Meet the Press Full Episode — November 8

[0:00] This Sunday, backlash. [0:03] America is back. [0:05] Tonight, we defeated Goliath. [0:07] This is all yours. [0:11] The impossible is possible. [0:13] This victory doesn't belong to me. [0:14] It belongs to all of you. [0:16] A political earthquake not seen since the Watergate era. [0:21] Democrats seized control of both the House and the Senate, [0:25] delivering a historic rebuke of President Trump. [0:28] How far will Democrats go to challenge the president? [0:32] And can they deliver on their promises to voters? [0:35] My guest this morning, Reverend Adam Hamilton, [0:38] the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Kansas in 94 years. [0:43] Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania [0:46] and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. [0:50] Plus, reckoning. [0:52] Republicans turn on each other after a devastating election night. [0:56] Who will take the blame? [0:58] And what does the defeat mean for President Trump's final two years in office? [1:03] If I was on the ballot, we would have won. [1:05] This is close to an extinction-level event for Republicans. [1:09] It was a Watergate-level repudiation. [1:13] I'll talk to Republican Governor-elect Byron Donalds of Florida. [1:17] And shakeup. [1:19] President Trump names Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff. [1:23] Is the president doubling down on the very policies voters just rejected? [1:28] Joining me for insight and analysis are [1:30] Jonathan Martin of Politico, [1:33] Ashley Etienne, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, [1:38] and Mark Short, former director of legislative affairs for President Trump. [1:43] Welcome to Sunday. [1:45] It's Meet the Press. [1:46] From NBC News in Washington, the longest-running show in television history, [1:53] this is Meet the Press with Kristen Welkin. [1:57] Good Sunday morning. [1:59] It was a political wipeout, [2:01] one of the most decisive repudiations of a president in modern American history. [2:07] A Democratic landslide with echoes of 1974 in the aftermath of Watergate. [2:14] Democrats seizing control of the House and the Senate [2:16] and breaking decades of Republican dominance across the South. [2:21] In the House, NBC News estimates Democrats could win up to 259 seats, [2:27] their largest majority in decades. [2:30] In the Senate, Democrats have picked up seven seats, [2:33] securing a 54-seat majority. [2:35] And it's not over. [2:37] Democrats are leading in two uncalled races in Mississippi and Alaska, [2:42] where their majority could grow even larger. [2:44] Democratic leaders are promising sweeping change. [2:49] We've promised to fight for an affordable America, [2:52] and that's exactly what we will do. [2:55] First, we should be very clear that the American people have spoken loudly and clearly. [3:00] They want change, and they are tired of the destruction [3:06] and the corruption of Donald Trump and this administration. [3:11] The challenge now, delivering on those promises. [3:16] And that includes a new Democratic senator from Kansas, [3:20] where Adam Hamilton, a pastor of the largest church in the state, [3:25] made history, winning a Senate seat that Republicans had held for 94 years. [3:30] And Senator-elect Hamilton joins me now. [3:33] Welcome to Meet the Press, and congratulations on your win. [3:39] Thank you so much, Chris. [3:39] It's great to be with you today. [3:41] Well, it's great to have you here today. [3:43] You made history on Tuesday night, Mr. Senator-elect. [3:48] How'd you do it? [3:51] Well, I'll tell you, it was a lot of people. [3:52] There were literally thousands of volunteers, [3:55] people who gave, people who knocked on doors. [3:57] That was a big part of our campaign, was getting the vote out, [4:00] knocking on doors, getting people to register to vote. [4:01] But here's the big thing, is there was a lot of people in Kansas, [4:05] like across the United States, who were saying, [4:07] what's happening in Washington, D.C. is not okay. [4:09] This is not who we are. [4:11] Republicans saying, this is not what it means to be a Republican, [4:13] what's happening in Washington, D.C. [4:15] Democrats who were clearly frustrated, disappointed, afraid, I think sometimes, [4:19] of what's happening in our country and just saying, we've got to do better. [4:22] And so I had a chance to, you know, people resonated with that message. [4:26] It had to do with kitchen table conversations around the cost of fuel, [4:30] the cost of fertilizer if you're a farmer. [4:32] But it was also the hidden tariff tax. [4:33] It was the 60,000 people in Kansas who lost health insurance the last year and a half. [4:38] So it was these things, SNAP benefits taken away from 20,000 children in Kansas. [4:42] But I think it was also a sense of common decency. [4:46] This is part of our campaign was, you know, we've got to do better. [4:48] This is not decent. [4:49] There was cruelty. [4:50] There was corruption. [4:51] There were things happening in D.C. [4:53] that people were saying, that's just not American. [4:55] It's not who we are as Kansans. [4:56] And we have to do better. [4:58] And I think that message resonated with a lot of people here. [5:00] Well, as Democrats prepare to take over control of both chambers of Congress, [5:06] there seem to be two priorities emerging, addressing the issue of affordability and [5:13] investigating the Trump administration. [5:17] That's according to Democrats. [5:19] Democrats, which do you think is the bigger priority? [5:24] Well, clearly the bigger priority for me, and I think for most people in America, especially [5:28] people living paycheck to paycheck, is please help us with the cost of living. [5:31] I am very interested in ending the war in Iran as quickly as possible. [5:35] I want to see us claw back tariff policies back to the Congress where it started in our [5:40] Constitution. [5:41] And to be able to say when the president wants to impose a tariff, you've got to make the [5:45] case for it. [5:45] You've got to show us who's going to be helped by this. [5:47] Why are we doing this? [5:48] How long is it going to last? [5:49] Who's going to be hurt by it? [5:50] And so those two things are going to bring affordability back in play. [5:54] That's about $250 a month between the fuel prices and the hidden tariff taxes. [5:59] That doesn't count what farmers are paying in the ag industry, what they're paying for [6:03] the hidden cost of these tariffs in the war. [6:05] Again, fertilizer, input prices. [6:09] And then, so we're going to start there. [6:10] If I spent the next two years, my first two years in the Senate in investigations, I'd [6:14] be deeply disappointed. [6:15] I want to get to work helping the people in my state and helping the people across the [6:19] country. [6:19] So what I'm interested in is, yes, let's get guardrails put in place so that we don't [6:23] see these kinds of things happen again. [6:25] But let's focus on helping the American people. [6:27] And I'll tell you, the Democrats, if they don't, if we don't figure that out and get [6:31] to work on helping people, this is going to be a one and done kind of, you know, kind [6:37] of blue wave. [6:37] Well, let me follow up with you on that point, because as you know, one of the debates inside [6:43] the Democratic Party is just how far to take oversight. [6:47] There's a discussion about should President Trump be impeached for a third time? [6:52] President Trump himself this week said that impeaching him would, quote, destroy the Democrat [6:58] Party. [6:58] Do you think impeachment should still be on the table? [7:02] Well, I'm not as interested in impeachment as setting up guardrails. [7:07] I will say I understand the move and the desire to do this. [7:10] There are a lot of things that have happened that I think are wrong. [7:13] But I also feel like there's two things that are at play in my mind. [7:16] One is, and our campaign was built around trying to bring people together. [7:20] I don't want to see us spend the next two years dividing our country further. [7:23] I want to see us come together to look at solving really big problems. [7:26] But I also think we, again, have to look at what's happened in Washington that's corrupt. [7:31] What's happened in Washington? [7:32] I mean, the people I talk to across the state, Republicans and Democrats, don't understand [7:36] how a president makes a billion dollars in his first year back in office. [7:39] That's just not right. [7:40] There's so many things that happened that were not right. [7:43] And I would say, you know, insider trading, we need to address that. [7:46] We want to make sure that we're looking at, you know, at how people in Congress are using [7:52] information when it comes to making decisions on their investments. [7:55] There's a lot of things. [7:56] Term limits, I think these are really important. [7:58] Age limits. [7:58] There's, you know, if you look at what are the number one concerns of American people [8:02] is corruption in Washington, D.C., and that's on both sides of the aisle. [8:05] And so, you know, yes, we need to address that. [8:07] But I really want us to focus on what brings Americans together, what heals our democracy, [8:12] and then what solves problems for the people who are living paycheck to paycheck, who are [8:16] struggling in our country. [8:17] And so I want to see us focus on that. [8:19] I want to discuss the discussion of leadership within the Democratic Party. [8:25] You have said you're not going to support Chuck Schumer as Senate leader. [8:29] Why do you think Chuck Schumer's not right for this moment? [8:35] Well, you know, I mean, no disrespect for Chuck Schumer. [8:37] I just really don't. [8:38] And I've told him that as well. [8:39] But I think at least where I live in Kansas, he's a kind of polarizing figure. [8:43] When my opponent running against me in both debates mentioned Chuck Schumer far more than [8:48] he ever mentioned me. [8:49] It was like 17 or 18 times. [8:50] And, you know, the TV spots were aimed at, you know, addressing what a lot of people in [8:54] Kansas feel who may not know Chuck Schumer personally, who don't know him personally, [8:58] but, you know, that they perceive him to be further to the left and somebody who's a divisive [9:03] figure. [9:04] And what we're looking for is how do we have, what I'd be looking for is a leader who can [9:08] lead from the center. [9:09] Somebody who can bring Republicans and Democrats together. [9:11] Somebody who can bring the various factions in the Democratic Party together. [9:14] Somebody with fresh ideas. [9:15] So, again, no disrespect for Chuck Schumer, just it feels like there's time for it is [9:20] a time for fresh and new ideas and somebody who can unite us instead of dividing us. [9:24] And so who are you planning to support? [9:26] Do you have a short list? [9:29] No, you know, I don't. [9:30] I'll tell you, I've been a pastor for 38 years. [9:32] I know probably 10 senators personally, and even those I only know from brief conversations. [9:36] So, you know, I'm not at a place where I can tell you these are my this is my short [9:39] list. [9:39] There are a handful of people that I think are probably, you know, lead more from the center. [9:43] But I don't know enough yet to be able to say these are the people I would endorse. [9:47] All right. [9:48] Well, let me ask you, because President Trump has picked Stephen Miller to be his new chief [9:52] of staff. [9:53] Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries posted this in response, quote, Stephen Miller is a dangerous [10:00] xenophobe and reckless extremist who has American blood on his hands. [10:05] His presence in government should be eradicated like a malignant tumor. [10:09] Fire him today. [10:11] Do you agree with Leader Jeffries? [10:13] Yeah, I would say about Jeffries, he's going to use language that I wouldn't use. [10:19] But I do think that Stephen Miller has been a significant part of what's happened in the [10:23] second Trump administration. [10:25] The kinds of things that I think do not reflect who we are as Americans, his values, the things [10:30] that he's pushed for, and the fact that he's being brought in as chief of staff, well, [10:35] it certainly ties him much more closely to President Trump. [10:38] And I suspect I would agree with very little that Stephen Miller stands for. [10:44] So do you think he should be fired? [10:49] You know, he's not even been hired in that role yet, I don't think. [10:53] But I think he would not be somebody I would be supporting for chief of staff for the president. [10:58] But the president, I think, makes his own decision on chief of staff. [11:00] I don't think that's approved by the Congress. [11:02] Senator-elect Hamilton, thank you so very much for that. [11:05] We know you are off to church right now. [11:07] We appreciate your stopping by here first. [11:10] Thank you so much. [11:13] Thank you so much, Kristen. [11:13] It was an honor to be with you on this program. [11:17] And joining me now is Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. [11:21] Senator Sanders, welcome back to Meet the Press. [11:25] Thank you very much. [11:26] Thank you for being here. [11:27] Let's talk about this week, Tuesday night, a very big night for progressive candidates. [11:34] Many of them championed the same populist ideals you have been talking about for years. [11:40] Here's Politico's headline this week. [11:42] Quote, Bernie Sanders lost the fight in 2016. [11:46] A decade later, he won the war. [11:50] Is that how you see this moment, Senator? [11:52] Well, let's just say I felt very, very good on Tuesday night. [11:58] Kristen, what I think this election was about is the American people not only expressing disgust [12:05] with Trump and his policies, but are demanding real change. [12:10] No more tinkering around the edges. [12:13] And what the American people are saying, look, we are working long hours. [12:18] We're worried about our kids. [12:20] We can't afford health care. [12:21] We can't afford housing. [12:23] Meanwhile, the wealthiest people in America have never, ever had it so good. [12:31] And right now is the moment where the Democrats have got to stand up to big money, [12:37] create an economy and a government that works for all of us. [12:42] And at the top of my list, and I expect to become chair of the Health, Education, Labor, [12:48] Pension Committee, is the need to finally do what every other major country on earth does [12:54] and that is guarantee health care to every man, woman and child as a human right through [12:59] a Medicare for all single payer program. [13:02] We have also, in my view, at a time of massive income and wealth inequality, need to impose [13:08] a tax on the billionaire class so that we can build the kind of housing that we need so [13:14] that we can have universal child care so that we can make public colleges and universities [13:19] tuition free. [13:20] Furthermore, we got to raise that minimum wage to a living wage at least 20 bucks an hour [13:26] and make it easier for workers to join unions. [13:29] Now, these are ideas that I believe, but you know what? [13:32] These are ideas that the vast majority of the American people believe. [13:37] So my message is, let us do what the American people want, create an economy that works for [13:43] everybody, stand up to the billionaire class. [13:45] Let me follow up with you on that point. [13:48] This week, you did call for Democrats to use a simple majority to lower the Medicare eligibility [13:53] from 65 to 55. [13:55] You've also called for universal Medicare for all. [13:59] Hakeem Jeffries, likely, of course, to be the next Speaker of the House, has said he does [14:03] not support that. [14:04] Is it realistic to think you can pass Medicare for all when Leader Jeffries doesn't seem to [14:10] support it? [14:11] Well, well, you know what? [14:14] What the American people do, the last poll that I saw had 66 percent of the American people [14:18] supporting Medicare for all. [14:21] What the American people know, and I've been all over this country, Kristen, conservative [14:25] areas, progressive areas, this system is broken. [14:29] End of discussion. [14:31] The function of health care should not be to make billions in profits for the insurance [14:35] companies and the drug companies. [14:36] We are, the United States of America, the only major country on earth not to guarantee health [14:41] care to all people. [14:42] That is a disgrace. [14:44] The American people want change. [14:46] It's too late to think around the edges. [14:48] We need Medicare for all. [14:49] First year, lower the age, 65 to 55. [14:53] Expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing, and vision, including all of the children. [14:58] It's a four-year transition program. [15:00] It's what the American people want. [15:02] That is what we have got to do. [15:03] As you know, Democrats are also calling for investigations into the Trump administration. [15:10] Do you believe that spending two years investigating President Trump and his top officials could [15:16] jeopardize the mandate to lower prices, to make life more affordable? [15:23] Yes, I do. [15:24] And I think the senator-elect Hamilton made a good point. [15:27] Do we want to hold the Trump administration accountable for their corruption, for their [15:32] illegal, unconstitutional actions? [15:34] Absolutely. [15:35] But at the end of the day, when you've got the highest rate of childhood poverty in America [15:40] of any major country, when 20% of our seniors are trying to survive on $15,000 a year, when [15:46] people are scared to death that Elon Musk and the other billionaires are pushing AI down [15:52] our throats with cataclysmic impacts on the economy, our privacy rights, on our health, and [15:59] impose an existential threat to humanity, we cannot spend all of our time investigating Trump. [16:06] We have to stand up for working class families, make a real difference in their lives. [16:12] Well, let me ask you, because, of course, President Trump said this week that he would [16:18] like to work with Democrats. He also just appointed Stephen Miller to be his new chief of staff. [16:25] You have been critical of Stephen Miller in the past. Do you think you can work with Stephen Miller? [16:32] Is he the right person for the job? [16:35] Well, Donald Trump is the president. And I've said this before, Kristen. Trump is many things. [16:42] I personally believe he is mentally unbalanced, erratic. But he's not stupid. And he's a good [16:48] politician. And I think when Trump looks out in the world, and he sees millions of people [16:54] working for starvation wages, he might not be unsympathetic to raising the minimum wage to a [17:00] living wage. He would love, I think, to take credit for doing what every other major country [17:05] does, guaranteeing health care to all people. So I'm not worried about Miller. Do I think we can [17:10] work with Trump? Maybe. I'm not by no means guaranteeing it. But it is certainly worth the effort. [17:16] Okay. Well, we will be watching closely to see if that is all possible. Senator Bernie Sanders, [17:23] thank you so much for joining us after a very big week. We appreciate it. [17:28] Thank you very much. [17:30] And still ahead, my sit down with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. But when we come back, [17:35] Florida Governor-elect Byron Donalds joins me next. [17:47] Welcome back. Republican Congressman Byron Donalds made history this week, [17:51] winning his race to become Florida's first Black governor. And Governor-elect Byron Donalds [17:57] joins me now. Welcome back to Meet the Press, and congratulations on your win. [18:04] It's good to be back with you, Kristen. Thanks for having me. [18:06] Well, thank you so much for being here, Mr. Governor-elect. So in addition to the history [18:11] that you have made, 2027 will be the first time in U.S. history where there will be multiple, [18:19] five in all, Black governors serving at the same time. What are you feeling in this moment? [18:29] It's really a matter of personal pride. I think it's a matter of pride for Black Americans all [18:36] through the country. I think it's also something to demonstrate that whether you're talking about [18:40] here in Florida, just to the north of us of Georgia, I believe it's out in Nevada or even in [18:45] Wisconsin, you have a situation where Americans from all walks of life decided that this is going to [18:50] be their decision. I think it demonstrates, again, in our country, that despite all the vitriol around [18:56] race in America and in politics, that people just want to have leadership that's going to get the job [19:01] done on behalf of their communities, on behalf of their state. So for myself personally, it's a high [19:06] honor. But for the people of Florida, it demonstrates that they don't really care about skin color. [19:10] They care about meritocracy. They care about getting the job done. The people of our state voted out [19:15] and clear. They want to make sure that Florida continues to be a common sense conservative [19:19] state. And my job as governor is to make sure that is a reality. All right. Well, let's talk about [19:24] the path forward for Republicans after this week's losses by Republicans. Vice President J.D. Vance came [19:33] out with a post that's getting a lot of attention. I'm going to read part of it. He says, [19:37] the reason we lost is the war. If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for [19:43] the next six years was worth it, then do so. But everyone knows why we lost. Do you agree with [19:49] Vice President J.D. Vance? I think it's a little bit broader than that, Kristen. At the end of it all, [19:56] it's about gas and groceries. You know, as I traveled the state of Florida, all 67 counties went from [20:01] everywhere between Mariana and Panama City and Pensacola down to Palm Beach, Broward County, [20:07] Miami-Dade County. People in our state were thinking about the cost of food, the cost of [20:11] gas, the cost of insurance. They just want to have lower prices. They want to make sure that [20:16] their kids and themselves have an ability to build a great life. And I think that's really at its core [20:20] what this is really all about. It could be Iran. I mean, we'll take time to dissect all of that. [20:26] But at the end of the day, people want to know that they can afford their lives. And I think that the [20:30] mission for Republicans is to get back focused on just on the cost of living for the people [20:34] of this country. That's what we are going to do as Florida's next governor. We're going to be laser [20:39] focused on the accountability issues that really were the number one issue in Florida's election. [20:44] And it was not even close. Well, and you are arguing it's much broader. Let me ask you, though, [20:49] the vice president saying that it is the fault of the war, can he realistically distance himself [20:57] from the Iran war, from these losses, given the fact that he was put in charge of trying to [21:02] negotiate an end to the war? Honestly, Kristen, that's a question for the vice president. And [21:08] that's more about presidential politics. As governor-elect of Florida, my mission is to [21:13] make sure that we lower insurance costs in our state. That's what we're going to be focused on, [21:17] about lowering the cost of building housing in our state. We're going to lead an all-of-government [21:22] effort around permitting reform. That way you can lower the government side of construction costs, [21:27] thereby lowering the cost of construction housing for the people of our states. Those are the things [21:32] that I get to be focused on. I'll leave the presidential politics in the hands of President [21:36] Trump and Vice President Vance. But I think at the end of the day, when I talk to voters, [21:41] and I talk to a lot of voters these last two years, my campaign, we knocked over two million [21:45] doors in my campaign for governor. And the first, second, and third was affordability, cost of [21:50] living. People want to make sure that that is allowed to continue in our country. They want to be [21:55] able to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. Well, on that point, I want to play a [21:59] little bit of what the current governor of Florida had to say about this week's losses. Take a listen. [22:05] I've criticized some of our Republican congressmen and Senate candidates running around the country [22:10] trying to blame the high gas prices on Biden. Gas was $3 a gallon a year and a half ago, and now it's [22:19] four, and it's four because of the Iraq war. So when you gaslight people, they don't trust you on [22:25] anything else. Did Republicans gaslight the American people on the economy? I actually don't [22:34] know what the governor is talking about when it comes to that one. I didn't really hear any [22:37] Republicans trying to blame gas prices today on what the Biden team was doing. I think if you're [22:42] talking about the cost of living overall, the fact that prices have not really come down in our [22:47] country, yes, the major lying share of that is because of the 9% year-over-year inflation from [22:52] the Biden years. But gasoline prices have gone up recently. Yes, it's because of what's going on [22:57] in the Strait of Hormuz. I actually just read an article from the Wall Street Journal about this. [23:01] The insurance costs of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have gone up substantially, [23:05] even though there's more oil going through the strait today than there was pre-war. [23:09] And so I think that, you know, the number one thing we want for our state and for our country is we [23:13] do want those gas prices coming down. That conflict's coming to an end. We'll see those gas prices come down [23:19] very, very rapidly. But I didn't really hear Republicans blaming gas prices on Joe Biden. [23:24] I didn't hear that. And we did, we should note, have a number of Republicans on this program who [23:29] pointed the finger at Joe Biden. But I think the question becomes, Governor, do you believe [23:35] Republicans, the president should take responsibility for the economy in order to win back the trust with [23:42] voters that was clearly lost in this election cycle? Oh, I do. Absolutely. And I think, look, [23:49] you look at the election results, they speak for themselves. Like I told you, Kristen, [23:52] it's gas and groceries. That was on the mind of everybody. I couldn't help but miss, [23:57] but I did listen to what Senator Sanders was talking about, about their proposal for Medicare [24:02] for all. This is going to be the next battle line in American politics. It's going to be over [24:06] health care. And let's be very clear. If you want to talk about the rising costs in our country, [24:10] health care is center to all of it. And we are living under Democrat health care policy here in the [24:16] United States of America. It's been 15 years since Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act was passed. [24:21] We were promised that premiums were going to go down. We were promised you could keep your doctor, [24:25] you could keep your plan. None of that occurred in health care in our country the last 15 years. [24:30] And instead of fixing the Affordable Care Act, having market-centered reforms that can stabilize [24:35] health care costs, lower health care costs in this country, you have Bernie and the Democrats now [24:40] want government takeover of all health care in our country. We know that would be a failure. [24:45] Care would be rationed to the people of this country. They would not be able to have the free-flowing [24:49] access that they currently have today. The prices would get significantly higher. Of course, [24:55] nobody would have to pay that directly, but it would all be paid for by future debt on the backs of [25:00] our children. That's the wrong way to go. If Republicans, in my view, want to be serious about [25:04] anything, we have to start having this real political conversation and economic conversation around [25:09] health care to stabilize health care costs, lower health care costs. And there are major [25:15] Republican policies that can actually stabilize and lower health care costs in this country, [25:19] provide more access to the people of our country, and that will help make lives better. [25:23] Governor-elect Donald, quickly before I let you go, President Trump announced on Friday he's [25:27] promoting Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff. Miller is, of course, the architect of the [25:33] White House's immigration policies. If you look at the exit polls, nearly six in 10 respondents said [25:40] the policy has gone too far. Is elevating Miller the right move after these midterm elections, [25:48] Mr. Governor-elect? Well, I think what the president is looking for with Stephen Miller is somebody who's [25:54] going to be supportive of him and supportive of his agenda. That's what his chief of staff is supposed to [25:59] do. I think if you're going to talk about enforcement measures, that's something where the president [26:02] and his team are going to take a look at the entire playbook and then make the necessary adjustments. [26:07] Let's also be clear, Kristen, that securing our border is still popular with the American people. [26:12] We saw that in the polling. Immigration deportations and immigration controls are still popular [26:17] largely with the American people. We saw that in the polling as well. So I think even though the [26:22] Democrats had a big night on Tuesday, that does not mean that the country is now all supportive of [26:27] all the Democrat policies. That's simply not true at all. The American people, in my view, spoke loud and clear. [26:32] They want lower prices. They want a stabilized cost of living standard so they can afford their lives. [26:38] They also still want the border security measures and the common sense immigration policies from the [26:43] president of the United States because they do remember the Biden years and that cannot return [26:47] to this country. Very quickly, final question. Are you still supporting Vice President J.D. Vance [26:54] for the next president, as you've said in the past? [26:57] Oh, listen, Kristen, I will leave 28 to 28 right now. I'm focusing on my job, making sure that we [27:04] build a government here in the great state of Florida to transition from Governor DeSantis to make [27:09] sure that Florida remains the best state in all of America. Are you open to DeSantis? Are you open [27:14] to Governor DeSantis? In the past, you've said you'd lean towards supporting Vance. [27:18] I mean, Kristen, the 28, it's still 2026. We haven't even gone across the new year. And like I said, we have [27:27] a government to prepare for. That's my focus. We'll see what happens down the line with the [27:31] with the with the nomination for my party. Only thing I know is it's going to be to be a robust [27:36] conversation, a robust debate. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. [27:40] All right. Governor-elect Donald, thank you so very much for joining us this morning. Really appreciate it. [27:45] Thank you. And when we come back, my interview with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is next. [27:53] Welcome back. On Saturday, I sat down with the Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, [28:02] and I began by asking him whether he saw Tuesday's results as a win for Democrats or a loss for Republicans. [28:11] I think there was absolutely a repudiation of Trump and Vance, but there was absolutely a core group of [28:19] Democrats. Let me just focus on governors for a moment who went out and were very specific about [28:24] what they were going to do, the change they wanted to bring about, the things that we could do as [28:29] governors to bring down costs and increase opportunities. I think it's interesting that [28:34] of the 10 biggest states in America, nine of them are now led by Democratic governors and 75 percent of [28:41] the American population is led by a Democratic governor. So, yes, there was absolutely a repudiation [28:46] of Donald Trump. There was also an acknowledgement the Democrats had better ideas who were on the [28:51] ballot and a better approach to governing and getting stuff done. As you have said and Democrats [28:57] have said, part of the agenda includes oversight and investigations. How should Democrats make sure [29:05] that oversight doesn't come at the expense of taking action on the economy? We've got to be able to walk and [29:12] chew gum at the same time. I don't think just because you're pursuing oversight, it means you [29:17] don't care about cutting costs. I think you do both. And, you know, I think Hakeem Jeffries has made [29:23] very clear that both are going to be on the agenda for the first hundred days and for these next two [29:29] years. And I think there are leaders in place who can both ensure that there is actual accountability [29:35] and to make sure that costs are being cut, policies are being passed or at least put on the president's [29:41] desk. I would just say one more thing about accountability. It is very important that it is [29:48] real accountability that informs the American people and changes some of these corrupt practices, [29:55] not just accountability. And I mean this with the most respect that gets headlines on your news [30:01] program. I think it has to be about real accountability. I'll just give you one example. And there [30:06] sadly there are hundreds of examples. The defense secretary at the president's direction are [30:14] blowing up fishing boats in the middle of oceans. There has been no accountability for that. There [30:20] have been no oversight hearings about that. There's been no real questioning about why that's happening. [30:25] It is critically important that Secretary Hakeem Jeff answer those questions, that anyone in the White [30:31] House that was part of the chain of command to order those strikes answers for it, and that [30:36] ultimately it's not just about the headlines that come out of it, but real accountability for how our [30:42] military is conducting itself. Again, I don't want to suggest that's the most or the only thing, most [30:48] important or the only thing we need to do when it comes to accountability, but it's one example of the [30:52] serious approach we've got to take to ensuring accountability. Do you think Secretary Hakeem Jeff [30:57] should be impeached? Is that accountability? I mean, look, that's a question for Congress to determine, [31:02] but there has to be real questions asked. There has to be real accountability. I would just tell [31:06] you from my perspective, he is completely incompetent. He's like an eight-year-old playing [31:12] with toy soldiers every day. He is someone who I think is making America less safe, and there has to [31:18] be real accountability. If the Congress determines that the best approach is impeachment, then they'll do [31:23] that. It does seem, and you're closer to this than I am, it does seem that there is a growing consensus [31:31] amongst not just Democrats, but Republicans as well in the current Congress, not even the new Congress, [31:37] that his time as Defense Secretary should be up. Well, there's of course a robust discussion within [31:43] the Democratic Party about potentially impeaching President Trump. Do you believe that President [31:50] Trump has committed impeachable offenses in his second term? So again, I think there has to be [31:55] real accountability. We've just spent a few moments talking about that, and it will be up to the [32:00] Congress to determine, since that is a political tool of Congress, whether they want to go down that [32:05] path. Here's what I will say. Over the last hundred years, one of the worst decisions ever by the Supreme [32:12] Court of the United States has been to grant to the president absolute and total immunity for any crimes he [32:20] may commit. It is clear that this president is corrupt. Kristen, he's put $2 billion in his pocket [32:27] during his time as president. That's $2 billion that has come out of our pockets. It's $2 billion [32:33] that has led him to not regulating AI. It's $2 billion that has led him to making decisions [32:41] that are against America's national security interest. Selling chips to China, as an example, [32:48] which undermines our national security, but probably indirectly enriches the president or his [32:55] children. And so I think there has to be accountability for that. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has taken [33:01] away legal accountability. The Congress has to hold him accountable. They'll determine what the best [33:06] approach is. Let's talk about your fellow Pennsylvania Democrat now, Senator John Fetterman, [33:12] who has broken with the Democratic Party at various moments, have been critical of the Democratic Party [33:19] as well. Now that Democrats have a comfortable majority in the Senate, do you believe that Senator [33:27] John Fetterman still belongs in the Democratic Party? I mean, I have no idea what John is going to do. [33:33] Probably wouldn't shock you. He has not confided in me what his political plans are. But here's what I [33:38] would say. The good people of Pennsylvania have just voted, and they don't want people enabling [33:44] Donald Trump anymore. They want real accountability for Trump. They want people who actually show up in [33:50] their communities every day and do the hard work to make their lives better. And I think John's got a lot [33:56] of work to do to earn the trust of the people of Pennsylvania, re-earn the trust of the people of [34:01] Pennsylvania. He's got to show up, and he should speak to the people of Pennsylvania about what his [34:06] plans are. Do you think that Senator Fetterman should face a primary challenge in 2020? I think [34:11] there's going to be a robust primary challenge. That's what you're anticipating if people reached [34:15] out to you about that? I think there's no question that people are lining up to run, and he has to [34:20] decide if he's going to run. If Senator Fetterman decided tomorrow to become a Republican, would you be [34:26] comfortable with that? Would you support that? Well, no, because the people of Pennsylvania elected [34:32] a Democrat to that seat. So he would have a lot of explaining to do. As you sit here today, are you [34:39] more likely than not to run for president in 2028? I mean, look, first off, I'm humbled you'd even [34:45] have me on your program, let alone ask me that question. And I appreciate the support we have [34:52] received in Pennsylvania overwhelmingly from Democrats, Republicans, independents. I'm also [34:57] grateful for the opportunity to do something that Democratic governors in my lifetime have not been [35:02] able to do, and that is govern with a legislative trifecta. So a big part of my focus right now [35:07] is on figuring out how we advance policies like raising the minimum wage and many other things that [35:13] have been blocked by Republicans who've controlled my legislature for generations. That's where my focus [35:18] is. And maybe getting a little bit of sleep after the election. Sleep sounds good. Do you commit to [35:24] serving your full four-year term? Well, I committed to run for governor, and that's the work I'm focused [35:29] on doing. And if I've got something to say about my future, I'd love to come back on your show and talk [35:34] about it. Does Vice President Kamala Harris's decision on whether to run for president impact [35:40] your decision at all? I think everyone should make their decisions on their timelines in a way that they see [35:46] fit. And you can watch my full interview with Governor Shapiro, including his thoughts on [35:51] expanding the Supreme Court and whether he supports Medicare for all legislation on meetthepress.com. [35:57] When we come back, history was made this week in the midterms. Our Meet the Press Minute is next. [36:10] Welcome back. Tuesday's midterm elections broke barriers with voters electing the first Muslim U.S. [36:17] Senator Abdul El-Sayed, the first Native American Senator Peggy Flanagan, [36:22] the first openly gay male senator, Chris Pappas, and the first black woman governor, [36:27] Keisha Lance Bottoms. Nearly six decades ago, Shirley Chisholm made history as the first black [36:33] woman elected to Congress. And on Meet the Press, she discussed her groundbreaking run for president. [36:40] First of all, gentlemen, you have to really recognize that I'm doing something this country [36:44] has never really been done before. It's a question of inculcation, reorientation, and education. [36:49] Never before in this country, ever since the inception of the Republic, have you had a woman [36:54] seriously running for the presidency. I'm not talking about someone nominating someone at the [36:57] convention as a mere gesture of symbolism and tokenism. I'm talking about someone that has been going [37:02] out on the highways and byways for the past seven and a half months, and saying to the American people [37:06] that indeed this is a multifaceted society, that Mrs. Chisholm also can be considered a person that can run [37:13] for the presidency of this country. I was breaking a tradition, a tradition in which only white males [37:18] have only been the gentlemen in this country that have guided the ship of space. So you don't expect [37:23] people, black, white, men or women, to suddenly overcome a tradition that has been steeped ever since [37:28] the inception of this republic. So I understand that. I've broken the ice. When we come back, [37:34] a political earthquake. Did Democrats win or did President Trump lose? The panel is next. [37:46] Welcome back. The panel is here. Jonathan Martin, politics bureau chief and senior political [37:51] columnist for Politico. Ashley Etienne, former communications director for Vice President Harris [37:56] and Speaker Pelosi, and Mark Short, former Trump director of legislative affairs. Welcome to all of [38:03] you. Jay Mart, you wrote that this week amounted to a political realignment. What a week it was. [38:09] How do you see this moment in American politics? Well, you know, there's some midterms that are larger [38:14] in history. Certainly 1974, the Watergate babies, 1994, Newt and the Republican revolution. I think [38:21] this will go down in history as a transcendent midterm. I think it's an extraordinary event [38:27] because it's one of those rare votes of no confidence in the party in power. If we were in Britain, [38:34] Donald Trump would be moving out of the White House right now because he's been basically [38:39] repudiated by the country. Obviously, he has two more years because we're not in the UK, but he's [38:45] going to be the lamest of lame ducks without either chamber of Congress. And frankly, his party's deep [38:50] in the hole in both chambers of Congress. There's not a lot that I think can get done. But from a political [38:56] standpoint, I think this reorders the 2028 race. I think it emboldens Democrats to get in. I think it [39:01] widens the Democratic field and livens it. What's to lose now? This is a campaign worth running, [39:08] a nomination worth having. On the Republican side, I think on Monday, J.D. Vance was almost a sure [39:12] thing to be the nominee. I'm not sure today he is a sure thing to be the nominee. I think it'll also [39:17] encourage folks to get into the race potentially in 2028 on the Republican side. Still think he's the [39:22] most likely nominee. But boy, I think there's more of a competition now. And the idea of Trump doing [39:27] a simple coronation, I think is probably now out the window. And this is more of a race. Just lastly, [39:32] though, the big question is, is 28 a nomination that is worth having for the Republicans? Or are [39:38] they facing a replay of 2006 and 2008, a bad midterm and a devastating general election two years later [39:46] in which you lose the White House, too? That's the risk right now for Republicans if they don't [39:50] change their ways and find a path to claim 270 electoral votes. But if you look at Texas turning [39:56] blue, Georgia, North Carolina turning deeper shades of blue, I'm not sure whether they go to [40:02] get 270 electoral votes in two years. Well, so I want to talk about 2028. I do want to take a moment just [40:10] to talk about the path forward right now, Ashley Etienne, because there's a real question about what [40:15] Democrats are going to do with their mandate. Is there a risk in overreach? You heard Adam Hamilton, [40:22] you heard Senator Sanders also saying, let's be very cautious here. Voters put us in place to deal [40:29] with the economy. And oh, by the way, the Democratic Party is not very popular when you look at the [40:34] polling heading into Tuesday. Yeah, there's definitely a risk of overreach here. You know, [40:38] you don't want to over index on going after Donald Trump in an environment where people are trying to [40:43] keep food on the table. But if you take a step back, the NBC exit polls showed that 90% of the country [40:50] found that corruption was the most critical issue going into the to the voting booth. And so they're [40:55] seeing it really in two different ways. One is government corruption. One is corporate corruption, [41:00] where these corporations have rigged the system and the American people are paying the bill for it. [41:04] So my advice to the Democratic Party is you've got to do D and all the above strategy. You've got to [41:09] hold Trump accountable. You've got to hold these corporations accountable and you've got to move [41:13] very fast and quickly on cost. But here's what the American people need to to know is that Donald Trump [41:19] has made clear to us that he's going to be an obstructionist. He said that if Democrats will [41:24] send him bills and he's going to send them back a veto stamp, you might recall on election night, [41:29] he posted a picture of a hat that said veto on it. So Democrats objective is going to be to prove to [41:36] the American people and make clear to the American people if nothing moves that Donald Trump is to [41:40] blame for it. That's got to be the message going into 2028 if there is no improvement. [41:44] Can anything get done? President Trump just named Stephen Miller as his chief of staff. [41:49] I'm told by some allies of the president, look, he's worked on Capitol Hill before. He does have [41:54] the capacity to get stuff done. How do you see it? Look, I think he chose Stephen for a couple of [41:58] reasons. One is to change the narrative quickly. So we're not talking about what a debacle Tuesday was. [42:02] And also because he's anticipating a fight. And I think you're going to see that. I mean, [42:06] even in Ashley's answer, we're hearing that there's things we want to do proactively, [42:10] but we have to hold corporate America accountable. We have to go after the administration. And that's [42:13] what you're going to see pretty quickly. But Kristen, I don't want to leave too quickly from [42:17] what happened on Tuesday because this was just a complete annihilation of where Republicans were. [42:23] And I think we lost our way on so many issues. We lost our way in government getting involved in [42:27] the economy. We lost our way in abandoning the pro-life and pro-family cause. We've lost our [42:31] way on national security. But when you look at actually the complete wipeout, take North Carolina [42:37] for one second, focus on it. North Carolina went to have a Democrat win by 60-40 margin in the swing [42:43] state. The House, we lost the chairman of the Republican Congressional Committee. The House [42:47] went from 10-4 Democrat to 10-4, I mean 10-4 Republican to 10-4 Democrat. At the same time, [42:53] they passed three measures on a constitutional ballot to limit property taxes, to limit income [42:58] taxes, and pass voter ID by wide margins. So basically voters were voting for conservative issues, [43:03] but saying, we're done with all of you because you've abandoned us. [43:06] Well, and not just that, but there were a few thousand votes from having a 14-0 [43:11] Democrat congressional delegation. It was almost a complete extinction event. And I have bad news for [43:16] you, Mark. The Democrat actually, Roy Cooper won by 20. The Republican didn't even get 40. He got 39. [43:23] The one bright spot, Kristen, was Florida. Byron Donald hangs on. Actually, Moody hangs on. It's [43:28] the one vestige of red that you can see on the American political map. It's the last bulwark for the [43:33] Republican Party. I got news for the GOP. You pursue Stephen Millerism in 2028, you're going to hand [43:38] Florida over to the Democratic Party. You have an all-blue map. Because Miami-Dade will collapse [43:44] for the Republican Party if Stephen Miller's view on immigration prevails and is the order of the [43:49] day in 2028. So you take me to my next question because someone said to me that the next nominee [43:54] for the Republican Party has to be someone who has a vision to rebuild the party, not take the mantle [44:00] from Trump, and that that changed on Tuesday, Jay Mark. Yeah, there's no question about it. And [44:05] what I wonder about is that in the back of the minds of a lot of Republicans, and Mark knows this, [44:10] do they think 2020 is even worth it? If you were to put some of these folks on truth serum, [44:15] whether it's Sarah Huckabee Sanders, David McCormick, the senator from Pennsylvania, [44:20] do you just wait it out, Kristen, and just wait until 32? Because nobody can escape the big, [44:25] beautiful, golden handcuffs with Donald Trump in 28. And so he may as well be on the ballot in 28. [44:31] And if that's the case, you're going to lose too. Democrats want to run against Donald Trump. [44:35] They will forever. They'll keep doing it for as long as they can. And they're going to go back [44:40] to that same play call every single time. And the Republicans know that. And if that's the case, [44:45] if you're, I don't know, Marco Rubio, do you say, J.D., hey, pal, have a ball. It's all your turn in [44:51] 28. We'll see you in 2032. Is that what you think is going to happen? And is there a path for J.D. Vance [44:57] at this point in time? He's trying to blame Iran. Can he distance himself? [45:00] It's a much more open field after Tuesday. Is it worth it, though? [45:04] It's a great question. I'm not so sure that blaming the Jews the day after the election was [45:08] the right call for J.D. Vance. I don't think that was really what, and I also don't think Americans [45:12] were saying, hey, I really want the election analysis of the vice president. [45:15] Yeah, and the Iran war. It diminishes the position. But look, I think it's going to be an open [45:21] competition. But, Kristen, I think a challenge for anybody is that if you try to break from President [45:26] Trump, he's going to come after you. And if you cleave yourself to him and he's at 31, 32 percent [45:31] approval, that's going to be a really difficult path. And so I think it's going to be a challenge. [45:35] I think, as J.Mart says, there's going to be a lot of people who say, you know what, [45:38] I'm going to wait and go in 2032. Yeah, I thought it was notable that Governor Josh Shapiro, [45:43] when I asked if he was going to make a decision based on Kamala Harris, that everyone should make [45:47] their own decision, clearly not closing the door on a run. How do you see what happened on Tuesday [45:55] shaping how the Democrats are viewing 2028? As J.Mart said, he thinks it's going to be a big, [45:59] wide open field. I mean, I think the biggest takeaway for me is always bet on black. If you look at what [46:04] we saw happen just on Tuesday, we've got a situation where investing in black voters has really put [46:11] the entirety of the South in play. I mean, it's it was incredible from Texas to Georgia to Florida. [46:18] And so the way that I see it is, you know, black voters could be the solution to Democrats electoral [46:24] challenge just by taking the South. All those states, you put 100 electoral votes in play for [46:30] Democrats. So the question is, at this point, whether or not the Democratic Party will heed that [46:35] and invest in black voters today leading into 2028. All right. And whether we're going to see [46:40] a new strategy unfold of investing in the South, thank you so much for a fantastic conversation. [46:46] And as we go, we want to note that we are celebrating 79 years of Meet the Press. [46:54] We want to say a very happy 79. That is all for today. Thank you so much for watching. We'll be back [47:00] next week because if it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press.