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Meet the Press
Meet the Press NOW — June 26
00:52:49
The U.S. launches military strikes on Iran amid growing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss friction between Republican lawmakers and President Trump’s agenda ahead of the midterms. The death toll climbs in Venezuela after back-to-back earthquakes. Army combat veteran Cait Conley (D) discusses her bid to flip Republican Mike Lawler’s New York seat.
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- [00:00]
Garrett Haake
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- [01:10]
Garrett Haake
Welcome to Meet the Press. Now, I'm Garrett Hake in New York as President Trump tries to turn his focus to November's elections, even as tensions he's created with his own party and the increasingly tenuous agreement with Iran threaten to stymie his midterm message today. President Trump delivering the keynote address at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference as he looks to rally his base. The president focusing much of his midterm messaging today on Tuesday's victories by Democratic socialist candidates here in New York, calling them communists and a threat to the country.
- [01:41]
President Trump
And as you saw, with the communists elected in New York City recently, they're communists. They're not Social Democrats. They want to completely destroy the traditional American way of life. It's becoming a Communist party. These are not Social Democrats. These are hardcore godless Communists. They're godless communists. All Communists are godless. They don't believe in God. This is the most serious threat to our country since its existence, in my opinion, 250 years ago. This is a major threat to our country.
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Garrett Haake
And it comes as the president is stepping on his own agenda, complicating Republican lawmakers efforts to highlight their work to lower the costs for voters. Earlier this week, Mr. Trump abruptly announced, to the dismay of many in his party, that he was canceling an event to sign the bipartisan housing bill that passed with Overwhelming support demanding Republicans pass his overhauling voting access bill first. After a multi hour meeting at the White House yesterday, Speaker Johnson sounded optimistic.
- [02:43]
Speaker Mike Johnson
Very productive meeting. We're on exactly the same page. He wants to ensure that we stop any blockade in the House. Congress has work to do and that's what we're going to do. The majority party should never be voting down rules. We got to be able to move forward on legislation and continue the America first agenda. And so we're happy to do that. It's another day at the office. You know, this is the process in an era with small margins, but we'll get the job done.
- [03:09]
Garrett Haake
But today, President Trump again expressing his frustration with Republicans standing in the way of the Save America Act.
- [03:16]
President Trump
All voters must show photo id. Not so bad. All voters must provide proof of citizenship. Is that so hard? And you're fighting the Democrats and a few Republicans who are doing a tremendous disservice to this country.
- [03:37]
Garrett Haake
Meanwhile, tensions with Iran are once again escalating, which could further complicate the president's midterm message on the economy. The president confirming today that Iran fired four drones at a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the US Knocked down three of them and calling the attack a four foolish violation of the ceasefire. Since striking the deal with Iran, President Trump has been touting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, claiming it will bring down gas prices. And oil prices are almost back down to pre war levels, coming down below $70 a barrel for the first time since the war began almost four months ago. But any disruption in the strait or further violations of the cease fire could threaten that progress. And moments ago in the Oval Office, President Trump reacting to Iran's attack on that cargo ship in the strait.
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NBC Correspondent Gabe Gutierrez
Yesterday you said that Iran violated the ceasefire. Will they face any consequences?
- [04:27]
President Trump
You'll find out.
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NBC Correspondent Gabe Gutierrez
Do you consider the ceasefire to still be in place?
- [04:31]
President Trump
I don't like the fact that they took a shot yesterday, actually four. We knocked down three at a ship, not an allied ship, but a ship, a very expensive ship. And it was fine, but it took a little beating. They shouldn't be doing that. So you'll find out.
- [04:52]
Garrett Haake
Joining me to break it all down now is NBC News senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez, NBC News senior national correspondent or national security correspondent Courtney Kuby, and NBC News business and economy reporter Ali Kanal. So, Gabe, what did you make of the president's message today? How much of what we heard today do you think will be a consistent part of the midterm? Message.
- [05:10]
NBC Correspondent Courtney Kuby
Well, Garrett, certainly what you just described, the president referring to Democrats as communists. That's something we expect to hear quite a bit of over the next couple of months because we have been hearing it now for the last couple of days, ever since those primary victories by those Democratic candidates in New York that were backed by the New York mayors or on Mandani. Now, President Trump over the last several days has been escalating that message. During his speech at the Faith and Freedom Coalition today, as you stated, that was a large part of his message, but also what we just heard in the Oval Office, this Religious Freedom Commission, this draft report that is now being put forward recommending basically replacing the idea of the separation of church and state. The president certainly playing to his base right here and trying to polarize the electorate. You have, you know, him trying to play to his base while also denigrating Democrats and referring to them as godless communists, something that we heard several times during his speech today over at that Washington, at the Washington Hilton there.
- [06:08]
Garrett Haake
How much is he complicating the midterm play here with these constant infighting with the Republican Party? Do they need to put this sort of behind him, whether it's on Iran or on, say that if he actually wants to focus on affordability?
- [06:20]
NBC Correspondent Courtney Kuby
Well, look, Garrett, you know as well as I do, he doesn't seem to care much about what congressional Republicans think. However, you're right. I mean, he lashed out at what he called grandstanders in the Republican Party overnight after meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson yesterday. But at the same time, he canceled that signing ceremony yesterday, something that so many Congressional Republicans have been looking forward to looking to make it a part of their midterm message. And now the question is, you know, what happens next in that, in, in this rift between the Republican Party? It still remains unclear whether the president will go along with some of these congressional Republicans as their agenda at the moment seems to be stalled in Congress with representatives like Anna Paulina Luna, some hardliners wanting to bring all of this to a halt. And yet the president says that they're now grandstanding. This is still being ironed out in the Hill, obviously.
- [07:16]
Garrett Haake
On the subject of grandstanding, do we have any update on when or even if the president will sign that housing bill?
- [07:22]
NBC Correspondent Courtney Kuby
You know, the White House has not said whether he does indeed plan to sign it. Of course, now that it's supposedly been transmitted to the White House, it will become law in 10 days. We haven't gotten any indication, any plans to veto it at this point. So could be that he just does nothing and it becomes law automatically within 10 days. But again, it took away that nice big shiny press conference and signing ceremony that many congressional Republicans had been wanting to have been wanting ahead of his midterm campaign.
- [07:49]
Garrett Haake
All right, Gabe Gutierrez on the North Lawn gab, thank you. So, Courtney, I'll turn to you now. What more do we know about the situation in the Strait, as the president described it accurately? Ish.
- [07:59]
NBC Correspondent Gabe Gutierrez
We don't really know. Actually, we do know. I mean, the facts that we know to be true are that at least one Iranian drone, we believe, fired by the Islamic Revolutionary guard corps, the IRGC1 drone, did hit a commercial ship. The US military shot down at least one other drone. That's really all that we know about the situation beyond what President Trump has now been saying several times today and posting on social media. Now, at this point, we're not aware of any further firing beyond this one yesterday, yesterday by the irgc. But President Trump sort of upping the ante on it today when he posted that it was this violation of the cease fire, as you just read on social media. So now the big question is, will there be any kind of a US Response to the violation of the cease fire? Since the memorandum of understanding was signed on June 17, we have not seen the back and forth in the Strait of Hormuz that we were seeing every single day there for weeks and weeks. So it was again, we're really in sort of a wait and see mode to see whether this, these threats by the IRGC that they carried out, at least on this one occasion, whether they continue and whether it really does have an impact on the cease fire going forward.
- [09:07]
Garrett Haake
And Vice President Vance said that the US And Iran had established some kind of communications line to avoid a potential military confrontation. Do you know anything about that? Was it made use of here?
- [09:17]
NBC Correspondent Gabe Gutierrez
We have no idea about it. We haven't gotten any information from the administration that, number one, that it's actually that any kind of a framework even exists for what this, this is or that it actually has been implemented in any way. Now, the military does have a history of something like this. And you'll recall something called the deconfliction line with Russia that existed for years over Syria. I mean, that worked. You had a US Colonel generally with a Russian colonel on the other end of a phone. It was literally a red phone. And they would pick it up if, in fact, one of them was going to be flying in an airspace that was breaching or near where the other military was operating. And it worked for, for years where they were able to deconflict the airspace there. It's not clear if that's going to sort of be the maritime version of that, but we are asking those questions.
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Garrett Haake
And let me ask you about the war within this war. We had Secretary Rubio today announcing a framework of an agreement between Israel and Lebanon. But if Hezbollah isn't part of that framework, what's it worth?
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NBC Correspondent Gabe Gutierrez
Yeah, and this has been the, the issue with these talks the entire time now. There's, every round of these talks is without Hezbollah involved in it. If there is some sort of an agreement for a cease fire, what it's generally not been implemented, at least not fully implemented on the ground in Lebanon. Now, this could be if in fact, Israel has agreed to something that includes them pulling their forces back closer to the border. Is it possible that Hezbollah will look at that and will make some sort of a advancement towards some sort of a peace deal? It's possible, but so far, these talks have not really yielded a whole lot on the ground. The one thing that is potentially possible is this could be a step in the right direction if in fact, we see some sort of a change to not only the Israel forces where they are inside Lebanon, but to how they are operating there. I mean, Garrett, it's not getting a lot of attention, but, you know, more than 4,000 people have died in Lebanon since March. It's a, it's a huge number, about 40 Israeli soldiers as well, service members as well. So the fighting there has continued despite the fact that we've all been very focused on Iran.
- [11:18]
Vice President Vance
Right.
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Garrett Haake
I mean, it's a major theater within this war. Courtney Kubi, thank you for that reporting. I want to turn out Ally Canal here with me. And so, Ali, what are we seeing from oil markets? Are they concerned? Are we seeing any kind of, like, wobble in the pricing based on what we've seen in the Strait?
- [11:31]
NBC Business Reporter Ali Kanal
Well, it seems like markets are betting that the worst case scenario has been avoided at this point. We saw US crude oil fall below $70 for the first time since the war began. And remember, pre war crude was trading near 67 bucks a barrel. So this is a pretty significant move here. And it comes as more ships are moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Those fears that we could be facing a major supply crunch that's starting to ease. But analysts say that there are still risks ahead. There could be more attacks on some of these ships. There could be mines in the Strait. Obviously, as you know, the messaging has been really back and forth here. So Investors are still watching this area and the developments in the, in the strait very closely.
- [12:10]
Garrett Haake
And we've heard the President complaining about the lag between oil prices really plummeting and gas prices coming down much more slowly. What is that attributable to and do you think we'll see gas prices continue to fall?
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NBC Business Reporter Ali Kanal
Yeah, I mean, gas prices have already fallen pretty significantly at this point. The national average is right now at around $3.90 a gallon, down more than 6.60 cents from its most recent peak. But gas prices do not fall as quickly as oil prices. And that's because refineries, distributors, those retail locations of the actual gas stations, they're dealing with oil that was purchased at those higher levels. So this is likely going to take some weeks to go until consumers see a significant pullback. And that's of course assuming that oil prices stay right at along these level levels. And also it's important to remember that we're in the summer months. Demand is usually higher this time of year. So that tends to cause grass prices to Dr. Up just a little bit.
- [13:02]
Garrett Haake
And while I have you, the president has also threatened a 100% tariff on countries that implement a digital services tax on the U.S. can you just explain to folks what this even is and how would work?
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NBC Business Reporter Ali Kanal
Yeah, remember tariffs we haven't talked in
- [13:14]
Garrett Haake
a little bit last year.
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NBC Business Reporter Ali Kanal
Yeah, right. This is really about US And EU trade relations of several European countries. They've considered or adopted these digital services taxes. So it's basically a tax on the revenue that large tech companies earn on the users in those specific countries. So this really affects those big companies like Google, Apple, Metta, Apple, Amazon. Now for now, this is just a threat. But of course, if that goes through, then a lot of those imports from those countries. So those goods that we get from Europe, they could become more expensive for US Businesses and therefore consumers. But we'll see. I mean, this could just be a negotiating tool. But again, it's a good reminder that tariffs are still an impact here. We talk a lot about oil prices, even the build out, how that's been impacting inflation. But tariffs, you know, they're still working in the background here.
- [14:01]
Garrett Haake
All right, Allie, also still working here in the background Friday afternoon. Thank you for being with us. And joining me now is South Dakota Republican Congressman Dusty Johnson. Congressman, thank you for being with us. I want to begin with that dust up. We were just discussing earlier in the week where the president after he canceled this signing of that bipartisan housing authority housing affordability bill. That's a mouthful. Over the Save America Act. Was that a mistake by the President to cancel that moment?
- [14:29]
Congressman Dusty Johnson
I wish the President would have signed the bill. It's an incredibly strong piece of legislation. It would bring down the price of housing in this country over time. Democrats like it, Republicans like it. It had a huge number of the President's key priorities. So I wish he would have taken a big victory lap. I think it would have been a nice moment for our country. But listen, he's a big boy. He doesn't take orders from me. I think he is going to see his way towards signing the bill. I hope he does because it is absolutely the right policy for this country.
- [15:00]
Garrett Haake
This is not the first time that the President has held up some piece of legislation because of his desire to get the Save America act passed. Does somebody, be it Mike Johnson or somebody else, need to have sort of a more direct conversation with him about the feasibility of that project at this point?
- [15:18]
Congressman Dusty Johnson
I think lots of members of both the House and the Senate have tried to tell the President what the President already knows. I mean, the President is not a dumb guy. You can't get anything done in the house without 218 votes and you can't get anything done in the Senate without 51 or 60 votes. And when it comes to getting rid of the filibuster, the president doesn't have 60 votes and he doesn't even have 51 votes.
- [15:41]
Garrett Haake
Right.
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Congressman Dusty Johnson
So I know that can frustrate some of us, but the reality is that those numbers are not going to change just because I take to national news or I take to Twitter and complain about it. The changing hearts and minds of legislative colleagues take some time.
- [16:02]
Garrett Haake
What's your sense of how voters are looking at this and the idea that, you know, is the President threatening the Republican agenda, popular stuff that you've been able to pass by focusing on bills that cannot pass?
- [16:16]
Congressman Dusty Johnson
Well, let's keep in mind that most Americans are pretty busy living everyday life. They absolutely care about things like affordability, but they're not involved in the nuances of. What does Congressman Dusty Johnson think they need to do today? Of course, I wish more people listened to me. I think ultimately the midterms will turn not on news of the day here in June, but on actual facts on the ground and how people feel about them in our October. And I think now is, listen, we should do the housing bill just because it's good policy. I would note, though, that it's also really good politics come October.
- [16:56]
Garrett Haake
Yeah. I mean, to that end, the top issue for voters in poll after poll has been the cost of living. I mean, they care about it now in June. I think they'll probably still care about it in October. To your point, the President, when he canceled this signing said the housing bill was, and this is a quote of minor importance. Compared to lower interest rates, even Pfizer pales in comparison to say to passing the Save America Act. I know your point is that we're still four months out, but I don't see any indication to think the President's going to suddenly want to not talk about this in October, November.
- [17:26]
Congressman Dusty Johnson
Of course the President going to want to talk about it. And by the way, I want to talk about election integrity too. And I think this, and this is like an 8020, maybe 9010 issue. So aside from being good parts of it.
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Garrett Haake
Parts of it.
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Congressman Dusty Johnson
Well, no, sure. But when it comes to a photo ID to vote, that has worked really well in South Dakota for a lot years. It doesn't disenfranchise people. You and I both know that people are using a photo ID on the regular to conduct business, from picking up football tickets at will call to getting on an airplane or buying a six pack of beer. But the President is certainly allowed to care about more than one issue at once. And so I do think clearly he cares about fisa. That's the guardrails around the ability of our government to surveil suspected terrorists. And he can also care about affordability and care about election integrity.
- [18:16]
Garrett Haake
I want to ask you about Iran. Now, the President signed that agreement with Iran last week. Today he confirmed that there was an Iranian drone strike of some kind on cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz. He called that a violation of the cease fire. The US has already lifted oil sanctions as part of this agreement. Are you concerned that we might have prematurely rewarded Iran given their ongoing behavior here?
- [18:38]
Congressman Dusty Johnson
One thing I have figured out in eight years in Congress is that it is really easy to criticize foreign affairs. It's really hard to get them right. It's really hard. None of these decisions are easy decisions. We are not dealing with good faith actors when we're dealing with Iran. We're dealing with tyrannical Islamic zealots. And listen, we shouldn't trust these guys at all. But we also do need to get toward a ceasefire. Nobody wants a forever war. The only thing that these crazy guys understand is power. That doesn't mean that we should needlessly saber rattle. But it does mean that I think we don't want to rush into escalatory tactics even if they Break a ceasefire. There is a real hard needle to be thread here. I know the President is trying to do his best. If we're being honest, we are not in a great spot. But had we not engaged in this conflict, we would also not be in a great spot. It's not like the alternative of just letting Iran develop a nuclear. I mean, they were getting ever closer to breakout time. The time for away from one bomb was just a few weeks, and the breakout time from some pretty exquisite missile technology was only a few months. And so foreign affairs is very difficult. I think the President is doing his best.
- [20:03]
Garrett Haake
There's nothing in this deal that changes their posture on missile technology, though. Something I've asked the President about directly. I mean, to your point, though, I mean, you said you're not inclined to necessarily criticize him because this is so hard, but some people would say this is actually what Congress should be doing. Not only should be criticizing, but should have a bigger role in this deal. Does it be a formal treaty? I mean, what role do you think Congress should play in certifying or reviewing or having oversight over whatever agreement the President strikes moving forward?
- [20:31]
Congressman Dusty Johnson
Oh, I didn't say that people shouldn't criticize. I just said that it's easy to criticize. And I think when it comes to foreign affairs, people on both sides of the aisle and lots of folks in the middle, I think they just want to be thoughtful. I think they want to measure twice before they cut once with some backbench criticism. And I have absolutely conveyed my thoughts on this conflict and the ceasefire to the administration. I am no shrinking violet. And honestly, almost none of my colleagues are. So Congress has not been passive here. We vote on war powers most every week that we're in session, and there is a robust back and forth between the executive and the legislative branches, as there should be now, you're right. There is nothing in this deal that slows down Iran's ability to go get a nuclear weapon. What did clearly slow it down was thousands of munitions dropped onto their critical infrastructure. And although now we're not in a great spot, I think we would have been in a worse spot had we not flown those sorties.
- [21:34]
Garrett Haake
Congressman, we just have a little bit of time left. I want to ask you about your recent primary loss in the South Dakota governor's race. As someone who covered you for a long time, I was surprised to see that, although probably not as surprised as. As you were. You said that part of the reason you lost was, quote, it's not a good time to be connected to Washington D.C. can you talk a little bit more about that?
- [21:53]
Congressman Dusty Johnson
Well, of course. Thank you for picking at the scab.
- [21:56]
Garrett Haake
Sorry.
- [21:59]
Congressman Dusty Johnson
No, of course it's fair game. And it's kind of thing that as Americans we should be talking about. You know, there are really, it's a little too simplistic to say that there are two camps in Washington. And it's not Democrats and Republicans. It is those on the extremes who seek political celebrity and those who are trying to find their way toward common ground. Common ground, a powerfully effective tool for American governance over the course of the last 250 years. But the primary electorate, that marketplace doesn't much reward common ground finding these days. I'm not complaining about it. Every time I engaged in what was good governance, I understood that it wasn't always good politics. I felt duty bound to do it anyway. And that's okay. I have no doubt this great American experiment will continue and will be successful even if Dusty Johnson is not in office.
- [22:54]
Garrett Haake
It'll be hard to imagine. Do you think your party can survive the kind of loyalty tests that make it harder to be a governing get it done Republican?
- [23:06]
Congressman Dusty Johnson
Oh, people talk about this loyalty test. I don't know that it is anywhere near as effective day to day as people assume. I mean, when the President was talking about invading Greenland, there were plenty of contrary voices within his own party. When the President was accepted the Qatari jet, there were plenty of contrary voices within his own party. The President wanted to do a 3 or $5,000 tariff dividend to Americans. That hasn't happened yet.
- [23:34]
Garrett Haake
True.
- [23:34]
Congressman Dusty Johnson
The President wants to save America act done. It's not like the Senate is all gotten into lockstep on getting that done. So I don't think that there is a loyalty test and I think focusing on just one party is a mistake. Here's the reality. We are in an ever increasing time of populism and extremism. You look at the Democratic New York primaries on Tuesday, man alive. It is a bad time to be a normal. And I don't think we're going to get good governance if we continue to turn toward the extreme polls of these parties. That should not be the American way.
- [24:10]
Garrett Haake
Well, Congressman, you've teased our next block nicely when we will be talking about those races in New York. So I thank you for your production value to this show today. And I thank you for your service in Congress and for your time today.
- [24:21]
Congressman Dusty Johnson
Thanks much.
- [24:22]
Garrett Haake
All right, take care. And coming up, the mounting death toll and urgent search for the missing in Venezuela where the scale of the devastation from this week's earthquake disaster is starting to come into view. Plus, could the path to House control come down to a battleground district in New York's Hudson Valley? I'll speak to the Democrat working to flip the Republican held swing seat. You're watching Meet the Press now.
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Garrett Haake
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- [26:19]
Garrett Haake
Welcome Back. The death toll in Venezuela continues to climb after those massive back to back earthquakes. The government says at least 920 people are dead and more than 3,000 injured. A new estimate from the US Geological Survey predicts that the death toll could reach more than 10,000 people as the level of destruction comes into clearer view. In a race against time, rescue teams have been working around the clock to locate people trapped since the earthquake hit on Wednesday. Volunteers cheering as a survivor was pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building earlier today and then safely put onto its stretcher. In South Florida, which is home to a large Venezuelan American community, volunteers are mobilizing to collect humanitarian supplies. NBC's George Solis joins me now from Doral, Florida. And George, obviously in Little Venezuela there in Doral. How are volunteers there responding to this disaster?
- [27:12]
NBC Reporter George Solis
Garrett they are coming out in droves. This community has showed up in a big way. As you mentioned, this area affectionately known as Doroth's Whale, you could see just a number of volunteers here. They're packing all of this relief. And we were told by the Global Empowerment Mission, Jim, who was organizing all of this at the State Department, the US State Department has greenlit all of this relief to get into Venezuela by this weekend. Now, of course they wish it could have been a heck of a lot sooner, but all the logistics, the airport being closed, this is the challenge that groups and nonprofits are facing that aren't the US Military, who is already on the ground mobilizing, offering air support, offering logistics, offering life saving care and obviously a lot more of the assessment of that bigger picture of damage that we know we're going to see the days and weeks ahead. We've been talking to people, volunteers here, some who showed up on their day off just wanted to be here because they were compelled to do so. About why it was so important to help today. Take a listen.
- [28:06]
Volunteer Interviewee
I have never in all of the time that I've been here seen a response as profound as this one. People coming from a couple of hours away to volunteer on their days off. Hundreds of cars pulling up, filled to the brim with donated supplies. This is what it takes.
- [28:30]
NBC Reporter George Solis
Yeah, Gary, it is a herculean effort. And when we've been talking to people with family in Venezuela, some who are still unaccounted for, I mean, again, when you look at the images of just the rampant destruction there, you have to wonder a lot of these families holding on to hope that their loved ones will be found. We talked to one family whose their nephew was found in the rubble after hours. He's in recovery right now, but their 14 year old niece is still missing. They are hoping that she is pulled out, but they said just based on the images, they're trying to be realistic. I mean, this is the reality that some families are facing right now, not just here in South Florida where there is a large Venezuelan community, but really around the globe as we've seen this widespread humanitarian effort unfolding in real time.
- [29:14]
Garrett Haake
Garrett yeah, the pictures are horrifying. It's just a terrible story. George Solis, thank you for your reporting. And up next, meet the candidate. My next guest is the Democrat who just won this week's primary to take on New York Republican Congressman Mike Lawler in one of November's most crucial House races. Stay with us on MEET THE press. Now. There's only one Ozempic.
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Garrett Haake
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- [30:46]
Garrett Haake
Welcome back. As Democrats try to take back the House in November, one of the most closely watched midterm races will be in upstate New York. That's where army combat veteran and former national security official Kate Connelly will be facing off against incumbent Republican Congressman Mike Lawler after winning her primary earlier this week. And earlier this year, the Cook Political Report shifted the Hudson Valley district from lean Republican to straight toss up, with Democrats eyeing the district as one of the most gettable for them come November. And joining me now is Kate Connelly. Kate, thank you for being with us. I'll just start here. Your district is one of the prime pickup opportunities for Democrats in November. I don't have to tell you the state how do you thread that needle of mobilizing? You know, so the Democrats who voted for your progressive opponent in the primary while also winning over enough of those voters who have supported Congressman Lawler in the past.
- [31:37]
Volunteer Interviewee
Gary, thanks so much for having me. And at the end of the day, the message is simple. People here in New York 17 deserve better. Since Mike Lawlor has been elected In November of 2022, life has only gotten harder for folks in terms of putting food on the table, keeping a roof over their heads, affording health care or keeping the lights on. And that's impacting families across the political spectrum. It's not just a Democratic problem or Republican problem. It's a problem for working families in the Hudson Valley and across the country. And when we talk about what's happening on nationally, where you see this administration that is just absolutely adding to the crisis, that is the affordability crisis that folks are facing, people deserve better. People deserve a representative that's actually going to fight for them and to make their problems a priority, not their own political ambition. And when it comes to Mike Lawler, it has been very clear that his priority is himself.
- [32:37]
Garrett Haake
Your primary victory as a more moderate candidate on Tuesday coincided with a number of wins by left wing candidates and Democratic socialists down here in New York City. I want to play what one of those candidates, Brad Lander, said on this program yesterday.
- [32:51]
Brad Lander
The general election is where we go build unity and support each other. So I'll be out working for Kate Connelly up in the Hudson Valley and Pat Ryan. You know, I knocked doors two years ago for Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen out on Long Island. I joked I did it in like, you know, mustache and glasses so I wouldn't hurt them. So there's been plenty of times when I have supported more moderate candidates. I want the same in the other direction.
- [33:18]
Garrett Haake
Do you welcome Brad Lander campaigning with you? And if so, would you make him wear the mustache and glasses?
- [33:25]
Volunteer Interviewee
Look, I welcome anyone here in this district that believes that people deserve representation, that is going to fight for them, that's going to fight to lower costs, that's going to take on corruption in government and is going to put people first. Because at the end of the day, that is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. What we're talking about is an American issue. And how do we help American working families? I think this is a big part of what we must do as not just a Democratic Party, but a country is realize that the political dysfunction is what is tearing this country apart and what is making it so hard for families who are working two jobs to just make ends meet. And we owe it to them to be better, to do better. And so I think the more we can tear down political silos and these different groups that, you know, we put ourselves in, the better as a nation we are going to be.
- [34:12]
Garrett Haake
I'm hearing from you a pretty tight focus on some of these economic issues, but some of these other Democrats have called for things like abolishing ice. Is that a position you support? Like, how would you square something like that with your own beliefs?
- [34:25]
Volunteer Interviewee
So when it comes to the government's responsibility to the American people, it is the safety and security of the American people at the top of that list. And when you look at things like immigration, you can support immigration and recognize that this nation has been successful and is going to need immigration to be successful going forward. And immigration has been a huge part of that. And also say, look, border security is national security and we need to make sure that terror groups and drug cartels and criminals aren't coming into this country. But what we saw earlier this year in January, when federal agents on American streets assaulted and killed American citizens, the very people they're sworn to serve and protect, that is wrong. And instead of calling for an investigation, instead of calling for transparency, this administration tried to cover it up and lie about the victims. That's not a Republican issue or an American or a Democratic issue. That's an American issue. I think going back to the things that unite us and focusing on those problems that are driving families to desperate points, it really does come down to can they feed their families, can they keep a roof over their heads? I think for Democrats to be successful, we've got to focus on that and deliver.
- [35:41]
Garrett Haake
I hear you loud and clear. But I do think there are other issues that are kind of in the zeitgeist and one of those has been Israel. Congressman Josh Gottheimer said this about the anti Israel views of some of those candidates we were talking about earlier. He said the socialists have put their own personal hatred above our national security and our promises to our allies. It's a growing cancer and we can't let it spread and we cannot ignore it. What do you make of that statement? And does that kind of friction between these more socialist candidates and moderate candidates like yourself concern you?
- [36:14]
Volunteer Interviewee
Democratic voters Here in New York 17 elected a proud West Point graduate and Army Special Operations combat veteran of 16 years and six tours. I am a proud American and a responsibility to service to this country and to our community. That's what led me to go to West Point after 9 11. And I do believe that going back to you look, as a nation, there is far more that unites us than divides us. And when you talk about what resonates with people here in New York, 17 service to country and community matters and talking about what it's going to take to beat Lawler in November, we're going to keep building on what we did in the primary, which is bringing people together or even if they don't share my party affiliation, we share values. And that that's what we need to be focusing on.
- [37:00]
Garrett Haake
The president has been hammering some of your ticket mates here in New York as communists. Mike Lawler has made it pretty clear he wants to use that same tactic, kind of lump all Democrats in together, lump you in with them. Do you think your background, your service, your West Point education inoculates you from some of those attacks?
- [37:19]
Volunteer Interviewee
I am a proud American, and America is the best democracy in the world. And I have committed my life to defending it, to serving it. And that is why I'm in this fight now, because I'm watching this administration literally attack the founding values this country I love and was willing to die for was founded upon. And I refuse to allow that kind of corruption to be what drives the direction of America's future. And so Mike Lawler should be focusing on more on how to stand up to Trump and what is going on and stop bending the knee and recognize that our country right now, these people are going to fight for it.
- [37:57]
Garrett Haake
I think if Mike Lawler were here right now, he'd say one of his big accomplishments in Congress was fighting for the state and local tax deductions. Salt cap. That issue, which is a huge part of the president's first year, is that accomplishment of his that you would look to build on. Is there anything that he's done that you would tell voters you would like to continue upon should you be elected in November?
- [38:21]
Volunteer Interviewee
The salt tax cap, which was expiring in its entirety in 2025, where Mike Lawler voted to make it permanent, is not a gift. He just made a permanent tax increase for middle class New Yorkers right here in the Hudson Valley town. And when you look back at the history of the salt tax cap, we didn't have one for over 100 years as America. It was Trump in 2017 with his tax bill to punish New York, to punish California, that first implemented the salt tax cap and that was expiring in 2025. And instead of letting it expire, Mike Lawler made it permanent with his vote.
- [38:58]
Garrett Haake
All right, Kate Conley, thank you for your time and for your service. Congrats on the win and good luck out on the truck rail.
- [39:04]
Volunteer Interviewee
Thanks so much, Garrett. Appreciate you having me on.
- [39:08]
Garrett Haake
And we have a bit of breaking news. The US has struck Iran in response to the attack on that commercial vessel in the strait yesterday we told you about earlier. Back with us now is NBC's Courtney Kubi and Gabe Gutierrez. So, Courtney, I'll start with you. What do we know about the specifics of this strike by the U.S. yeah,
- [39:23]
NBC Correspondent Gabe Gutierrez
so the U.S. military, they're calling this, as you said, a direct response to the Iranian drone strike on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday. So the US Is saying this is basically a pretty proportional response to that strike. They hit things like Iranian missile and drone storage facilities, coastal radar sites. Why this may sound familiar to you, Garrett, is because this is very similar to the pattern that we were seeing several weeks ago before that memorandum of understanding was signed on June 17th in Versailles. The Iran would fire. In many cases it was these sorts of one way attack drones. In some cases it was these small, fast attack boats. And then in some cases it was even surface to air missiles. But they were firing them at ships that were trying to transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The US Military was often responding, often shooting some of those down, even targeting some of those fast boats. And then after sort of a buildup of time of those Iranian more offensive actions, the US Military would carry out a number of strikes at the site of where those offensive projectiles, whatever they were, were launching from. So again, they would go after their drone storage facilities or perhaps their drone launching sites, missile storage facilities, coastal radars was also a big one because of course, that's how they, what they use to, to fire off drones and missiles, how they're able to direct them. So what's significant about this though, Garrett, is not just the target's location, it's that this is the first time the US Military has struck inside Iran since about, about a week or so before that memorandum of understanding was signed on June 17. So the real question now, President Trump has already said that the Iranian action yesterday with the one way attack drone was a violation of the cease fire. Now the US Military is responding. The real question now is will we see this further escalate?
- [41:08]
Garrett Haake
Right, right. Separately, I'm sort of fascinated by the idea that we know where enough of these other drone storage sites and radars are that we have. It's almost like we have this like list of proportional response options when these things happen. But hold that thought for a minute. I want to bring Gabe into the conversation because, Gabe, the president kind of seemed to downplay the idea that this original Iranian strike would really affect the cease fire, even as he called it a violation. But what does the word cease fire even mean if they're shooting at us and we're shooting back at them?
- [41:34]
NBC Correspondent Courtney Kuby
Look, Garrett, We've been asking that question now for quite some time. And the President was asked that directly in the Oval Office just a short time ago during an unrelated event. And he didn't directly answer the question of whether he still considered the ceasefire to still be in place. He said, I didn't like the fact that Iran attacked that commercial ship yesterday, but he wouldn't specifically say whether he considered the ceasefire to still be in place. But the administration, they never say that they consider the cease fire to be over. The President, other top administration officials have tried to make the argument that there's these small one offs here and there that, you know, it might take a while for a ceasefire to take hold or there might be, might be, you know, small skirmishes that, you know, doesn't mean the entire deal is blown up. But what Courtney points out is exactly right. Will Iran counter, will there be some sort of an escalation here or whether this, you know, this US Response will, will it be considered proportional and tensions de escalate after that? It's too soon to tell.
- [42:35]
Garrett Haake
Gabe, forgive me for putting you on the spot here, and maybe Courtney knows the answer to the this too, but have we heard anything from the Iranians about why they fired on this ship and other instances where they've fired on shipping or on U.S. personnel? You know, they've sort of laid it off on being related to Lebanon and Hezbollah. But what do we know about why Iran, why Iran says they did this?
- [42:53]
NBC Correspondent Courtney Kuby
Well, Garrett, the Iranians have said they have not publicly acknowledged this particular incident, but they have said that ships traveling through the strait must go through a specific route through a coastal area as well. So they haven't really again, specified why this particular ship was attacked. But there have, they have put parameters on how some of the, how the ships are supposed to travel through the strait.
- [43:17]
Garrett Haake
And Courtney, I'll come back to you for a second here. What is the how many assets are sort of still available to the US in the region? Has there been any drawdown since the Memorandum of Understanding? I mean, the blockade as it existed is over, but are all the those ships and assets still in place in the region?
- [43:35]
NBC Correspondent Gabe Gutierrez
But they still have pretty much all the firepower available to them that was there when the cease fire began. And keep in mind, during that time, both sides have actually been able to sort of refit. So the US has been able to take the missiles that were fired off of ships and restock them. Many of the aircraft that were there, they've had time to rest. They've even brought in an Additional carrier air wing and additional carrier strike group group. The Iranians have done the same thing. They've been trying to sort of reset should in fact major combat operations restart again. And I want to stress this, this appears to be right now a direct response to the Iranian drone strike from yesterday against the commercial ship. The military is describing this as somewhat proportional at this point. This is not a resumption of major combat operations. But what we have to watch for is whether it does escalate into something even bigger.
- [44:26]
Garrett Haake
And Gabe, on the political ramifications of this, I mean, how much more complicated does this make the talks around turning the MOU into something more concrete? There's nothing in there about drones, although there is obviously language about the strait being open for navigation to the degree that the Vice President, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner are still involved. You know, how do you pick back up tomorrow or Monday and keep working with incidents like this popping back up?
- [44:51]
NBC Correspondent Courtney Kuby
Well, look, it all really comes down to what the Iranians do here and whether this escalates or not, we are within that 60 day window. We have seen the vice president now back in the US after those talks that he was overseas several days ago. But certainly this does pose a challenge given that there's ongoing peace talks and now there is this, you know, back and forth, this. But as Courtney said, not a major, not a reserve resumption of major combat operations. So it certainly could complicate those talks. But it really depends a lot on whether this escalates any further. There are so many thorny issues that are being discussed right now and during the 60 day window, as you know, Garrett, you know, with regards to Iran's nuclear programs, as we understand, those technical talks are still underway and they will continue for quite some time. And you know, many Experts anticipate the 60 day window to be extended because it likely will take longer in order to agree on some of the specifics of this. But the administration, they've sought to downplay these types of, you know, one off back and forth strikes before. Again, we'll have to wait and see how Iran responds. Iran responds to these latest US Strikes
- [46:05]
Garrett Haake
well, and I'll just note the resumption of a pattern here with CENTCOM confirming the strikes after the markets. Markets have closed on a Friday and we were talking about the idea of bringing down oil and gas prices earlier. This is the kind of thing that could roil those markets if they were open. So we'll see what the status of all this is come Monday morning when things resume. According Gabe thank you for being on top of the breaking news for us. We'll come back to you if there's more. And still to come, Vice President Vance making headlines today for downplaying the Watergate scandal that forced President Nixon to resign from from office and comparing Nixon to President Trump. Keep it here on Meet the Press now. Welcome back. Vice President Vance has been raising some eyebrows for downplaying Watergate, the only scandal that ever actually led to the resignation of a US President. This is at an event at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library. The vice president said yesterday that Watergate would not lead the news for more than a day in today's news environment. And he drew parallels between President Trump and President Nixon.
- [47:10]
Vice President Vance
I'm actually fascinated by Nixon as a character in history. I think that his historical legacy is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, but I think deservedly so. As I joked with Robert backstage, if Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12 hour news story. The idea that it would have taken down a presidency is crazy. And by the way, if you look at the story of how the deep state took down Richard Nixon, it's not all that different from what the same groups of people, the same institutions tried to do to Donald Trump and the first Trump administration. There is a parallel.
- [47:58]
Garrett Haake
With me now is Steve Israel, former Democratic congressman from New York and now the director of the Cornell University Institute of Politics Global affairs, and Caroline Downing, staff writer for the National Review. So, Caroline, I'll start with you just to the basics. Did the vice president misspeak here or is this sort of accepted Trump world view on all this?
- [48:16]
Caroline Downing
Historically, yeah, well, this thinking is getting some credence on some corners of the online. Right. This Nixon mania, if you will. And the idea is that he was basically the target of a deep state op. And Vance is not completely wrong in the sense that Deep Throat, the source force behind the big expose, was a high up at the FBI. Yeah, but I don't like this thinking of elevating Nixon above some really successful Republicans like Reagan, for example, the idea that Nixon had a more durable, long lasting coalition than Reagan, it's just outright wrong. I mean, this guy won 48 states in 1984, groundbreaking landslide. He brought in at least 10 GOP senators. I think more the former congressman will have to fact check me on that. But yeah, there's an appetite for this Nixon thing on some, some parts of the right. But ultimately what it comes down to is, look, political corruption is far too commonplace among presidents period today. Yes, the Russia hoax that turned out to be it did make Watergate look a bit like a Tea Party. So did the COVID up of Biden's frailty and his decline. But that doesn't mean Watergate was to
- [49:24]
Garrett Haake
going well to that end. I mean, is this something where the White House wants Donald Trump and Richard Nixon mentioned in the same sentence a lot?
- [49:31]
Caroline Downing
I think they appreciate that comparison now. Yeah, it's, I'm not going to lie, there's a romanticism about Richard Nixon now with Trump, we also see this comparison with him and Andrew Jackson. Right. I think they like to put themselves in the same league. But notice how Reagan is not. They don't necessarily like to be compared to.
- [49:47]
Garrett Haake
Yeah, it is interesting that Reagan has kind of slipped from the conservative zeitgeist in that way. So, I mean, Congressman, I imagine as a Democrat, you're probably welcome these comparisons a little bit more. But what do you think about the central point that Vance made that like our political sort of scandal meter is so different now? I mean, put on your alternative as a bookstore owner, put on your alternative history or historical fiction hat I mean, if this were happening right now, do you think he's right about how this would play?
- [50:11]
Steve Israel
I'm not going to let this guy whitewash history work. It was about crimes, it was about firing career prosecutors trying to do their jobs and uphold the Constitution. It was about enemies lists, it was about misleading and lying to Congress and lying under oath. That's what Watergate was about. No surprise to me that Vice President Vance has an affinity for that. But I think this reflects a worldview and that's what I think is especially troubling. And that worldview is it's not about whether it was right or wrong. It's not about whether it was legal or illegal, moral or immoral. It's about can you get away with it. And that's what I think is most troubling.
- [50:45]
Garrett Haake
I will say, covering that White House, there are officials who I've talked to who talk about news happening at the speed of Trump that like any story that's bad today will definitely be replaced tomorrow by something else, good or bad. They fully accept that that's built in. To that end, Carol, I want to play another bite from Vice president of Vance at the same speech that is also worthy of some conversation. Let's listen.
- [51:04]
Vice President Vance
Well, I'm a millennial and so I believe that's the wisdom of the great Christian theologian P. Diddy, who, as we found out over the last couple of years, is very much not a Christian or a theologian. EXPLOSION but the
- [51:24]
Garrett Haake
See, I'm going to
- [51:24]
Vice President Vance
get in trouble for all kinds of things.
- [51:26]
Garrett Haake
That'll be one of them. That will be in an attack ad
- [51:28]
Vice President Vance
at some point in the future.
- [51:31]
Garrett Haake
Yeah, perhaps it might. I mean, we've heard Marco Rubio name dropping some 90s rappers. We now see this from Vice President Vance. Does that illustrate to you any of his vulnerabilities ahead of 2028?
- [51:42]
Caroline Downing
I mean, not necessarily. Like, I don't think he, he's glamorizing PD from, from what I understood him to say. I do think he, he is online. Like, the thing about JD Events to understand is that. And he does tend to attract a lot of young people to the coalition for this reason. He's, he's pretty online, he's pretty in tune with that audience. And so, and I think he's been on podcasters like Theo Vaughn. I think he's like pretty comfortable with these venues and with, you know, name dropping these kinds of references that maybe might get a laugh, but I don't think it's like a real liability. But we'll have to see. I mean, I would like to see a rigorous primary process, you know, when that all shakes up. And I hope, you know, Rubio is also a very competitive player as well. I think we need a real, a real competition.
- [52:24]
Garrett Haake
I think you're going to get one. I mean, what do you think, Steve? The idea of Rubio Vance primary seems far fetched, but perhaps not. I mean, as a Democrat, who would you rather see at the top of the ticket?
- [52:34]
Steve Israel
Let's not ever use the phrase far fetched in today's policy.
- [52:38]
Garrett Haake
Right.
- [52:38]
Steve Israel
Everything is. We just got P. Diddy and Richard Nixon in the same segment.
- [52:42]
President Trump
So.
- [52:42]
Garrett Haake
Yeah, there's one more. I think they get free tacos or something.
- [52:45]
Caroline Downing
Yeah.
- [52:46]
Steve Israel
I'll tell you what, though, and I don't know whether this is intentional or not, but I think the White House kind of enjoys the fact that we're talking about P. Diddy and not tariffs and not gas prices and not the economic anxieties of the American people. What Democrats need to do is ignore this stuff and focus on the economy and affordability in order to win the midterm elections.
- [53:05]
Garrett Haake
I mean, to that end, we had an interesting example of this this week with that housing bill signing that got canceled. I mean, here you've got the President talking about all these other issues. There was a big legitimate bipartisan achievement on Capitol Hill and the President walked away from that moment.
- [53:16]
President Trump
Moment.
- [53:17]
Garrett Haake
Was that a mistake to sort of leave that on the table for the
- [53:20]
Caroline Downing
President well, there's no doubt that affordability is the mantra that Democrats have really capitalized on and quite well, I will say they made it a very compelling talking point. It's obviously, it hits at a sensitivity for, for a lot of Americans, and housing is chief among them. I do think there's a lot of debunking that Republicans need to do when it comes to the housing issue. You know, why is it that home prices have appreciated so much? How did government play into that? Why is that? Gen Z, My generation can't afford a home right now. There's a lot of factors that go into that.
- [53:50]
Garrett Haake
Not talking about that at all.
- [53:51]
Caroline Downing
We're not. Well, to his credit, Trump has reduced regulation he has made. He's tried to get housing construction ramped up. That's the key to affordability, which I don't think Democrats are very good at articulating is affordability. The equation is productivity plus innovation. It is not rent control, ala Mamdani in New York City. That's a band aid. That's temporary. My generation is will not be very happy at the end of the day if that is his only solution.
- [54:15]
Garrett Haake
I'm glad you brought in mom dummy, because I wanted to talk a little bit before we run out of time about the changes that are going on in the Democratic Party. I mean, we did see this very interesting flex from the left this week here in New York, but we also saw Kate Connelly win in that Hudson Valley seat. It's fascinating to see the directions simultaneously. The Democratic Party is going. What do you think the leadership of the Democratic Party is going to look like in this next Congress? I mean, I see both Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries struggling to get their arms around what their coalition even is right now.
- [54:42]
Steve Israel
Yeah. And that's just a function of how Congress is operating. The Republicans have the same issues. Look, the DSA Democratic Socialists are having a moment, but they've not yet established a critical mass, number one. Number two, Democrats have any hope of taking the majority, and I believe they will. I believe Hakeem Jeffries is going to be speaker of the House. They can't worry about where elections being won in Brooklyn, New York, New York. They've got to focus on Brooklyn, Iowa. Yeah, 40 competitive districts. If the Democrats flip enough of them, they have the majority and there they should be talking about homeownership. I think that's going to be the hidden issue.
- [55:17]
Garrett Haake
I'll give you a very quick last word here. They're going to be hearing about the candidates of Brooklyn, New York, in Iowa. I mean, is that the Republican House playbook to say, like, look, do you want these guys in charge?
- [55:25]
Caroline Downing
I wanted to believe what you said. But the problem is that the Democratic establishmentarians, they're also made in New York. So it's kind of a center of gravity for the establishment of the Democratic Party as well as these radical upstarts. So I think it has broader implications than we think. And I just hope that it doesn't get scaled up because I don't think it's going to be competitive nationally in swing states. In Pennsylvania, there's just no way.
- [55:49]
Vice President Vance
Right.
- [55:49]
Garrett Haake
I mean, your top party leaders are New Yorkers. You know, the next couple of folks down are also coastal. I mean, it's an interesting balance for the Democrats.
- [55:56]
Steve Israel
Know that the growth potential for Democrats is in Iowa and California.
- [55:59]
Garrett Haake
I'm obsessed with Iowa and the House races there. But we will have to do that in our next hour, which we're now out of time for today. Thank you both for coming in on a Friday. I so appreciate it. And we'll be back Monday with more MEET THE PRESS now. And if it's Sunday, it's MEET THE Press. On your local NBC news station. We'll have exclusive interviews with Senators Chris Murphy and Roger Marshall, plus Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan on their fantastic new book. For now, there is more ahead on NBC News. Now there's only one Ozempic.
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Garrett Haake
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