Meet the Press NOW — August 7

[0:11] Welcome to Meet the Press Now. I'm Kristen Welker in Washington, where we're tracking [0:15] some troubling new signs for the job market in an economy already rattled by the ongoing Iran war [0:21] as the conflict shows few signs of ending, despite a flurry of diplomacy that notably [0:27] does not appear to include the U.S. All of it, a sharp reality check for President Trump, [0:33] who has sought to sell a more positive spin on the issues tied to the economy and affordability [0:38] with the midterms fast approaching. The U.S. lost 23,000 jobs last month. Economists were expecting [0:46] this report would show a gain in jobs. Unemployment ticked down slightly to 4.1 percent, in part [0:53] driven by more people giving up on looking for work. In a statement, the White House reacting to [0:58] the report saying, quote, the Trump industrial resurgence is on schedule. It's part of a larger [1:04] trend of volatility in the labor market in President Trump's second term, with the U.S. shedding [1:09] jobs in six of the last 14 months, a pattern not seen since the Great Recession. It also comes as [1:16] the Iran war has driven up energy prices at home. Prices at the pump are still more than a dollar [1:22] higher than before the war, although they've come down off their recent highs. Amid the economic [1:28] turbulence, President Trump said earlier this week he deserves the highest grade possible on the issue. [1:33] We're doing an unbelievable job. Costs are coming way down. I inherited, you know, [1:39] they talk about costs. I inherited very, very high costs, and they're all coming down now. The food, [1:45] the groceries, it's all coming down. We've done a great job. You know, I think we should be given [1:50] an A-plus on the economy, but I think that's coming. Americans, however, largely disagree. More than [1:57] two-thirds give the economy a poor rating, and they give the president low marks for his handling of [2:02] issues surrounding the economy. The president has also struggled to convince Americans the [2:08] war against Iran has been a success. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the war is not worth [2:13] fighting, and 60 percent disapprove of President Trump's handling of it. The gap between public [2:18] sentiment and the president's posture on both the war and the economy has some Republicans worried [2:24] ahead of the midterms. The president addressed some of those concerns in a new interview with Punchbowl. [2:30] Your critics on the Hill, Republicans, say privately, you don't really care about Congress. [2:36] You don't care about losing the majority. You'll do your thing either way. You're president. You [2:39] could do the borders. Is that not right? That's not right. I'd love to win. We're going to fight [2:43] hard. We raised a lot of money. I raised a lot of money for just this purpose. I'm going to spend it [2:48] for, I'm going to help Republicans. So when you say I don't care. No, I didn't say that. I said some [2:54] people say that. Yeah, look, I mean, I could do a lot easier. I said to somebody, wait a minute, [2:59] you don't understand. I won. I'm not campaigning. Now, that's the other thing. I get a tremendous [3:05] vote. I have records in many of the states, the most votes ever in Texas and Florida and many, [3:11] many states, Alabama. The question is, will they vote? Because a lot of them are very angry [3:17] at Republicans, to be honest with you. Why is that? I don't know. I mean, [3:21] they're angry at Republicans, but they're not angry at me. That's an interesting thing. Why? [3:25] They're not angry at me, but they are angry at Republicans. [3:29] Joining me now is NBC News Senior White House Correspondent Gabe Gutierrez, [3:33] NBC News Business and Data Correspondent Brian Chung, and NBC News Chief International [3:38] Correspondent Keir Simmons. Gabe, let me start with you at the White House. These latest jobs numbers [3:43] clashing with the president's rhetoric about the economy. Take me inside your conversations [3:49] with sources in the administration. What are they saying about this latest report and how it relates [3:56] to the midterms? Well, Kristen, I thought it was very interesting, the sound bite you just played [3:59] there from the Punchbowl interview with the president saying that some people are upset at Republicans, [4:04] but they're not upset with me. And that appears to be his thinking on this, that since he's not [4:09] technically on the ballot during this midterm election, it's not really his fault. Well, [4:14] that remains to be seen. You show those poll numbers. A lot of voters very concerned about [4:19] his handling of the economy. But what we're hearing from the White House today, they're really [4:24] downplaying these jobs numbers. We heard from Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic [4:28] Council earlier today, calling these latest numbers noisy and touting what the administration [4:34] sees as its economic victories, that manufacturing jobs are seeing an uptick. Although, as you pointed out, [4:41] that analysts say that's due in part to fewer people looking for work. Now, the White House, again, [4:54] trying to make the argument that things will get better, that gas prices will come down once the war [4:59] in Iran is over. But there are real questions about where that moves forward. But again, White House [5:04] officials trying to sound optimistic. They say that, yes, the president is trying to head out and get [5:09] his message across, that he went to Las Vegas today, excuse me, this week. But what he has been doing, [5:16] rather than, you know, talking up his accomplishments so much, he has found that he is blaming Democrats [5:22] heading into this midterms in the absence of touting his own economic accomplishments. He's trying to [5:28] paint Democrats and their candidates as a communist, a message that he feels will do very well over the [5:36] coming months, Kristen. I gave, as you well know, what is looming over all of this is the war with [5:41] Iran. I want to read something that Iran's top negotiator posted today on social media. He wrote, [5:49] massive attack coming. Wait, never mind. They want to negotiate. That's theater diplomacy on loop. [5:56] What has the reaction been inside the White House? And is there a sense amongst the president's [6:03] allies that he needs to have a clearer strategy, or at least lay out a clearer strategy for the [6:08] American people? Well, certainly, Kristen, it doesn't appear that the administration has a [6:13] clear strategy, at least not one that they have articulated thus far. But the president is trying [6:18] to argue that, yes, the Iranians want to make a deal that what they say in public is different than [6:23] what they're telling the administration privately. However, a lot of skeptics, even within the [6:28] president's own party, heading into this midterm campaign. What the president this week really has [6:33] been upset about or angry about has been what he sees as leaks regarding any shortage in munitions, [6:41] which he has not been happy about. Neither have White House officials, and they're trying to [6:46] dispel that. At the same time, there doesn't appear to be a clear strategy when it comes to [6:52] exiting this war and for negotiations moving forward, Kristen. [6:56] Gabe, very quickly today, a federal appeals court affirmed a judge's ruling to block the construction [7:01] of the White House ballroom. It's another setback for the president and his priorities. How is the [7:07] administration reacting? He's trying to take this to the Supreme Court, right? [7:10] Oh, that's right. He posted on social media a short time ago, choosing to weigh in on this, [7:15] saying that the administration would appeal this to the Supreme Court, trying to make the argument [7:21] that it's a gift to the American people from President Trump. Although, while he has claimed [7:26] that no taxpayer money will be used for this, he does say, excuse me, his administration has asked [7:31] Congress for a billion dollars when it comes to security upgrades. Now the president is trying [7:35] to make the argument that that new ballroom and the construction you just saw there is necessary [7:39] for national security, that the project involves an underground bunker and hospital facilities [7:45] underground. But Kristen, it remains to be seen whether whether the Supreme Court takes up this [7:51] appeal. And if it doesn't, what happens to the construction pit that is left here in the White [7:56] House after the demolition of the East Wing? I was just thinking the same exact question when you [8:02] look at how far along they are. Gabe Gutierrez, thank you so much for starting us off from the White [8:06] House. Brian Chung, let me turn to you. Let's look at these latest jobs numbers. What does it say [8:11] about the labor market? Even economists were caught off guard, right? Yeah, Kristen, this tells us that [8:16] the labor market is not chugging at the quite firepower that we had been seeing in earlier parts [8:21] of the year. You could see 23,000 jobs. That's how many we lost in the month of July. You would have [8:26] to go back to February to go back to a month where we saw a contraction in the amount of people on [8:32] nonfarm payrolls, according to the government. Again, we were expecting 83,000 jobs to be added to the [8:38] economy during this month. So this was a huge miss and a noticeable step down. It's almost like a line [8:43] since March of the amount of jobs that we've been adding per month. And when you take a look at the [8:47] unemployment rate, it did tick down to 4.1 percent from 4.2 percent, but not necessarily for good [8:52] reasons. That's because there were fewer people looking for work, which means the numerator in that [8:57] fraction got, you know, it changed. And for that reason, the unemployment rate did tick down. But you want [9:01] more people looking for work, not the opposite. As far as the changes by industry, it's no surprise that [9:06] with the net amount of jobs contracting in the month of July, you can see retail trade, [9:11] financial activities, leisure and hospitality, all losing jobs in the month. Healthcare, which has [9:16] been a bright part of this labor market over the past few months, did continue to add jobs, 22,000 in [9:22] the month. But again, overall, some yellow flags over where this labor market is going with the [9:27] contraction in the month of July. Well, of course, affordability is the big issue, Brian. Are paychecks [9:33] actually keeping up with inflation? And that is another point of caution in this particular [9:38] report, because we got a read on wages. How much in average hourly earnings did a person make [9:43] compared to those average hourly earnings last year? And that increase was 3.2 percent in the [9:48] August 2026 to August 2025 period. The bad news is the last read on inflation that we got from July [9:54] to July period was 3.5 percent. That means that prices at the store are rising at a faster pace [9:59] than the wallets, rather than the income that's going into your wallet. That is something that is [10:04] of alarm there. Well, all eyes on the Fed now. They are obviously watching these numbers quite [10:11] closely. They'll get one more jobs report before they meet in September. What do you anticipate? [10:16] How might the Fed respond to this? Yeah, well, it's really interesting because as a result of this [10:21] particular report, you had some saying maybe the Fed won't be as eager to hike interest rates in [10:26] September, as was the chatter going into that decision. But you also have some that are saying, [10:30] whoa, hey, pump the brakes, because there's a lot of data coming in. As you point out, we'll get [10:34] another job support. But even next Wednesday, we'll get another read on this number right here, [10:38] inflation. If this number is high, that would put back onto the table the interest rate hike in [10:44] September. A lot can happen between now and then. And as we know, there's a new person leading the [10:48] Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, who's been a bit of a Pandora's box himself. Yeah. All right. Kevin [10:53] Hassett saying that the president had been in contact with Kevin Warsh. All right, Brian Chung, [10:58] thank you so very much for breaking down all the numbers for us. Keir Simmons, let me turn to you [11:02] in Doha, watching all of this very closely. You obviously there in the region. I want to play a [11:09] little bit of something the president said about the Strait of Hormuz. I'll get your reaction on the [11:12] other side. Has it been reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz? Well, I don't want to say it has been. [11:18] It's sort of open right now. You know, we have a thing called the blockade headed up by the U.S. [11:23] Navy, and we control it. And now we control it, but they can always shoot something. But [11:30] I think we're doing very well. I just, you know, I'm involved in the negotiation. I think we're doing [11:36] fine. It could be soon. So he says the Strait of Hormuz is sort of open. The latest maritime data [11:42] shows shipping through the Strait remains much lower than its pre-war levels. Keir, [11:48] what are you hearing about the status of talks in a potential deal? [11:54] Yeah, I mean, you're right to reference those figures. You know, the Strait of Hormuz [11:59] is effectively not open. The number of visible ships passing through the Strait [12:04] at times on a day barely makes double figures. So, you know, that it's not working. And we are [12:12] really on a knife edge now, waiting for the news of whether or not there is a deal. The [12:19] issue, and it's really interesting to talk to you, Kristen, just after you talk about [12:22] the inflation question, the issue for the president is he's really stuck between a rock and a hard [12:27] place because, you know, those inflation figures, that inflation question is a question that ties [12:33] to the Strait, of course. And so if, for example, this weekend, he escalates, and it gets back into [12:39] a tit for tat conflict with Iran, that will have an impact on those inflation figures, which he [12:46] clearly wants to control. And he clearly wants to put a lid on. And on the other hand, he's facing an [12:52] Iranian regime, which is doubling down on its demands. So the Iranian news agencies, Fars, for example, [13:01] which is, it is one of the agencies there, it is talking about a deal that will mean charges for [13:12] vessels going through the Strait. Maybe even there are proposals in Iran for a ban on US and Israeli [13:19] ships to go through the Strait. So it's really, you know, it's, it's really difficult for the [13:24] president to say the least. And he doesn't really face any good choices here. Well, potentially [13:30] complicating all of this here, you're hearing from some of your sources about potential attacks on [13:34] Saudi Arabia now. What more can you tell us about this? Yeah, listen, the situation with the Houthis in [13:44] Yemen has been getting more and more unstable. And then I was told by a senior [13:51] Saudi official that there was a plan supervised by a part of the Iranian military, the IRGC, [14:00] to target Saudi Arabia from militias in Iraq and militias, meaning presumably the Houthis, [14:07] in Yemen. Through the day now, it does look as if that plan has been stood down, or at least in part [14:13] has been. But it does illustrate how this whole thing has spread. And the issue with with Yemen and [14:19] the Houthis is they are beside the Bab al-Mandeb, which is another shipping lane, which is another [14:26] piece of the economic global economic puzzle that can impact inflation. And that challenge isn't going [14:33] away, whether or not that particular threat that I was talking about has reduced potentially through [14:39] the day to day, possibly because of the news that that we and others published earlier today. [14:44] All right. Well, great reporting, Kieran. I know you'll continue to track it. Thank you so much [14:49] for joining us from Doha. Please continue to stay safe there. Turning now to Capitol Hill, [14:55] where President Trump appears to have notched a win after Republican Senator Bill Cassidy announced [15:00] today he will support Todd Blanche's nomination to be attorney general. It gives Blanche the votes [15:06] needed to secure confirmation. Here's some of what Senator Cassidy said on the Senate floor this morning. [15:11] Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this. But the choice is not between perfection and [15:18] Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general who may not run the department [15:23] effectively under President Trump and who, indeed, may not be as good as Mr. Blanche. This is not a [15:33] referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances. [15:40] All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche. [15:42] So just for some context here, Cassidy's support was critical with Senator Mitch McConnell out and [15:48] missing votes indefinitely. And after Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski both [15:53] announced they would oppose Blanche's nomination. NBC News Chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles [15:59] joins me now. Ryan, thanks so much for joining us on this Friday. So talk about the state of play. [16:05] Is there any chance of last-minute drama to confirm Blanche, or is he basically on a glide path here? [16:10] There's no chance, Kristen. Todd Blanche will be the next attorney general. He has the votes [16:17] necessary. Cassidy was the only remaining holdout. And honestly, I don't think there are too many [16:21] people that thought that Cassidy would actually take the step of voting no. He seemed pretty clear [16:27] and deliberative in this process. He gave Blanche multiple opportunities to help him get to a yes. [16:32] And as he talked about in his speech, he's more concerned about the idea of the attorney general's [16:37] office being held by someone that isn't confirmed by the Senate. He thinks that having a Senate [16:42] confirmed attorney general will allow them the opportunity to be more, allow them to conduct [16:48] more oversight. There was a worry that if they had turned the Blanche nomination down, that the [16:53] president would have just kept him in that space as an acting attorney general. So Cassidy, when judging [16:59] all of those different things at his disposal, decided it was better to vote yes than no. And that means [17:04] Todd Blanche will be the next attorney general. And we're hearing from Lisa Murkowski. What are you [17:09] hearing from her? Yeah, so Lisa Murkowski really had us on edge this morning because after Susan [17:15] Collins said that she was voting no, she put out a statement early this morning saying that she was [17:19] also a no. That's why there was so much attention paid to Bill Cassidy. She basically came down to the [17:25] fact that she was very concerned that the weaponization fund is not in a place where it could go, [17:30] could not be resurrected. And she's also worried about the independence between the Department of Justice [17:35] and the White House, given that Todd Blanche has such a close personal relationship [17:40] with President Trump. But she doesn't fault Bill Cassidy for his vote. This is what she told us [17:45] just a few minutes ago. I knew it was hard decision for me as well. If it if it was easy that I was going [17:54] to get to know, I probably would have made a statement a long time ago. But if you've noticed, [17:59] I've been saying no comment for quite a period of time. So I absolutely respect where Senator [18:06] Cassidy came down. And we each have to make our own determinations. And as long as as as people are [18:17] giving it the due thought and due consideration, I would expect all of our respective decisions would [18:22] be respected. So even though it might have felt like there was a little bit of drama up here [18:28] earlier today, Kristen, when it comes to congressional Republicans and President Trump, they almost [18:33] always fold. And that's exactly what ended up happening today. All right. Well, we will watch [18:37] to see if the vote, in fact, happens today. We also have more primary results. Last night, incumbent [18:42] Republican Andy Ogles of Tennessee lost his primary despite having the president's endorsement. What [18:48] happened here? This is actually a fascinating development, Kristen. And there's many components [18:54] to it that are leading to this trend of incumbents losing their seats. It's happening, actually, [18:59] on both the right and the left. Part of it is a redistricting problem. While these districts have [19:05] been redistricted to help Republicans, what they're doing is creating new districts where the existing [19:10] Republicans aren't necessarily familiar with their constituents. That's what happened here in Tennessee. [19:15] But there's also a trend line where more and more Freedom Caucus members are either losing their seats [19:21] or just leaving Congress outright. Andy Ogles is an example of that in Tennessee. But we also saw [19:26] Dan Crenshaw lose his primary a bit as well. There are several other Republicans, [19:31] Matt Gaetz, another one, that have just decided to get up and leave Congress. Actually, [19:34] Matt Gaetz is not technically a Freedom Caucus member, but from that wing of the party. [19:38] And so, in this case, what is unique about it, though, is that Ogles still had President Trump's [19:42] endorsement. It was not enough. And he's no longer going to be a member of Congress after this year. [19:48] Fascinating development, as you say. Points to some of the ongoing fallout from [19:53] the redistricting efforts. Ryan Nobles, thanks so much. Great to see you. As always, [19:57] coming up, team of rivals, Michigan Democrats turned to the difficult task of unifying after [20:03] a divisive Senate primary. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who narrowly lost to Abdul Al-Sayed, [20:08] joins us next. Plus, President Trump challenging the Supreme Court's decision in issuing new [20:14] executive orders targeting birthright citizenship. One of the president's former attorneys breaks it [20:19] down. You're watching Meet the Press now. Stay with us. Welcome back. Michigan Democrats are coming [20:33] together tonight for a unity rally meant to heal some of the wounds caused by a bruising primary. [20:39] Tonight's event will be headlined by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, [20:43] who lives in Michigan and whose name has been floated as a 2028 presidential contender. The rally comes [20:50] just days after Abdul Al-Sayed narrowly defeated Congresswoman Haley Stevens by just over 15,000 votes [20:57] in a seat that is critical for Democrats if they want to retake the Senate. After his win, [21:01] Al-Sayed extended an olive branch to Congresswoman Stevens. Listen. There's so much more we agree on. [21:07] I'm looking forward to unifying together. The Congresswoman and I, the Senator and I, [21:12] we've had some great conversations about where we go from here, and we cannot wait to come together [21:16] and win in November. And joining me now is Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens. Thank you so much for [21:23] joining me, Congresswoman. Really appreciate it. Hey, thank you. Let me just start with this unity [21:30] rally tonight, just to set the stage here. Are you planning to attend? And what do you hope to hear [21:37] from Abdul Al-Sayed? Oh, this is our, we've got a good ticket going, all right? And so the Pete [21:44] Buttigieg, Abdul, Jocelyn Benson, our amazing candidate for governor. You know, the whole crew is up there. A lot [21:51] of Dems are there. And, you know, we want everyone to shine. I'm here in Detroit. I'm winding down my [21:57] campaign office. And look, the primary's over. I know people always want to talk about these things [22:03] even after they've happened. Abdul got more votes. It was, you know, all the prognosticators talking [22:09] about the infighting newsflash. Democrats like Democrats. A lot of Democrats came out to the polls [22:15] on Election Day, a lot more than Republicans. And now they're all gathered around, you know, [22:21] with our awesome ticket. I was grabbing coffee in Royal Oak this morning, talking to voters. [22:27] People are voting. People in Detroit are voting. That's what we want to have happen because we [22:32] will be Republicans. We are going to stop the madness with this corrupt, broken, cost-increasing, [22:41] out-of-control stuff that's been going on. No one likes it. People aren't happy here. [22:47] Just to be very clear, so you're not going tonight? You're not going to be at the unity rally? [22:52] Well, I'm not. This is for the ticket. I mean, if they, you know, it's okay. I'm supporting them. [22:58] I'm all happy to be here. I just told you I'm at my—there's no drama, okay? I know you want the [23:02] drama. I don't have drama. I'm a proud Democrat. I told them they want—you know, I'm going to go do [23:09] whatever with the party. I'm a soldier. I was a door-knocker in 06. You know, I door-knocked [23:15] in the early 2000s. You know, look, it's not about that. This is about supporting our awesome [23:21] Democratic candidates that are on the ticket, who will beat these Republicans. We got to get [23:28] together. We're united. I'm on the team. You know, everyone knows. I'll say it again for the folks [23:33] watching. I'm a passionate Zionist Democrat. It's not my only issue. I'm a manufacturing policy [23:40] nerd. I've got an awesome pedigree with lessening our dependence on China, creating manufacturing [23:46] jobs. We—oh, my gosh, we want to do that here in Michigan. Trump's been costing us jobs, [23:51] right and left with the erratic tariffs. It's a major problem. [23:55] Let me ask you, because you heard Abdul El-Sayed say that he spoke to you. Has he asked you to [24:02] campaign with him, and do you plan to do that? What can we expect to see? [24:06] Well, Abdul's out there. He's working his tail off. I'm not trying to drive him crazy. I did that [24:12] enough in the primary, okay? I mean, I think he likes me. We hugged. We had a good time. You know, [24:17] enough of all this. I mean, this is about helping people. Like, I am in Detroit right now, [24:23] where there's amazing things happening in this city. It's an incredible city. And there's people [24:29] who need government services, who this administration is trying to, you know, rip from them. [24:35] Medicaid, health care. It's so real. I mean, there is a hospital right down the street. It's called [24:41] Henry Ford Hospital. Some people are mad at them because they're off with the unions. My friends at [24:46] the Teamsters, they're great people. You know, they're going to be getting out the vote. Abdul wants [24:51] to do the proact. Alyssa Slotkin wants to do the proact. She's our senator. She's helping guide [24:57] this ticket. I know she wants to work with Abdul. She's all on board. This is happening. You know, [25:02] we're going to win. Let me ask you, speaking of the general, [25:06] Abdul Al-Sayed will be facing off against Mike Rogers, as you well know, the Republican candidate. [25:11] He's trying to appeal to some of your voters, Congresswoman. Listen to what his message is. [25:16] I'll get your reaction on the other side. To the vast majority of people across Michigan [25:21] who do not want to throw their support behind a campaign filled with anger, divisiveness, [25:27] calls for violence, and the views that are out of touch with your values, well, [25:31] you have a home with us. Do you have concerns that some of those moderate voters who turned out [25:41] for you could, in fact, vote for Mike Rogers? And what's your message to them? [25:45] Well, look, the beauty of the primary is all the views have been aired out. Everything that needed [25:51] to be said was said. We had a long, amazing American democratic process. We nominated our [25:58] candidate. We got through it. The votes were cast. You know, that's the people lose sight of that, [26:04] that votes get cast. They got counted. It was I loved watching it. It was amazing. And it's going [26:12] to be amazing in November when we beat Mike Rogers. I mean, he, look, he's going to say [26:17] every which way thing out of both sides of his mouth. This is a multi-multi-millionaire. [26:23] He became a lobbyist. He sold out. He moved to Florida. He, look, I don't know what his objective [26:30] is. He was an anti-Trump. Now he's a Trump. Now what is he doing for Michigan? He's not articulating [26:36] what our manufacturers need. He's running an ad about workshop in the schools. Well, [26:42] Trump cut the grants for the public schools. I mean, go talk to Mumford High School here in Detroit. [26:48] You know, we have the largest number of first robotics teams in the country here in Michigan, [26:53] and Trump is only making it harder for those kids to learn the skills of the future. And Mike's lying. [26:59] You know, we need good Democrats who care about good government services so that we can deliver [27:06] for constituents and people, period. Let me ask you about one of the big issues. As you know, [27:13] the dividing lines between you and Al-Sayed on the campaign trail, support for Israel. Michael [27:19] Horowitz, a Jewish community leader in Detroit, said this after Mr. Al-Sayed's win. He said, [27:25] quote, I can't vote for Al-Sayed. He went on to say he's leaning strongly to Rogers. I have heard [27:32] from many in the Jewish community who say they will be supporting Rogers. What is your reaction [27:38] to that? And could it cost the seat? Look, it's a private decision. You know, [27:46] I'm not going to drum up drama so you keep asking me to get on your show. I mean, people are going to [27:52] respectfully cast votes. I know Michael Horowitz. I have not talked to him. I think he's a great guy. [27:57] I've actually been over to his house for dinner. He's my constituent. But, you know, and I haven't [28:02] talked to him. You know, I really haven't. I will. But, you know, and respectfully, you know, [28:07] my job, I'm a congresswoman. It's to listen to people. It's to hear them out. Michael votes. I [28:12] don't think he misses elections. People are going to go take a private vote. There was some pain after [28:17] the last election in 20 or during the 24 cycle. We all knew that that played out, you know, very heavily [28:24] in the media. That's democracy. That's people voting. I know you guys have, you know, an objective [28:30] and a media and the money and all the stuff that goes into what's happening. But you should pay more [28:36] attention to what actually happens on election night. Come and interview the clerks. You know, [28:41] I just talked to these two great guys. No, we did. We covered all of it. No, we covered all of it, [28:45] congresswoman. We covered all of it. I'm glad you did. I'm not attacking the integrity of you. [28:50] No, you do a great job. And you were a great debate moderator. I'm not a big student of the media. [28:55] I'm just encouraging you. And you can ask me any question and I'm answering. You know, [28:59] I've got to brush the hair a little bit, but. Well, no, I appreciate that. And I appreciate [29:05] you're answering the questions. There you go. Tell her she's laughing. She's a good anchor. [29:09] Look, no, we appreciate it. We appreciate your answering all of these questions. But look, [29:13] one of the things we noticed on election day, congresswoman, you did better in counties with [29:18] higher black populations. What does Al-Sayed need to do in order to reach out to, to court some of those [29:27] black voters who threw their support behind you? How do you make sure they don't stay home on [29:32] election day? Look, I win the house races. Okay. So I, I'm guiding these house candidates. Okay. [29:40] We got Christina Hines. I want everyone watching to pay attention to Macomb County. All right. It's [29:46] home of the Reagan Democrats and it's an amazing place. It's got all the unions, halls, lots of [29:52] manufacturing, arsenal defense. Christina Hines is running for Congress there. She's going to flip that [29:57] seat. I know how to win these house races. That's what I've done. I'm parked in the house right now. [30:02] So I can, I'd like to, you know, of course, you know, if Abdul wants to go do something, he's got [30:07] Garland Gilchrist. He's got me, he's got people. I'm, I'm over here. I told Pelosi and Hakeem and the [30:14] team that's going to, well, Pelosi's retiring. Hakeem is going to be the speaker. Okay. And we are going [30:20] to make him the speaker from a place called Michigan. All right. That's what's happening. [30:26] And so Christina's going to flip a seat. Callie Barr way in the North. She's got a good chance. [30:32] We're looking at Sean McCain and the fourth congressional Hillary school is a good friend. [30:36] I mean, these are hot seats in Michigan. You're all coming in. Let's talk to them. Christina does [30:41] some great work in the black community and with voting rights and, um, you know, victims abuse. [30:46] She was a former victims abuse prosecutor. Well, look, there's so much to cover. We will [30:53] be covering all of it. And we'll be talking to voters too, because as you point out, that's [30:57] one of the most important things. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, thank you so much for joining us. [31:00] I am happy to keep talking to you. Well, thank you. Come on back soon, Congresswoman. Great, [31:06] great to see you. Appreciate that very much. I really appreciate your being here as well. [31:11] I will be speaking with Michigan Senate candidate Abdul Al-Sayed exclusively this Sunday on Meet [31:18] the Press on your local NBC station. So make sure to tune in. You don't want to miss that [31:23] conversation. We'll delve into everything I was just talking about with the Congresswoman. [31:27] Coming up next, courting legal controversy. I'll speak with Ty Cobb, a top member of the president's [31:32] legal team during his first term about the administration's new efforts to sidestep the [31:37] Supreme Court, prosecute a former advisor, and profit from the president's public statement. [31:42] Stay with us. You're watching Meet the Press now. Welcome back. With a stagnant war and signs of a [31:55] stagnant economy, the White House is turning its focus to a core issue for the president's base, [32:01] immigration. President Trump signed two executive orders yesterday aimed at restricting eligibility [32:06] for birthright citizenship. It comes a little more than a month after the Supreme Court rejected [32:11] the president's initial attempt to limit birthright citizenship. The president blasting the court's [32:16] decision while a top administration official insisted these new, narrower measures will [32:21] withstand legal scrutiny. I thought we were going to win it at the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, we [32:27] had a bad decision, very unfair decision. Our country suffers because of it, and we're ending it a [32:33] different way. There's absolutely nothing in here that runs afoul of any of the Supreme Court's [32:37] opinions on the subject. This is frankly, it's action that's overdue. Joining me now is Ty Cobb, [32:44] who served as a White House attorney during the first Trump administration. Ty, thanks so much as [32:48] always for being here. We always appreciate your insights. My pleasure to be with you, Kristen, [32:54] always. So as I was listening to President Trump make this announcement in the Oval Office, [32:59] the top question in my mind, why would these executive orders stand up to legal scrutiny when his first [33:07] attempt to knock down birthright citizenship failed? How do you see this? Do you think there's any more [33:12] legal standing for these executive orders? No, I don't. You know, Justice Roberts and his, [33:18] Chief Justice Roberts, in his opinion, made it very clear that, you know, people who are in the United [33:23] States are not, when they, when they give birth, you know, are not beyond the jurisdiction of the United [33:30] States. And that's the standard for determining who has birthright citizenship. Now, I will say [33:36] one of these orders with regard to the children of diplomats does try to expand the diplomatic [33:46] exemption that already applies. So that'll get, that'll get slightly different consideration [33:52] than the attempt to penalize immigrants that are distinct from that, which, of course, you know, [34:02] Trump has renewed his war on immigrants and minorities and women by this birthright citizenship [34:09] order and the efforts to renew the effort to remove Lisa Cook today. So I think the war is going to continue [34:18] against people of color and people that this administration does not like, but I don't [34:24] think this birthright citizenship order will go anywhere. Do you think, though, Ty, that it will [34:30] actually be taken up at some point by the Supreme Court, assuming that it makes its way through the [34:36] legal system, there are going to be inevitable legal challenges? And if so, how do you anticipate the [34:41] administration will argue? I think the Supreme Court will be mindful of, you know, the force and effect [34:50] of its current opinion and not necessarily inclined to take up the case if, as I suspect, Trump loses in [34:59] the lower courts. If they do take it up, it will be to try to refine that analysis. And that'll be, [35:04] you know, unfortunate, I think. But I think they may well have the opinion that they've already [35:13] resolved this. Let me ask you about some other legal news this week. The Senate Homeland Security [35:18] Governmental Affairs Committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress and then [35:24] referred the matter to the Justice Department. So a lot of people are wondering, what's DOJ going to do? [35:30] Do you anticipate DOJ will seek to prosecute him? I think any other DOJ would not for two reasons. [35:38] One, the referral did not come from the full Senate. It's the first referral in decades for [35:45] contempt of Congress that was not voted on by the body that referred the matter. It was only done by [35:52] a committee. Rand Paul skipped the time-honored duty of having the full Senate vote on it because he knew [36:00] he would lose. But this Justice Department, keep in mind, will do anything that the president [36:05] desires. This is really part of the Trump crime family, as they've shown by pursuing these revenge [36:11] prosecutions and trying to loot the Treasury for $1.8 billion for a slush fund for the January 6th [36:18] election. And that they also, you know, Todd Blanche, of course, immunized the president unilaterally [36:29] and every life form to whom he's related from IRS scrutiny on a going backward basis, where [36:36] the evidence was that he had failed to pay over $100 million in taxes. So I think we shouldn't suspect [36:44] anything ethical or appropriate or historically normal from this Justice Department. And if [36:49] they're going to prosecute David Hearn just to pursue the president's fantasy that it was not his [36:56] ineptitude or corruption that caused the reflecting pool to dissolve, it was some alleged vandals that [37:04] he imagined. Well, let me ask you about one other matter before I let you go, which is this hype [37:13] over the Truth Social issue. This past week, Truth Social launched a paid subscription service that [37:21] basically grants subscribers early access to President Trump's social media posts. And of [37:27] course, as we know, Ty, those posts can actually move markets. So there is some concern about market [37:33] manipulation and insider trading. Do you think this move will face legal challenges? Are there any legal [37:40] issues with it? It should face legal challenges. There are a lot of legal issues. I mean, [37:44] it's a violation of the Emoluments Clause. It's wholesale corruption. But it's in-your-face [37:50] corruption. It's of the type that Trump has tried to inoculate the country to. I mean, the man [38:00] made over $2 billion just in publicly reported income last year, including having made over 22,000 [38:09] stock trades. Now, compare that, of course, in scale to Obama, who made 13 trades, and Biden, [38:14] who made none. Excuse me, I'm sorry, Obama, who made none, and Biden, who made 13. And Trump made 22,000, [38:21] many of them in government contracts with government contractors, and many of them involving companies [38:26] about whom he later said positive things in an effort to move the market. So, you know, [38:31] the insider trading that's going on in the country, whether it's in oil futures or, you know, Trump's [38:37] other trading, or in the reports from Iran that were sent through the State Department about the [38:45] fact that Whitcoff and Jared Kushner appeared to be involved in insider trading in terms of [38:52] the efforts, their efforts in the, in the Iran negotiations. So, this is, this is the most [38:59] corrupt administration in our history, and Trump may be the most corrupt person to ever walk the [39:04] planet. All right. On that note, we will leave it there. Ty Cobb, thank you so very much for joining [39:10] us. I hope you have a great weekend, Ty. Thank you. Thank you, Chris. And always wonderful to be with [39:14] you. Always wonderful to have you, Ty. Thanks so much. Coming up after the break, how the explosive [39:18] growth of AI data centers and the resources needed to fuel them is powering a politically [39:24] potent issue for the midterms. You're watching Meet the Press now. Welcome back. As we look to [39:38] November's midterms, one issue seems to be emerging across several major races, the booming backlash to [39:44] data centers being built across the country to power the rapidly growing artificial intelligence [39:49] industry. The issue is quickly becoming a top focus for many candidates, especially on the left, [39:54] who see it as key to their campaigns and a way to reach across political divides. [39:59] Take a listen to some of our recent candidate interviews on the topic. [40:03] Whether it comes to a moratorium on data centers, raising the minimum wage, ensuring that we're [40:08] investing in our public schools and taxing the wealthiest of megacorporations, ours is a campaign [40:13] that continues to run on the important issues impacting Wisconsinites every day. [40:18] We're focused on issues here in the district that are appealing to people across the political [40:22] spectrum. You know, saying no to AI data centers is an issue which is dramatically popular [40:27] with Republicans and independent voters. We are seeing these hyperscale data centers [40:32] come into communities that are sucking up water, jacking up utility rates, and often leaving the [40:37] taxpayer with a huge burden. This year, it's what I'm hearing at every single stop I've made on the [40:43] campaign trail. Meanwhile, Republican candidates have been trying to strike the right balance between [40:50] acknowledging the growing backlash, but also favoring the potential investment that comes [40:55] from the AI boom. [40:56] I respect local control. I respect the decision-making of our local governments [41:03] and our local constituents to make these decisions for themselves without the federal government coming [41:09] in or without big corporations stepping in to force them into that decision. [41:14] Joining me now is NBC News political reporter Alan Smith, who's been investigating this growing [41:20] backlash to data centers. Thanks so much for joining me, Alan. I really appreciate it. So you heard [41:24] those candidates there, the progressive candidates promising these bans on data centers. You've been [41:30] looking into this. How much of a boost is this giving their campaigns? [41:36] Well, Kristen, these guys are reading a lot of the same polls we are. There was a survey earlier this [41:40] year that showed about seven in 10 voters oppose these data centers being built in their communities. [41:46] And a Quinnipiac poll specifically of Pennsylvania found that number to be about 74 percent. [41:51] So when you have polling that high on a certain issue, it's showing that there's bipartisan [41:56] opposition. And when you see a lot of these progressives focusing on this issue in their [42:00] races, they see this as twofold. They see this as an issue that in their primaries, they can use [42:05] against center-left Dems who welcome these data center developments in their states. And then they can [42:11] really turn that campaign into overdrive in the general election versus Republicans. Now, you are seeing [42:18] some Republicans recalibrate on this, though, as we get closer to November. [42:22] Yeah. Well, you know, the president has started to acknowledge that these centers [42:25] are an issue. Here's what he recently said about them. [42:29] I think any community that turns down AI is making a big mistake because your taxes are going to go way [42:34] down. If you own a house, it's going to be more valuable. It's a tremendous thing. And I see it. [42:40] It's almost like there's a campaign against data centers. But data centers, if you look at the [42:47] stats, everything's good around them. So is that where Republicans want to be on this issue? [42:55] Well, the Trump administration has also really sought to promote this ratepayer protection pledge [42:59] that it came out with earlier this year. Basically, having these data center operators guarantee [43:04] that their developments aren't going to raise electricity bills on everyday Americans. [43:09] But it is really interesting to hear the president talk like that. He has been increasingly campaigning [43:14] for data centers recently in a number of interviews and at White House events. [43:20] This is such a core part of his economic agenda, the rapid data center build out across the country. [43:26] So it's really interesting to hear him kind of campaign strongly for them when the polls right now show [43:31] whether or not it's good policy, the politics aren't great. This is a 70-30 issue at the moment. [43:36] Well, to that point this week, we saw Texas Governor Greg Abbott announcing a pause on [43:41] data center approvals pending a state audit. It follows a moratorium by Governor Kathy Hochul of [43:48] New York. Is that part of the election year politics we're looking at? [43:54] I mean, Kristen, it is impossible to divorce this from purely the politics of the moment. I mean, [43:59] Kathy Hochul and Greg Abbott are both on the ballot this fall. But we really are seeing a sea [44:04] change in how lawmakers and officials are approaching this issue from a policy perspective. [44:11] You know, most leaders were welcoming these data center developments with open arms really until [44:17] the last year when the opposition to them really started to grow. And I think the fact that you're [44:23] seeing whether it's Kathy Hochul or Greg Abbott, two governors who have sparred a lot online, [44:28] similar tax on this, I think that really tells you where a lot of this is headed. [44:34] Yeah. All right. Alan Smith, a lot to cover there. Thank you so much. Really appreciate it. [44:39] Joining me now is our panel, Democratic strategist and former Obama campaign advisor Amisha Cross [44:44] and former North Carolina Republican Governor Pat McCrory. Thanks to both of you for joining me [44:49] on this Friday. Governor, I want to start with you on something we've been talking about a little [44:53] bit earlier in the show. Congressman Andy Ogles losing his Tennessee primary last night after [45:00] President Trump had endorsed him. How do you see this loss? Is it a knock on President Trump or was [45:05] it a knock on Andy Ogles, a little bit of both? Well, the winner broke a record because there really [45:12] hasn't been anyone who's lost who President Trump has endorsed in a Republican primary. I lost when I was [45:20] not endorsed for the U.S. Senate, and that was after I had a 30-point lead. So this may show a major [45:26] shift. We also saw this in a state Senate campaign in North Carolina three months ago in a Republican [45:32] primary where President Trump endorsed the Senate president, Republican, who had been there for years. [45:40] He did not endorse a sheriff, and the sheriff beat him by 22 votes. So at the state level, [45:45] Trump's endorsement didn't work for the first time, and now at a U.S. Congress level, [45:49] this could be a major turning point on what candidates do, especially coming up in Ohio, [45:57] North Carolina, Georgia. Do they campaign with President Trump or not? And by the way, [46:03] the Democrats are going to have similar choices in Michigan. Do Democrats send national figures, [46:08] including former President Obama, to Michigan, and get on the same stage. There are going to be [46:14] some very interesting political questions that we'll see answer the next probably two weeks. [46:21] Well, you lay it out so well. It is the big question. Who's going to be on the trail with [46:26] whom? I tried to get Haley Stevens to answer that question in part. Amisha, let me ask you, [46:31] because Andy Ogles is the ninth member of the House to lose re-election in the primary. The majority [46:37] of them have been Democrats, and I think we have a graphic showing all nine who've lost [46:44] their primary battles. We should note representatives Green and Johnson were [46:48] actually forced into member versus member primaries because of redistricting. [46:52] But what does it say about this moment? Is there an anti-incumbency surge right now? [46:58] It's anti-incumbency for sure, but I would argue it's more so anti-establishment. [47:02] This is a movement that I would argue is happening across the country with the backdrop of an [47:07] affordability crisis, the backdrop of individuals losing health care, not being able to feed their [47:11] families, seeing cuts to food stamps, seeing housing instability regularly. They're telling you [47:17] with their mouths regularly, in addition to talking in all types of social and digital spaces, [47:22] about how hard it is to pursue everyday life. And unfortunately for many status quo politicians, [47:28] their prognostications and their current seats where they have not been able to solve these crises [47:33] are really causing them to take L's in the ballot box. I think it is as simple as that. [47:38] Affordability reigns supreme, and if you do not have a plan, then you are bound to lose. [47:42] Some people would argue that this is the democratic socialist day in the sun. [47:45] I don't necessarily think that that's true. There are some democratic socialists who are doing well, [47:49] but there are some who are also not doing well. Moreover, the policy platforms that they are [47:54] pushing make sense. And for Democrats who are running on those same platforms, who are also [47:58] showcasing, in many cases, these are newcomer Democrats. It's harder to do if you've already been in office [48:02] for multiple terms. They are showcasing that they are actually listening to the people on the ground. [48:07] That's what is really making a difference, this election cycle. [48:10] All right. Well, let's talk about the Senate race in Michigan. [48:14] Governor Mike Rogers put out a video today making his pitch to Michigan voters. [48:18] I want to play a little bit of it for you and get your reaction on the other side. [48:22] If you're among the majority of democratic voters that woke up on Wednesday feeling, well, [48:27] hopeless. Because the person who won does not represent your values, well, just know, [48:33] there is still hope. And to the vast majority of people across Michigan who do not want to throw [48:38] their support behind a campaign filled with anger, divisiveness, calls for violence, [48:44] and the views that are out of touch with your values, well, you have a home with us. [48:49] Governor, is that pitch going to be effective? [48:53] It's a smart move. And I think both parties are going to go after the independent vote, [48:57] because the independent vote is the thing that's going to turn this election in North Carolina, [49:01] Georgia, and in Michigan. And in Michigan, it has some unique dynamics, too. [49:05] You have a pretty big independent street. Even the city of Detroit has a current mayor who's very [49:10] popular, who almost ran as an independent. And he's very popular. So it's going to be interesting [49:16] other endorsements that go on in this race. But that was a smart move by the congressman to act [49:23] as moderate as possible to go after the independent vote and label his opponent as extreme. Both parties [49:30] do this. They label their opponent and try to stick that label between them and Election Day. And right [49:38] now, the label for the Democratic nominee is extremist. And I've had that done toward me. It's a very [49:44] common trick in politics by both parties. And it can work, Amisha. What does Abdul Al-Sayed, [49:52] what do Democrats in Michigan need to do to hold on to that seat, which is currently in Democratic hands? [50:00] Well, I think that they're actually doing it. When we hear Al-Sayed, when people call him extreme on [50:04] the right, it's quite frankly really funny. Is it extreme to say that you want American taxpayer dollars [50:09] to go to Americans? Is it extreme to say that you wanted to fund health care here, that you wanted to [50:14] fund schools here, that you wanted to fund the priorities that the American people want and they [50:19] so desperately need, again, this backdrop of in affordability? Is it extreme to say that you are [50:25] proud to be an American? I have yet to see a single video, a single campaign message since this man was [50:32] literally in college during his commencement address. He talked about how strong and how much it is [50:36] meant for him to be here in this country, what America has meant to him and the progress of this [50:41] country. I think it's very important that we can criticize this country for the things that do not [50:45] go well. That is something that the Constitution allows us to do. It is also very important to [50:50] not label someone who may have a name. There was another person who had a funny name just a few years [50:54] ago. I worked on his presidential campaign as an outsider or as somebody who was extremist just [50:59] because they may look different, have a different name and a different religion. That's not extreme. [51:03] What is extreme is what we've seen from President Trump's policies and the policies on the right that have [51:07] made Americans' lives a whole lot harder? Well, Governor, pick up on that point because the [51:12] number one issue for voters continues to be the economy. We just got that jobs report today which [51:19] showed that the economy shed thousands of jobs. Do you think President Trump is going to be a liability [51:27] for a candidate like Mike Rogers in a purple state? Well, again, we're going to see who joins who [51:33] on the campaign trail. I've been caught in this in governor's races. When President Bush was low in the [51:39] pollings, he called me up and said, I want to come to North Carolina for a fundraiser. My [51:44] advisers are going, no, we don't want to. Of course, I was courteous and said, we'd love to have [51:50] you. But he was in the 30s at the time. So you're going to see who hangs around the Senate [51:56] candidates in Michigan, in North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, and now will be determined what [52:02] the polls say. By the way, your very introduction, this could turn on local issues. And one local [52:09] issue is data centers. It's a national issue. But you're going to see candidates go to local [52:14] issues at the end to maybe swing that one or two percentage vote. And data centers could be it. [52:21] Data centers is going to be a huge issue. I think you're so right to point that out. [52:25] Amisha, Governor McCrory, thank you both so much. Hope you both have a fantastic weekend. [52:31] Thank you. Thanks for being here, guys. We will be back Monday with more Meet the Press Now. And if [52:37] it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press on your local NBC station. I'll have exclusive interviews, [52:42] a network exclusive with Abdul Al-Sayed and senators Jim Banks and Chris Murphy. You do not want to miss [52:48] these conversations. There's much more ahead on NBC News Now. [53:00] on NBC News app or watch live on our YouTube channel.