← The Briefing with Jen Psaki
The Briefing with Jen Psaki
'Donald Trump is gonna hate it': Mobile Epstein files museum hits the road
00:41:31
A mobile version of the Epstein files reading room in New York City, with millions of printed pages of notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's records, is set to go on tour, in part to highlight the mishandling of the files by Trump lawyer and attorney general nominee, Todd Blanche. Miles Taylor, former DHS chief of staff under Donald Trump, joins Jen Psaki to discuss the project.
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- [00:00]
Jen Psaki
This isn't the end of a fight. It's the start of one. Lioness, the critically acclaimed original series from Taylor Sheridan, returns August 2nd only on Paramount. In the new season, hidden networks, foreign operatives and personal betrayals collide while Joe walks the line between duty and family. Don't miss Lioness, starring Zoe Saldana, Michael Kelly. With Morgan Freeman and Nicole Kidman. Streaming August 2nd only on Paramount. Watch Disclosure Day at home now with exclusive bonus features. If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? Well, now the truth belongs to 7 billion people in an original event film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by David Koepp, starring Emily Blunt, Josh o', Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson and Colman Domingo. Find Disclosure Day on major digital platforms now with no subscription required. Also in theaters. We are less than 100 days out from the midterms, and there are a lot of good things happening. A lot of good things. In Texas, A new poll out today shows Democrat James Talarico leading Ken Paxton by five points. And while, yeah, it's still within the margin of error, it is the largest lead for Talarico in any public poll taken thus far. And that's a big deal. That same poll even finds Talarico leading ken Paxton by 9 points among voters without a college degree, a key part of the Trump era Republican coalition, of course, and a group Democrats, of course, have had a hard time winning over in recent elections. That comes on the heels of a recent poll out of Maine, where the state's newly minted Democratic nominee, Troy Jackson leads Susan Collins by three points. That's also within the poll's margin of error. But it's gonna breathe a whole lot of new life into a race that, for a period of time there, left Democrats kind of freaked out about the prospects of defeating the Susan Collins after the collapse of Graham Platner's campaign. Now today, Democrats also got some more encouraging midterm news from kind of an unlikely source. A new analysis by the conservative group Americans for Prosperity finds that enthusiasm among core Republican voters is waning. And that analysis found that 1 in 5 reliable Republican base voters are at risk this November, with consistently Republican voters in states like like Iowa, Ohio, North Carolina, Montana, New Hampshire and Michigan either saying they may stay home or vote for Democrats. Those are all states, many of them with big Senate contests this November. Now, at the same time, a new poll from YouGov finds that Donald Trump's approval rating with independent voters is absolutely cratering. Look at those numbers on your screen. I mean, he is now underwater with independents by 53% points, which I would note is a record low. And just to put in context, cuz sometimes these numbers are like, what does this really mean? His approval rating with independents was just four points underwater a month before the Democratic midterm wave in his first term. So there are lots of reasons for Democrats to be optimistic about November right now, even when it comes to the uphill battle to retake control of the Senate. And yeah, Donald Trump is still going to be in the White House, but control of the Senate matters a whole lot. I mean, take what we're going through right now. Right now, the nomination of Donald Trump's personal attorney to be the next Attorney General is hanging on the votes of two retiring Republican senators. Meanwhile, just tonight, Republicans in the Senate voted to confirm Jay Clayton to be the next Director of National Intelligence, a guy who repeatedly during his hearing would not admit that Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Trump has already nominated more than 50 judges to the federal bench, all of whom have also steadfastly refused to admit the outcome of the last election. And we are just one a single retirement away announcement away from Donald Trump. Having four handpicked justices on the US Supreme Court, there is no reason at all to believe that Trump is going to stop nominating extreme or election denying candidates to important positions after this year's midterms. It seems to be the primary qualification he's looking for. So it will matter who controls the chamber of Congress responsible for confirming those nominees. And if Democrats have control of the Senate, they will also have the power to block confirmations. But listen, preventing a total MAGA takeover of the Supreme Court and lower courts would certainly be a good thing. But it's not the only reason why Senate control matters. Today, a group of Senate Judiciary Committee members led by Senator Adam Schiff demanded answers from the Justice Department over the Trump administration's decision to subpoena journalists from the New York Times. If Democrats retake control of the Senate, they can do more than just demand answers. They'll be able to issue subpoenas and compel testimony. That's why winning back the Senate is key to Democrats plans to hold Trump accountable. And that means every single Senate race is important. Democrats need to win four more Senate seats than Republicans in order to take control of the upper chamber. Of course. So I'm just going to be just real here for a moment. I mean, I'm always real, but really real on this one. That bar may end up being Even higher, with Democratic Senator John Fetterman recently musing about whether or not he's wanted in the Democratic caucus, seeming to suggest he may be open to leaving the Democratic Party. That would mean five seats would be needed in order to win at least four net seats. Democrats will also have to hold onto the seats they already have, and we can't forget about those. I mean, that means winning in places like Georgia. It also means when winning in places like Michigan, where incumbent Senator Gary Peters is, of course, retiring. Now, right now there is a very hotly contested primary. I was just talking with Chris briefly about to see which Democrat will take on Republican Mike Rogers in that race this November. Former public health official Abdul EL Sayed is running with the support of a whole lot of national progressives like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, while Congresswoman Haley Stevens has the backing of Michigan leaders like Gary Peters and and Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Last night, the two faced off in their final debate before primary day next Tuesday. Issues like experience, support for Israel, and the role of outside money in politics dominated that debate as they halved this entire campaign. Now, early voting for that primary has already begun. Election Day, as I noted, is a week from today. The stakes could not be higher here, as I've just tried to outline. Joining me now is Michigan Senate candidate Abdul EL Sayed.
- [06:37]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Hello.
- [06:37]
Jen Psaki
Thank you for joining me, Jen.
- [06:39]
Abdul El-Sayed
It's always a privilege. Thanks for having me.
- [06:41]
Jen Psaki
Okay, I want to start. I mean, this is all about holding onto this seat, which is currently in Democratic control. That's the big question, I think, for everybody watching right now. So I just want to start by asking you about a new poll out today of likely Michigan voters. I'm sure you've seen it. It shows your primary opponent, Haley Stevens, narrowly beating Republican Mike Rogers and has you losing to him by double digits. And I want to note for people watching that there were a number of polls, a couple of them a few weeks ago that showed you doing the same or better than Stevens against Rogers. But this, the primary isn't a week. This is the most recent poll. Doesn't this hurt your argument that you're the most electable, which is what so many people care about right now?
- [07:22]
Abdul El-Sayed
I'll tell you this. I don't chase polls. I chase voters. And we've been doing that now for the better part of 15 months. We go everywhere, talk to everyone. One of the big surprising features of folks living in Michigan is they go up north. And when you go up north, you see one sign and one sign only. That's Assigned for our campaign. This campaign is built on three principles. Getting money out of politics, putting money in your pocket, passing Medicare for all those principles. They're bigger than one party or another. There's not anywhere I go where I don't meet somebody who says, I voted for Donald Trump three times and I'm
- [07:54]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
going to vote for you.
- [07:54]
Abdul El-Sayed
And I ask why? And they say, well, it's because I think you really want me to have health care. And you're not bought off like either of the other two are running. So we have an opportunity. If elections are an exercise in contrast, we offer the best contrast to being able to win. So, yeah, we had one poll that showed one thing. In fact, it's a poll of only folks who answer their phone number from. Or a phone from a number they don't know. So we know that this pollster has a history of some skewed polls. We're more focused on making sure that we're chasing voters, having the conversations that are the substrate of our democracy.
- [08:24]
Jen Psaki
We have certainly a high bar of polls, and we certainly. This is one that we could use here. But fair enough. The most important poll is always on election Day. Let me ask you about a group of voters. I mean, you have certainly surged in the primary over the last several months. There is a group of voters, I would say you've struggled with some, and that is black voters. One poll. One of the one place. The polls. It's one of the places the polls have showed you consistently behind Haley Stevens. And a recent Detroit News poll found that 46. You were down 46 points with black primary voters. I know you're gonna tell me you don't chase polls, you chase voters. But that is a significant gap with a population of the primary. It's 20% of the primary vote, black voters. What explains that gap to you?
- [09:09]
Abdul El-Sayed
I'll just note that that poll is brought to you by the same exact pollster who did this last poll. And I'll just say this. My relationship with the black community is not built on a couple of photo ops or $60 million of outside spending, as is the relationship that the congresswoman has built. Mine is built on 10 years of public service. I rebuilt Detroit's Health Department, led Wayne County's Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services. We put glasses on tens of thousands of kids for free, eliminated medical debt, put Narcan in vending machines for free in 100 different locations, and took on the challenges of air pollution. I've been in constant conversation with the black community for a very Long time. That being said, look, if you spend $60 million with MIS and disinformation pretending like you were endorsed by President Obama or attacking a record built on the idea that I wrote an op ed 15 years ago about the let's Move campaign brought to us by First Lady Michelle Obama to try to build a narrative. Yeah, that narrative will work. But also say this, that even in those polls, our polling shows that we're neck and neck in the black community. And that's built on the fact that my work is about what we do to actually deliver for communities. So I look forward to that final poll on August 4, which I think will show that particularly among younger black voters who have the most stake in our future, that we're going to do quite well. And on top of that, the question for us is, again, who can build the largest coalition in the general election? And I believe that our campaign built on 10,000 volunteers knocking 10,000 doors nearly a day is going to be the one that does it. If you say you're electable, but you need $60 million of a crutch to be elected in a primary, that suggests to me that, unfortunately, your argument may not actually withstand the test of an election.
- [10:50]
Jen Psaki
There is certainly some time to go between the general election and time that whomever's the nominee, and it may be you, it may be Haley Stevens, will have to build up with groups that they win fewer votes from come Tuesday. I want to. They'll ask you, because it's $60 million. That is a lot of money spent by an outside group, aipac. You've talked about this a lot. Do you think that explains, though, this gap currently with Black voters, that $60 million explains it?
- [11:17]
Abdul El-Sayed
Well, I'll ask you this. That's a record amount of money spent against a candidate in a Senate primary election. A record 30 million alone from AIPAC. And it has been a really cynical ad campaign. They're not running on hope. They're running on straight cynicism and character attack. So, yeah, unfortunately, when you spend that much money, I mean, just so you understand, it's like two or three ads per commercial break, every single commercial break, $60 million. Ask yourself, would this even be a close election if there was no outside spending in this race? So I think that spending does explain part of it, but also just tell you this, at the end of the day, real relationships are built on the conversations you had about real work, about what it is that you actually want to do for people. And we're the campaign with a serious message. We Want to get money out of politics? Put money in your pocket, Pass Medicare for all. I'm grateful to have the endorsement of the uaw. I'm grateful to have the endorsement of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Nurses. And we're building a campaign of, by and for working people. I think as we continue to knock doors, as we continue to have those conversations, I think we're going to start to see a lot of the polls tightening right there and that we're going to be victorious on Election Day.
- [12:23]
Jen Psaki
Let me just ask you about something, and I'm asking you about this because it's such a big percentage of the primary vote and because this is a place where you haven't but made as many inroads as other demographics in the state of Michigan. I want to ask you about something Reverend Wendell Anthony said, and he is, of course, for people watching. I know you know who he is, but he's a Detroit pastor who has led the Detroit NAACP for decades. He endorsed Taylor Stevens. He said lots of voters are concerned about your support for the uncommitted movement in 2024. And he told CNN many people believe that he was a part of this, as in you. The question now is, are you concerned, are you going to be more concerned about the west bank than the west side of Detroit? And, you know, he is somebody obviously who has been a leader in the black community in Michigan. He is speaking in terms, he is speaking for a number of voters there. What's your response to that?
- [13:13]
Abdul El-Sayed
Well, Robert Anthony has a long history of service, so I think he is astute enough to understand that. Actually, my focus on the west bank is about my focus on the west side. Every single dollar that we send abroad to drop a bomb on another person's child, to fund a genocide, to fund apartheid, to fund a war that is illegal, and that has principally been about the annexation of southern Lebanon by the Israeli military. Every single dollar is a dollar we're not spending on the west side. So if we're serious about actually investing on the west side, why don't we keep our money here invested in schools and health care, in good roads, instead of allowing AIPAC to spend $30 million to tell us that we should be sending it over there, which in fact, my opponent voted for just a couple weeks ago, $3.3 billion. Detroit Public Schools alone has a $1.7 billion deficit when it comes to upkeep of their buildings. Why don't we keep that money here so we can actually invest in schools? And I'll Just finish here. Vice President Harris herself thanked me for her support back in the 2024 election. So, yes, I did endorse uncommitted because it was the right thing to do in that primary and then immediately endorsed Vice President Harris because I understood that whether you saw this election from the eyes of a child in Detroit or the eyes of a child in Gaza, that Donald Trump was going to be worse. So I feel like I've led on principle in both settings. But make no mistake, this is about what's happening on the west side and why we don't have the funds to actually offer the services that people in those communities need and deserve.
- [14:43]
Jen Psaki
It is, as you all know, I mean, Democrats in Washington, there's been a lot of movement in opposition to supporting additional military funding for Israel over the past several months as well. I would also note that US aid to Israel makes up about 1% of the federal budget. So it is a portion of it, but it's not the totality of it. You did. You mentioned that Haley Stevens had an ad that featured Barack Obama. He, of course, has not endorsed her. Vice President Harris has not endorsed you. She is featured in an ad of yours. As you noted, you were part of the uncommitted movement, but then you became a Trump supporter of hers during the general election. Do you would you like to see her run for president again?
- [15:21]
Abdul El-Sayed
Look, I'm focused on winning this race in 2026 here in Michigan. I think we're going to need all hands on deck in the US Senate to hold President Trump accountable for his many failures and foibles and frankly, his misuse of public office. So that really is the focus for me in 2026, and we'll be thinking about 2028 thereafter. But I will say this. I think it's really important for us to ask what kind of democracy we want. Spending $60 million of outside money is unprecedented. And if that much money can flow into a U.S. senate race, ask your that is actually in the best interest of our democracy in the first place. I think Michiganders are sick and tired of being told who they should vote for. By AIPAC, by corporate PACs, by big pharma, Big Tech, these groups that come in here with zero transparency at all, dropping ad after ad after ad after ad. And it is a cynical way to do politics. And that's why I want to get money out of politics. Put money in your pocket and pass Medicare for all.
- [16:15]
Jen Psaki
As you've noted, the percentage of outside money spent on your behalf is a very a tiny Percentage of what has been spent on behalf of your opponent, Haley Stevenson? Most. Most of that has been AIPAC money. Let me ask you about democratic socialism because you have a new ad with aoc. In the ad, you've been, you're very close to Bernie Sanders. You've had a number of these very popular officials come out and campaign for you. You've also said that you're not a democratic socialist. You describe yourself as a capitalist who understands capitalism. I believe that's what you said last night in the debate. But what is the difference? What are they getting wrong? I think this is confusing to a lot of people. What are they getting wrong about capitalism? Or why don't you yourself a member of the democratic socialist movement, given your proximity and your relationship to all of these officials?
- [17:03]
Abdul El-Sayed
Because I'm simply not a socialist. I believe in science. For me, you got to bring results. I've studied a lot of the solutions that I fight for. Things like Medicare for All. Things like rethinking the way that our financial system implies. That corporate CEOs are more interested in a quarterly bottom line than they are in the long term sustainability of their business. The fact that we virtually live in monopoly or oligopoly when it comes to almost every single market that we are forced to participate in. I know that capitalism works. I just know that it does not work when you have monopolies or oligopolies. You go back and you actually look at the folks who coined the term capitalism. They'll tell you that the biggest risk to capitalism was not government regulation. It was always monopoly and oligopoly, which is exactly what we have here now. And these corporations now can use their power and their might to influence our political system as they're using, on behalf of, of my opponent, Haley Stevens, giving her gobs and gobs and gobs of money to stand up against me because they don't want to get regulated and they know that I'll show up to do that. So at the end of the day, it's just a philosophical difference. I'm not an ideologue. I'm a lot more interested in empirical results. When it comes to Medicare for all. I think that's the best single way to provide folks healthcare in this country. By the way, public health care, the public part would be the insurance. The healthcare itself stays private. When it comes to investing in our schools or investing in good infrastructure, these are the shared resources that we need so that every single person can actually participate in the economy.
- [18:27]
Jen Psaki
I think most of the people, I mean you, of course, have a lot of public health training and medical training. But most people who are socialists, especially public officials, would say they believe in science, too. But the reason I'm asking is because if you're the nominee, Mike Rogers and the Republicans are going to try to label you as a Democratic socialist. You're going to say you're not, but I'm asking help us understand what's the difference between your version of capitalism and their version of democratic socialism.
- [18:52]
Abdul El-Sayed
You know, Jen, the irony of this is that they're already trying to label my opponent, Haley Stevens, a socialist too. This is what they label any Democrat who runs against them. Now Donald Trump is calling everybody a communist. We are so concerned about what they're gonna say about us that we forget that we also have mouths and can talk about them. Let's talk about Mike Rogers. Mike Rogers is the worst kind of corporatist. He is so bought off by corporations that he made $14 million. He doesn't want to tell us how he made except for he was likely trading on his relationships in government. When he did serve in the Congress, he never saw a corporate pact check. He didn't like voted to raise prescription drug prices. I don't know how many times helped to architect the opioid epidemic. This is a guy who we're going to be up and down the state because the dude is bought off as hell. And I think it's time for us to stop being so worried about what they're going to say about us and start using our mouths to talk about what's wrong with them. Money out of politics is about ending a future where politicians like Mike Rogers can bring in money from corporations like DTE and Blue Cross and think that somehow they get to dictate a future that's better for those corporations than they are for the people. Money in your pocket is about standing with unions that he sought to crush. It's about taxing billionaires that he wants to protect. It's about keeping our money here, even though he wants to send it in the form of tanks and bombs to give giveaways to weapons manufacturers elsewhere where that money does harm. There's plenty of opportunities to stand up to a Mike Rogers without having to worry about what they're going to label us. So, yeah, whether it's me or it's Haley Stevens, they're going to call us socialists. Now let's talk about what we can do to take them on. And I think anybody who watched the debate last night, there's a clear person you would want on the debate stage with Mike Rogers. And it's because there's a clear contrast between me and him. I'm not taking money from the same exact corporations that are funding him. And so I can stand up and say that man is bought off and I actually want to work for you. And that's exactly the contrast that we need to win an election in November.
- [20:37]
Jen Psaki
You know, you and Haley Stevens certainly have differences. You've outlined some of them on who you'll take money from. You have differences on how you can make health care more affordable. But as you just outlined, there are a lot more differences with Mike Rogers. I know you've said you endorsed her. If you lost, would you campaign with her? Would you stand by her side on the campaign trail?
- [20:56]
Abdul El-Sayed
I've been so clear about this question. We have to beat Mike Rogers. We have to make sure that Donald Trump doesn't have any more votes in the US Senate. Cuz we know that Mike Rogers has never seen a boot worn by Donald Trump he did not want to lick. So at the end of the day, yes, we have to beat Mike Rogers. I've been committed to that from the jump. I just know that I offer the best contrast to be able to beat him.
- [21:15]
Jen Psaki
Let me ask you about an option. I mean the option I think you would prefer, which is if you win. Right. Because defeating Mike Rogers, having Democrats win the Senate is. The stakes are incredibly high. That's what I started the show talking about. Would you. You've been critical of Chuck Schumer. Other people running for a Senate have been critical of Chuck Schumer and establishment Democrats. Would you take money from the dscc?
- [21:38]
Abdul El-Sayed
I think the DSCC exists to support Democrats running for office. Certainly. I think it's a responsibility for us to all come together and win in November. What I will tell you though is that I do think we need a difference in the way that we campaign. Generally. I'm not interested in contributions from corporations. I'm not interested in contributions from aipac. I think frankly those things should be illegal. I think we do a lot better when we offer a clear contrast and we can fundraise $5, $10 at a time from the people whom we seek to serve. And that's the way we've run our campaign. It's the way I've run every campaign I've ever run. And what that offers you is the ability to actually speak directly to people rather than being so worried about what some corporation is going to think about your position so that you hedge your bets and then can't actually articulate what it is that you want to do. I think that's part of the reason people are so frustrated with the Democratic Party is that we're taking money from exactly the same people who are funding Republicans, too. So whether or not Haley Stevens or Mike Rogers wins, dte, our local utility wins. Whether or not Haley Stevens or Mike Rogers wins, Blue Cross Blue Shield wins. And I think people are sick and tired because when they win, everybody else loses. It's money they take out of our pockets. And I think we can end that kind of politics. And if we do, I think we're going to be able to win. Folks who are Democrats, yes, but also a lot of Republicans who don't want to pay more for premiums or utilities, don't want to see a data center move into their backyard or watch their healthcare costs skyrocket.
- [22:58]
Jen Psaki
Abdul Al said, it's not easy to put yourself out there and run for Senate. You have a week to go. Thank you for being here. Really appreciate it.
- [23:06]
Abdul El-Sayed
Jen, thanks so much for having me. Really grateful to have the opportunity.
- [23:10]
Jen Psaki
We have one week to go before this crucial primary. I should mention we'd be happy to have Congresswoman Stevens on the show any night this week. Consider this an open invitation. We'd be happy to talk with you. Coming up, two Republican senators are now threatening to derail Todd Blanche's confirmation for attorney general if Blanche wasn't put in writing that Donald Trump's slush fund is dead for good. And guess what? Blanche still hasn't done it. Wouldn't you know it, which should tell you a lot. We'll be right back. Watch Disclosure day at home now with exclusive bonus features. If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? Well, now the truth belongs to 7 billion people in an original event film directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by David Koepp starring Emily Blunt, Josh o', Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson and Colman Domingo Find disclosure day on major digital platforms now with no subscription required. Also in theaters.
- [24:11]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Yeah, Maxing is so maxing right now, bro.
- [24:14]
Abdul El-Sayed
Get ready for spicy chicken maxing because Carl's Jr. Is saving you big with
- [24:18]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
a 5.99 maxed out double stack double stack double stack spicy chicken sandwich.
- [24:23]
Jen Psaki
Seriously.
- [24:24]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Just $5.99 double stack spicy spicy chicken. This is unreal value in the bromosphere. The new spicy chicken Max wallet friendly. Max tasty only at Carl's Jr available for a limited time at participating restaurants. Tacked on, included, not valid for use
- [24:39]
Abdul El-Sayed
within a combo or a combination with any other offered discount.
- [24:43]
Jen Psaki
At dsw, we ask the important questions, like what shoes are you going to wear? Whether you're prepping for wedding season, festival season, or just planning the ultimate vacay, the right shoes can make or break an rsvp. So own the moment. You've got big plans, and we've got just the shoes at the perfect price, of course. Get ready to get ready with Designer Shoe Warehouse. Head to your DSW store or dsw.com today and let us surprise you. In just two days, Trump's former personal attorney turned acting Attorney general, Todd Blanche, is expected to face his final real hurdle in his path toward confirmation as the permanent Attorney General of the United States. A scary thought. Now, on Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on whether or not to advance Blanche out of committee. And as weedy and procedural as that all sounds, that's probably the last chance to stop Blanche's confirmation. There are enough Republicans in the Senate that if Blanche can make it out of committee and get voted on by the entire Senate, he's probably a shoo in. But the Judiciary Committee is a whole nother story. It would only take one Republican vote on the Judiciary Committee to tank Blanche's nomination. And right now, there's not just one, but two Republicans who are using that fact as leverage. Remember Trump's settlement between himself and the IRS and the Justice Department? The settlement that would have created a $1.7 billion slush fund that could have given your tax dollars to people like the January 6th rioters? And the settlement that granted Trump and his businesses and multiple members of his family immunity from ongoing IRS audits. Immunity that could reportedly save Trump and his family more than $100 million in taxes. Since all of that got major bipartisan pushback, thank God, and pushback in the courts, Tad Blanche started downplaying it all, conveniently downplaying it while trying to get confirmed by the Senate. Now, Blanche has said verbally that the slush fund portion of all of this is dead, but he's refused to actually put that in writing and sign it. He's refused to actually make it official. And as for Trump's immunity from ongoing IRS audits, Blanche says that part of the deal is still in effect. So Texas Senator John Cornyn and North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis have decided to make part of this their fight. They're both on the Senate Judiciary Committee. I, with either one of them, could tank Blanche's nomination. And they're Making it clear that both. Blanche needs to formally rein in both parts of this deal in writing if he wants their vote. Where are you on Todd Blanche?
- [27:18]
Abdul El-Sayed
We're still waiting on getting the changes that are necessary in 1776. An audit. It has to be in writing and
- [27:23]
Jen Psaki
signed by Todd Blanche.
- [27:25]
Abdul El-Sayed
Do you need to see that by
- [27:26]
Miles Taylor
Thursday in order to be able to vote him out of commission?
- [27:28]
Abdul El-Sayed
Yes.
- [27:28]
Jen Psaki
And can we.
- [27:29]
Abdul El-Sayed
So right now he should not be counting on your vote unless that is done. That's correct.
- [27:34]
Jen Psaki
That was Senator Thom Tillis and Senator John Cornyn speaking to reporters on the Hill last night. And here was Cornyn again this afternoon when asked if he had heard anything from Blanche on the matter.
- [27:46]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
They've been kind of radio silent for the last 24 hours, so would you.
- [27:50]
Miles Taylor
I think my staff is talking to
- [27:52]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
him, but we're not.
- [27:54]
Jen Psaki
They know what they need to do.
- [27:55]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
They just don't want to do it.
- [27:58]
Jen Psaki
So what gives here? You'd think Todd Blanche would be very available, given this is the only thing blocking him from becoming the Attorney General. Why is he so hesitant to formally revise his sham settlement writing? Well, in the written question portion of Blanche's nomination process, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse asked Blanche about this exact thing, saying, quote, at your nomination hearing, I pointed out that you refused to put in writing that the anti weaponization fund is dead. Can a verbal statement from the acting Attorney General legally modify a contractual or settlement agreement between the US Government and private individuals? Now, Blanche avoided answering, repeating a bunch of stuff he said before without addressing the actual question. So what the hell's going on here? I actually happen to have the perfect person to ask because Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is standing by. He's a member, of course, the Senate Judiciary Committee. He wrote those questions. He joins me next. Hi, it's Sierra Miller. I can't wait for you to check out my new collection of shoes and accessories at Designer Shoe Warehouse. If you love shoes as much as do, then trust me, I got you. From cute sneakerinas to the perfect flip flops to stunning heels, these shoes are all style, no drama. It's a girls girl summer. And DSW has just the shoes shop, the Sierra Miller Collection right now at your dsw store or dsw.com hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co founder of Angie. When you use Angie for your home projects, you know all your jobs will be done well. Roof repair, done well. Kitchen sink install, done well. Deck upgrades, done well. Electrical upgrade, done well. Angie's been connecting homeowners with skilled pros for nearly 30 years. So we know the difference between done and done. Well, Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust, find a pro for your project@angie.com let's check in on the Serta counting sheep.
- [29:59]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Why aren't we counting anymore?
- [30:01]
Jen Psaki
Well, the all new Certa Perfect sleeper has the Q4 support system that helps relieve aches and back pain. Get counted again?
- [30:08]
Miles Taylor
Uh, nope.
- [30:10]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Serta we make the world's best mattress.
- [30:18]
Jen Psaki
If Top Blanche wants to become attorney general, he has to formally kill a big part of the corrupt backroom deal that he struck with his boss, Donald Trump. And he needs to do so in writing. That's the ultimatum that outgoing Republican Senator John Cornyn delivered to Blanche this week. And yet Blanche has still been dragging his feet. Now Igor Babak of notice is reporting that Cornyn says he's meeting with Blanche tomorrow morning, but insists on written guarantees beforehand, saying, quote, I've told him we need paper. I'm not going to have the meeting unless they have the paper ready beforehand. Joining me now is Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator, we just shared that you had really pressed in the written questionnaire for a written version of this. A written answer here, not just verbal. Can you help us understand people watching right now why getting Blanche to rescind Trump's so called settlement with the IRS in a formal written agreement matters?
- [31:10]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Well, because Blanche is a weasel and he will weasel his way out of things that he says. If you watch his answers to our questions, they're always hedging, they're always leaving a little opening. He wants, I think, to be able to come back and say I have technically complied with your requirement that we're not going to have this weaponization fund go forward and yet find a way to be able to give the money in the fund to the January 6th rioters. He's just a very, very hard individual to trust. He's very slippery.
- [31:50]
Jen Psaki
It is. I mean, I think you just answered my question here. I was going to ask you just like why he just won't put it in written in writing. It seems like it's just because he won't do it. He just wants to slip out of it. He's a weasel. Okay, let me move on to the other thing I wanted to ask you. He said, well, he said that verbally that the slush fund portion of the deal was dead. He has said that the part that gives Trump IRS immunity is still alive, which is still significant. And I don't want us to kind of whistle over here why do you think that's still alive beyond this effort to hold up the confirmation by Cornyn and Tillis? I mean, what can be done to kill that? Or could that be part of what they try to kill here, too? What should people understand?
- [32:28]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Well, the Trump family tax fraud amnesty scam is a very, very big deal. And it's obviously a very big deal to Blanche's former client, Donald Trump. It means a lot of money, and it means relief from investigations into whatever tax fraud he may have committed. Remember, he was found guilty of fraud related to financial declarations that he had made. So there's a track record here. And so it really is a very big deal. And I hope that Senators Tillis and Cornyn are seeing that corrupt deal as a package. It really doesn't help much to carve out one aspect of a corrupt deal and let the other piece of the corrupt deal go forward. And the third piece here, Jen, is that the way this was accomplished in the Florida court has exploded in the face of the lawyers down there, including in the face of Todd Blanche. The judge's decision she sent to the New York bar authorities, which have disciplinary jurisdiction over Todd Blanche. She was so fed up, up with his conduct, and she found that there was a good likelihood that a fraud had been committed upon the court, which is probably the worst thing that a lawyer can do in court. It's worse than even contempt of court. So you have the disciplinary proceeding pending, you've got her fraud on the court concern still pending, and that relates directly to how this deal was cooked up. So it's really a three for. It's the crooked slush fund, it's the crooked Trump family tax scam amnesty, and it's the fraud on the court that Trump's personal lawyer, now AG nominee, engaged in to try to pull a fast one on a federal judge.
- [34:34]
Jen Psaki
I was just explaining that if doesn't get through, if he doesn't have the votes on the Judiciary Committee, of course, that could kill his nomination here. The vote is supposed to be Thursday. We're at the end of July here. Senators, nobody's really eager to stay in Washington in August. Typically, the next 24 hours are pivotal, but help people understand what could happen here if one of them, if one of Tillis or Cornyn decides tomorrow, they're definitely voting against him, what happens then? Is this a delay? What are you expecting?
- [35:04]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Well, I think they have to figure out, is there a path to getting him to the floor even with a negative committee vote that can happen. And if so, do they have the votes to do it. Because if neither Senator Tillis nor Senator Cornyn are convinced, then a vote to the floor, they've already. They're already two down. And I think there are other senators who have a lot of skepticism about this guy. Back to my point, the third element of the, of the scam was the fraud on the court that was committed. I can't tell you how big a deal that was. We've done the research. In the history of the Department of Justice. No senior official has ever even faced an inquiry into whether they committed fraud on the court. It's not even an allegation that has been made against any senior Department of Justice officials. And now it's pending against this guy. And I think that's enough to put other people off, particularly with November looming. I'm not sure they all want to own all of this guy's misconduct, past and future.
- [36:10]
Jen Psaki
You'd think they wouldn't. It's interesting to hear you say that. There are others on the floor who might vote against him, too. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, thank you for keeping up the fight for press and Todd Blanche and keeping us all informed. I appreciate you being here.
- [36:23]
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Thank you.
- [36:25]
Jen Psaki
Okay, coming up, we're going to break a little news about some very creative activism coming to a city near you. Get ready. It involves this truck full of 3 million pages of Epstein files. Donald Trump is going to hate it. Former Trump White House official Miles Taylor is behind it, and he joins us to talk about it all next. Exactly one week ago, more than two dozen survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein sent an open letter to Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, urging them to reject Trump's pick for Attorney General, Todd Blanche. And their reasons were pretty clear. I mean, after their brief meeting with Blanche, they said that he showed no remorse for the horrific release of materials that exposed survivors identities and images. They also said he also gave no indication that he believed there were investigative leads worth pursuing or that he intended to seek accountability beyond Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. And while both Cornyn and Tillis continue to withhold their support for Blanche, as I was just discussing with Senator Whitehouse, it's worth noting that Cornyn's reservations seem entirely centered on Blanche's improper IRS settlement with Trump rather than his apparent attempts to downplay and cover up the Epstein scandal. Regardless, the outrage over Blanche's mishandling of the Epstein files is definitely not going away. In fact, it might be coming to a city near. You remember the pop up Epstein files reading room that Drew lots of attention for good reason, a few months ago, where you could go and read 3.5 million pages of Epstein files or whatever portion of that you could make it through. Well, now the Institute for primary facts and defiance.org who organized that installation, are taking it on the road. And they are literally rolling out a truck that will carry millions of pages of the Epstein files for public viewing. You can see it right there. And it's set to be officially unveiled on Capitol Hill tomorrow morning. It's a big, fat visual traveling reminder to senators that Todd Blanch is uniquely unfit to serve as Attorney General. Joining me now is Myles Taylor. He was Chief of Staff in the Department of Homeland Security during Trump's first term and is now one of the organizers of this Trump Epstein bookmobile. Miles, thank you for being here. Thanks for having me. I bet you wouldn't have predicted this is exactly your path a couple of years ago, but here you are. You know, it's not.
- [38:45]
Miles Taylor
But let me just say at the outset, I mean, in the two and a half years I worked under Trump, one thing became clear. He was the most corrupt human being I've ever met. And no episode epitomizes his corruption better than what has happened with the Epstein files. So in a way, it makes perfect sense that this is the story arc.
- [39:05]
Jen Psaki
No doubt. I mean, I have to ask you, because the 3.5 million pages of documents are online, people can read them. They're technically available online, I should say. Why did you decide physically Tell me about the decision to take them on the road. What are you gonna be doing? Where are they gonna be going? How will this work? When it comes to a community, it's
- [39:24]
Miles Taylor
the creative genius of our partners, Institute for Primary Facts, to just say, let's print this and have people see what the magnitude of the files look like. And I'll tell you, when I went up to New York City, still having talked with them for months about this, I thought, you know, it's interesting, but is it gonna feel like an exhibit worth visiting? I walked in, I went downstairs, I saw six survivors, half of them in tears. Yeah, people were moved by this exhibit. And it wasn't just Epstein survivors. Strangers coming off the street to come tour the thing if they could get a ticket because it was sold out. They were so moved by just seeing the totality of the files. And you actually pull something off the shelf and you read, and you realize this isn't just a scandal that's been hyped in the media. We're talking about 1,000 victims. We're talking about one of the most sprawling sex trafficking networks in American history. We're talking about files that include allegations about the President of the United States engaging potentially in, you know, nefarious activity with minors. We're talking about some very shocking stuff. And to see it is to really start to understand it fully. It also reminds you about what you don't see. You see the magnitude. And you realize millions of files have not been released. Thousands of people have not received justice, at least dozens of co conspirators have not been revealed. And you recognized this cover up is not over yet and it needs to be uncovered.
- [40:58]
Jen Psaki
There are certainly a lot of pages that have not been released. I would remind everybody, Trump has denied wrongdoing, as we always like to note. But let me ask you about the Blanche hearings here, because in a substack post you called this effort the closing argument against Blanche. I was just discussing with Senator Whitehouse House. The opposition or the seeming. We're kind of watching them very closely, Senator Cornyn and Senator Tillis. The issues they have really put forward are this IRS settlement which is abhorrent in its own right. But I wonder what you think of why that's the issue that seems to be giving some Republican senators pause. And there aren't any, at least publicly, that seem to be the driving force around the mishandling of the Epstein files. The fact that Todd Blanch, we don't know what role he played in transferring Ghislaine Maxwell, her transfer, we still have a lot of questions on that. The fact that he interviewed her, the fact that he's not releasing documents. Why do you think that is not it received a lot of votes.
- [41:57]
Miles Taylor
Well, look, I think Cornyn feels like he's on safer political ground to not touch something that he also knows is a live wire with the President. But it should be about the Epstein files. Todd Blanch bungled one of the biggest investigations in the recent history of the Department of Justice. Justice. What should have been a massive investigation not just into sex trafficking, also into counterintelligence concerns, also into a range of other potential public corruption issues. I can tell you right now, not even having been on the inside of that investigation, I can identify from the public files reasons there still needs to be a national security investigation open into Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. And there is nothing. And we all know why. We all know why. And that's the big 800 pound gorilla in the room in Washington D.C. and that's why we're doing this. We're doing this because Whatever happens to Todd Blanche this week, whether he gets confirmed or not, the survivors are saying we're not gonna be. Shut up. We're gonna call attention to this and we're gonna keep doing it for years until someone is in power to reopen these investigations. And in fact, tonight, Jen, if folks wanna go vote on what, what cities this go to, they can as of right now on air, they can go to trumpepsteinbookmobile.com and they can say what cities they want this to travel to. Survivors are gonna be going to these cities. We are not going to let them redact the survivors the way they've tried to redact the co conspirators in these files.
- [43:25]
Jen Psaki
You want this bus, you're coming your way. You have a voice here. Let me ask you, I mean, one of the most, I mean, these survivors are so incredible. You've spent time with them. I've spent time with them as well. And they've been so fierce and strong through so many moments over the last couple of years and long before that. The Blanche meeting for many of them was extremely disturbing and upsetting because of what he conveyed, because of how he treated them. In many ways, Blanche is the most emblematic version of what you're talking about here. These sycophants who Trump has surrounded himself with. Of course Trump wants him to be confirmed for a full term. What should people understand and about the damage that he could do if he's confirmed, fully confirmed?
- [44:08]
Miles Taylor
Well, first, people should remember these folks are people. Let me mention one of them. I think you've probably had her on your show. Danny Bensky, one of the most courageous women I have ever met, someone who was one of the Epstein victims, the type of person who could get steamrolled by bringing the allegations she brought forward into the public domain. And she did it anyway. That bravery is a real person facing real risks, the power of a real administration. That's significant. But on the other side of this, I would say when it comes to Todd Blanche, you gotta be thinking about what this means in the long run for our country, what it says about whether we're gonna let justice be weaponized. And that vote this week is about more than just Todd Blanche. It's a vote about the future of the Department of Justice and about justice in this country. So folks should go check out the site. Folks should get the files to their city and take action.
- [45:03]
Jen Psaki
Miles Taylor, thank you so much for being here.
- [45:05]
Miles Taylor
Thanks, Jen.
- [45:06]
Jen Psaki
We'll be right back. That does it for me tonight. You can catch the show Tuesday through Friday at 9pm Eastern on Ms. Now. And don't forget to follow the show on Blue sky, Instagram and TikTok. Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co founder of Angie. When you use Angie for your home projects, you know all your jobs will be done well. Roof repair done well. Kitchen sink install done well. Deck upgrades done well. Electrical Upgrade done well. Angie's been connecting homeowners with skilled pros for nearly 30 years, so we know the difference between done and done well. Angie the one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find a pro for your project@angie.com.