Kash's boozy boasts backfire as drinking questions follow him to another hearing

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Briefing with Jen Psaki
Episode: Kash's boozy boasts backfire as drinking questions follow him to another hearing
Date: May 13, 2026
Host: Janine (standing in for Jen Psaki)
Key Guests: Congressman Robert Garcia, Gina Hinojosa, Brian Driscoll, Michael Feinberg, Tim Weiner

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Episode Overview

This episode examines the latest political controversies and developments, focusing on:

• The spiraling cost of Trump administration projects and disregard for federal processes
• Scandals engulfing FBI Director Kash Patel, especially regarding his drinking and politicization of the agency
• House and Senate hearings on these subjects
• The ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and government failings
• The state of Texas politics, Democratic momentum, and a special campaign visit from Barack Obama

Janine and her guests deliver sharp analysis and pull no punches, with notable first-person accounts and lively exchanges.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Trump’s Vanity Projects & Economic Fallout

Duration: [00:50 - 06:53]

• Trump’s Priorities: Janine criticizes Donald Trump for focusing on personal ‘vanity’ projects—like White House renovations and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool—using federal money while Americans face rising costs.
• No-Bid Contracts: Trump bypassed competitive bidding to hire his own “pool guy” for the Reflecting Pool, promising a $1.5–2 million price tag. Instead, it ballooned to $13.1 million—“seven times as much as Trump promised.” ([02:45])
• The “Art” of Spending: Janine, in a sarcastic tone, asks, “So where'd all that extra money go? We may never know.”
• Trump’s Response to Cost Overruns: When pressed about costs, Trump responds, “[The ballroom now is] ahead of schedule, and it's a little bit under budget, depending on the finishes that we use.” ([04:22], Trump)
• Economic Impact: Inflation has jumped to 3.8%, with Trump’s foreign policy cited as a major factor. The war in Iran’s cost estimate is $29 billion, which could have funded lost health care subsidies.
• Trump’s Apathy: Asked if Americans’ financial struggles motivate his Iran policy, Trump bluntly states, “Not even a little bit. ... I don't think about Americans financial situation, I don't think about anybody.” ([06:41], Trump)

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2. FBI Director Kash Patel’s Troubles

Duration: [06:53 - 13:17]

• Drinking Allegations: FBI Director Kash Patel faces ongoing scandals regarding his alleged alcohol abuse and absenteeism.
• Hearing Highlights: Senator Chris Van Hollen questions Patel about weekend drinking and unavailability ([08:11]).
  • Van Hollen: “I cannot imagine ever having to worry about ... Wray or Mueller spending weekends drinking heavily at the Poodle Room in Las Vegas.”
  • Patel: “Absolutely not. You can ask my entire workforce. They hear from me at every single hour of the day.” ([08:27])
• Tense Exchanges: The hearing devolves as Patel accuses Van Hollen of drinking with criminals overseas, a charge Janine debunks.
• Contradictory Behavior: Despite vehement denials, Patel ordered polygraph tests for staff in a leak hunt—odd, Janine notes, for “completely made up” allegations.
• Patel’s Own Words: Flashbacks (pre-FBI) show Patel joking about being called an alcoholic if nominated (“Sunday nights ... are for God, hockey, and beer––not in that order.” [10:41])
• Memorable Moment: “If I ever go before Senate confirmation, they’re going to call me an alcoholic.” ([11:28], Patel)
• Leadership Fallout: Former FBI official Brian Driscoll recounts being told hiring would favor those not active on social media, who didn’t vote Democrat, signifying a politicized vetting process ([12:42]).

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3. Politicization & Corruption in the FBI

Duration: [13:17 - 22:11]

• Institutional Changes: Driscoll, Michael Feinberg, and journalist Tim Weiner describe a rapidly politicized FBI under Patel, with “payback squads” pursuing Trump’s enemies.
• “Litmus Test” Loyalty: Staff were reportedly assessed on political allegiance. Feinberg: “It was no big secret that there were going to be political litmus tests for everyone.” ([14:53])
• Dark Money & Bribery: Patel’s foundation allegedly funded settlements for agents forced out, raising corruption concerns.
• Systemic Concerns: Weiner: “Patel is a conspiracy theorist ... conducting an ideological purge at the FBI. ... [It] is an act of self immobilization. It is an act of national suicide.” ([20:57])
• Transparency Evasion: Patel’s claims of hands-off leadership on polygraphs are dismissed by Feinberg as “disingenuous or a scary reflection of how little he knows.” ([19:14])

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4. Anger Over Media Leaks & “Treason” Claims

Duration: [22:11 - 28:53]

• Leaking Woes: Trump rails against administration leaks, pressuring the DOJ to go after journalists, even labeling critical stories as “virtual treason.”
• Abuse of Language: Michael Feinberg rebukes Trump’s use of “treason,” reminding listeners it’s “the most abject insult you could levy against another American.” ([26:09])
• Iran War Realities: New U.S. intelligence shows Iran retains major missile capabilities, countering Trump’s claims of American military dominance. Weiner warns, “This war cannot be won unless Trump ... occupies Iran ... this is not stalemate. It's close to checkmate.” ([27:57])

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5. Epstein Investigation Reopened

Duration: [30:40 - 36:08]

• Field Hearing: Congressman Robert Garcia leads a House Oversight hearing in Palm Beach near Mar-a-Lago, focusing on Epstein survivors and the infamous 2008 “sweetheart deal” with Alex Acosta.
• Survivor Testimony: Rosa, a survivor, testifies for the first time:
  • “He was not in the jail ... [Epstein] told me ... his arrest was a game. Bragging about girls visiting his cell and ... friendships with authorities.” ([31:39], Rosa)
• Subpoena Push: Garcia aims to compel testimony from prosecutors involved in Acosta’s deal. He notes, “Acosta ... he felt he went as far as he could. That's a bold faced lie...” ([34:22], Garcia)
• Trust Broken: Garcia notes survivors’ hesitation: “Their trust is broken in government and law enforcement.”
• Continued Investigation: Garcia promises ongoing advocacy—“Every survivor today said on the record that they want Pam Bunga to testify and that they believe this investigation needs to continue.” ([35:20], Garcia)

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6. Texas Politics — Democratic Momentum

Duration: [39:56 - 45:24]

• Obama’s Campaign Visit: Former President Barack Obama joins Democrat James Talarico and gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa in Texas, signaling the state’s growing significance.
• Why Texas Matters: Hinojosa: “Trump picked Texas to start with rigging the 2026 elections because he knows Texas’s ball game ... They can’t rig it if the governor of Texas vetoes their rigged maps. And that's why I'm running. Democracy is on the line.” ([39:56], Hinojosa)
• Democratic Wave: Hinojosa details unexpected blue victories in local races and rising turnout—“I got twice as many votes as Beto got in 2018 in the primary.” ([41:39])
• Republican Infighting: The ongoing GOP Senate primary between Cornyn and Paxton is described as “a dumpster fire,” with vicious negative ads.
• State in Play: Hinojosa: “Texas is in play in a big way. ... We have the most bankruptcies ... most kids and people without health insurance. But Texas is a world economic powerhouse. We know our worth and we know we deserve better.” ([44:27])
• Call to Action: Hinojosa urges: “We need everybody to be all in like we've never been all in before. ... Timing is right in 2026, and we're going to make the most of it.” ([43:00])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about Americans financial situation, I don't think about anybody.”
  — Donald Trump ([06:41])

• “If I ever go before Senate confirmation, they're going to call me an alcoholic?”
  — Kash Patel ([11:28])

• “It was no big secret that there were going to be political litmus tests for everyone.”
  — Michael Feinberg ([14:53])

• “He was not in the jail ... [Epstein] bragged about girls visiting his cell and his friendships with authorities.”
  — Rosa, Epstein survivor ([31:39])

• “Texas is in play in a big way. ... We know our worth and we know we deserve better.”
  — Gina Hinojosa ([44:27])

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Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Time Start | Key Topics | |---------|-----------|------------| | Trump’s Vanity Spending & Inflation | [00:50] | Cost overruns, bidding skips, inflation, Iran war | | Kash Patel Hearing | [07:42] | Senate questioning, drinking allegations | | Patel’s Drinking History | [10:41] | Old footage, admissions, jokes | | FBI Politicization | [13:17] | Litmus tests, payback squads, corruption | | Media Leaks, Treason Rhetoric | [22:11] | DOJ subpoenas, “treason” accusations, Iran reality | | Epstein Investigation | [30:40] | Survivor testimonies, oversight, broken trust | | Texas Politics | [39:56] | Obama visit, momentum, GOP infighting, 2026 outlook |

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

The episode is unsparing in critique, with Janine and guests directly confronting the Trump administration’s actions and the threats posed by growing politicization of law enforcement. Testimony from survivors and former officials adds depth and urgency, while discussions of Texas politics and Democratic strategy offer a note of hope and mobilization.

Transcript

[Freedom From Religion Foundation Announcer]

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[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

So much to talk about. I mentioned I'm going to talk to Gina Hinoist a little bit later. I'm going to start with this. Nearly every day we get another reminder that Trump really doesn't care at all. I mean it. All that the cost of gas and groceries and health care and everything that you're spending money on right now all seem to be skyrocketing because clearly guy has other things on his mind. I mean, there's his big ballroom renovation, his new granite floors for the White House, his big triumphal arch. All of them big gaudy vanity projects that have no bearing whatsoever on the cost of living for anyone. And then there's this, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool. Now, earlier this year, Trump decided to update that iconic DC Landmark. And that's the kind of big construction project that requires hiring federal contractors. And usually those contractors have to go through a competitive bidding process to make sure that the American taxpayers are, of course, getting the best price for the job. That's how it typically works. But Donald Trump just decided to ignore all of that because, well, he knew a guy, his pool guy, to be specific.

[Donald Trump]

I said, you know, Doug, I have a guy who's unbelievable at doing swimming pools. I said, what we're going to do is I'm going to call all three of these people that have worked for me in the past doing swimming pools. That's all they can do is a swimming pool. So I called people that do swimming pools and I said, go take a look at it. I said, do me a favor, fellas, go take a look at the reflecting pool. I said, give Me a good price. It will cost about a million and a half dollars. We're gonna be able to do it for about a million 8, 1.8 million. I said, how much will it cost? I think we can do it for about a million nine. We can do it for maybe a million and a half to $2 million. We did it for a couple of million bucks.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Keep that number in your mind, everyone. So Trump decided to hire his swimming pool guy to. To renovate the 2,000 foot DC Reflecting Pool, which is very much not a pool for swimming in, ignoring all the rules designed to stop presidents from handing out big contracts to their buddies of any kind, giving it to him without making a bid for it. Now, the White House claims it's because they need this renovation done urgently for July 4th. Okay, but don't worry because Trump says his pool guy gave him a great price. Trump said they could get it done for anywhere from 1.5 to $2 million, depending on what day you asked him, of course. Well, here's the most predictable thing ever, because here's the headline in the New York Times. This reflecting pool repairs to cost $13.1 million, seven times as much as Trump promised. It's one kind of art of the deal of negotiating, isn't it? So where'd all that extra money go? We may never know, because Trump just decided to ignore the federal rules about government contractors making bids and hire his pool guy. That's what happened. Now, these days, Trump seems totally unconcerned with the ballooning costs of his big vanity projects, like his new White House ballroom, which was supposed to cost, you know, you, the taxpayer, nothing, nothing at all, but which now may cost as much as a billion dollars of your money. And every day, the price tag for that ballroom seems to go up. But Trump doesn't care. In fact, he claims it's actually under budget. And anybody who questions him about it is, in his words, dumb.

[Donald Trump]

We're right now on budget, under budget and ahead of scale. I doubled the size of it, you dumb person. Double the size. Cuba, what about you are you are not a smart person? We doubled the size. The ballroom now is ahead of schedule, and it's a little bit under budget, depending on the finishes that we use.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

So Trump is asked about the ballooning cost of his vanity project ballroom, and his response is, well, I doubled the size of it. Before he insults the reporter and claims it's under budget, depending on the finishes that he chooses, which is my favorite part. So Trump is burning, literally burning through taxpayer money, your money for his own completely unnecessary special projects. Well, everybody else out there is struggling to afford basic necessities. Today we learned that inflation has jumped to 3.8% thanks to Trump's war in Iran. It's the highest level in three years. Inflation is now once again outpacing wage growth, which basically means the prices of things that people buy are rising faster than their paychecks. Which is why it's not surprising that a new poll out today finds that 77% of Americans think Trump's policies have increased the cost of living in their community, because they have. Even a majority of Republicans, 55%, say that Trump's policies have increased their costs. Now, at the same time, we learned today that the Pentagon's official cost estimate for the war in Iran has risen to $29 billion. And that's believed to be the conservative estimate, far below the actual cost of the war, which they have been not transparent about at all. Now, I would note that $29 billion, which is a whole lot of money, but just to put it in perspective, is enough money to to cover all of the health care subsidies Trump let expire this year, which led millions of people to drop their health care coverage. But he doesn't care that his policies are raising costs for millions of people while he pursues his endless war and needless vanity projects. He doesn't care. And that's not just me editorializing or millions of people feeling it out there. Today, Trump was actually asked if he was thinking about those struggling Americans as he negotiates with Iran. And he said this out loud. Mr. President, to what extent are American financial situations motivating you to make a deal?

[Donald Trump]

Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about Americans financial situation, I don't think about anybody.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

That explains a lot. I don't think about Americans financial situation, I don't think about anybody. The man can't even pretend to care anymore. He's not even pretending he cares. He's decided to just ignore the biggest problems facing the country. And it's not just rising costs that he's decided to shrug off. Because right now, FBI Director Kash Patel, the top federal investigator and domestic intelligence chief in the country, is facing a massive and growing list of scandals about his alleged alcohol abuse, absenteeism, paranoid abuses of his of power on the job. It's an incredibly embarrassing look for the Trump administration and a genuine threat to American security. But Trump doesn't seem to care about any of that as long as it puts his administration in the spotlight.

[Donald Trump]

FBI Director Cash Patel, does he get enough publicity? If you could get a little more publicity, it would be very.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

It's almost like he's happy his FBI director is mired in scandal. All press is not good press, I don't think there, Mr. Trump. Now, today, Cash Patel was on Capitol Hill facing questions from lawmakers about his various scandals. And Senator Chris Van Hollen pressed him on the reporting about Patel's alleged drinking habits.

[Senator Chris Van Hollen]

I cannot imagine ever having to worry about former FBI Directors Wray or Mueller spending multiple weekends drinking heavily at the Poodle Room in Las Vegas. So there have been no occasions during your tenure when FBI personnel were unable to promptly reach you?

[FBI Director Kash Patel]

Absolutely not. You can ask my entire workforce. They hear from me at every single hour of the day.

[Senator Chris Van Hollen]

It's been written and documented.

[FBI Director Kash Patel]

You are literally saying it.

[Senator Chris Van Hollen]

No, I'm saying that these are reports,

[FBI Director Kash Patel]

Director Patel, unlike, unlike baseless reports, the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang banging rapist was you.

[Senator Chris Van Hollen]

In your response to me earlier where you had a little bit of a blow up, you made a couple provably false statements.

[FBI Director Kash Patel]

So did you.

[Senator Chris Van Hollen]

Do you know, Mr. Director, that it is a crime to lie to Congress? Do you know that?

[FBI Director Kash Patel]

I do not lie to Congress.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Okay, a couple of things to say about that. First off, when Patel accuses Senator Van Hollen of slinging margaritas on the taxpayer dime, he's referring to this photo, the photo I'm going to show you. There it is. When Senator Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador to check in on a man the Trump administration wrongfully sent to a notorious megaprison. Senator Van Hollen said at the time that the drinks you see on the table were actually put there by the government of El Salvador to make it seem like they were not abusing the prisoners at that facility. But more importantly, it's notable that Kash Patel is categorically denying that the story about his drinking was true. That story cited at least nine sources for its various allegations about Patel's behavior. There were more people who came forward, according reporter, after the story was published. And Patel was so outraged by the story that two people familiar with the matter told Ms. Now that Patel has ordered polygraphs for dozens of members of his team in a desperate search for the people who leaked to that reporter. Now it is hard to imagine why Patel would be hunting for leakers by using polygraph tests when he says the story is completely Made up. That makes no sense. Patel has spent a lot of time and energy denying these specific stories about his alleged drinking. We already know a good deal about his drinking habits from public accounts and things he said publicly. I mean, we have all seen the footage of Patel guzzling beer with members of the U.S. men's hockey team while on an official work trip. And it's not like cash. Patel was ever shy about talking about his drinking habits. Before he was the FBI,

[FBI Director Kash Patel]

Sunday nights would roll around and the President would try to find me. I'd buy, sir, I am on call every day, including Sundays, except the very late evening, where Sundays are for God, hockey, and beer. Not in that order. And I will resurface back on very early Monday morning. It turned into flannel Fridays because I was having this beer and I was wearing a flannel shirt. And now it's this massive thing online. I'm going to be on the sheet, playing in the beer league, having a pbr, and then I'll return your phone call. Obviously, I'm kidding. But it was funny. We had this trad. And every night, what he would call a final final. So we'd have dinner and then we'd go somewhere and have, like a final drink. Everybody should have a beer or three. It's going to be pretty. It's gonna be pretty lit.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

I might have some special apparel.

[Congressman Robert Garcia]

We are.

[Donald Trump]

We're gonna throw down.

[Congressman Robert Garcia]

There's gonna be bourbon. There's gonna be sparklers.

[FBI Director Kash Patel]

We ended up in Northern Italy, and we were slamming Negronis on our leg last night. And I was like, devin, I need a subpoena. I went to Devin and I told him that in the morning, he goes, dude, if you're gonna start drinking at 9am get out of my office. Can I be the first one to say that if I ever go before Senate confirmation, they're going to call me an alcoholic?

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

His words, not my words. I mean, the guy had enough foresight to joke that he might one day face questions about his drinking. But now that he is actually in a big, important government job, he's very clearly outraged by those very questions from the Senate. Kash Patel's tenure as FBI director has been one embarrassing scandal after another from the very beginning. Tonight, just before we got an air, a former top career FBI official spoke out for the first time about the chaos in Patel's FBI. And in the early days of the Trump administration, FBI hostage negotiator Brian Driscoll was elevated to be the interim FBI director while Patel was being confirmed. And he Says that right from the beginning, things were not going well.

[Senator Chris Van Hollen]

Patel told you that as long as you were not prolific on social media,

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

didn't donate to the Democratic Party, didn't vote for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, that the vetting would not be an issue.

[Brian Driscoll (Former FBI Official)]

Yeah, it's exactly. It's not funny, but that's exactly what he said. He's like, okay, just tell me if you voted for a Democrat in the last five elections. This conversation's over. And conclude the phone call, it's just disgusted and shocked.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Why were you disgusted?

[Brian Driscoll (Former FBI Official)]

Because now my fear that there was a political wave coming towards the FBI with vitriol directed at the FBI. It was palpable and there was a sense of shock that like, well, I am really close to this thing.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Patel and his deputies were politicizing the FBI from day one of this administration. That's what you just heard from Brian Driscoll. And every day we learn more and more about how the FBI has been fundamentally changed under Patel's leadership. Just tonight, the news outlet Notice reports that the FBI has created a so called payback squad, a team specifically comprised of agents who are willing to pursue Trump's political targets. That's according to four people who spoke to Notice on condition of anonymity. Everywhere you look in this administration, Trump is reshaping the government to focus on his personal priorities, to target his enemies, to focus on the things he cares about, and he just doesn't care about what gets lost in the process. Michael Feinberg was an assistant special agent in charge at the FBI before being pushed out by Kash Patel. And Tim Weiner is a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter. He's the author of the book A history of the FBI. And his latest book is called the The CIA and the 21st Century. Must read books in the moment we're living in. Thank you both for being here. Let me start with you, Michael. There's so much I want to ask you about, but I want to start with what we learned today from Brian Driscoll and how he described his job security at the FBI under Patel as being reliant on his willingness to purge agents that investigated. I mean, you not only worked under Driscoll, but you yourself were. Of course, I think everybody remembers this, even though you help explain government and law enforcement to us every day. But you yourself were pushed out of the FBI for your connection to an agent who investigated Trump. What was your reaction to seeing him talk about all of that in the interview?

[Michael Feinberg (Former FBI Official)]

This is gonna sound a little weird. I'm glad to see it finally coming out in the open because we all called him Drizz. What Drizz said in that interview was something we all knew not just intuitively, but from the very profligate rumor mill that goes on at the Hoover building in the FBI's field offices. It was no big secret that there were going to be political litmus tests for everyone. The weekend that I was informed, I was under the radar. Shortly before I resigned, one of my friends who is very high in the organization still gave me a heads up that if I was put in a position where I had to speak to either then Deputy Director Dan Bongino or Director Cash Patel, I should expect to be asked whom I voted for.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

So it's not surprising, and it seems like it's kind of an unspoken thing that everybody knew that this had happened to him and now he's finally coming forward, which is certainly significant. I wanted to ask you about another story because today House Judiciary Democrats accused the Justice Department of improperly paying out FBI agents who are suspended for misconduct but who appear to be political allies of Trump. I mean, this taken together with Driscoll's account, seems to paint a picture where people who signed up to be career officials, non political, are being asked to do something that is certainly not what they signed up for at the risk of termination, I guess. How do you see it?

[Michael Feinberg (Former FBI Official)]

I think that's a very accurate way to put it. In a different environment, I might put it a little more bluntly and a little more harshly. But what we're seeing now runs fundamentally counter to the idea of an apolitical law enforcement or intelligence community apparatus. And it's worth noting many of the agents who have now received settlements or been reinstated when they were forced out to begin with, I believe a number of them received funding from a foundation or run by Cash Patel himself when he was outside of government.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

It's like bribery.

[Michael Feinberg (Former FBI Official)]

It's certainly some form of corruption, I think.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Let me bring Tim into this conversation. Tim, another part of Driscoll's interview that stuck out to me was when he said that Patel told him, quote, the FBI tried to put the president in jail. And he hasn't forgotten it. I mean, it's. Which seems it's a very straightforward way of kind of calling out this obsession, I should call it. In your view, does that fundamental disdain for the institution itself explain why he doesn't seem to care if the integrity or effectiveness of the FBI is being jeopardized under Patel?

[Tim Weiner (Investigative Reporter)]

You know, Jan, back in 2020 in the first Trump administration. Trump's Attorney General, Bill Barr, who's not a woke snowflake, said that the idea of putting Cash Patel in charge of the FBI, which was a very live idea back then, was the height of insanity, that it would happen over his dead body. Things haven't improved very much. When Patel is a conspiracy theorist, he is conducting, you know, an ideological purge at the FBI. He is. He has decimated the ranks of national security, intelligence, counterintelligence, counter and espionage people. And we're war. And we're at war with Iran, which has had terrorist proxies running around the world since the 1980s. Not an opportune time to take out the Iran squad, as Patel did. All of this in the name of retribution, all of this in the name of payback for investigating the crimes of Donald Trump.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

It's unquestionable. I mean, the Bill Barr thing, I had forgotten about that. It's quite settling in your mind. Let me ask you about Patel testifying today, because there were some moments that stuck out to me. I played some of them. One of the moments was when he seemed to deny that he had directed the polygraphs. Now, the team that would oversee polygraphs seemingly works for him, which seems to be his way of evading the question. But what stuck out to you about the testimony today?

[Michael Feinberg (Former FBI Official)]

Now, let's be very clear. To quote a line from a film that Tim used in his obituary of Robert Mueller, the FBI is there to preserve democracy, not to practice it. Everybody in the organization reports up to the director. So Patel could sit in front of Congress and say that the Inspection Division or Security Division decides who gets polygraphed. But the leaders of Inspection Division report to Patel. They know what he wants. He tells them what he wants, they do it. That's how the FBI has worked since it was founded 117 years ago. So for him to say that he has no say in what the divisions below him are doing is either fundamentally disingenuous or a very scary reflection of how little he knows about what is going on in that building. Neither option is one that should comfort Americans.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

No, it shouldn't. It might be both. Tim, let me ask you. You spent the majority of your career studying and writing about the way over time, the CIA was gradually compromised and transformed due to, among other things, politicization. And you kind of talk about how it's notit wasn't necessarily one huge, huge event, but there were were smaller events that led to it. Even. Talk to me about what you're seeing in the FBI right now, in terms of Cash Patel's, the kind of allegations that are against him, the fact that people are being purged from the agency, all of the different things, I wouldn't call them small, but they're different things that are compiled together and how you see that impacting the agency over the course of time.

[Tim Weiner (Investigative Reporter)]

You have a deeply irresponsible director who has, at Trump's command, imposed loyalty oaths and ideological litmus tests. If you want to get promoted, hey, did you vote for Trump? What did you think of the January 6th insurrection? Who really won the 2020 election? If you don't pass the test, you're either out or your career is in deep trouble. The same purge has happened in different ways. And at the Central Intelligence Agency, you've seen the Secretary of Defense urging every general and admiral, most of them black or women, who questions his wisdom. You've seen the Director of National Intelligence who has disappeared from view, espousing crackpot theories. All of this reflects a national security establishment that is being systematically destroyed by the President of the United States. It is an act. It is an act of self immobilization. It is an act of national suicide. And it's coming at a very dangerous time in the course of human events.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Michael Feinberg and Tim Weiner, stay right where you are. There is more we need to talk about. I think we just found out why Donald Trump has been losing his mind over leaks to the media, at least as of late. Because here was the social media post from Donald Trump a little after 4pm when the fake news says that the Iranian enemy is doing well militarily against us. It's virtual treason. And wouldn't you know it, Here was the story that broke in the New York Times just one hour later. US Intelligence shows Iran retains substantial missile capabilities. We're going to talk about that when we come back. We'll be right back.

[Freedom From Religion Foundation Announcer]

America is an idea. For 250 years, that idea has helped expand our rights and our freedoms. But British progress isn't guaranteed. Today, those founding principles are being challenged by efforts to mix religion and government. The Freedom From Religion foundation is working to protect the Constitution and keep power where it belongs, with we the people. Visit FFRF US MSNOW or text Ms. Now to 511-511-Text Ms. Now to 511-511 and keep state and church separate. Text fees may apply.

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[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

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[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Donald Trump is very angry and growing increasingly unhinged about the leaks coming out of his administration and the journalists reporting on them. Which, by the way, is their job. Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has privately complained to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about the administration's media leaks surrounding his war with Iran. And according to some additional reporting from cnn, Trump personally pushed the Justice Department to issue subpoenas to reporters covering the war in Iran in an effort to flesh out their sources. At one White House meeting, according to officials who spoke with cnn, Trump put a sticky note with the word treason on top of a stack of printed articles and handed it to Blanche. And then earlier this afternoon, there was that word treason again. In a true social post, Trump continued to rail against unfavorable reporting about his war with Iran as virtual treason. And then, less than an hour later, the New York Times published this new reporting that U.S. intelligence shows that Iran still has substantial missile capabilities, according to secret new assessments that suggest Iran's milit remains far stronger than President Trump has asserted. According to the Times, most alarming to some senior officials is evidence that Iran has restored operational access to 30 of the 33 missile sites it maintains along the Strait of Hormuz. So that's all new news breaking this evening. Michael Feinberg and Tim Weiner are back with me. I want to talk about this story, but let me first ask you the term treason, which seems to be thrown out a lot by this president. What is that? I don't want to be numb to any of this. When you see the President of the United States throwing that on a post it note, throwing it in social media posts, what do you think about?

[Michael Feinberg (Former FBI Official)]

Well, it confirms what we all suspect, which is that he has never read the Constitution of the United States. Because treason is actually, if I'm correct, and it's been a while, but I believe the only crime specifically defined in that document. And it is giving aid and comfort to an enemy during wartime. And in order to be prosecuted for it, you need to have two witnesses. It is not a colloquial term. It is not something that the founders, the framers, meant to be thrown around lightly. It is the most abject insult you could levy against another American that I can think of. And given that this is somebody who summarily pardoned people who actually tried to overthrow the results of a Democratic election and claims what they were doing was not treasonous, I would appreciate if he's gonna use the term loosely to at least be a little more intellectually consistent with it.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

It also sends a MAGA mob against people who he's calling anti American, I think, in a dangerous way. Tim, let me bring you in again to talk about this New York Times reporting, because the New York Times, I mean, we've seen there was some reporting from the Washington Post last week. To be fair, the New York Times kind of added to that reporting confirming that their missile capabilities in Iran are much more advanced than the Trump administration is acknowledging. I just read out kind of some of the specifics about capabilities around the street of Hormuz. I mean, you've done so much covering of the intelligence communities and the national security apparatus. What do you, from your vantage point, what do you make of the current state of the war with Iran?

[Tim Weiner (Investigative Reporter)]

What the story says is that America's intelligence agencies, using satellite reconnaissance, electronic eavesdropping, and human intelligence, have concluded that Iran retains 70% of its missile capability, is capable of keeping Strait of Hormuz closed forever if it wants, and of striking not only US Forces in the region, but the world's oil and gas infrastructure in the region. What it also says is that this war cannot be won unless Trump wants to do a full scale land and sea attack on that nation, occupy Iran. Until a new government is in place, he can't win. This is not stalemate. It's getting close to checkmate.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Michael Feinberg, Tim Weiner, thank you for the direct. People need to hear that. It's important for people to hear that. Thank you for both for joining us tonight. I really appreciate it. Okay, coming up, Congressman Robert Garcia brought his Epstein investigation to Palm Beach, Florida today, just miles from Mar A Lago. I would note home to Jeffrey Epstein and to the president of the United States Congressman Robert Garcia joins us next.

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[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

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[Michael Feinberg (Former FBI Official)]

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[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

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[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Today, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee put the spotlight back on the courageous survivors of trafficking and abuse by Jeffrey Epstein. They held a field hearing in Palm Beach, Florida, just miles from Mar? A Lago, featuring the powerful testimony of a number of Epstein survivors. And the Democrats on the committee also released a report about their investigation into why Epstein got a sweetheart deal back in 2008. You remember this one? You know the deal that was Courtesy of former U.S. attorney and former Trump Labor Secretary Alex Acosta that allowed Epstein to plead guilty to state charges of soliciting minors for prostitution instead of facing much more serious federal charges. Yeah, that one. Well, survivor who has not spoken out before publicly also testified today. Her name is Rosa. You can see her on the screen right now. She's a model, originally from Uzbekistan and says she was trafficked to the United States. States. To the United States. To Epstein. She testified today that she first met Epstein at his house while he was serving his sentence.

[Rosa (Epstein Survivor)]

Now, I know that Jeffrey Epstein was supposed to be in jail cell in June of 2008. I met him at his house right here in West Palm Beach. He was not in the jail. He told me he's an investor of the very agency that promised me a career. He also spoke of his arrest, that it was a game. Bragging about girls visiting his cell and his friendships with authorities.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Incredibly powerful testimony today. And the ranking member of the committee, Robert Garcia, also announced that he plans to push to subpoena prosecutors who helped foster that sweetheart deal through. Joining me now is Congressman Robert Garcia, Democrat from California and ranking member on the House Oversight Committee. It's always we played that part of Rosa's testimony. There were so much, so many powerful moments today as you were hearing from these survivors, what really stuck out to you the most? What do you hope people take away from it?

[Congressman Robert Garcia]

I mean, first, it was an opportunity for survivors to testify in a hearing format which had not happened.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Yeah.

[Congressman Robert Garcia]

And I think Republicans for months and months have said they want to uplift survivors. You have never scheduled any kind of hearing to hear from survivors into the Congressional record. So we thought that was important. And as it relates to Rosa and so many others, what we've learned, especially recently, is that after the 2008 prosecution, really, the sweetheart deal, there was a slap on the wrist of Jeffrey Epstein. He went on to essentially then build this international sex trafficking ring of children, of minors, of girls from across Europe and the world that he brought to the United States. And so that piece, what Rosa experienced and so many others, was made possible because of the failure of Alex Acosta. And not taking the advice of the line prosecutors actually go not only after Epstein for more serious federal charges, but for the other men that prosecutors were actually encouraging the U.S. attorney's office to go after. And so there is a lot of information that we're putting together that we've been able to piece together, financial documents and other information that really, really points to this sex trafficking ring and what Palm beach and everyone in that circle was actually actively working on to hurt these women.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

There's been so much news around, I don't have to tell you, around the Epstein files in the last several months, it's almost like people have forgotten or they shouldn't have forgotten about the sweetheart deal. What do you hope if you get these career prosecutors, if you're able to talk to them, you've talked about a little bit about what you hope to learn more. What do you think it could uncover if you got them to really be straightforward about what they know?

[Congressman Robert Garcia]

Yeah. I mean, first, you know, it's important to note that obviously, as Democrats, we don't have subpoena power. So every Time that we get one of these subpoenas, it's because we have fought, we've gotten a Republican or two to join us and we actually get the subpoena down.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Do you think you'll get that here?

[Congressman Robert Garcia]

I hope so. And we're working right now through some of our, some of our allies on the Republican side. There's a few women that have been advocates for survivors. We want to speak to the prosecutors. One that made the initial recommendations to the US Attorney. Some of those recommendations, by the way, were rebuffed by Alex Acosta. He turned those away. He said now we're not going to go after he made he and he told us in his testimony when he actually was in front of our committee, he actually said that he felt he went as far as he could. That's a bold faced lie, unacceptable and outrageous and quite frankly does nothing to bring justice to the survivors and actually go after the men that caused the harm. So we're hoping to get these prosecutors in front of us either voluntarily. We've done some outreach, but if not, certainly the majority. We plan to have to put a subpoena in place to have him testify.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

We heard from Rosa today. Obviously incredibly powerful. It seems like more survivors are coming forward. Are there more we can expect to hear from soon and should we expect a lot of new information coming from them?

[Congressman Robert Garcia]

I think the answer is yes. We have been talking, we talked to numerous survivors and survivor groups. When folks are ready, when they have the legal representation that they need, they often come forward. And we've been talking to Rosa. We're very grateful that she came forward. There will be other survivors that will choose to come forward, but it has to be on their time. You know, they have done many. So many of them filed police reports, they went to the FBI and time and time again nothing happened. And so their trust is broken in government and law enforcement. And so we encourage those that want to come forward to continue to do so. But there is so much more to this investigation. Just last week, Todd Bland said they wanted to stop talking about the Epstein files. That is not going to happen. Every survivor today said on the record that they want Pam Bunga to testify and that they believe this investigation needs to continue.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

No question about it. You're tireless. Every time I talk to you, I'm reminded of that. Thank you so much for making time to be here with us tonight. Thank you. Really appreciate it. Coming up, as more and more red states start to look better and better for Democrats, Barack Obama made a super prize visit to Texas today to campaign with James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa. And Gina Hinojosa, candidate for governor in the great state of Texas, joins me next. So we have a very new entry in the seemingly perpetual contest of which Republican can suck up to Trump the most. Because Texas Senator John Cornyn is now pushing a bill that would rename a major US highway, a highway that runs 1,800 miles all the way from Texas to Montana. Cornyn wants to rename that giant highway, and I kid you not here, the Trump Interstate. Now, if you're wondering why Senator Cornyn is trying so hard to win Trump's favor right now, the answer is very straightforward. Because we are now just two weeks away from the Texas Republican Senate primary runoff between Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. For months now, Trump has been teasing the idea that he will make an endorsement in the race and effectively decide the runoff himself. And that is clearly what Cornyn is hoping all of his sucking up will win him. While Trump keeps promising that he will make an endorsement soon, he hasn't actually made one. Which means for months now, the two contenders for the Republican side of the ticket in Texas Senate race have been at each other's throats with ads like these. After 42 years in office, can you name a single thing career politician John Cornyn has done for you? Not one. Unless you're a Democrat. Trump's right. Cornyn is weak, ineffective, and very bad for the Republican Party.

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[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

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sleeping around with another married woman, a mother of seven.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Don't hold anything back there, boys. Tell us how you really feel. And again, that was Republican on Republican violence there. And all that mudslinging seems to be having an effect. A poll last month from the Texas Politics Project shows that only 62% of Republicans in Texas said they would vote for Paxton in general if he is the Republican candidate. And just 60% of Republicans in Texas said they would vote for Cornyn in the general election if he is their party's candidate. Compare that to the Democratic candidate, James Tallarigo. 80% of Democrats in Texas said they will support him in the general. And in poll after poll, he is beating both Paxton and Cornyn in head to head matchups. I know it sounds impossible, but Democrats may actually be able to win statewide races in Texas this year. And they aren't just banking on their Republican opponents eating each other alive. Democrats are calling in the big guns. This was the scene at a taco shop in Austin this afternoon as former President Obama lent his star power to Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico and Texas Democratic governor nominee Gina Hinjosa. The former president circled the entire restaurant, talking to everybody inside and introducing them to the duo he said would be Texas's next senator and next governor. And joining me now is the Democratic nominee for governor of Texas, Texas State Representative Gina Hinojosa. Thank you so much for being with us today. Let me start by saying this. I know from experience that my old boss, Barack Obama, picks the places he campaigns, especially post presidency, very carefully. What did he tell you today at lunch about why he came to Texas?

[Gina Hinojosa (Texas Governor Candidate)]

Well, he sees the opportunity and he knows the stakes and that's why he was there with us. It was incredible. I mean, what he knows is what Trump knows. Trump picked Texas to start with rigging the 2026 elections because he knows Texas's ball game. I was proud to join with James Talarico. Together we broke quorum to try to fight back and stop Trump's effort to rig the 26 elections. But what happens is at the end of this 10 year decade, we're going to gain 4 to 5 more congressional seats because we're growing than all the other states. And when that happens, we're. Trump knows what President Obama knows. What we all know is that it becomes very difficult for Democrats to win Congress because Texas becomes too big. We're growing faster than everybody else. And because congressional seats equate to electoral votes, it becomes very hard for Democrats to win the White House. So they can't rig it if the governor of Texas vetoes their rigged maps. And that's why I'm running. Democracy is on the line. We know in Texas people are mad. We know polling shows this is a tight race. And so we're giving this everything we've got.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

I certainly know you are. Let me ask you just about the seats, because Republicans, to your point, you fought hell against this. So did James Talarico when they were trying to do this. They still did it. They said they would pick up five congressional seats. You know Texas so well, you've been traveling around the state. What's your bet? How many seats do you think they could potentially pick up? Is it five or two or three or what do you think?

[Gina Hinojosa (Texas Governor Candidate)]

I think they kick themselves in the rear, frankly, because what we are seeing is Democrats are winning where we've never won before. It happened just like within the last 10 days. Democrats won the mayor Seaton Pearland. We won in Arlington. We won in Denton. We flipped seats. We flipped the Tarrant county state Senate seat you might have heard about that. Swung a seat 31 points. Democrats turned out in record numbers in this primary election. To give you context, I had eight opponents in the primary. I got twice as many votes as Beto got in 2018 in the primary. Our people are so motivated for change in Texas.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

That's such a good point. And first of all, I mean, Democrats, as you've said here, have been dreaming of a blue Texas for many, many years now. And I think people don't want to get their hopes up, but they certainly should. You should. And people should know we've talked a lot about the Senate race because there was a very competitive primary. And then there's, of course, the Republican side, which is a dumpster fire, but you're pulling behind Greg Abbott by single digits. You're very, very close. Tell us, kind of, what do you think Democrats need to do in Texas between now and November to get you over the edge, to beat Abbott, to get Talarico over the edge, to pick up more congressional seats? What needs to happen?

[Gina Hinojosa (Texas Governor Candidate)]

Yeah, we need everybody to be all in like we've never been all in before. Jen, I think this is a mom. A moment not of our choosing, but it chose us in a big way. And we have to respond. We have to meet the moment. And Texans are meeting the moment. I mean, it is election season in Texas right now. People are pumped up. They're fired up. I'm coming to you from Bernie, Texas, where they almost doubled their turnout in the primary. I was in Amarillo the other day, standing room only, by the way. For the first time ever, we have Democrats running in every congressional seat, every Texas Senate seat, every Texas House seat. They're so proud of themselves, and it matters. In Potter county and Amarillo, they doubled their turnout. And Randall county, they tripled their turnout because they had candidates running. And people are so fired up. Look, timing is everything in politics. In elections, the timing is right in 2026, and we're going to make the most of it.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

I just showed some of the ads from the Senate Republican primary. I can't even imagine what everybody's television set is like in Texas right now. I know you're running for governor. You're doing a hell of a job. You're very close. Everybody should tune in and go to your website and pay attention to your race. Tell us, while we have you, just about the impact of how nasty that Republican primary has been. On that Senate race and kind of on Democrats across the state.

[Gina Hinojosa (Texas Governor Candidate)]

Yeah, they're tearing each other up while we're coming together and working hard for a win. They don't have much to offer. Right. They have been in charge for 30 years. Greg Abbott has been in office since I graduated from high school. And I know I look young, but I'm not that young. And people are tired of politics as usual in Texas. I will tell you, we have the most people being disconnected from their electricity of any other state. We have the most bankruptcies. We have the most kids without health insurance. We have the most people without health insurance. But we're proud people. We know Texas is a world economic powerhouse. We know our worth and we know we deserve better. And that's what we're seeing in the polling. That's what we're seeing on the ground. Texas is in play in a big way. And I'm so excited to be a part of this. And you can learn more and be part of [e-mail] thank you.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

Gina Hinojosa, thank you so much for joining us. Really appreciate it.

[Gina Hinojosa (Texas Governor Candidate)]

Appreciate you.

[Janine (Host/Anchor)]

We have to take a very quick break, but the Last Word has Congressman Maxwell Frost standing by. Always great to hear from him. And 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 Bluesky, Instagram and TikTok.

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America is an idea. For 250 years, that idea has helped expand our rights and our freedoms. But progress isn't guaranteed. Today. Those founding principles are being challenged by efforts to mix religion and government. The Freedom From Religion foundation is working to protect the Constitution and keep power where it belongs with we the people. Visit FFRF US MSNOW or tap. Text Ms. Now to 511-511- text Ms. Now to 511-511 and keep state and church separate text fees.