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Meet the Press
Meet the Press NOW — July 3
00:49:53
President Trump prepares to deliver remarks at Mount Rushmore to mark America’s 250th birthday. Gov Wes. Moore (D-Md.) previews his speech on patriotism as Democrats aim to contrast President Trump's address. Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.) discusses the need for members of Congress to find "common ground” after leaving the Republican Party to become an independent earlier this year.
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Welcome to MEET THE press Now. I'm Melz Nona in Washington, where President Trump is preparing to escape the scorching D.C. conditions, traveling to Mount Rushmore to deliver remarks as he and the nation celebrate the United States states 250th birthday today. Also marking exactly four months to the midterms. The president's speech tonight coming a day before he speaks on the National Mall to commemorate the Fourth of July and six years to the day after his last visit to Mount Rushmore, where he delivered a fiery and combative speech during his first term and then in the midst of his reelection campaign.
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Those who seek to erase our heritage want Americans to forget our pride and our great dignity so that we can no longer understand ourselves or America's destiny. In toppling the heroes of 1776, they seek to dissolve the bonds of love and loyalty that we feel for our country and that we feel for each other. Their goal is not a better America. Their goal is to end America.
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B
Here's a live look at the National Mall, where President Trump is set to celebrate the 4th of July tomorrow with what he's calling a long speech. Events right now, though, on the Mall are closed to the public due to the extreme heat that's impacting nearly half the country. We'll have more on that in a moment. The president's address tomorrow night will be followed by what the Trump administration is touting as the world's largest fireworks show. But with the celebration comes continued scrutiny that the president is facing over his personal finances. After legal, legally mandated financial closed disclosures this week revealed that he'd earned more than $2 billion last year while president. That's more than triple his earnings the previous year and more than half of it through crypto, an industry that he and his administration oversee and regulate. The president, though, defending his income.
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C
Well, you know, I don't do anything having to do with my business. My kids run it. I put a lot of money, I had a lot of money and I have a lot of money. And I've always made, I made money. You know, I'm a business person. I'm a really good business person. I let people invest it. I don't even speak to. I don't even know who they are. But it's given to big firms like that are on your show all the time. My son Eric handles it. I don't talk to him about things such as this. I think I'd be allowed to. I'm not sure even what the status is, but I don't. And he gives it into these like semi blind trusts or blind trusts where people invest.
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B
NBC News senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez joins me now along with NBC News correspondent Julie Cirkin, who's at Mount Rushmore. Thank you both so much for joining us. Gabe, let's start with you though, at the White House because as I mentioned, the president teased that he has a long speech planned for tomorrow on the Mall. What else do we know about that speech?
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D
Well, Mel, the president is touting it as, you know, one of the greatest speeches ever. He's planning for a long speech, as you said, something that he teased earlier on this week when he was in North Dakota. He said he was going to deliver it at 107 degree temperatures just to prove that he can do it. And he's expecting a very large crowd. But I think in terms of what we know for the speech, we can expect what we saw just several days ago when he gave another speech to kick off the Great American State Fair, a speech that was thrown together at the last minute when several of the acts pulled out of the fair. But in, in that speech, it was notable in the sense that it was so short, it was very short campaign style speech where he really touted his administration's achievements over the last year of his administration was there. It sounded more like a State of the Union speech than anything else. But the president touting, of course, that grand fireworks display, record breaking some 850,000 fireworks expected tomorrow. And also he is expected to tout, you know, these military flyovers that we're expecting tomorrow night just like we saw several days ago when this Great American State Fair kicked off.
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B
Now, and Gabe, the president has attacked Democrats as quote, godless communists earlier this week. Is there any sense about whether he'll try to strike a more unifying tone at an event like tomorrow's celebration?
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D
Well, that remains to be seen, Mel. You know, during the speech he gave several days ago to kick off the fair, it he didn't use that type of language exactly, although he has significantly over the last several days ramped up his rhetoric against more progressive Democrats that have won recent primaries in New York and in Colorado. So we do expect some of that messaging to come out over the next coming weeks and months as his midterm election campaign ramps up. But it remains to be seen whether he will use such strong language in the speech tomorrow, certainly a much more wider audience. He has said he wants to celebrate America's 250th birthday. But of course, in these polarizing times, you know, it's really in the eye of the beholder what passes for unifying and what doesn't matter.
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B
I mentioned how DC could be dealing with triple digit temperatures tomorrow. Gabe, are there any concerns about that dangerous heat either for the president or for the crowd that's going to be gathered to hear him?
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D
Well, certainly there are a lot of concerns now and you mentioned it in your introduction already. The Great American State Fair has been, you know, they asked visitors to leave today till 5pm that's today now, the festivities tomorrow? Yes, same thing. People aren't being allowed in until 5pm that's later than expected. Of course, with these triple digit temperatures. And already today the DC Fire Department has told our station WRC here in D.C. that they've already dealt with several medical calls as well. And it's something that they will have to keep an eye on tomorrow, especially with so many people expected at these festivities. These record breaking temperatures now add another layer to the planning for this. And certainly there is some concern among emergency management officials about what can happen with these temperatures so high. They're urging people, of course, to hydrate as they come to the National Mall tomorrow.
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B
Yeah, no doubt. I hope you stay cool as well tomorrow. Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. I want to turn now to Julie who is over at Mount Rushmore. It looks like it's a little bit cooler, a lot bit cooler for you over there. Certainly a gorgeous backdrop. What do we know about Trump's speech tonight that he's planning to make.
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E
I mean, look at this. It's a picture perfect day here. It is not as hot as it is in D.C. so I'm sorry about what you and Gabe are dealing with over there. But there is a drought concern here and a concern that there could be a wildfire risk. That's why over the last several decades, fireworks here at Mount Rushmore have been few and far between after 2009. But the President brought it back in 2020. That's the last time, as you mentioned, we heard from him here. And he's going to come here again tonight, marking the nation's 250th birthday with the four presidents carved into St. Behind him. There's going to be a flyover. The military bands are playing. I spoke to some folks who've traveled here, Mel, from far and wide, Ohio and Florida, and they're hoping the president strikes a unifying message tonight, a unifying tone. But we do know that this event is put on by Freedom250. It's the public private partnership that is backed by the president. And the events that we've seen put on by that organization versus America 250 have tended to garner a more partisan tone when we heard from the president. So we'll see if he manages to strike a unifying one tonight.
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B
And as we mentioned, during his last visit to Mount Rushmore, he was locked in a heated reelection fight. It was in the midst of a global pandemic. Does the Trump administration plan to note that 2020 visit tonight?
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E
Well, you can expect that he might reference it again. This is a place that he loves, Mel. He has a lot of reverence for it. He appreciates the monument and what these sculptures stand for, the four presidents that they mark as well. And the last time he was here in 2020, it was not only Covid, it was the George Floyd protest. There was a lot of push to the president coming here in the middle of a pandemic. It was also months before he lost his reelection bid in 2020. Now, coming here in a different way, I talked to some of the officers and branches of military that are involved here. They've been practicing and planning for this for more than a year. We know this also comes on the eve of his remarks tomorrow in Washington, D.C. but certainly this is going to be quite a sight tonight with the fireworks behind him and the president looking to make some remarks and comments when he arrives here, Mel.
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B
And we also know he's joked about putting his own face on Mount Rushmore. But it looks like it's not there quite yet. Julie Cirkin, thank you. As we just noted, the National Weather Service is warning that temperatures here in Washington could feel like 177 degrees tomorrow as a historic and dangerous heat wave continues to grip much of the country. More than 150 million Americans are under heat alerts right now with temperatures approaching or surpassing triple digits and heat index values reaching up to 115 degrees. Meteorologist Ryan Hanrahan joins us from NBC Connecticut. Ryan, thanks again for joining us today. Tell us, when will this heat wave reach its peak and how vast is it?
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F
Well, it's stretching through a long duration here. A long air, a big area from New England all the way back into the Midwest. Temperatures near record levels. We're at 96 degrees in New York. The heat index, the feels like temperature with the humidity, 104. Baltimore's at 100. That feels like temperature. Heat index 109. And in terms of relief, well, there's not much to be found tomorrow. Still close to 100 in New York, 101 in Norfolk, Virginia. Look at that heat index 113. Temperatures even back into the Midwest still in the 90s. We're looking at 93 in St. Louis, 96 in Knoxville and 95 in Memphis. Now there is a little bit of relief as we head toward the second part of the weekend. Sunday, Boston is down to 80. It's going to feel pretty good. 70s for Monday and Tuesday. D.C. does cool down a little bit, but still pretty warm Monday and Tuesday, upper 80s. But once you get into the mid Atlantic and down south, the heat doesn't really break at all. Raleigh 103 on Sunday, 101 on Monday and then temperatures in the mid 90s by Tuesday. Now with the heat and humidity, of course, we get some summertime thunderstorms. Got severe thunderstorm watches in effect for this evening from just west of New York City across portions of Pennsylvania. Also have a severe thunderstorm watch in effect across northeastern Illinois, near Chicago, parts of Indiana and Michigan. And we are talking about the potential for some strong gusty thunderstorms through this evening and into the day tomorrow as well. That severe weather risk for July 4th for Independence Day stretches from New York on down into the mid Atlantic. We're looking at the potential for wind gusts over 60 miles per hour, a large hail and right now the tornado risk looks low. But any thunderstorms for those Fourth of July celebrations and fireworks are going to create some issues. So in terms of sale, four things tomorrow in New York, we're talking about a hazy, hot and humid morning sunshine, temperatures in the low 80s. By afternoon, we get up close to 100. But we are looking at a threat for some thunderstorms which could impact the fireworks by tomorrow evening. So your fireworks forecast, We've got a storm risk from New York City on south through Washington, D.C. scattered storms across the Midwest, temperatures near 80 in Chicago, and then a couple scattered storms down south near Florida. Melissa.
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B
Ryan Hanrahan, thank you. And Speaking of the Fourth of July, NBC News will have all day coverage of America's 250th celebration. Tune in for a special edition of Today followed by exclusive coverage of the Sail 4th Tall Ship Parade in New York, plus NBC Nightly News from Washington, D.C. stream it all live right here on NBC News. Now, coming up for US Politics and patriotism, some high profile Democrats look to counter program President Trump's July 4th address with a message of their own. One of those Democrats is Maryland Governor Wes Moore and he joins me in studio next. You're watching MEET THE press.
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B
Welcome back. As President Trump prepares for a pair of speeches today and tomorrow to mark the nation's 250th anniversary, Democratic leaders are also marking the occasion with speeches of their own, looking to provide some counter programming to the president while defining patriotism in their own terms. Maryland Governor Wes Moore will deliver remarks around the same time as the president's speech in D.C. tomorrow. And today, New York City Mayor Zorra Mamdani speaking hours before the President's remarks at Mount Rushmore. Surrounded by recently naturalized citizens, you each
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K
hold a special power, the power to determine what America means. The powerful have always known their answer. America, they will tell you, belongs only to those with the right accent or the right shade of skin. The rest of us, they insist, should be grateful for merely being allowed to visit how small they are, how weak, how unoriginal. At every moment in our past, those who led through exclusion and isolation have tried to win power and enrich themselves by turning us against one another. Division is the oldest trick in politics and the cheapest. But time and again, including 250 years ago, those forces of division have been vanquished by the forces of progress.
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B
Joining me now on set is Maryland Democratic Governor Wes Moore. Governor, thank you so much for joining us today.
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D
My pleasure.
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B
I know you have a big day tomorrow. You are set to deliver a speech on on July 4th. What are you hoping to accomplish with that speech?
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L
Well, we're going to talk about the work of patriotism. And you know, this is a celebration of 250 years of the greatest experiment in world history. There was nothing like it before and there really hasn't been anything like it since. Where this is a country that has fought for each other and has fought for an ideal. And the work of patriotism means that we have an obligation to be able to protect each other and take care of each other. So that strength and that sacrifice and that service has been the foundation of this country for 250 and I'm going to talk about how that has to be the foundation for the country's next 250.
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B
You mentioned to Politico that you don't think the president is capable of meeting the moment of the 250th anniversary. What made you say that? And why do you think you are capable of meeting the moment?
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L
Well, I think his actions made me say it. When. When he said that he wanted to turn this into a political rally, when he said he wanted to use this opportunity to talk to his base, it helped me to realize that this is just a continuation of the fact that I think he is uniquely uninterested and disinterested in actually bringing the country to, as in Psalm 61, where it says, bring us to a rock that is higher than I. And so I think it is important that we do not miss this moment as a country to talk about patriotism. And patriotism is not political, it's not partisan. It is just simply saying there is a uniqueness to this country that we all have an obligation to protect. And that's what the message for tomorrow is going to be.
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B
Will your message not be partly designed to cater to your base as well?
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L
No, because the message is going to be designed to cater to. To not just Marylanders, but. But to this country to remind us that there is a power in this. That. That you know that I am going to be giving an address as the first African American governor in the history of the state of Maryland from a state house that was built partially by the hands of enslaved people. That there is a complexity of this country's history. But our job is to understand it, embrace it, to talk about and to celebrate the remarkable patriots who have been willing to fight for the hope of us and to know now we have a responsibility to fight for the hope of those who will come after us. And that is not a political conversation. That is a patriotic conversation.
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B
Are you worried at all, though, that having a counter programming speech could further fuel divisions?
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L
No, because I don't see this as counter programming against the President. I see this as helping to fill a void. You know that I think it's our patriotic responsibility that when we see darkness, it's our job to introduce light. That when we see cynicism and naysaying that it's our job to introduce hope. And I think that's what we've been trying to do inside of the state of Maryland. And also where I'm very clear, I'm serving not just Democrats, but Republicans and everybody in our state. And it's our job to make sure that on the celebration of 250 that we do the same thing for everybody.
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B
Some people may view the speech tomorrow as a way that you could sort of position yourself for a future presidential run. So I do want to ask you about your own political future. I know you said on Meet the Press last year that you were ruling out a presidential run in 2028 and that you would serve a full term. Is that still the case today? And is a 2028 run completely off the table?
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L
Yeah, I mean, I'm laser focused on on November. I'm up for reelection this year.
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B
What about after November?
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L
Well, I tell you, we feel very good because I think we have really important story to tell inside of Maryland. But the thing I also am clear about is this, is that I think for anybody who is looking at 2028, when we're seeing what is happening in 2026, for me that's disqualifiable. You know, we have seen how in Maryland, We've had over 31,000 people fired by this Trump administration in a year, federal workers that we have seen how We've had over 180,000 people now at risk of losing their health care, you know, children at risk of losing their food assistance. I am locked in on making sure we're protecting our people inside of this moment. And I just believe that my focus is on 2026. And for anyone whose focus is on 2028, I think that your eyes not on the ball.
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B
So maybe we'll have this conversation after November. I do want to ask you about Michigan. You were just there this past weekend campaigning with the gubernatorial candidate, Jocelyn Benson. There's another really important race happening in Michigan, and that's the Senate race. There's an open primary. Democrats are going to pick who they're going to send to the general election. Where do you stand in that race?
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L
Well, as you said, I think Michigan Democrats are going to pick where they go. I mean, the reason that I was there in Michigan supporting Jocelyn Benson is both because she's an extraordinary candidate, but also because I understand the role of governors. You know, I am going to to fight to make sure that we have good, strong candidates as governors who make it across the finish line. Because in many ways, while Washington, while Washington debates, governors decide. You know, governors are the ones who have to make sure that we're focusing on creating pathways for work and wages and wealth for the people of our states. Governors are the ones who are making sure that we can do things like not only balance budgets, but also have budgets that actually match our aspirations. I feel a great deal of confidence in Jocelyn Benson, who, you know, who I not only is a friend, but I know has the right type of vision to lead Michigan forward. And I was proud to campaign for her and I look forward to getting back there again.
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B
Do you have any concern about whether Abdul Al said he's the progressive candidate in the race if he does win the primary, that he might not be well positioned to win in a battleground state like Michigan?
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L
No, I think elections are all about the candidates being able to make their case. And I don't think it's about an ideology. You know, I think about happened in Maryland where in Maryland we had an election the same day that New York had it. And I endorsed a whole slate, a leave no one behind slate of candidates in Maryland. And there was not a political tie that connected them. What they all connected to though, and what the prerequisite for me to get on my slate was that are you ready to disrupt the status quo? Are you ready to go in and say the way things are working right now are not working for working families? So we've got to be able to do different. We've got to be able to focus on work, wages and wealth, and we've got to focus on getting things done. And our slate was wildly successful in Maryland and had nothing to do with an ideology. And that's where I think people are. Where people are just, they're not focusing on the political back and forth and titles. They're focusing on who's focused on me. And the candidates that are doing that, I think, find themselves to be successful.
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B
Some of those candidates who find themselves successful have been Democratic socialists. We saw that in New York, saw it in Colorado. Do you think the Democrats should do a better job of embracing those types of candidates into the party?
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L
I think Democrats would be doing themselves a disservice by saying who does not belong. I think right now Democrats have got a. I know there's a lot of folks who are focusing their energy on saying what's wrong with Donald Trump or what's wrong with this candidate or what's wrong with that accept of the party. I'm focusing on what's right with the people of our jurisdictions and making sure we're trying to do what's right for them. And that's why I think that our message resonates that, you know, when, when we're focusing on things like as we've done in Maryland, giving the middle class a tax cut by we're focusing on things like making sure that we can have a balanced budget four years in a row. We're focusing on things like making sure we can put money back in people's pockets. We're focusing on things that are actually helping to bring real economic relief, adding over 55,000 new businesses while raising the minimum wage. That's results. And that's why what we're saying is resonating, but not because we represent a specific section of the Democratic Party. I think our focus is, our focus should be on results.
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B
And real quickly, just how confident are you that you'll be able to actually redistrict in the state of Maryland?
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L
Oh, well, I'm confident where you're going to be coming back for a special session and I will be calling a special session. We will be coming back in the state of Maryland. And I do think it's important because I think the people of Maryland have been very clear. We are watching our democracy under assault like we have not seen in our lifetimes. And going back to what we said before, there are people who came before us who are willing to fight and bleed and die so we could have the right to vote. And they're now looking at us and saying, now what are you all willing to do to keep it? And this becomes a moment when we have a president who is trying to everything in his power to be able to rig elections and be able to alter results of elections. It is our responsibility that if parts of the country are going to have a mid decade conversation about maps, then why should Maryland or anyone else sit on our hands? So we're going to do this.
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B
Governor, thank you so much. We really appreciate your time.
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L
Thank you so much.
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B
Up next, Independence Day. A House lawmaker reflects on his decision to drop his party affiliation amid intense polarization on Capitol Hill and become an independent. Stay with us on MEET THE press. Now.
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welcome back. Pope Leo, the first American Pope is speaking out on the eve of America's 250th birthday, his first major address to his home country, choosing to praise its long history of welcoming immigrants in these past 250 years.
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L
For so many peoples throughout the world, it was the firm resolve to achieve the noble vision of the nation's founders that made America a byword for freedom as the country opened its doors to successive ways of immigrants, enabling them and their children to play their part in shaping the future of the nation.
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B
Joining me now is our small but mighty panel on this holiday Friday, Antwan Seawright, Democratic strategist and president of Blueprint Strategy. And with me here on set is Republican strategist Ashley Davis. She's a former White House official in the George W. Bush administration. Thank you both so much for joining us. Happy Friday. Happy Taylor Swift wedding day for all you who celebrate that one. But I do want to start with what we talked about up there, which is the Pope. Antoine, what do you make of the pope's message to Americans?
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O
I think it's a very consequential and timely message here in this country. Just a few days ago, the nation's highest court reaffirmed a fundamental truth and belief that we've always had in this country. If you were born in America, that makes you American. Certainly, I think it was a blow to the agenda and to the, quite frankly, the thinking of the MAGA movement or the modern day Republican Party who've tried to rearrange the conversation about who we are as Americans. America is a story that features immigrants and we are a country that is made of immigrants. And I think the Pope's message reaffirms that. And hopefully it is a uniting message that Democrats and Republicans can stew on for generations to come.
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B
And Ashley, there's been a bit of a feud, so to say, so to speak, between the Trump administration, the president and the Pope how do you think that this speech is going to play into that feud?
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P
Well, I'm really hoping the president doesn't respond because we do not need another little tiff between the two of them. And I think that the president did get a lot of pushback last time he did that. But look, I. We've always had Popes lecture the U.S. i mean, their job is about humanity, about spirituality, about religion. And I remember under my days with the Bush administration, when Iraq and Afghanistan, he got in trouble by the probe all the time. But on this situation, America is made up of immigrants. That's what's so wonderful about it. And I think that what the difference is is that the president has to protect our country, too. So it's good for legal immigration, but we have to do everything legally.
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B
You said you hope he doesn't go after the Pope. Are you watching the speech tomorrow, looking for any signs that he might be on the partisan side of things, or are you hoping that he's going to strike a more unifying tone tomorrow?
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P
I mean, I hope so, but I mean, we all know, and we've had this, we've listened for six years now of different speeches of the president. And I think that it's going to be something that he will probably walk a fine line on. He's going to celebrate America, which he absolutely should, But I think he'll also probably get some jabs into some people.
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B
Do you think catering to his base is what's going to matter most to him, though, tomorrow?
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P
I hope not. I hope what he's been doing, you know, with riding the, the train and today with Mount Rushmore, I mean, I really hope. I mean, who knows and who can protect, predict. But I really hope it is Trump that he is celebr our country, the 250th birthday that she deserves.
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B
Antoine, I want to bring you into this conversation. When President Trump visited Mount Rushmore for the fourth of July celebration. Oh, we lost Antoine. Okay, then. Actually, I'm going to keep it here with you. I don't know if you heard my interview with the governor. He said his speech is to serve as to, you know, bring the Democrats together, bring the nation together. That Trump isn't up for the job of meeting the moment for the 250th birthday celebration. I mean, do you see his speech, though, as perhaps motivated to boost his own political standing?
- [30:59]
P
Of course. I mean, as he should. I mean, I think that there's going to be a lot of speech. There's really only two, I guess tomorrow Moore's as well as Madame Donny. But I think that if you're running in 2028, you're going to try to do the counter programming to the president. One thing that you can never say about President Trump, though, is he loves our country. His base loves our country. I mean, so no matter. I'm not saying Democrats don't love our country, but I do think that that's a criticism. I was listening to the interview and completely understand from a political point why Wes Moore is doing this. And fine, let him do it. However, some of the arguments that he was saying about the president, about our country is not true.
- [31:40]
B
Well, Antoine, I hear we have you back now. Are you with us? Can you hear me? Okay, great. I want to get your reaction to Governor Westmore. I really pressed him on whether he was going to run for president in 2028. He said, you know, this is a conversation to have after November. I'm just leisure focused on 2026. But what did you make of what he said and just the fact that he is giving a counter programming speech tomorrow?
- [32:03]
O
Well, a number of things. First of all, Donald Trump has made America's 250th celebration about him. And I think that's why so many people have been turned off by some of the activities in and around America's 250th celebration. When it comes to Donald Trump, we've seen this time and time again. There's no interest like self interest. And when you say the president loved this country, this president, then that means he should love everyone in this country and all the things about this country and keep this country on the journey towards progress, not necessarily perfection. If you look at how he's chosen to govern, if you look at how he's chosen to use certain words and how he's divided this country, then there's a serious argument of how much love the president has for this country as it relates to Westmore. I think Westmore represents a generation of candidates. He also represents, I think, the quality of candidates that Democrats have on the ballot in November and for elections to come. You're talking about someone who put on that uniform, who represents what patriotism is all about. And I'm very proud that we are grabbing the microphone back and amplifying the fact that Democrats, too, love this country. We too believe in patriotism. We also believe in the American story and the American journey Republicans have hijacked that they somehow made people think that GOP means God's only party and GOP means only God's only patriots. That's certainly not true. And I think we need to see more Democrats talking about freedom, patriotism and their love for country and how they want to make this country better than it currently is. And lastly, I'll say arguably there's a serious argument to be made that because of Donald Trump, our country has gone backwards in so many ways with the progress we have made throughout the 250 years in this country.
- [33:48]
B
Antwan, do you think Wes Moore will end up running for president in 2028?
- [33:52]
O
I think Wes Moore understands the fierce urgency of now of this moment. And I think he ultimately understands that in 2026. That's our fix. In 2028, we'll get it straight. But you can't get to 26. You can't get to 28 or 27 until we deal with 26. He's got to be reelected in Maryland. And certainly I think he's going to be an asset in helping our candidates up and down the ballot in other places around the country.
- [34:17]
B
Antwan and Ashley, thank you both for joining us again on this holiday Friday. After the break, a very different kind of July 4th gathering as NBC News goes inside Tehran, the view from Iran's capital, where preparations are underway for a massive state funeral for the late supreme leader set to begin tomorrow. Keep it here on MEET THE PRESS now. Welcome back. Turning now to what's been an Independence Day tradition on this program as we mark the holiday with a look at independence in America. See what we did there. According to recent polling, the number of political independents is at a an all time high with nearly half of Americans identifying that way in 2025. But despite that, there are currently only three independent lawmakers in Congress, Senators Bernie Sanders and Angus King. And as of this spring, Congressman Kevin Kiley of California, who decided to leave the Republican Party in March following redistricting in his state. Joining me now is Congressman Kevin Kiley of California. Congressman, thank you so much for joining us on this holiday Friday. I want to start by talking about that dichotomy because according to that polling, the number of Americans identifying as independents is at an all time high. But as we mentioned, there's only three independents in Congress. Why do you think that is?
- [35:41]
Q
Yeah, it's a great question. There's three in Congress. There's I'm the only one in the house out of 435 members. In fact, I'm the first independent in the house since 2019. So you could certainly argue that independents are sort of the most underrepresented demographic in America today, when it's up to half the country identifying, not identifying with one party or the other, and yet only one representative. I think it's a reflection of just how entrenched the party system has become in this country. All of the rules are geared towards forcing you to choose one side or the other. But increasingly, that's just not where Americans are at. And frankly, I think people are just looking for a little more common sense, less partisanship, and maybe on this 250th anniversary to spend more time remembering what unites us as Americans rather than what divides us.
- [36:27]
B
I know you've said you left the party because you felt like things got too partisan in Congress, but some of your critics say the only reason you did this was as a way to win re election under California's new maps. What do you say to that?
- [36:39]
Q
Well, that was my goal. It wasn't necessarily the most surefire strategy. There's been exactly one independent election to the US House in the last 70 years. I actually had the opportunity to run in a safe district if I had stayed with the Republican Party. But I thought that would be making things worse. That would be exploiting the gerrymander, that would be worsening political divisions in this country. And I wanted to make them better. And so I took the road that is, you know, much, much, much less traveled. I decided to stay to represent my home district despite. Despite the gerrymandering scheme and to say that, look, if gerrymandering is elevating partisanship above everything else in our politics, then maybe the solution is just to put partisanship aside. And that's how most offices, by the way, are elected in this country today. When you look at mayor, city council members, school board members, district attorneys, these people are not elected as Democrats or Republicans. They're just represented to do a job, and then they do that job. And I think, frankly, we could use a little more of that approach in Congress.
- [37:34]
B
Since you've become an independent, has anything changed for you in these last four months, whether it's back home in your district or in the halls of Congress?
- [37:43]
Q
Well, for me, I've always approached my role, even when I was affiliated with the Republicans, as being an independent voice for my district. So I think most people just see this as a natural evolution of that. And I'll tell you, I've gotten just tremendous feedback from people on all sides, even from people who identify as Democrat or Republican, who think that, you know what, maybe things have gotten a little too dogmatic. The gridlock in Washington has gotten out of control. The hyper partisanship seems to just be getting worse and worse and worse. And maybe this is time to have a larger role for independence in Congress and for frankly, not having as much political division in this country. And so I think that it's been a very good response. It's putting me and put me in a unique position, I think, to be able to have influence in Congress and deliver for my district. And I'm hoping that if we're successful, and I think that this is an election that we very much can win, then it'll be something of a blueprint and we can see others start to do the same so that it isn't so rare and the half of the country that is independent isn't so underrepresented anymore.
- [38:42]
B
Have you heard from any colleagues who are considering going independent or want to go independent?
- [38:48]
Q
I heard one who said that he would, if this is Brian Fitzpatrick, if his party, if his state had open primaries. And so that's part of the issue is that both in terms of the rules within Congress and then in the way that the political system is set up, everything is geared towards benefiting the two parties. And so we're trying to create a different model here, or maybe we can show that there is a path not only to become independent but to win reelection as an independent. As I said, that's only happened once in the last 70 years. But I think we really have a chance to make history here. And if we do, then I think it would be an important step for the country.
- [39:26]
B
In the last few months, we have seen the left flank of the Democratic Party notch some key primary wins while Trump endorsed MAGA candidates have ousted incumbent Republicans who rebuked the president. Where do you see Congress heading after these midterms? And are you concerned that the polarization and gridlock could get even worse in Congress?
- [39:45]
Q
Oh, absolutely. I think it is getting worse and that this redistricting war is going to make it worse as well. As we have one state after another that's decided to redraw their map in order to benefit one party or the other. And I think you're going to see folks who are willing to work across the aisle become more and more of an endangered species in Congress if we continue to go down this road. But we don't have to go down this road. I've introduced legislation to bar mid decade redistricting and I'm working on legislation to end gerrymandering in this country once and for all. And more than that, I think that, you know, this is A moment where we could have perhaps a cultural change, you know, where things have just kept getting worse and worse and worse. And the vast majority of Americans say they're incredibly frustrated by it. Congress has a 10% approval rating. Pretty much anyone will tell you that the country is simply too divided. And so I think that that's maybe the opportunity we have right now with America 250 to remember our founding principles, to remember the things that unite us, remember our founders. You know, if you read about our, the founding era, they were often, you know, going at it pretty intensely. There were a lot of charvel. Those politics was pretty vicious in that day. But it all took place upon this common shared foundation that we're beginning this great experiment in self government. We're beginning, you know, something that's really never been done before. And that was kind of the common thread. And so I think that that's what we need more of in our politics is remembering that the shared values that we have and then saying that whatever our differences might be on this issue or that issue, we need to remember what the common thread is that unites us.
- [41:16]
B
Do you think the President has embodied that ethos?
- [41:20]
Q
I think that all of us, frankly could improve. And I'm not exempting myself from that either. Certainly I, I would not agree with a lot of the things that, that he said, but I could probably make the same statement for almost all of us who are in Washington D.C. these days. I think that part of the issue that we have right now is that so much time is spent in politics. Pretty much it's the sole focus in DC of blaming one side or the other for our problems as opposed to actually trying to find solutions to those problems. And so I think that's the fundamental paradigm shift that we need to is let's take a common ground oriented approach, a solution oriented approach. And I think when that happens, sort of a lessening of the rhetoric and the political divisions and the sort of elements of this being perceived as a zero sum team sport that will start to go away when we shift the paradigm towards finding common ground, finding solutions rather than casting blame.
- [42:16]
B
Congressman Kiley, thank you so much.
- [42:20]
Q
You bet. Thanks for having me.
- [42:21]
B
Turning now to Iran, NBC News has learned that US Officials raised concerns with Iran that Israel might try to assassinate Iran's negotiators during recent cease fire talks. According to both American and Iranian officials, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's office responded to the reporting first published by the New York Times saying, quote, as usual, the New York Times latest story about Israel and the Iranian negotiators in the fake news, a complete fabrication of reality. Meanwhile, in Iran, major preparations are underway in Tehran for the upcoming funeral of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint U. S. Israeli strike in February. NBC News is learning that his son Mosheba Khamenei, who took over as supreme leader and hasn't been seen since being injured at the start of the war, is not expected to attend the funeral of his father. NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel is in Tehran and has more.
- [43:18]
R
Security here in Tehran is tight as preparations are underway for a massive state funeral and procession here in Tehran for the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint U. S. Israeli operation on the first day of the war. The mayor of Tehran says this could be perhaps the biggest public gathering this city has ever seen. Organizers are expecting 15 to 20 million people to come to Tehran to pay their respects to the late supreme leader. Right now, his body is lying in state being visited by dignitaries. Tomorrow that will be open to the public. And then Monday is the big event when millions of people are expected to gather in the streets here in Tehran. And preparations are underway to make sure that they all have water, that they will have places to stay. People are being told if they arrive in the city to just leave their cars on the highways, turning them into parking lots and to just come into Tehran by foot or on public transport. All public transport has been made free. This will be an enormous event. Some foreign dignitaries will have flown in. The airport is open. Public services are functioning, water power. So for many Iranians and particularly for the Iranian government, this is a state funeral, but also something of a victory celebration.
- [44:43]
B
Thanks to Richard for filing us that report. Still to come, stars, stripes and cement. From a gilded oval office to a massive White House ballroom and a multimillion dollar reflecting pool project, we're taking a deep dive into the historic remaking of Washington in the age of President Trump. Stay with us on MEET THE PRESS now. Welcome back. We turn now to the dramatic overhaul underway in Washington by President Trump. And we're not talking about politics or policy. As folks in D.C. are well aware, the president has pushed a number of construction or renovation projects, sometimes in controversial or legally questionable ways. The latest project this week, active construction and apparent cement pouring, could be seen on the White House South Lawn. It comes after NBC reported in May that the White House was considering adding a helipad for Marine One. The White House, though, will not confirm the installation of a helipad. But it's potentially the latest project in the president's effort to remake Washington in his own image, an effort that began in earnest at the White House with the gilded renovations of the Oval Office and White House colonnade. There was also the paving of the Rose Garden and, of course, the demolition of the historic East Wing to make room for the president's much discussed ballroom. The president has also set his sights beyond the White House. There are renovations underway to the Kennedy center, although his effort to put his name on the building was struck down by a judge. And the reflecting pool was resurfaced last month. But algae peeling and arrests have put the success of that project in limbo. The president is also moving forward with a triumphal arch near Arlington Cemetery, among other projects. Joining me now is Dan Diamond. He's a White House reporter for the Washington Post, and Philip Kennicott, an art and architecture critic at the Washington Post as well. Thank you both so much for joining us. Dan, let's start with you, and let's talk about the big picture here. We didn't see this kind of urge for construction in the president's first term. So what does it tell us about his focus in his second term?
- [46:52]
S
Well, Melanie, first, good to see you. I think that there are a few things behind this, this push. First, the president in his second term knows how to get things done, or at least the people around him know how to get things done in Washington in ways they didn't know the first time. And as part of that, President Trump has fired slates of arts commissioners and construction czars and put in his own deputies who have expedited these projects. So that has helped make some of these a reality. I also think we know he thinks he's good at this and he enjoys it. So these are things that he very much wants to do rather than, say, get into the weeds of some of the policy battles, some of the talks about health care policy or economic policy that other Republicans want him to be focused on ahead of the midterms. And lastly, this is a president who he knows, we know he's in the later chapters of his life. He's 80 years old. He's looking to leave a legacy. And what more of a legacy than a physical legacy, building things in Washington that have his fingerprints on them.
- [47:51]
B
And Philip, we highlighted some of the projects that required some sort of demolition of the previous structure, like the ballroom. But the president has also touted a lot of the cleanup work he's doing in Washington including some of the fountains like Columbus Circle Fountain, which is in front of Station. Frankly, I didn't even know there could be water in that one. It's been so long. Are some of these efforts a net positive overall for the city?
- [48:12]
T
Well, I think Washingtonians are happy to have their parks and their fountains operating again. You know, Washington's a strange city where you have a lot of federally controlled land, and so the city itself can't necessarily do this and a lot of lot of maintenance backlog. And the federal government has really left these parks in a pretty bad state. So, yes, it's great to have those back online. People outside of Washington may not be so enthusiastic, however, because the funding for that is likely being taken from other parts of the National Park Service. And that, you know, the impact of that may be seen farther down the line.
- [48:44]
B
And Dan, there's also Trump's next project, which is the East Potomac Golf Course. Yesterday, a judge said she's not likely to dismiss a lawsuit opposing those planned renovations. But the president, he's not always acted like he's beholden to the legal process on some of these projects. So is this likely to be any different?
- [49:02]
S
Well, Melanie, I was in court a few weeks ago, or the DOJ was arguing that the courts could not stop Trump's Ballroom or really some of the other projects that he wants to do, by implication that if the president wants to make some of these changes, he should be allowed to. That is the thinking of his administration. So we are going to see, I think, the administration pushing forward as much as possible on all of these things. Now, what they've told the judge in the golf course case, as well as in the case over the Triumphal Arch, they have argued that these projects should not be stopped because then they're telling the projects haven't begun. There is no blueprint, they say. But that is put to the test when you see photos like in our colleague Rick Basis story that show the president carrying around renderings of what he wants to do at this golf course. So the White House is planning to push ahead even as they tell the courts that work has not started in some of these projects.
- [49:51]
B
And Philip, is part of the difficulty here that once construction actually begins, as we saw with the East Wing demolition, that the legal arguments for preservation are functionally muted.
- [50:02]
T
Well, certainly if you tear down the east, when you have to put something there, you can't have a hole in the ground. And I think that that's been a kind of a strategy that comes out of the president's development in New York, as a real estate guy, if you tear something down, you've got to replace it. So, yeah, and they've used that argument. They've used a variety of arguments. In some cases saying that if it's on the White House grounds, then really nothing can stop it. In other cases, as Dan mentioned, they're saying that, well, they haven't really, really move forward yet, still in the planning stages. They're taking a pretty maximalist view of presidential power, which is not surprising. They're doing the same in other areas of American life as well.
- [50:37]
B
Dan. A Washington Post analysis found that the amount of time that the president talks about these projects has only increased, and it's certainly making some Republicans uneasy ahead of the midterms. Take a listen to what Senator Cramer said last month.
- [50:50]
D
I do feel like we have missed opportunities to take victory losses really good news and good outcomes because we're moving so fast on so many plants. But there's no reason why, for example, I think once you get past like that river right over there, no one gives a rat's jams about the infrastructure.
- [51:11]
B
But, Dan, do you think there's any concern from the White House that this could actually be a political liability?
- [51:20]
S
I asked the White House this again this week ahead of our analysis. We found that the president talked about his construction and beautification projects about four of every five days in June. That's an analysis I did with Ensmoors and Lydia Sitholm. And yes, it has gone up. The White House maintains that this is good, that the president is delivering what the country wants at a time of celebrating America's 250th anniversary, that these projects will make Washington shine that much brighter at a moment when everyone is looking at what's happening here? Of course, as many have pointed out, there's a lot of construction right now that doesn't necessarily do the city any good at this moment. And yes, I've talked to Republicans on Capitol Hill and some people close to the administration who really don't want the president talking about this, not just because of what's lost, Melanie, but these are not popular projects. By, by polling, the majority of Americans don't support the White House plan to tear down the East Wing and build the ballroom. They don't support the Triumphal arch. So these are things that not only are taking away from more popular things the Trump administration is doing, they're putting a spotlight on things many Americans don't want to see.
- [52:22]
B
And have you heard from either Republican lawmakers or Republican voters that this is just a distraction.
- [52:30]
S
The argument that I've heard is that Republicans, they support some of this, and you got to this earlier, the cleanup around Washington, D.C. but they they do think that this is Trump in his second term doing what Trump wants to do for himself and not for the party. And we've seen that in so many ways. Certainly with the primaries of some Republican senators, Trump came out against them. Trump has launched a number of initiatives that he wants, but don't line up with what the party wants.
- [52:55]
B
And if Democrats do retake the White House in 2028, is there an expectation that some of this work could be undone? Dan?
- [53:03]
S
Well, I'm not sure what's going to happen with the East Wing hole. I mean, if the judge, the panel of judges who are reviewing that case put a pause on it, that would be something for potentially a future administration to deal with. But I also think, Melanie, there's a chance if that ballroom is built, Democrats might grumble about it now, but they will find ways to use it in the future. And I think depending on where these projects are, there may well be a future administration that does a victory lap for some of the things Trump is doing now.
- [53:31]
B
Dan diamond and Philip Kennecott, thank you both so much for your time. And we'll be back Monday with more MEET THE PRESS now. And as we mentioned, NBC News will have all day coverage of America's 250th celebration, including a special edition of Today and live coverage of sale 4th. Stream it all on NBC News now. And if it's Sunday, it's a special edition of Meet THE Press on your local NBC News station. Kristen Welker will have interviews with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch. There's more ahead on NBC.
- [54:09]
N
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