← The Briefing with Jen Psaki
The Briefing with Jen Psaki
'Straight out of the Twilight Zone': Congressman shocked at ICE facility 'cover-up'
00:41:45
Rep. Jimmy Gomez talks with Jen Psaki about his surprise when he was finally given access to a busy ICE detention facility only to find almost no one inside after prisoners and staff had been moved out on the day members of Congress came for an oversight visit.
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- [00:00]
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- [00:31]
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- [01:02]
Commentator
This really struck me today. I mean, every year the Kennedy center in Washington, D.C. hosts a big ceremony to recognize all different kinds of performers who have made big contributions to the performing arts in their careers. Usually they're people who are kind of in the later stages of their careers and they're being honored by Republican presidents, Democratic presidents, lots of people in the audience. It's called the Kennedy Center Honors. It's a bit over the top, not gonna lie, but it's a star studded night of glitz and fanfare hosted by a celebrity emcee, which later airs in a big special television all to celebrate again these honorees who were selected by a bipartisan advisory committee. At least that's how it used to work. How it worked for years, decades, through many presidents. But now it's different because earlier this year, Trump fired the head of the Kennedy center and named himself its new chair. And now it sounds like he's made some changes to the process of deciding who the honorees will even be.
- [02:00]
Donald Trump
Since 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors have been among the most prestigious awards in the performing arts. I wanted one. I was never able to get one this year.
- [02:11]
Commentator
It's true.
- [02:11]
Donald Trump
Actually, I would have taken it if they would have called me. I waited and waited and waited and I said, the hell with it, I'll become chairman and I'll give myself an honor. Maybe I'm going to honor next year. We'll honor Trump. Okay.
- [02:24]
Commentator
How involved were you in the selection process of these honorees?
- [02:28]
Donald Trump
I would say I was about 98% involved. No they all went through me. I turned down plenty. They were too woke. I had a couple of wokesters.
- [02:41]
Commentator
So, yeah, lots to unpack there. I mean, that was Donald Trump announcing that he is 98% involved in selecting the Kennedy center honorees, even personally rejecting nominees he deemed too woke up. Which, to state the obvious, has never been a criteria. And it's really hard to argue that past honorees, there are so many of them. But people who were honored under Democratic presidents like Yo Yo Ma and Dick Van Dyke, were they particularly woke? I don't really think so. But all of this is part of the latest bizarre effort to co opt one of this country's most preeminent cultural centers and remake it in Trump's image. That's what it's about. I mean, Trump's allies in Congress are even trying to rename the center itself, which was named, of course, for President Kennedy in the wake of his assassination. Guess what they want to call it. It's so creative and inventive. The Trump Center. Of course. Of course. And while Trump did not actually declare himself an honoree today, thank God, to the relief of many, he's still ensuring that he will be the center of the attention at the ceremony because he also announced that he will be hosting the event himself. I mean, to put this in perspective, people like Walter Cronkite, Caroline Kennedy, of course Gloria Estefan have emceed this event in the past. I mean, of all the people, why on earth would he be the one to emcee this event? Why, in the grand scheme of things, this is hardly the most important Trump takeover happening in our nation's capital right now. Hardly. But it is one of the more emblematic examples of how Trump is acting like a petty dictator. And it's not even just this. I mean, we're seeing the same thing play out at other cultural institutions as well. I mean, here's the headline from the Wall Street Journal yesterday. Here's what it White House to Vet Smithsonian Museums. To fit Trump's historical vision, the White House plans to conduct a far reaching review of Smithsonian museum exhibitions, materials and operations to ensure the museums align with President Trump's interpretation of American. Now, that news is concerning for a whole lot of reasons, and I will certainly get to them. But for starters, Donald Trump is not exactly what I would call an expert when it comes to American history.
- [04:55]
Donald Trump
The Continental army suffered a bitter winter of Valley Forge. Our army manned the air, it ran the ramparts, it took over the airport. Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who's done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more. Our first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, great president. Most people don't even know he was a Republican.
- [05:25]
Chris Murphy
Right?
- [05:25]
Donald Trump
Does anyone know? A lot of people don't know that. People don't ask that question. But why was there the Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out?
- [05:40]
Commentator
I mean, and there's many more examples where that came from. That guy was not mastering history 101. It's not exactly Doris Kern's. Goodwin. What is really concerning here is how Trump plans to change our national museums. I mean, in a letter to the Smithsonian Institute, the Trump administration said it will use this takeover to assess tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals. And they make clear that museums will be required to implement what they euphemistically call content corrections wherever they deem necessary. And to state the obvious here, and that, in part means rewriting history so that it reflects better on Trump than the reality. We've already gotten a taste of what some of those content corrections might look like. I mean, remember last month, the Smithsonian Museum quietly removed references to Trump from their exhibit on presidential impeachments. The Smithsonian denied that this action was taken at the behest of Trump, the only American president to ever be impeached twice. And after the change was reported, the museum put the section on Trump's impeachments back in the display. But not without removing prior references to Trump's repeated false statements or how he encouraged imminent lawless action at the Capitol, both of which he did, and both of which led to his second impeachment. So the historical record of Trump's lawlessness is already being sanitized in our nation's museums. And now Trump wants to change the rest of the Smithsonian's exhibits to align with his personal interpretation of American history, which may include deleting people in events that aren't centered around white people. Of course. I mean, remember, this is the same administration that scrubbed government websites and libraries of references to people like Jackie Robinson to the Tuskegee Airmen, and other important civil rights heroes, all in the name of cracking down on diversity. And one of the first targets of the administration's efforts to censor Smithsonian museums was the Museum of African American History. So it's no surprise the Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of African American History, are also on the list for review. The Republican Party has long claimed it champions free speech and calls out censorship, and yet they have been completely silent. We would show you if there were people voicing concern about this. As their leader Attempts to edit American history for his own benefit. It's not even the only place where the silence is deafening from Republicans. I mean, this is the party that has long run on the idea of free enterprise. It's kind of their whole shtick. They talk about it a ton and removing government from any role in the private sector. And yet the leaders don't seem to be concerned that Trump is in the process of carrying out an unprecedented corporate shakedown. I mean, he just strong armed two American chip makers into forking over a cut of their revenue in exchange for permission to export products to China. So in order to access the Chinese market, those companies, Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, will now be paying the government 15% of their revenue from selling certain chips there. This comes on the heels of Trump giving iPhone maker Apple a special tariff exemption right after Apple CEO Tim Cook came to the White House. And awkwardly, you can see it right there on your screen. It's extremely awkward. Presented Trump with a big, shiny gold award in the Oval Office. And yet there were crickets. Crickets from Republican leaders. Isn't this what it's like to pick winners and losers? Remember when they used to complain about that? And remember the Republican Party is supposed to be the party of free markets and limited government, but they have completely rolled over for a president who wants to run the private sector like his own. Personal protection racket. Taking over cultural institutions, rewriting history, turning the economy into a kleptocracy. These are the kind of things we've come to expect from petty tyrants in other countries. But the image we most associate with dictatorships, the thing that best symbolizes the line between a free society and authoritarian takeover, is military troops marching down the streets. And this week, America's wannabe dictator crossed that line as well when he deployed the National Guard to the streets of America's Capitol and co opted its police force. Now you can tell that Trump knows just how bad this whole situation makes him look, because the man is always incapable of letting his critics go unanswered.
- [09:59]
Donald Trump
They're saying he's a dictator. The place is going to hell and we've got to stop it. So instead of saying he's a dictator, they should say, we're going to join him and make Washington safe.
- [10:11]
Commentator
They're saying he's a dictator. He's talking about himself there. But there's that. I mean, today at that same press conference, Trump said he plans to maintain control of D.C. s police force for the long term. That would require an act of Congress, but Of course, Trump says he doesn't need one. Mr. President, your federalization of the police has a 30 day limit unless Congress acts to extend it. Are you talking to Congress about extending it or do you believe 30 days is sufficient?
- [10:39]
Donald Trump
Well, if it's a national emergency, we can do it without Congress.
- [10:44]
Commentator
At the same time, Trump is also teasing the idea of extending his military takeover to other American cities. And the Washington Post reports that the Pentagon has drafted a plan to create a military reaction force that they could deploy to any city to quell so called unrest. All of this is happening at a time when the President has complete control over his party, complete control over the White House, complete control over both houses of Congress, and a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. That's more power than most American Presidents have ever had. But still, none of it is enough for Donald Trump. This is not a normal administration. We know that. And the people trying to check Trump's power cannot rely on the same tactics they have used before. One Democratic senator is making headlines by taking a new approach to opposing this administration. And he joins me here in 90 seconds.
- [11:40]
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- [12:06]
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- [12:37]
Jeff
What does possibility mean to you?
- [12:39]
Commentator
Um, that's a hard question.
- [12:41]
DSW Advertiser
Something that you can strive for, that.
- [12:43]
Commentator
I'm able to do anything I set my mind to. You're confident in yourself and you believe in yourself. Stuff that you could achieve. I feel it's Sarah Eddie Bling is possible when you're more confident. Shoes are a huge part of that.
- [12:55]
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They are the most important part of my style.
- [12:58]
Commentator
You can like express yourself in the right shoes. Anything is possible. Dsw countless shoes at bragworthy prices.
- [13:05]
Chris Murphy
Imagine the possibilities.
- [13:15]
Commentator
Joining Me now is Democratic senator from Connecticut, Chris Murphy. Senator Murphy, thank you so much for being here with me. There's a lot I want to talk to you about. I just want to start with I kind of just gave my overview of what I see as this dictator, aspiring dictator. What did we just start calling him a dictator? Actions that include everything from this effort to militarize our nation's street, including the city that you and I spend a lot of time in, to go after private sector companies and try to control them, even to control the, the Smithsonian and institutions and what our history looks like and rewrite that. But what is your, how do you see this moment that we're living in and then all of those Trump actions together?
- [13:58]
Jeff
Well, I think you've identified the real danger here, which is that the president of the United States is essentially operationalizing the White House and the vast power of the executive branch, an executive branch that, frankly, is more powerful than it was a generation ago in order to compel loyalty from the businesses that he regulates and the citizens that he governs. And the Founding Fathers were very worried about this, right? They had watched the British king, for instance, use the power of the treasury, use the power of taxes and tariffs and levies in order to keep an entire people subjugated. And so they created a division of labor in the federal government. And specifically, they gave the powers of taxation, tariff and, and spending to the Congress and said, listen, it's up to the Congress, the branch of the government most rooted in the people, most connected to the people, to decide how money gets spent. The president is part of the executive branch because all he's supposed to do is execute the decisions that Congress has made. And so what is most worrying is that this Republican Congress has just outsourced the power of tariff, taxation and spending to the president. And as you said, he is right now, as we speak, using it to crush dissent. For instance, pulling funding from colleges where there are anti Trump protests and compelling loyalty from the private sector to make sure that they line up and do his bidding. So, you know, this is a creeping totalitarian state right now. It is not too late to stop our democracy from imploding, but we can't assume that if we just continue to play politics as normal that we are going to end up with a free and fair election next November. This is happening really fast, and it's literally the playbook that our Founding Fathers worried about.
- [15:45]
Commentator
We are in such a unique moment. You've called this out so often, which I very much appreciate, and it can't use the same tactics, they're just not going to work. And you have worked in a bipartisan way many times in the past. I've known you a long time. I mean, to address gun violence prevention, to try to negotiate a bipartisan border deal. You're not somebody who has shied away from trying to find a bipartisan solution. But you are now going all in on boycotting negotiations regarding the government funding bill, which I think is very interesting, a very interesting tactic to take. That is a September 30th deadline for people who are just tuning into this. Most Democrats in your caucus, or you tell me, are not exactly in the same place. So why did you decide to choose this fight as one to take on?
- [16:33]
Jeff
Well, there was a headline today suggesting that I was boycotting discussions around the upcoming budget. That's not true. I'm simply saying that, you know, Democrats have to come to the table with values and we shouldn't give our votes away to funding a totalitarian state. Right. Right now the government is lawless. The president is not paying attention to the words that are written on the budgets we pass. And so if we're going to pass a budget and if we're going to provide Democratic votes, well, then you know that that budget has to actually be implemented. There has to be provisions that require that the president continue to live up to the law. And yeah, we wouldn't also be doing our job if we didn't put on the table some things that are about to happen to people in this country that are going to destroy their lives. Our health care system is about to go into meltdown. Premiums are going to go up for millions of Americans because of what happened in the previous partisan Republican budget bill. We have a chance to stop that. And this funding bill that we're going to debate in September, it's an opportunity to try to trim the lawlessness, but also to try to help people that are going to be screwed by the Republican attempt to throw people off of their health care. So I'm not boycotting anything. I'm just saying that we should fight as a party and we should say to Republicans, no, we are not going to give you a blank check with our votes in order to fund a state that increasingly mirrors the kind of authoritarian regimes that we have fought against all over this world.
- [18:01]
Commentator
Yeah. And look, I'm glad. Thank you for the clarification on the boycotting. And that's a little headlines are always a little off. Sometimes they're not always, but sometimes they are. So thank you for that. Well, I think it's interesting. The reason I wanted to talk to you about it is because the way that it was approached by Democratic leadership in the spring was pretty disappointing. I mean, that was my view. There wasn't a huge fight back. It didn't seem that way. So what does the fight back look like this time? Because this is a stake. There is. Republicans need Democrats to be a part of this negotiation, to move it forward and keep the government open. So how does that work and what does that look like to fight back?
- [18:37]
Jeff
Well, listen, I obviously did not provide my vote for that budget in the spring, but I understand that that was a moment where the country was still kind of shell shocked by the way in which Trump was starting to seize control of the government. That was before Republicans passed their own budget bill that threw 17 million people off of their health care. The stakes now in the are, I think, just a lot sharper and a lot brighter than they were in the spring. If we don't start to write some provisions into these budget bills to stop Trump from acting unconstitutionally, if we don't restore some of the health care that's being lost, we are going to have a Democratic and moral disintegration of this country. So I think the American public are sort of up for a fight over values. And, you know, I think my colleagues understand that, you know, at some point we have to draw a line. At some point, the president has gone too far. You know, for me, it was months ago. But maybe what has happened this summer, in particular, what's happening in D.C. right now with the militarization of the nation's capital, will be enough for people to say, all right, this is a moment where we should fight to protect democracy.
- [19:49]
Commentator
Let's certainly hope. It certainly made some damaging and bad progress on the part of the Trump administration last couple months. Senator Chris Murphy, thank you so much. I really appreciate you joining us tonight.
- [20:03]
Jeff
Thanks, Jeff.
- [20:03]
Commentator
Okay, we're going to take a quick break, but afterwards we're going to talk about a California congressman who has been trying for months to inspect a holding pen for immigrants. And guess what he saw when he finally got inside? We're going to hear all about it directly from Congressman Jimmy Gomez. Coming up next.
- [20:23]
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- [20:53]
Commentator
Possibility means you have a chance.
- [20:56]
DSW Advertiser
Passion opens the door to all possibilities.
- [21:00]
Commentator
When I feel like anything's possible, I feel kind of giddy. I want to be an astronaut, be an artist, be an actress to visit another country. All I need is a backpack and a pair of shoes and I'll find a way I'm able to do anything I set my mind to.
- [21:14]
DSW Advertiser
I've never felt like more things are.
- [21:15]
Commentator
Possible than right now. In the right shoes, anything's possible. Dsw countless shoes at bragworthy prices.
- [21:22]
Chris Murphy
Imagine the possibilities.
- [21:24]
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- [21:58]
Commentator
Last night, immigrant rights advocates scored a major win against the Trump administration. Remember this video? It was captured by an immigrant who managed to sneak a cell phone into the ICE detention facility in lower Manhattan. And in the video, you can see more than a dozen men sitting sleeping on the floor in an overcrowded holding cell. One immigrant can be heard saying that they are being treated like dogs. And at some point, the camera pans to show that the room these men are being kept in is also their bathroom, with what appears to be only one working toilet for more than a dozen men. Now, that video is the only glimpse we and the public have been able to get of the facility on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, where ICE has been holding an untold number of immigrants, despite the facility not being designed to do so at all. That's not what they're designed to do now. For months now, multiple members of Congress have shown up at that facility demanding entry. We've been talking about it on this show for months. Legally, any federal detention facility must allow members of Congress inside at any time so they can conduct oversight. But over and over again, ISIS denied them entry. At the same time, immigrants and immigrant rights organizations have alleged that the facility is overcrowded and Unsanitary and that immigrants are held there are being denied access to medicine and to lawyers. The government had been adamantly denying those claims, saying they were, quote, categorically false. Now, I say the government had been denying those claims because yesterday, when a government lawyer was forced to confirm or deny those allegations in court, the government's lawyer conceded that all of those allegations were, in fact, true. The government did not dispute that there were no beds or sleeping mats in the facility, or that immigrants were not given access to medication, or that immigrants were denied, in person access to legal representation. Now, after hearing all of that, that it was, in fact, categorically true, the federal judge in the case ordered ICE to immediately improve conditions in the facility. That means less credit cells and access to medical care and attorneys. It means immigrants must be provided with clean bedding and mats to sleep on, as well as soap, towels, toilet paper, toothbrushes and toothpaste. That is what it looks like when pushback works. This is the Roybell Federal Building in the other side of the country. On the other side of the country in downtown Los angeles. Just like 26 Federal Plaza in New York, the Roybel Building has been used by ICE to detain an unknown number of immigrants, despite not being designed in any way to do so. And just like in New York, activists allege that the conditions in the facility are inhumane. And just like in New York, members of Congress have been demanding entry into the facility to see for themselves, trying to push back. Congressman Jimmy Gomez, who represents the area, had been turned away over and over again. And we talked about it with him a number of times about it on the show until on Monday, he was finally let in, only to find the place all but empty, like no one had ever been held there, which we know is not the case. Joining me now is Congressman Jimmy Gomez. Thank you so much for being here with us. And, you, Honor, we've talked about this. I mean, you've been kind enough to come on our show and talk about this and your efforts to get into the facility to really advocate for access. So tell us now that you've been in there. I alluded to some of it, but what did you see when you were finally let into this ICE facility on Monday?
- [25:21]
Chris Murphy
Well, it was straight out of the Twilight Zone. We heard stories that it was overcrowded, that people were there, kept for days, and we were finally let in. And when we finally got in, it was B18. I kind of already had an idea what it would look like. It's in the basin. It's Nine different cells. It's a big area in the middle where people get processed. But when we get in, no one is there except two people. One person was talking to the Mexican consulate who happened to be there, and the other person was just in the cell with their head down on the table or something. He was just kind of sitting there. So they've been running raids even over the weekend, and all of a sudden there's no one there. That's just completely bizarre. It doesn't hold to what should be the case, but that's what we knew would happen if we gave them notice. So we actually got. Finally got in after almost 14 days, two weeks of giving them a notice and having an appointment. So it was completely staged, completely cleared out. Nobody was being held there and you hardly saw anybody on duty because there was also nobody there. And then I heard from different families that some of their loved ones were actually shipped to Santa Ana because they knew that the members of Congress were coming in.
- [26:43]
Commentator
That's incredible. I mean, not surprising, as you said, because you've been trying to get in for days now. The Santa Ana facility, is that one you and others have tried to get into. Is that a next step here or what's next?
- [26:57]
Chris Murphy
So what's next is to. The way I'm kind of looking at it. Santa Ana, that handles a lot of the people in Orange county that are getting caught up in raids. The one in downtown is mostly everybody in LA County. What I've heard after that is from different family members that people started getting shipped back into the downtown facility. So what I'm going to do is kind of try to do show up according to the law that allows me to drop in without any notice to see what truly is going on there. Additionally, we're trying to track down families and find out how long their loved ones were held. Good example. When we were meeting with with ICE in the detention facility, they told us that no one was held there more than 72 hours. That same day I talked to a family and a daughter of a loved one who got arrested and held there. She said that her father was arrested on a Monday and wasn't released until Saturday or Sunday of that week. So they keep lying over and over and over again because they know that they're breaking the law.
- [28:03]
Commentator
We just showed some footage from a cell phone of a facility in New York. I know, as you've said, you've been in touch with a lot of these. Some family members, some people who have been impacted in communities. Tell us a little bit since it was staged. What is your understanding of what the conditions in this facility had been like before it was emptied out? Because that was of course why you wanted to gain access and really see it yourself.
- [28:27]
Chris Murphy
My we first my office got contacted by somebody that was saying that they got arrested at a check in at the court. They were doing their yearly ICE check in. They get arrested and a child and a mother was held there. What I was told is that there are people that were sleeping on the ground, which makes sense because there's no beds there and it's only meant to hold people up to 12 hours. They weren't getting enough food because they only provide a little bit of water, chips or cookies, which is true because it's only supposed to be held. People are only supposed to be held there for 12 hours. So all of a sudden this place is supposed to be packed and then there's nobody there. And then I even asked other people, what is it like before, just like a normal ICE detention facility before Trump, the Trump administration, there's always people there. So to say that all of a sudden there's only two people, it just happens to be the same day that the members of Congress are supposed. So that's what I'm talking about is just a blatant lie and a cover up because they know that if we see what's really going on that we can provide feedback to Congress but also to the public on what's going on inside.
- [29:41]
Commentator
Yeah, I mean, you areyou are alsoyou're not just trying to visit these facilities. You are also part of a lawsuit suing ICE for denying you and other members of Congress entrance into federally run detention facilities to prevent this from happening. What is the latest on where that lawsuit stands?
- [29:59]
Chris Murphy
Yes, I'm filing this lawsuit as an individual member of Congress because the law says that I can at any drop in, at any moment notice, present my congressional ID card, which I did, and survey, go inside and look at the conditions in the facility. Nothing more than that and how people are being treated. So we filed a preliminary injunction where waiting to see what happens. But that's what we're going to keep pushing because we believe that this administration is breaking the law and is outside the bounds of the law when it comes to, as an individual member of Congress, my right to inspect and conduct oversight.
- [30:39]
Commentator
Congressman Jimmy Gomez, you have been a tireless advocate. Thank you as always for joining us. We really appreciate it.
- [30:46]
Chris Murphy
Thank you.
- [30:47]
Commentator
Coming up, another Trump official tries to extend explain the huge cut in funding for vaccines. First, it's very weird the explanation? I'll talk about it. But first, a most unusual run up to a most unusual meeting in Alaska. The latest on the Trump Putin summit when we come back. So we now know exactly where President Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week. Their meeting on Friday is of course set for Anchorage, Alaska. We've known that for a couple days, but more specifically, it's going to be at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska's largest military installation. And the base isn't just any run of the mill military base. It has a lot of history. It was even an important part of the US Strategy for countering the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Still home to aircraft squadrons that intercept Russian aircraft when they cross into American airspace. That is where they are meeting. Given that Russia used to own Alaska, and given the significance of Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson and Russian American relations, it's almost like it was chosen to make Putin feel special or something. I mean, Trump is handing Putin a perfect photo opportunity, not just on American soil, but on the military base where the US Scrambles planes to meet Russian fighter jets in an American state whose territory Russia used to own. So those are the optics of the meeting. There's also the question of how their Friday meeting might go. And for that, it's worth looking back at this jaw dropping moment in 2018, after a meeting between the two world leaders in Helsinki, Finland, when Trump openly sided with Putin over US Intelligence agencies.
- [32:37]
Ondeck Advertiser
Just now, President Putin denied having anything.
- [32:39]
Commentator
To do with the election interference. In 2016, every US intelligence agency has concluded that Russia did what?
- [32:46]
Ondeck Advertiser
Who?
- [32:47]
Commentator
My first question for you, sir, is who do you believe?
- [32:50]
Donald Trump
My people came to me. Dan Coats came to me and some others. They said they think it's Russia. I have President Putin. He just said it's not Russia. I will say this, I don't see any reason why it would be.
- [33:05]
Commentator
You don't see any reason why it would be? How about your intelligence agency and your Director of National Intelligence, who you just name checked that aside, I mean, obviously the Helsinki summit was such a disaster for Trump that his top Russia adviser at the time, Fiona Hill, later said, quote, my initial thought was just how can I end this? I literally did have in my mind the idea of faking some kind of medical emergency and throwing myself backwards at the loud, blood curdling scream into the media. It's quite a visual. But I get it. I mean, now, as someone who has worked in two administrations, it's not something that has really ever crossed my mind. But what makes Trump's comments from Helsinki. So important ahead of the meeting on this Friday in Alaska is that Russia is still attacking the United States. The New York Times reported this week that investigators have now uncovered evidence that Russia is at least partly responsible for the recent hacking of the computer system that manages federal federal court documents. That system includes highly sensitive records that could reveal intelligence sources and people charged with national security crimes. In any other circumstance, whether a Democratic president, a Republican president, anyone, this would be at the top of the agenda. Naturally enough, of course, Trump was asked today if he would bring up this new attack with Putin. Here's what he said.
- [34:22]
Jeff
There's a new reporting that the Russians have hacked into some computer systems that.
- [34:28]
Commentator
Manage US Federal court documents. Documents.
- [34:30]
Jeff
I wonder if you've seen this reporting and if you plan to bring it.
- [34:33]
Commentator
Up with Putin when you see him.
- [34:34]
Jeff
Later in the week.
- [34:34]
Donald Trump
I guess I could. Are you surprised? You know, he's surprised. They hack in. That's what they do.
- [34:41]
Commentator
It's US Courts. I mean, you would think the president of the United States might be a little more concerned about a foreign adversary hacking into our federal court system. But Trump is out there playing it down as that's what they do, such as life. That's what they do. Have him on US Soil, no problem. And that's a pretty unusual response, to put it mildly. Just like it's unusual that a US President agreed to hold the summit on American soil. It's also unusual that a US President has said so many contradictory things in the span of just a few days about what he wants to accomplish in this meeting. I mean, last week Trump hinted that a deal could be made for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Then on Monday, he called it a feel out meeting, whatever that means. He floated the idea that Ukraine should give up some of its territory in a land swap with Russia. Today, Trump told reporters there could be a second meeting with Putin soon after this one that would be more important than the first one. Normally, you'd want to see how the first date goes before you commit to a second date. That's true in nearly any relationship, certainly with an authoritarian dictator. Meanwhile, he told European leaders that he won't discuss dividing up territory with Putin this week and that Putin will face severe consequences is if he doesn't agree to a ceasefire on Friday. This seems totally unprepared. Normally you prepare for these things for weeks and kind of all over the place in a high stakes summit like this. That alone is alarming. But the thing I can't get out of my head while Trump plays down Russian hacking attempts and rolls out the red carpet for Putin in Alaska on a military base. What I cannot stop asking myself is what more could the Kremlin possibly want? Up next, a conversation about your health and my help. Former CDC director Tom Frieden will give us his take on the big Trump cuts in funding for vaccines when we come back. We are learning more about Friday's deadly shooting at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says the suspect fired 500 rounds during the attack, which left a police officer dead. The suspect, who also died, apparently blamed the COVID 19 vaccine for making his back pain worse. While we have no evidence that his health problems had anything to do with the vaccine, the attack has understandably unnerved people who work at the cdc. One official telling the Washington Post, quote, there is a direct line from the vilification of CDC during COVID and the deliberate lies and mis disinformation that continues to. And that rhetoric is only continuing because the guy in charge, Health Secretary RFK Jr. Not only has a history of saying anti vax things, he's also taken a number of steps since coming into this job that reduce availability and even trust in the vaccine. In May, he removed the recommendation for Covid vaccines for children and anyone who's pregnant. In June, he fired the CDC's vaccine advisory panel and then stacked it with anti vaxxers. And last week, he canceled nearly $500 million going towards MRNA vaccines. Kennedy defended the decision by claiming the MRNA vaccine didn't work well enough against respiratory infections like the flu and Covid. But we know from the pandemic that MRNA vaccine saved lives, more than two and a half million, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. And if the original explanation for cutting the funding weren't confusing enough, now the administration is trying another one. In an op ed for the Washington Post this week, NIH director Jay Bhattacharya writes, quote, the MRNA platform is promising technology. I do not dispute its potential. That sounds very different than the HHS secretary. But he goes on to say, but as a vaccine intended for broad public use, especially during a public health emergency, the platform has failed. A crucial earning public trust. Again, that was in a written op ed. It wasn't just like a spur of the moment comment. So we've held Secretary Kennedy denying the vaccines work well enough despite huge data to suggest otherwise, and using that to justify why they cut the $500 million for developing future MRNA jabs. And his NIH director saying, hey, it's got potential, but really, they cut the Money because the public doesn't trust the vaccines. Nothing like clear fact based health advice from the people in charge there. There you go. Joining us now to help us actually get some clear, accurate health advice is Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thank you so much for being with me. And I hate to start here, I hate that we have to start here, but let's just bust any disinformation to start with. What are your recommendations as a medical expert on MRNA vaccines? How do you see this for people.
- [39:20]
Tom Frieden
Watching, Jen, the big picture is these are some of the best studied vaccines that have ever been delivered. They are proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to reduce the risk that someone will get hospitalized or die from COVID That's particularly important for older people and people with underlying health conditions such as immunocompromised who are at higher risk. The COVID vaccination also seems to reduce the risk of long Covid in people who get it. So the statements that the COVID vaccine doesn't work or inaccurate statements that it's done more harm than good, these are simply untrue. And the good news here, and it's important to keep this in perspective. The Good news, Jen, 93% of parents get their kids fully vaccinated. This is a small but unfortunately growing kind of anti fact. I wouldn't say it's anti vax, it's anti vaccine. I don't think I or other public health doctors are pro vaccine. We're pro health, we're pro child. Sometimes that means vaccines are the best way to get there.
- [40:33]
Commentator
I mentioned the shooting last week, which I think was incredibly startling. I mean, you know very, of course, very well. I mean the people who work at the CDC are public health experts. They're people who are trying to do research, trying to deliver public health advice to the American, American public. And there are some people who work there who are drawing the link between anti vaccine rhetoric and the shooting that took place. They're scared. How do you see it?
- [40:56]
Tom Frieden
Well, first and foremost, my heart goes out to the family, friends and colleagues of Officer David Rose. We should never forget these are lives lost. And I think about the people I worked with at cdc. During my time at cdc there was a large Ebola epidemic in West Africa and I met with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and now hundreds of CDC staff spent months and months there helping to fight and end that epidemic. And President Johnson Sirleaf said to me, when everybody else was running away, you were running towards us to help. And when I thanked one of the officers who had spent many months there. I'll never forget what he said. He said, I want to be able to tell my kids and grandkids what I did in the war against Covid, just as our parents are proud of what they did in World War II. That's the kind of spirit at CDC we have to protect the people who dedicate their lives to protecting us.
- [42:02]
Commentator
There were some crucial MRNA vaccines, vaccines close to becoming available. You would know better than I do. But one of the tragedies here is about what it's preventing from moving forward. All of these cuts, potential breakthroughs. There was one, I believe, an MRNA vaccine that could prevent cancer. That was close. But what other breakthroughs are we missing out on when this administration attempts to kind of shut the door to mRNA?
- [42:30]
Tom Frieden
Jenna, I'd like to put this in context. Our computers have gotten better in the last few decades. Our cars have gotten better in the last few decades. Medicines that prevent heart attacks and strokes and treat cancer have gotten better in the last few decades. And vaccines have also gotten better. There have been a series of innovations that are really exciting. Vaccines that use fewer antigens, better adjuvants, vaccines that are more targeted, vaccines that use recombinant technologies and MRNA vaccines, vaccines that link to sugars, what are called conjugated vaccines. These are a series of innovations, and all of them have made vaccines safer, more effective, and available to treat a wider range of illnesses. Already we have two vaccines, not MRNA vaccines that prevent cancer, from preventing infection with HPV and hbv. If we tie this, tie our hand behind our back and say, oh, let's fight infections and cancer without that, because some people don't like it, you know, that really is risking all of our health. This is about safer, healthier people. The CDC works 247 to protect people from health threats. We need to protect our health workers and our public health workers.
- [43:51]
Commentator
Dr. Tom Frieden, thank you for giving us some clear, accurate public health information. I really appreciate you being here. We'll be right back.
- [43:58]
Tom Frieden
Thank you.
- [44:03]
Commentator
Unless you spend a lot of time on right wing influencer Instagram, you probably haven't heard or thought about Ivanka Trump in quite a while. That's because after her stint as an advisor for Trump during his first administration, Ivanka consciously uncoupled herself from the White House this time around, and she stepped away from politics altogether. She addressed her absence on a beauty podcast earlier this year saying, quote, I hate politics and it's a very dark, negative business and some people love the gladiator aspect of it. The fight that was never me. But don't worry, Ivanka's kept herself busy living her best influencer life on Instagram. Here she is in Venice for the infamous Bezos Sanchez wedding, wearing some choice western wear in Wyoming and lots and lots of glam shots. But now she may be making her big comeback to the White House. What could be so enticing to convince Ivanka, who in her own words, hates politics, especially the gladiator aspect, especially the fighting. What could convince her to re enter the political arena? Well, apparently a job planning a physical fight on the White House lawn. Trump has reportedly decided to celebrate The United States 250th birthday next 4th of July with a UFC cage fight on the South Lawn. Not making it up. And he reportedly wants Ivanka to put it all together. And according to UFC CEO Dana White, she's already getting started. So there you have it, everyone. Happy 250th birthday, America. Here's your present. A fight at the White House and the return of everyone's favorite gladiator. I mean, it sounds crazy, but maybe don't bet on it not happening. I guess 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. Pass it on.
- [45:46]
Pass It On Advertiser
Today my bank made a big mistake but I forgave them. My server spilled water on me but I forgave him. My toddler drew lipstick on the wall was high ever mad. It got me thinking I can forgive my bank and my server, but I'm upset with my own kid. I mean, what's most important here? So tonight the two of us are doing lipstick art on paper. Forgiveness is in you. Pass it on from pass it on.