Meet the Press NOW — April 23

[0:11] Welcome to Meet the Press Now. I'm Melanie Znona in Washington, and right now, President Trump is [0:15] holding an event to highlight his affordability agenda amid dismal new polling on his handling [0:21] of the economy and as the war with Iran drags on, threatening to drive prices even higher. [0:27] These are some live pictures from the Oval Office of President Trump, who has repeatedly denied in [0:32] recent days that he's under pressure to make a deal with Iran, holding a health care affordability [0:36] event. He could take questions for the first time on camera since he extended the U.S. ceasefire [0:41] against Iran earlier this week. It comes after President Trump posted on social media this [0:46] morning that he is ordering the U.S. Navy to, quote, shoot and kill any boat putting mines in the [0:51] Strait of Hormuz. He also said the strait is, quote, sealed up tight by the U.S. until Iran makes a deal. [0:58] It's a remarkable 180 from his prior demands that Iran must open the strait. The Pentagon releasing [1:04] this video of its third maritime interdiction of what it says was a sanctioned stateless vessel [1:10] transporting oil from Iran. Iran's state media, meanwhile, releasing its own video of what appears [1:15] to be two ships being seized in the strait by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps earlier this week. [1:21] You can see men in masks climbing up the ladder to board that tanker. Amid the tensions, oil prices [1:27] have ticked up and are now higher than before the ceasefire was extended indefinitely. The head of the [1:33] International Energy Agency warning today, we are facing the biggest energy security threat in [1:38] history. Meanwhile, public support for the president continues to erode. According to the latest CNBC [1:44] survey, President Trump's net approval has fallen to a new low for him in either term, minus 18 points. [1:52] The president's net approval on his handling of the economy is even lower, minus 21 points. That's also [1:57] a new low. And in the latest Fox News poll, for the first time since 2010, more voters say they think [2:04] Democrats would do a better job on the economy than Republicans. Joining me now to break this all down [2:11] are NBC News White House correspondent Monica Alba, NBC News national correspondent Yasmin Vesugian is in [2:17] Beirut, NBC News senior national security correspondent Courtney Kuby, and NBC News business and data [2:24] correspondent Brian Chung. Monica, let me start over at the White House with you. What do you make of what [2:31] President Trump might be saying today on the affordability push, especially as we saw these [2:36] new poll numbers showing just some really dismal numbers for the president? Yeah, Mel, and I think [2:40] this all has to be taken against the backdrop of what you just laid out, which is all the headwinds that [2:45] the president and the administration are facing when it comes to the war against Iran. And the fact is, [2:51] that is still the main topic here each and every day, even with the president trying to change the [2:56] conversation and bring it back to affordability. We certainly saw him traveling last week and trying [3:01] to do that. And today he did just announce this deal with Regeneron to try to make it more affordable [3:07] as he is trying to push these pharmaceutical deals with drug makers through his Trump Rx project. [3:14] So the White House is trying to bring the conversation back to these things, trying to pitch to Americans [3:19] that they are trying to lower some of their costs while also acknowledging that other costs continue [3:25] to rise. And what we're seeing with those gas prices, with oil, with all of that, that is stemming [3:31] from the continued conflict against Iran. So it's really sort of a two-pronged strategy that the White [3:37] House knows they need to do. But this is a president who, even when he's talking about affordability, [3:42] tends to then talk about a ton of other topics. And it seems like right now, [3:46] he is trying to project that he doesn't want to be rushed on the war with Iran, saying that he [3:52] doesn't at all feel the pressure to make a deal, even though we know behind the scenes from our own [3:56] reporting that he is feeling frustrated that he hasn't been able to walk away with a deal yet [4:00] and turn to some of these other priorities for the administration. [4:04] Well, and Monica, speaking about the war in Iran, he did order the Navy to shoot any boats lying on [4:09] mines in the strait. Is it clear whether that would be a violation of the ceasefire? [4:14] We have asked because that is a very good question. And remember that this is a ceasefire that we [4:19] don't even know how long it's been extended for. He had pushed it back five times. Then yesterday, [4:24] when we asked the press secretary whether there's sort of a window in which he's hoping Iran responds [4:29] with their unified proposal. And she said that only the president can set firm deadlines. But I can tell [4:35] you from sources that I've been talking to that there is an internal debate within the White House right [4:40] now about whether even to put forward another firm timeline, whether it's three to five days or [4:46] beyond that, because there's a concern that they could continue to blow right past it if there isn't [4:51] enough diplomatic progress made. Mel. Yasmin, I want to go over to you. You're in Beirut right now. Lebanese and [4:58] Israeli envoys are actually meeting here in Washington as we speak. This comes as talks between Iran and the U.S. [5:04] have stalled. So is there any hope that these talks could produce any results? [5:12] It's it's a difficult question and a good one. This these are countries that have been at war for [5:18] decades. And you think, though, about this moment and the historic nature of this moment, both [5:24] ambassadors meeting in Washington, D.C., and what they have ahead of them. It feels as if and seems as [5:31] if with the people I've been speaking to that this may very well be the closest they have ever been [5:37] to potentially getting to a place in which they can live side by side peacefully. The only issue is [5:45] the biggest issue, I should say, is the land. It is the buffer zone in which the IDF actually occupies. [5:52] When they agreed on the 10 day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, part of that ceasefire was for [5:58] Israel to retreat from that 10 kilometer buffer zone. This is a zone in which the IDF is now in [6:03] control of that is essentially 10 to 12 kilometers into Lebanon. Many people have had to leave that [6:11] area and head north because their houses are in that area and there's still ongoing fighting within [6:15] the buffer zone. After the ceasefire began, Israel did not retreat. That is one of, if not the most [6:23] important demand that the Lebanese people will be making today and the Lebanese government will be [6:27] making today, that Israel retreats from that buffer zone and stops the fighting. The only issue is [6:34] there is that Israel says that the only way they will retreat from the buffer zone is if the Lebanese [6:39] government is able to disarm Hezbollah. Yeah. Yeah, we're going to take a listen in to the [6:44] president who's currently speaking at the White House on his affordability event. Let's listen. [6:49] And if they don't want to make a deal, then I'll finish it up militarily with the other 25 percent of [6:54] the targets. We've hit 78 percent of the targets that we've wanted to hit. We've knocked out their [6:59] manufacturing. We've knocked out their missile production. We've knocked out their drone production. [7:04] We've knocked out everything. In some cases, when I say knocked it out, 70, 80, 90 percent. [7:11] It's amazing what we've done. So I've done that within that period of time that I mentioned. But I [7:16] don't want to rush myself, you know, because every story says, oh, Trump is under time pressure. I'm not. [7:21] No, no. You know who's under time pressure? They are. Because if they don't get their oil moving, [7:25] their whole oil infrastructure is going to explode. You know what that means? Because they have no [7:31] place to store it. And because they have no place to store it, if they have to stop it, [7:36] something happens that only Lynn can explain. Something happens underground that essentially [7:42] renders it in very poor shape. And you never recover fully. You can recover 50, 60 percent, [7:49] but you can never have it like it is right now. And they have a matter of days before that event [7:54] takes place. So I'm not under any pressure whatsoever. We've never had so much ammunition. [8:00] Our ships are loaded. I call them locked and loaded. They're locked and loaded. They're ready to go. [8:06] We have much higher quality equipment than we did when we first started the war and or the military [8:13] operation, whatever you want to call it. And they're coming to us. The problem they have is they are very [8:19] disorganized right now. Well, now yesterday, and I was very pleased with this, eight young women were [8:26] going to be executed yesterday afternoon at six o'clock. And I asked them, call it a favor. I call [8:35] it just a moral request that they not be executed. And they came back with an answer that they won't [8:40] be executed. They're going to release. It was protesting eight beautiful young women, very young [8:46] women. And they were the pictures in the paper. And it's been a story for a little while. And I saw [8:51] that. And I said, let's see, we can save them. And they were, it was very nice what happened. So [8:58] they're not going to be, what they're doing is, as you know, they're releasing four of them very [9:02] shortly. And they're going to keep four of them in jail for a period of one month and release them. [9:07] So they won't be executed. Yeah. So if you're asking for more time to sort out negotiations, [9:12] I'm not asking you for more time. I'm not asking for them. No, it's not. I'm not asking anybody for [9:17] more time. If you need more time, does that mean Americans should anticipate spending more on [9:22] gasoline for the foreseeable future? For a little while. And you know what they get for that? You [9:26] know what they get for that? Iran without a nuclear weapon that's going to try and blow up one of our [9:31] cities or blow up the entire Middle East. You want to see what shock would be? And I have to be [9:37] honest, the stock market is at an all time high right now. I thought it would have been down [9:42] 20, 25%. Wait, can I finish my question? Why is that? Stock market's at an all time high right now. [9:51] I projected, and I'm pretty good at this, that the stock market, Howard, would drop maybe 20%, 25%. And I [9:59] understood that. And I said, hey, it's a bad thing, but I have to do what's right for the country, [10:03] even the world, because you can't have them. You cannot let them have a nuclear weapon. So [10:09] the stock market, unlike what a lot of people were predicting, I thought they weren't necessarily [10:16] wrong. The stock market today hit an all time high, hit an all time high yesterday, the day before, [10:22] and it's staying there. I thought oil would go up to maybe $200 a barrel. And oil is a very different [10:30] number than anyone thought. In fact, this country is much slower because we have all the oil we can use. [10:35] We're actually, ships are coming from all over the world to Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska. [10:42] They're coming from all over the world to get oil from the United States, you know, while this is [10:46] closed, the Hormones Strait. So if you look at what I said, I guess it was right, because I said I'd have [10:55] it four to six weeks. And in four weeks, we have totally defeated that military. So right now, [10:59] I don't want to rush it because you guys are, you know, trying to make us look as bad as possible. [11:03] I don't want to rush it. I want to take my time. We have plenty of time. And I want to get a great [11:08] deal. I want to get a deal where our nation and the world is safe from lunatics with nuclear weapons. [11:15] If it does go to 200, are you okay with that, sir? [11:18] I think that there's nothing worse than a nuclear weapon that takes out one of your cities or two of [11:25] your cities or three. I think there's nothing worse than a nuclear weapon that's going to destroy the [11:29] Middle East, including Israel. I think there's nothing worse than Europe being under attacked [11:35] by people that have missiles now that reach Europe. As you know, they don't reach us, but they reach [11:40] Europe, but they will reach us at some time. Probably they're not too distant future unless we stop them [11:45] now. I think there would be nothing worse than having nuclear holocaust in Europe, London, [11:53] Paris, various places in Germany, all targeted. No, what I say is you can't let them have. [12:03] I don't think it will happen, by the way. I really think we actually, it turns out that we are drill [12:08] baby drill. And it turns out we're producing a lot of oil and they're buying the oil. They're going to [12:13] Alaska. They're going to Texas, Louisiana. And our guys have done a fantastic job. We're putting out [12:20] right now more oil and gas than we ever have in the history of our country. And one other thing, [12:25] there are more people employed today in the United States than ever in the history of our country. [12:30] Okay. [12:31] I have a question, sir. Is it true that your administration is considering sending [12:34] 1,100 Afghans to the Democratic Republic of Congo? And if so, do you have a response? [12:39] I don't know. I'd have to check. [12:43] Thank you, Mr. President. Breitbart News' Matt Boyle just published an interview with Greek [12:48] Prime Minister Mitsotakis in which the Prime Minister said that he's rooting for you to succeed in getting [12:53] a deal with Iran. And he also said he looks forward to hosting you in Greece later this year. Do you [12:58] have any response? [12:58] No, it's really nice. I mean, Greece has been very supportive, actually. Greece has been terrific. [13:04] He's a terrific guy because he understands the importance of it. You know, oil goes up a little [13:09] bit. I hate it. You know, I was the one that had it down to $60 a barrel. And I looked at guys like [13:16] Howard Lutnick. Howard, you remember it well. I said, well, we just hit an all-time high in the [13:22] history of the market. [13:23] That was President Trump speaking at an affordability event at the White House. He took questions from [13:27] reporters on the war in Iran. He talked about gas prices, the timeline for this war, the state of the [13:33] negotiations. We're going to keep an ear on that. But I want to turn to Courtney Kuby, who's here [13:37] with me on set, to just get your reaction to some of what was said and also get a quick real-time [13:42] fact check on some of those things that he was saying. [13:44] Yeah, so there were three things that really stood out to me when it comes to Iran that the [13:47] president just said. First off, he said that the U.S. has destroyed 78 percent of the targets that they [13:51] went into the war with. That's a new number. We have not heard that. But notably, he said that among the [13:57] things that still needed to be destroyed, if in fact the U.S. were to restart offensive [14:01] combat operations against Iran, were Iranian production facilities, including their drone [14:06] facilities. And that's an astonishing statement, given the fact that we have been reporting since [14:13] the ceasefire, and even since sort of the waning couple of last days of the offensive operations, [14:18] that in fact, much of the production capability and facilities were badly damaged, if not destroyed, [14:23] by the U.S. It's really the stockpiles that they were not able to completely take out. So [14:29] that's interesting, if in fact that's true, that Iran still maintains the ability to produce new [14:34] drones and potentially missiles. Next thing he said was the U.S. has more munitions than ever. [14:39] Just factually inaccurate, frankly. Now, keep in mind, the U.S. burned through a ton of munitions [14:46] throughout the course of this 40-day or so war. They still have enough, if they restart operations, [14:53] that they can continue for weeks and probably even months at the pace that they were going [14:57] throughout that war. The real issue with the munitions is the stockpile that exists. [15:02] So if there's another conflict, exactly, or something, if something were to come up quickly, [15:06] the U.S. would be in a real problem place with their munitions. And then finally, [15:11] the president repeated again that the U.S. totally defeated the Iranian military. [15:15] It's just factually inaccurate. Just a couple of things that we've been told, [15:18] we've been told and we've reported, is about half of their missile launchers remain intact, [15:22] about half of their ballistic missile stockpile underground, but intact, about half of their [15:27] drones and more than half of their Navy and the Air Force remain intact, even after the punishing [15:31] 40 days or so of U.S. and Israeli military strikes. [15:35] Yeah, just such important fact-checking right there. Monica, I do want to turn to you over at [15:38] the White House. I want to get your reaction to some of what the president said, particularly [15:42] when he was talking about the Strait of Hormuz. [15:45] Yeah, that stood out to me as well. I agree with Courtney's really important fact-checks. [15:49] And then this kind of a reveal from the president, arguing that he was the one who says he wanted [15:54] to keep the Strait closed in the most recent days. Even up to three days ago, he said, [16:00] they came to us and they said, we'll agree to open the Strait. And all my people were happy, [16:04] he said, except me. Because he says, wait a minute, if we open the Strait, and he has been talking [16:08] about this part on social media, he says Iran could make $500 million a day. And he wants to prevent [16:14] that because he wants to continue to apply this economic pressure. That's why they have started [16:18] to call this Operation Economic Fury, not just Operation Epic Fury on that particular point. [16:25] And so he said, I'm the one that kept it closed. We have total control of it, and it'll open when [16:29] they make a deal. So remember that the president has really gone from saying and really asking with [16:35] an expletive Iran to open the Strait, calling them crazy. And now then he called for the Strait [16:43] to be closed again. And now he is saying that he's the one who wants it to stay closed, [16:47] which we know then contributes to this overall issue, Mel, of the economic challenge on the United [16:54] States front. In terms of what we're seeing with those vessels, those numbers that you see on your [16:59] screen there, there are so few getting through, certainly before this war started, when you look [17:05] at that, just a fraction of that. But also when you see this cascading effect of what this means [17:10] for the price of oil and ultimately for gas prices in the United States as well. And it was [17:16] interesting, Mel, it stood out to me that the president did acknowledge people are going to see [17:19] those prices go up, he said, for a little bit. Unclear for how long, but acknowledging this is not [17:24] something that's really going to go down in the near term. Yeah, Monica, that stood out to me as well. [17:28] And speaking of that economic challenge, I want to bring Brian into this conversation. [17:32] In addition to what he said about gas prices, he also seemed to downplay what the markets are doing, [17:37] said he thought it would be even worse than what it is now. What did you make of the president's [17:41] comments there? Yeah, well, I mean, certainly it's easy for the president to kind of do a little bit [17:45] of a semi-victory lap around the markets because we have bounced back from what was a really, [17:50] really nasty stock market in the throes of this war prior to the agreement to at least extend the [17:57] ceasefire. You can see that the markets did end the day marginally down about four-tenths of a [18:02] percent on the Dow. Of course, those numbers are proceeding the remarks that we just heard from [18:06] the president because markets closed at 4 p.m. Eastern time. But I didn't think what caught my [18:11] attention in addition to the same talking points that he said before, which is that higher gas prices [18:15] are simply the cost of making sure that Iran doesn't have a nuke. He did seem to suggest that [18:21] there is a chance that prices could stay elevated for a little while. And as the president does [18:26] continue to stamp down on the Strait of Hormuz in the form of this blockade, it is acknowledging that [18:32] the flow of oil is simply not going to be going back to the Strait of Hormuz to the degree at least [18:37] that a lot of markets were hoping they would be when the ceasefire was first announced. And so for [18:42] that reason, we have seen oil prices marginally higher. We were showing the numbers at the beginning [18:47] of this segment around $95 per barrel in terms of crude oil. That would suggest that gas prices [18:53] for everyday Americans at the pump will remain elevated as they do still remain above $4 a gallon [18:59] at $4.03. Again, up over a dollar compared to where all of this began pre-war. [19:05] And Yasmin, I want to turn back to you because you're actually on the ground right now in Beirut. [19:10] I know you've been visiting a shelter. You've been talking to people on the ground there. [19:14] You visited Tyre earlier this week. What are the Lebanese people telling you about the prospects [19:19] for peace? And also, was there anything that stood out to you in what the president said [19:23] in that White House event today? Yeah, so a few things. Let me first touch [19:28] on what the president was talking about, and then we can pivot more to what's happening behind me [19:32] in Beirut and in South Lebanon as well. So the president mentioned kind of a fracture [19:36] in the power structure of Iran. He's accurate in saying that it's less disarray and it's more literally [19:42] a fracture. Reporting suggests and evidence suggests there's really becoming more and more [19:47] of a military control of Iran. The commander of the IRGC, the Revolutionary Guard, having a direct [19:53] line to the Ayatollah, Ayatollah Mujtabu Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran. The other side of the [20:00] coin is, of course, Ghalibov, the Speaker of the Parliament inside of Iran, who has been part of the [20:06] diplomatic envoy that has been going to Islamabad and decided not to go this last time, along with the [20:11] president of Iran, President Pazishkian. They don't see necessarily eye to eye on negotiations [20:17] and whether or not they should even be in negotiations with the United States. They are, [20:21] though, unified on the control of the Strait of Hormuz and not negotiating under duress. [20:26] So there certainly is a fracture that is ongoing in the leadership ranks of Iran, [20:30] not only felt by the global community, but also within Iran, within the Iranian people as well. [20:37] When we talk about what's happening behind me in Beirut, in South Lebanon, as you mentioned, [20:41] I went to a facility today that is housing refugees from the southern part of Lebanon. [20:46] There's about a million or so refugees that have been displaced throughout this entire war. [20:52] This is a historic day, as I was talking earlier, this meeting between Israel and Lebanon to negotiate [20:58] a potential end or extension of a ceasefire, a potential end to the war. The place that they are not [21:04] seeing eye to eye, as I said, is the dispute over the land in the buffer zone. The person that I spoke [21:10] to, one of the women I spoke to at the refugee center, she was 21 years old. She is a student. [21:18] She is studying medicine. She has been there since the beginning of the war with her entire family [21:23] living in a very small area. And for her, home is everything. The land, Lebanon, is everything. [21:29] Let's take a listen to what she had to say, Mel, and we'll talk on the other side. [21:34] If Lebanon gave up that land to achieve peace? [21:38] Of course, no. It's for us, for the Lebanese people. Some people say that we aren't, [21:47] but we are Lebanese people, that we want Lebanon to feel in peace, but not with Israel. [21:55] And that is true for literally every person I've spoken to while I've been on the ground here [22:04] in Lebanon, that no matter what, this government should not compromise and give that land over [22:10] to Israel. That, in fact, belongs, as they tell me, to the Lebanese people. Mel. [22:15] Yasmin, thank you so much for that incredibly important reporting and that important perspective. [22:21] Courtney, I want to turn to you. I do want to get to this other news today. [22:23] The Navy Secretary was fired. The president posted on social media a while ago, making it seem like [22:29] he left on his own terms. But you have reporting to the contrary, right? [22:32] Yeah. So the Navy Secretary, John Phelan, has clashed with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and [22:37] the Deputy Secretary, Steve Feinberg, pretty much since day one on the job just over a year ago. And [22:42] the biggest thing that they have argued over is shipbuilding and the pace and the scope and the [22:47] scale of the shipbuilding. And a senior administration official said that was one of the things that [22:51] led to Secretary Feinberg being removed from his job. But three officials who we spoke with said [22:56] that, in fact, Feinberg found out that he was being removed from the job via social media posts from [23:02] the Pentagon late yesterday afternoon. So it's very clear that this was an abrupt, definitely an abrupt [23:07] move. Members of Congress we spoke with were very surprised by this. They were not aware in advance [23:12] that this was going to happen yesterday. He was just on the Hill yesterday. He's due to testify for the [23:16] budget hearings as well. So it surprised a lot of them. And I think that the one thing that we heard the [23:20] most was just the surprise about doing this during exactly what we are talking about right here. And [23:25] that is the U.S. Navy engaged in this very aggressive and active blockade of Iranian ports. [23:32] The U.S. Navy just today brought the third carrier strike group into the region. The Navy is very engaged [23:37] right now to get rid of the Navy secretary in the midst of it. It's not like he's running the war. [23:41] That's not the case. But he's basically the CEO of the Department of the Navy. To remove him at this time [23:46] without some very obvious cause is raising a lot of eyebrows. And what do we know about who's going [23:51] to replace him, at least on a temporary basis? So it'll be Hung Cao. He's now the deputy secretary. [23:56] He's now officially, I guess, the acting secretary of the Navy. He's run for office unsuccessfully in [24:01] the past. He has a history in the United States Navy. But it's not really clear if he's actually going [24:06] to be the person who gets the nod for the job ultimately. Some people are saying that, you know, [24:12] a couple of weeks, they'll see how he does and see if he ends up officially getting the nomination [24:16] to be to replace Phelan. Monica, I wanted to get back to you on some of these polls that we were [24:20] talking about earlier that shows voters are actually souring on the president and his party's [24:25] handling of the economy. How worried is the White House right now about those numbers? [24:30] Well, publicly, Mel, they would tell you that they're not worried at all, that they expected this, [24:34] that they factored this in, that this is something that they considered even in the lead up to the war [24:39] against Iran. But privately, certainly, there is a level of concern, awareness and acknowledgement [24:45] that there is very little time actually between now and November. There are a lot of different [24:50] news cycles between now and then. But really, people are starting to see these effects. And [24:54] they are very, very difficult to change minds of what you're experiencing, right? This is something [25:00] that we saw time and time again in the Biden administration. And they very similarly would have [25:04] a response where they would tell people to kind of hang in there. The benefits are coming [25:07] of the policies. The Trump administration is actually repeating some of the same things. [25:11] And again, they're trying to change the conversation a little bit. They're trying to pivot back to it. [25:16] But they do acknowledge that people are going to have to sort of buckle in for higher prices in [25:21] the short term. And the president is sort of saying that that's a cost they should be willing to pay [25:26] for this, which I think will be in plenty of midterm ads from Democrats and from critics in the coming [25:32] weeks and months. Yeah, no doubt. Courtney and Monica, thank you both. Coming up next, [25:38] a live NBC News Common Ground special. We'll hear from a pair of bipartisan senators next. [25:46] Welcome back to Meet the Press Now. We want to take you now to a live special NBC News event [25:56] happening right now at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center here in Washington, D.C. [26:02] are Kristen Welker, Lester Holt, Steve Kornacki, Mike Tirico, and Ryan Noble, someone I know very [26:08] well, are sitting down this afternoon with leaders in government, sports, and even space exploration [26:14] to talk about what unites us all. It's all part of the NBC News Common Ground series. In just a moment, [26:21] we'll take you to Kristen on stage, where she is sitting down right now with Pennsylvania Democratic [26:26] Senator John Fenderman and Alabama Republican Senator Katie Britt. Let's watch. [26:32] All right. What an incredible conversation that was for former presidents. We want to keep the [26:44] conversation going. Joining me now on stage, our Republican Senator Katie Britt of Alabama and [26:50] Democratic Senator John Fenderman of Pennsylvania. Please give them a warm welcome. Thank you, folks. [26:56] We appreciate it. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Please have a seat, both of you. [27:04] We are thrilled that you could both be here for this Common Ground event. Is that good? [27:12] Yeah. We really appreciate it. Oh, it's great to be here. [27:15] And we're going to get to some policy and politics in a second, but I want to start off by talking about [27:21] something personal, which is the relationship between the two of you, which is genuine. The two of [27:28] you met Senator Fenderman during freshman orientation. Tell me about that and why the two of you formed a [27:35] fast friendship. I mean, I was struck first that her husband is actually bigger than I am. [27:41] And I'm like, is that her body God or what's the story behind this, Wes? And it turned out that he lived [27:50] the dream, my dream. I mean, he played for Alabama, which would have been the equivalent of Penn State [27:55] for me, and then played in the pros, you know. So I played football too, but not very well. And, [28:04] but no, so that's how that conversation started. And then it really kind of picked up right there and [28:10] never, never slowed down, really. Senator Britt, how has the relationship evolved? Why is it still [28:15] going strong? Again, it's a personal relationship, but it's a professional one as well. You're [28:20] trying to get things done on capital. Absolutely. So, and I think that we use the trust and the [28:25] respect that we have for each other and our friendship to be able to talk about hard things [28:29] and talk about pathways forward. But our friendship, both, you know, anchored there at [28:34] freshman orientation and with both of our spouses getting to know each other as well. We've taken the [28:39] time to not just understand our politics or position on something, but to really get to know each [28:45] other as people. And I think that that's missing so much right now. And I think when you're [28:50] you do do that, when you ask about each other's kids and you know what's going on, and we've [28:55] also commiserated over some of our votes and having to miss our children's activities and [29:00] like, how do we, how do we do this whole thing? And also our frustration with some of the gridlock [29:05] and the lack of communication and conversation. And so our conversations we have utilized to [29:11] kind of try to spur something different in the Senate. [29:13] One of the things that struck me when I was researching your relationship and your shared [29:20] policy proposals, Senator Britt, is that you actually visited Senator Fetterman when he was [29:25] in the hospital. He was struggling with mental health issues, which you've been quite vocal [29:29] about. Why was that important to you to take that extra step to actually visit Senator Fetterman? [29:34] Well, look, let me tell you something. John has more courage. And the strength that he showed [29:40] in that moment is something that I hope everyone in America looks to and learns from. And for [29:47] him to, to trust me enough to be in that space with him, I will always want to be worthy of [29:51] that trust. And I know that when we look at what's happening across our country, that there [29:57] are so many people that are reticent to say, hey, I need some help. And John showed that that [30:04] is the pathway forward and that treatment works. And I'm just grateful for his example and for [30:09] his friendship. Senator Fetterman, what did it mean to you that Senator Britt came to visit you? [30:15] Oh, I mean, of course, it made the world. And it just, just for a mind, I mean, I would just [30:23] remind anybody, you know, for my advice is it's like, it makes it virtually impossible to be cruel or [30:30] unkind to someone if you at least have a relationship or at least know that person. You know, [30:35] I think it's, I think it's a good rule that, you know, don't say anything on social media about [30:41] someone that you wouldn't say to someone in person. And social media especially has made [30:47] that kinds of cruelty or those kinds of comments just a throwaway and easy because it's not really [30:53] connected. It's almost like a video game. And that's part of the coarsening. And now having [30:59] relationships now, it's often punished where it's like, well, that's the enemy because we're on [31:05] different parties. And that's absurd because that's the way, no matter who's in the majority [31:10] or in the minority, working together, it's the only way it actually works. And we have to, [31:16] we can't forget that because it gets more and more difficult and things become more polarized. [31:21] Well, speaking of working together, I do want to, and you raise the issue of social media. So you [31:25] take me to my next topic perfectly, which is an area where you have joined forces, youth mental [31:33] health and social media. You coauthored bipartisan bills, the Stop the Scroll Act and the Kids Off Social [31:40] Media Act. Senator Britt, tell me about these bills. Why are they important? Why are you teaming up on them? [31:47] Yeah, I think if you look at these, John and I approached this along with a number of our [31:52] colleagues, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as concerned parents. I mean, we see what's [31:57] happening across our country when it comes to mental health. And we know the impact it's having on our [32:02] youth. And the more that we learn, the more we feel obligated to make sure that we're protecting the [32:08] next generation. If you look at the stats themselves, one in three high school young women last year said [32:15] she actually considered death by suicide. And then 25% of high school young women in 2023 said [32:21] they made a plan to take their own life. And then 12% actually attempted death by suicide. [32:26] When you add in young men, that number is 9%. We know that the rate of depression amongst young [32:32] people more than doubled during 2011 and 2019, where there was also a coinciding of a rise in social [32:39] media and using among young people. So John and I thought, what are some simple things that we can do [32:45] to help warn people, warn parents about those negative effects? And so the Stop the Scroll Act, [32:52] which John got marked up in the Commerce Committee, I think just last week. So we were really excited [32:57] about that. That's a big step and pathway forward. We'll do a pop-up screen on anyone, [33:03] young people's phones, just to say that there are challenging mental health effects. [33:07] And Kristen, one thing that we did is we know that the Surgeon General and others will actually [33:13] figure out what that says. But we wanted to make sure that there was a link to help so that if [33:18] someone found themselves in an unthinkable situation, that they would be able to click there and [33:23] hopefully receive the kind of help that would prevent them from doing damage or harm to themselves. [33:31] And then the Kids Off Social Media Act that we have together, along with Ted Cruz, [33:35] and you've got Chris Murphy and myself and others. I mean, it's a very wide spectrum of [33:42] individuals and John as well. It says you can't be on social media before 13. And then it says that [33:48] we won't be able to use algorithms against our children. Brian Schatz is a member of this coalition [33:53] as well. And then it says, you know, eyes on the board, which is one of John and Ted Cruz's pieces [33:58] of legislation that just says if you're at school, you should be at school and those apps should be [34:03] disabled. So those along with a number of others, we have CASA that's been led by Senator Blackburn [34:09] and Senator Blumenthal that we hope will gain support and COPPA 2.0. So there's a lot of good [34:13] things out there. But the point is, it's time to do something, Kristen. Doing nothing to me is [34:19] feckless and the next generation is paying the price. Well, Senator Fetterman, pick up on that [34:24] point. Do you think you have the votes to get this legislation passed? And how much did your own [34:29] personal experience with social media apps, what you're referencing, impact your desire to see change [34:35] in this space? I'm 56. And when I was a kid, the only to see really bad or mean things, you had to [34:42] see that in a bathroom wall. So with social media is the most efficient device ever developed that can [34:53] can deliver it right to your screen. And then there's another one and then another one. And then [34:58] if you see one, and then the algorithm will tell you there's 10 more coming. And then if you look at [35:03] one or two of them, then there's 20 coming in there. And it creates that. And you can quickly get [35:09] overwhelmed. And that's become like a friend or at least a companion for your child. And if you had a [35:17] friend or a companion showing up in your child's life for spending three or four hours a day with [35:22] them, you really want to know and understand who that is spending that time with your child. [35:26] And it needs to be safe, you know, maybe safer and just realize what it really is. And I would [35:32] encourage everybody, put the phone down or spend less time. You know, I ask and I'll ask your [35:39] audience after you spend an hour on social media, raise your hand if you feel better about your life [35:45] and the world and everything. Anyone? [35:49] No way. I don't see one. [35:50] Yeah, I mean, yeah, I mean, I've never encountered one. [35:53] It's best. [35:53] And that's the point. And it's a choice. Don't forget, it's a choice to do that. [35:59] And one of the best things I've done is I've completely unplugged by that. I produce my messaging, [36:05] but I don't sit around. And when I've made the mistake to do that after I won my election, [36:11] that's when when things really got bad and the depression set in and protecting that. We did this [36:17] together, not just the senators, but also as parents because we have young children too. And if we [36:23] want it for us, we probably it's the appropriate thing for tools for America's parents. [36:30] Yeah. And John and I say we don't have to ask people what it's like to raise kids right now [36:34] with these devices and we're living it and challenges. Absolutely. And you think about [36:39] when America, we want America to lead. And this is one area where we're not. Other countries have [36:45] stepped up and stepped up to the plate and we continue to kind of walk past it. And the time [36:51] to do something is now. Well, it's something that we're going to continue to track really closely [36:55] because it is so critical. And I think it's one of the biggest issues that parents, that families [37:00] in general are focused on right now. I do want to turn to another big issue, the war in Iran. Senator [37:06] Fetterman, you have voted against several Democratic efforts to limit President Trump's war powers in [37:12] Iran. You've said you don't want to put limits, tie his hands when he's in the middle of waging this [37:18] conflict. As you both know, a key deadline is coming up. We're bumping up against 60 days, [37:23] May 1st, since the start of the war. Will you vote to keep U.S. forces engaged in this conflict [37:30] once it hits that 60-day mark whereby Congress by law does need to weigh in? [37:34] I will. I will vote. I will continue to vote. My vote's not going to change. [37:40] I know it's perhaps the most toxic thing a Democrat can embrace. I've seen, you know, [37:47] where's Kornacki? I mean, poll, the numbers on the screen. The AP, the AP poll this week [37:54] said that 4% of Democrats support that. And the air is about 3%. So I'm the one, you know, [38:00] the one that's in the air. And because for me, it's not controversial as a Democrat, [38:06] every single member of Congress. And when you have someone out here, ask them too, [38:11] should we allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb? Not every single Democrat in Congress says, [38:16] yes, absolutely not. Absolutely not. So here we are. You don't have to agree in every element of [38:23] epic fury. But if we all agree that we could never allow them to acquire a nuclear bomb, [38:28] I don't know why we wouldn't want to empower the president to say, no, make sure that Iran can't [38:34] become a nuclear power because if they do become a nuclear power, the price is about gas and the [38:41] instability and the kinds of attack on Israel can only accelerate because once they become nuclear, [38:48] Iran effectively becomes untouchable. And here we are at the cusp. I wouldn't want to work all this work [38:55] got in and just back away because politically, yes, entirely it's absolute toxic for a Democrat [39:04] to have that view. Senator Britt, let me ask you, because I've heard from Democrats and some [39:10] Republicans too, who say they want the president to deliver a more fulsome justification of not just [39:16] the war, but his strategy moving forward. Will you vote to green light this war after 60 days? [39:23] Yeah, I think what we will see is the administration talk to us [39:26] about exactly what's going on and what's going to be done. [39:28] You're anticipating that. [39:29] I do. And I also anticipate, look, we've made significant progress. I mean, [39:35] you've heard that from the president and from the White House. This should have been done 47 years ago. [39:39] Also, I mean, President Obama with Libya, I mean, that carried on for a while, for a while. [39:47] And the dynamic and the conversation was much different back then. And I think at the time, [39:53] I think that was entirely appropriate. But this is not brand new in the American experience. [39:57] And a Democratic president done the same thing. And Kamala Harris, when she was running for president [40:03] as a Democrat, I campaigned for her in late 2024. She said, that's my top danger internationally. [40:11] We can't ever allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb. And I refuse to take the military option [40:16] off the table. This is not like an extreme view for a Democrat, but it's become an extreme view [40:23] for Democrats. And I believe a lot of that's driven by it happens to be coming by deeply, [40:29] deeply polarizing and our president for Dems. And I do, I believe we've got to finish the job. [40:37] I know people are ready for us to conclude that. And I do believe that the White House is focused [40:41] on making that happen. But look, this is the largest state sponsor of terrorism [40:47] across the globe. But we look at what they've done. We look at who [40:51] they emboldened, whether it's Hamas or Hezbollah or the Houthis and beyond. We know that puts our [40:57] troops at risk. It puts our people at risk and our allies at risk. So I do think we will hear [41:04] in the next week from the administration. I mean, I think, you know, we all remember [41:08] President Reagan, you know, tear this wall down. And, you know, the world should effectively turn [41:14] and say Iran, you know, tear this war down, you know, relinquish your nuclear ambitions and hold, [41:22] all of us should hold them accountable in the world. And when these counties or these countries say, [41:28] that's not our war, it's like, well, does that country, do you consume oil? Yeah. Well, [41:32] then that's making your war, too. If a nation, you consume oil, then it's your war, too. [41:37] We all have a stake in that. Very, very quickly. [41:42] And we're almost out of time. But in typical meet the press fashion, [41:44] I have a million more questions. But do you think a deal is possible? Do you both think it's possible? [41:49] I do. I hope so. I don't think you can trust Iran by any stretch. But I think that we can certainly [41:57] find a pathway forward. And I hope that they conclude it soon. Iran just massacred 30,000 of [42:03] its young people, just killed them. They just are hanging teenagers, literally. So is it possible to [42:09] make a deal with them? Of course you can't. You can't trust them. Absolutely. That's my point. [42:14] And now the way we continue to vote against Epic Fury, Iran understands. We just have to last to 60 [42:24] days. You know, so that's, you know, if we could just, we don't, we could be, you talk about common [42:30] ground, common ground, you know, it's our military. We have a goal, disagree on parts, but that should be [42:39] what I think we should all be unified on. And Christian, you can't, you can't embolden [42:44] this enemy. And he brings up a great point. I mean, there were people before that were talking [42:49] about what was actually happening to Iranian citizens. And now those people have gone quiet. [42:55] I think we have to realize what is happening there in their country and what they're capable of. [43:01] So I think there can be absolutely no enrichment, zero and zero pathway for that. I mean, we have to be [43:07] very strong, but I think this administration can and will be. I mean, look, when Donald Trump speaks, [43:13] people listen because they know he's going to follow through. And I think that's what we'll see on [43:16] this. All right. A little bit of a rapid fire round if we can. I want to talk about both of [43:22] your political futures. Senator Fetterman, as you know, there's a lot of speculation. [43:26] I have a future. [43:27] Does that mean you're definitely running for office again? [43:31] Yeah, I have a future. [43:33] Okay. Well, I want to ask you because America needs him. I mean, you think about like his [43:38] willingness to speak truth in every single situation. Look, he votes with Democrats 90 [43:46] something percent of the time. But I appreciate his willingness to call balls and strikes. [43:50] Oh, yeah. Last night we were till at four in the morning. How many votes was that? [43:54] Too many. I mean, 35, 35 votes. And I voted every single Democrat vote last night. [44:00] You did. And there was a voterama for those of you who don't know. And so they were up all [44:05] night and still made it here. So kudos to both of you. And I also think you think about this all [44:10] nighters, like if you pulled one of those, it was likely like to study for a test in college or [44:15] maybe doing something you don't want to talk about. But when we're doing that, I often think, [44:20] like, I mean, it's hard all night. I'm like, oh, my gosh. And then I think we have colleagues that [44:26] have more life experience than us. And I wonder how in the world they make it through. But they do. [44:30] They push through. Well, we appreciate you guys pushing through to be here after an all-nighter. [44:35] As you know, Senator Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Republican Party chairman actually said last week he'd [44:41] consider supporting your reelection in 2028 if you became a Republican, if you switched parties. [44:47] You haven't said definitively that you're running for reelection unless you'd like to announce it here. [44:52] But would you ever consider running for office as a Republican, Senator? [44:58] As much as I am friends with a lot of Republicans, including my parents, [45:02] I'm not a Republican. And so that's what it's really, that's the truth. You know, [45:13] people always say, you know, we have to be a big tent party. So that's really, it's really strange. [45:20] I'm mystified by it. If I'm more popular, I've had Republican friends in my state say, [45:27] you're actually more, you're more, more popular than I am with our people. And you know, [45:34] how a guy that votes a 93 second percent Dem line has that happen, I'm mystified by it. [45:40] I can't explain it. But I think if that demonstrates, I don't know. But, but that's, [45:46] that's here, that's here we are. But I absolutely do know as a Democrat how to pay the bills and you [45:51] can win and actually people have won elections by having campaigns saying F Trump repeatedly again [45:58] and again and again and again and again, you know, and that's become common, that's commonplace. [46:03] So, you know, I know that, but that means that I refuse to engage in that because I think it's more [46:09] important to engage everybody and things we can agree, things that we can disagree on, [46:16] but we'll do it in a respectful way. And we've all forgot that we're all Americans. [46:20] And are you running for re-election, Senator? [46:22] Mm-hmm? Are you running for re-election? [46:25] You, before Bex, you're just like, it's going to be really easy and trust the media. [46:32] That's easy, that's easy. Let me ask you this. [46:35] Oh, that's good. [46:36] I know you've never talked about running for president, but would you support Senator Fetterman [46:39] if he were to say, I'm going to run for president? Look, I... [46:42] I'll vote for whatever she does, Bex. Although I'm not in Alabama or whatever. [46:45] There you go. There you go. Look, I just said it. I mean, he's a breath of fresh air for, [46:50] for everybody. And I hope that people take a step back. He just said, you said you vote with [46:55] Democrats 93% of the time. And, but yet you, you, the few things where he is voting with Republicans [47:02] are things like Israel and that are, that used to be mainstream, you know, in the Democratic Party, [47:09] or even, like, keeping the government open. Thank you for continuing to vote to keep the government [47:14] open. Yeah, well, I mean, if anyone here is married, and we are, if you agree with your, [47:19] with your partner 93% of the time, you know... That's a home run. [47:23] Yeah, that'd be amazing. I'm not getting anything close to that in mind. [47:27] That's right. That's right. So... [47:30] Senator Fetterman, would you support Senator Britt if she were to announce she's running for president [47:34] one day? Yeah, well, I mean, for, for me, you know, I've described this in interviews that [47:40] they are, they're America's family. They're, uh, the big unit. That's the big unit. The big unit. [47:46] So he calls my husband the big unit. So you know how large John is. I mean, [47:50] John takes up a door frame, right? And Wesley is a large man too. And so they look basically eye to [47:58] eye and John calls him the big unit. And when we text together, uh, John trademarks the big unit. [48:06] So, and there's rarely a conversation, even if it's a very serious one that we have to have about [48:11] policy or where, you know, you know, I'm like, hey, explain this to me. Or he said, [48:15] well, what about this? And what he usually always starts in with, how's the big unit? Well, [48:19] we are out of time, but before I let you go, my colleague Lester Holt is about to interview [48:23] NASA Administrator Jared Isaacsman and former astronaut Sunni Williams. So I have to ask [48:29] both of you, Senator Britt, would you ever go to space if you had the opportunity? [48:34] Oh, wow. I wasn't ready for that. Yeah. If somebody gave me the chance, I mean, [48:40] that was the most incredible. Yes, it was. And I loved watching America be unified around Artemis, [48:47] around this mission. And we were proud in Alabama. So much of that work is done at Marshall Space [48:52] Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. And so as we were cheering them on, we were also cheering on [48:58] the men and women that made that possible, knowing how, how they worked countless. And, [49:02] you know, many people, I appreciate Administrator Isaacman for, for rolling in the time and saying, [49:07] no, we're going to do this now and we're going to do it more often because there's a lot of work to [49:11] be done. And we're going to continue to lead when it comes to space and Alabama's proud to be a part [49:15] of it. So yeah, we should go together. What do you think? You guys should go together. Senator [49:19] Fetterman, would you be on board? Well, I saw, I saw the numbers on, on, on NASA. That should be 100% [49:26] who supports NASA. I mean, it's, it's, it's a remarkable thing. But now remind people too, [49:32] I saw that 10% of Americans believe we never went to the moon. You know, 10%, I mean, that's part of [49:39] misinformation. And that's a serious, serious problem in our society right now. Misinformation, [49:46] that used to become propaganda from like, you know, countries like in Russia. But now we have that. [49:52] And that's another reason why social media is, is dangerous. And would you go to the moon? And what [49:58] do you think was so unified? When I go to the moon? I don't think they have 4XL, you know, [50:03] in a suit. I think John was like the size of a, um, a minivan. Yeah. So that may be a little, [50:11] maybe a little cramped. All right, guys. No, I don't, I don't think I have to worry about it, [50:14] honestly. Well, this was an extraordinary conversation. We can't thank you enough. It's [50:19] so important to hear your bipartisan message. And we really appreciate it. And thank you for letting [50:23] us do this, because I think America needs to see more of this. While we disagree on a number of issues, [50:29] I think, um, being able to respect someone who you don't agree with is something we need to bring [50:33] back. And I think it gives people both hope and permission to do it in their own life. [50:36] Senator Fetterman, any last thoughts? Oh, just, uh, we have to find a way to [50:44] get together. Uh, honestly, I wish I had, you know, I, I tell people I constantly where I go and I do most of [50:53] the shopping for my family. I tell people it's like, Hey, you know, like, it's okay. You should relax, [50:59] you know, it's, it's much worse than you think, you know, in Washington, D.C. You know, and that's [51:08] I'm, I'm, I'm concerned. I'm concerned about that. And, uh, so all I can be is an example [51:14] and to remind people that I think is, is a better way forward. And, uh, and that's why it's, [51:20] I'm excited to have a conversation like this. Senators Fetterman and Britt, thank you both so much. [51:25] You've been watching our special NBC news live common ground events. Joining me now to break it [51:37] all down is the panel, Julia Manchester, white house correspondent for the hill, [51:41] democratic strategist, Joel Payne and Republican strategist and partner at Ascent media, Zach [51:47] Rohde. Thank you all so much for joining us. I want to start with that fascinating conversation [51:52] between Senator Britt and Senator Fetterman and kudos to our Kristen Welker for really trying to pin [51:56] Fetterman down and whether he's going to run again. Uh, he clearly did not want to answer [52:00] that question, but he did say, uh, that he would not run as a Republican. So Julie, I want to start [52:05] with you. What stood out to you about their conversation? Well, look, obviously as someone [52:09] who's covered politics and is watching Fetterman closely and that democratic primary coming up [52:14] a few years in Pennsylvania, that's something that we're certainly keeping our eye on. But look, [52:18] I think it's obviously rare when you see a Republican and a Democrat on stage together, [52:23] having a very amenable conversation in public. Um, I do think Senator Fetterman is a bit of a unique [52:30] case because he is willing to cross party lines and he has been embraced more so by Republicans. [52:37] But still, as Katie Britt said, I think it's important that Americans see that because oftentimes [52:42] I think when Americans are watching, uh, lawmakers interact on television or on the hill, [52:48] they don't see the behind the scenes working together. So it's good to see that come wrong. [52:52] Yeah, it was absolutely refreshing about that Republican embrace of Fetterman. Zach, [52:57] I want to get your opinion on this. Do you think Republicans would actually accept him in the [53:01] Republican party? Um, and do you think there's still any hope that he might change his mind? [53:05] Question for probably the president, you know, the majority leader. Um, I mean, if he were to do that [53:12] right now, probably, um, I think that we'll feel a good candidate candidate though in the future. [53:17] Uh, I, I agree with Julia though. I mean, it's awesome to see that on, on, you know, [53:21] two people that disagree on way more than they agree on, uh, be able to work together [53:25] on something like social media. I have four kids. You love to see that there's a lot to [53:28] be able to work together on. And I'd add if there were more Democrats like John Fetterman, [53:32] the government wouldn't have been shut down for 43 days last year, the longest in history. [53:36] And it's, it's, those are the type of deals that need to be made from leaders. And, and so it's good [53:42] to see someone like John Fetterman that's willing to just take the slack, [53:44] the flack from his party to do the right thing. Yeah. He was an outlier on funding. He's also [53:49] been an outlier on Israel. That's something that he acknowledged in that interview with Kristen. [53:53] This is something that has been really roiling the democratic party. We're seeing it play out [53:57] in primaries. Do you think if Fetterman were to run again, he would face a potential primary [54:02] challenge over this issue? I think there's zero chance that John Fetterman does not get a strong [54:06] primary challenge, not just from the left, from the middle, from any part of the democratic party in [54:11] Pennsylvania. Um, he has not been the type of elected representative for the people of [54:16] Pennsylvania that he campaigned to be. And I think that's the beef that a lot of Pennsylvania [54:21] Democrats and national Democrats have with him. I think what's fascinating about what we watched, [54:25] and look, that was an insightful conversation. Katie Britt is very similar to the rest of that [54:31] Republican caucus in the Senate. I used to work in the Senate. I know the body very well. [54:36] John Fetterman is not at all like the Democrats who he caucuses with in the Senate. And I think [54:42] there's a difference in the standing of where those two lawmakers sit within their party that [54:46] also should be introduced in the conversation as well. I do want to turn to the other news of the [54:50] day. We saw the president taking questions from reporters today at the White House event, [54:54] supposed to be out about affordability, of course, dominated by questions about Iran. [54:58] One of the things he said, Julia, was that gas prices might be higher for a little while, [55:02] but Iran, on the flip side, won't have a nuclear weapon. So is that kind of the messaging you think [55:07] we're going to hear from the White House as they try to really sell this war to the public? [55:11] I think so. But I think that's the message you're going to hear from Republicans maybe going into [55:16] the midterms who are grappling with how to message on rising gas prices. I mean, [55:21] you'll see them message on the one big, beautiful bill and the tax cut scene on that. They're really [55:26] trying to dive in on that. But they're going to get asked about this issue of rising gas prices [55:31] and why we know what was it worth it, essentially. And that's the administration's line. [55:36] You've seen just mixed messaging from the administration on this, though. Last week, [55:40] you had Scott Besson, the Treasury secretary, saying we're going to get back to three dollars [55:44] a gallon between June and September. Chris Wright then pushing then essentially saying, [55:50] look, I don't think it will happen until next year. President Trump told me earlier this week [55:55] that Chris Wright was totally wrong. So it's back and forth on it. And I think it's just [56:00] it's confusing for voters as they try to make sense of it. Yeah, confusing for reporters, [56:04] too, trying to figure it out, right? Zach, I want to put up this other poll. This one is from [56:08] Fox News. It says 52 percent of voters think Democrats would do a better job on the economy [56:13] than Republicans. First time since 2010 the Democrats actually top Republicans in this poll. [56:18] You and I go way back. Did you ever expect that we would be in this position where now Democrats are [56:23] getting better marks than Republicans for the economy? And how much is that going to matter in the [56:27] midterms? Well, I don't like that poll. I haven't seen any others like that, [56:31] but it doesn't mean you don't take it seriously. I think three factors, you know, for one, I mean, [56:36] you're running that poll. Yeah, you're running against someone in these battleground races. [56:40] And so that's a national poll. You know, the party in power is going to get a little bit of a [56:45] push when folks aren't happy with what's going on with cost of living. But I'd say the money, [56:49] the map and then Democrats. Right. We have the money, 800 million on hand versus 250 million on hand. [56:55] We have its very small map. Only 32 races are really in play in the House. And so the money [57:00] goes further. And then the Democrats, the alternative is the Democrat policies are not [57:06] popular. And so when you're running it with the candidate and suburban Phoenix, you have something [57:11] to sell. One big, beautiful bill, the working family tax credit against the alternative of what [57:16] Democrats want to do is raise your taxes, jack up your energy prices, open the border. [57:20] Well, Joel, really quickly, what's interesting in some of these polls is that independents still view [57:24] Democrats pretty negatively, even as overall they still would rather vote for a Democrat. [57:29] What does that say about the party? Two parts of the Democratic project. You have to [57:33] show that Donald Trump's policy ideas are failed. That's easy. And then you have to show that you [57:39] have ideas that are going to make people's lives better. Democrats are going to be able to do part [57:43] one to get through 2026. To get to 2028, they'll do part two. Biggest number I saw in the AP poll, [57:49] Donald Trump is under 70% with Republicans. That's what I would be concerned about. [57:53] Guys, thank you so much. We're back tomorrow with more Meet the Press Now. [57:57] And there's more ahead on NBC News Now. [57:59] We thank you for watching. And remember, [58:03] stay updated on breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or watch live on our YouTube channel.