← The Briefing with Jen Psaki
The Briefing with Jen Psaki
Pritzker readies residents for a CHICAGO SHOWDOWN as Trump amasses troops
00:41:32
In an exclusive, extended interview, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker talks with Jen Psaki about Donald Trump's threat to blitz Chicago with ICE agents, supported by the deployment of National Guard troops. Pritzker discusses what tools he has to push back, what Chicago residents can do, and what else he thinks Donald Trump has in mind while he normalizes military on the streets of U.S. cities.
Loading summary
Transcript87 lines
- [00:00]
OnDeck Advertiser
Need to restock inventory, cover seasonal dips, or manage payroll. Ondeck's small business line of credit provides immediate access to funds up to $200,000 exactly when your business needs it. With flexible draws, transparent pricing, and full control over repayment, you can tackle unexpected expenses without missing a beat. Apply today@ondeck.com and funds could be available as soon as tomorrow. Depending on certain loan attributes, your business loan may be issued by Ondeck or Celtic Bank. Ondeck does not lend in North Dakota. All loans, an amount subject to lender approval.
- [00:31]
LifeLock Advertiser
Sometimes an identity is a ring of professional hackers, and sometimes it's an overworked accountant who forgot to encrypt their connection while sending bank details.
- [00:39]
Interviewer
I need a coffee.
- [00:41]
LifeLock Advertiser
And you need Lifelock. Because your info is in endless places. It only takes one mistake to expose you to identity theft. LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second. If your identity is stolen, we'll fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year@lifelock.com specialoffer terms apply.
- [01:01]
MSNBC Host
So it's been nearly three months since Trump sent the National Guard into Los Angeles against the governor and the mayor's wishes. Nearly three months. Then the pretext was to quell protests against Trump's immigration crackdown. But the reality was that along the way, local authorities there. The reality was that local, the local team there was preparing to. To help the people in Los Angeles crack down. And so the challenge that we're looking right now, so we know that Trump's entire LA deployment, just to go back to that, cost the taxpayers around $120 million and likely violated citizen civil rights. Despite how poorly that all went, Trump has been threatening for weeks now to do the same exact thing thing in Chicago, claiming that he needs to send in the National Guard because of rampant crime. Yet again, that pretext is far from the reality. I mean, in reality, as I was just saying with Chris, the overall crime has been dropping for four consecutive years in Chicago. Violent crime specifically, has been dropping for a decade. But regardless of the reality on the ground, this week in the Oval Office, Trump called Chicago a hellhole. He said, quote, we're going in. I didn't say when, but we're going in. That's literally what he said about Chicago. Now, we spent a day in Chicago, as I was just telling Chris, and what I can tell you most certainly is that it is not in any way a hellhole, but where. It does appear that Trump is planning some sort of federal deployment, expansion of ICE imminently. That is what the preparations appear to be on the ground right now. I mean, this week, the Pentagon gave its approval for Trump's federal immigration agents to use the Great Lakes Naval Station, a military base about 35 miles north of Chicago, as a hub for immigration operations in the city. The Chicago Sun Times reports that hundreds of federal immigration agents are headed to the base from Los angeles, along with 140 unmarked vehicles and potentially a deployment of the National Guard. That is what we have all been preparing for, what we've all been talking about. That is incredibly similar to how we saw things play out just months ago in Los Angeles. Not just because the National Guard in Los Angeles was used to support Trump's immigration agenda and to suppress the protests that came in response to that agenda, not just because of that. It's also similar because yet again, federal officials seem to be keeping the city and the state in the dark about what exactly their plan is or when.
- [03:40]
Interviewer
It is set to start.
- [03:42]
MSNBC Host
That is a similarity. No one has any information now inside the city itself. Last night, the Chicago Tribune spotted a US Homeland Security vehicle parked outside the city's federal building. Nearby, workers began setting up 10 foot tall security fences. So if the plan is similar to what we saw in Los Angeles, the city's Federal Plaza would be the most likely place for immigration operations to be based inside the city. That's where it would most likely be. It would also be the most likely place for protests against the federal deployment. It appears they are getting ready for that. And the governor is deploying a pretty aggressive public strategy, which is very interesting, telling the people of Chicago what he thinks the Trump administration is planning and how they should prepare for it. He is doing this in large part to prevent the people of the city from falling prey to the deeply cynical effort by the Trump administration to to create chaos with an increased ICE presence as a means of justifying the normalization of military in the streets of Chicago. We have seen this playbook before. This is the playbook now. This afternoon, I sat down with Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker to talk about what is happening on the ground, what he's seeing, what he knows, what tools he has to fight back, and what Trump's ultimate goal is.
- [04:56]
Interviewer
Governor Pritzker, thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with me today. I really appreciate it.
- [05:00]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
Great to be with you.
- [05:01]
Interviewer
So, as we sit here today, there are visible preparations in Chicago, including fencing near the downtown buildings and Homeland Security vehicles set up. One of the challenges you've talked about is the lack of communication from the president and from the White House about what exactly they're preparing. Have you heard anything more directly from them?
- [05:20]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
No. Which is shocking, really. The federal government not communicating with state government about what is supposed to be a law enforcement action by themselves. That's unheard of, really. And I've been governor since the Trump first term and through the Biden term and now in this term, and I've never seen anything like this. And frankly, the former governors that I've talked to, Republicans and Democrats in Illinois have said they haven't seen anything like this either. So it's kind of a frightening development in the history of the country that you have a federal government not communicating with state government about something like this.
- [05:57]
Interviewer
As much as they're saying things on television, which is what people are hearing. There's been reports that they have been in touch at some level with local police or local law enforcement. What are you preparing for in terms of the scope of this?
- [06:12]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
We did get one call finally. This is after weeks of Donald Trump threatening and saying he's sending troops in and not telling us exactly what their plan is. But we got one call from this fellow, Gregory Bovino, who's a leader at Customs and Border Patrol and ice, and he's the one who caused a lot of the mayhem in Los Angeles. He is apparently leading the effort to come into Chicago. And he called our state police and let us know, let our state police director know only that they are coming and that they intend to be in place by the end of this week. And that's it. They didn't tell us how many. They didn't tell us what actions they're going to take. They didn't tell us what neighborhoods. Remember, we have local law enforcement here who are responsible for keeping the peace, making sure that we're, you know, we're operating at a, you know, appropriate level to keep crime down and to have people, you know, roaming the streets wearing uniforms and, you know, arresting people off the streets, you know, wearing masks and driving their military, like, vehicles and tossing people in. And, I mean, that's incredibly disruptive. And if they would just let us know, Chicago Police, Illinois State Police, where they're going, what time they're going. I mean, we are obligated not to stand in the way, also not to assist. But we also can be of assistance to the residents by keeping them safe while these operations are going on. And again, no communication at all. And especially, of course, on the subject of whether they're going to send National Guard from another state or from my state into neighborhoods in Chicago.
- [08:00]
Interviewer
There's also what seems one of the challenges also seems like there's multiple operations they seem to be preparing, at least from what they're saying publicly. There's also been reporting that the Defense Department has approved using a nearby naval base north of the city as a staging area for ice. So that is not separate, it's all connected. And possibly to have that as a place where federal troops are. Do you have any sense even of the scope of the ICE operation that they're planning?
- [08:27]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
Not from ice. We're getting again, it's all secondhand, third hand. There are a lot of patriotic Americans who work in the administration or work at the departments or in the military who have let us know things without having permission to do so. And so I would call some of that rumor, but well sourced rumors. We also know because Great Lakes Naval Base, which is where they're stationing themselves, is in North Chicago. And so the North Chicago local police and local elected officials have at least some information. So look, I don't have a lot to share with the public. Whatever I have heard, I have shared with the public because I think everybody should know, despite the fact the federal government would like them not to know, apparently. So we think there are about 300 agents that may be at Great Lakes and preparing to invade the communities around Chicago, like Little Village, like Pilsen, perhaps beginning early morning tomorrow.
- [09:31]
Interviewer
This feels a lot to me like the playbook they followed in la, where they are upping or have plans seemingly to up their ICE operations, go into communities, go after and arrest people without criminal records, prompt people to protest, which is something we saw in la, and then claim it is some sort of security threat that prompts military being in the streets. Do you see it as a playbook they're following? Is that what you're preparing for here?
- [09:59]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
It's, I believe, a nefarious plan. It's one that's been repeated over and over again by, well, tyrannical dictatorships across history where you try to incite local population into some mayhem by sending in police or other disruptors and then claim that there's too much mayhem on the ground and therefore there must be troops that are sent in. And that's how you basically convert a democracy into something other than that. And so that is what really worries me here. And look, look, we've already seen it, Louisiana, they did do it in la exactly that way, but that wasn't new to anybody, at least again, if you look throughout history and of course Washington D.C. where I know the president and Congress has control of the federal district, so they can do whatever they want, you know, but it is illegal. What they're suggesting that they're going to do is illegal. And we're ready to go to court when they kind of trip the, the wire, so to speak. And there's been an incident that allows us to do that as soon as we can. And so that's all we have, though. Remember, they, you know, if the courts don't rule, you know, in favor of Posse comitatus, that's an act that prevents, supposedly, the federal government from sending troops into a state to do law enforcement. If they don't enforce that or understand that what Trump is doing is unconstitutional, then we're then at the whims of a, you know, a fighting force that they're planning to send here. Remember, the people that they're talking about sending in these military troops are trained for war. They're not trained for, you know, crowd control. They're not trained to fight crime. They're not trained to arrest people the way that local police are, that local and civilian law enforcement are trained to do those things. And so that's why I've said, look, if Donald Trump wants to help us as we're fighting crime, by the way, we've done a terrific job on the ground here the last four years. We've seen homicides drop in half. We've seen virtually every measure of violent crime drop by double digits. If they want to help us to continue that trend, why not help us with providing atf? Right. The people who can help us interdict firearms that are coming from every state around us has weak or no limitations on firearms. And indeed, more than half of the guns that are used in the state of Illinois come from states around us, not from our state. So why don't you help us with ATF agents who already work with us on the ground? But we could use more. FBI, dea, we're fighting gangs, we're fighting drugs. That happens in every major city. If you want to help us fight crime, send us civilian law enforcement.
- [13:02]
Interviewer
There are ways to fight crime. I mean, the statistic I've seen, and you can check me, because you're the governor, is that 84% of homicides in Chicago involve a firearm, which shouldn't be surprising to anyone. As you mentioned, there is an inflow of guns that come over from the state of Indiana, where the gun laws are not as strong as they are in the state of Illinois. So there are things that can be done if you are actually Trying to address crime. I want to just go back to something you said about the National Guard, because this is something that other leaders have mentioned as a big challenge. I mean, the National Guard are not trained. They're trained to be in war zones. They're not trained to be fighting crime or patrolling cities or communities. You've said that. The Philadelphia DA has also said that if they come in and they violate the law, that they will be prosecuted or you will go after them. What does that look like? How do you even enforce that? Is that local police or local law enforcement tracking what the National Guard is doing, or what do you envision there?
- [13:59]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
Well, let's start with, you know, we can't. We as talking about the state or the city officials or law enforcement. We can't track what every one of the ICE officials and officers are doing on the ground. So we've asked the public. I've been very explicit about this, people in neighborhoods. They don't want these ICE officials and they don't want troops on the ground. And so what we've asked is that people pull out their iPhone or their Android phone and film what they're seeing. Take a video of everything that you see so that we can know if, in fact, laws are being broken by these federal officials coming into our state. They're not allowed to do certain things. They're not allowed, for example, with their administrative warrants to break down a door to find somebody. They're just not. An administrative warrant doesn't give you that ability. If you want to go get a judicial warrant, which they can't, because they don't have enough evidence that will allow a judge to make that determination for most of these situations, you know, then we would abide by a judicial warrant. At least a court will have heard it. There will have been lawyers involved in helping to make the decision. But no, this is just a min. An administrative warrant written up by a. Essentially a police officer who decided, you know, an ICE officer who's decided, I want to go after that house or that person or that family, and they get to just write it themselves. Themselves, with no oversight. So this is the challenge. And I think we're, you know, we're. We need the public to be involved in monitoring that. And we're making sure that we're also asking the public, because they know they're going to protest. We're asking them to be peaceful in that protest, to make sure that they're doing, you know, they're making their voices heard. They're, you know, using their megaphones and microphones, but that they stay out of the way of these ICE officials in.
- [15:55]
Interviewer
Terms of the National Guard. I mean, you said that you don't have the authority to override federal orders as it relates to the National Guard from your state. It's possible, and there have been reports that there could be a consideration of calling up National Guard from Texas, say, or other states, red states that might be more inclined to listen to President Trump, to put it diplomatically. Is that something where you would have any other legal authority or additional ability or capacity to take action to prevent those National Guard from other states from coming or apply in the same way?
- [16:27]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
Unfortunately, any National Guard from any state that is federalized now becomes like a military troop. They are not allowed to do law enforcement. They can come into the city, but they are restricted essentially to federal buildings, protecting federal buildings, buildings, if that's what they intend to do. That is legal. But they're not allowed to simply come into the neighborhoods and start, you know, imposing their will. There are laws against this. There is, in fact, unless there's some sort of insurrection, which there is clearly not, or, you know, an attack on the United States coming from a city, then these troops are not allowed to do anything other than protect those federal buildings. But he's looking for an excuse. And the excuse that Donald Trump is looking for is, well, there have been people, protesters, who are interfering with the execution of the ICE officers duties, and that there may be somebody who shoves somebody or, you know, is put in a situation where it looks like they're committing some sort of assault. And then they'll point at that. Donald Trump will point at that and say, well, clearly we need to protect the ICE officers, so we're going to have to use federal force. It's a pretense. We know what it's about, and it has nothing to do with fighting crime. And it has. Honestly, sending National Guard in has nothing to do with immigration either. What it has to do with is he's trying to set the stage for interference in the elections in 2026 and in 2028.
- [18:08]
Interviewer
I know you've made that point before, and that made my ears perk up, and it should be alarming to anyone. What does that look like?
- [18:15]
MSNBC Host
Because it sounds like you're saying there's.
- [18:17]
Interviewer
Going to be military in the streets that are going to prevent people from participating in the elections. Is that it? Or it's something else?
- [18:23]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
It could be that. It also could be claiming that, that there's something wrong with the election results or the counting of ballots. So they're going to take control of the ballot boxes. And why do I say this? I mean, why do I suspect that that's in fact what they're doing? Well, look at the history here. Donald Trump encouraged people to be part of a Stop the steal movement in 2020 when he lost the election. He then went out and fomented engagement in this activity to deny the election, and then fomented the January 6th protesters to do what they did, which is attack the Capitol. And then he pardoned them after they were found to have committed criminal acts. And then let's fast forward to today. He's back in office and he's talking about maybe people would like a dictatorship. He said, said that publicly. I mean, that's out loud. You can go look at it. What about his entreaty that, you know, that he believes he's just making things up in his head that, that, you know, there is fraud going on in, that has helped to elect people to office. They just recently asked for all of the records of people who, who voted in Illinois. They want all of the records. Imagine all your private information if you were an Illinois resident who is registered to vote. And they're going to find your home address, perhaps your phone number, your registration, or how you voted last time. This is all what's being requested by the Department of Justice. Think about all those things together. What is the problem, purpose of all of that if not to focus on interfering with the 2026 elections, which clearly he knows he's going to lose? How does, how do we know that? Because now he's asking states to do a mid decade redistricting. He went to Texas to try to get them to do it. They've now done it. Now he's going to Missouri and Indiana and other states to get them to do it. And, you know, we have to stand up and make sure that we're focusing on what the real aims are, and that is to thwart the elections to give him more power.
- [20:45]
Interviewer
You have never held back in speaking out against Trump and calling out what he's trying to do. There are also limitations even within our court system, because even if it, even as it relates to the actions of the National Guard, I mean, if you look at California, it's taken months and they're still in the sort of the status quo. If they try to keep military on the streets, if they try to use it to prevent people from participating in the process, what are the options at your disposal as governor to do beyond working through the court system?
- [21:15]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
Well, we're focused on following the law and we do rely upon the court system. California is a good example. There was a case that was just decided that in fact disallows called illegal and unconstitutional what Donald Trump did with National Guard in California. That should hold for Illinois also. Now, again, the Supreme Court has said that one jurisdiction that makes a decision doesn't have any holding or effect on another until it's decided there. So we'll have to go get that decision here. But it's clear that anybody looking at the law, looking at the Constitution, would find it on Constitution.
- [21:56]
Interviewer
Have you been in touch? I know you talked to Governor Newsom and other governors. He's been through this before, a version of this. Have you asked him what he would have done differently?
- [22:04]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
My team has been in direct contact with his. Our attorney general has talked to their attorney general. I haven't spoken with Gavin about this. But we have a good relationship. And the truth is that we've seen what their playbook was, that is to fight Donald Trump in California, to push back. And we know what that is. We think we have the same options and maybe a few others. But it is important that the American public understands what's going on here writ large. This is a nefarious endeavor that he's going into what, blue states, blue cities. You don't see any activity in a Republican state or Republican city. And yet when he says it's all about crime, those Republican states have higher crime rates, those Republican cities have higher crime rates. So, you know, this isn't about that. We should know and the public should know that. And I think slowly but surely, elected officials, Democrats starting with Democrats and the public are starting to see that they're going to have to stand up and speak out and push back.
- [23:15]
Interviewer
Governor Pritzker, I know you have a lot going on in your state right now. I really appreciate you taking the time to sit down with me.
- [23:20]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
Great to see you.
- [23:23]
MSNBC Host
Chicago could very well be the next city that Trump tries to deploy this playbook. And I'm very grateful, as I think we all should be, for Governor Pritzker for spending so much time with us today. We're going to take a quick break, but after that, we're going to talk about Donald Trump promised to save the economy and help American workers. And today there's new evidence he's failing at both. But first, a bipartisan push in Congress for the Epstein files might be on shaky ground. It seems some Republicans are okay letting Trump's DOJ cherry pick what to release.
- [23:52]
Interviewer
And what to withhold.
- [23:53]
MSNBC Host
They're getting lots of pressure. I'm going to talk to Congressman Jamie Raskin about where things stand when we come back.
- [24:03]
OnDeck Advertiser
Need to restock inventory, cover seasonal dips, or manage payroll. OnDeck's small business line of credit provides immediate access to funds up to $200,000 exactly when your business needs it. With flexible draws, transparent pricing, and full control over repayment, you can tackle unexpected expenses without missing a beat. Apply today@ondeck.com and funds could be available as soon as tomorrow. Depending on certain loan attributes, your business loan may be issued by Ondeck or Celtic Bank. Ondeck does not lend in North Dakota. All loans and amount subject to lender approval.
- [24:34]
LifeLock Advertiser
Sometimes an identity threat is a ring of professional hackers and and sometimes it's an overworked accountant who forgot to encrypt their connection while sending bank details.
- [24:42]
Interviewer
I need a coffee.
- [24:44]
LifeLock Advertiser
And you need Lifelock because your info is in endless places. It only takes one mistake to expose you to identity theft. LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second. If your identity is stolen, we'll fix it. Guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year@lifelock.com specialoffer turn terms apply.
- [25:04]
Henry Meds Advertiser
Ever felt defeated by cravings? You're not alone. Henry Meds is here to help support your weight management journey.
- [25:09]
MSNBC Host
Since I joined four months ago, I've.
- [25:12]
OnDeck Advertiser
Lost £25 and it has changed my life.
- [25:15]
Henry Meds Advertiser
Henry meds personalized compounded GLP1 meds shipped to your door. Take back control with treatments designed to reduce appetite. Schedule a free online evaluation with a licensed provider@henrymeds.com audio and get $100 off your first month. Results may vary. Not all patients are eligible. Compounded medications are not FDA approved. Consult a healthcare provider to determine if treatment is right for you.
- [25:44]
MSNBC Host
Congressman Rona and Thomas Massie only need two more Republican signatures to force a vote to compel the Justice Department to release the Epstein files. Only two. But according to Axios today, several House Republicans who they were counting on have apparently gotten cold feet, wonder how, and are now backing off. I mean, in doing so, those Republicans are making a pretty ridiculous case that the documents that the DOJ already turned over are enough. Even though those documents only represent about 1% of the Epstein files. It's all part of a deliberate shell game being run by the Trump administration to pick and choose what files people are allowed to see, claim they're being transparent, and hope none of us notice. We are, of course, noticing. In fact, Congressman Massie said as Much earlier this week, the DOJ is curating.
- [26:33]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
They're not just redacting, they're choosing what to send the Oversight Committee.
- [26:38]
MSNBC Host
And now Donald Trump seems to be suggesting that the DOJ might be finished producing documents altogether. In a rambling screed this morning, he declared, the Department of Justice has done its job. They have given everything requested of them. Not true at all. I mean, that is, except everything, except 99% of the files that the American public is actually asking for. Joining us now is Congressman Jamie Raskin, of course, a Democrat from Maryland and the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. Congressman, it's great to see you. I mean, before the recess, you were pressing very hard and aggressively Republican Chair Jim Jordan to hold a public hearing on the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files. I don't expect him to be leaping to that, but you're back. There's lots of pressure. And is anything changed in terms of the likelihood of that happening under this leadership of him on the committee?
- [27:27]
Congressman Jamie Raskin
Chairman Jordan's made it clear he's not going to give us a hearing devoted exclusively to the Epstein files. But Pam Bondi is coming in soon. Cash Patel is coming in soon, and we will have the opportunity to question them. And, you know, it's not as good as having one hearing just devoted to it, but the Democrats will make sure that we get very deeply into this.
- [27:50]
MSNBC Host
I spoke with your colleague, Congresswoman Stansberry, last night, and she said we've all learned so much over the last couple of months. It's really expanded at least my perception of the scope here. She said that she thinks that there could be thousands of victims. I mean, it seems like it could be a much larger coverup than we even thought it was a few months ago. You were very deeply dug into this. What do you think?
- [28:13]
Congressman Jamie Raskin
Yeah, and Melanie's absolutely right about that. And that's why it's so excellent that the victims have come to the fore and are acting in such a brave way to both articulate their own experiences. But to talk about this systemic problem on the Judiciary Committee side, we're going to be releasing an explosive report early next week about how the Trump administration has been systematically dismantling the anti human trafficking and anti domestic violence programs and grants across the federal government, human trafficking programs at the Department of State, at the Department of Justice, at Health and Human Services, usaid, you name it, and we've collected all of that. And we're going to show people that this is an administration that is on the side of the human traffickers and the sex abusers. And if you look at Donald Trump's pardons and if you looked at various actions taken by the Department of Justice, they are overwhelmingly on the side of sexual offenders and human traffickers. So this is not like one kind of lonely, discreet, one off episode we're talking about. This is now becoming clear a whole system that the Trump administration is committed to.
- [29:27]
MSNBC Host
We will definitely look out for that report. And thanks for the work in compiling it. It's not a surprise that that's what they have been doing. I want to get your reaction to something Speaker Mike Johnson said yesterday when defending Trump's claim that the whole Epstein matter is a hoax. It was kind of bizarre, but take a look.
- [29:48]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
It's been misrepresented. He's not saying that what Epstein did is a hoax. It's a terrible, unspeakable evil.
- [29:55]
Congressman Jamie Raskin
He believes that himself.
- [29:56]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
When he first heard the rumor, he kicked him out of Mar a Lago. He was an FBI informant to try.
- [29:59]
Congressman Jamie Raskin
To take this stuff down.
- [30:04]
MSNBC Host
I mean, the last part of that was, I don't know, it was a little mind blowing. But what did you make of what he said?
- [30:12]
Congressman Jamie Raskin
Well, a hoax is a corruption scandal or a crime that Donald Trump doesn't want anybody talking about anymore. It couldn't be any clearer. And I'm glad that the victims were indignant and outraged about that slur on their experience and their advocacy today. There's nothing hoax like about this. And if it's a Democrat hoax, as he claims, he started it because he was the one who was saying, let's go ahead and release all the files. And then after he had a thousand FBI agents working around the clock to discover what was actually in there, that's when he decided, oh, no, nothing to see here. Everybody just go home and forget about it. The public is not going to let this go and those files have got to be released. The real question is to what extent. They've already redacted or damaged information in there. But we don't need these retread files that they've been sending over the last several weeks. We need the files they're not sending. Those are the ones that we have to demand. And I'm glad that we've got four brave Republicans on our side and every Democrat in the House of Representatives demanding a complete accounting of this nightmarish child sex ring.
- [31:25]
MSNBC Host
No question about that. I think the part of him saying he was an FBI informant was the mind blowing part. But Congressman Jamie Raskin, thank you so much for being with us on a Friday night. I really appreciate it. We got to take a quick break. After that, we're going to talk about how Donald Trump's economy is not doing so hot right now. We saw that in the numbers this morning. But he says he knows when things will be getting better. Here's a hint. It's not going to be in two weeks. We know that. More on that just ahead.
- [31:54]
Henry Meds Advertiser
KPMG makes the difference by creating value like developing strategic insights that help drive M and A success and embedding AI solutions into your business to sustain competitive advantage. Or deploying tech enabled audits to deliver more accurate and transparent outcomes. Brighter insights, bolder solutions, better outcomes. It's how KPMG makes the difference every day. KPMG make the difference.
- [32:20]
OnDeck Advertiser
Cash Flow Crunch on Deck's small business line of credit gives your business immediate access to funds up to $200,000 right when you need it. Cover seasonal dips, manage payroll, restock inventory or tackle unexpected expenses without a beat. With flexible draws, transparent pricing and control over repayment. Get funded quickly and confidently. Apply today@ondeck.com funds could be available as soon as tomorrow, depending on certain loan attributes. Your business loan may be issued by Ondeck or Celtic Bank. Ondac does not lend in North Dakota. All loans an amount subject to lender approval.
- [32:50]
Congressman Jamie Raskin
Feeling drained, foggy, or just not yourself?
- [32:52]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
This could be the effects of low testosterone levels. Henry Meds has you covered. Our testosterone replacement therapy, or trt, is.
- [32:59]
Congressman Jamie Raskin
Available in pills, injectable or daily creams.
- [33:01]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
Many patients report improvements in energy, mood and focus, though individual results may vary. TRT may support sexual function. Go to henrymeds.com trt to consult a healthcare provider to see if TRT is right for you.
- [33:14]
Congressman Jamie Raskin
Take the first step to feeling your.
- [33:15]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
Best again and get $50 off your first month at henrymeds.com TRT.
- [33:26]
MSNBC Host
Okay. About two weeks into his second term, Donald Trump sat down in the Oval Office to sign an executive order about Iran. But because Donald Trump is who he is, things quickly veered into unrelated topics, including, for some reason, the cost of a train ticket from San Francisco to Los Angeles. At which point the nation's travel agent in chief, I guess, offered this advice.
- [33:49]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
I would have said, you don't buy it. You take an airplane. It costs you $2. It costs you nothing. You take an airplane.
- [33:56]
MSNBC Host
I'm sorry, how much did he just say a plane ticket cost? Got to hear it again.
- [34:01]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
Take an airplane, it costs you $2. It costs you nothing.
- [34:05]
MSNBC Host
You take an airplane, it's a plane ticket how much could it cost? $2. Why not? Now, Trump has owned his own private plane since at least the 1980s, so he probably hasn't flown commercial in a long while. But I don't have to tell you that the average plane ticket costs a whole lot more than $2, which basically everyone who has taken a commercial flight in recent years, including people who haven't even purchased it, like my seven year old, knows. But somehow Trump does not know that, which is maybe why we got this news today. Quote, Trump administration ditches Biden era plan to make airlines pay compensation for flight disruptions. You see, the Biden administration realized that regular Americans were losing hundreds of dollars when, through no fault of their own at all, major airlines would cancel or delay their flights. And so, under President Biden, the Department of Transportation issued new rules to make airlines pay consumers, consumers back for the disruptions those airlines caused. But now the Trump administration has decided actually the real victims here are the big airlines who would, and this is really quite tragic, have to dip into their billions of dollars in annual profits to compensate those regular Americans. And so today, the Trump administration scrapped that rule, which is kind of a theme with this administration. I mean, to give you another example, back in 2024, the Biden administration created new rules to crack down on how much big banks could charge when they withdrew too much money from their bank accounts. You know, those overdraft fees, we're all familiar with them, they can really add up. But the Trump administration decided the real victims there were not at all struggling consumers. Of course not. But the big banks, those are the victims. And so Trump and congressional Republicans got rid of that rule, too, letting banks charge people as much as they want. Also in 2024, the Biden administration realized that big corporations were making it purposefully difficult for people to cancel recurring subscriptions and memberships. It's maddening, you know, like when you go to cancel that gym membership you never use, and the gym tells you to send them a notarized letter through certified mail and include a check for that hundred dollar cancellation fee you really didn't remember ever agreeing to. Well, the Biden administration decided to crack down on those practices as well, creating a new Click to Cancel rule that made big corporations allow you to cancel your subscriptions online with one click. But when Trump took office, he delayed implementation of that rule just long enough to let his friends in big business kill it with lawsuits. Remember, Trump ran for president insisting he was going to be the guy who lowered costs. That was his whole thing. But as president, he has done exactly the opposite. His tariffs have made lowering prices all but impossible. He's screwed working Americans at every chance he gets. And now he seems to be tanking the economy as well. Today we got the latest job numbers for the month of August. The economy added a paltry 22,000 jobs. The unemployment rate rose to 4.3%. And jobs numbers for June revised downward, showing the economy actually lost jobs for the first time since the height of the pandemic and Trump's first term. Now, all of this comes after last month's disastrous jobs report, which was so bad, Trump decided to shoot the messenger and fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And those numbers don't even include the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who will stop getting paid at the end of this month. Thanks to Doge, the economic outlook is so uncertain that the president, who once promised to fix the economy on day one, now says, you're going to have to wait another year or two, maybe even two.
- [37:40]
Governor J.B. Pritzker
The real numbers that I'm talking about are going to be whatever it is, but will be in a year from now. And our big year won't be really next year. I think it'll be the year after.
- [37:52]
MSNBC Host
So don't worry everyone. If you're struggling to make ends meet, the advice from the Oval Office is wait it out for a couple of years. Now, in the meantime, I guess maybe cancel your gym membership or look for cheaper plane tickets. I hear they only cost $2. Maybe that's the good news about all of it. Still to come tonight, when Senator Joni Ernst said the quiet part out loud about the impact of health care cuts in Trump's big, ugly bill, she gave.
- [38:15]
Interviewer
Democrats hope that they can win her seat.
- [38:17]
MSNBC Host
One of those Democrats joins me next. In order for Democrats to win back the Senate, they will need to defend 13 of their own seats and flip at least four that are currently in Republican hands. Picking up a Senate seat in Iowa, given Trump won the state by 13 points in 2020, four wouldn't typically be at the top of that target list. But then Senator Joni Ernst said this at a town hall in response to a question about the impact of Republican Medicaid cuts.
- [38:57]
OnDeck Advertiser
We people are not well, we all are going to die.
- [39:03]
Interviewer
So for heaven's sakes.
- [39:07]
MSNBC Host
It still is quite something. Now, that prompted a bunch of Democrats to throw their hats in the ring. One of them is Iowa State Senator Josh Turek. He's a gold and bronze medal winning Paralympian and he currently represents a county Donald Trump won by 20 points. But Senator Joni Ernst is no longer running for reelection and Republicans are coalescing around, or they seem to be around Congresswoman Ashley Hinson as their candidate. Trump just endorsed her earlier tonight. So for a very red state with a crowded field of Democratic candidates, what does this race look like now? Joining me now is someone who's certainly thinking a lot about that, Iowa State Representative Josh Turek, who's running in the Democratic primary for the US Senate. So there are several steps in running for office and one of them is the general election. But before we get there, you have to win a primary in a crowded field. So what differentiates you from the other candidates running?
- [39:56]
Iowa State Representative Josh Turek
Well, first, thanks for having me. Really do appreciate it. I think it's the totality of my story, my background, two time gold medalist, worked in for profit nonprofit work for the disabled and, and for Medicaid. But I'm a winner and I know how to win. As you mentioned, I, I represent a county that Trump won by 20 points. The two communities that I represent, Trump won by double digits. I was able to win by nearly six points. And that was by going out every single day, dragging my wheelchair up the stairs to have conversations with Republicans and independents and Democrats. And I was out there talking about the kitchen table issues that actually apply to people about a livable wage and lowering healthcare cost and pharmaceuticals. And that's what's gonna be the difference. That's what separates me.
- [40:48]
MSNBC Host
So there's a long way to go till the primary. But then there's this question of is the Iowa Senate race actually in play, which there will be plenty of people watching and out there who are skeptical of, given how much Trump is has won the state by in recent elections. Joni Ernst, who just said the crazy thing at the town hall is no longer in the race, seems to be coalescing on Ashley Hinson. What does that look like? Convince people out there that this is in play and this is a race that can be won by a Democrat.
- [41:15]
Iowa State Representative Josh Turek
I'll tell you what first off is we are seeing energy and turnout that we have not seen ever before. That's in the urban areas, that's in the rural, rural areas. But at our essence, Iowa, we are a common sense state. We have more Obama, Trump counties than any other state in the Union, Trump's first midterm. We won three of the four congressional races. Even as recently as 2022, we were only 1.5% away from having three of our six statewide officials being Democrats. You know, we're a state with a Long history and my political hero, Senator Tom Harkin, we had for 30 years at our essence. We are a common sense state and I am a common sense prey populist. And we've got an amazing opportunity for Iowa to be the center of the political universe in 2026.
- [42:00]
MSNBC Host
As I mentioned, there's a long way to go. You've got a big campaign to run. You had a very good campaign ad that you just. You tell us a little bit about your bio out there. What does that look like for you? And what will it be central? What issues will you be talking most about? I know you're saying bread and butter issues or kitchen table issues. Ashley Hinson voted for the big ugly bill. Is that central? What else will you be talking about on the trail and what does your campaign look like?
- [42:25]
Iowa State Representative Josh Turek
Yeah, without. I mean, one, it's going to be an enormous amount of hard work. We're going to be putting in the work. It is going to be focused on the kitchen table issues. Because when I'm out there talking to Iowa about the issues and Iowans that they care about, it is, it's about lowering costs. We've got a lot of Iowans that are out there that are genuinely suffering and they're struggling to keep a roof above their head. They're struggling to keep food on the table. They're struggling with a livable wage. They're struggling with their healthcare costs, they're struggling with pharmaceutical costs. We've got an absolute crisis here in this state, both on water and on cancer rates. These are the things that I'm going to talk about. And I'm someone that has gone through a significant amount of economic adversity and also healthcare adversity in my life. Had 21 surgeries before I was even 12 years old. I know and understand the plights of what Iowans are going through. And Iowans deserve to once again have a senator like we had with Senator Tom Harkin that is out there fighting for the middle class, fighting for the average worker, fighting for family farms and small businesses.
- [43:25]
MSNBC Host
You only have a little bit of time left. But I gotta ask you about this because one Democrat in the primary race, JD Scholten, has already dropped out and endorsed you. You guys have done some interviews talking about being athletes together. According to Politico, some of the other campaigns saw this as pressure and meddling from Democrats in Washington, from Chuck Schumer. What do you say to that?
- [43:49]
Iowa State Representative Josh Turek
Absolutely not. J.D. and myself, we are very close friends. This was about friendship. It's sad that people are that cynical, honest to God. What JD Noticed, which I think a lot of other Iowans or notice, is this is about this time, this place and this race. And absolutely the preeminent issues of this upcoming election are going to be social safety nets and that's going to be health care, that's going to be Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security. And there is going to be no better person to be able to talk about this, both on the personal experience that I have, but in the for profit nonprofit work and certainly in the legislature on Medicaid and on social safety nets.
- [44:30]
MSNBC Host
Josh Turek got a long race ahead of you, as you all do. Thank you so much for joining me. We'll be right back.
- [44:34]
Iowa State Representative Josh Turek
Thank you for having me.
- [44:42]
MSNBC Host
Okay, Labor Day's behind us, your kids are back at school. So I think we're all thinking about the rest of the year, which is good. Look no further than October 11th, when I and many of my amazing colleagues will be at MSNBC Live 25 in New York City, a day focused on you, all of our loyal viewers. We're so excited about it. We'll bring all the discussions you see on TV to life in an in person experience. Nicole Wallace will have Martin Sheen with her at the morning session and I will be a part of the evening session with Rachel Lawrence, Steph Ari and the great Ally Velshi. Tickets are still available@msnbc.com live25 or you can scan the QR code on your screen. That does it for me today. You can catch the show Tuesday through Friday at 9pm Eastern on MSNBC. And don't forget to follow the show on Blue sky, Instagram and TikTok for now. Goodbye from Washington and we'll see you next week.
- [45:30]
Henry Meds Advertiser
Did you know 39% of teen drivers admit to texting while driving? Even scarier, those who text are more likely to speed and run red lights. Shockingly, 94% know it's dangerous, but do it anyway. As a parent, you can't always be in the car, but you can stay connected to their safety with Greenlight Infinity's driving reports. Monitor their driving habits, see if they're using their phone, speeding and more. These reports provide real data for meaningful conversations about safety. Plus, with weekly updates, you can track their progress over time, help keep your teen safe. Sign up for Greenlight Infinity at greenlight. Com Podcast.