Meet the Press Full Episode — April 19

[0:00] This Sunday, pressure points. President Trump tries to squeeze Iran in an escalating standoff [0:07] in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries a fifth of the world's oil supply. [0:13] Iran wants to make a deal, and we're dealing very nicely with them. [0:17] If Iran chooses poorly, then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, [0:26] power, and energy. [0:27] As oil prices plunge and the fragile ceasefire holds, will the pressure force Tehran back [0:33] to the negotiating table? I'll talk to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, [0:39] and Steve Kornacki breaks down the warning signs for both parties in our latest poll. [0:43] Plus, city lessons. My exclusive interview with Mayor Zoran Mamdani as he marks his first 100 [0:50] days leading New York City. How would you describe your relationship with President Trump right now? [0:56] I would say that it's honest, it's direct, and it's productive. [1:00] And Brand Builder, our meet-the-moment conversation with Emma Greed, the entrepreneur behind the [1:07] Kardashian brands Skims and Good American. [1:10] We said we wanted to make all women feel seen, heard, and represented. I had no idea that we [1:16] were going to change the way the industry would depict women. [1:21] Joining me for insight and analysis are Jonathan Martin of Politico, Ashley Etienne, former [1:28] communications director to Vice President Harris, and Republican strategist Sarah Fagan. [1:33] Welcome to Sunday. It's Meet the Press. [1:38] From NBC News in Washington, the longest-running show in television history, this is Meet the Press [1:45] with Kristen Welker. [1:46] Good Sunday morning. There are serious questions this morning about the fragile ceasefires in [1:53] the Middle East. President Trump huddled with his national security team in the Situation Room [1:58] on Saturday after the Iranian military claimed it had taken strict control of the Strait of Hormuz [2:04] just a day after Iran's foreign ministry declared it open, with reports that at least two ships [2:11] have been fired on. Just this morning, the president calling it a total violation of our ceasefire [2:16] agreement. But he's not walking away from the negotiating table, adding that his team will [2:22] be in Pakistan tomorrow to continue talks. The president addressing the situation on Saturday. [2:28] We have very good conversations going on. It's working out very well. They got a little [2:35] cute as they have been doing for 47 years. They wanted to close up the Strait again, you know, [2:41] as they've been doing for years. And they can't blackmail us. [2:46] And joining me now is U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz. Ambassador Waltz, [2:51] welcome back to Meet the Press. [2:55] Yeah, thank you. Good to be with you. [2:56] It's good to have you back. I want to start with what is happening with the Strait of Hormuz. [3:01] Iran initially saying it was open, now saying it is closed. Let me ask you bluntly, [3:08] is the Strait of Hormuz opened or closed right now, Ambassador? [3:14] Well, you saw real confusion on the Iranians' part. I think that shows the discord within their [3:20] ranks after devastating attacks on their leadership. Yeah, the foreign minister says it's open. [3:27] The IRGC says it's closed. Regardless, it's the U.S. Navy and President Trump as the commander-in-chief [3:35] that decides what ultimately comes in and comes out. And I think the bigger picture here is that [3:41] the Iranian regime cannot hold the entire world's economy hostage. They cannot met out collective [3:49] punishment because of a dispute over its nuclear program. It's something that will not stand. [3:55] It's something actually in the United Nations that record 135 countries joined us and joined our [4:03] Gulf-Arab allies in condemning, including Iran's attacks on ports, airports, roads, bridges, [4:12] hotels, you name it, even civilian neighborhoods with their drones and with their missiles. [4:20] So Iran is increasingly isolated diplomatically. It's struggling economically with its currency and [4:28] foreign currency reserves tanking. And at the end of the day, they do not have the cards and [4:35] they're coming back to the table for a deal. Ambassador Waltz, you cite the U.S. Navy. So let [4:40] me just ask you, is the U.S. Navy in charge of the Strait of Hormuz? Who specifically is in charge [4:45] right now? Well, but that's the point. The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, [4:53] unlike what the Iranians are trying to claim. They've even moved the goalposts and are now [4:57] claiming that it's a waterway of theirs, which is an absolute violation of international law. [5:04] Ultimately, it's the U.S. Navy and President Trump that decides what comes in and what comes out. [5:09] Okay. And given the concerns over the mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the new reports of Iran firing [5:19] on tankers, Ambassador Waltz, is it even safe to trespass the Strait of Hormuz? [5:29] Well, we're going to make it safe at the end of the day. And it's not only us, [5:35] it's our Gulf Arab allies. Frankly, the Europeans have had a lot of discussions, but not delivered [5:42] in actual capability. But you can't have, just take a step back, you can't have a situation [5:48] where a party to a conflict, regardless of whether you agree with it or not, [5:53] can close down international waterways, whether it's the Straits of Gibraltar, [5:57] the Bering Strait, the Straits of Malacca. And this is why we've been so active at the United [6:02] Nations. And this is why President Trump has said this cannot and will not stand. [6:08] At the end of the day, the Iranians are not going to decide economic winners and losers. [6:15] But this is really a favor to the world in many ways, because what we're doing in ensuring that [6:21] it stays open is ensuring that the economies of Asia and Europe and elsewhere maintain their [6:29] supplies and are active. And by the way, there's a humanitarian component here as well in terms of [6:34] fertilizer, food, and other aid agencies that need that open for the ongoing crises in Africa. [6:42] So this is something the United States and President Trump is doing to ensure that no regime [6:50] can try to hold the world's economies hostage. [6:53] Ambassador Wallace, let me talk to you about the ceasefire, the ceasefire between the United States [6:57] in Iran, as you know, set to expire on Wednesday. President Trump warned in his post this morning, [7:04] if there's no deal, the U.S. will, quote, knock out every single power plant and every single bridge [7:10] in Iran. No more Mr. Nice Guy. If there is no deal by Wednesday, will the president extend the ceasefire [7:19] agreement? Well, that's ultimately a decision for the president. And I'm certainly not going to [7:26] negotiate on national television. Understood. But is it on the table? [7:31] I do want to get ahead of this. Is it on the table? Is that possibility on the table? [7:33] Everything's on, everything, absolutely everything's on the table. And the president's made it very [7:38] clear. He is prepared to escalate, to de-escalate this conflict as he should be. But I just want to, [7:45] I just want to get ahead of this other ridiculous and frankly irresponsible narrative that, that this [7:51] would somehow constitute a, quote, war crime that we've heard from democratic politicians, [7:56] the media and others in the international community. That is wrong. It's irresponsible. [8:02] And we have a long history of taking down bridges, power plants and other infrastructure that is [8:09] powering Iran's military. And they have a long history of conflating civilian and military [8:17] assets, including hiding weapons, caches, rockets and military hardware in schools, hospitals and other [8:25] civilian neighborhoods, which is a war crime on Iran's part. So I just want, that is, we just need [8:33] to knock that down and stop that irresponsible rhetoric. But as you know, some Iranian advocates [8:39] are urging the United States not to target civilian infrastructure. Are you saying the United States [8:45] is okay targeting civilians, the people of Iran? You said, number one, a quote, Iranian advocate [8:57] that is advocating for a regime that literally just machine gun 30 to 40,000 of its polarizing people. [9:02] No, no, people who are opposed to the regime. [9:04] And the course of a weekend. No, no, no, I don't take any credibility from Iranian advocates. [9:08] But secondarily, in the laws of land warfare and the rules of engagement, any type of infrastructure that is being commingled, that is being used to move military hardware is absolutely a legitimate target, as are power plants, the grid, and other things that are being used to power Iran's war economy, which, oh, by the way, the IRGC controls an estimated 40 to 50 percent of. [9:37] So the president will move up an escalation ladder responsibly, as our amazing military will follow those orders with him as a commander in chief, until Iran comes to the table and really lives up to a responsible deal that the vice president has put on the table. [9:57] It cannot and will not ever have a nuclear weapon. [10:00] And by the way, that's not just the United States. [10:03] There are dozens of U.N. resolutions over decades where the entire world has said Iran can't have a nuke. [10:09] And, Ambassador Walsh, just to be very clear, I'm referencing people who are completely opposed to the Iranian regime and yet don't want to see civilian infrastructure targeted. [10:18] But let's keep moving. [10:19] But we have to keep in mind that this is a regime that hides military hardware in homes and hospitals and schools. [10:27] But, Mr. Ambassador, understood. [10:29] Let's keep moving because we don't have a whole lot of time. [10:31] Will Vice President J.D. Vance still lead the talks after no deal was reached last week? [10:37] Will he lead these talks this coming week? [10:39] Well, look, my understanding from an announcement the president just made is that the team is going over. [10:49] I'll leave the delegation announcement to the White House. [10:53] But I got to tell you, the vice president, the president, the entire team is decisively engaged on this. [11:00] And he put a very reasonable offer on the table. [11:03] We'll see what the Iranians decide to do. [11:05] They can choose to be a responsible member of the international community or they can continue to be a rogue regime that maskers its own people and seeks to hold the world hostage with a nuclear weapon. [11:17] And I just thank God that the president is getting ahead of this, unlike his predecessors, before it's too late. [11:24] All right. [11:24] Let's talk about the second ceasefire that was negotiated by the United States between Lebanon and Israel. [11:29] Friday, President Trump posted on social media, quote, Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. [11:37] They are prohibited from doing so by the USA. [11:40] Enough is enough. [11:41] Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly caught off guard by the Post. [11:45] Does President Trump now control Israel's military operations? [11:53] Look, the president, the prime minister in constant communication, as are their teams. [11:58] And they had a series of engagements and decided, both for their own reasons, to enter into this ceasefire. [12:07] And let's give Lebanon, this Lebanese government led by President Aoun, a former general in his own right, the chance to finally take Hezbollah down, to finally finish the job, to finally restore Lebanon's sovereignty. [12:27] While Iran is on its back foot, Syria is in a much better place. [12:32] And Hezbollah's leadership have been devastated by a series of decisive strikes. [12:37] Ambassador. [12:37] Lebanon has never had a better opportunity. [12:40] And look, these talks were truly historic. [12:43] I had the honor to be there for the openings of them. [12:46] I think this should all be celebrated at the amazing potential here. [12:50] All right. [12:50] We have a number of questions to get to, and we're running out of time. [12:53] And President Trump said this week that Iran has, quote, agreed to everything. [12:57] Iran said that's not the case. [12:58] But let me drill down with you. [13:00] Has Iran agreed to hand over its enriched uranium? [13:06] Well, look, I'm not going to get into the eaches of an ongoing negotiation that's going to start again within 24 hours. [13:15] But the president's red lines are very clear that they cannot have 60 percent highly enriched uranium, [13:24] which is just a breadth away from weapons grade. [13:27] And there's no reason to have it unless you want a nuclear weapon, number one. [13:33] And number two, in terms of their enrichment, they cannot enrich, not to that level. [13:40] Or the president's been clear that they cannot enrich at all. [13:43] OK, I want to talk to you now about Russian sanctions. [13:46] This was Treasury Secretary Scott Besant earlier this week. [13:49] Take a look. [13:49] We will not be renewing the general license on Russian oil, [13:55] and we will not be renewing the general license on Iranian oil. [13:59] Again, that was oil that was on the water prior to March 11th. [14:04] So all that has been used. [14:06] But then by late Friday, the Treasury Department announced it was extending the lift [14:10] on Russian sanctions until mid-May. [14:13] So what was the reason for the reversal? [14:19] Well, look, Secretary Besant has been clear that what has been allowed to move is actually [14:26] out on the water. [14:28] What is not being allowed to move is coming out of Iranian refineries right now. [14:33] And that's the same with Russian oil as well. [14:38] Why is the U.S. rewarding Russia, though, Mr. Ambassador? [14:41] But at the same time, but why is the U.S. rewarding Russia? [14:45] That's ridiculous. [14:46] At the same time, I'm sorry. [14:49] Why is the U.S. rewarding Russia by extending these sanction waivers until May? [14:56] Russia's working with Iran. [14:57] Yeah, that's oil, Kristen, that's oil that was going to market. [15:03] And now, rather than just going to China, it can go to some of our other allies and partners, [15:09] number one. [15:09] But number two, what has Russia lost? [15:12] Russia has lost one of its military partners in terms of its biggest drone provider, Iran, [15:19] whose military industrial complex has been absolutely devastated. [15:24] So, by the way, it's this administration that put sanctions on Russia's number one [15:31] and number two oil providers, Rosneft and Luke Oil, unlike the last administration. [15:37] So, I don't think anybody could argue that this administration, if you actually look at the facts [15:41] and not the rhetoric, that this administration hasn't taken a tough stand to both end the war [15:47] in Ukraine, but also end Iran's race towards a nuclear weapon. [15:52] Okay. [15:52] It is a reversal of what the Treasury Secretary said from the briefing room. [15:57] But, Ambassador Waltz, thank you so much for being here. [15:59] He also, but let's give a fair hearing here, but he also put secondary sanctions on a number [16:04] of banks so that the money can't move back into Iran's economy. [16:10] He took decisive action against one of the Iranian regime's relatives that's running a huge [16:16] dark and shadow fleet, tanker fleet. [16:20] So, he's taken a number of actions in this Operation Economic Fury that is going to have incredible [16:29] results in terms of continuing the screws on the regime's economy. [16:34] All right. [16:34] Ambassador Mike Waltz, thank you so much for being here today. [16:37] We really appreciate it. [16:38] When we come back, my exclusive interview with New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani is next. [16:54] Welcome back. [16:54] On Saturday, former President Barack Obama joined New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani [16:59] at a child care center in the Bronx as he tries to enact free child care throughout the city. [17:05] Earlier this week, I sat down with the rising Democratic Party star as he marks 100 days in office. [17:11] You made sweeping promises on the campaign trail. [17:15] I'll name a few. [17:16] Freezing the rent, free and fast buses, universal child care. [17:21] Here we are 100 days in to your tenure as mayor. [17:25] Are you still confident you can deliver on all of your promises that you made to New Yorkers? [17:30] Yes, I am. [17:31] And I'm confident of that because of what we've seen over this 100 days. [17:35] On day eight, we announced a $1.2 billion agreement with Governor Kathy Hochul to put our city on the [17:41] pathway to universal child care. [17:42] We are not only providing free child care for every three-year-old in the city, we're now doing it [17:47] for two-year-olds as well. [17:48] By the end of our first term, we will see every single two-year-old receiving free child care across the [17:54] five boroughs of New York City. [17:55] You're also facing a $5.4 billion budget shortfall. [18:00] You are required by law to balance the budget. [18:03] Are you confident you can accomplish all of the promises that you made in your first term, [18:08] in one term? [18:09] So I've always said that we would accomplish all of these promises by the time that I'm done [18:12] being the mayor. [18:13] I'm fully confident of doing exactly that. [18:15] And as you said, we inherited the largest fiscal crisis that the city has seen since the Great [18:21] Recession. [18:22] Frankly, this dwarfs even that. [18:23] When we first came into office, we were looking at $12 billion. [18:26] And thanks to the work that we did, the savings, the allocations of our reserves, the commitment [18:32] from the governor, we were able to bring that down to $5.4 billion. [18:35] Now what we're seeing is the importance of not just finalizing the city budget process, [18:40] but the state budget process. [18:42] And we're actually just a day from the moment when the governor announced that we will be [18:46] pursuing a pied-de-terre tax, which will be a tax on the properties of the wealthiest of [18:52] the wealthy. [18:53] And we're so excited to be working with her on exactly that because it will raise half [18:57] a billion dollars for New York City. [18:59] And it will do so on an annual basis. [19:00] And we are going to get to taxes momentarily. [19:03] But do you think you can accomplish all of your promises to New Yorkers? [19:08] Or do you think you would need a second term in order to promise and achieve the sweeping [19:13] promises you make? [19:14] I'm not going to just knock on wood over here for the second term. [19:17] But look, I've said time and again that when I was running for mayor, New Yorkers would [19:22] come up to me. [19:23] They would say one of three things typically. [19:25] They were talking about freezing the rent, making buses fast and free, delivering universal [19:29] child care. [19:30] In this first 100 days, we had six vacancies on the rent guidelines board that determines [19:34] whether or not that decision will be made. [19:36] We filled all six of them. [19:37] They're an independent board. [19:38] They'll make their decision this summer. [19:40] When it comes to universal child care, we talked about the $1.2 billion. [19:43] When it comes to making our buses fast and free, we're already delivering on the fast. [19:47] We are speeding up buses for more than a million New Yorkers, putting back up to six minutes [19:52] back into their lives each trip. [19:54] And we're doing this because we currently have the slowest buses in the United States [19:57] of America. [19:58] And we're working with Albany to make those buses free. [20:00] And we're confident by the time that we are done with our administration, we will have [20:04] delivered on these three central promises. [20:06] Let's talk about how you're going to pay for all of this. [20:08] You've worked with Governor Kathy Hochul to get some of the starting blocks in place [20:14] for universal child care, for example, which you referenced. [20:17] When can New Yorkers expect to see full universal child care? [20:21] What's the timeline for that? [20:22] They will see full universal child care for two-year-olds by the end of the first term. [20:26] And then in the second term, we would pursue fulfilling that for one-year-olds and those [20:31] from six weeks and above. [20:32] We've always said over the course of the campaign, we would deliver it for New Yorkers from the [20:36] ages of six weeks to five years. [20:38] What we started in these first hundred days was fixing the system for three-year-olds. [20:43] We've delivered on that. [20:44] We're rolling that out right now. [20:45] And then starting to deliver it for the first time in history for two-year-olds. [20:48] And I just want to go back to sometimes this feels like, you know, just checking off a [20:53] box on a list that did we do something that we talked about. [20:56] The importance of doing this is also because of what it means for New Yorkers. [20:59] We're talking about $20,000 a year that a family won't have to shell out for child care [21:04] any longer because they know they can afford to raise their kid in the city they love. [21:08] And you still don't, you have an agreement with Governor Hochul on that. [21:11] You don't have an agreement with Governor Hochul on raising taxes on the wealthy yet. [21:16] Will you be able to deliver on your promise of taxing the wealthy to help pay for your programs? [21:23] Absolutely. [21:23] And I'm actually happy to tell you that that pied-à-terre tax, that is an agreement that [21:27] we have to tax the wealthy. [21:29] Because again, when we're talking about a pied-à-terre, this is a home that is owned here in New York [21:34] City by someone who doesn't live in New York City. [21:36] And we're talking about the valuation of which is the super rich, not just of this country, [21:42] but across the world. [21:43] I was just yesterday standing in front of 220 Central Park West. [21:46] And there at the penthouse was a home that Ken Griffin had bought for $238 million. [21:53] This is the kind of real estate activity that's happening in the city. [21:57] Homes that are largely empty for much of the year, but it all occurs while New Yorkers [22:02] are hurting in this same city. [22:03] We're starting to actually bridge that gap, and I'm so excited to be working with the [22:06] governor on it. [22:07] When you talk to New Yorkers, they say they feel like they're already overtaxed. [22:12] What do you say to middle-class New Yorkers who are worried some of these taxes could wind [22:17] up impacting them? [22:18] I tell them, unless they make more than a million dollars a year or own some of the [22:22] most profitable corporations in our city or have a second home that's worth more than [22:26] $5 million, then these are not taxes that apply to them. [22:30] And what I've sought to make this city the most expensive in the United States of America [22:34] is one that's affordable for the people who have been priced out of it. [22:37] And that's why I have fought for a vision that looks to ask those with the most to pay [22:42] that little bit more so that everyone can live here. [22:44] All right, let's talk about President Trump. [22:47] When we last spoke after your first Oval Office meeting, one that surprised a lot of people [22:53] in how cordial it was, how would you describe your relationship with President Trump right [22:59] now? [23:00] I would say that it's honest, it's direct, and it's productive. [23:05] And are you still in regular contact with him? [23:07] How often do you speak to the president? [23:08] I'll keep the cadence of that between the two of us. [23:10] Much of that is based on the premise of privacy. [23:13] But what I will say is that those conversations, no matter how they happen, they return back [23:18] to one thing, one of the few things that we have in common, which is our love for New [23:22] York City and how to deliver for this same city. [23:25] He said it after the first meeting that we had in the Oval Office. [23:29] He told the press that were there that the better this city does, the happier he feels. [23:34] That's exactly how I feel about this city as well. [23:36] You know, many Democratic mayors, governors, members of Congress have struggled to figure out [23:41] how to navigate their relationship with President Trump. [23:45] What do you think you have gotten right about that? [23:49] What do you think that you're doing that's been effective so far? [23:52] I think, to be honest with you, I am lucky in that I have something that no one else does, [23:56] which is that I'm from New York City. [23:58] And New York City holds a very special place for him, as well as for me. [24:02] We're both from this same city. [24:04] And it means that our conversations are not just of the scale that is typical with the [24:10] president, but also granular about even the things as specific as zoning law changes in [24:14] midtown Manhattan. [24:16] And that, I think, speaks to the fact that Donald Trump is not just the president of this [24:20] country. [24:20] He's also someone who's been a New Yorker for his entire life. [24:23] And there's an investment in this city doing well. [24:26] Because you've now had a number of conversations with President Trump, do you trust President Trump? [24:31] I would say that those conversations are ones where we know they have to continue. [24:36] And there have been times where I have raised things to the president. [24:39] For example, in that last meeting, it was a meeting where we mostly spoke about this housing [24:43] development. [24:44] But over the course of the meeting, I did mention that just that morning that ICE had detained [24:48] a Columbia University student. [24:50] I mentioned to him that this was part of a larger trend that we had seen of five individuals being [24:55] detained in or around Columbia University. [24:57] I gave him a list of those five. [24:58] 30 minutes after the meeting, he called me and said he had now made the decision to release [25:03] her. [25:03] And so I think we see in those decisions the worth of a relationship that is both honest [25:09] and direct and looking to be productive. [25:11] And that honesty means acknowledging places of disagreement. [25:15] When I was telling him that, I also told him, as I've said time and again, that I believe [25:19] these ICE raids to be cruel, to be inhumane, and to do nothing to serve in the stated interest [25:24] that it has, which is that of public safety. [25:25] Let's talk about the Democratic Party and the future of the Democratic Party. [25:30] Former Vice President Kamala Harris said just last week she is thinking about running for [25:35] president again. [25:36] Would you like to see former Vice President Kamala Harris run for president again? [25:40] I have to be honest. [25:41] I haven't thought about the candidacies for president this time. [25:44] My focus is 2026. [25:46] You're the only Democrat who hasn't thought about that. [25:48] And I'm proud to say that I am not and will never be running for president. [25:52] And here in 2026, I want to be delivering for New Yorkers. [25:56] And when it comes to the national level, I want to make sure that we win these midterms [25:59] and actually have a vision that we're fighting for, not just one that we're fighting against. [26:03] Let me ask you about some New York politicians. [26:06] Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer notably did not endorse you in the general election. [26:10] And now there's a big discussion about generational leadership in your party, as you know. [26:17] Just three years ago, do you think that Senator Schumer should step aside as leader of Senate [26:26] Democrats? [26:27] I have to be honest with you. [26:28] This is another question that gets into the future, gets into 2020. [26:31] Well, this is a New Yorker, though. [26:32] This is personal for you in some way, in terms of your politics here. [26:36] And I'll tell you that right now, my focus is on working with everyone. [26:39] And that includes Senator Schumer. [26:41] It includes others as well. [26:42] And it's not predicated on, did you endorse me in the election or not? [26:46] Because everyone is a New Yorker who has the opportunity to deliver for this city. [26:50] You know, recently, I worked with Senator Schumer to deliver on a hub of relief for delivery [26:57] workers right here across from City Hall. [26:59] That's what it looks like to actually work with anyone and everyone. [27:01] We're going to continue to do that. [27:03] Would you like to see Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenge Senator Schumer for [27:08] his seat as a part of the generational change that's being discussed? [27:11] I will tell you this, that I have had the privilege of being represented by Congresswoman [27:16] Ocasio-Cortez. [27:17] And it was an honor to have that be my experience. [27:20] Now it's an honor to work with her as an incredible congresswoman. [27:23] And I'm excited to see whatever it is that she decides to do next. [27:26] I don't think she's made a decision as yet, but we're very proud of her here in New York City. [27:30] Do you have any thoughts about this debate over generational change? [27:32] Is it time for a younger generation of politicians in the Democratic Party? [27:37] I think it's time for a party that reflects the urgency that we're seeing across this country in [27:43] terms of a hunger, frankly, that is not as much tied just to age, but to vision. [27:48] You know, we know very well what we oppose. [27:51] What are we for? [27:52] That is a question that I think we have to be able to answer. [27:54] What are we fighting for? [27:56] It was not just enough in this mayoral campaign to say that I wasn't like other mayoral candidates. [28:01] We had to always answer the question of New Yorkers, what we deliver for them. [28:05] And I really think that that is at the heart of the question for our party. [28:08] And I'll be honest with you, when you look back at the history books of our party, [28:12] 100 years ago, we had a very clear vision of what we were fighting for. [28:16] And it is sad that for too many Americans, when they want to look for ambition in the Democratic [28:20] Party, they have to turn to a history book. [28:21] Now that you've bumped up against the hard realities of a $5.4 billion budget shortfall [28:27] and the other red tape that you have to go through, do you still believe in democratic [28:32] socialism? [28:32] Do you still think it can be effective? [28:34] I believe in it even more than I did the day before. [28:36] And that's because of the fact that it is focused on the needs of working people and [28:41] working people need that focus, that fight from politicians more than ever. [28:45] And you can watch my full conversation with Mayor Mamdani at meetthepress.com. [28:50] When we come back, Steve Kornacki is here with the results of our latest NBC News decision [28:55] desk. [28:56] Welcome back. [29:02] NBC News chief data analyst Steve Kornacki is here with the results of our latest NBC News [29:07] decision desk poll. [29:08] A lot of headlines here, Steve. [29:10] Yeah, Kristen, there's a lot in here. [29:11] And I always remind people, I think decision desk poll, this one's a little bit different [29:15] than polls. [29:15] I think people are used to this is all adults casting a very wide net here. [29:19] But I think the picture that emerges is still very clear. [29:21] Donald Trump standing with the public here now, an approval rating in our poll here of [29:26] just 37 percent. [29:28] The last time this poll reported out a couple of months ago, it was 39 percent. [29:32] The big change from then to now, of course, is the launch of the war in Iran and everything [29:37] that's continued to happen there. [29:38] So down to 37 percent approval for Trump and mention Iran. [29:42] And look at this. [29:43] A big driver of that clearly is how that war is going. [29:46] Only a third of adults approve of Trump's handling of the war in Iran. [29:50] Only there's a quarter, I should say, one quarter of Republicans say they disapprove. [29:56] Those who call themselves Republicans, that might be something to keep an eye on. [29:59] This continues to be a problem for the president. [30:01] Inflation, the cost of living. [30:03] This has been the story of his second term. [30:05] Only a third approving of how he's handling that. [30:07] This area, though, if you want to say there's a bright spot in this poll for Trump, it's right [30:11] here. [30:11] Now, look, it's still majority disapprove on border and immigration, but these marks are [30:16] higher than in other areas. [30:17] And this is an improvement for Trump from earlier this year. [30:20] Remember the incident in Minnesota, all of the attention on ice back then. [30:23] This number actually has come up a bit on border for Trump. [30:27] Talk about Iran, what people think should happen from here. [30:31] And this right here. [30:32] Take no further action. [30:34] That's by far the most common choice you're going to hear. [30:37] 61 percent say that. [30:38] And, again, that includes a third of Republicans. [30:40] Well, and it's numbers like these, Steve, that are applying pressure to President Trump [30:43] to bring this war to an end. [30:45] Yeah. [30:45] I mean, it's very clear what you're seeing here in terms of that number. [30:48] That's internationally what folks are thinking of. [30:51] We mentioned, though, cost of living here. [30:52] We say what is driving, what matters most to you when it comes to economic matters. [30:57] And, again, no surprise here, but it's inflation. [30:59] It's the cost of health care. [31:01] The clear majority, one of those two things right there. [31:04] Also, though, now more recently, the cost of gasoline. [31:07] You know, what they're paying at the pump here. [31:09] Add these two numbers together. [31:11] Vary somewhat. [31:11] Two-thirds, 65 percent, say that the cost of gasoline is a serious, in some way, problem [31:18] for them and for their families right now. [31:21] And then I think there's an interesting question here, a broad question. [31:23] Again, this connects with the Middle East. [31:24] This connects with politics in D.C. this week. [31:27] This ongoing question here. [31:28] We asked the basic one. [31:29] Who do you sympathize more with? [31:31] The Israelis or the Palestinians? [31:33] The country is dead even, 50-50. [31:35] Well, this is fascinating. [31:36] But historically speaking, Steve, support for Israel has actually been higher. [31:41] Yeah. [31:41] This is now much more even than it used to be. [31:44] And there are two particular drivers of this. [31:46] I think it's very interesting. [31:47] One of them is partisan. [31:48] Republicans, overwhelmingly on the Israeli side. [31:51] Democrats, this is the big shift. [31:53] Now, overwhelmingly three to one on the Palestinian side. [31:57] And then the second piece of it, it's generational, it's age, Gen Z, that rising generation. [32:03] Look at this. [32:04] Across party there, three quarters of Gen Z say they sympathize more with the Palestinians [32:09] than the Israelis. [32:10] That's a massive sea change. [32:12] It certainly is. [32:13] It'll be fascinating to see how that plays out in the midterm. [32:16] Steve Kornacki, thank you so much. [32:18] When we come back, President Trump picks a fight with the Pope while Democrats split over [32:23] arms for Israel. [32:24] The panel is next. [32:25] Welcome back. [32:31] The panel is here. [32:31] Jonathan Martin, politics bureau chief and senior political columnist for Politico, former [32:36] communications director for Vice President Harris, Ashley Etienne, and Republican strategist [32:42] Sarah Fagan. [32:43] Thanks to all of you for being here, Jay Martin. [32:45] Let me start with you in these poll numbers. [32:47] President underwater in his handling of Iran and the economy, but it speaks to just how unpopular [32:53] this war is right now. [32:55] Well, and it's why President Trump is so urgently trying to get a deal to get out of this war. [33:00] You know, he's driven by two things, as we've all learned by now, media coverage and the [33:05] markets. [33:06] In the last couple of weeks, he got good coverage and the markets were green because it seemed [33:11] like the ceasefire was going to hold. [33:12] But as these things do tend to happen, the Iranians have a vote as well. [33:16] They have leverage. [33:17] It's called the Strait of Hormuz. [33:19] They close it down. [33:20] And here we are again. [33:21] We're back to Trump threatening retaliation, which only prolongs this war and keeps the oil [33:29] markets unsteady, which only ensures political volatility for his party here going into the [33:34] summer and the fall. [33:35] So we're kind of back to square one, as we said here today on Sunday. [33:39] I just think this president desperately wants to stop this war. [33:42] If you read Josh, you know, Josh Dossie and Linsky in the journal story over the weekend, [33:47] it's pretty clear he does not want to be Jimmy Carter. [33:50] He clearly wants to find a way to end this war. [33:53] It's just not obvious how he does that and saves face without getting something on nuclear [33:58] enrichment. [33:59] Jimmy Carter's example, legacy looming large over, as you say, Jaymar, so much of how the [34:07] president is approaching this next phase of the war. [34:11] Yes, negotiations are starting, Sarah, but still so many questions about what happens next [34:15] with the Strait closed. [34:16] What do you see in the numbers? [34:19] Well, I think, you know, if you look at there's like a double whammy for him in here. [34:23] You have a weak job approval on the economy, weak job approval on the war. [34:30] And I think as you think ahead to November, we need to be talking about affordability as [34:36] a party. [34:36] And when we're talking about foreign policy, we're not talking about that. [34:40] And so it presents a very difficult political situation that also sort of cuts across the [34:48] enthusiasm gap. [34:49] And that's something that has been pronounced in this early part of primary season, where [34:54] Democrats are more enthusiastic. [34:57] And this is not helping that. [34:59] And Ashley, it's so notable. [35:01] There is an interesting dynamic playing out for Democrats as well. [35:05] According to this poll, you see support for Israel-Palestinians equalized. [35:10] And we saw this playing out in Capitol Hill as well, where 40 out of 47 Democrats voted [35:16] against arms sales to Israel, including everyone who's considering running in 2028. [35:21] How do you see this dynamic playing out on the campaign trail? [35:24] We saw it play out in 2024, too. [35:26] Yeah. [35:26] I mean, I think it's very clear that the Democratic Party is in the midst of an identity crisis. [35:32] The party is polling, you know, high 20s. [35:35] And it's not because of the Republicans. [35:37] It's because there's a real gap between where voters are on the ground and where the Democratic [35:41] Party leadership is. [35:43] You know, the Republicans went through their own reckoning in 2020 after the election and [35:48] confronted their issues. [35:49] But the Democratic Party at this point is unwilling to do that. [35:53] And I think that is a problem. [35:54] And you can see it on Israel. [35:55] But you also see it on the funding of DHS during the middle of the shutdown, on affordability, [36:00] where Mayor Mondani was ahead of the party and the party had to catch up to him. [36:03] So this is a real problem for the party in terms of this identity crisis. [36:07] But they're not willing to confront. [36:09] They can't change what they're not willing to confront. [36:11] And we've seen it now spill over into the DNC meeting that just happened this past week [36:16] where there was an uproar about the fact that they did not release the autopsy. [36:20] And so my point is this. [36:21] The only way you can have that reckoning and have alignment and come out stronger is you've [36:25] got to release this autopsy so we can know what's really undergirding the losses in the [36:30] last presidential. [36:30] That's your call. [36:31] Release the autopsy. [36:32] You mentioned in the chat with Zora Mamdani, the rise of AOC and the possibility of her [36:38] challenging Senator Schumer in 2028, which I think will be a vivid illustration if it [36:42] does happen of this tension between the old guard and the newer generation. [36:46] I think about her rise in 2017, 2018 because it's so similar to where we are today. [36:52] Exact same moment. [36:53] Deep frustration among Democratic grassroots voters with the party's traditional leadership. [36:57] They don't think they're doing enough to confront this president, President Trump. [37:02] And there's a sense that we have to fight harder and that the stakes are so high and we're [37:07] not giving voters a sense of what we're for. [37:09] You heard it with the mayor quite a bit. [37:11] And I think you're going to see that play out in primaries this year. [37:13] But it's also going to shadow the party in 2028. [37:16] And on this issue of Israel, they have a massive generational challenge because a lot of folks [37:21] under 40 get all their information on Israel through social media. [37:25] There's no historical memory of why Israel was created in the first place, the folks [37:29] under 40. [37:30] And also, if you're under 30, especially in this country, all you know about Israel is [37:36] Bibi Netanyahu. [37:37] He's the only leader you've ever heard of. [37:38] And I think the combination of those three issues has created a massive challenge for [37:42] Democrats among voters under 40. [37:44] The Republican Party is having problems with Israel, too. [37:46] You can see that the split now in the MAGA base around the escalation of the war in Iran. [37:51] Talking about a split in the MAGA base, we saw this extraordinary feud between President [37:58] Trump and the Pope over Iran. [38:00] The Pope had some critical comments about war in general. [38:03] And then the president posted an image of himself that appeared to depict himself as [38:08] Jesus Christ. [38:09] I think we can put that up. [38:10] He was asked about this, and the president effectively said he thought that that image [38:15] was of him as a doctor. [38:18] Sarah, what do you make of where this stands right now? [38:21] Could it cost him supportive money? [38:22] He'll buy himself, doctor. [38:24] I mean, I thought the image spoke for itself. [38:27] But look, you know, we've had a week where it's very unusual for a president to engage, [38:34] you know, with a pope. [38:36] And I think that it's interesting to see how this has played out for a couple of reasons. [38:42] One, Pope Francis was kind of intentionally provocative. [38:46] And this pope is not. [38:48] This pope is a peacemaker. [38:50] He has made strides to bring the conservatives back into the church. [38:55] And so when he speaks, I think Catholics really listen to him. [38:59] All right. [38:59] Well, it has been fascinating to watch it play out. [39:01] The pope's saying he's not trying to have a feud with the president. [39:03] Thank you all so much for a great discussion. [39:06] When we come back, my Meet the Moment conversation with Emma Greed, [39:09] the entrepreneur behind the Kardashian brand Skims and Good American. [39:17] Meet the Moment is sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance. [39:21] Only pay for what you need. [39:30] Welcome back. [39:31] Emma Greed is a founder, entrepreneur, podcast host, Shark Tank judge, and CEO. [39:39] Greed grew up with a single mom in a tough neighborhood in East London [39:43] and became the driving force behind powerhouse brand Skims and Good American, [39:48] where she partnered with members of the Kardashian family. [39:52] Now, the mother of four adds another title to that long list. [39:56] Author of the new book, Start With Yourself, A New Vision for Work and Life. [40:02] I sat down with Greed for a Meet the Moment conversation [40:05] about life, motherhood, and what it means to have it all. [40:09] You reflect on what it has been like to you [40:14] to often be the only black woman in a professional setting. [40:21] How did you turn what was a difference for you [40:24] into a strength in the professional world? [40:27] Well, in a way, I took it as something that would be to my advantage. [40:32] You know, I was like, well, at least they'll see me. [40:34] I think we all know the systemic barriers that are there. [40:38] We all know the systems that are in place that keep us small, [40:42] that keep us out of conversations, that limit us. [40:44] And you can make a choice to actually tune that out [40:49] and do things differently, to lean into what your strengths are. [40:53] And that's what I've done. [40:54] I've really tuned out the noise, and I've created a lane for myself. [40:58] Your businesses are very focused on empowering women in different ways, [41:04] whether it is Skims, whether it is your jean brand that you have. [41:10] Good old, good American. [41:11] Yes. [41:12] And part of what it seems like the goal of your brands is to help [41:17] women to feel empowered in their confidence, in their bodies. [41:21] Talk about that part of your vision and why it was so important [41:25] for you to make that a part of what you produce. [41:29] Well, you know, that was really a learning that I got from my early days [41:34] in agency and consultancy land. [41:36] If you go back 10 years ago to when we actually started Good American, [41:40] there were no brands looking at the full spectrum of women and women's sizes. [41:45] And it really speaks to who's in charge. [41:48] It speaks to who makes the decisions. [41:50] And so I thought putting a female point of view into a company [41:53] where we could actually say, you know what? [41:55] We're just going to make all the sizes all the time. [41:57] And you can make the decision if that style is right for you. [42:01] If you think that this is something, a trend that you want to jump onto. [42:05] And it turns out that I was absolutely right. [42:08] And women came in their droves. [42:10] If you have served a customer when she is at the larger end of the size spectrum, [42:15] she is going to be loyal to you and still shop your brand if she changes sizes. [42:20] So we've definitely seen this brand continue to thrive and grow. [42:24] And to me, it's one of the proudest points in my career that we really started a movement in fashion. [42:29] You take it for granted now that you see clothes on plus size mannequins or even, [42:34] you know, when you can go on to e-com and change the sizes. [42:37] But it was Good American that started that. [42:38] You know, when we started that company, we said we wanted to make all women feel seen, heard and represented. [42:44] I had no idea that we were going to change the way the industry would depict women. [42:50] I want to talk about another aspect of your life that I know you're incredibly proud of, which is motherhood. [42:57] And on that point, we do have something in common. [42:59] You have four kids, which I am in awe of. [43:03] Two of them with the help of a surrogate. [43:06] And I also welcomed my two children with the help of a surrogate. [43:10] And you, we talk about honesty, you're incredibly honest in this book. [43:13] You talk about that you experienced miscarriages, many rounds of IVF treatments, heartache before you did have a successful surrogacy. [43:23] And this quote from your book stood out to me. [43:25] You say, it is devastating not to feel like you have reproductive agency. [43:32] Tell me about why you wanted to talk about the very painful experience of infertility and then the joy of welcoming two children via surrogate. [43:43] So to me, it was really important because it's the reality of most of our lives. [43:48] If we choose to have children, and I completely respect that that's not every woman's choice. [43:53] But for so many of us, there's this conversation of when to have children. [43:57] I am certainly not going to sit here and advocate for teenage pregnancy, but also waiting until you're 38, 39 probably isn't a good choice either, because there is a reality around fertility and a window for that for women. [44:11] And so if we continually put that off, we do ourselves a disservice. [44:14] And so the reason I decided to write about it in the book is because for me, that was an enormous privilege that I could, you know, go through IVF. [44:25] It's incredibly expensive and unobtainable for so many. [44:28] But then when you talk about surrogacy, even more so. [44:31] And so it's a privilege of the few. [44:33] And I think that what I've seen, certainly you have to imagine, I have hundreds and hundreds of women that work in these companies. [44:40] And I see heartbreak over and over and over again, because either they've waited too long, much like myself, and it's not their choice, or that we've fed them, you know, this idea that you can freeze your eggs and everything will be fine. [44:52] And then by the time you're thinking about it, it's too late. [44:54] So to me, it's a part of the work conversation and one that we need to have more freely. [44:59] And it speaks to this fundamental question, this age-old question. [45:04] The age-old question. [45:05] Can women have it all? [45:07] I feel like Oprah had it right, you know, when she said you can have it all, but not at the same time. [45:14] If it's really, really important to you to have children, then you need to make that a priority. [45:21] It just means that you're going to have to really plan that and think about it and decide what type of parent you want to be, importantly. [45:28] Because, to me, I don't think parenting has got so much harder. [45:32] I think the expectations around parenting have gone a little bit crazy. [45:36] Well, and you're very honest about how you view parenting. [45:40] You call yourself a three-hour max mum. [45:42] That raised a lot of eyebrows, as you know. [45:46] What did you mean by that, a three-hour max mum? [45:49] Well, what I meant by it was exactly what I said, and I really don't want to backpedal. [45:54] We're setting women up for a failure, and we're holding women to impossible standards. [46:00] So what I meant when I said I was a three-hour mum is that I probably spend, like, three hours with my kids doing the things that they want to do. [46:07] Entertaining them, being down on the floor and playing with them. [46:10] Then I have other things to do. [46:12] And that's just the truth. [46:13] It's just a reality. [46:14] And I think a lot of parents feel exactly the same, that you're depleted after a week at work. [46:20] And, actually, you only have a couple of hours. [46:22] But isn't that good enough? [46:24] I think it is. [46:25] What do you say to the moms, to the parents who hear that and say, [46:28] Wait a minute, I'm with my kids all day long, or I spend hours with them on the weekend. [46:33] Any regrets about making that comment? [46:36] No, no regrets. [46:37] I'm like, have at them. [46:38] The important thing is that you live up to your standard, to your vision. [46:42] Do I miss a few school drop-offs? [46:43] Absolutely, yes, I do. [46:45] Am I the one making lunches for my kids every day? [46:47] No, I'm not, because something has to give. [46:50] And the reality is that everybody knows that. [46:53] Nobody wants to say it. [46:54] And by virtue of us not saying it, we are keeping women small. [47:00] And you can watch my full interview with Emma Green at meetthepress.com. [47:04] That is all for today. [47:06] Thank you so much for watching. [47:07] We'll be back next week, because if it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press. [47:10] We thank you for watching. [47:35] And remember, stay updated on breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app [47:39] or watch live on our YouTube channel.