Spencer Pratt Surging in LA Mayor Race, DNC Autopsy Report Fight, UFO Files Released: AM Update 5/11

Summary

---

The Megyn Kelly Show – AM Update: Spencer Pratt Surging in LA Mayor Race, DNC Autopsy Report Fight, UFO Files Released

Date: May 11, 2026

---

Episode Overview

In this special Mother’s Day edition of the AM Update, Thatcher, Yates, and Yeardley (subbing in for Megyn Kelly) deliver a brisk rundown of the top news stories: Spencer Pratt’s unexpected surge in the Los Angeles Mayoral race and his spat with CBS News, fresh controversy inside the Democratic National Committee over a secret 2024 election "autopsy" report, the Pentagon’s release of new UFO (UAP) materials, and a public health alert after a deadly cruise ship hantavirus outbreak. The episode is characterized by fast-paced, conversational reporting, incorporating direct audio clips from newsmakers, and sharp moment-to-moment analysis.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Spencer Pratt’s Rise in the LA Mayoral Race

• Surge in Prediction Markets ([02:33]):

  • Spencer Pratt, best known as the “villain” on The Hills, is now surging in LA’s mayoral race, jumping in betting market odds from 13% to 30% for a win.
  • He’s running as a local-focused, anti-establishment candidate following his personal loss in the 2025 Palisades fire.

• Major Campaign Themes:

  • Criticism of Current Leadership: Pratt relentlessly attacks city officials for failures on disaster prep, homelessness, basic services, and spending on nonprofits.
  • Evasion of National Political Labels: Though a registered Republican, Pratt distances himself from national narratives, keeping it “all LA.”

• Notable Episode Quotes & Moments:

  • On Political Outsiders ([06:06]):

    “Yeah, because we're living their experience right now. Their experience has failed us. So what we need is somebody to come in with common sense... The DEA has said 90% of the people living on the streets in Los Angeles are drug addicts. Drug addicts do not want beds. They want drugs. We need mandatory treatment. I don't mean jail...”
    — Spencer Pratt

  • Media Fight with CBS ([05:21]):

    “CBS filmed with me on my burned out lot for over an hour and they turned it over to Karen Bass PR team to edit it into a comical 5 minute hit piece with clips from the Hills...”
    — Pratt on social media
    After posting accusations, CBS releases the full 28-minute interview to the public.

  • Pratt’s Metro Promise ([06:51]):

    “I'm promising my voters the Metro, Metro buses, the Metro trains, they will be free from urine feces stabbing attacks. So that's kind of similar. We both had free things for public transportation.”
    — Spencer Pratt (in reference to NYC Mayor Mamdani's free subway plan)

• Current Standing ([07:12]):

  • Mayor Karen Bass: Rising in betting markets post-debate (up to 51% on Kalshi)
  • Nithya Raman: Sharp fall (down to 22%)
  • Significant: 40% of LA electorate still undecided according to recent UCLA poll.

---

2. DNC’s Secret 2024 Election Autopsy Report Fight

• Background ([07:38]):

  • DNC Chair Ken Martin commissioned a sweeping report (“autopsy”) on the 2024 election losses, originally promising public release, but then reversed course in December, citing it as a distraction.

• Inside Tensions ([08:47]):

  • Party members and former VP Kamala Harris pressing for release, believing transparency will help; fears of finger-pointing and blame-shifting are high.
  • On the need for focus, not blame:

    “Because what ends up happening here is that people of course want to weaponize the report in a way to look backwards, to point fingers, place blame... What we don't need to be focused on is actually relitigating 2024.”
    — DNC Spokesperson ([09:08])

  • Ashley Etienne, on NBC ([10:07]):

    “...It's going to include one, an assessment of the organizing infrastructure of the party... as well as fundraising and how and where the money was spent and that's going to be the most explosive part because there are speculations that decisions were made by campaign leadership to line their pockets rather than actually advance a strategy to win the election.”

• Predicted Release:

  • Pressure mounts; insiders say release is imminent and expect it to expose discord and misallocation of funds.

---

3. Pentagon UFO (UAP) Files Released

• New Disclosures ([12:27]):

  • Pentagon launches war.gov/ufo, posting over 160 files (mostly PDFs), 28 videos, 14 images; some files date back to the 1940s.
  • Release follows President Trump’s February order for more UFO (UAP) transparency.

• Highlights from the Files:

  • Apollo 11 Debrief: Buzz Aldrin describes seeing inexplicable flashes of light during the moon mission—possibly a laser ([13:15]).
  • 2023 Western US Case: Federal officers witness “orbs launching other orbs”—“among the most compelling reports” per Pentagon ([13:36]).
  • Ongoing: More materials to be released over coming weeks.

• Cultural Impact:

  • Mention of Steven Spielberg’s forthcoming movie, Disclosure Day, premiering June 17.

---

4. Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak

• Situation Update ([14:41]):

  • MV Hondias cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak near the Canary Islands; 17 Americans among those disembarked.

• Disease Details:

  • The outbreak strain can transmit person-to-person (unusual), with a 40% case fatality rate. But, officials stress risk is low and transmission is rare.
  • At least three deaths, nine confirmed or suspected cases.

• Repatriation Process:

  • Americans are being received in Nebraska for evaluation at the National Quarantine Unit ([15:49]).
  • CDC protocols:

    “We're going to interview them and assess them for risk. Risk is... high risk if they've been in close contact with somebody who was symptomatic. If they weren't in close contact... we're going to deem them low risk.”
    — Dr. J. Bhattacharya ([15:49])

• Assurance to Public:

  • WHO: “This is not another Covid and the risk to the public is low, so they shouldn't be scared and they shouldn't panic.” ([16:23])

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Spencer Pratt’s Mayoral Campaign Surge | 02:33–07:12 | | CBS News Interview Controversy | 05:03–06:45 | | DNC 2024 Election Autopsy Report Fight | 07:38–10:56 | | Pentagon UFO (UAP) Disclosure | 12:27–14:41 | | Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak | 14:41–16:42 |

---

Memorable Quotes

• Spencer Pratt on Experience & Common Sense ([06:06]):

  “Their experience has failed us. So what we need is somebody to come in with common sense.”

• Pratt on CBS News Segment ([05:21]):

  “They can't beat my ideas, they can't beat me in the debates, so they gotta try to turn my campaign into a sideshow.”

• DNC Spokesperson on Autopsy Report Secrecy ([09:08]):

  “What we don't need to be focused on is actually relitigating 2024.”

• Ashley Etienne on Explosive Details ([10:07]):

  “...the most explosive part because there are speculations that decisions were made by campaign leadership to line their pockets rather than actually advance a strategy to win the election.”

• Dr. Bhattacharya on CDC Procedures ([15:49]):

  “We're going to interview them and assess them for risk... then be put in the control... of their state and local public health agencies with the CDC support all the way.”

---

Tone and Style

The hosts maintain a brisk, irreverent tone—mixing quick-fire updates with direct audio grabs and a touch of skepticism toward official narratives. There are flashes of dry humor (especially in referencing Pratt’s “Metro free from urine feces stabbing attacks” promise) and an emphasis on clarity and direct impact for listeners.

---

Conclusion

This AM Update delivers a rapid-fire, comprehensive recap of political and cultural headlines—from a reality TV star turned serious mayoral contender and Democratic Party infighting to government transparency on UFOs and a global health scare. The episode uses pointed soundbites and hard facts to drive home the urgency and color of the current news cycle, making it an engaging primer for anyone catching up on May 2026’s leading stories.

Transcript

[Shopify Advertiser]

You didn't start a business just to keep the lights on. You're here to sell more today than yesterday. You're here to win. Lucky for you, Shopify built the best converting checkout on the planet like the just one tapping ridiculously fast acting sky high sales stacking champion at checkouts. That's the good stuff right there. So if your business is in it to win it, win with Shopify. Start your free trial [e-mail] winner.

[Thatcher]

Good morning everyone. I'm Thatcher.

[Yates]

I'm Yates.

[Yeardley]

And I'm yeardley. It's Monday, May 11, 2026, and this is a special Mother's Day edition of AM Update where we're giving our mom the day off.

[Spencer Pratt]

We're living their experience right now. Their experience has failed us.

[Thatcher]

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt is surging in the prediction markets and sparring with CBS News over claims of selective editing.

[DNC Spokesperson]

What we don't need to be focused on is actually relitigating.

[Thatcher]

2024 Democrats ramping up pressure on their party chair to release a secret report on what went wrong in the 2024 election. The Pentagon dropping a trove of newly declassified UFO files. And 17Americans in the middle of a deadly cruise ship hantavirus outbreak now off the vessel as health officials prepare to screen them in Nebraska. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM.

[Birch Gold Group Advertiser]

When there are supply constraints on commodities prices surge, you see it with fuel prices with everything happening in the Strait of Hormuz right now. And you know what else is a limited commodity? Gold. They mine it out of the ground and when it's gone, it's gone. Governments cannot just print more of it. And that's why everyone from central banks to savvy savers consider diversifying with gold. If you've been thinking about it for years, like so many, but have still never moved some of your savings into physical gold, consider Birch Gold Group. Now through May 29, Birch Gold is giving first time gold buyers a rebate of up to 10,000 bucks on qualifying purchases. For details and a free information kit on diversifying into Gold. Text MK to the number 989898. Birch Gold can help you convert an existing IRA or 401K into a tax sheltered IRA in physical gold. Text MK to the number 989898 to see if you qualify for a first time gold buyer rebate of up to $10,000.

[Yates]

Fresh off his performance on the Los Angeles mayoral debate stage last week, former reality TV star Spencer Pratt dominating the political and cultural conversation the outsider now seeing the prospects of his unlikely victory rising with prediction markets signaling his surge in the race. Pratt, best known for his role as the villain on MTV's reality series the Hills, entering the mayoral race after his home burned down in the 2025 Palisades fire, pointing to what he calls overwhelming failures by city officials to prepare for and respond to the disaster. Since then, Pratt's campaign has evolved into a broader referendum on politics as usual in Los Angeles, with the candidate hammering city leaders over homelessness, public safety, affordability and basic city services. He has been especially critical of the millions spent on homeless outreach and nonprofit contracts. Though he is a registered Republican, Pratt has tried to avoid becoming a national political proxy, keeping his message almost entirely local and casting his campaign as a revolt against the City hall establishment. While no formal post debate polls have been released on polymarket, Pratt has gone from just a 13% chance of winning the race to 30% as of last night. Current Mayor Karen Bass rising as well since the debate, up from 27% to 49%, largely thanks to the complete collapse of City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who has fallen from 55% to 22% on Kalshi Bass at 51% and Pratt at 30%. While not a substitute for polling, betting markets suggest traders now see Pratt as Bass closest challenger heading into the final stretch. Mayor Bass may be coming to the same realization on Saturday, the mayor pulling out at the next televised forum set for this coming Wednesday, Pratt previously declining an invitation, citing scheduling conflicts as Pratt has taken a higher profile, he's facing off with the national media organization over claims of biased edits. Pratt sitting down with CBS News late last week for an interview on the burned out lot where his home once stood, the outlet condensing the interview into a short package featuring clips from Pratt's reality TV villain days and its own political analysis.

[CBS News Reporter]

Pratt first made a name for himself as the resident villain on MTV's hit show the Hills.

[Spencer Pratt]

I got a sister crying in my face with drama, he yelled at me.

[CBS News Reporter]

But the 42 year old former reality star who has no political experience is now a main character in the Los Angeles mayoral race. Why should voters believe that you who don't have any experience in that realm can actually be the solution?

[Spencer Pratt]

I may not have the experience, but I have the common sense to say this is not working.

[Political Commentator]

It's going to be a hard road to convince a very blue city like LA to take a chance on not only a novice politician, but somebody who has pretty much aligned himself with Donald Trump and with Republicans, Republicans Pratt responding

[Yates]

in a series of social media posts accusing CBS of cutting the interview into a quote, hit piece. CBS filmed with me on my burned out lot for over an hour and they turned it over to Karen Bass PR team to edit it into a comical 5 minute hit piece with clips from the Hills. They can't beat my ideas, they can't beat me in the debates, so they gotta try to turn my campaign into a sideshow. On Saturday, CBS News posting the whole 28 minute interview to social media. In the extended interview, Pratt elaborating on one of the central arguments of his campaign that political experience in Los Angeles is not an asset. If the people with experience are the ones who created the crisis, why should

[CBS News Reporter]

voters believe that you who don't have any experience in that realm can actually be the solution?

[Spencer Pratt]

Yeah, because we're living their experience right now. Their experience has failed us. So what we need is somebody to come in with common sense. They're going to continue their experience is to tell you that all these people just need a bed. We need more billions of dollars for these beds. The DEA has said 90% of the people living on the streets in Los Angeles are drug addicts. Drug addicts do not want beds. They want drugs. We need mandatory treatment. I don't mean jail. They don't need to get jail, but we need to get mandatory medical treatment to get people off of super method, get them off of fentanyl and then we can work on getting them beds.

[Yates]

In another moment, Pratt addresses comparisons between himself and New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani.

[Spencer Pratt]

The one thing I connect with is I know he promised his voters like the subway will be free. And I'm promising my voters the Metro, Metro buses, the Metro trains, they will be free from urine feces stabbing attacks. So that's kind of similar. We both had free things for public transportation.

[Yates]

Early voting already underway ahead of the June 2 primary. If no candidate reaches the 50% threshold, the top two finishers advance to a Nov. 3 runoff. An early April poll from UCLA's Luskin School of Public affairs finding 40% of the electorate remains undecided, with Mayor Bass leading the field at 25%, followed by Pratt with 11% and Rahman at 9%. But as we get new polls, we'll bring them to you.

[Yeardley]

Democratic National National Committee Chair Ken Martin taking fire from fellow Democrats over his refusal to release the DNC's full autopsy report on the 2024 election, with rumblings the report may be coming out after pushback from his own party, Martin ordering the review shortly after becoming DNC chair in February of last year. The effort reportedly included hundreds of interviews across all 50 states looking at what went wrong in the presidential race down ballot races, organizing communications, fundraising and spending. The report, totaling roughly 200 pages, initially expected to be made public. But in December, Martin abruptly reversing course, deciding to keep the report a secret, releasing a statement here's our North Star. Does this help us win? If the answer is no, it's a distraction from the core mission, the decision fueling backlash within the party in mid April, more than a dozen DNC members calling on Martin to release the findings. Later that month, DNC Chair Ken Martin appearing on the Pod Save America podcast where former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau repeatedly pressed him on why he will not release the full report.

[Jon Favreau]

So what changed between August and December? I understand there are lessons, but those are not the full report. Why not release the full report? What's in the report that you wouldn't want to?

[DNC Spokesperson]

Yeah, there's no smoking gun in the report. And I know that's what everyone's so eager to learn, the smoking gun. Guess what, John?

[Jon Favreau]

But if there's no smoking gun, why wouldn't you just release at that?

[DNC Spokesperson]

Because we want to keep the focus on the lessons. Because what ends up happening here is that people of course want to weaponize the report in a way to look backwards, to point fingers, place blame in a way that actually doesn't keep us focused on the upcoming election, but instead the navel gazing of focusing backwards actually takes us backwards. We're 189 days from this election, John. What we don't need to be focused on is actually relitigating 2024. What we need to do is learn the lessons of 24 in the years preceding that can help us win this upcoming election. That's why we've been releasing them. That's why we've been focused in on actually putting those lessons into action.

[Yeardley]

Former Vice President Kamala Harris also reportedly backing the report's release. According to NBC News. Yesterday on NBC, Democratic strategist Ashley Etienne suggesting the pressure campaign on the DNC may be working and that any release could expose some uncomfortable truths inside the party.

[Ashley Etienne]

I'm being told that the Democratic Party is going to release the autopsy in a matter of weeks and it's going to include four things. It's going to include one, an assessment of the organizing infrastructure of the party, an assessment of messaging and media strategy as well as fundraising and how and where the money was spent and that's going to be the most explosive part because there are speculations that decisions were made by campaign leadership to line their pockets rather than actually advance a strategy to win the election. That is really the question that's on the table here that I think is causing a lot of people to want to discard and brush this under the rug. And I'm also hearing that Ken Martin is suffering a lot of pressure. He wants transparency, but there's pressure from within the party, the DNC and campaign leadership to bury this report.

[Thatcher]

Coming up, a new trove of declassified UFO or UAP files released by the Pentagon and 17Americans who were aboard a cruise ship hit by a deadly virus. Now off the vessel with health officials preparing for their return to the States.

[Birch Gold Group Advertiser]

Feeling sluggish, bloated, not quite like yourself, Life constantly bombards us with silent threats, processed foods, artificial light, non stop stress, all of which can disrupt gut health, drain energy and weaken immune health. When that happens, it's not that your body is broken, it's that it might be missing the right inputs. That's why I want to tell you about Amra Colostrum. It's packed with more than 400 bioactive nutrients that they say can work at a foundational level to fortify gut health, support immune health, fuel recovery, and promote whole body vitality. Strong gut integrity can support metabolism, skin and hair health, and even performance and recovery, which is why Colostrum has long been valued by some elite athletes as well. If you are looking to take back control of your health from the inside out, consider armra and they have a special deal for you right now. Go to armra.com megan a r m r a dot com megan r. Or just enter Megan when you when you check out to get 30% off your first subscription order, that's a rmra.com/megyn

[Thatcher]

in a long anticipated disclosure, the Pentagon releasing a trove of declassified materials on Friday related to the Unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, the updated government term for UFOs. The Department of War launching a new website, war.gov UFO posting the first batch of materials including over 160 files, most of them PDFs, along with 28 videos and 14 image files. Some of the records dating back to the 1940s. The Pentagon indicating more releases will come on a rolling basis over the next few weeks. The release coming after President Trump directed the Secretary of War and other federal agencies back in February to begin identifying the release of government files related to alien life and UAPs. President Trump posting to Truth Social on Friday. Whereas previous administrations have failed to be transparent on the subject, with these new documents and videos, the people can decide for themselves what the hell is going on. Have fun and enjoy. The New York Times and ABC News pointing to NASA transcripts from 1969 included in the release, documenting a technical debriefing with Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. In the transcript, Aldrin described flashes of light during the moon mission, saying he saw what appeared to be a fairly bright light source with the crew tentatively ascribed to a possible laser. ABC News highlighting one of the more notable cases in The Files, a two day encounter in the Western US in 2023 where federal law enforcement officers separately reported seeing orbs around glowing objects, including one account of, quote, orbs launching other orbs. The Pentagon describing the case as quote, among the most compelling reports it has reviewed. 2026 is shaping up to feature a summer of disclosure. The latest Steven Spielberg movie called Disclosure Day Hits Theaters June TW17.

[Yeardley]

Americans are among the dozens of passengers who disembarked yesterday from the MV Hondias cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak. The ship anchoring off the coast of the Canary Islands, where officials from several countries are now working to repatriate passengers without risking further spread of the deadly disease. Hantavirus spreads primarily through contact with infected rodent waste, the strain responsible for this outbreak. The only type that can spread person to person through close contact, it carries a roughly 40% fatality rate, though official stress transmission between people is rare. At least nine confirmed or suspected hantavirus cases have now been tied to the ship, including three deaths, according to the World Health Organization. The Americans met by a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or cdc, with the State Department, arranging their flight back to the U.S. according to NBC News. The University of Nebraska Medical Center's National Quarantine Unit is preparing to receive them for evaluation. Acting CDC Director Dr. J. Bhattacharya yesterday on CNN describing what the next steps will look like for the Americans.

[Dr. J. Bhattacharya]

We're going to interview them and assess them for risk. Risk is a high risk if they've been in close contact with somebody who was symptomatic. If they weren't in close contact with someone who was symptomatic, then they were going to deem them low risk. At that point, we will offer them, you know, alternatives, including an offer to stay in Nebraska if they'd like or if they want to go back home and their home situation allows it to to safely fly them home without exposing other people on the way and then be put in the control put under the auspices of their state and local public health agencies with the CDC support all the way.

[Yeardley]

A CDC official telling the Wall Street Journal that passengers will be monitored for around six weeks. Yesterday morning the chief of the World Health Organization telling reporters, quote, this is not another Covid and the risk to the public is low, so they shouldn't be scared and they shouldn't panic.

[Yates]

That'll do it for your AM update. Join our mom back here for the MK show live on Sirius XM's the Megyn Kelly Channel 111 at noon eastern on YouTube.com Megyn Kelly and all podcast platforms. Thank you everyone. Happy Mother's Day.

[Thatcher]

Happy Mother's Day.

[Yeardley]

Thanks. Have a great day.

[Shopify Advertiser]

You didn't start a business just to keep the lights on. You're here to sell more today than yesterday. You're here to win. Lucky for you, Shopify built the best converting checkout on the planet. Like the just one tapping ridiculously fast acting sky high sales stacking champion at checkouts. That's the good stuff right there. So if your business is in it to win it, win with Shopify. Start your free trial [e-mail] win.