Meet the Press NOW — May 1

[0:11] Welcome to Meet the Press Now. I'm Kristen Welker in Washington, where the president is under [0:14] mounting political pressure as gas prices continue to surge because of the war with Iran, [0:20] and the White House is now bucking the 60-day deadline for congressional approval to continue [0:25] the war. The president today telling reporters he's not happy with the current state of talks [0:30] and that additional U.S. strikes are on the table. The president also arguing the War Powers Act [0:37] does not apply to him in this conflict. Because it's never been sought before. There's been [0:42] numerous, many, many times, and nobody's ever gotten it before. They consider it totally [0:47] unconstitutional. But we're always in touch with Congress. But nobody's ever sought it before. [0:53] Nobody's ever asked for it before. It's never been used before. Why should we be different? [1:00] Now, we do want to note a report from the Conservative Heritage Foundation has found [1:04] that Congress has authorized the use of military force more than 40 times. And the War Powers Act [1:10] states within 60 calendar days, the president shall terminate any use of United States Armed Forces [1:16] unless the Congress has declared war or has enacted a specific authorization for such use of United [1:22] States Armed Forces. President Trump arguing in a letter to Congress today that because of the [1:27] ceasefire with Iran, the hostilities that began on February 28, 2026 have terminated. But the [1:34] president himself is continuing to say the U.S. is at war with Iran, including just hours ago. Take a [1:40] listen. The war in Iran is going along swimmingly. That's the way war goes, right? [1:47] Military operation. I don't call it a war. The gas will go down. As soon as the war's over, [1:52] it'll drop like a rock. Even with the war, you know, we just hit a new high on the economy. Think of [1:57] it. We hit a new high. We have the best economy. The stock market just now hit a new high during [2:05] the war or the military operation, whatever you'd like to call it. [2:09] When the war ends, gasoline prices are going to tumble. When the war ends, [2:14] which shouldn't be too long, they want to make a deal so badly, but they're not there yet. [2:19] It comes as President Trump's approval rating has hit new lows due to the war [2:24] and its impact on energy prices. New polling shows just 19 percent of Americans believe [2:29] U.S. military actions in Iran have been successful. 61 percent of Americans say using [2:35] military force in Iran was a mistake, putting this war around the same level of disapproval as [2:40] the war in Iraq in 2007, when the U.S. was forced to surge troops to combat rising violence amid the [2:47] multi-year quagmire. Half of Americans now also saying they believe gas prices will get worse over [2:53] the next year. Prices at the pump rose nine cents just overnight to a new wartime high of four dollars [3:00] and thirty nine cents a gallon. It's the biggest one day jump since early March, just days after the U.S. [3:07] launched strikes on Iran. The president also saying he's not satisfied with Iran's latest proposal [3:12] to end the war while doubling down on his frustrations with Tehran's leadership. Take a look. [3:19] I would say that I am not happy. Their leadership is jointed, very argumentative with each other. [3:29] They come back, one says one thing, one says another. They're very confused. They've got to [3:34] come up with a right deal. At this moment, I'm not satisfied. Joining me now is our terrific team, [3:40] NBC News White House correspondent Monica Alba, NBC News Chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan [3:46] Nobles, NBC News Senior National Security Correspondent Courtney Kuby, and energy industry analyst John [3:52] Kilda, founding partner of Again Capital. Thank you all for starting us off. Monica, let me go to you [3:58] first. You asked President Trump today about that critical question about the war authorization. [4:04] You obtained the letter he sent to Congress. What can you tell us? Yeah, Kristen, this is really [4:08] something that the administration was starting to sort of lay the groundwork for in the last couple [4:12] of days. You had the defense secretary, Pete Hexas, saying that he thought that the current [4:17] ceasefire meant that that 60-day clock effectively stops or means that we're in a pause. And that's [4:23] exactly the rationale that the president laid out today in a letter to both chambers of Congress, [4:27] saying that he doesn't think he needs to ask for any kind of official or formal approval because he's [4:32] not asking for an extension, he says, and because he says essentially that the ceasefire from April 7th [4:37] that was extended means that the hostilities have, quote, terminated. Now, what this doesn't [4:43] address and what is really key here, Kristen, is what this means for the naval blockade and some [4:48] fighting that we do know went on between a U.S. Navy destroyer and an Iranian cargo ship on April 19th. [4:54] So this doesn't address all of that, but it also doesn't take future military action off the table. In [4:59] fact, in the letter, the president writes that he thinks he will keep Congress updated and that this [5:05] could change effectively restarting the clock potentially if he does decide to go ahead with [5:11] some military strikes in the coming days, Kristen. Monica, let's talk about some of this mixed [5:15] messaging that we're hearing from the White House. The president, some of his top officials saying it [5:20] is a war. You have the defense secretary saying it's not a war. What do you make of this mixed [5:25] messaging? What are sources inside the administration telling you? Is there a concern about it? [5:30] And look, the president has basically called this everything. He called it an excursion, [5:35] initially. He called it a little journey. He has in that montage you've been playing, [5:39] referred to it many different ways, even within one same event or answering questions just there. [5:44] He sort of talks about it in completely different tenses, like the war has concluded or, [5:49] well, when the war is over, he says, you're going to see gas prices come down. [5:52] He really has said everything possible on this. And so when you ask the White House why the president [5:57] seems to sort of change his tune on this or why he shifts it, they have not yet completely said what [6:03] we've heard from lawmakers, which is they've tried to make the argument that this isn't a war. [6:08] The president very clearly calls this a war and he does believe it is that. But they do seem to [6:12] sometimes try to put some distance between that kind of language when they're talking about how [6:17] active this is. But again, we know that the president has been presented with options [6:21] that could resume bombing military operations in the way that we saw them in the beginning of this [6:27] conflict. But what's really important to point out and remember here is that the White House had said [6:31] this was going to be a four to six week operation. We are now well beyond week eight, [6:36] Kristen, and this still has not wrapped up in any official sense. [6:40] It's such an important point, Monica. The president set to travel to China in just a few weeks. What [6:46] are you hearing about that trip? Is the fact that the war in Iran is ongoing, could it interrupt those [6:51] travel plans? We know that it's a factor and that is because that trip has already been postponed [6:56] once because of the war against Iran. They moved it back to this mid-May deadline. [7:01] The president today said that he's really looking forward to the summit, looking forward to traveling [7:05] to Beijing. So for now, the plan is proceeding as scheduled. But I can tell you from conversations [7:10] with White House officials, they really don't want to have to move it again. They're unsure whether [7:14] they even could at this point. So this is a factor in the conversations about what might happen next [7:19] with Iran. It's not the only contributing factor, but we do know that it's an important part of the [7:24] discussion because I'm told this trip is a real priority for the president and he does want to [7:28] make sure he can get there without there being anything on the Iran front that has to alter the [7:33] plans. Yeah, he doubled down on just how important he thinks that trip is again today and talking to [7:39] all of you on the lawn. Monica Alba starting us off at the White House. Monica, thank you so much. [7:43] Ryan, let me turn to you now. Democrats have almost uniformly been opposed to this war since the [7:49] start, but we are starting to hear more opposition from Republicans. What are you hearing? [7:53] And I don't even know if I'd call it opposition, but concern that they're not being looped in. In [7:57] fact, some of the Republicans I've talked to have said, I want to support this war. I want to be [8:01] able to go back and tell my constituents that this war is a good idea. But if you're not keeping me [8:05] looped in on exactly what the strategy is and what the end game is, it makes it impossible for me to [8:10] do that. And so that's where I think the next stage of this goes. Republicans getting more engaged [8:15] in getting the administration to be more forthcoming. And you heard a little bit of that [8:20] from Senator Lisa Murkowski before they left for their recess. Take a listen. [8:27] This is an authorization, but is also a restraint. It's not a blank check. It would ultimately ensure [8:35] that Congress is engaged. AUMFs should precede wars, not be enacted in their midst. That wasn't [8:45] a choice for us here, but it cannot be used as an excuse to abandon our responsibilities. [8:51] So when you listen to that, at no point does she say it's a bad idea. At no point does she say, [8:57] I don't think the president should be doing this. She just says, I want to be a part of this process. [9:02] The problem though, Kristen, is that you are starting to hear rank and file Republicans say [9:05] that. We're hearing nothing from Republican leadership in both the House and Senate. [9:10] Their attitude is let the administration do whatever the heck they want. And that's been [9:13] their posture from the very beginning. So that's the big divide. What if any recourse [9:17] do rank and file Republicans have at this point? So I think the breaking point will come when they [9:23] come asking for money. And that's usually where Congress has the ability to exert their most [9:28] authority. They control the power of the purse. The Pentagon's not going to go magically find another [9:34] pile of money to continue spending what is essentially $25 billion every two months, depending [9:40] on how long this will go. They're going to need a supplemental package of some kind. [9:44] They're not going to be able to get the approval for that without getting specifically buy-in from [9:48] Republicans. But likely they're going to need at least a handful of Democrats unless they think [9:52] they can do this through reconciliation, which the folks that I'm talking to are very skeptical [9:56] that this would make it through a reconciliation review. [9:59] Yeah, that's where it starts to get really complicated. Courtney, you have new reporting, [10:02] meanwhile, that in the midst of this ceasefire, Iran may be taking steps to reconstitute its military [10:09] program. What are you hearing? What are you learning? [10:11] And the reality is both sides are actually doing it. So Iran, we know that only about half of their [10:16] ballistic missile and drone stockpile were destroyed during the war, the strikes by the [10:20] U.S. and the Israeli military. So we now know that they are digging some of these out. So you'll [10:24] remember that during the war, we were talking about the U.S. taking these strikes with these giant [10:28] penetrating bombs where they would penetrate down inside these vertical silos with ballistic missiles. [10:34] So in some cases, they hit the tops of those, but they didn't actually destroy the missiles [10:37] underneath. They can dig them out. And in some cases, the Iranians themselves buried their [10:43] launchers, their missiles, their drones. So they're getting ready should, in fact, [10:46] offensive combat operations restart. The U.S. is doing the same, though. They have brought in the [10:51] USS George H.W. Bush, a brand new carrier. They just got out of training. They've got a brand new [10:57] carrier air wing, so fresh pilots. We did learn just moments ago, actually, that the USS Gerald R. Ford, [11:03] that was the third carrier strike group there. It has now left CENTCOM. It's finally heading home [11:07] after about an 11-month pretty brutal deployment. But there still is that additional firepower. The [11:13] reality is, the U.S. official tells me that they actually are in better shape militarily, the U.S., [11:18] than they were on February 27th, should, in fact, combat operations restart. [11:21] Well, and, Courtney, it comes as President Trump huddled with his national security team to talk about [11:26] potential options for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Where do those talks stand? What are the options [11:31] he's considering? So we, I mean, the president himself said that they were telling him about [11:36] the possibility of sort of finishing this job or finishing this war or doing nothing. The reality is [11:42] there's also a lot of options in between, depending on what the president decides to do. A military [11:47] option for reopening the Strait is tough, okay? That would be very difficult. It would take a [11:53] tremendous amount of firepower and a tremendous number of U.S. troops to do it. And I don't know if [11:58] that's the kind of thing that they would do here. Instead, it seems more as if they're looking to [12:02] send a message to the Iranians as part of this. There's no question that the talks right now, [12:07] or whatever we're calling this, because they're not really talking, whatever this effort is at peace, [12:12] is very stalled. And so I think there is some hope that they can do something that would sort of [12:17] restart that or get the Iranians to maybe come to the table again. And it looks as if they're [12:23] looking at options that include kinetic options. [12:25] And we are back with energy industry analyst John Kildoff, founding partner of Again Capital. [12:33] John, thank you for reestablishing your connection with us. We appreciate it. So let's just start [12:38] with where we left off, the fact that we've seen this surge in gas prices. What do you make of it? [12:44] We're going to continue to go higher. We're ripping through our available supplies that had been stored [12:49] up before the war had happened because of market conditions wasn't a purposeful thing. And U.S. [12:54] gasoline prices are likely headed towards the $5 mark next stop. No doubt. And how quickly you say [13:01] the next stop, how quickly do you think prices could surge above $5? Because I was surprised to [13:06] see how much they'd gone up overnight. And we're seeing the data come in and we're now able to [13:12] measure just how much global oil supplies and refined product supplies like gasoline and diesel [13:17] fuel are being drawn down. We probably have another three to four weeks left before this situation [13:22] gets really extreme. So just in time for Memorial Day at this point, if there's no peace deal or if [13:28] the strait isn't open somehow, some way, I don't care if they make peace or not, then we'll be at the [13:34] $5 mark just in time for the summer driving season. Well, President Trump said his blockade would cause [13:39] Iran's oil industry to quote unquote explode. What have the impacts of the blockade been on the broader [13:46] oil market? I mean, theoretically, the Iranians, like the other Arab countries in the region, [13:52] need to get their oil out because they don't have that much storage. But right now, the Iranians [13:58] are handling it. They have empty vessels that they're continuing to load. They still have [14:02] inland storage facilities available to them. So this isn't like a tomorrow situation where the [14:09] Iranian oil industry implodes. It's going to be another several weeks before that situation gets [14:15] extreme for them as well. So again, we're all on this collision path towards a real energy crisis, [14:21] come the June time period. There's no doubt about it. You have Iran claiming it controls the strait, [14:30] the U.S. claiming it controls the strait. Which does the oil market seem to believe? [14:36] Well, the oil market sort of follows the lead of the insurance industry, [14:39] which won't insure the ships going through right now because the Iranians, they don't really control it, [14:44] but they are making enough trouble and causing enough doubt about your ability to transit the [14:50] traits, transit the strait safely, he tried to say, that you can't go through. It won't go through [14:56] and it's effectively closed. So all of this is effective stuff because we can't guarantee safe [15:02] passage to any of the vessels right now. So as a result of that, the Iranians are basically [15:08] blackmailing the world here and not allowing anything to get through by their threats. [15:14] John Kildoff, thank you so much for your great information. We really appreciate it. [15:19] Thank you. [15:20] And we are following breaking news. President Trump holding his first public event since [15:24] Saturday night's attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. You're looking at live [15:28] pictures here of the Villages Retirement Community in Florida, where the president is speaking right now. [15:33] The event coming as we learn more about last Saturday night's attack here in Washington, [15:38] with the Justice Department releasing this new video of the alleged gunman Cole Thomas Allen [15:42] charging through a security checkpoint with a shotgun in his hands. The Secret Service [15:47] director says it appears Allen fired the shot that struck a Secret Service agent who was wearing [15:52] a bulletproof vest. All the evidence that I've seen, the suspect shot our officer point-blank range [16:01] with a shotgun. Our officer heroically returned fire while being shot point-blank range in the chest [16:08] with a shotgun. It was able to get off five shots. [16:10] So the one officer that returned fire is the same officer that was shot by the suspect? [16:18] That's correct. [16:20] NBC News correspondent Kathy Park joins us now from Somertville, Florida. [16:24] With me also is NBC News senior justice reporter Ryan Riley. [16:28] Kathleen, let me start with you. Describe the security presence at today's event. [16:33] Hey, Kristen. Well, security has certainly been heightened ever since the White House [16:38] Correspondents' Dinner last weekend in Washington. President Trump took to the podium just a few [16:45] minutes ago, and he kicked off his remarks by saying, what's more secure than the villages? [16:49] And, Kristen, it is worth noting that all of the attendees had to RSVP before coming into this [16:57] auditorium. And members of the media also were screened pretty heavily before we even got to [17:03] these risers. It's unclear exactly how many people are in attendance at this hour, but we were told [17:10] ahead of this program that they would close the doors and deny entry to anyone once they reach [17:17] capacity. Now, Kristen, yesterday at a gaggle with reporters, President Trump said that looking [17:24] ahead, he will not be wearing any sort of bulletproof vest because it would add a couple of pounds to [17:31] his figure. So, obviously, he kind of said that in jest. But more seriously, he says that he is not [17:37] concerned about future assassination attempts. He kind of doubled down on that remark before heading [17:43] to Florida this afternoon. But, Kristen, obviously, this is just one of several high-profile events that [17:51] President Trump is scheduled to attend. There is a UFC match expected to happen outside of the White [17:56] House. Also, the anniversary, the 250th anniversary of America, as well as World Cup events. And former [18:03] federal security experts have said that this will be a very busy summer and we need to prepare now. [18:11] Kristen? Yeah, and we know that the White House is reviewing security for those 250 events. You're [18:16] absolutely right. Kathy, let me ask you, you've been there talking to his supporters. What are [18:20] they saying? Obviously, he's facing low approval ratings overall, but that is a very Trump-friendly [18:28] audience there. Yeah, you got that right. Kristen, I think it's safe to say it almost feels like a [18:35] political rally here. You see folks wearing red, white, and blue. They're donning Make America Great [18:43] again. Hats. You can feel the patriotism. You can see the patriotism in this room. And, Kristen, [18:50] we had a chance to talk to some of these attendees about President Trump's actions and decisions over [18:55] the last couple of months. Here's what they told us. Take a listen. Honestly, it's not that different [19:00] than when Biden was in there, other than the diesel's a little higher, and we do have a diesel truck. [19:06] But apples, apples, maybe diesels, 30, 40 cents higher than it was for years under Biden. So I do [19:17] feel like if we have to live with high gas prices for a little bit, it's still better than four years [19:28] ever. They were much higher for much longer of a term under the previous administration. [19:34] And currently, this is going to be a short-term issue for us. But the most important part, [19:39] and that's why we're given, all of us have given Donald Trump an A plus, an A, is because of the [19:45] fact that it's so much better for us to be able to put up with a little bit of something right now [19:51] versus having Iran with a nuclear bomb. [19:59] And, Kristen, the president is very much speaking to his base here, the largest retirement community [20:04] in the country with more than 100,000 residents, residents who tend to lean Republican. Kristen? [20:11] Great. Kathy Park, thank you so much for joining us with all of that reporting. We really appreciate it. [20:16] Ryan, let me turn to you now. There's this new video that was released yesterday of Saturday night's [20:22] attacks. Attack, what was the biggest takeaway for you? [20:27] Yeah, I mean, obviously, it's extremely compelling video. There is also a moment that our colleague [20:32] Kelly O'Donnell has gotten some reporting about. Just before this moment, there seems to be a dog [20:36] sort of following the suspected shooter into this, past these doors, and sort of seemed to be alerting [20:43] on him at the time. What Kelly O'Donnell is reporting is that there was not, this dog was meant to sniff [20:50] out explosives, might have known because the, basically, since the door opened, the air flow [20:55] might have changed a little bit. So that wouldn't necessarily be something that a dog would alert [21:00] on any, you know, gunpowder or anything of that nature, a gun that hadn't been yet fired. And so [21:07] there's, but there's been obviously a lot of criticism and speculation and conspiracy theories [21:14] that have been sparked off of this new video. And what's interesting about it is the government [21:17] really didn't have to release this video. And I think that's an important point here, because [21:21] yesterday they had this hearing where the judge actually, where the, because the defense had [21:27] conceded to detention, there wasn't a need for the argument. They didn't need to put out the video. [21:31] They didn't need to make their, their argument. And the judge, and the prosecutor, prosecution [21:35] wanted to go forward anyway. And the judge sort of said, that's unusual. And then lo and behold, [21:40] a few hours later, they filed all of these, this evidence on the docket and also posted that video [21:45] on Twitter, on social media. And so we'll have to see how the judge is going to react to that, [21:51] because first and foremost, the first priority of prosecutors is supposed to be making sure you [21:56] get that conviction over the line. Putting out additional evidence has the potential effect of [22:01] sort of poisoning the jury pool even more and potentially jeopardizing in some small way, [22:07] an ultimate conviction here. [22:09] Well, in terms of the charges that Cole Thomas Allen is facing, Secret Service director saying [22:15] it appears he did in fact fire the shot that struck the Secret Service officer. Why then is he not [22:21] facing additional charges if that's the case? And could he wind up facing additional charges? [22:27] Yeah, federal authorities have said that additional charges are possible and probably likely in this [22:31] case. But overall, the lead charge, the assassination attempt here is always going to be the lead charge [22:36] because that has the longest prison exposure, right? So if you're talking about an assault and [22:41] a federal officer, you're still only talking, even with a deadly weapon, you're still talking about [22:45] 20 years. But if you plot to kill the president, you're looking at a life sentence. So I mean, [22:48] that's going to be his heaviest charge and the one that is most important going forward, which is he's [22:52] already been, he's already been charged with anyway. And Evan, you know, prosecutors obviously have a lot [22:57] of evidence, including his own manifesto, those photos he took before, that this is what he was [23:03] plotting, that he was plotting to attack not only the president, but members of his cabinet. [23:08] All right, Ryan Riley, thank you so very much. Really appreciate it. Coming up next, [23:12] the historically long shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security is finally over. Well, [23:18] mostly over as both ICE and Border Patrol are still without funding. What it all means for the agency [23:24] and the president's agenda. Stay with us. We'll talk to Julia Ainsley right here on Meet the Press Now. [23:29] Welcome back. The longest partial government shutdown in the nation's history is now effectively over. [23:39] President Trump signing a bill late yesterday to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, [23:44] ending a shutdown that began 75 days ago. ICE and Border Patrol, however, remain without funding [23:50] for now, as Republicans attempt to use a budget maneuver to bypass Democrats to fund those agencies. [23:57] Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen, who was nominated and confirmed in the midst of the [24:01] shutdown, says it will take months for his department to recover from the funding lapses. [24:07] What was taking place was tearing homeland altogether from the Coast Guard all the way down to ICE [24:14] and everybody in between. Just TSA, we lost almost 8% of the workforce, which is almost double what [24:21] our attrition rate typically is. Yeah. So how do you replace those people? [24:24] Well, it takes about four months to onboard people. Just CISA, who's over CISA, by the way, [24:29] takes care of our cybersecurity. We're down 1,100 people. Joining me now is NBC News Senior Homeland [24:36] Security Correspondent Julia Ainsley. Julia, thank you so much for being here. So this shutdown of DHS, [24:44] it is finally reopened. How long will it take for the Department of Homeland Security to get [24:50] back to being fully operational? It could take a while. And there'll be some visible signs and [24:55] some signs that are kind of behind the scenes. For one thing, it's a big relief to FEMA workers [24:59] to get this back up before hurricane season officially gets underway June 1st. But they've [25:04] lost a lot of that planning time that they would have liked to have for people who weren't getting [25:07] paid. They were able to get out emergency workers. But a lot of the planning, a lot of the administrative [25:12] things is really key for that. Then there's the things you can see, like at the airports. They've lost [25:17] 1,100 TSA workers. It's not easy to rehire those overnight, especially when people are worried, [25:23] what if this happens again, when you're tying something like air travel, which is so important [25:28] for so many Americans, is something as controversial as funding for immigration enforcement. And that's [25:33] why actually today there was a statement from Delta Airlines calling on provisions to make this a [25:38] permanent thing and not tie these together. Well, Julia, how long could it take for them to rehire all [25:43] of those TSA workers? What's the timeline there? And could there be an impact when it comes to [25:48] staffing? Well, to hire a new TSA worker requires some security vetting as well as some training. It [25:53] isn't as long as, say, an ICE or CBP officer, but it can take a matter of months. And then there's a [25:57] recruitment problem. And we're told that they do believe they're at a recruitment deficit because [26:01] who wants to sign up for this job at this point? What are the biggest lapses during the shutdown? And [26:07] could there be a long-term impact, do you think? Well, certainly lapses when it comes to getting some [26:12] legal paperwork approved and getting through the process for DHS. Some of that is fee-based, [26:18] and so they were able to keep that going. But other things, again, like the planning for [26:23] disaster response, there's also been statements from local municipalities saying, and major cities [26:29] as well, saying that they didn't get the cooperation they needed from DHS in order to prevent things like [26:34] terror attacks, the kind of cooperation they've come to depend on from DHS. Really what this points to [26:40] is what happens when you have a behemoth department, which I enjoy covering all the [26:45] many facets, but to put it all under one means that sometimes you lose the very practical, [26:50] very much bipartisan agreement that there's usefulness of these components because you [26:55] have the more controversial pieces. And that's why we've seen a bill that's passed. It's actually [26:59] carved out CBP and ICE. And in a way, it won't impact them that they're carved out of this, [27:04] at least for now, because of that one big, beautiful bill money that they got last summer. [27:08] Well, a big test for the new DHS Secretary, Mark Wayne Mullen. [27:12] That's right. [27:13] Julia Ainsley, I know you're going to be following every twist and turn as DHS gets back online. [27:18] Thank you so much for being here. [27:20] Thank you, Kristen. [27:20] Really appreciate it. [27:22] And an important programming note, we will see Julia on the Meet the Press panel this Sunday, [27:27] so be sure to tune in to that. We are also following breaking news overseas where the UK has [27:33] raised its terror threat level to severe. That is the second highest level, and it means the [27:37] government believes a terror attack is likely. The change comes after a series of arson stabbing [27:43] attacks across the country, including the stabbing of two Jewish men in London on Wednesday. [27:48] Authorities call that an anti-Semitic attack. Intelligence officials say they're tracking [27:52] threats from both Islamist jihadist and right-wing extremist groups. UK officials are also concerned [27:58] about a recent uptick in violence in Northern Ireland following a carjacking and car fire outside [28:04] a police station in Belfast on Saturday night. The last time the threat level was this high in [28:09] the UK was four years ago after a British member of parliament was killed and a bombing at a hospital [28:15] in Northern Ireland. Coming up after the break, a generational and ideological battle is brewing [28:20] in Maine as Democrats and Republicans try to make sense of that major shakeup in the Democratic primary [28:25] and what it means for the battle for control of Congress. We'll discuss it next with the panel. [28:30] This is Meet the Press Now. Welcome back. Governor Janet Mills' sudden decision to drop out of the [28:43] main Democratic Senate primary is renewing a debate inside the party about its midterm strategy, [28:48] its identity, and its leadership. New Mexican Senator Martin Heinrich going as far to call on [28:54] leader Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to drop their involvement in other [29:00] competitive Senate primaries, telling Politico, quote, we've gotten over analytical as a party [29:06] and sanitized and thinking about resumes. None of these candidates are perfect, but I think there's [29:11] an expectation by voters today that if you seem perfect, you're probably hiding something. [29:17] Joining me now to discuss this, our panel, Reese Gorman, politics reporter at Notice, Neera Tanden, [29:23] president and CEO of Center for American Progress, and Matt Gorman, former NRCC communications director [29:29] and an NBC News contributor. Thanks to all of you for being here. Really appreciate it. Reese, [29:35] let me start with you and that statement there. I mean, is it too late for Chuck Schumer and the DSCC [29:43] to pivot at this point to try to keep some distance from these key races? Oh, it definitely is, [29:48] because they've already put in a lot of money. You look in North Carolina, they're already for Roy Cooper. [29:53] You look at Alaska with Mary Peltola, they're already there. And so there already are kind of back in a lot [29:58] of these candidates. And what you're seeing is that this is frustration. My colleagues over at [30:04] Notice wrote a really good kind of postmortem of the campaign in Maine, where Schumer, there's a lot [30:10] of finger pointing, a lot of people pointing the finger at Chuck Schumer. Chuck Schumer's people are [30:12] trying to point the blame right back at Mills, but people aren't buying it right now because they're [30:16] like, Schumer, you are going for these older candidates, these gubernatorial candidates that the [30:20] party really seems to want to leave right now. Yeah, I mean, there is so much Neera to unpack here. [30:26] There's what it means for Chuck Schumer and what it means for the Senate race in Maine. So let's [30:32] start with Chuck Schumer. What do you think the implications are for his leadership? [30:36] Well, I think the truth is we should look at the entire map. And he's had some incredible [30:41] recruiting successes. The fact that he recruited Roy Cooper into the race, that he got Sherrod Brown [30:46] to go into Ohio. Roy Cooper in North Carolina, who, for the record, is running somewhere between [30:51] eight and 10 points ahead of the Republican. Mary Peltola, who is a star recruit. And also, [30:57] this map is expanding. There are great people running now in places like Kansas, great recruits [31:04] into states like Kansas, where Democrats didn't expect to be competitive. So I think people should [31:08] look at that whole—his whole decision-making. Of course, Maine is a place where the voters, [31:15] the Democratic voters, were making a decision. And the real challenge for Janet Mills was that, [31:20] you know, in polls today—now, this is not Election Day, but in polls today, [31:24] Graham Plattner was doing better against Collins than she was. And Democratic voters, [31:29] there's a lot of focus on ideology, but they are fundamentally focused on winning. [31:33] That is the most important thing. Do you think he's the strongest [31:36] candidate to beat Susan Collins, who has been there for years? [31:40] Well, he has—I think he has much stronger support in the Democratic Party. That's why this [31:44] has happened. Susan Collins has been incredibly wily. There are some risks with Graham Plattner, [31:49] but he's shown—he's demonstrated. You know, I think there's some serious questions he's going to have to [31:54] answer to the voters, but he's demonstrated a level of skill in being able to, you know, beat a sitting [32:00] governor. Matt, how do you see this race playing out? And do Republicans run the risk of being overly [32:07] confident? As Neera's saying, yes, there are some controversies that Graham Plattner has faced, [32:12] and yet he's clearly energized part of the Democratic base. I wouldn't say we're overconfident. I mean, [32:16] Susan Collins is the only Republican to represent Harris, and I guess if you go back, Obama stays. [32:21] There's no overconfidence there. I think the way we view it is, you know, Mills had a lower ceiling, [32:27] but a higher floor. She was going to get, you know, a certain amount. She could win. She could [32:31] lose, but it'd be tight. Graham Plattner could win big or lose big. I mean, like, it is a very much of [32:37] a risk there. And look, you know, we all have those friends that tend to date a certain type of [32:42] Gallagher girl. Chuck Schumer tends to recruit a certain type of person. Sometimes it works, [32:46] and sometimes it doesn't. You look at Russ Feingold, Evan Bayh, Ted Strickland. He likes [32:50] these already statewide candidates who have a track record, but sometimes their track record gets [32:54] them into trouble, and that's what we're reckoning with. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. [32:57] On that front, too, I mean, a lot of Chuck Schumer's endorsement are for his own political future. [33:01] I mean, a lot of these candidates are saying, we will not support Chuck Schumer. You look at Michigan, [33:05] you got Mallory McMurray saying she won't do it. We got Al Saeed saying he won't support him. [33:10] You have Graham Plattner who's also said, so a lot of these endorsements that he's making are, [33:14] I can tell you, he's not endorsed Haley Stevens, but we all kind of know that this is, [33:18] they're kind of playing behind here. They are behind Haley Stevens. But like, [33:22] a lot of these endorsements he's making are basically for people that will vote for him [33:25] to remain leader. I mean, just to be clear about that, he would have to win a majority of the [33:30] caucus, right? The difference between a few senators, we'll see what happens. But I actually think [33:35] he's really motivated by taking the majority more than his own job. And, you know, I mean, [33:41] he's over his career has had a great, like, he has done great recruits, and he has had great [33:47] recruits this period. But of course, this Maine is definitely a place where Janet Mills did not run [33:54] the campaign that I think he hoped she would. [33:56] It's a secret ballot, too. So a lot of people, you know, when they walk out, they'll be like, [34:00] I did not vote for Chuck Schumer. And it'll be like, unanimous. And people are like, wait a minute. [34:03] No. But so that is not like a Speaker of the House where you have to proclaim it for everybody. [34:07] Right. Well, and it's just so fascinating, all of the different aspects of the midterms that are [34:14] embedded in this Maine primary. Let's talk big picture. Let's talk about the backdrop. [34:20] Reese, the fact we got new polling out today, which shows that 61 percent of people [34:25] wish that President Trump had not gotten into the war in Iran. How much of a liability? How [34:31] concerned are Republicans about this, quite frankly? There definitely is a lot of concern [34:36] there. I actually interviewed Richard Hudson for a podcast on Monday, but or yesterday coming out [34:41] Monday. And he basically told me that this is a concern that he does have. But he he explains it [34:47] as though that he's like, oh, well, we're just looking like where we are, where we were, where we [34:50] are now and how this is going. And but like when you're explaining to voters, that doesn't [34:55] really help. They're going to still look at like, OK, well, gas might have been expensive. [34:59] Then it got cheap. Then it got expensive again. But like, it's still expensive right now. That's [35:02] what they're going to go to the polls with that in mind. How big of a gut punch is four thirty [35:07] nine a gallon that when you woke up to those numbers, I had to do a double take. I mean, [35:12] when you woke up to those numbers, what did you think? Four twenty four four four? [35:15] All the trajectory. No, it is absolutely they need they need to be concerned about. Right. And I was [35:21] listening to when you talked about it a little earlier before. Right. As we get into the summer [35:24] gassy, it's absolutely something they need to take note of. And again, I think that's why you're [35:27] seeing all this fight on the margins of both the left and the right on the House battlefield. You're [35:33] trying to shrink the number of competitive seats as much as possible. And I think that is kind of [35:37] where you're seeing this with redistricting tit for tat over and over again, too. But who knows? [35:42] We could be talking more about the Senate come the fall than the House. Yeah. I mean, [35:45] Nero, look, the president continues to insist he's going to end the war. Gas prices are going to come [35:51] down. How do you see that argument? How are Democrats going to frame this? I mean, [35:56] I think at a very high level here, the big problem for the president is that people look at higher [36:01] costs. Gas costs are obviously very salient, but they're seeing a lot of high costs and they're [36:06] seeing they basically believe that the president's own decisions are driving those numbers up. [36:12] The president chose to go into this war of choice. It's his decision alone. And what has happened in [36:18] the last in the intervening weeks is the American people are experiencing a fair amount of pain [36:23] at a time where they the cost of living is their number one concern. So the president has made the [36:29] number one concern of Americans worse and more salient to those voters. I think if the war ends [36:35] tomorrow, they're still going to be angry that they paid more because the president's decision. [36:40] And it really depends on whether he gets a better deal or worse deal. [36:43] Reese, it comes as the president's bumping up against this 60 day deadline. And what I [36:48] find to be so fascinating is this divide within the Republican Party. You do have a number of [36:53] Republicans saying, bring this to Congress. Let us weigh in on this. At the same time, [36:58] leadership saying there's no need for that. And of course, the administration arguing, look, [37:02] there's a ceasefire. We basically hit the pause button. But how do you see this playing out on Capitol [37:08] Hill? Do you see this as a moment where Republicans start to try to intervene? [37:12] There's a lot of Republicans that are upset. But the problem is, there's also a lot of [37:15] Republicans that still have primaries to go and fight. And they're worried that any vocalization [37:20] against Trump is going to hurt them in their primary. And they'll talk to me on background [37:24] or whatever, and they'll express a lot of concern. But you saw what happened with Trump with Jeff [37:29] Hurd out in Colorado when he voted against him. He endorsed a primary opponent right again. So [37:34] they're afraid that any vote they take against Trump is going to automatically turn. [37:38] All right, guys, thank you so much. Great Friday conversation. Really appreciate it. Great to [37:43] see all of you, Reese, Neera, and Matt. Next, Finding Common Ground. We speak to a bipartisan pair [37:49] of senators about their friendship and how they're working together on the issues that they think [37:55] matter most. That interview just ahead on Meet the Press Now. Stay with us. [38:06] Welcome back. Turning now to the very latest installment of our Common Ground series, [38:10] where we shine a light on lawmakers working together across the aisle on issues that matter [38:14] to Americans. My colleague Julie Serkin sat down with Democratic Senators Peter Welch of Vermont [38:19] and Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas. They recently joined forces on an effort to expand [38:24] access to whole milk in schools, which President Trump signed into law earlier this year. [38:30] Julie spoke to the bipartisan pair about their work on that bill, their friendship, [38:34] and how they work together in an increasingly divided Congress. [38:40] Usually we're working out in the gym about this time of the day together. [38:43] Together? Together. Okay. [38:44] I mean, not that it's on purpose, but the gym is not very big, and we're just kind of in the same [38:49] habit. There's four or five of us that get in there at about the same time every afternoon. So [38:55] we have our best discussions then as well. It's my favorite part of the day. Peter, he's Mr. [39:01] Aerobics. Well, if we're talking, we're not working out. That's what's called an executive workout. [39:06] That's where you do your best work. He's one of our doctors here. So, you know, [39:10] he gives us good advice about trying to stay fit, but whole milk is part of it. So whole milk. Yeah. [39:15] So, so, you know, think about this maha movement. If it's, if mother nature made it, [39:19] it must be great for you. So whole milk, yeah, it comes directly from those mama cows. Vermont, [39:24] a big, big dairy state. Kansas, the fastest growing dairy herd in the country as well. I got involved in this [39:30] because I was hearing from my farmers and I was hearing from parents as well. And here we are in [39:36] Vermont. That's a blue state. And then Roger, I'm talking to him about this. And he was hearing from [39:42] his farmers and parents out there. So what it really tells me is that if we interact on the basis of [39:50] what we're hearing from the people we represent, oftentimes the challenges they face are identical, [39:56] whether they were Trump voters or they were Harris voters. So Roger has been somebody that I've been [40:02] able to work with where we're trying to solve a problem that the folks that he represents and [40:06] the folks that I represent share. And if we work around trying to have a common solution for a common [40:13] problem, it really creates a much better atmosphere and much better potential for progress. [40:18] You've both been focused clearly on the rural communities in your states, on farmers. I want to [40:22] talk about the rural broadband bill that you came together on. This is a huge issue. A third of [40:27] Americans lack access to some broadband or all broadband. And it's 2026. Did you also come [40:34] together on that in the gym? So we started this in the house together. We did. We're working on this. [40:38] We did. And we, you know, we both really care about rural America. And by the way, I think urban [40:43] America should deeply care about rural America. You know, the values there of hard work, of community [40:50] spirit, of helping your neighbor. Those are really needed more, not less in America. We created a [40:56] broadband caucus and we started with the determination that rural America should have the same high speed [41:05] and high quality broadband as urban America. And we got more and more support for that and had an [41:10] enormous amount of success. Long way to go. But there is solid broadband across this country, way better than [41:17] it would have been without the efforts that we and others who joined us were successful in doing. [41:25] So high speed internet is as important to this generation as an interstate highway system was to [41:31] my parents' generation. President Eisenhower led that interstate highway system across the country. [41:36] This is the highway of today. So it's important to agriculture. It's important to health care, [41:41] education. And so this is, like I said, just every bit as important as having highways connecting the [41:47] country is high speed internet. Can you just peel back the curtain a little bit? Because you, on paper, [41:53] both are so different, right? You come from different states. Obviously, your political views are [41:57] different. You've known each other since your time in the House. How is it, what is it really like here? Is there a lot of [42:04] bipartisanship? How do those conversations go when the cameras are off? Well, I think two things. I think first of all, [42:11] most of us here, all of us here, by and large, are here because we actually do want to make a difference [42:16] for the people we represent. Number two, all of us are stuck in this system where instead of focusing on [42:23] common solutions for common problems, we're in the political back and forth that's gotten worse. [42:29] And you go to your partisan corners and it becomes more important to get a partisan victory. But the way [42:36] I think people like Roger and I try to break through is to get concrete. We need broadband [42:41] in Vermont. We need it in Kansas. Our farmers want whole milk in both states. When we start talking [42:48] about the things that are affecting the people we represent, that's a much better discussion [42:54] than whether we like Trump or we don't, or whether we like Biden or we don't, because we're talking [42:59] about something that Roger deeply cares about and I care about. And that's the people that I represent [43:04] who share a problem. And it gets us talking about, all right, what can you and I do together? And what we [43:10] also know is our prospects of getting something done that helps the people we represent are far better when [43:16] we partner than if we try to do it alone. We could do 99 things together this week. And if I disagreed [43:22] with Peter Welch on one thing, that's all the news is going to be focused on. The one thing we disagreed [43:28] on. But what Peter and I typically do is we agree on the same goal. And at the end of the day, you know, [43:33] my dream is to leave this country better than I found it. Kids, grandkids now, I want to make sure [43:39] they have the same shot at the American dream that I do. And I bet Peter wants that same dream as well. [43:44] Do you think it's challenging to be a public servant at this time, [43:48] given that the stuff that gets the most attention seems to be the minority of what you're doing? [43:54] Yeah, it's impossible. It's very tough. And, you know, in all candor, [43:58] we're swimming against the tide here. The whole purpose of politics is to have discussion among [44:04] people who disagree, that have the blessing of the people who elected us, sent us here, [44:09] to have policy solutions that make their jobs back home easier. We are not doing that. A lot of the [44:17] things we're doing are making it harder. But Roger and I are determined to do everything in our power [44:22] to get back to that problem solving and that sense of mutual respect and mutual responsibility. [44:30] Yeah, I think, you know, one thing we live in this world of social media. [44:34] And let me back up even just to say, I tell my parents this all the time, is they'll be watching [44:42] cable news and they'll get mad. And that's the goal. Remember, it's not news. It's really [44:47] entertainment. They're calling it cable news at night, but it's really entertainment. Both sides [44:51] do the same thing. And their goal is to make you mad and create hatred. And then you feed on that. [44:58] And then social media sees what you like. And the algorithms keep feeding you that echo chamber. [45:04] It's a tough time to be a senator. I think it's a real tough time to be a person back home and trying [45:08] to figure out where is the truth of all this that's happening. [45:11] Yeah. And let's just be frank about this. There are a number of issues that probably make having [45:16] kind bipartisan discussions more difficult. You know, the war in Iran, people are deeply divided, [45:21] right? Even in this country, what it's doing to their pocketbooks. The DHS shut down. You have [45:25] different reasonings for why you might be on one side or another. So when you talk about those [45:29] difficult topics, is it hard and frustrating sometimes to work together despite of all of that? [45:37] Well, no, it is. I mean, you know, we had we got the war in Iran and I'm against it. But I do think [45:46] that the president should be coming to Congress and explaining to Congress why it isn't he's doing this and [45:54] what the plan is and what we can expect as an outcome. Those are serious topics and they shouldn't [46:01] be reduced to accusations. They there should be a full and robust debate among the American people. [46:09] That's what political dialogue and debate is about. But it's gotten to be I think social media, [46:15] Roger, you really identified something that's accelerated the kind of divisive approach to things [46:21] where instead of using reason and empathy and generosity, a spirit and mutual respect, [46:27] which is really essential and to have trust in a democracy, we get right into the blame game. [46:34] I try to never attack the person. I try to attack their policy. And out of respect for Peter, [46:40] we may not agree on something, but I would never say it's not because he didn't think about it or it's [46:45] not because he didn't think it through because I know his heart. And that's what I would try to do [46:50] by reaching across the aisles getting these people's heart that that they are good people, [46:54] that we're good people as well. If I could just end this way, [46:58] we were supposed to have another Republican sitting in your seat. And about an hour ago, [47:02] you jumped in to do this interview. And I just think that speaks to bipartisanship that we're seeing [47:08] here, right? You know, I did it for a friend. And this is really important story to me too, [47:12] by the way. This is, you know, we're begging. I complain that all they want to talk about is the [47:17] partisanship things. And when we're yelling and screaming at each other. But here, [47:21] two people have had great success. We got our whole milk bill across the finish line. We've got our, [47:27] a lot of our high speed internet bill across the finish line. We're ready to do the next chapter [47:31] in the next farm bill. I appreciate you giving us an opportunity to show that there is some work, [47:37] which we do together, even while we have disagreements about some major policy questions. [47:42] You know, the joy that I think all of us get in life is when our efforts succeed in helping other [47:49] people get a step ahead. And all of us, I think, would feel much better if we were more productive [47:55] and more productive means that we've got to work together. Amen. [47:59] What a great conversation. Our huge thanks to Julie Sirkin for bringing us that common ground. We will be [48:06] back Monday with more Meet the Press now. And if it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press on your local NBC [48:11] news station. I'll have exclusive interviews with acting attorney general Todd Blanche and [48:16] Democratic Senator Adam Schiff. You don't want to miss it. There's much more ahead on NBC News Now.