← Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press NOW — June 5
00:49:36
Republican lawmakers grapple with how to push back against Trump’s priorities as the president visits Wisconsin. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) joins Meet the Press NOW as House Democrats rebuke Trump’s foreign policy agenda on Ukraine and Iran. NBC News reporter Jared Perlo discusses Trump’s new executive order on AI as Anthropic warns the industry should “pause” its rapid development of AI models.
Loading summary
Transcript111 lines
- [00:01]
Etsy Advertiser
At Etsy, we want to know what moments mean the most to you. Whether it's buying a home or hosting a party, there's an Etsy seller with the perfect original pieces to help you celebrate. Celebrate being human.
- [00:14]
Thumbtack Advertiser
I'm pretty confident talking into a mic. Hey, I'm doing it right now. But home projects, I second guess everything. Is that noise normal? Is that water damage? Who do I even call? That's where thumbtack comes in. Just upload a photo or voice note and it uses AI powered search to match you with the right top rated local pro. So instead of guessing, you get clarity and can hire with confidence for your next home project. Try thumbtack. Hire the right pro today.
- [00:53]
Ryan Nobles
Hi there. Welcome to MEET THE PRESS. Now. I'm Ryan Nobles in Washington. Closing out a wild week for the White House as parts of President Trump's agenda were derailed and in some cases rerailed. With Republicans on Capitol Hill battling internal divisions in the Senate. And they basically lost control of the agenda in the House to Democrats raising questions about how far Congress is willing to go to act as a check on the president. With less than five months to the midterms, right now President Trump is in battleground Wisconsin where he's set to participate in a roundtable discussion that's focused on agriculture. And it's also where he's sitting down with MEET the Press moderator Kristen Welker for an exclusive interview for the show on Sunday. We'll have more on that in a moment. The president coming off a legislative win last night in the Senate where Republicans passing the $70 billion fund to fund ICE and Border Patrol without any definitive guardrails to assure, the Justice Department follows through on its promise to abandon the president's so called anti weaponization fund. Now. Now, after that vote, Republican Majority Leader John Thune explaining why none of the attempts to include that language in the final legislation were successful.
- [02:06]
John Thune
What happened with these attempts to try to add amendments related to the weaponization fund? Why do you think none of them ended up being successful? Well, they didn't have the votes. I mean, I think our folks understood what the mission was and that was to get those two bills across the finish line and fund the border and law enforcement and that everything else was a distraction.
- [02:34]
Ryan Nobles
Still, the weight of all the Republican pushback this week against the weaponization fund, the war in Iran and the president's handling of the war in Ukraine is raising questions about how far some Republicans are willing to go to cross the administration. And looming on the congressional schedule is the confirmation of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who will likely still face heat from Republicans about the anti weaponization fund. President Trump also needs Congress to pass reauthorization of a key surveillance tool after he appointed a fierce loyalist, Bill Pulte, to the top intel job. Pulte's appointment is already facing outrage from both sides of the aisle. And President Trump adding fuel to the fire today, confirming reports that he told Pultee to fire staff within the office to of the Director of National Intelligence.
- [03:25]
Interviewer
Why do you want Bill Pulte to cut the office of the Director of National Intelligence and how long is he going to be in that role?
- [03:30]
President Trump
Depends on how long it takes to get somebody approved. He'll do a very good job. He'll watch it mostly. But Bill Pulte is very good. He's very talented.
- [03:42]
Interviewer
The number of people working there, that's
- [03:45]
President Trump
way too high for way too long. Yeah, I wouldn't mind if he got. I wouldn't mind that.
- [03:49]
Melanie Zanona
Who are the people you're talking to for dni?
- [03:52]
Interviewer
Can you give us some names?
- [03:53]
President Trump
Five different people, all very good, all people that you know very well, all people that do that kind of thing. And they're very respected people.
- [04:04]
Ryan Nobles
Joining me now is NBC News senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez, who's traveling with the president in Wisconsin and where the president is set to speak. With me on set is NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Melanie Zenona. All right, Gabe, let's go to you first. We did hear from the president on his way to Wisconsin and again when he got off the plane. What else did he say and what kind of message can we expect from the president when he speaks behind you there in Wisconsin?
- [04:29]
Gabe Gutierrez
Well, Ryan, certainly this is a very competitive House district ahead of midterms, one of the most competitive really across the country. And Republicans need or they feel they need to hold on to this seat. And that's part of the reason why the president is coming here today. He'll be speaking to farmers in this area just outside of Eau Claire. And and the message we expect from him, Ryan, is to talk about the economy. Already, the president in both opportunities, he's had to speak with reporters today aboard Air Force One. And also when he got off the plane, he has been touting those economic numbers, those stronger than expected job numbers that we heard about this morning, also touting how gas prices have come down over the last several weeks, some 30 cents or so. However, the stock market, the Dow Jones took quite a hit today over fears over inflation. And that is something that the president and his administration feel that they need to try and sell the Iran war to the American people. So we expect to hear more from the president on that topic. Aboard Air Force One, you mentioned some of the things he talked about. He dismissed any concerns about Bill Pulte, his selection for acting dni. And he also lashed out against Republicans like Thom Tillis who are skeptical of Pulte's appointment, calling Tillis a very angry man. So certainly the president not backing down even as he sees that increasing skepticism from some Republicans in the Senate.
- [05:56]
Ryan Nobles
Yeah, and Gabe, you mentioned it being one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country. We see Derek Van Orden, who is the congressman at risk there in that district, speaking to this crowd, riling them up. Let's, let's talk about how the White House is feeling about the Senate passing that reconciliation bill last night without any language about the anti weaponization fund. Is there still a chance, is there an opening for this fund to come back at some point?
- [06:20]
Gabe Gutierrez
Well, look, at this point, you talk to White House officials, they not really talking about bringing this fund back. But you do hear the president himself kind of stoking those concerns among some congressional Republicans and of course, Democrats. Every time he's asked about it, he says he loves the idea of this weaponization fund, seems to go against his very own Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch, who told congressional leaders in no uncertain terms that this weaponization fund was in fact dead on arrival. Still, the president has been coming back and saying that he loves it and that he didn't back down because of congressional pressure, but only because a judge ruled against it, although a judge didn't really rule against it, just issued a temporary pause at this point. But so far from what we heard from White House officials, no, they're not thinking that this weapon fund will come back in any real form, at least for now. Ryan.
- [07:14]
Ryan Nobles
And you mentioned that the president is standing by Bill Pulte, but he also confirmed that he wants to act on Pulte slashing staff. Is the White House at all concerned about other legislative priorities like FISA that could be at risk with Pulte's appointment and then any subsequent firings at the DNI's office?
- [07:35]
Gabe Gutierrez
Well, look, I just heard from a White House official on that topic, and their response is essentially to blame Democrats for any pushback they might get on fisa. They are trying to sell the Pulte nomination as best they could, trying to argue that he does have relevant experience, the president saying that he led, oversaw Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and so that somehow qualifies him to be acting dni, although there is huge skepticism, as you know, Ryan on the Hill, that he's any relevant national security background. But we did hear from the president when he was asked directly about this aboard Air Force One a short time ago, that he wouldn't mind if Bill Pulte went ahead and slashed jobs in the intelligence community. So at this point, though, the White House doesn't think that will hold up fisa and they're tacked on this there. What they plan to do is really hit Democrats hard if there is any pushback on on Pfizer at this point.
- [08:34]
Sahil Kapoor
Right.
- [08:34]
Ryan Nobles
Okay. Gabe Gutierrez, keep an eye on that in Wisconsin for us. We appreciate it. Let's bring Mellon of the conversation now. And I want to pick up where Gabe left off. Their Democrats, the White House blaming Democrats for the reason that FISA isn't being passed. But they have a real problem with Republicans right now on Capitol Hill. What's the mood like? We're certainly starting to see some of them push back a little bit, but as we saw last night, they ultimately fell in line. What's the next six months going to be like for Republicans?
- [09:00]
Melanie Zanona
I think it's going to be very difficult still for the next six months. Yes, the YOLO caucus did fall in line. They ultimately did not any add any amendments that would have really rebuked Trump. But they are starting to light some fires. They're not burning the whole House down. But let's not lose sight of the big picture here. It was the pressure from Republicans that led GOP leadership to ultimately drop ballroom funding from the reconciliation package. They also had a lot to do with the fact that the DOJ announced they would be abandoning that anti weaponization fund. Now, of course, we'll see whether that comes back now that there is no legislative binding to prevent the administration from resurrecting that fund. But I do think that some of these Republicans are really starting to use their voice and we're gonna see a lot more of that as we get closer to November.
- [09:41]
Ryan Nobles
Yeah, I mean, there's a big difference between passing something they wanted to pass anyway, as opposed to passing something with a bunch of stuff in it that the president wanted that they didn't necessarily want. We did hear from Senator Murkowski last night. She seemed to keep the door open to this idea that they might actually pass something that would prevent the weaponization fund from actually being implemented. Is that realistic at this point?
- [10:01]
Melanie Zanona
I'm still skeptical. There are certainly other Republicans who support that who are concerned about The Weapon Legislation Fund. You see that in Thom Tillis, Bill Cassidy, John Huston, Dan Sullivan, some of these members in really tough races. But as you know, on Capitol Hill, it's just very difficult to go through the normal legislative process to pass these bills if you don't have a majority of the majority's support, which is, at least right now, not what we're seeing. And so I think yesterday was probably their best opportunity to be able to pass legislation. That being said, I don't think it's an issue that's necessarily going away anytime soon.
- [10:31]
Ryan Nobles
And let's talk about some of the things that are on the horizon. They've got to confirm Todd Blanche as the next Attorney general that necessarily won't be. They also have to renew this FISA section 702. Given what we saw, how difficult could both of those things be?
- [10:46]
Melanie Zanona
I think they're gonna be even more difficult than reconciliation. Reconciliation had the benefit of the fact that underlying all of it was this immigration bill that had a lot of support among Republicans when it comes to both Tad Blanche as well as fisa. We're already seeing members come out expressing their concerns. Thom Tillis, he's a key member of the Judiciary Committee. He has already come out and said he has concerns about Ted Blanche as the permanent nominee. And then when it comes to fisa, Democrats, they' needed here because Republicans can't agree amongst themselves on fisa. So they have come out and said they're going to vote against this bipartisan deal if Pulte is still in the acting position. So there is a huge mess awaiting us and everyone else as we get back to Capitol Hill next week.
- [11:24]
Ryan Nobles
Yeah, probably the next six months is going to be like this. All right, Melanie Zenona, thank you for that, as always. Let's turn now to the economy and a labor market that is proving itself to be rather resilient, despite the effects of rising costs from the war against Iran and high anxiety from consumers. And the Labor Department reporting today that the economy created 172,000 new jobs last month that was well above expectations. It's the third straight month the labor market has grown by more than 170,000 jobs. The unemployment rate holding steady at 4.3%. The White House today touting those numbers.
- [11:59]
Kevin Hassett
I think that basically what we're seeing is an enormous amount of positive momentum in hiring. Obviously that you're right that a couple of hundred and seventies in a row, that's a great couple of months. But then having upper divisions of around 100,000 means that this is a job market that's hitting on all cylinders. And it's our belief that this is happening because of all of the supply side policies that the president has put in place.
- [12:22]
Ryan Nobles
Now today's news coming less than a month after the Labor Department reported that inflation in April hit 3.8%, its highest level in three years. And as the average price for a gallon of gas remains above $4.20 a gallon, that's according to to AAA, up more than 40% since the start of the war with Iran. It was a brutal day on Wall street despite that jobs report. All three major indices down on the day. The Nasdaq tumbling more than 4%. President Trump posting on social media with a great jobs report like just announced stocks should go up, not down. That's the way it was for 200 years. Growth does not mean inflation. NBC News chief business correspondent Christine Romans joins me now. The president apparently trying to will the market in his direction. But we did get a wild day on Wall Street. And let's start with the May jobs numbers, though, break down today's report. What does it tell us?
- [13:15]
Christine Romans
You know, this is a show that is watched by people who watch and follow politics. So let me put it in the political context here. The last three months of job creation were the best three months for jobs since Joe Biden was president. So look at that. Last year was not a great year for job creation. This shows you three strong months here. You saw Kevin Hasset say firing on all cylinders. A few things happening here. You've got tax benefits in the big beautiful bill that's helping companies. They are through the tariff uncertainty of last year. And in fact, many companies are getting millions of dollars back in tariff refunds and an economy that has just been resilient. And we saw this at the end of the Biden administration as well. No matter what kind of hit the economy took, it kept moving forward. You're seeing that, by the way, voters didn't believe that and voted Democrats out. But now you have kind of a similar situation. The jobless rate, 4.3% that is enviable. And then here's the, here's the rub. You mentioned that 3.8% unemployment rate or 3.8% inflation rate and 3.4% wages. This is purchasing power that is diminishing a little bit. Another reason why the consumer sentiment numbers are just so bad, Ryan.
- [14:25]
Ryan Nobles
And so let's turn now to this tumultuous day for the markets, especially the nasdaq. Explain to us what happened.
- [14:31]
Christine Romans
So a couple of things here. But most importantly, they saw that strong labor number, those three strong months in a row and a 4.3% jobless rate. And remember, a lot of folks have been penciling in rate cuts to support the job market. This is not a job market that needs to be supported. So a lot of people thinking here the next move could be a rate hike and higher interest rates, of course, hurt very fast growing industries like tech companies that take on a lot of debt. So that's why you're seeing that part of the market really move lower. That's an ugly number, by the way, a one day move of 4%. That is, that's a big move, Ryan. You haven't seen anything like that since, I think April of last year. That was that liberation day tariffs when markets just fell out of bed.
- [15:14]
Ryan Nobles
And as your numbers show us, inflation is up, consumer sentiment is down, but the labor market is resilient. How do you square those different numbers that seem to tell us different things?
- [15:22]
Christine Romans
Because companies are powering ahead here and they're buying and they're hiring people still. And one thing that is interesting to me about this number in particular, it means they're hir but they're not having to pay up for, for, for workers. So a couple of reasons they're probably, I, they're probably the job market just isn't as gangbusters as it was maybe in 2024 when we were worried about it being too hot. It's, it's good, it's good, it's very good. But it's not so good that it means wages have to rise faster than inflation. By the way, we're going to get another inflation report, I think next week. And gosh, there are a lot of people I talk to think you could see a number more like 4% on inflation. So watch this space. This is the part of the economy that people are screaming about, the affordability part of the economy. Prices still rising. Gas prices have improved a little bit over the past few days. Hopefully they will in the, you know, the days ahead as well because oil prices fall today. But still gas was to 98 before the war began four months ago for 22 today. That's a big difference for family budgets and for business budgets. So that's still a drag on the economy.
- [16:27]
Ryan Nobles
Okay, Christine Roman, thanks for breaking it down for us. We appreciate it. As we mentioned, we do have a major programming announcement. Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker sits down with President Trump today in Wisconsin for a wide ranging exclusive interview. You can watch it this Sunday on Meet the Press and catch the highlights right here on NBC News. Now coming up, Russian President Putin claims he's open for a compromise on Ukraine, but says he sees no point in meeting with President Zelensky. NBC speaks with a top Kremlin official inside Russia next. You're watching Meet THE Press next.
- [17:06]
Monday.com Advertiser
Close your eyes. Focus. Listen to work getting done with Monday.com relax as AI does the manual work while your teams are aligned on a single source of truth. Feel the sensation of an AI work platform so flexible and intuitive it feels like it was built just for you. Notice you're limitless, limitless. Now open your eyes. Go to Monday.comstart for free and finally breathe.
- [17:36]
Willie Geist
Hey, guys, Willie Geist here reminding you to check out the Sunday Sit down podcast. On this week's episode, I get together with the one and Only Sir Paul McCartney to talk about his latest album, the Full circle moment of closing out Stephen Colbert show in the same theater where the Beatles made their American debut 62 years ago. And so much more with Paul. You can get our conversation for free wherever you download your podcasts.
- [18:03]
NBC News App Promoter
Stay informed with the NBC News app.
- [18:06]
Keir Simmons
Breaking news just coming in moments ago.
- [18:08]
NBC News App Promoter
Watch, read and listen throughout your day. And now unlock even more with a subscription. It's the best of NBC News with fewer ad interruptions, including ad ad, free articles, podcasts and full NBC News shows, plus deeper access and exclusive content.
- [18:24]
Christine Romans
Let's just take a step back.
- [18:25]
NBC News App Promoter
It's more context and clarity from the reporters you trust. Download the NBC News app now and subscribe for more.
- [18:37]
Ryan Nobles
Welcome back. Russian President Vladimir Putin says he sees no point in meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Those comments came during his remarks to the St. Petersburg Economic Forum just one day after he told reporters that he was ready to make some compromises for a peace deal at the request of President Trump. At the request of President Trump, I should say, provided that Ukraine did the same thing. Joining me now is chief international correspondent Keir Simmons. He's actually in St. Petersburg. Kir, you just sat down with the Russian deputy prime minister. Very important interview. What did he tell you?
- [19:14]
Keir Simmons
That's right, Ryan. And we spoke to him immediately after President Putin had given that address and conducted that Q and A session for hours here in St. Petersburg. And you mentioned some of the things President Putin had to say after he rejected that face to face meeting with Zelensky. He then addressed Russian soldiers and said, keep going, brothers, underscoring this impression that the Russian leader believes that he's winning in Ukraine and that Russia can keep winning even if there isn't a negotiation. So I sat down with the deputy prime minister, Alexander Novak, and I asked him how long Russia could keep going for. And he said quite simply, until President Putin's goals are achieved. He also dismissed the idea that Russia's economy is suffering. And I asked him, too, about relations between Russia and the US because there are some here in Russia who believe that there can be a kind of a reset with the US no matter what happens with Ukraine. That isn't what the Trump administration is is saying. Alexander Novak, the deputy prime minister, said, look, in the end, America walked away from us and effectively kind of put it out, put it on the table that the US it was for the US to decide whether to come back. Just one other point. He also said that oil prices higher have been helpful for the Russian economy, but that in the end, what Russia needs is stability. Of course, the world impacted by the war in Iran and by the closing of the Strait of Hormuz.
- [20:50]
Ryan Nobles
And how do Moscow and Kiev view the role that President Trump plays in any negotiation? Is there a sense that the US Needs to play a part in this process?
- [21:03]
Keir Simmons
Well, they both would like that and certainly the Russians would like that. And in fact, President Trump's representative, Rodney Cook was here and was sitting in the front row when President Putin was conducting that question and answer session. And then at one point, President Putin asked him to answer a question and he was, he looked like he was surprised. He stood up Trump and he conveyed respects from President Trump to President Putin and President Putin conveyed them back to President Trump. I actually had a chance to speak to Rodney Cook just before that meeting and I asked him about Ukraine and he said that he was hopeful. But of course, the comments that he then listened to from President Putin seemed a lot less hopeful.
- [21:50]
Ryan Nobles
Keir Simmons in St. Petersburg, Russia. Kir, thank you so much for that report. Up next, the president's agenda and the GOP controlled House of Representatives gets taken over by Democrats on Iran and the war in Ukraine. A top House Democrat, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of the Battleground Michigan is standing by with her reaction. And what comes next. Keep it here on MEET THE press.
- [22:10]
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
Now,
- [22:17]
Etsy Advertiser
Looking for a gift to make Dad's Day? Shop Etsy for all his favorites, like personalized golf accessories, a handmade leather can, or an original apron for those summer nights at the grill. We can't count the ways your dad means the world to you, but you can count on Etsy to help you find a gift that will make him feel seen Celebrate dad with original Father's Day gifts on Etsy. Celebrate being human.
- [22:40]
Luckyland Casino Advertiser
Luckyland Casino Imagine signing up and finding your welcome surprise already waiting. Spin free with gold coins or collect sweeped coins plus daily login delights. Sign up now. Let the magic talk. Lucky Land Casino where the magic happens. No purchase necessary. VGW Group Void where prohibited by law. CTNC's 21/
- [23:06]
TextNow Advertiser
sometimes life will get you stressed out. Lucky you can always count on text now Free Talk free text free 5G and they'll never shut you off because like I said, it's free. TextNow's got your back. Nationwide, no long term contracts, but all they're nervous about losing service. TextNow's got your back. That's their sense of purpose. No matter what comes next, you've got free talk and text with the TextNow app.
- [23:32]
Graham Platner
Wireless plans require the purchase of a sim card.
- [23:34]
TextNow Advertiser
Visit textnow.com for terms and conditions.
- [23:39]
Ryan Nobles
Welcome back. House Democrats were able to push through a bill that would provide billions of in military aid to Ukraine after winning over some of their Republican colleagues in what's being seen as a rebuke to President Trump's foreign policy agenda. Eighteen Republicans voted with Democrats to pass the legislation despite objections from Republican leadership who said it would interfere with the President's efforts to end the conflict. The aid package, which also authorizes sanctions on Russia, now heads to the Senate but stands little chance of becoming law since the president still has veto power over it. The vote comes just days after four Republicans broke with their party to pass a war powers resolution that was also backed by Democrats designed to force President Trump to end the war against Iran, marking another Democratic led rebuke of the President's foreign policy agenda in the House. Joining me now is Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan. Congresswoman, thanks so much for being here. We appreciate you joining us. Just in the last week, your party was able to pass a war powers resolution on Iran, a military bill to provide aid to Ukraine. These were all against the wishes of the Republican leadership and the President. But this was after enough of your Republican colleagues voted with Democrats. How do you read this? Do you think that there's actually some signs that rank and file Republicans are starting to assert themselves with not only their leadership but the President himself.
- [25:05]
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
So I think this is a complicated issue, Ryan. I think too many Republicans are still afraid of the White House and the retribution that he pays on those that cross him. But I believe there are two different issues here in the and we did take over the floor because we know and are listening to our constituents back home who have seen the cost of everything go up and rise. I think the Republicans have voted with us on the Iran War Powers Act. 1 believe that the law says you need to come to Congress after 60 days. And they do believe in the rule of law. Some of those also are hearing from their constituent and are furious. They look at the price of gasoline. One of them was a colleague from Michigan. Gasoline in Michigan was over $5 several weeks ago. It's gone a little down, but it's still very high and now expected to go to $5 or $6 in the next few weeks. So they're listening to their constituents and that this is going to get even trickier as they head to the elections. Ukraine, I think a lot of people are bothered by the lack Ukraine right now. They want to see an end of this war. We know that food costs have gone up for several years. They were our word, the breadbasket of the world. And I think that's why you saw more Republicans vote for this bill. Because I think that as a democracy in this country, we believe in helping other countries that have a form of democracy.
- [26:40]
Ryan Nobles
I mean, do you think that there's any possibility that either of these bills could meet the same fate in the Senate? Do you think there are enough Republicans in the Senate? I know there are Republicans that support a check on the White House. In terms of what's happening in Iran and Ukraine, is this just going to be symbolic or could we actually see this manifest itself?
- [27:01]
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
So look, we already know that there are a number of senators that agree with us, Republican senators on the War Powers act on Iran. And I think the longer this war goes for, the higher gasoline prices go up. You have seen oil companies warning us that gasoline prices could suddenly escalate very quickly. That it's going to be interesting to see who Republicans are listening to, the people that they represent or a White House that's intimidating them. But you're right that the president could still veto it. But we have got to demand that the president come and talk to the Congress on Ukraine. The parliamentary situation in the Senate makes it more complicated. But I do know that there are many Republicans who believe we should be helping Ukraine more than we are.
- [27:51]
Ryan Nobles
All right, let's talk now about the midterm elections. Democrats are hopeful not only about winning back the House where you sit, but also taking back the Senate. But they're facing a problem with their candidate in Maine in Graham Platner. After more reporting from the New York Times last night, detailing what they describe as unsettling interactions with ex con girlfriends, including physical threats. Now, Platner's responded, acknowledging he was far from a perfect boyfriend, but he's proud of the work he's done since. Congresswoman, I know that you're someone that cares deeply about the issues of relationship violence and the rights of women in situations like these. Are you comfortable right now with Graham Platner being the representative of the Democratic Party in Maine?
- [28:32]
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
So I'm someone, as you know, that's very candid. I've spent my whole life, I lived in a situation where domestic violence was. Was present as a child. I have been present and seen other women in it. You are correct. I've spent my whole life. So I am not going to defend somebody with that kind of history. I'm a voter in Michigan. I don't vote in Maine. I know that there are also people who feel very strongly that there needs to be a check on the president. So, no, I'm not comfortable with that candidate. I'm not going to defend someone who has a history of violence against women. It's one of the issues that I'm the most passionate about in my life and especially when they don't appear to even be sorry about it. But having said that, we also have someone in the White House that's got a history like that and there does need to be a check. I'm glad I'm not voting in Maine.
- [29:25]
Ryan Nobles
Yeah, I mean, I think that's an important point you raise. Obviously, there is some concern among Democratic voters and elected Democrats that in some cases, Republicans might be being held to a higher standard when it comes. I'm sorry, Democrats are being held to a higher standard when there have been been Republicans in certain cases that have been elected despite similar accusations in their past. Do you think that's the same thing? Shouldn't Democrats want their candidates to be held to that higher standard as well?
- [29:54]
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
Look, I am talking for myself and I've always been very clear that violence against women and children, or even a woman towards a man is unacceptable. I've lived in it. I know how scary it is. I know what it is to be afraid that you might die. So I am who I am, and I'm going to stand for what I've stood for all of my life. But I also know we have a man in the White House that has attacked women. And what we're seeing happen in this country is also deeply disturbing. I wish that there was another candidate and there is still one on the ballot on Tuesday, but I cannot. I will not change who I am and defend somebody that has been violent women or blames women for the way that they dress or that they are somehow responsible for violence against them.
- [30:46]
Ryan Nobles
Okay. Thank you for being so candid about that. Congresswoman, you are not a voter in Maine, but you are a voter in Michigan, and you have a Senate primary there. There are three candidates that represent very different factions of the Democratic Party. You said last month that you were concerned that the primary was becoming very raucous and called for the candidates to tone down their shots at each other. Are you concerned that this type of divisiveness could cost Democrats that important seat in Michigan in November?
- [31:15]
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
Look, Michigan's a competitive state, and that primary is a competitive primary. I have talked to every one of those candidates and actually I've talked to every one of them again this week that we are going to have to come together after this primary, that the tone that we are setting for the next two months could set a tone for what's going to happen in November. Michigan cannot afford to lose that Democratic seat. I remain neutral because my job is going to be to help bring everybody together. And as they are talking about the issues, they've got to remind people about what is at stake in November.
- [31:47]
Ryan Nobles
Okay, so you're not going to make any news with me right now, then, and tell me who you're supporting in this?
- [31:51]
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
I'm not.
- [31:52]
Ryan Nobles
All right, Well, I gave you that opportunity. I feel good about it. All right, let's. Let's talk less before I let you go about just the state of the Democratic Party overall right now. It's off the back of this autopsy of the 2024 election and now these new revelations from former first lady Jill Biden's book that she actually was concerned about her husband's health during the campaign. A former Obama adviser, Dan Pfeiffer, says it's led to a broken trust between voters and the Democratic Party. You've been candid this entire interview. Do you agree that there's been a broken trust as a result of President Biden's decision? And how do you fix that?
- [32:27]
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
Well, first of all, I'm going to go broader than that. I think there's a broken trust between voters and institutions, period. If you look, people don't trust either party, and we have to go out and we have to rebuild that trust. Look, I was around Joe Biden. I was stunned at what happened that night. But in my daily interaction with him, he was very attuned to the issues, and I had blunt discussions with him. But I think that all of us have got to go out and rebuild the voters trust in us and they need to see us deliver. I think a lot of people are very unhappy with what they're watching in Washington. They're tired of the divisive partisan politics. They're worried about the vitriolic ness, the ugliness, the hatred that we're seeing. And we all need to understand the issues that they care about. They're all worried about affordability right now. And we need to go show people how we're going to make life more affordable for them, period, and do something about it.
- [33:24]
Ryan Nobles
All right. That seems like a good place to leave it. As always, great to talk to you, Congresswoman Dingle. We appreciate it. Enjoy your weekend.
- [33:31]
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
Thank you, Ryan.
- [33:32]
Ryan Nobles
All right. After the break, we'll dig deeper into the latest allegations and controversies facing the Democratic Senate candidate main Graham Platner. As we just talked about with Congresswoman Dingell and the headaches they're causing for Democrats in Washington. Our panel is next on MEET THE press. Now. Welcome back. As we mentioned, Democrats are grappling with a new controversy facing the party's likely nominee in a crucial Maine Senate race. In a lengthy report, the New York Times interviewed three of Graham Platner's former girlfriends who described his behavior as toxic, unsettling and at times physically aggressive. Last night, Platner denying the most serious allegations while acknowledging his past problematic behavior.
- [34:20]
Graham Platner
There are some allegations in this piece that I just want to be kind of unequivocal about are simply not true. Anything alleging physicality, anything alleging that I knew what my tattoo was, These are the statements of some someone who's politically motivated. There are things in this that I absolutely will take responsibility for and have been speaking about openly for months now. But those serious allegations are just not true.
- [34:45]
Ryan Nobles
At any point over the course of the past week, have you considered dropping out of the race?
- [34:50]
Graham Platner
No, not once.
- [34:53]
Ryan Nobles
The cascade of controversies has frustrated some Democrats, but seemingly not enough to try and sink his candidacy. Senate Democratic leadership sticking by him after a meeting on Capitol Hill earlier this week. And today, Congressman Ro Khanna, who is set to campaign with him in Maine this evening, also signaling his loyalty, saying, quote, the behavior described in the New York Times story was wrong and toxic. Graham has acknowledged that and sought redemption. The people of Maine deserve a senator who's going to stand up to the billionaire class against genocide and for the working class. Joining me now is our panel, Sahil Kapoor, NBC News national politics reporter Susan Page, the Washington bureau chief for USA today. Meghan Hayes, former special assistant to President Biden, and Matt Gorman, Republican strategist and an NBC News contributor. Yes, four people at the panel. We're calling it a super panel to end Friday. You know, Sahil, you have done quite a bit of reporting about this race in Maine. Talk to us a little bit more about this Times report. I'm sure a lot of people have seen the headlines, but talk to us about what he's actually accused of and what he's actually admitting to.
- [35:53]
Sahil Kapoor
Right. So essentially, the Times report is built on interviews with three women that he dated. Two of them say that he drank a lot, that he was a bad boyfriend, that it was a toxic relationship. This he accused accepts. Ram Platner has admitted that he was a bad boyfriend at the time. He said he went through a dark period. He had what he called undiagnosed ptsd, that he did self medicate with alcohol in his own words, and that he's now a better person. A third one, and these are the most serious allegations in the piece, dated him over a decade ago when both of them were in their late twenties here in Washington. She says he sometimes got rough with her, that he grabbed her shoulders once, that once he tried to yank her out of a car by her wrist, that once he pushed her into a room and held the door closed. This he denied. He says this is all false. And he points out, and his campaign points out that this is from a conservative activist. He argues that her claims are politically motivated. His campaign issued a pretty firm quote pushing back on this, calling her a lifelong GOP operative who spent her life trying to elect Republicans. They say that's exactly what she's trying to do now. So they're trying to discredit this woman who's making these allegations and argue that the rest of it is consistent with his prior story, that he did some bad things in his 20s and maybe early 30s. But he's a different person now. And it's.
- [37:01]
Ryan Nobles
But Susan, I think this is the vexing problem that Democrats find themselves in, right? Because they have said time and time again we should believe women when there are situations like these. If you go through and read any of the comments, which I don't advise, but people do that. There are millions of people commenting. What about the Republican that's been accused of this? It's Democrats that have asked to be held to a higher standard. Should their candidates be held to a higher standard?
- [37:25]
Interviewer
Well, maybe it depends. You know, the main Senate race, crucial for Democratic hopes of winning control of the Senate and the Question I hear from Democrats is, is there more? Is this everything? We can deal with it in June. By the time we get to October, we'll be focused on other issues, or will there be more disclosures? That will be distressing. And I think that's a question that's hard to answer.
- [37:46]
Ryan Nobles
Megan, I'm sure you saw Congresswoman Dingell and how she seems clearly frustrated by this. Alissa Slotkin yesterday had a similar reaction, saying that she's sick and tired of having to answer for men making bad decisions. How frustrating is this for the Democratic Party, for this to be their standard bearer in Maine?
- [38:02]
Meghan Hayes
Yeah, I mean, I echo Alissa Slotkin's sentiments as well. I'm sick of having to talk about it. I think that there's gonna be more. These kinds of things don't just happen in a vacuum. But I don't understand why it wasn't disqualifying to have a Nazi tattoo in the beginning. So I think that this is a flawed candidate. Democrats are so desperate to win. We're doing exactly what Republicans did with Donald Trump, what Republicans are doing with Ken Paxton. And I don't want these people. I don't want any of these Ken Paxton or Platner in the Senate. I just. They're not. They don't have the standards that I think our members are elected should have. So to me, I think it's really disheartening. I also think it's extremely disheartening to just discredit this woman just because she's worked for GOP candidates. I think that's gross and not a place that Democrats want to be.
- [38:42]
Ryan Nobles
So, Matt, obviously main voters right now seem to be digesting this, but most of the polling has shown that really hasn't hurt Platner's standing, at least with Democratic voting voters. But could this be an issue across the country? Are we going to see Republican ads tying Democratic candidates across the country to Graham Platner?
- [38:59]
Matt Gorman
Well, look, in Maine, I think Susan Collins is going to beat him like a drum. And I believe that even before the story came out yesterday. I mean, you're right. This was an incredible story with abuse allegations and infidelity. Two of the other things I took away from it, besides he just seems to be a liar, is the fact that a his comments that he did not dispute about if someone broke into his apartment, he would quote, we essentially we raped them, and it was about dominance, not sex. Incredible. What an egregious and awful statement to make. And the other thing is to Meghan's Point, it's a further confirmation past the CNN article from a few weeks ago that he knew what the Nazi tattoo was and did not dispute that until he disputed it with Chris Hayes last night as well. And I think part of the anger you get from some in the GOP is we remember folks like what Sheldon Whitehouse did during the Kavanaugh hearings when he went five questions deep on what, quote, boofing was. And yesterday when stopped in a hallway, he said the story was a lot of nothing. And so it's the amorality on someone like his part when we get there's one standard when it was Kavanaugh in 2018 and quite another when it's Graham Platner.
- [40:00]
Ryan Nobles
But do you think Republicans are doing the same thing here? I mean, what about, as Megan points out, the allegations against Ken Paxton? Is it in the same infidelity?
- [40:08]
Matt Gorman
I will not condone that, whether it's Graham Platner or Ken Paxton. I haven't heard allegations of Ken Paxton abusing women. I haven't heard Ken Paxton going on kick, which is, quote, called a paradise for child predators. I won't excuse infidelity, but I'm also not going to draw a line between Graham Platner's abuse allegations and what Ken Paxton did either.
- [40:25]
Ryan Nobles
Okay. All right, let's turn now and talk about what happened on Capitol Hill this week. We saw in many ways, I wonder if there are people wondering if Hakeem Jeffries is the new speaker of the House because we. The only legislation that was passed in the House this week were two Democratic led resolutions, one a war powers resolution and the other funding for Ukraine. We also have this issue with Republicans, Republicans standing up to President Trump on Bill Pulte, who is his pick for DNI and kind of holding up the FISA legislation. They're also angry about the reconciliation package and the anti weaponization fund. Sahil, are we to the point yet where Republicans are getting a backbone or do we still need some evidence that that's actually gonna manifest itself?
- [41:05]
Sahil Kapoor
I think we're inching toward that point, but moving at a snail's pace. And we can go, you know, we can go case by case on these things. The War powers resolution that did it passed on Iran in the House. That was after three failed attempts. The fourth attempt passed and it passed narrowly. And it's symbolic. Even if it passes the Senate, it's a concurrent resolution. Doesn't get to President Trump's desk. The weaponization fund. This was interesting. As many as a dozen Senate Republicans voted for some amendments to either ban that fund entirely or redirect the money. Those amendments failed. What did those Republicans do at the end? All of them, except Lisa Murkowski voted for the bill. So are they trying to have it both ways? Maybe. Maybe cast a vote or avoid taking a politically difficult vote that could haunt them in the election. But ultimately, they didn't do anything to disrupt the bill. It's going to the president's desk without any restriction, presuming it passes the House,
- [41:49]
Ryan Nobles
which is not a guarantee. Yeah, right. Yeah.
- [41:51]
Sahil Kapoor
And then you have the issue of Bill Pulte. Now, Democrats are credibly threatening to block FISA if Bill Pulty is going to be the one overseeing that extraordinary power of warrantless surveillance. Republicans have made some noises in this direction, but TBD what they'll actually do.
- [42:04]
Ryan Nobles
So, Matt, I think it's interesting. I think probably a lot of people at home don't realize how the calendar works here, but have we kind of entered a phase where President Trump's lost a lot of his leverage with the existing members of Congress because we're pretty much past all the Republican primaries where he would have the most influence?
- [42:21]
Matt Gorman
It's tough. Certainly when you have Cassidy and Cornyn feeling like they're a little bit more of a free agent and willing to buck the president on these things, it makes it much harder to govern the Senate for the next couple months. And certainly if Blanche is not the only person who could intensity be confirmed. Cabinet secretaries leave all the time. Are we going to be in an area where there's just a lot of acting secretaries like we had at the end of Trump? One that remains to be seen. I think this could get worse before it gets better, where you have a lot of folks working on acting. Titles and confirmations are harder to come by.
- [42:51]
Ryan Nobles
And there's a lot still coming. Right, Susan? We're going to have to pass a spending plan in September.
- [42:56]
Interviewer
Traditionally, we try to fund the government.
- [42:58]
Ryan Nobles
That's generally old school, a goal, not necessarily one that is always accomplished. But there's also perhaps a war supplemental. There's a long list of things that need to be done. How difficult will it be?
- [43:10]
Interviewer
I don't think President Trump cares very much about what Congress does or doesn't do to the degree of a government shutdown. Maybe that becomes annoying. But President Trump is very focused on leaving his stamp on the Capitol for when he leaves the presidency. He has entered that part of a second, traditional second term, maybe a little earlier than some others. He is. What does he talk about when he has a chance to talk. He talks about the ballroom. He talks about the new Lincoln Memorial Promenade, which we had not previously been aware of. He talks about the enormous triumphal arch. And I think that says where his head is. So little cracks in the GOP coalition. But I don't think he, I don't think this is what's front of mind for the president.
- [43:48]
Ryan Nobles
And can Democrats take advantage of that going into the midterms?
- [43:51]
Meghan Hayes
Yeah, absolutely, because they're already taking advantage of, as you're seeing, things passed that they, that they want. But I also think that they're able to use the things that the President is saying that he doesn't believe in the midterms and he doesn't care that people are suffering. Those are all going to be in ads of all the Republican congressmen that have supported him. Sorry, Congressmen and women that have supported him leading up to this point. So I think, you know, I think it's a good thing for Democrats when he's out there talking about the ballroom because it just makes them all look so foolish when people are really suffering in their districts.
- [44:15]
Ryan Nobles
But I, and maybe I'll just put this out to the panel. Anybody can grab it. Maybe it's good for Democrats. Maybe they win one or both houses, but Donald Trump's in office for another two and a half. Are we really entering a phase where he doesn't care if he gets anything accomplished? Are Democrats gonna fight him on every single thing that happens? Are we entering an era where it's gonna be almost impossible to get anything done?
- [44:38]
Matt Gorman
Yeah, well, I would reframe the question. Right. Like think of this as 2006 if you're George W. Bush or 2015. Close to that if you're President Obama. We're essentially, we are in the second term of a Trump presidency, even though it's not consecutive. And so the accomplishments in the last two years, a 10 cent principally of a presidential term, relatively narrow unless, you know, you have the bailout, like what they. Bush did.
- [44:59]
Ryan Nobles
They still did the basic stuff, didn't they?
- [45:00]
Matt Gorman
The basic stuff, sure. And I think you will get the basics. I think you'll certainly. The government will be funded and with a debt ceiling. We've been good so far. I mean, certainly it can.
- [45:10]
Ryan Nobles
We've had the two longest government shutdowns in history.
- [45:14]
Interviewer
You'll have oversight even if you just win one House. Even if just win the House and not the city Senate, you will have oversight that President Trump has not had during his presidency. And that could make a difference.
- [45:25]
Sahil Kapoor
And the president's actions lately suggest that he cares more about having a loyal Republican Party without anyone who's going to vote against him or cast votes against him or even speak out forcefully against him than he does necessarily by maximizing the numbers in the House just based on his endorsements. The Texas is Texas situation is the best example. Republicans are going to have to spend millions, maybe tens of millions of dollars more than they otherwise would have to hold on to Texas with Ken Paxton than they would would have with John Cornyn.
- [45:48]
Meghan Hayes
But I also think Democrats right now should take advantage of set themselves up for 28, right? So if they do take back the house in 26, they should be setting themselves up for 28. And that doesn't mean doing every oversight hearing just because you can. It means showing the American people you have solutions because 28 is going to be a battle. Trump is not on the ticket. There's going to be 20 candidates, 20 plus candidates on dumb side, probably five or six on the Republican side. It's going to be a slog. And Democrats need to have proof that they've done something.
- [46:11]
Matt Gorman
And that'll take up the attention, right? Like that will take up a lot more attention, as it always does from
- [46:15]
Ryan Nobles
what's happening Washington sounds like you're begging them not to impeach Donald Trump if I'm reading between them. All right, we'll just take your grin to that question. The mega panel delivered. Thanks, guys. I appreciate it. Sahil, Susan, Meghan, Matt, thank you all for being here. Still to come, we're breaking down a critical week for AI and policymakers in Washington amid new warnings and the fallout from Open Air CEO Sam Altman meeting with top White House officials and skeptical lawmakers on Capitol Hill. That story's next. Stay with us on MEET THE PRESS now. Welcome back. We turn now to what's been a major week in the world of artificial intelligence and policy politics. OpenAI, the tech giant behind ChatGPT, says it will comply with President Trump's new executive order that asks AI companies to allow the federal government to review their models capabilities before they're released to the public. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman visited Washington earlier this week for meetings at the White House in Capitol Hill as lawmakers struggle to keep pace with the rapid growth of AI. Meanwhile, another AI giant, Anthropic, is calling for top tech companies to slow or even pause the pace of development and allow society to catch up with the AI systems, which they suggest are advancing so rapidly that they may soon be able to build on themselves without human intervention. Joining me now is NBC News artificial intelligence reporter Jared Perlow. Jared, thanks for joining me. You're somebody that follows this extremely closely. How concerned should we be by Anthropic's warnings?
- [47:58]
Jared Perlow
Well, I think we should be somewhat concerned. So. So I think, zooming out, it's obviously in the AI company's interest to say, oh, my gosh, the AI systems will start building themselves. Right. Because that says their products are really capable. But I do think there's a lot of truth behind this. So Anthropic, which manufactures the AI system called Claude, which maybe people are now increasingly familiar with, they said in a blog post released yesterday that 80% of the code that they now upgrade into their actual systems, the systems that we consumers interact with, 80% of that code is written by AI. So there's now a kind of cyborg human AI fusion happening inside these leading AI companies. And what they're concerned about is that if we do get to a point where, because of competitive pressure, more and more of that AI development is outsourced to AI systems themselves, maybe we'll enter some sort of flywheel situation where we can't control exactly what's going on. However, they also note that because there are these competitive pressures, it's not really in any one company's interest to stop that process. So what they say is there should be at least some sort of mechanism for these companies to coordinate between themselves, both in America and China, globally, to make sure that we don't enter those sorts of terrifying race dynamics. That's, I think, a lot easier said than done. And they say they're going to be working on building out what that could actually look like in the coming months. So I think really important to stay tuned there.
- [49:15]
Ryan Nobles
Yeah, it comes on the heels of this new executive order on AI. What's the reaction been from tech companies?
- [49:20]
Jared Perlow
So tech companies largely, really have reacted positively to this executive order. So it's been in the works for months. Really a reaction to this release from Anthropic of a new model called Mythos or Mythos Preview, which discovered thousands of new critical vulnerabilities in various software packages in, you know, systems like Windows and the Mac operating system. So things that we interact with every day. Tech CEOs say it's about high time that the government is getting involved in making sure that AI systems are safe for the American public. I chatted with IBM CEO just two days ago. He said, thank goodness President Trump finally signed this. He was supposed to sign it several weeks ago, but pulled it at the last minute. So I Think, you know, the AI system has been calling for some sort of regulation for years now, but Capitol Hill is diamond in its own way. And the Trump administration, on its first day in office actually repealed an executive order that that President Biden had passed. So I think everybody from the tech side is now happy that there is federal involvement. There's lots of disagreement about whether that involvement should be mandatory, voluntary, and what exactly should be happening on the inside of that. So that's still a live issue, but I think we're now in a situation where the tech CEOs say, well, better something than nothing.
- [50:22]
Ryan Nobles
Okay, Jared Perillo, thank you for breaking that down for us. We really appreciate it. And the former CIA officer accused of stashing millions of dollars worth of gold bars in his home will remain in custody. A federal judge ordering David Rush to continue being held at the Alexandria, Virginia, detention center until he stands trial. Rush, who worked on one of the US Government's most highly sensitive programs, appeared in court this morning. He was arrested last month after the FBI raided his home, allegedly finding more than 300 gold bars and $2 million in cash. NBC News legal affairs reporter Gary Grumbach has the latest from Alexandria.
- [50:58]
Gary Grumbach
Hey there. Yeah. David Rush, that senior CIA officer detained pending trial. Trial in this case after Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick here in Alexandria, Virginia, saying that due to the unique nature of David Rush's job, he is particularly suited to potentially flee the country, to potentially be a danger to the community. And because of that, he must be detained pending trial. This is a win for the Department of Justice, who the attorney there today called him a master manipulator, saying that he lied about a number of things over the past last 20 years or so, saying that he's told people he was a doctor, which he is not saying. He told people he was a pilot, which he is not saying. He committed, quote, tremendous fraud over the past two decades. Russia's attorney Jessica Carmichael saying this is a case that involves just one charge, theft of public money related to timesheets that were incorrectly, in her words, filled out over the past few years. Nothing to do with gold bars, nothing to do with lying about his career. And because of that, those issues shouldn't factor into whether or not he is detained pending trial in this particular case with the charge that is currently against him. There is one thing both sides do agree on, however, that is that every gold bar that Rush allegedly took from the CIA has been accounted for. That's what the government said. That's what Carmichael said. So that is some news out of this hearing from today. So in this case, David Rush will stand trial. In this case he will be detained pending trial. Back to you.
- [52:27]
Ryan Nobles
Okay, Gary Grumbach, thank you for that report. And we of course will 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. As we mentioned, Kristen will have her exclusive one on one interview with President Trump. You won't want to miss it, but there's always more ahead on NBC News now. Thanks so much for watching. Have a terrific weekend.
- [53:08]
Luckyland Casino Advertiser
Welcome to Luckyland Casino. Your daily escape is just a click away way no downloads, just pure playtime in your browser. Spin free with gold coins or collect sweeps coins for magical prizes. Sign up now. Your first surprise is waiting. Luckyland Casino where the magic happens. No purchase necessary. VGW Group voidware prohibited by law. CTNC's 21 plus.