← Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press NOW — May 8
00:49:54
The Virginia Supreme Court strikes down the voter-approved map drawn by Democrats, with midterms less than six months away. The war with Iran escalates as U.S. forces fire at Iranian targets across the Strait of Hormuz in two separate incidents. The Department of Defense releases more than 160 "never-before-seen" files related to unidentified flying objects.
Loading summary
Transcript123 lines
- [00:02]
Marine Corps Recruiter
The wrongs we must right, the fights we must win, the future we must secure together for our nation. This is what's in front of us. This determines what's next for all of us. We are Marines. We were made for this.
- [00:30]
1-800-Flowers Advertiser
When Mother's Day means celebrating your mom, your wife, maybe even your daughter as a new mom, trust 1-800-FLOWERS to help you celebrate every important woman in your life. With Double blooms from 1-800-Flowers. Order one dozen roses and get another dozen for free. It's a simple way to give beautifully with colorful blooms that make Mother's Day feel meaningful for every mom you're celebrating. Order with confidence and get Double blooms at 1-800-flowers.com sxm that's 1-800-flowers. Com sxm.
- [01:11]
Kristen Welker
Welcome to MEET THE press now, I'm Kristen Welker. We begin with breaking news, a major development in the nationwide redistricting arms race and the fight for control of Congress. With the midterms less than six, six months away today, Republicans getting a big boost in their effort to keep the majority even as the party is facing significant political headwinds from the economy, the war with Iran and a deeply unpopular president. The Virginia Supreme Court today siding with Republicans striking down the Democratic drawn congressional map, which voters narrowly approved last month. The court ruled that the ballot measure about the new map, which would have given Democrats up to four more House seats, violated the state's constitution. It's a blow for Democrats across the country who've struggled to counter the redistricting blitz from Republicans. Right now, Republicans are on track to gain as many as 14 six seats just from redistricting in the 2026 midterms, compared to just six for Democrats. The partisan battle line's on full display today, with Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries saying his party is exploring all options to overturn this shocking decision. And Republican speaker of the House Mike Johnson celebrating saying the court's ruling a victory for democracy. It comes after yesterday, Tennessee Republicans approved a new congressional map eliminating that state's single Democratic congressional district, slicing up the only majority black district in the state. Protests erupted inside and outside the state Capitol, with state House Democrats walking out of the chamber and some joining protesters and shaming lawmakers as they left. Take a listen. Now. Tennessee is the first state to redraw its map following last week's landmark Supreme Court ruling, which effectively eliminated the racial gerrymandering protections from the Voting Rights Act. Two lawsuits have been filed challenging the map, including by the naacp, which called the Tennessee vote, quote, a direct attack on our democracy and our Constitution to dismantle majority black districts. That sentiment was echoed by Tennessee Democratic state lawmakers.
- [03:35]
Justin Levitt
It's easy to say that it's about politics. It's very, very evident. It's very, very clear.
- [03:40]
State Senator (Tennessee)
And they know it, and we both,
- [03:42]
Justin Levitt
we all know it, that this is about race. This is about trying to dilute the black vote. And they're doing it by splitting us into three separate congressional districts.
- [03:53]
Kristen Welker
It's disgraceful. They should be ashamed. But sadly, they have no shame. Meanwhile, Florida, where the governor signed a new map into law earlier this week, which likely halves the number of Democratic districts, also faces a lawsuit alleging the new map is a violation of its state constitution. Joining me now from the White House is our chief Capitol Hill correspondent and longtime Virginia reporter Ryan Nobles. Also with me is NBC News senior reporter Jane Timm, who covers voting policies and election administration. And thanks to both of you for starting us off. Ryan, I want to start with you on your expertise about Virginia politics. Republicans celebrating the ruling. But considering the political headwinds facing the party, is it still possible Democrats out better come out better than those six seats?
- [04:43]
Ryan Nobles
Yeah, I think that in the grand scheme of things, this is a huge setback for Democrats across the country, but the impact it'll have on Virginia specifically, I still think remains an open question. The map as it currently exists, which looks more and more like it will be the map that voters are working from in the fall election, probably still gives Democrats the possibility of netting two seats just based on where the political headwinds are heading in this direction. There's two seats that often go back and forth in Virginia, and Democrats feel confident about that. So they would have had the opportunity of gaining an additional four seats beyond that if this map had gone into effect. So there's no doubt that this is a big blow for Democrats in their effort to stem this redistricting charge that Republicans have been very successful on across the state. But there really is no remedy for Democrats here. The Virginia Supreme Court has the final say when it comes to this particular issue, particularly because it was attempted to be pushed through through a constitutional referendum, which the Virginia voters did support, albeit not by as wide a margin as Democrats initially had thought they had. And we see Republicans in the state and beyond the president's political apparatus basically taking a victory lap, arguing that they chose not to invest the millions, tens of millions of dollars that Virginia Democrats and national decided to invest in this primarily because they thought they would win at this stage if the Virginia Supreme Court would interpret the law as they saw it. So there's no doubt that Republicans feel very good about the way this outcome came in their favor. But that does not in any way shape or form negate the overall political headwinds that they're facing in their efforts to hold onto the majority in this election cycle. Kristen.
- [06:25]
Kristen Welker
Well, let's delve more deeply into exactly what you are hearing at the White House. That is where you are posted today. What is President Trump saying about this Virginia decision?
- [06:36]
Ryan Nobles
Well, as you might imagine, the president is taking a major victory lap. He posted on his social media channel today, huge win for the Republican Party and America in Virginia. The Virginia Supreme Court has just struck down the Democrats horrible gerrymander, make America great again. Of course, for some reason in Virginia, it's a horrible gerrymander. But in all these other states where Republicans have pushed through new maps, somehow that's good for democracy according to Republicans. And you laid out quite eloquently all the different places where Republicans have just up upended their maps to make things easier for Republicans to gain back seats. You know, there's a lot packed into this issue. And you know, we spent a lot of time analyzing the maps based on the prior performance of political parties in these different states. But at the end of the day, it's still the voters that will have the final say on this. And the Democrats that I've talked to do feel buoyed by the political headwinds being at their backs. Yes, this makes that process more difficult. But they also point to the fact that if you redistrict these different districts across the country, you have to pull Republican voters out of Republican safe seats and put them in to Democrat held seats. That dilutes the ability of Republicans to hold onto the seats that in the past were easy wins. And, and most Democrats believe that any seat that was within a plus 13 margin in the 2024 election is within their grasps in the 2026 election. And so that puts a whole lot more seats in play because they've done so much redistricting around the country. So this is going to be a nail biter right down to the very end, Kristen, but it's certainly not a good day for Democrats. But they have by no means backed away their hopes of winning back the majority in the fall.
- [08:21]
Kristen Welker
Yeah, it's a good way to characterize it. A nail biter indeed. Ryan, I've been getting a lot of texts from Republican sources who seem to feel bullish in the wake of all of this. What are you hearing from folks on Capitol Hill and leadership in particular?
- [08:36]
Ryan Nobles
Well, I think what it's going to do is double down Democratic efforts to try and find blue seats in other states. And you see Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, talking about looking at the maps in places like New York and other northeast states that perhaps they'd have an opportunity to rejigger their maps. But here's the thing, Kristen. The time is running out. The clock is ticking. It's very unlikely that the Democrats are going to be able to find any more seats in this election cycle. We might be talking about election cycles in the future. And the one thing I will say is regardless of what political hat you wear, the fact that we are building more and more congressional districts that are hard right and hard left is going to make it immensely more difficult to find any sort of bipartisan consensus on Capitol Hill. If you read between the lines there, these shutdowns that keep happening over and over and over again, if you're sending back hard partisans to Capitol Hill, shutdowns are just going to keep happening with even more frequency as a result of it.
- [09:33]
Kristen Welker
Yeah. That big picture perspective so important in terms of what we're watching. Ryan Nobles, thank you so much from the White House. Jane. Tim, let me turn to you. You have been tracking every twist and turn of this. We highlighted the math as it stands right now where Republicans do have an edge. But there are other states as Ryan was just talking about. What are you watching and where are you watching right now?
- [09:58]
Jane Timm
Yeah, Kristen, Alabama lawmakers just passed a bill a moment ago that actually makes it possible for the for the state to run certain special primaries again. So if they can change their maps, if the courts allowed them to go back to one of their previously enacted maps based on this precedent from Calais, they're going to run another election in those specific district, the affected congressional districts and affected state Senate districts, and then use those results to go forward into November. An extraordinary remedy in an attempt to use a map with one less black congressional district than the one that they currently have on the books today. Their primary is scheduled for May 19th and they say as long as they can get it done by August, they'll run a second one just for those specific affected areas to use this new map. But other states are also what we're watching. Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee yesterday passed a map that carves up the Memphis seat, as you said, into three different districts that spread hundreds of miles. But next, I think Louisiana is going to be the one that we're watching next week. And Alabama, of Course, too.
- [11:08]
Kristen Welker
It's just extraordinary. What's also extraordinary is that President Trump earlier this week called for states who already held primaries to redraw their maps. Is that possible? Jane, what are you hearing?
- [11:20]
Jane Timm
I mean, you can rerun an election if you want to, but of course, these things are not free. It is not free to redo an election. It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, millions of dollars. I mean, that special election in Virginia was appropriated, I think $5 million to run an election which now the results are no longer in place. So it's much more unlikely that people are going to redo an election. But I think what you see in Alabama is just how far Republican states are will go to eke out a partisan advantage here. I mean, this is the redistricting gain. The White House saw and have made clear that they really want to eke out going into midterms where the minority party is already set up for success, just based on the historical trends that we know and so far this year have been running really far in advance.
- [12:07]
Kristen Welker
Jane, I think one of the big questions that people have is could this push to redistrict, which did start with President Trump in Texas, could it actually backfire in some states?
- [12:20]
Jane Timm
You know, I think that it does have an impact on how people see their democracy. I mean, the idea that you could have a second election once you get the maps you like, is definitely going to affect people. When you ask people of both parties, what do you think about gerrymandering, most people don't like it. They still want to win, though. So there's a back and forth here where people can put aside partisan gain because they want to win. Like we saw with Virginia voters in that special election saying they're willing to gerrymander. But as you saw, it wasn't the same margins that Democrats have been enjoying recently in Virginia. So people definitely don't like the idea of gerrymandering. And I think the more you do it, the more people are going to get sick of it.
- [12:59]
Kristen Welker
Hmm. Jane, Tim, you have been all over this from the very beginning. We really appreciate your joining us with your insights and great reporting today. Joining me now is Justin Levitt, professor of Law at Loyola Marymount University. Professor Levitt, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it.
- [13:21]
Justin Levitt
A pleasure.
- [13:23]
Kristen Welker
So let's start off with the news of the day. What is your reaction to today's ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court?
- [13:31]
Justin Levitt
I think it's disappointing that the Virginia Supreme Court chose to overrule the will of the voters by such A narrow margin. It's particularly disappointing to see them do it with a lecture to Virginia voters without the national context in mind. But this was always a risk coming back months with trying to redo the lines in this particular way.
- [13:52]
Kristen Welker
Well, and leader Jeffrey says Democrats are now exploring all of their options to get it overturned. I think a lot of people are curious about what that means. Could that include appealing the decision all the way to the Supreme Court?
- [14:05]
Justin Levitt
I think that's unlikely. So this decision was based on the state constitution of Virginia, which has some particular requirements for changing the rules. That's going to be very tough to overturn. I think there are a lot of other options around the country, even if not in Virginia. And I have no doubt that Democrats, Democrats are looking to explore all of them.
- [14:26]
Kristen Welker
Well, how willing do you. So you don't think that the Supreme Court would actually engage in a ruling by a lower court is effectively what
- [14:35]
Justin Levitt
you're saying on this particular topic on the Virginia state constitution? That's going to be a really tough road. The Supreme Court will engage if there's a federal constitutional problem. But really here, what the Virginia Supreme Court said was that the state constitution says you got to go about the process of a constitutional amendment in certain ways. And usually the courts leave that to each state to determine.
- [15:01]
Kristen Welker
Well, and of course there was the Supreme Court ruling last week that dealt with gerrymandering. And I wonder how you see the implications of that. Has that effectively supercharged the gerrymandering battle?
- [15:14]
Justin Levitt
Yeah, it absolutely has. The U.S. supreme Court deserves an enormous amount of the blame for what we're watching around the country right now, which is some of the worst anti Democratic behavior in the modern era. Voters, by the way, hate this across the board. Voters have overwhelmingly put their thumb on the scale for fair maps and the supreme court first in 2019 and then again just a few days ago, supercharged bad behavior by state politicians that were watching all over the country.
- [15:46]
Kristen Welker
You go so far as to call this anti Democratic behavior. For folks who are watching it might not understand exactly why it deserves that categorization. What exactly do you mean by that?
- [15:58]
Justin Levitt
So we have a commitment in this country, or pretend we do, to letting voters pick their representatives. What you're watching now across the country is an attempt by incumbents to shore up themselves and their friends by picking their voters rather than having the voters pick the politicians. I'll say that the redistricting gerrymandering wars of the moment are a little bit like putting up a seawall. They're meant to stem opposition party gains in normal times based on keeping out the tides. A tsunami of turnout comes right over top of that seawall. So you're watching some very bad behavior leaning against the voters. But the voters are still in charge here. And if there's a real wave this fall, they could well overcome the biased, tilted, unfair results of a map or two.
- [16:47]
Kristen Welker
Let me ask you, broadly speaking, about what else we're seeing. There are court challenges right now to the redistricting maps in Florida, in Tennessee, arguing that those maps violate the state's constitutions. What do you make of what we might see happen in those states?
- [17:04]
Justin Levitt
I think Florida is really close to watch. So the voters passed a bill in Florida, passed a constitutional amendment in Florida 16 years ago to say no partisan gerrymandering. And it's really hard to look at what Florida has done this week and say that they're not violating their own state's constitution. I think a lot of eyes are going to be on the courts in Florida to see whether they uphold what the law really says should be the case. Same is true in Louisiana, where the governor purported to stop an election currently in progress. And the state constitution seems to say, you can't do that. There are other questions in places like Tennessee, as you've noted in Alabama, which is indicating that it might be joining this train, but an awful lot of litigation still to come. There are more than 50 cases right now in the courts, and about 275 have been filed since the start of the decade. That's a lot of action in the courts to try and set up really what should be controlled by the public.
- [18:04]
Kristen Welker
Well, we will be watching it very closely, as I know you will be as well. Professor Justin Levitt, thank you so much for bringing us your expertise today. We really appreciate it.
- [18:13]
Justin Levitt
Great to be with you.
- [18:16]
Kristen Welker
And joining me now on set is Kristin Clark, general counsel for the naacp. Thank you so much for being here on a significant day. And I want to start with the big picture question of this. The NAACP is, of course, suing Tennessee over its new map. You've argued the Republican redistricting effort violates the state's constitution. But just to go to that broader look here, as we noted, this is a part of the fallout from the Supreme Court's decision on the Voting Rights act, which the NAACP responded in this way. I'm gonna read part of your statement. You wrote, quote, we are witnessing the full machinery of government, aided by the court, disenfranchising and silencing black America and hijacking democracy as we Know it. The mission of the naacp, of course, is to protect voting rights, to protect the rights of minorities, to have their voices heard. Do you feel like in this moment the NAACP is losing that battle?
- [19:18]
Kristin Clark
No. It is a moment, a dark moment in American democracy. But for over 100 years, the NAACP, as the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization, has always worked to bend that arc towards justice. And right now, we are being pressure tested. And it's why we are looking to the courts. It is why we are showing up at state houses. It is why we are showing up in the streets to really sound an alarm. The dam has broken. Devastating decision by the United States Supreme Court. But this is a moment where we have to do everything possible to stand up for American democracy.
- [20:02]
Kristen Welker
I want to read you a little bit of what the Supreme Court had to say in its ruling. Justice Samuel Alito writing, quote, the vast social change has occurred throughout the country, and particularly in the south, which have made great strides in ending entrenched racial discrimination. What do you make of that argument by Justice Alito that effectively there has been enough societal change that this ruling was acceptable, that what was necessary in 1965, for example, is not necessary today.
- [20:38]
Kristin Clark
It is an aspirational statement at best. You know, Justice Roberts doesn't have the lived experience of what it is like to be a black person or a person of color in this country, one in which we have seen tremendous progress, but where we know that the guardrails were holding as a result of civil rights laws like the Voting Rights act, you take that away and we see the entire thing fall apart. We're seeing democracy literally fall apart before our very eyes. In just a week since the court has issued this ruling, we have seen states racing at lightning speed to strip away electoral opportunity from black voters and voters of color. So to me, everything that we are witnessing right now makes clear that Justice Roberts observation about where we are as a country doesn't hold.
- [21:36]
Kristen Welker
And as we said at the top, you are in fact suing the state of Tennessee for its newly redrawn map. I want to play a little bit of what a state senator had to say defending this new map and then get your reaction on the other side. Take a look.
- [21:53]
State Senator (Tennessee)
The maps were drawn to maximize the potential Republican partisan advantage by winning and having a chance and opportunity to win all nine congressional districts for the Republican Party.
- [22:09]
Kristen Welker
So the argument he's making this has nothing to do with race. He's acknowledging it's a purely political move. What do you make of what you
- [22:16]
Kristin Clark
just heard there well, Justice Alito, kind of it has given a playbook to lawmakers. Just call it partisanship. Say the word over and over and over again. But we know that that is just a veneer. What happened in Tennessee was the intentional, purposeful dismantling of one district that provides black voters an opportunity to have voice in Congress, a district that is home to Memphis, which holds a special place in our country. It is the place where Dr. King gave his life, where he was assassinated for fighting for a better America, fighting for the Voting Rights act, standing up for the power. So, you know, I find that that lawmaker's statement lacks credibility. And it is why we will see a lot of litigation this cycle. The base claims that this is all partisanship just will not hold.
- [23:15]
Kristen Welker
Are you planning to take this fight all the way to the Supreme Court?
- [23:18]
Kristin Clark
We plan to fight back in the courts. What we are seeing in the south right now is it is very racial and dark and it is, it represents the lowest ideals of our democracy.
- [23:32]
Kristen Welker
And quickly, before I let you go, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says all options are on the table to fight back some Democrats. Congressman Gregory Meeks, for example, in New York says Democrats should use this new ruling of the Supreme Court to redraw maps in northern states where Democrats may have an advantage. What do you make of that strategy? Do you think that this tit for tat battle over redistricting should continue if that's what it takes by Democrats?
- [23:59]
Kristin Clark
There is a very tit for tat battle. But as the naacp, we will always stand up for black voters and for the voiceless in our country and focus on the ways in which we are seeing this ugly gerrymandering war disenfranchising black voters in this moment.
- [24:19]
Kristen Welker
Kristen Clark, thank you so much for being here and thank you for your perspective in this moment. We really appreciate it.
- [24:24]
Kristin Clark
Thank you for having me.
- [24:26]
Kristen Welker
And coming up, US And Iranian forces exchange fire again in the Strait of Hormuz. But President Trump insists the cease fire is still on. We have the very latest on the war as the US Awaits Tehran's response to a new peace proposal. Plus new jobs data and the response from the White House as rising gas and oil prices, fuel concerns about the state of the U.S. economy. Stay with us. You're watching MEET THE Press now.
- [25:01]
Hotels.com Advertiser
Hotels.com is the place you go to book hundreds of thousands of hotels. It's exactly what it sounds like. Just like save your way from hotels.com is exactly what it sounds like. Choose to save now with an instant discount or bank that discount as rewards for later. It's all up to you. Want to stretch your budget and get the lowest price instantly? Choose Save now. Want to collect more rewards and spend them on a future getaway? Choose bank for later. Either way, you save and earn rewards on every stay. Save your way exclusively@hotels.com it's all in the name.
- [25:31]
Ryan Nobles
The world of business is constantly evolving and Comcast business keeps you totally in step with secure AI backed networking in more than 100 countries. They're powering over 90% of the Fortune 500 and millions of small businesses.
- [25:45]
Kristen Welker
That's a lot of money.
- [25:46]
Ryan Nobles
And behind it all, thousands of experts answering your call at 2am like it's 2pm One partner powering how business gets done for companies around the globe. When you add it all up, no one does business like Comcast Business.
- [26:02]
Marine Corps Recruiter
The wrongs we must right, the fights we must win, the future we must secure together for our nation. This is what's in front of us. This determines what's next for all of us. We are Marines. We were made for this.
- [26:33]
Kristen Welker
Welcome back. Turning now to the war with Iran and another escalation in the Strait of Her with US Forces firing on Iran in two separate incidents. The Pentagon releasing this stunning video. Take a look. Of US Forces disabling two Iranian flagged oil tankers today that it says were violating the US Naval blockade of Iran's ports. Smoke and explosions clearly visible here. It follows an incident yesterday where the US Responded to what it called unprovoked Iranian attacks on navy vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Yesterday, President Trump downplayed any concern that the exchange of fire jeopardized the already fragile ceasefire
- [27:16]
Monica Alba
after these strikes.
- [27:17]
Kristen Welker
Is the ceasefire with Iran still on?
- [27:20]
Keir Simmons
Yeah, it is. They trifled with us today. We blew him away. The talks are going very well, but
- [27:27]
Ryan Nobles
they have to understand if it doesn't
- [27:29]
Keir Simmons
get signed, they're going to have a lot of pain.
- [27:31]
Kristen Welker
Has Iran officially responded to the one day job version?
- [27:35]
Keir Simmons
Well, it's more than a one page offer.
- [27:37]
Ryan Nobles
It's an offer that basically said they will not have nuclear weapons, they're going
- [27:41]
Keir Simmons
to hand us the nuclear dust and many other things that we want.
- [27:46]
Kristen Welker
Iran now saying the clashes with the US have stopped and the situation is calm, while also threatening a decisive response if the US Interferes with Iranian vessels. Secretary Rubio telling reporters the administration is expecting a response from Iran to its peace proposal today. And in a phone interview this morning with NBC News, my colleague Peter Nicholas asked the president if the War with Iran is over. The president responded no and added, quote, it's over when it's over. President Trump also telling NBC News that the US Is in control of the Strait of Hormuz. But according to the latest analysis, zero vessels have transited that passageway for the third consecutive day. Joining me now is NBC News White House correspondent Monica Alba and NBC News chief international correspondent Keir Simmons. Thanks to both of you for being here. Monica, let me start with you. So you've been talking to sources there at the White House. From the administration's perspective, where do things stand in these peace negotiations with Iran? Secretary Rubio obviously saying they're awaiting this response from Iran.
- [28:50]
Monica Alba
And it did seem, Kristen, like that response maybe was going to come at some point earlier this week. Then it kept being pushed back day by day. So we'll see if there is actually an update that is provided today. But I think it's so interesting what the president continues to say to our colleague Peter Nicholas as recently today that he doesn't consider this war over when just a week ago we were talking about about how the administration for legal purposes determined in its letter to Congress that the hostilities had terminated or had ended at this point because they weren't seeking congressional approval to continue with this military conflict. So the actual definition of what's really happening here continues to be a moving target, as is these discussions around possible peace negotiations. We know, according to the president, as he stated there, he says they continue to review this more than one page plan. But what we don't know, Kristen, is really how much has materially changed, changed since those last conversations that we saw weeks ago that ended up with the US Coming home empty handed from the in person discussions. And the Trump administration really hasn't made clear where there has been progress or where there has been movement. And there are still so many questions about these continued hostilities that we are seeing exchanged on a daily basis, even if the president tries to downplay them and dismiss them as a, quote, love tap and nothing beyond.
- [30:08]
Kristen Welker
Monica, I'm curious because there have been these shots fired between the US And Iran, this escalation in the Strait of Hormuz. How much concern is there that that could actually derail any progress toward peace?
- [30:23]
Monica Alba
It does look like the number one goal here is to see if a deal is possible. But the timeline on which they can maybe get to that point is what's a little murkier because the thinking here is maybe there can be an agreement, agreement to try to reach an agreement that can be announced, but then that would kick off an actual period of intensive negotiation. And it's not clear that they would come away with anything that is firm from that either. And again, we've kind of been in that place. That's why this continues to feel like deja vu week in and week out where it seems like there is some momentum, some forward progress toward negotiations. Then it changes and the president continues to ramp up his threats. He walks back from that and there we go again and again. But the wild card in the coming week, as you know, Kristen, is that the president is set to leave for Beijing in a matter of days. And that trip is really a priority for him, we're told. And that's going to be the focus of the next week or so, while, of course, he's managing the conflict and the war against Iran, on the other hand as well.
- [31:19]
Kristen Welker
Well, and quickly, Monica, before I let you go, of course, we got the latest jobs report today. It shows the US economy added 115,000 jobs in April, beating economists expectations. What's been the reaction there?
- [31:31]
Monica Alba
The White House completely touting that, but they are not talking about what many people are talking about, which is these high gas prices. They of continue to say that eventually those are going to come down, but it's very unclear when that is going to happen. As you see the highs that people are experiencing day in and day out. The president at one point said he believes those will come down, quote, when the war is over. And as we just discussed, there isn't even agreement within the administration on how to characterize when that might be.
- [31:58]
Kristen Welker
All right. Monica Alba at the White House for us. Monica, thank you as always for your great reporting. Keir Simmons, let me turn to you. How is Iran? How are the Gulf nations reacting to this latest back and forth between the US In Iran in the Strait of Hormuz?
- [32:14]
Keir Simmons
Well, the prime minister of Qatar isn't here in Doha. He's actually there in Washington meeting with Vice President Vance. That's important because of course, as you know, Kristin, Vice President Vance has most recently been leading the US Effort for negotiations. And to the point, the conversation you were just having with Monica, I mean, to butcher a famous quote, quote, negotiations are war by other means. What we're really seeing in the Strait of Hormuz close to here is the US Trying to maintain pressure on Iran while it negotiates. So the reporting is that the two oil tankers that were hit today by the U.S. part of the Iranian shadow fleet, were empty and very likely were being moved in order to try to use them to offload some oil in order to try to keep those Iranian oil wells going because as President Trump has said, if they've got nowhere to put the oil well, he said the oil wells explode. It's not quite like that, but they certainly do stop working and they're really hard to get back going again. So there's a lot going on here, many moving parts, as we like to say, but all part of that same effort, as Monica describes it, which is that ultimately the Trump administration wants a deal and the Iranians are playing very, very difficult. I mean, Marco Rubio, Sachs Rubio said that they would expect a response from the Iranians today. Well, I'm in doha. It's now 11:30 at night. We're in about the same time zone as Tehran. And there's no response. So we're half an hour, 30 minutes from no response today from the Iranians.
- [33:50]
Kristen Welker
Well, we did get some reaction from Iran's foreign Minister Arachi, who posted on social media, quote, every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US Opts for a reckless military adventure. Whatever the causes, outcome is the same. Iranians never bow to pressure. What are the implications of that, Kir?
- [34:11]
Keir Simmons
Well, you have to remember that foreign minister is, I mean, I use this description cautiously, is on the kind of more liberal side of the Iranian regime. So he's one of the ones that's trying to get the negotiations to work. So what he's really, if you read between the lines there, what he appears to be really saying is, could you stop with the fighting so we could try and move this towards negotiations? Because remember, remember that within the Iranian regime, there are those hard liners, particularly in the irgc, who want to keep fighting, who think they're winning and they negotiate by firing missiles and drones as they have done here on the Gulf just in the past days. It's very, very tricky because the Trump administration isn't negotiating with one Iranian regime, although they do often seem to be quite united in their messaging. And that is one of the reasons why that description that I gave of trying to, you know, assert military pressure while negotiating is very tricky to get right.
- [35:09]
Kristen Welker
Keir Simmons, as always, thank you so much for your great reporting. We really appreciate it. Coming up next, we have new reporting on the Justice Department's investigation into some suspicious activity in the energy market after a group of traders correctly predicted oil prices would go down multiple times just as ahead of market moving announcements by President Trump. We'll delve into that next on MEET THE press.
- [35:32]
Jane Timm
Now,
- [35:41]
Hotels.com Advertiser
Hotels.com is the place you go to book hundreds of thousands of hotels. It's exactly what it sounds like. Just like save your way from hotels.com is exactly what it sounds like. Choose to save now with an instant discount or bank that discount as rewards for later. Your trip, your car. Save your way exclusively@hotels.com it's all in the name.
- [35:57]
Ryan Nobles
Start the spring season off right with a new pair of Tokova Western boots. Handcrafted in over 200 steps from genuine
- [36:04]
Justin Levitt
leather, they're built to last and feel broken in the moment you put them on.
- [36:09]
Ryan Nobles
From cowhide to exotic leathers to Kovas
- [36:12]
Justin Levitt
blends timeless style with all day comfort. Pair them with premium denim western shirts and accessories for an effortless pop polished look.
- [36:20]
Ryan Nobles
Shop quality western goods in store or
- [36:23]
1-800-Flowers Advertiser
online@dacovas.com when Mother's Day means celebrating your mom, your wife, maybe even your daughter as a new mom. Trust 1-800-FLOWERS to help you celebrate every important woman in your life with Double blooms from 1-800-Flowers. Order one dozen roses and get another dozen for free. It's a simple way to give beautifully with colorful blooms that make Mother's Day feel meaningful for every mom you're celebrating. Order with confidence and get double blooms at 1-800-flowers.com sxm that's 1-800-flowers. Com sxm.
- [36:59]
Kristen Welker
Welcome back. The Justice Department is now investigating a series of trades on the oil market that were made right before important policy announcements by President Trump and Iranian officials. The doj, as well as an agency that regulates commodities, is looking into a at least four suspicious transactions in which the traders made about $2.6 billion by betting that oil prices would drop right before they did. A source also tells NBC News investigators are also looking into suspicious activity on predictions market platforms related to the ongoing war against Iran. NBC News senior justice reporter Ryan Reilly joins me now. So, Ryan, there are essentially two categories of trades being investigated, trades on the oil markets and transactions on the prediction market markets. Walk us through where the investigations stand.
- [37:48]
Ryan Reilly
Yeah, so obviously this is really, you know, this was very valuable information that they were talking about here. And if someone had insight into that before it was actually announced, it's essentially, you know, insider trading, essentially where you're talking about using non publicly available information to, to make a lot of money and that, you know, $2.6 billion in, in the course of those four transactions in the case of the commodities market and then untold numbers as well on the the predictions market. So the pred is getting a lot of attention more recently as well because of how Prominent those have been, there's been a lot of discussion about potential regulation around those prediction market. But just on the sort of normal side of things here on the commodity side, that's also really troubling when you have that much money being made off of nonpublic information.
- [38:37]
Kristen Welker
Well, to your point about the predictions markets because they are so highly unregulated, what potential criminal charges could someone find face?
- [38:46]
Ryan Reilly
Yeah, well we did see that the prediction market related case involving the use of classified information in connection with the Maduro raid.
- [38:55]
State Senator (Tennessee)
Right.
- [38:55]
Ryan Reilly
So we've already seen a case off of that. This one is a little bit trickier because it's not involving military information. So I think that might, you might have to find some sort of statute to find a hook for, for that using government information. There's some way, there could potentially be some way to charge it. But you're right because of the nature of this being so unregulated that you're going to, to find a little something different I think out of the statute books.
- [39:19]
Kristen Welker
So what are you watching for moving forward, Ryan?
- [39:22]
Ryan Reilly
I mean.
- [39:22]
State Senator (Tennessee)
Right.
- [39:23]
Ryan Reilly
So who gave that information in the first place as sort of sort of the crux of it? Who was using information? Were they giving it to someone who was making those trades? Was there any benefit being pushed back to them? I mean the who is the big question of this. And that's something that you would normally think in a normal course of events that they could get to the bottom of because you know, this was, it's not we can, they can figure out who was making these trades and they can sort of go from there and figure out where they were obtaining this and information.
- [39:48]
Kristen Welker
All right, Ryan Riley, thank you so much. Great to see you. Hope you have a great weekend. Coming up after the break, Close Encounters we'll show you never before seen footage of UFOs the Pentagon just released and the takeaways from today's tranche of unclassified files that the government has been holding on to for decades. Stay with us on MEET the Press. Now Tom Costello will be here to break it down
- [40:13]
Hotels.com Advertiser
Foreign.
- [40:19]
Kristen Welker
Welcome back. In the midst of the ongoing war in Iran, the Pentagon today is focusing on another issue, UFOs. The Defense Department releasing more than 160 of what it calls never before seen files related to Unidentified Flying Objects, what it now refers to as unidentified annoyance phenomenon or UAPs. The files contain numerous sightings and incidents some decades old, including three reported during NASA's Apollo moon missions with these images from Apollo 12 in which a UAP is spotted above the horizon. You see it right there, that's Apollo
- [40:56]
State Senator (Tennessee)
17, just so you know.
- [40:57]
Kristen Welker
Okay, thank you. There we go. The Trump administration vowing to release additional UFO related files on a rolling basis. NBC News senior correspondent who you just heard, Tom Costello covers all things aviation for US, which includes UFOs and US UAPs, and he joins. Very cool stuff. Anyway you slice it. What were your biggest takeaways or what have they been so far from what
- [41:20]
State Senator (Tennessee)
was no smoking gun and no green aliens. And to our knowledge, the government is not hiding an alien spacecraft or aliens for that matter, in New Mexico or anywhere else. Or at least they're still not saying if they have. That was the big takeaway. Otherwise it's a lot of similar imagery to what we've already seen, right? A lot of these videos just like this. Now here's what's these. Some of these images of whatever is flying seem to defy the rule of physics and just basic flight dynamics. So that's really mystifying. And some of these, of course, suggest that there is some sort of an aerial phenomenon. It's not the one, I can't tell. There's one of these that is like a flying star and it seems to just bounce around and nobody can track it. Let's go back to the Apollo 17 though shot though, if I could, because that's a still image from the moon. And what you're looking at, again shot by the astronauts on the moon. Right there you see those three things in the sky. What are those?
- [42:15]
Kristen Welker
You tell me, what are those?
- [42:17]
State Senator (Tennessee)
That's the big question. Now, the Apollo 17 astronauts weren't sure they saw those and then later they thought, I don't know, could they be ice crystals? They don't know. We don't know. But those are among the images and videos in this document dump.
- [42:32]
Kristen Welker
We heard from some of the astronauts themselves. What were some of the biggest takeaways from that?
- [42:39]
State Senator (Tennessee)
Interestingly, on Gemini 7, which was of course before Apollo, Gemini, and they're just getting to understand what it's like to be in space. They reported hundreds of particles suddenly floating by them, thinking there's some life form or something outside. In hindsight, that could have been either ice crystals coming off the spaceship when they lost the solid rocket booster. Could have been any number of things, but doesn't appear that that was any sort of a life form. I mean, what's fascinating here, Kristen, is I Talked to Neil DeGrasse Tyson, I've talked to Adam Frank, who's another, you know, world famous. They both say when you talk about the totality of the universe, this is mind boggling, right? There are 2 trillion galaxies that we know of. And within those 2 trillion galaxies, there are trillions upon trillions of stars. In fact, somewhere in the neighborhood of a set trillion, that's a trillion with 24 zeros behind it. It is infinite. What are the chances that there are are planets out there hosting life, some form of life? Most people think pretty good chance and most astrophysicists think so. However, the distances are so great and the universal law of physics, that's why they call it universal, would suggest it would be virtually impossible to travel to where we are unless they have some technology we don't know about.
- [44:05]
Kristen Welker
So, as someone who covers aviation and space, what is this day like for you, Tom Custer?
- [44:10]
State Senator (Tennessee)
Well, I love to geek out on it and I have a theory. I think all of us are space geeks to some extent. Right. There are various degrees of it, but I think it's fun and fascinating. And the more that you dive into this, these mind boggling stats and you ask questions like are we alone? It just draws you even more well
- [44:30]
Kristen Welker
and it puts our little lives into context. It's so great to have you here, have your insights and all of your information and passion about this. Really appreciate it. Great to see you, Tom. Well, we have what much more news and politics ahead. Stay with us. You're watching MEET THE SHOW Press now. Welcome back. As we mentioned, Democrats suffered a setback today in the redistricting fight after the Virginia Supreme Court struck down a congressional map that would have boosted their midterm chances. This, of course, follows the Supreme Court decision last week that reignited the redistricting battle by weeks, weakening the Voting Rights Act. Joining me now is our Friday panel, Bloomberg White House correspondent Jeff Mason, Democratic strategist and former special assistant to President Biden, Megan Hayes, and Republican strategist and former communications director to Senator Cory Gardner, Annalise Keller. Thanks to all of you for being here. Really appreciate it. Jeff, let me start off with you and this Virginia ruling by the state Supreme Court. How big of a blow is it to Democrats? They say they're gonna fight back. What are you watching for?
- [45:42]
Jeff Mason
Well, it's certainly a bl. It's a blow in part because this was one of the Democrats best plays to kind of keep up with Republicans as they launched the redistricting effort under President Trump's direction across the country. Now there's actually a decent chance that Republicans could hold onto the House, which is a complete change in the political wave and the political logic going into these midterms, that doesn't mean they're going to. It doesn't mean Democrats don't still have a lot of chances just because of voter upset with the president and the White House. But man, oh man, the map has changed and may change even more enough so that it could change the result in November.
- [46:23]
Kristen Welker
Megan, it's just stark. And Jeff puts it into, I think, the fascinating terms in terms of what happened today that with one decision, the fate of Republicans may change in the midterms because of the maps. Take me inside your conversations today. What are the Democrats saying? What recourse do Democrats think they have?
- [46:45]
Megan Hayes
Look, I think they'll fight out in the legal battles and that will be one thing. But I also think that we are underestimating how people really feel in this country. And they are tired of Donald Trump's chaos and his economic policies. And I think that's going to show at the the ballot box regardless of how things are districted. And you can redistrict all you want. And they're doing it in Texas where they redistricted. They think Latinos are all of a sudden going to vote for them because they did in 24 when the polling is showing completely different. So just because you redistrict something that you think is favorable to your caucus does not mean that's how voters are going to to turn out. The voters are angry and they do not want to be told what to do here. They want to vote with who's going to change their policies and who is going to lower costs. And I don't think that they see Republicans doing that. So where this whole redistricting fight is ridiculous to start with and it should never have been started, Democrats did do this the right way and had voters vote for it, where Republicans are doing it in the backdoor meeting. So I do think that voters, again, find this not to be a credible source of way to get votes.
- [47:37]
Kristen Welker
Annalise, take me inside your conversations today with Republicans. I've gotten a lot of text messages, GOP strategists bull bullish in the wake of what happened today. What are you hearing and respond to what Megan said?
- [47:48]
Annalise Keller
Yeah, I mean, I think that Republicans are pretty bullish with the outcome here and also obviously what they're doing in Tennessee and Florida and Louisiana. So I think there are a lot of options. I don't totally discredit what Megan's alluding to in Texas with Hispanic voters. I think there could be some dummy mander here from some of the states. Like, if you put a lot of people and you try to mash Republicans or Democrats into one congressional district, it doesn't always go your way. So I think there is is a slight chance that it backfires. I don't even know if I'm as confident that Republicans are going to be successful in the midterms as a result of this. I think it puts us in a better position. But there, and maybe only because there are so few congressional districts on the map that are actually in play and that's why this matter.
- [48:33]
Kristen Welker
How concerned are you about this possibility that it could backfire, that voters ultimately might feel like their right to be heard and to express themselves was taken away?
- [48:45]
Annalise Keller
Yeah, I don't know if it's as much about that as it is just the atmospherics of what's happening in the midterms right now. We're hearing a lot about gas prices. A couple months ago, the conversation was about health care. You know, I think it's a little bit too early for me to, to know for sure what the atmospherics are going to be, if everyone's going to be talking about inflation or, you know, what that's going to look like. But yeah, if the atmospherics are such that Democrats have a real, you know, like, wind beneath their wings, so to speak speak, then I, then some of this can backfire. It just depends.
- [49:17]
Kristen Welker
Jeff, let me ask you about what we heard from House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries today. He said, quote, we are exploring all options to overturn this shocking decision. He's vowed, in his words, maximum warfare when it comes to the overall redistricting fight. Maximum warfare. A lot of Democrats initially were opposed to redistricting, some even saying, look, it's hypocritical. We can't engage in this tit for tat. How do you see this playing out on the Democratic side?
- [49:44]
Jeff Mason
Well, I mean, it probably is hypocritical, and yet they've made the decision the Democrats did, that they basically have to fight fire with fire. I mean, there was a time when the Michelle Obama mantra of they go low, we go high was really embraced by the Democratic Party. But then even people like Eric Holder, who used to be running an outfit that was working on unfair redistricting, came around to the fact that they just have to play the same ball game that the Republicans are playing. So I don't know what Mr. Jeffries has in mind in terms of his fight, but they're clearly, as a party, I would say, deciding that they want to play in the Same sandbox that Republicans are playing on this particular issue.
- [50:26]
Kristen Welker
Megan, is that how you see it, that Democrats have decided to fight fire with fire? It's a shift in thinking, absolutely.
- [50:32]
Megan Hayes
But I think that Democrats are realizing if they don't, they will get left behind and this could be even more dramatic and losses far beyond just the midterms of the 2026 cycle. So I do think that they are realizing that they need to play the same game Republicans are playing.
- [50:44]
Kristen Welker
Annelise, you talk about the atmospherics. I want to delve more deeply with all of you into the atmospher. And I wanna do it by putting up the latest NPR poll that we got this week. Npr, PBS and Marist poll. It shows President Trump's approval rating, 37%, his disapproval rating in the high 50s, the highest it has been. Annalise, in two terms. When you see those numbers, how concerned are you? And I heard from a strategist who said, look, if the president can't turn this atmospherics around, these atmospherics around in the next six weeks, including gas prices, that it's going to be a disaster.
- [51:22]
Annalise Keller
I think that's going to be a challenge. Obviously, Republicans are feeling kind of good today with the results of what happened in Virginia, and they're feeling like maybe there's a chance for us to hold the House. But, you know, Donald Trump appreciates that if Democrats do get into the House, it is going to be a world of oversight and a world of, you know, he's not going to be able to just continue with his administration in the same way. And I know he wants to. To sort of stop that from happening. So I do think that there is reason to be concerned. And there is a little bit of Runway here before the mid. Before we get to the midterms. We all kind of thought that in the 2022 Biden midterms, Republicans were going to sweep because there was a lot of frustration with inflation and with the way that the government or with the economy was going. And I think Republicans picked up around 14 or 15 seats. So that would probably, to me, be a blue wave at this point. I don't think it's going to be the 40 seats that we saw Republicans lose in 2018.
- [52:17]
Kristen Welker
Megan, you know, gas prices have been in focus, and yet today there was a jobs report stronger than economists were anticipating. Do those data points make it more challenging for Democrats to make the case that the economy is crumbling?
- [52:35]
Megan Hayes
No, because if I am sitting in middle America and have to fill up my tank and it is $30 more than it was before this war in Iran. They're not caring about jobs numbers because that's a lagging indicator. And it's if they still have a job, it's not really impacting them. This is something that gas prices and food prices and health care cost that impacts every single person and every single family where jobs numbers, yes, those look good for all of us to talk about, but that's not actually how people are feeling. And as we learned in 2024, people are going to vote on how they feel.
- [53:02]
Kristen Welker
All right, guys, great conversation. Thank you very much. Hope you all have a great weekend. We really appreciate it. Jeff, Megan and Annalise. And we 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. I'll have interviews with Governors Wes Moore and Sarah Huckabee Sanders as part of our Common Cor Round series. Plus philanthropist Olivia Walton and an exclusive interview with Senator Cory Booker. There's much more ahead on NBC News. Now,
- [53:44]
Marine Corps Recruiter
The wrongs you must write, the fights we must win, the future we must secure together for our nation. This is what's in front of us. This determines what's next for all of us. We are Marines. We were made for this.