others might say is a mainstream position?

[Congresswoman Mejia]

Well, actually, what I'm seeing is the American voter expressing very clearly that they do not want to see chaos in our streets. I got elected right after the incidents in Minnesota, where it was clear that the American People, whether you're a citizen or undocumented, you are an. When you have rogue agents running around our cities, trigger happy shooting people without actually ascertaining if they have the correct target. Furthermore, this, you know, violating our immigration laws or immigration systems should not be a death sentence or should not result in a death sentence. And again, this is putting the American people also in danger.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

And do you see this step of pulling back on the vehicle pursuits as a positive?

[Congresswoman Mejia]

Well, I think that they require. What we require require is de escalation training. You ask any police officer, any law enforcement agent and they'll tell you you do not put your body in front of a vehicle. You have to have certain criteria training and de escalation criteria met. And it is clear that our ICE agents do not have it. And it's putting everyone, including those agents at risk.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Another issue that is really animating, especially the progressive part of the Democratic Democratic Party, is the issue of Israel and how the US is going to interact with Israel. Hakeem Jeffries says he plans to oppose a measure to cut U.S. aid to Israel. And where do you stand on that amendment?

[Congresswoman Mejia]

The bottom line for me is that the US taxpayers, they desire to have their tax dollars go towards our morals and values. We uphold human rights. We believe in following the rule of law, international law. And so for me, I think that until we can have a commitment of upholding the fullness of human rights for every individual, whether it's individuals in Israel, Gaza, west bank, then the United States should essentially utilize their resources and funding.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Hold back the money, hold back the

[Congresswoman Mejia]

money to ensure that we are uplifting and supporting human rights.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

When you first came to Congress, when you first came to Congress, you did not support, you were non committal in whether Hakeem Jeffries should be the leader of Democrats in the House. Where are you now?

[Congresswoman Mejia]

And there is nothing off the table or on the table for me. Bottom line is that we have to show the American people that we mean business. We have had a President who is clearly moving a Democratic backslide. I think the recent action around, around the Electoral Assistance Commission shows that this President is trying to grab all the levers of power. I think that the American people, we are clear that we have an affordability crisis and what they want are their representatives to take concrete action. And what I'm looking for is leadership that will do exactly that.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Is it risky in this political environment to support the current leader of your own party?

[Congresswoman Mejia]

I think it's risky in this moment to not listen to the American people. I think it's risky in this moment to not tackle affordability. I think it's risky in this moment to pretend like we are not in the grips of again, a Democratic backslide that is led by our own president. And I think that Democrats and newly elected members like myself are speaking loud and clear on behalf of the American people who want to see real, concrete change and not just a return to the status quo.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Do you believe that the Democratic Party is changing in real time? Is the support for progressive candidates in various races where we've seen pronounced progressive candidates? Is this changing or is this just a moment within the midterms because some of the most active and passionate voters are the most engaged in the primary phase?

[Congresswoman Mejia]

I think that Donald Trump and the MAGA movement for the last 10 years have shift shifted us all the way to the right in a way that has reset at the center. And I think American voters are responding with a desire to have bolder policies. And so what may look like far left is actually a return to what would have been common sense ideas a few years ago. The idea that we should take out the profit, the profit model out of our health care system, the idea that we all should be equal before the laws, the idea that we should not have members of color Congress that are enriching themselves or the president enriching themselves instead of in their moment of public service.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

What do you think is the impact of some of these divisions or debate within the party about where they want to be on the spectrum? There are some, as critics would call them, sort of left wing bomb throwers that are making a lot of noise, getting a lot of attention. And there is this opportunity given where the president is the normal traditional swing back in a midterm election. Do you think some of this trying to identify where the party's heart is, is that harmful to accomplishing a win for the party in November or is it part of a redefining of the Democratic Party at this moment?

[Congresswoman Mejia]

I think what's happening in the Democratic Party is proving that we are vibrant and alive, that our voters are paying attention, that they have ideas and they're making demands. I think what you're seeing in the Republican Party is a bunch of scared individuals that are falling lockstep with the president that is willing to threaten them and use force, political force, against his own party. I think the Democrats, however, are in tune with the American people. We have vibrancy, we have new ideas

[Kelly O'Donnell]

even to independence when November comes around.

[Congresswoman Mejia]

I think that in this moment, what we need to do is listen to the American people. And I will tell you in the suburbs of New Jersey, what I heard is that people want concrete action that will bring down the cost of living, that they want more money in their pockets, that they want to make sure that our laws are actually equally applied and that there is tax fairness so that billionaires pay their fair share and that middle class families have a shot in thriving, not just surviving.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Congresswoman Mejia, we appreciate you coming into studio and spending time with us and talking about these important issues. Thank you so much. We really do appreciate it. Thank you for your time today. And as of this afternoon, there is a new senator from South Carolina. Darlene Graham was just sworn in to serve out the remainder of her late brother Lindsey Graham's term, the first time a sibling has ever been appointed to succeed a senator. She's also the first female senator from South Carolina while her legal name is Darlene Graham Nordic a spokesperson says she will go by Senator Graham. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of senators today unveiled a Russian sanctions bill originally led by Senator Lindsey Graham. That bill imposes mandatory sanctions on Putin as well as Russian financial institutions and state energy projects. I'm going to begin by channeling my Lindsey Graham Graham to say this is a big effing deal. Sanctions will be a decisive factor in

[Dan Cleban]

this war, throttling Putin's economy, stopping the

[Kelly O'Donnell]

flow of oil and gas revenue. It's a complex and long bill, but

[Dan Cleban]

it is true, truly a tribute to

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Senator Graham, that we are at this point. President Trump today said he would decide very soon whether he'd be willing to sign that bill. And still to come, primetime Preview. With the midterms fast approaching, President Trump is keeping his focus on elections in America and false claims of fraud as he hypes a prime minister address on the issue later this week. Keep it here on MEET THE PRESS now. Welcome back. We're turning now to President Trump's Thursday night address, which he announced yesterday, calling it a speech to the nation, but including no details about the topic. And when he was asked about this address at the Oval Office today, the president confirmed that it would be tied to the issue of elections in the United States.

[President Donald Trump]

I'd rather save it, but it's really big news. It's really, really big news. And our country has to shape up. But that's what we're going to be talking about Thursday is it doesn't get bigger because without a free and fair election, elections, you don't have a country. We'll be discussing other things, too, but it's going to be a very big announcement.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

A source familiar with the subject tells NBC News that the primetime remarks will focus in part on election integrity and some of the Trump administration's findings around the 2020 election. The address comes amid the president's renewed efforts to exert influence over elections across the country ahead of November's middle midterms and as he pushes conspiracy theories and false claims about election fraud in races that he or other Republicans lost. And now joining us is our panel. Our senior national politics reporter John Allen is here. We're also joined by Molly Ball, a veteran political reporter Arshi Siddiqui, Democratic strategist and founder and CEO of Bellwether Government affairs and former Republican congressman Carlos Curbelo. He is also an NBC News contributor. So welcome one and all. There's nothing I enjoy more as a political reporter than a primetime address, but this one is a little different, right? It's so urgent and yet we're going to wait a few days for this address and we're not sure exactly what it's all about. So let's get into this. I'd love to get a sense. John, let me start with you. What do you think the president's message is? What is his real aim here? And is there anything new in what he has to say?

[John Allen]

I will be 1000% shocked if he doesn't say that elections in the United States are real rigged, not free and not fair. And I say that because every time he's had an opportunity to talk about elections, even the ones he's won, he has said that they've been rigged by the other side in some way or another. I do not know what he will say. I am always open to the possibility that he will say something different. But it's been 10 years and I think we know what to expect from the president. There may be different information that he tries to put out there about election rigging or perceived election making, but I think that's what we're going to hear.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

And Molly, I made a reference to the fact if it's so urgent, why wait till Thursday? Do you have a sense of what the president's timing is here? And is there new information that perhaps his team has put together? Is there something that causes them to wait for Thursday?

[K]

That's really not clear at this point. We really don't know what the occasion is for this speech. But you know, as you heard from the president in that clip, he is saying that there is going to be new information, that there's going to be a big announcement, some kind of big news. I mean, a few things that we know he's fixated on the SAVE act, that he's repeatedly pushed the Senate to abolish, the filibuster to pass. He continues to be obsessed with that as recently as last week, and there's no movement there, refusing to sign the housing bill because the Senate hasn't moved on that matter and is not likely to because, as you well know, the votes are not there. But he continues to be obsessed with, with this. He had an executive order on elections, trying to change the rules on a variety of things, including mail ballots that the courts struck down in the past few weeks. And so I would expect all of these things to be in the mix of his, as Jonathan said, regular election obsessions.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

One thing that's different is that Bill Pulte has been in the role of acting director of National Intelligence for a period of weeks now. Should that give us a sense of maybe there's been some work in that area to try to find out information that relates to how elections function?

[John Allen]

Such a great question, Kelly. Again, don't know exactly what he's going to say, but I do think that you make a good point. You now have somebody new in that role who will be looking at all of the intelligence collected by the intelligence community over the course of certainly the last couple of years and even before that. And so there's always the possibility that they will present information that we've known for a long time that is not actually new, but is new to them. And we see that anywhere in a workplace. That often happens, somebody comes in, they go, oh, my God, did you know this was going on? And people go, yeah, we knew that was going on. It's not what you think it is, so we'll have to see tomorrow. But certainly a possibility. And Pulte definitely loves to tell the president what the president likes to hear.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Let me turn to you, Congressman. The idea that the president wants to do this now when we're in the midterms, Is it about the midterms? Even if it's including a look back at elections that have already been decided and in some ways adjudicated?

[Announcer]

Kelly, this is about, as Jonathan said, an obsession that the president has had almost from day one, by the way, a president who won a very close election in 2018, 2016, and won again in 2024. This is extremely frustrating for congressional Republicans who are running for reelection in a very tough environment. Election integrity is not top of mind for most voters. It especially isn't top of mind for swing voters, the ones that will decide who gets reelected and who doesn't. So while a lot of House Republicans and some Senate Republicans are a little hopeful, there's been that main controversy that's hurt Democrats. The housing bill passed without the president's signature. So you could see a narrative that they could run on and perhaps, you know, defy history here and not get routed. But with this focus on election integrity, it really does throw them off message. And you know, the president, if he really wants elections to go his way, should focus on helping these House and Senate Republicans.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Arshi, how should Democrats use this information? Is this something that runs the risk of inflaming some ideas that have been really widely viewed or debunked as false narratives about elections in the past, or does it open some doors of worry in voters today? Is there a way that Democrats can use this or just ignore it?

[Congresswoman Mejia]

Well, the fact of the matter is this has been a running pattern by the president. Right. The midterms are the shadow is casting in a very significant way. Last year there was a, there was the landmark economic bill that the president passed. He immediately turned to mid cycle redistricting and that now has resulted in 10 extra seats for Republicans where they have a much better shot. So you then move to the SAVE act, which now is in play for the newest reconciliation bill in Congress. And that again is about who votes, how they vote, where they vote. And so whether it's, you know, IDs for voting. Absolutely. But that usually is a state designation. Now we're talking about birth certificates or passports, whereas as we know, about 50% of Americans don't have passports and many

[Kelly O'Donnell]

of them live in red states that overwhelmingly voted for the president, but they don't have that documentation handy.

[Congresswoman Mejia]

Absolutely.

[John Allen]

Can I raise my hand and just say these regulations would make it a lot harder for women who've had name changes because they got married.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

Yes. Because the birth certificate was in their maiden name. Absolutely.

[John Allen]

Which affects a broad swath of the American public.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

John, let me turn to you now on the issue of Iran. In part of our program, we talked about the president pulling back from the toll idea. Now talking about investment, reinstating the blockade is the president, do you get a sense that there was pressure from other nations behind that decision to pull back?

[John Allen]

I very much get the sense of that. When you heard the president talk about it, he talked about the Gulf nation's investment in the United States, I think about that new Air force one, that $300 million plane from Qatar, the that we're not that the President is not actually using all the time right now. Absolutely. Those Gulf states do not want to see fees charged for transiting the Strait of Hormuz because that will increase the cost of their oil as it goes out. And so, yeah, I think that's absolutely. The President was alluding to that the Gulf states are pushing back on him. And they also don't want Iran to be able to make the argument that that shipping should be taxed, which is basically what Iran is doing. So if the President, President wants a moral high ground on that with Iran, it is very difficult for him to say we're going to toll it, but you shouldn't be able to.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

That could give the Iranians a future plan for someday when the US Is out of there. How do you see the issue of oil creeping back up in price? We imagine it will with a blockade back in force and how that casts a shadow on the midterms?

[K]

It's just a source of. It's a continuing political problem for the President and his party. The fact that gas prices are so high, the fact that the President has repeatedly announced resolutions to this conflict that didn't turn out to be real. I think there's a sense of frustration on the part of voters, especially considering that even before he made the choice to undertake this conflict, affordability was already the number one issue. You know, people's ability to pay for the things that they need in life was already the number one thing on most voters minds, especially to Carlos Point, those swing votes, voters who might be deciding whether or not they still like this president, that maybe they voted for last time around as they go to the polls in the midterms. So, you know, so many Republicans in Congress have been crossing their fingers hoping that the President will be successful in bringing an end to this conflict so those prices will go back down. But we don't see that happening anytime soon.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

And just the wear and tear on voters who are not invested in this conflict with Iran. Based on what polling tells us, do you get a sense that there is an opportunity, opportunity here for the President to try to do anything else? Or is this a case where it's baked in now that gas prices are higher and that this is a conflict that will last for some time?

[Announcer]

Probably the best thing they can do is try to get a couple more legislative wins out of their Congress, maybe a transportation bill permitting reform, something that the President and Republicans can then turn to the public and say, hey, we know times are a little tough, but here are some things we're doing working with the other side to try to make things better.

[Kelly O'Donnell]

And I have to leave it there. Thank you all for your insights, and we really appreciate it. And we'll be back here tomorrow for more of MEET THE PRESS now. And the news continues here.

[John Allen]

I'm Craig Melvin.

[President Donald Trump]

Cheers. Cheers.

[NBC Correspondent]

Cheers. I've always been a glass half full

[President Donald Trump]

kind of guy, and now I'm talking

[John Allen]

to some people who look at the world that way, too.

[NBC Correspondent]

Some really fascinating folks who share their differences, 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.

[Dan Cleban]

Search Glass Half Full with Craig Melton From Today on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.