'Single most dangerous' Trump appointee: Ossoff HAMMERS Trump's DNI pick as 'a thug and a hack'

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Briefing with Jen Psaki

Episode: 'Single most dangerous' Trump appointee: Ossoff HAMMERS Trump's DNI pick as 'a thug and a hack'
Date: June 3, 2026
Host: Jen Psaki
Notable Guests: Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Ali Velshi, Jacob Soboroff, Jim Messina, Adisu Dimisi, Rob Sand

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Episode Overview

This special election night episode zeroes in on critical 2026 primary races across the U.S., with a particular emphasis on battleground states shaping the path to Senate and gubernatorial control. Jen Psaki hosts in-depth discussions with political strategists and candidates, focusing especially on Georgia, Iowa, California, and New Jersey. The episode’s centerpiece is a forceful interview with Sen. Jon Ossoff, who warns about Donald Trump's new appointment for Director of National Intelligence, calling it the most dangerous yet. The tone is urgent, data-driven, and deeply concerned about the future of democracy and voting rights.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Election Night Landscape: What’s at Stake

[01:00–07:19]

• Major primaries in six states: Iowa, California, New Jersey, South Dakota, Montana, and New Mexico, with Senate, House, and governor’s races spotlighted as possible turning points.
• Iowa: First real chance in years for Democrats to reclaim the governor’s mansion and win a Senate seat, despite Trump wins in recent cycles.
• California: Multiple high-profile races, including the open governor’s race (notably after Eric Swalwell's exit) and a generational tussle in the nonpartisan L.A. mayoral primary.
• New Jersey: Eyes on swing districts and potential pickups as Democrats seek to flip or defend tight seats.

2. Voter Voices from the Ground

[10:56–15:19]

• Jacob Soboroff brings reactions from L.A. polling stations, capturing the energy, local issues (affordable housing, ICE raids), and the wide spectrum of voter engagement.
• Key mayoral picks: Spencer Pratt (reality TV star, Trump-endorsed), Nithya Raman (progressive challenger), Karen Bass (incumbent facing criticism).

“It’s just important to vote in the midterm elections, especially this time where we see a president who’s trying to defunk every single issue that has been set for many years. And I just want to see change.”
— William Donovan, LA voter [13:53]

3. Data Dive: Early Results and Key Races

[07:19–10:31], [37:06–40:08]

• Ali Velshi provides real-time updates and insights, with a particular focus on:
  • Iowa: Josh Turek leads in the Democratic Senate primary; Rob Sand uncontested for governor.
  • New Jersey: Key congressional primaries called for Rebecca Bennett (NJ-7), Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Adam Hamawi (NJ-12), highlighting unusual county breakdowns where leading candidates aren’t winning outright by county, underscoring split votes and district complexity.

4. Strategic Analysis: Why Iowa & California Matter

[15:19–21:27]

• Panel with Jim Messina & Adisu Dimisi:
  • Iowa: The so-called “red state” is under immense economic stress due to Trump-era policies—potentially opening doors for Democratic gains.
  • California: The importance of Prop 50 and Democratic efforts to use redistricting to win back House seats.
  • Warning: Early “red mirage” possible because GOP voters cast ballots earlier, but late Democratic ballots expected to shift initial results.

“California is also the state... that kind of went a little Trumpy and really surprised people... we’re going to get a canary in a coal mine moment for the House tonight.”
— Jim Messina [20:21]

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Spotlight Segment: Jen Psaki Interviews Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA)

[25:23–35:07]

Ossoff’s 2026 Senate Race: Challenges and Stakes

• Ossoff’s race is pivotal: “There is no way to regain the Senate majority without winning this Senate race in Georgia. I am the only Democratic senator running for reelection in a state that Donald Trump won.” [25:48]
• Warns of unprecedented flood of GOP money and voter suppression.
• Cites real-life impact of Trump admin policies: inflation, corruption, “reckless war,” tariffs crushing Georgia’s small businesses/farmers.

On Trump’s $1.8 Billion “Slush Fund” for Jan 6 Insurrectionists

• Ossoff fiercely critical, ties both Republican primary opponents to support of the fund.
• Calls outgoing DOJ leadership (Todd Blanche) untrustworthy: “I don't trust Todd Blanche, and Todd Blanche should resign. This entire thing is a disgrace.” [28:08]

Trump’s Appointment of Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence

• Ossoff: “Of all of the appointments…this one is the most disturbing.”
• Pulte described as a “thug and a hack” who previously abused federal power “to dig through federal records improperly for any information he could find about the president’s political adversaries” [29:47].
• Raises grave concerns about weaponization of intel agencies, declares it a “five-alarm fire.”
• Directly rebukes Republican tolerance: “Everybody needs to be getting Republican senators on record in opposition to this dangerous, disastrous appointment.” [29:47]
• Warns Pulte could serve as acting DNI right through election season, potentially abusing intelligence powers in battleground states like Georgia.

“The powers of the US Intelligence community, the NSA and our other agencies, are vast. And a determined partisan actor at the top...can do tremendous damage. That is why...I view this as the single most dangerous...appointment that Donald Trump has made to date.”
— Sen. Jon Ossoff [33:48]

Supreme Court and Voting Rights Setback

• In breaking news, the Supreme Court allows Alabama’s new congressional map that will reduce Black-majority districts. Ossoff urges defiant voter turnout:

“Attacks on voting rights are provoking a defiant backlash...It's awakening in people a determination to vote like they have never voted before, to rebuke these abuses and defend voting rights.”
— Sen. Jon Ossoff [32:22]

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Other Noteworthy Moments & Quotes

Iowa Democratic Nominee for Governor Rob Sand

[41:42–45:23]

• Downplays importance of specific GOP opponent: “I don’t think it matters who the other side nominates. I think people are fed up. They’ve had enough.”
• Attributes potential success to common sense, retail politics, frustration over tariffs, economic stagnation, and school voucher boondoggles.
• Endorses Josh Turek’s character and tenacity as new Senate nominee: “Really just a good and a decent guy who has had to work really hard to win in a district that President Trump won.” [44:42]

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Timeline of Key Segments (Timestamps)

• 01:00–07:19 – Psaki’s election landscape rundown and early Iowa/New Jersey results with Ali Velshi
• 10:56–15:19 – Jacob Soboroff’s voter interviews in L.A.
• 15:19–21:27 – Analysis panel (Adisu Dimisi, Jim Messina) on Iowa and California
• 25:23–35:07 – Sen. Jon Ossoff interview: Georgia, the price of Senate control, Trump’s DNI pick, voting rights
• 37:06–40:08 – Ali Velshi: Updated Iowa results, NJ calls
• 41:42–45:23 – Rob Sand (IA): Gubernatorial nomination, Democratic optimism

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Most Memorable Quotes

• Sen. Jon Ossoff [29:47]: “He is a thug and a hack who abused his power at the top of the Federal Housing Finance Authority to dig through federal records improperly for any information he could find about the president's political adversaries and then try to get them prosecuted by Pam Bondi's corrupt Department of Justice. Having somebody like that at the head of the intelligence community is a recipe for unprecedented abuses of the vast powers of our intelligence apparatus.”
• Jon Ossoff [33:48]: “This is, as I see it, a five alarm fire.”
• Jim Messina [20:21]: “In my opinion, there’s nothing more important than getting one of the two houses of Congress to slow Donald Trump down. And that’s probably the U.S. House of Representatives...well, at least five of them are in California.”
• Will Donovan (LA voter) [13:53]: “I just want to make sure that, you know, my voice is heard.”

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Tone and Takeaways

• Urgency & Alarm: The episode is charged with concern over the direction of the country, especially the potential for the Trump administration to subvert democratic guardrails.
• Grounded in Data: Real-time election updates bring a palpable sense of drama, with strategic insights on potential “red mirage” dynamics.
• Voter Faith: Guest voices and candidates stress optimism and the importance of turnout, even as legal rulings and GOP roadblocks threaten voting rights.
• Call to Action: Multiple guests urge listeners to get involved, especially in pivotal states like Georgia and Iowa.

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This comprehensive episode is a must-listen (or must-read in summary form) for anyone monitoring the 2026 midterms, Senate control stakes, and the battle over American democracy’s future.

Transcript

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[Jen Psaki]

All right, it's election night in America, everyone, and this is a very big one. We are following multiple primary elections being held in six states across the country. And in just one hour, the one and only Rachel Maddow is going to be here to lead tonight's special coverage of all of those races. In just a few minutes, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is going to join me to weigh in on tonight's results and talk about the path for Democrats to retake the Senate as he wages a reelection campaign of his own in Georgia. He is one of the most targeted Democrats in the country. Now, I should tell you right off the bat that polls have just closed in the state of Iowa and we already have something kind of somewhat of a call to make. We'll keep you updated on all of these. And this isn't exactly a surprise, I should just say, because he was running unopposed for the nomination. But it's still important because the Democratic candidate for governor was will be Rob sand, and he is currently the Iowa State Auditor. And this is an important one. Take a look at his face because you're going to see him a lot out there because it is the best chance Democrats have had in a very long time to win back the governor's mansion in Iowa. And we're going to learn much more over the course of the next hour about who Rob sand will face in the November election. We'll see if we know tonight, but we're going to bring you all of the updates on that. I'm also going to talk with Rob sand himself about the race ahead and the list of his potential opponents later this hour. We're also awaiting the first results from another hotly contested Iowa race, one that is going to decide who will be the Democratic candidate for a U.S. senate in that state. There are two rising stars in the Democratic Party who are vying for that nomination, State Representative Josh Turek and State Senator Zach Walz. And among the many paths for Democrats to retake the US Senate, and there are a number of paths. One could very well run through Iowa, which is kind of a remarkable statement given Trump won the state in the last three presidential elections. But it turns out Iowans don't necessarily love skyrocketing fuel costs. Farmers don't love tariffs. People in rural communities want access to health care. So there's a lot one of these candidates could run on come November. We will see what we learn about that race tonight. Of course, we're also keeping a close eye on the state of California where voters are still voting in a number of key races now reliably blue. California is isn't exactly a bellwether state. Don't worry, not claiming it is, but the results there tonight could tell us a lot about where the country is headed right now, where the energy is in the party and in the country. Remember, back in 2024, California saw one of the biggest swings toward Donald Trump of any state in the country. Joe Biden won by 29 points in 2020, but Kamala Harris won by just 20 points despite being the former senator from that state. So that was of course, a 9 point ship toward shift toward Trump in just four years, including a big shift among Latino voters. And tonight we will see. It could tell us if the momentum is swinging back in Democrats direction in some parts of California. Now, of course, the biggest race of the night in California is the race for governor, which was thrown into, let's call it a temporary state of uncertainty in April by the exit of California Congressman Eric Swalwell following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies. Now in California, candidates from both parties compete in the same primary with the top two vote getters advancing to the general election. And since Swalwell's exit, three candidates have risen to the top, a massive, massive field. Former health secretary in California state AG Javier Becerra, who is running on a lot of things. But I would note he did SUE Donald Trump 122 times as California's top attorney during the first Trump administration. Billionaire environmentalist and former presidential candidate Tom Steyer is also in the top tier as far as polling goes. And former Fox News weekend host and Conspiracy theorist Steve Hilton is also in there. Again, just two candidates are going to advance to a runoff, so we'll see what we learn. We're seeing a similar dynamic in the race for Los Angeles mayor where incumbent Mayor Karen Bass is facing two challengers, City Councilwoman Nithya Rahman, who is grunting to the left of Bass, and Spencer Pratt. Yes, the guy from the MTV reality show the Hills. If you know, you know, if it was your generation, you know who's running. To Bass's right, that race is technically nonpartisan. But Donald Trump is thrown his support behind Spencer Pratt, which feels quite on brand. I mean, he already put one washed up MTV star in charge of the Department of Transportation. So I guess why not back another to lead America's second largest city? Why not? Now, tonight is also the first statewide election in California since the Golden State redrew its congressional maps to counter the Trump backed redistricting effort in red states. Democrats are hoping to win back five seats. And we'll be watching to learn which candidates will be competing in those new districts come November. There are Also at least three Democratic incumbents over the age of 70 facing primary challenges from younger candidates, part of the broader battle over generational change that we've seen in many other states occurring within the party. We're also watching the race to see who will succeed House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi when she leaves Congress at the end of this year. So there's a lot tonight happening in the state of California. But before we get there, we're continuing to watch results come in from New Jersey. We where polls have been closed for more than an hour, watching a number of important races in that state as well, including the Democratic primary in New Jersey's seventh district. And that's the, that's the swing district currently representative represented by Republican Congressman Tom Kaine. Now, Congressman Kaine has not appeared in public for nearly 90 days. Nearly 90 days. That, that's, that's back to March. He's missed nearly 100 votes in Congress. But despite his unexplained absence, he is somehow running for reelection in a district Trump won by just 1 percentage point in 2024. So a lot of potential there, to put it mildly. So like I said, there's a lot to get to tonight. We're going to get to all of it. We're going to cover all of it very closely. And I want to get straight to Emma's now senior data reporter Ali Velshi, who is at the big board in the flesh, in the room. It's so good to see you. All right, Allie, We've got some very early numbers out of Iowa. I know we've got some results out of New Jersey. Where do you want to start?

[Ali Velshi]

Let's start in Iowa. Very, very few votes in right now. Less than 1%. Josh Ture polling as the candidate that's more likely to win tonight, but very early for us to be able to determine that. That said, he's got a 204 vote lead in one county only that's reporting. That's Carroll County. Wow. We just got voted from Des Moines county as I was talking to you. Wow. 17% of the vote already in in Des Moines and Josh Turek is leading 70 to 30 with a vote lead of 2,800 right there. We're looking for a vote in Polk county, in Story county right above it. That's another Democratic stronghold in Linn county, where Grand Rap in Johnson county and then up here in Blackhawk County. They're basically five counties we're going to be paying a lot of attention to. We only have vote from those two right now. So I'm going to come back to that in a little while. Let's go to New Jersey, by the way. We've got primaries tonight. We're covering in New Jersey, in Iowa, in South Dakota, in Montana, New Mexico and then as you mentioned, California. Let's go to New Jersey where we do have numbers in, in Tom Kaine's district, New Jersey 7. We do have a decision by, by us that Rebecca Bennett with 48% of the vote in. We're pretty. She is now going to advance to be the candidate who's going to face off against Tom Kaine in the seventh District. Tina Shah running, you know, trying to run a strong campaign against her, but down by about 27 votes. There are a few other calls that have already been made in New Jersey in the 11th. This is Analilia Mejia. You'll remember this is one of those races where Tom Malinowski was running to get his seat back. AIPAC got involved, backed another candidate and ended up with Analelia Mejia, who really is not the candidate they wanted. She is now run, getting an opportunity to run one more time. Now we'll go back to seven, New Jersey seven for a second and just show you how it's breaking down by county. If you look at Rebecca Bennett's lead, she's leading in every single county. Right. This is a sort of a very traditional way of winning an election. I want to take you down to District 12 with 53% of the vote in. And Adam Hammawi is in the lead right now. It's not that big a lead, 24 to 20 against Brad Cohen. But look at this, how this shapes out county by county, everybody he's run against. All his major opponents have been officials, mayors. They've held office in one county or another. So if you go down to Mercer County, Trenton, the person leading there was the former mayor of Trenton, but Adam Haui is in the number two spot in Middlesex County. Brad Cohen is winning there. He was the mayor. He's the mayor of East Bergen. He's in the first place spot. Adam Maui is in the second place spot. Somerset County. Chanel Robinson is a county executive there, beating him in Somerset County. And in Union, in Union County. The mayor of a city in Union county has got 47% of the vote. Adam Hamawi only has 14.7% of the vote. He's not winning in a single county, and yet he's in the lead to win the election. He's coming in second and he's splitting everyone's vote. So we're going to watch that one very, very closely. And by the time I talk to you next, I'll have more numbers in from Iowa.

[Jen Psaki]

Ally Bilshi. I'm here to keep you hydrated. If you need a tissue, if you need a snack. I'm so grateful, we all are for all of the data you are following and covering. Okay, I want to bring in MSNOW's Jacob Sobroff, who's at a polling location in Los Angeles. Jacob, one of my favorite things about election nights is seeing you interact with voters in line and around polling places. So you've been there all day. Walk us through what you've been seeing and hearing.

[Jacob Soboroff]

It's one of my favorite things too, Jen, as I probably am very, very obvious about. I really enjoy doing this. So maybe I'll just real quick because I said he was. I had him before he went inside. This is Cam. Cam is at the very front of the line. Before you go inside, Cam, you got governor's race and a mayoral race here. Have you thought about who you're going to go for yet before you go in?

[Voters (Cam, William Donovan, Nolan)]

Yeah, I think I'm going to vote

[Jacob Soboroff]

for Matt Mahan for governor. The mayor of San Jose?

[Voters (Cam, William Donovan, Nolan)]

Yeah, Mayor of San Jose. Like his issues on housing.

[Jen Psaki]

Think he'd be a good governor.

[Jacob Soboroff]

Okay, and how about for mayor?

[Voters (Cam, William Donovan, Nolan)]

For mayor, I'm leaning Spencer Pratt right now.

[Jen Psaki]

Are you?

[Jim Messina]

Yeah.

[Jacob Soboroff]

Okay. No kidding, man. It's nice to meet you. All right, so there's the first Spencer Pratt voter I've talked to, but there's a lot of Spencer Pratt voters that are out and about. You changed from last time I talked to you. That's a close call for me between him and Nithya Raman. Nithya Raman. Okay. So it's very interesting. Good to meet you, man. Between Spencer Pratt and Nithya Rahman, we're talking about the mayor of Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States of America. And Karen Bass, the incumbent mayor, is facing some headwinds here, Jen, because of her response to a lot of local issues on the ground here. Affordability, just like it is all across the country, is a big issue. And both Spencer Pratt and Nathi Rahman are making a good stand. The governor's race is also happening here. I want to show you people are excited about this contest. Contest. And it's not just consequential for Los Angeles, but it's also consequential for the United States of America because of the way that the congressional maps have been redrawn here. And it could be indicative of what happens in the midterm elections come the November general election, once that runoff happens. I had said I was going to say hello to you when I met you earlier. Remind me of your name again.

[Jen Psaki]

My name is Aaron.

[Jacob Soboroff]

Aaron. What are the big issues, Erin, that are bringing you out to vote in this primary election in early June, in the summer of 2026?

[Jen Psaki]

I mean, you really have to start small, right. If you're going to make any changes in government, you really have to start local.

[Jacob Soboroff]

Do you live here in downtown Los Angeles?

[Jen Psaki]

I do.

[Jacob Soboroff]

And so when you look around downtown or I don't know what you. What do you do for a living?

[Jen Psaki]

I work in apparel production.

[Jacob Soboroff]

In apparel production. It's a big industry here. And in fact, the ICE raid started at some of those garment factories here in downtown Los Angeles about a year ago. Talk to me about your life and sort of how you see what you want from our elected leaders. And if you thought about who you're voting for for governor and mayor,

[Jen Psaki]

I mean, yeah, I mean, I'm very blessed and grateful that I wasn't affected by the ICE raids, but I have seen it tear through a lot of communities. And, yeah, I mean, it's just a really sad situation.

[Jacob Soboroff]

Gavin Newsom has been a big foil for Donald Trump, particularly as it relates to that issue, but so many others. Do you know who you want to succeed him yet for governor? Before you go inside?

[Jen Psaki]

I do But I think I want to hold on to.

[Jacob Soboroff]

In fact, Aaron doesn't want to tell me. Jen, I don't mind. It's nice to meet you, Aaron. The secret ballot, everybody's entitled to it. Thank you very much. It's nice to meet you. And I just want to say hello to this gentleman I met earlier because while he is in Los Angeles, he is a New York Knicks fan and he's waiting online with this mini voter down here who is a very patient person. Who's this and who are you?

[Voters (Cam, William Donovan, Nolan)]

My name is William Donovan and this is my son Nolan.

[Jacob Soboroff]

You say Noah?

[Voters (Cam, William Donovan, Nolan)]

Nolan. Nolan.

[Jacob Soboroff]

Okay. What are the big issues that have brought you out to wait on this line here with Nolan today?

[Voters (Cam, William Donovan, Nolan)]

You know, it's just important to vote in the midterm elections, especially this time where we see a president who's trying to defunct every single issue that has been set for many years. And I just want to see change. Specifically in la, although I haven't been impacted by the ice rays, we continue to see that in the streets. We continue to see so many of our rights being taken away. And I just want to make sure that, you know, my voice is heard

[Jacob Soboroff]

at the front of the line. I talked to somebody who was telling me that they might vote for Spencer Pratt, the former reality star for mayor of la. I could just see in your face what you think about that.

[Voters (Cam, William Donovan, Nolan)]

Absolutely not. He's a joke. I didn't like him back in the day when we watched him on TV and I don't like them now.

[Jacob Soboroff]

Who are you going to go for?

[Voters (Cam, William Donovan, Nolan)]

Definitely going to go for Karen Bass,

[Jacob Soboroff]

the mayor, or Nithya Raman.

[Voters (Cam, William Donovan, Nolan)]

I think we're going to go for

[Jacob Soboroff]

Rahman, the progressive challenger. It'll be interesting thing to see, but it's so great to meet you. Thank you. Go next tomorrow. Yes, my son will appreciate that too and I'll let you keep going. It's nice to meet you, Jen. It's going to be an exciting night here when Rachel picks up the coverage at 10 o'. Clock. I'll remain here at the polling place. We're going to watch till the last votes are counted here and then we'll. Javier Becerra, you know, is in the lead now. The former HHS secretary in those polls, Tom Steyer, the billion billionaire environmental activists, amongst other issues. Also contending Steve Hilton, the Republican endorsed by Donald Trump, trying to get into the top two in our nonpartisan primary system here in California. Whoever wins both for governor and mayor of LA is going to play a huge role in Standing up to this administration in this deep, deep blue city in a deep blue state. As you know very well, it's a

[Jen Psaki]

hugely important race to watch. Jacob, we're also grateful you're there. Looking forward to talking to you again. Thank you again for joining us. Joining me now, I've been so excited about this panel. I love talking to people who've been in the arena run races. These two people have run races more than almost anybody else at the table with me is Adisu Dimisi, who I've known for a very long time. He's the former campaign manager for Gavin Newsom's 2018 campaign for governor and Cory Booker's 2020 campaign for president. Also with us is Jim Messina, former campaign manager for Barack Obama's 2020 presidential campaign. Jim just published a multi part series. So if you're there, you're kind of freaking about election of results. You're is the thing to check out. It's called myth busting before the midterms on his substack called the Messina Memo. Sorry about that. The Messina Memo. Okay. All right. There's a lot to get to. I just gave a very brief overview of what I'm keeping an eye on tonight. Jim, let me start with you. What are you watching for tonight?

[Jim Messina]

Iowa. Iowa is a place that, where you and Adisu and I watch Barack Obama make history. It's a sacred place to all the Obama folks. It's a place where no Democrat has won in a statewide federal, federal election since Barack Obama in 2012. And there's incredibly competitive race for governor, for Senate and three swing House seats. You know, it is proof that while people might think this is a red state, Donald Trump's economy has hit farmland America really, really hard. And this state is in play for a Senate race, a governor's race, and three House races. Control of the House could be done in Iowa. So tonight we will get a whole bunch of answers. And I am all Iowa fired up tonight.

[Jen Psaki]

Jen, I love it. Okay, first of all, we all have worked in Iowa. I think I met you in Iowa.

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That's what we go back 23 years ago today.

[Jen Psaki]

Okay, there we go. Okay, so there is a competitive Senate primary. We don't know the outcome. There's two really compelling people running in that Senate primary. The drub stand is gonna be the nominee. Super compelling. What are you watching for there?

[Adisu Dimisi]

Yeah, I mean, exact same as Jim. I think it is considered a red state. Obviously, since 2012, it has been electing Republicans, but I think it might be the canary in the coal mine for what red states in the sort of prairie populism era might become. And Rob Sand, I think, in particular, really is the shining light of that. So I think we have a chance to win all of those races, the governor's race, the Senate race, all three of those competitive House races. And that will certainly put Iowa on the map in 2028, but also, I think, show the rest of the country that we can compete in these, particularly these Midwestern and prairie states, where we may have lost some ground over the last couple years, but the tide is changing largely because of what it is.

[Jen Psaki]

I mean, politics is about what is happening in the moment. So I think people say, you know, Trump won there three times. There's no way. But it's all about things like the cost of healthcare and the impact on farming and tariffs and fertilizer. Okay, let's talk about California, because there are so many things to watch there. We don't have results yet. We're not going to have them yet. I think people tuning in now are probably trying to figure out how to watch these results and what we may or may not know when. So let me ask you about one piece I've heard a little bit about, which is this potential of a red mirage early, early numbers that come in and make it look like Steve Hilton or others are surging way ahead. How should we be digesting the results tonight as they come in?

[Adisu Dimisi]

I think that's definitely going to happen. I think Republicans tend to vote early and we've seen in the turnout that we've seen and how votes have been coming in, Democrats, myself included, I voted on Saturday and I'm a great voter. I usually vote early, but a lot of Democrats held their ballots this time. You're gonna see a huge late Democratic vote and those votes are the last ones counted, especially ones that come in today and over the course of the next week. So the, the vote is gonna, is gonna skew Republican tonight in the, in the initial count, the 800 1s, as we call them, the ones that come out right after polls close. Also in the votes that get counted tonight, E Day, Election Day, more Republicans vote in person than by mail. And then you're gonna see this huge blue wave come as the night goes on. And honestly, I hate to say it to your viewers, but over the course of the next couple days, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, you will see a huge Democratic move. So do not, honestly, we may not know the results of the election tonight. There's a lot we can talk about, what we should be Watching. But I think the biggest thing I would say is caveat emptor. Like, do not believe that the numbers that you see at 8001 or even at 11 o' clock tonight or before you go to bed are going to be the final number.

[Jen Psaki]

It is. I mean, have some caffeine, but brace yourself because we may not know all of the outcome. Jim, let me ask you, because I think if you don't live in California, you're wondering, why do I care about what's happening in California? You should care in part because it's a state where it matters who's governor and that there's gonna be there a big check on the Trump administration, but also because there are a bunch of potential flips in the House. Here in California, Democrats are hoping to pick up five seats from the well, from Prop 50. Give us a sense of kind of what you're watching. What do you expect, what's important coming out of tonight? And do you expect they're gonna get to the five, knowing what we know now?

[Jim Messina]

I do. I mean, Gavin Newsom, Medisu's old boss, put his political future on the line to pass Prop 50 and say, you know, we're going to stand up to what Donald Trump is doing. And they've made a map that gives Democrats shots at as much as five seats and potentially more. I think we'll know a lot tonight about who the nominees are. I think that's an incredibly interesting thing. In my opinion, there's nothing more important than getting one of the two houses of Congress to slow Donald Trump down. And that's probably the US House of Representatives. And so in a place where Lily, Jen, there's only 15 to 20 seats that you and I could consider toss ups. Well, at least five of them are in California. So California is also the state, as you said earlier, that kind of went a little Trumpy and really surprised people and why the Republicans currently have the House of Representatives because they overperformed in New York and overperformed in California. And so we're going to get a canary and a coal mine moment for the House tonight and over the next couple days to see how real this moment for the Democrats are to win House races day after. Absolutely.

[Jen Psaki]

Have to have Adisu. Jim, I can't tell you how grateful I am. I was texting you earlier today. I'm going to keep texting you through the course of the night. I hope you don't mind. Thank you both for being here. Okay. We are keeping a close eye on the results out of those hugely important races in Iowa we've been talking about. Jim is very excited about them. So is Adisu. We're counting down to polls closing in California and on this big election night, I really think you're to going to want to hear from my next guest who says the kind of wave that's building only comes along once in a generation. Georgia Senator John Ossoff is standing by and he joins me next.

[Freedom From Religion Foundation Announcer]

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 make 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 MSNOW to 511-511-Text MSNOW to 511-51-511 and keep state and church separate. Text fees may apply.

[Jen Psaki]

Why have I asked my H Vac guy I found on angie.com to change my grandpa's trachea tube? I was so amazed at how we replaced our air duct. I knew I could trust him to change Pop Pop's tube. I think we should call a doctor,

[Jacob Soboroff]

Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home [e-mail]

[Jen Psaki]

you know that thing where you get an amazing pair of shoes at a really great price and want to tell everyone about it? Yeah.

[Adisu Dimisi]

So do we.

[Jen Psaki]

Here at Designer Shoe Warehouse, we'll give you something to brag about, like the latest styles from brands you love or the trends everyone's obsessing over, or shoes that make you feel like, well, you. So go ahead, show off a little. Buying shoes that get you and prices that get your budget. Head to your DSW store or dsw.com today. DSW. Let us surprise you. When it comes to the Democrats trying to retake the Senate this year, there are two different magic numbers to keep in mind. And you probably know these already, but I keep them in mind a lot. The first is the number four. That is the number of seats Democrats need to flip in November to take control of the Senate. Of course, doesn't matter where those seats come from, it just has to be four. Well, voters in 35 states will have a Senate race on their ballot this year. Only about a dozen of those races are really competitive on some level, and there's kind of a range. But luckily that still gives Democrats lots of potential states to flip because nine of those seats are currently occupied by Republicans. And again, Democrats only need to flip four of them. That's the first magic number. Democrats need to flip four seats. The second magic number is two, because while Democrats need to flip seats to get a majority, they also need to defend two seats that are seen as vulnerable, Michigan and Georgia. And while Michigan's Democratic primary is still months away, Democratic nominee in Georgia is incumbent Senator John Ossoff, who's already drawing crowds like the one you can see here, 1500 people in Atlanta on Sunday. And he's not actually sounding all that vulnerable.

[Thumbtack Advertiser]

In Atlanta, a wave is building, the kind of wave that comes once a generation when people have been pushed too far and they decide all at once, all together, that enough is enough. So let's give them a united Georgia. Let's save the country again. Let's make sure they hear it all the way down at Mar a Lago, that Georgia will bow to no king. Thank you. God bless you. Let's get to work.

[Jen Psaki]

And joining me now is Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia. I just gave an overview of the path to the Senate majority. It certainly goes through Georgia. They are going to throw everything up against you, bazillions of dollars, attack ads, everything that you can imagine and you're already prepared for. I've also heard you say a wave is building that only comes along once in a generation. So tell us why you feel that way.

[Thumbtack Advertiser]

It Jen, thank you for having me. Great to be back. And a wave is building because this administration, through its corruption and incompetence, is driving prices to record highs while the first family enriches itself to the tune of billions of dollars. The nation has been plunged into reckless war. The disastrous tariffs are crushing small businesses and farmers. And people see that this administration's abuses of power require us to restore checks and balances. But I need to give everybody out there a reality check about this Senate race in Georgia. Please hear me when I say this, folks. There is no way to regain the Senate majority without winning this Senate race in Georgia. I am the only Democratic senator running for reelection in a state that Donald Trump won. I expect the national Republican Party will spend hundreds of millions of dollars to try to unseat me. And Georgia is a very, very tough battleground state. So I'm asking folks to log on to electjohn.com, electjon.com and chip in right now to support my campaign so we can build an absolutely unprecedented turnout effort and protect voting rights. Where? Right there in Fulton County. You saw Tulsi Gabbard come down and oversee a ballot raid this White House has its sights set on Georgia, and I need the help to win.

[Jen Psaki]

I don't want to minimize any race, certainly not Georgia. And I think no race is won until November, which everybody should know out there. There's a lot, lot left to happen. You've made corruption. I just played a clip of you. You've made it. We've talked about it a number of times, too. Such a focus on the campaign trail. You weave in the impact on people's lives and why it matters so much. One area of potential corruption, we've seen the Trump administration kind of back off on, sort of kind. I want to know what you think is the $1.8 billion slush fund. We obviously saw a huge amount of pushback from Democrats, a lot of unease from Republicans for good reason. And we saw very quick action in the courts today. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said they're no longer pursuing it. What do you make of that? And do you believe him?

[Thumbtack Advertiser]

I don't trust Todd Blanche, and Todd Blanche should resign. This entire thing is a disgrace. What's extraordinary about how this relates to the Senate race in Georgia is that you've heard even some Senate Republicans criticize this and say they won't vote for it. But both of my Trump puppet opponents in their debate last weekend enthusiastically endorsed this and said that they would support this $1.8 billion slush fund for Jan 6foot soldiers and the President's cronies. People need to understand it's not just that the Senate race in Georgia is the most competitive and crucial in the country. I'm running against two Trump puppet MAGA fanatics who are pro war, pro tariff, pro cutting your health care, pro Jeffrey Epstein Memorial ballroom, pro slush fund for Jan6 insurrectionists. And again, you want to help me? It's electjohn.com One of the reasons it

[Jen Psaki]

really matters who is in the Senate and who controls the Senate is who is confirmed as nominees and people in the Cabinet. And Trump did something. I mean, we should never be really shocked, but today he put forward Bill Pulte of the head of the FHFA as the Acting Director of National Intelligence. He obviously has no experience in national security. His only, I guess, qualification in Trump world is that he has just been looking for dirt on Trump's political opponents. You're a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. You care about who's in the Cabinet. How concerned are you about this?

[Thumbtack Advertiser]

Look, of all of the appointments, literally, Jen, of all of the appointments to date, many of them catastrophic, this one is the most Disturbing. And we cannot let the fact that Bill Pulte is not a household name prevent us from informing the public about the danger posed by his appointment as Director of National Intelligence. This guy has no background in intelligence. He is a thug and a hack who abused his power at the top of the Federal Housing Finance Authority to dig through federal records improperly for any information he could find about the president's political adversaries and then try to get them prosecuted by Pam Bondi's corrupt Department of Justice. Having somebody like that at the head of the intelligence community is a recipe for unprecedented abuses of the vast powers of our intelligence apparatus. And, you know, I saw Senator Thune even today said, we don't need a weaponized intelligence community. Everybody needs to be getting Republican senators on record in opposition to this dangerous, disastrous appointment. This is going to require some of the most intense Senate oversight in Senate history if we have a political hack like this atop of the intelligence community. And again, you saw Tulsi Gabbard. She came down to Georgia, the nation's spy chief, and oversaw a ballot raid as the top intelligence officer in the United States. It is deeply disturbing that with the election upcoming, they've put Bill Pulte, a political hack, at the head of the intelligence community. It speaks to the intensity with which we're going to have to defend voting rights. And again, folks can help me defend voting [e-mail] to your point of just

[Jen Psaki]

the forces against Democrats and what they're up against in Georgia and other states across the country. There has been this effort, of course, to redraw maps and continue to redraw maps. There is a piece of good news tonight I would note you may or may not have already seen. Oh, it's bad news. I'm sorry. We just got the. Got. Just got the news. Apologies. We just got a ruling from the Supreme Court in just the last few minutes. A 6, 3 decision was just going to let Alabama's new congressional map stand. This is definitely bad news. Sorry. This news just broke. It means Alabama is going to lose one of its two majority black districts. It's a reminder of the forces, of course, as I said, working against Democrats. What's your message? I think people can hear these things and they feel defeated, they feel deflated. They feel like the forces are against them. What is your message to voters as they head out to November who are outraged and feel depressed by this sort of ruling?

[Thumbtack Advertiser]

Jen, in Georgia, these attacks on voting rights are provoking a defiant backlash. They are motivating people to turn out to the polls in defiance of these attacks on the franchise. 61 years after President Johnson signed the Voting Rights act, as if they'd been lying in wait since the ink from his pen dried as soon as Section 2 of the VRA was eviscerated. They've leapt into action to try to remove black elected officials. Not by defeating them at the polls, but by manipulating maps to dilute minority power. But the fact that they're launching these attacks in the American south, the fact that they launched that ballot raid in Fulton county in Congressman John Lewis congressional district, is awakening in people a determination to vote like they have never voted before, to rebuke these abuses and defend voting rights.

[Jen Psaki]

You've raised Bull Pulte a number of times. I agree. People need to know who he is. And you were very clear, right. About the impact of what Tulsi Gabbard already did. I should note for people, an acting cabinet member can serve for 210 days. And that means that Pulte could be the acting DNI during right through the election, into election season. Right through the election. What do you think he's capable of? I mean, what worries you the most, if left to his own devices, that he could do in a state like Georgia?

[Thumbtack Advertiser]

Look, the powers of the US Intelligence community, the NSA and our other agencies are vast. And a determined partisan actor at the top of the intelligence community who wants to weaponize those authorities can do tremendous damage. That is why, again, I view this as the single most dangerous and the single most alarming appointment that Donald Trump has made to date. This is, as I see it, a five alarm fire. And we're going to need to make sure we're prepared to protect whistleblowers, brave whistleblowers from within the intelligence community who come to the United States Senate. I sit on the Intelligence Committee and inform us of just how he is abusing his powers, because I expect him to. Why else would you put somebody with zero experience in intelligence, but a track record as a political loyalist, a personal loyalist to the president who's already abused the power that's been granted him. He's abused his power at the FHFA to go after sitting members of Congress. And now he's going to sit atop of our intelligence apparatus. It's deeply disturbing. It's deeply dangerous. It's unacceptable. Those of us who sit on the Intelligence Oversight Committees are really going to have our work cut out for us over the next few months.

[Jen Psaki]

And we're going to keep covering it and following it and making sure people know who Bill Pulte is. Senator John Ossoff, thank you as always for joining me tonight.

[Thumbtack Advertiser]

Thank you, Jen.

[Jen Psaki]

Okay, the results are really starting to pour in right now. And we're going to head back to Ali Velshi at the big board after a very quick break. 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 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.ms. now to 511-511- text Ms. Now to 511-511 and keep state and church separate. Text fees may apply.

[Jen Psaki]

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[Freedom From Religion Foundation Announcer]

found on Angie.com to be our kids legal guardian?

[Jen Psaki]

Because he took such good care when redoing our basement that we knew we could trust him to care for our kids, all eight of them should something happen to us. Are you my dad now? No, sorry.

[Jacob Soboroff]

I do basements. Connecting homeowners with skilled Pros for over 30 years, Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home [e-mail].

[Jen Psaki]

I told you we'd follow them closely. We're back and following the results on an incredibly busy election night. Polls closed in Iowa about 40 minutes ago and Ally Velshi is back at the big board for us. So Ali, how are things looking in the Democratic primary in Iowa and anything else new we've learned?

[Ali Velshi]

Yeah, in fact, I'm just waiting to see a check mark here. But I believe we're just about ready to make a call on Josh Turek. Only 24% of the vote is in and this is in the Democratic Senate primary competition. Josh Turek versus Zach Walz. Two very impressive candidates in and of themselves. Worth learning about both of them. But it's 65 to 34 right now with 24% of the vote in. Again, I'm expecting that there's gonna be a check mark there any moment. We're still waiting for a little bit of interesting vote to come in. This is Polk County. This the most populous county in the state. 97% in, and it's 63 to 36. We have not seen vote in from Story county or from Cedar Rapids, Linn county, or below that, Johnson County. So there's still more vote to come in. But that looks like it's determined now in the Democratic primary. I'm sorry, let's go to the. Let's go to the gubernatorial primary. As you've been talking about, Rob sand is the uncontested candidate for the governor of Iowa. Again, these are open positions. There's an open Senate seat and an open gubernatorial position. This hasn't happened since the 60s. You're going to be talking to Rob sand in a moment. The question is who he's running against. His main candidate, the person thought to be his main opponent, is Randy Feenstra. But Randy Feenstra has been pretty much for the whole night, running behind Zach Lahn 37% to 33%. But we're nowhere close to being able to make this call. Only 19% of the vote is in. And when you look at where the vote is coming from, it might indicate that Randy Feenstra is gonna gain more of the outstanding vote than Zach Lahn is. But as you know, there's something very interesting that happen happens in Iowa. If there are two candidates, one has to get more than 35%. Well, if there's two candidates, one's going to have to get more than 20, 50% to win. If there are more than two candidates, one has to get 35% in order to win. So you could be a candidate in the lead with 34% and you then don't win outright tonight. This goes to a convention which is going to be held on June 13th. So again, at this point, we don't know where this is going to go because there's still a lot more vote to come in on the Republican side in Iowa. So we'll watch that very closely. And I just want you to get. I want to give you a quick update in the Democratic primaries in New Jersey because we have just been able to call District 12 in New Jersey with 70% of the vote in for Adam Hawai. He is going to be representing the Democrats there. He has defeated Brad Cohen to do that in New Jersey. Seven, this is Tom Keene. Tom Kaine's district. We've called that for Rebecca Bennett. She'll be the candidate there. And A' Lelia Mejia will be the candidate in 11. She won this election in a special election very recently. Rob Minet Mendez, we know that he's going to be the candidate in District 8. And there's one more that I. Oh, Lamonica McIver with 71% of the vote in has been declared the candidate in District 10. So most of the vote in New Jersey is in at this point.

[Jen Psaki]

Ally Velshi, thank you. There's some drama involved in that Iowa Republican side I'm sure we will get into. There's lots of fun drama. I know we're gonna be checking back a lot in the night. Thank you so much again for being here, giving us an update. Okay, I've got the person standing by. Ali just mentioned this person who's got the hopes. Iowa Democrats now pretty much resting squarely on his shoulders tonight. Rob sand is officially the Democratic nominee for governor. Very strong at the top of the ticket. And he joins me next. Okay, everyone, election results are coming in from the great state of Iowa where polls officially closed in just the last hour and the Associated Press can now project. And Ally Vilshi was, was predicting this, that Josh Turn has won the Democratic primary for Iowa Senate in what will be a hugely consequential race come November. And joining me now is the Democratic nominee in another big race in Iowa tonight. Rob sand officially became the Democratic nominee for governor in Iowa. So now you know who kind of your running mate is running on the Senate side. Congrats, of course, on the official race call. The race, I suppose, begins now. The Republican side is, is messy, to say the least. Randy Feenstra was endorsed by Donald Trump. He's not hit 35% of vote. We'll see what happens. You have to get 35% in order to move forward as the nominee. Does it matter to you who the nominee is on the other side or how does it impact how you run your race?

[Voters (Cam, William Donovan, Nolan)]

You know, Jen, number one, thanks for having me. Number two, no, I mean we have had 10 years of one party control at the state house in Iowa. That's really unusual for us. And we've hit the point where we've had a three year average of 48 for personal income growth. We are number one for cancer growth growth. And they're busy up there figuring out how to make it harder for the state auditor's office to find misspent money. I think people in Iowa are ready to rotate the crops. I don't really think it matters who the other side nominates. I think people are fed up. They've had enough. And, you know, I've been around. They've elected me twice. I do 100 public town halls every year. You can come to compliment me or to criticize me, but they're actually open to the public. I think that means a lot to people. And I think we've got a great shot to win this thing in November, regardless.

[Jen Psaki]

Us, you've won statewide, to your point. I think there is, and we've been talking about this through the course of the show, this sort of fear for of Democrats to get too excited about what could happen in a state like Iowa where Donald Trump won three times. And that obviously impacts how people perceive a state. I mean, he won Iowa by 13 points in the 2024 presidential election. Now, a morning console poll released just last month down that his approval is underwater by seven points in the state, which people should note, there are things like tariffs, the price, gas, fertilizer. You can name all of them better than I can. What do you attribute his loss of support in the state to? And what do you tell people who feel skeptical that you and Josh could win in Iowa?

[Voters (Cam, William Donovan, Nolan)]

Sure. You know, look, I think, I mean, you did name him, Jen. Tariffs have been terrible for Iowa. I think that's one of the reasons that we've got a great shot here. You've got elected officials and candidates and the other political party in Iowa whose only job is to represent the state of Iowa, and they're running around trying to serve one man, trying to make one man happy, trying to tell Iowans that these tariffs that are crushing our economy are actually about to bring over a new golden age. I don't think people in the state of Iowa fall for that very easily. And they see through it pretty easily, too. I think that's one of the huge opportunities that we have. And you're right, the war in Iran has increased fertilizer prices even worse than they were already. But again, I think there's a lot of state issues that a lot of folks don't necessarily read as much about. We have a school vouchers program that has next to no oversight and next to no rules for how it operates. There's no income limits. So we have a $1.3 billion annual budget deficit, and yet we're giving hundreds of millions of dollars every year to the wealthiest Iowans to send their kids to private schools. And they were going to do it anyway. I just think a lot of folks in the city are looking around going, what are you guys doing up there? Why are you doing this? I think that's one of the reasons that we're going to have competitive races up and down the ballot. For folks that want to learn more about ours, it's robsann.com we only have

[Jen Psaki]

about 30 seconds left. So I'm just going to ask you to tell us. As people are getting to know who Josh Turek is, what should people know about him?

[Voters (Cam, William Donovan, Nolan)]

Josh, man, Inspiring personal story. Born with spina bifida, had to go through tons of surgeries as a kid. Becomes a wheelchair gold medal winner for Team USA Basketball. Really just a good and a decent guy who has had to work really hard to win in a district that President Trump won. I think he's got a good shot.

[Jen Psaki]

Rob Sand I think when people look at Iowa, they think, well, Democrats haven't won there in a long time. But they hear you talking about things. It makes sense. It's very common sense. Thanks for being here with us. Thanks for telling us a little bit about the guy who's now the nominee. I'm really grateful to you. Thanks for. Thanks again.

[Voters (Cam, William Donovan, Nolan)]

Happy to do it. Thanks.

[Jen Psaki]

That does it for me tonight. You can catch the show Tuesday through Friday at 9pm Eastern on Ms. Now. And don't forget to follow the show on Blue sky, Instagram and TikTok.

[Freedom From Religion Foundation Announcer]

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 protect the Constitution and keep power where it belongs with we the people. Visit FFRF US MSNOW or text MSNOW to 511-511-Text MSNOW to 511-51-511 and keep state and church separate. Text fees may apply.