Meet the Press NOW — May 13

[0:11] Welcome to Meet the Press Now. I'm Kristen Welker in Washington. We begin with President [0:15] Trump's high-stakes visit to China against the backdrop of the growing economic fallout [0:20] of the war with Iran after President Trump's stunning statement yesterday that he's not [0:25] thinking about Americans' finances even a little bit, he said, when trying to negotiate an end to [0:31] the war and ensure Iran can't develop a nuclear weapon. President Trump touching down in Beijing [0:37] earlier today for the start of his two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. President Trump [0:43] was greeted with pomp and pageantry, walking down the red carpet as hundreds of children chanted [0:49] welcome in Chinese, waving American and Chinese flags. The president looking to score trade deals [0:56] on deals on trade tariffs and artificial intelligence, bringing with him more than a dozen [1:02] business executives, including Apple's Tim Cook and Elon Musk. But looming over that visit is the [1:09] president's comments yesterday about Americans' financial situation amid the war. In case you [1:15] missed those comments, here's what the president said while departing for China. The only thing that [1:31] matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about American [1:37] financial situation. I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing. We cannot let Iran have a [1:43] nuclear weapon. That's all. Today, Vice President Vance was pressed by our very own Monica Alba [1:49] about those comments on the war and Americans' finances. Take a look. When approaching the war [1:55] with Iran, do you agree with the president's position that Americans' financial situations should not [2:01] be a consideration in that decision-making process? Well, I don't think the president said that. I think [2:07] that's a misrepresentation of what the president said. But look, I agree with the president that [2:10] Iran should not have a nuclear weapon. We're obviously engaged in a very aggressive and very [2:15] engaged diplomatic process to try to ensure that that doesn't happen. And the president has a lot [2:20] of options. As he said repeatedly, there are options diplomatically. There are options on the [2:24] military side. But the fundamental goal here is the president wants to make the world safe, [2:29] but particularly the American people safe from Iran having a nuclear weapon. Remember, for months, [2:35] the White House has been trying to reassure Americans that prices, particularly the cost [2:39] of gas, will come down once the war is over. So if we have a little high oil prices for a little [2:46] while, but as soon as this ends, those prices are going to drop, I believe, lower than even before. [2:53] As soon as that war is over, which will be soon, your prices are going to drop like a rock. You watch. [3:00] The price of oil will drop like a rock as soon as a deal is done. The gas will go down. As soon [3:05] as the war is over, it'll drop like a rock. As soon as this is over with Iran, as soon as it's [3:11] over, you're going to see gasoline and oil drop like a rock. Going to be dropping down like a rock. [3:18] As soon as this war is over, which will not be long, you're going to see oil prices drop. [3:23] Meanwhile, a new inflation report from the Labor Department shows that wholesale prices were [3:32] up a whopping 6% in April compared to last year, the fastest rise in more than four years. Joining [3:39] me now, NBC News senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez, who is in Beijing traveling with [3:44] the president, NBC News business and data correspondent Brian Chung. And in just a moment, [3:49] we'll talk to NBC News senior national security correspondent Courtney Kuby. And also with me is [3:54] Andy Brown, China columnist at Semaphore. Thanks to all of you for starting us off, Gabe. I do want to [4:00] start with you in China. Of course, these high stakes meetings set to begin in just a few hours. What [4:07] are the expectations heading into these meetings? Well, Kristen, today we're expecting a lot of [4:14] pomp and pageantry here. Something that President Trump, of course, relishes during these trips, [4:19] his first face-to-face here with President Xi in Beijing since 2017. But you're right. What's looming [4:25] over this trip is the issue of Iran and whether the president can get any sort of concession from [4:31] President Xi about what to do in the Strait of Hormuz or in the broader conflict. But on the agenda, [4:37] besides that, there's a lot. You ran through some of it, trade, tariffs, also potentially AI and the [4:43] thorny issue of Taiwan. Kristen, the reason the president is bringing so many of these business [4:49] executives with him, high-powered CEOs. The Trump administration is very eager to announce some [4:55] sort of business deal here, some sort of investment deal here. And that is what they'd rather be [5:00] talking about rather than the war with Iran, Kristen. Well, that takes me to my next question, [5:05] Gabe. I mean, to what extent could issues like what is happening here at the home front with gas prices, [5:13] the war with Iran, the comments that President Trump made about not taking Americans' financial [5:20] situations into consideration when he's dealing with the war with Iran? How much might that overshadow [5:26] this trip? Well, certainly, you know, Kristen, it's very interesting. You hear from—we heard from [5:33] senior administration officials just a few days ago saying that, yes, that President Trump was likely to [5:38] push President Xi when it came to potential weapons, giving weapons to Iran. And yet the president [5:46] yesterday, or was it two days ago now that here in Beijing, but the president telling reporters that [5:51] at first that he was going to have a very long talk with President Xi, but then a few minutes after [5:57] that saying, oh, that Iran probably wouldn't come up because he wants to focus on the issue of the [6:03] economy and kind of downplaying any relevance that China has with regards to the conflict in Iran. [6:09] But look, with the president making those comments to reporters about the financial situation, [6:14] about him not considering Americans' financial situation when making this, [6:18] it's something that we've—it's been an interesting evolution over the past day or so—day or so [6:22] from the White House. The White House, the top spokesman, doubling down on the president's comments, [6:27] really trying to hit that point that the president is worried about Americans' national security, [6:31] that he wants to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. And then earlier today, [6:37] just a short time ago, in that press conference, Vice President Vance, [6:40] you played that soundbite in response to a question from our colleague, Monica Alba. [6:44] It was very interesting how he responded, Chris. And at first he took issue with the question. [6:49] He seemed—he said that that wasn't what the president meant, even though he did say that on tape. [6:54] But then he went on to pivot and saying, again, that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon. [7:00] And at the end of his answer, Kristen, he actually did say that, of course, [7:05] the Trump administration cares about Americans' financial situation. And that's why they passed [7:11] previous tax cuts. So the White House tried to clean that up a bit, especially as we head into [7:17] this high-stakes midterm election campaign. And that comment, the White House realizes, [7:22] could come back and haunt Republicans over the coming months, Kristen. [7:26] You're absolutely right. And of course, there are races in six states coming up on Tuesday, [7:31] Gabe. So the midterm's well underway. Really appreciate your reporting from China. [7:36] Let me turn now to Brian. Brian, take us into this latest inflation report that just came out. [7:43] What are the implications for the economy? [7:45] Yeah, well, as affordability remains top of mind for regular Americans and also the White House, [7:49] we got a troubling report this morning that shows inflationary pressures on wholesalers [7:53] are increasing. Six percent. That's how much this report says wholesalers. So that's retailers like [7:59] Costco and Target. So not necessarily the price tags that we pay, but it's the price tags that they [8:03] pay to get the merchandise into their store. Six percent more expensive now than it was April of last [8:09] year. We haven't seen a number that big since 2023. And you can see just how sharp a rise that is [8:14] in a relatively short period of time. No surprise, this report says that a lot of that inflationary [8:19] pressure is coming from energy, where gas prices and oil costs are, of course, much higher because [8:23] of the war with Iran. Service is also up by one percent. Food prices only beginning to start to [8:29] see some of that inflation, only two tenths of a percent. Not much to be read there. But again, [8:33] the implication is that if the stores that we buy from have to pay more to get those goods and [8:37] services to you and me, well, that can mean soon they're going to pass those costs onto consumers as [8:42] well. This is already happening as the average price for consumers is rising on gas prices. Of [8:48] course, four dollars and 51 cents. That is the national average, according to AAA, staggering to [8:52] think that's up 51 percent from the start of the war. Remember, average prices were somewhere closer [8:57] to 298 before the conflict with Iran began. Diesel, crude oil, jet fuel, all seeing those rises as [9:03] well. And the idea here is the longer this goes on, the more there is that risk of inflation bleeding, [9:08] not just past the gas pump, but into everything else that we buy as well, Chris. [9:12] Yeah, those are just staggering figures when you look at them like that. Brian, [9:16] let me ask you, because, of course, big news out of the Fed today. The Senate confirmed Kevin [9:21] Worscht to be the next Fed chair. President Trump has publicly said that he wants to see rates come [9:28] down. Some of his allies saying, realistically, this might not be an environment in which Kevin [9:33] Worscht can cut rates. Talk about what his priorities will be once he does begin. [9:39] Yeah. Well, as you mentioned, the Senate confirming Kevin Worscht on a relatively narrow basis today. [9:43] But of course, as you mentioned, he is in this economic environment where he's going to be stuck [9:48] between the rock of trying to deliver on the president's desire to have lower interest rates, [9:53] but also in an economy that might not want it right now. Again, Kevin Worscht saying in his [9:57] testimony that he has not agreed to anything with regards to making some sort of handshake agreement [10:04] with the president to lower interest rates. And especially when you consider, again, this potential [10:08] for inflation to go up, that is not the type of environment you want to cut interest rates into. [10:12] We'll see. His first policy-setting meeting is going to be one month from now, Kristen. [10:16] Well, I know you'll be tracking that quite closely, Brian Chung. Thank you so much. Really [10:20] appreciate it. Let me turn now to the desk. Courtney Kuby here, as always. Thanks for being here, [10:25] Court. So Secretary Hegseth traveling with President Trump on this trip. One of the big questions [10:31] looming over this trip and this moment is, might we see President Trump decide to escalate, [10:38] decide to re-engage in military operations with Iran, given that so far they have not been able [10:43] to reach a ceasefire, broader ceasefire peace agreement? What are your expectations? Could [10:48] that happen while the president is in China? Anything is possible, but it would be very unusual [10:54] for the president to do something like restart a major combat operation in any place while he's [11:00] traveling overseas, especially someplace like China, right? So we don't expect that. But I gotta [11:05] say, Kristen, it is always possible that Donald Trump could do something that is unconventional [11:10] for the president. And especially at a time where, look at what his rhetoric, where his rhetoric has [11:14] been in the past several days or even weeks. He now says that the ceasefire is on life support. [11:19] It has a 1% chance of surviving. He continues to use this very strong rhetoric about how the U.S. [11:25] military could go in and finish the job. The military itself is ready should the president [11:30] decide that he wants to restart major combat operations or try something more tailored, [11:34] whatever that may be. But again, it would be very, very uncommon for the president to do something [11:39] like that while he's overseas. And, Courtney, there's this reporting that Iran, throughout the [11:44] course of this ceasefire, has used this time to regain access to its missile sites, to reconstitute [11:49] its military strength. What are you hearing about that? Both sides have used this opportunity to [11:55] sort of reset, refit, move certain things. The U.S. now has two carrier strike groups that are there [12:00] in the region. You'll remember at the beginning of the war, there was one that was in the region, [12:04] and there was one that was up in the Med, in the Sixth Fleet area. So, I mean, the U.S. has more [12:09] forward than they did at the beginning of the war. But Iran, notably, has taken time. They've been [12:15] able to access what we now know. As the ceasefire has gone on, it's been remarkable how it's become [12:20] clear that not as much of their conventional capabilities were completely destroyed as we [12:25] thought they were. So, we know, we reported that more than half of their Air Force and their Navy [12:29] actually remained intact. We know that they still have their fast boats, their small fast boats. We [12:34] know that they still have some mines available to them. So, they still have a real capability. And very, [12:39] very critically, they still have thousands of missiles and drones. That comes directly from the [12:45] head of the Defense Intelligence Agency. He told the Hill that several weeks ago. So, [12:49] Iran still has a conventional force should President Trump decide that he wants to go [12:53] back in there and restart combat operations. [12:55] Right. Well, we'll, I know, be all over what he is thinking about and talking about behind the [13:00] scenes. Courtney Kuby, thank you so much. Andy, let me turn to you. We saw the images out of China so [13:07] far, President Trump touching down. He had the red carpet quite literally rolled out for him. What will [13:13] you be watching for on this high-stakes trip? So, this is a low expectations summit. Bloomberg [13:21] described it as a nothing burger, a bit of a yawn. Maintenance work, keeping the trade truce alive, [13:29] keeping the relationship on track, making sure that it doesn't get even worse. I'm looking for [13:34] surprises like you. When Donald Trump is involved, anything can happen. He can turn the ordinary into [13:41] the extraordinary. And in fact, we've already had a surprise, the addition of Jensen Huang to the CEO [13:48] party. Well, that's a really good point. And of course, one of the big questions, will there be a [13:55] new trade agreement? Will there be an ongoing trade truce? What do you think are the chances for that? [14:03] And how do those CEOs play a role in this trip? So, we're going to get a hat full of trade deals. [14:11] Okay. They talk about the three Bs, Boeing, beans, beef. So, that's baked in. That's in the can. [14:19] I think it's interesting. The way you can think about this from a commercial perspective is America, [14:27] Inc. Trump surrounded by this phalanx of CEO superstars, Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, meeting [14:35] China, Inc. led by Xi Jinping. And both sides are converging on an economic model, which is led by [14:45] the state or guided by the state. And an expression of that in Beijing is going to be the establishment [14:52] of what the United States grand or U.S. trade negotiators grandly call a board of trade, [14:59] where literally you have bureaucrats from both countries sitting around the table figuring out [15:03] trade, who sells what to who, what price, when, under what tariff arrangements, not the market [15:09] inspired by price signals. And that, I think, managed trade is what the U.S. sees as the centerpiece [15:16] commercially of this whole summit. [15:19] And geopolitically, of course, Iran is front and center. President Trump has said he wants China's [15:25] help in reopening the strait. Of course, they benefit from oil passing through the strait of [15:31] Hormuz. Do you have any expectation that China would move to help the United States? [15:38] Well, good luck with that. Look, China never does anything at the behest of the United States. [15:46] Still less will it be putting pressure on a close partner that the United States and Israel has just [15:52] attacked. A partner, by the way, that until recently we were all obsessing about as part of this [15:57] so-called new axis of evil, the axis of disruption, Iran, China, North Korea and Russia. I have very low [16:05] expectations. And if Trump was to give way on that, he would demand a very, very high price. [16:11] Well, and the other big issue, of course, is Taiwan. And it's anticipated that President Xi Jinping is going [16:17] to pressure President Trump on Taiwan to ease up some of the support that the United States has given to [16:24] Taiwan. President Trump says, oh, we'll discuss that. How significant is that piece of this trip? And what if [16:31] there were to be any shift in the United States posture toward Taiwan? [16:35] Well, White House briefers have said that there's going to be no change in Taiwan policy. And I actually believe that. [16:40] I don't think that Donald Trump wants to go down in history as the U.S. president that abandoned China to [16:45] authoritarian, abandoned Taiwan, democratic Taiwan to authoritarian China. But I don't think that that is [16:53] what the Chinese want out of it. What they want from him is just a slight adjustment in the wording. [16:59] We oppose Taiwan independence. We support unification. That you might say is a word here, word there, [17:06] no big deal to Taiwan. That would be a seismic impact, have a seismic impact, because what it [17:11] would say is that we're on the table. And that is exactly what Xi Jinping wants. He wants to get [17:16] inside the heads of the Taiwanese to make them despair, to make them lose hope. You don't have a [17:22] say in your future. It's all going to be decided over your head. It's psychological warfare. So it would [17:27] have an impact on Taiwan and it would certainly have an impact on Japan and other countries that are [17:31] looking to U.S. commitments in the Asia-Pacific region. [17:35] In diplomacy, small words have a big meaning, as we know. So we'll be listening very closely to see [17:41] if there's any shift in the language toward Taiwan. Courtney, thank you so much. Thank you so much for [17:47] being here, Andy. Really appreciate it. Great conversation, great information. And we should [17:52] note, my colleague Tom Yamas is live from Beijing this week with special editions of Nightly News and [17:58] Top Story right here on NBC News Now. And coming up, war and affordability in America. I'll talk to a [18:05] top Senate Democrat and combat veteran about the future of the war with Iran as both parties confront [18:10] rising costs from the gas pump to the grocery store. Stay with us. You're watching Meet the Press [18:15] Now. Welcome back. As we mentioned, President Trump is in China to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping [18:26] as concerns about the war with Iran and the cost of living continue to grow back at home. [18:32] Joining me now is Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. She's a member of both the Senate's [18:38] Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committee. Senator Duckworth, thanks so much for joining me. [18:43] Really appreciate it. It's good to be on. Thank you. [18:47] It's wonderful to have you back. I want to start with the president's trip to China. [18:52] And I'm going to start, Senator, by playing you a soundbite, something he said about Taiwan [18:58] in the Oval Office on Monday and the possibility of a Chinese invasion of the island. Take a listen. [19:03] The right president, I don't think it'll happen. I think we'll be fine. I have a very good [19:08] relationship with President Xi. I don't want that to happen. [19:12] Do you think we should still be selling them weapons? The United States should be selling [19:16] weapons. Well, I'm going to have that discussion with President Xi. President Xi would like us not [19:20] to. And I'll have that discussion. That's one of the many things I'll be talking about. [19:26] Now, Senator, you signed on to a bipartisan letter with 11 other senators reaffirming your support [19:31] for Taiwan's ability to defend itself. Are you concerned the U.S. could weaken its support for [19:37] Taiwan at this summit? I am deeply concerned that that is exactly what will happen because [19:44] as we've seen before, too often, President Trump has made a habit of cozying up to dictators and [19:50] basically callously handing over concessions without twice thinking about what it would mean for [19:55] America's allies and our own nation's best interests. When he meets with President Xi, [19:59] we can't afford Trump to continue this pattern and leaving our friends like Taiwan in the dust. [20:04] In fact, I wrote the legislation, the law that was passed that actually is helping to train the [20:10] Taiwan military from an invasion from the PRC. Look, I've always believed that if we want to remain [20:15] a global leader, we must show up and support our friends like Taiwan who are really facing escalating [20:20] threats from the PRC. They're working to strengthen their own Taiwanese democracy. And right now, [20:26] ahead of Trump's meeting with President Xi, I joined my colleagues in calling on Trump to advance [20:30] the bipartisan $14 billion arms package for Taiwan. And I think that's something that is long overdue. [20:35] The Taiwans want to defend themselves, but we need to approve the arms sales to them so that they can [20:41] do that. Well, let me ask you about the current policy toward Taiwan. It has always been one of [20:46] strategic ambiguity. Do you think it's time for that to change? Does the United States need to be [20:52] clearer and tell China point blank that any action against Taiwan would be a red line? [20:59] Well, I think that we need to keep the status quo as it is. And President Trump should not be going [21:04] to the PRC and conceding to presidency, which is what I think he's planning on doing. And that will [21:11] be very, very worrisome. And in fact, I am co-sponsoring the Defend of Taiwan Act with Republican [21:17] colleagues that would immediately impose sanctions if the PRC were to attack Taiwan on top of other [21:25] actions. So I think that the status quo as it has remained is good. I think that President Trump [21:32] should approve the arms sale to Taiwan. And by the way, the arms sale helped in America's industrial [21:37] base because it's American manufacturers who will be producing that equipment. And frankly, [21:42] American support for Taiwan needs to remain ongoing, ironclad and non-negotiable. And if Trump is [21:48] serious about combating the PRC and its aggression, then this should be an easy path forward to him [21:54] for him in this next discussion he's about to have. [21:57] And Senator, of course, looming over all of this, the backdrop to this is the war with Iran. China [22:03] gets much of its oil from the Strait of Hormuz. Do you have any expectation that after meeting with [22:10] President Trump that China may play a role in trying to resolve the conflict to reopen the [22:16] Strait of Hormuz? You know, I am very, I'm not optimistic that that's what will happen. In fact, [22:24] I think China is benefiting from Trump's actions against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. And in fact, [22:30] Trump's so-called ceasefire has gone from fragile to spiraling out of control. And remember that [22:35] we, you know, first Donald Trump said he wanted to have regime change in Iran, which is why, [22:41] which is why he launched the attack against Iran. Well, we have a, we have regime change, [22:47] but the Ayatollah that's there now is worse than the one before. He says now he wants to open the [22:52] Strait of Hormuz. Well, the Strait of Hormuz was open with oil flowing to everyone, not just to the PRC [22:57] and its allies. And now the Strait of Hormuz is mined. And we've taught Iran that it can charge ships a [23:04] million dollars a ship to go through the Strait of Hormuz. So if anything, Trump's war of choice [23:08] has strengthened the PRC and given Iran a new revenue stream, which is not to the benefit of [23:13] Americans who are, by the way, paying, you know, in Chicago, I was just home this past weekend, [23:17] it's over $4 a gallon. Well, you take me to my next question. The economy, affordability, [23:22] Democrats have been highly critical of the president's policies, but also comments yesterday [23:28] that he's more concerned about Iran not getting a bomb than the financial pain that Americans are [23:35] feeling. What was your reaction to hearing that sound from the president? Well, I'm not surprised [23:42] that the, that President Trump does not care about the pain that average Americans are feeling. [23:47] We, after all, have a president who only cares about his, his grifter of a family where they are [23:52] enriching themselves. And in fact, they claim that they're going to be the richest family in the [23:56] world when they're all, all is said and done with his term in the presidency. This is not, frankly, [24:01] the golden age that Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail. Inflation is outpacing wages for [24:06] the first time in three years. And instead of working to clean up his mess, he wants to spend a [24:10] billion dollars of your taxpayer dollars to build his golden Marie Antoinette ballroom. Yeah, he doesn't [24:16] care about Americans because he only cares about himself and his own family, except that Americans are [24:21] suffering, right? Gas prices are through the roof. They've lost their Affordable Care Act subsidies. [24:27] I have a family, a family in Southern Illinois who said their premiums went from $3,000 a year to [24:33] $13,000 a year for their Affordable Care Act costs. Americans can't continue to suffer at the hands of [24:40] Donald Trump and his poor foreign policy decisions. And he needs to focus on Americans and stop worrying [24:46] about China and Iran. And by the way, Iran's uranium stockpile is still buried under thousands of feet [24:52] of concrete. Well, and of course, this is a midterm election year. Polls showing that Democrats don't [24:59] really do much better than the president as it comes to the economy. We're looking at a poll here from [25:06] CNN, which asks who's better on the cost of living. 37% say Dems, 28% say the GOP, the economy. Dems get [25:17] 35%. The GOP gets 33%. So you see how narrow that is, Senator. What do you think Democrats need to do [25:25] to turn that around, to convince voters that they have a better plan? Well, I think what we all should [25:32] be doing, those of us who are in office, Democrats or Republicans, is worry about the average American [25:36] and the prices they're paying. You know, Trump's war in Iran caused the cost of diesel fuel to go up [25:42] by more than double. It's planting season in Illinois. We're a farm state. My farmers are devastated [25:47] with the high cost of inputs like diesel for their equipment, fertilizer for their crops. And yes, [25:57] the prices are high for the farmers now in the spring, but all of America is going to suffer come fall [26:02] when harvest season comes in and we're going to see higher prices and the grocery stores. [26:06] And frankly, as long as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and mined, the situation is not [26:12] going to get any better, which is why we, you know, had this resolution again today and we got [26:16] three Republicans to vote with us to end this war in Iran. This illegal war has driven up record [26:21] diesel prices. It is really hurting Americans. And that's what I'm focused on as a representative [26:27] of the people is how do I make lives better for the average American in Illinois and around the [26:32] country. So to that point, very quickly, Senator, President Trump has floated the idea of [26:37] suspending the federal gas tax. Is that something you would vote for? That's not going to solve the [26:43] problem, right? As long as the Strait of Hormuz remains mined, as long as we're still spending [26:49] billions of dollars to attack Iran. And by the way, you know, Donald Trump came to us and says he's going [26:54] to want 150 to 200 billion additional dollars just to wage this war in Iran. Suspending the gas [27:01] price isn't going to do anything. It's not even a bandaid on the situation. But would you do it? [27:05] Frankly, this illegal war is costing Americans significant money out of their pockets and [27:11] it's hurting our nation's military. We've expended, you know, hundreds of thousands of rounds of [27:15] munitions that we need in order to defend ourselves against our greatest adversary, the PRC. He's moved [27:22] assets from the Indo-Pacific into the Middle East that should be in the Indo-Pacific. And so, [27:27] you know, we're in a significantly more precarious situation as a nation, both in terms of affordability [27:33] for the average Americans, but also on national security, all because of Donald Trump's war of [27:38] choice. All right. Senator Tammy Duckworth, thank you so much for your time. Really appreciate it. [27:44] Thank you. Coming up next, meet the candidate, a former Republican who openly defied President [27:51] Trump's push to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Now he's running as a Democrat in next [27:58] week's crowded primary race to be the next governor of the Peach State. That interview is next. Stay [28:03] with us. Welcome back. If it's Wednesday, someone voted somewhere on Tuesday, which means we have [28:17] midterm primary results with a winner in last night's Nebraska Senate primary, which could drop out [28:23] of the race. She just won. Democrat Cindy Burbank won the Democratic nomination yesterday, but she has [28:29] said she would consider bowing out of the race if she didn't have a path to victory. Instead, endorsing [28:35] independent Dan Osborne in an effort to unseat the Republican incumbent Senator Pete Ricketts. [28:44] Osborne lost to Republican Senator Deb Fischer by less than seven percentage points in 2024. [28:50] Now we're also counting down to the next week's big primary night, less than a week away, which will [28:57] include a number of key races across several states, including Georgia, with contests for Senate [29:02] governor, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state all on the ballot. I'm joined now by Jeff [29:08] Duncan, former Republican lieutenant governor in Georgia, who is now running for governor as a Democrat. [29:15] Thank you so much for joining me, Lieutenant Governor Duncan. Really appreciate it. [29:18] Yeah, glad to be here. I'm going to get to your race in just a second, but I want to start with [29:24] some news out of your state. The current governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, said this afternoon that he's [29:30] calling a special session in June to consider redrawing the state's legislative maps in 2028. [29:37] Of course, there's been a big back and forth over redistricting. What is your reaction to hearing [29:41] that? Would you support such an effort? It's a huge step in the wrong direction for our state and for [29:48] our country. At the end of the day, all you have to do is listen to these Republicans that are [29:52] running for office run and grab a microphone and just talk about the immediate desire to racially [29:58] gerrymander these districts. They couldn't even wait for the ink to dry on the Supreme Court case [30:04] last week. It's troubling to see the home of the civil rights movement kind of take on this mantle [30:10] of dismantling the Voting Rights Act in a way that does not represent democracy. I mean, [30:16] at the end of the day, Republicans are wrong. They continue to try to shrink the size of the [30:20] voting universe to shape the outcome of an election. And here's a novel idea. If you want [30:25] to win an election, just do a better job. Don't support a president that's trying to bankrupt our [30:28] country and trying to bankrupt our state. Support somebody that really wants to meet people's needs [30:33] like affordability, health care, and the other issues that are on top of mind. Well, of course, [30:38] Democrats are trying to counter what is happening in some of these red states by redistricting in [30:45] blue states, like California, for example. Do you support those efforts in blue states to pick up [30:51] new Democratic seats? I mean, Donald Trump knew exactly what he was doing when he picked a fight [30:57] starting in Texas and just started trying to usurp democracy. And it's a catch-22, right? I'm one of [31:03] those traditionalists that think the Constitution knew what it was talking about when it wanted to [31:08] do this every 10 years. As governor, I want to stand up and pass a constitutional amendment at [31:13] the state level to make this an every 10-year process, to not gerrymander districts in between [31:18] just for shallow political reasons. It's wrong. Let me ask you about your race now. You are running [31:26] as a Democrat. How do you convince Democrats in your crowded field to vote for you over Keisha Lance [31:33] Bottoms, for example, who is the former mayor of Atlanta? I've lived pretty out loud for the last [31:40] six-plus years. I not only stood up to Donald Trump when it mattered the most here in Georgia, [31:45] but I've been working with Democrats for years. Stacey Abrams on rural hospital tax credit [31:51] legislation, passing hate crimes legislation, standing up to a sitting president that tried [31:56] to steal an election, civil unrest issues. I've been doing this out loud and also writing a number [32:01] of opinion columns over the years. So I think Democrats see me as the best possible chance to win [32:06] this election. I think I am absolutely not only going to show up and win a primary, but win a general [32:11] election. But then most importantly, Kristen, is we have to govern well. I think that's the most [32:16] important thing for Democrats, is once we get this power, we can't just let it go to our heads [32:20] like Republicans have. We've got to go govern well. We've got to go share our ideas with better [32:25] health care by expanding Medicaid, by passing common sense gun legislation. I haven't lost my mind [32:29] switching parties. I've actually found my heart. Well, as you know, polls show that Keisha Lance [32:35] Bottoms is actually ahead right now. How do you catch up and surpass her by Tuesday? Do you have [32:41] enough time to win? Well, fortunately for the law in Georgia, we don't have to do it by Tuesday. It's [32:48] going to go to a runoff. So Keisha Lance Bottoms is probably going to cap out in the high 30s. [32:53] I see myself coming in in the high teens, low 20s, in a solid second place, and then we'll go to a four [32:58] week sprint and just compare resumes, right? I've got a resume to run on. She's got a resume to run [33:03] on. I think some Georgians have some serious concerns about her leadership as mayor of the [33:08] city of Atlanta, just like some folks have some concerns about me being a former Republican. But [33:12] you know, folks can find out more at DuncanforGeorgia.com if they want to have more information [33:16] about where I stand on the issues. You're talking about the issues. Let me ask you about one that has [33:21] been in the spotlight this week, in particular, the gas tax. There's a lot of talk about potentially [33:27] suspending the federal gas tax. Governor Brian Kemp suspended Georgia's gas tax almost two months [33:34] ago, but that's set to expire next Tuesday, actually, on primary day. If you were to be elected, [33:41] would you reinstate a gas tax holiday? I would continue to keep the gas tax off. Actually, [33:50] in the state legislature years ago when I was a state representative, I voted against the gas tax. [33:55] But yeah, I mean, look, state of Georgia didn't pick this fight that's taking our gas prices and [33:59] our oil prices around the world in skyrocketing places. Donald Trump did. If we want to fix this [34:05] crisis, then Donald Trump needs to say he made a mistake and he didn't calculate the end game, [34:09] and he needs to start falling on the sword, bring these troops back home or figure out how to open up [34:14] that straight of her moves. But Donald Trump doesn't care about people. He doesn't care about [34:18] affordability issues. He doesn't care about people not having health insurance. He cares about the [34:21] person that stares back at him in the mirror in the mornings. You know, Donald Trump is not for [34:26] America. He's not for Georgia. He's for himself and his family. And that's as obvious as the day is [34:30] long. And I'm seeing Republicans left and right come our way on this campaign trail because I think [34:35] they're seeing what I've already seen. That's Donald Trump is a selfless decision maker. And at the end [34:40] of the day, he's the worst decision this country's ever made. [34:42] Let me ask you about the broader political environment right now. Republican Secretary [34:47] of State Brad Raffensperger, who resisted pressure from President Trump to overturn the results of [34:53] the 2020 election and is now running for governor, said yesterday that there was an active threat at a [35:00] campaign event that he had planned earlier this week. Do you worry about the risk of political [35:06] violence in Georgia and elsewhere in this heated political environment? [35:10] Unfortunately, I do. I mean, my family has been at the epicenter of it for years. I mean, [35:17] just because I wasn't willing to lie about an election like Donald Trump wanted to, [35:21] my family got death threats. We had state troopers outside our house. Our kids couldn't go to school [35:25] for weeks on end. I mean, like we've paid the price too. And it's unfortunate. But when you have [35:30] a sitting president that's willing to fan the flames of conspiracy theories and to create [35:34] a mob mentality that essentially at the end of the day, it's just a Ponzi scheme. Donald Trump runs [35:38] a Ponzi scheme and it's falling apart by the day. Final question to you. Do you see any scenario [35:47] where you could return to the Republican Party at some point? [35:52] I don't. The Republican Party, that ship has sailed. My heart has changed. And look, [35:57] a number of these issues, I didn't have the political courage like so many folks in office [36:01] don't. I knew common sense gun legislation made all the sense in the world. I'm never going to turn [36:05] around on that. I know expanding Medicaid makes all the sense in the world and we should never send [36:09] somebody to the hospital without health insurance. I'm a proud Democrat with a great toolkit to serve [36:13] the needs of 11 million Georgians. And I can't wait to be their governor. [36:17] All right. Former Lieutenant Governor Jeff Duncan, thank you so much. Be safe. We will be watching [36:22] your race closely. Really appreciate your joining us. [36:26] Thank you. [36:28] And speaking of Tuesday night, I will be joined by my colleagues, Hallie Jackson, Steve Kornacki, [36:33] and our team of reporters across the nation for special primary election coverage. It all kicks off [36:38] at 6.30 Eastern right here on NBC News Now. And we'll be right back with more Meet the Press Now. [36:46] Stay with us. [36:51] Welcome back. Top Democrats on Capitol Hill are already seizing on President Trump's remarks [36:56] yesterday that he's not weighing the financial impact on Americans' finances when it comes to his [37:01] war objectives in Iran. [37:03] Can you believe it? You wouldn't believe it coming from any other president. But sadly, [37:11] from this president, it smacks of reality. He says almost anything and he doesn't care. [37:18] Donald Trump and Republicans don't give a damn about the personal finances of the American people. [37:27] Donald Trump said it and he meant it. [37:30] Joining me now is today's panel, NBC News senior national political reporter Sahil Kapoor, [37:36] Joel Payne, Democratic strategist and former senior aide for Hillary for America, [37:41] and Ashley Davis, Republican strategist and White House official during the George W. Bush [37:46] administration. Thanks to all of you for being here. Sahil, let me start with you. You heard [37:50] the reaction from Democrats there on Capitol Hill. Talk about the fallout, what you're hearing on the [37:55] Hill. [37:55] It's a mess for the GOP, Kristen. It's the last thing they need to be hearing from a president who was [38:00] elected primarily to bring down costs and improve Americans' financial situation and to avoid [38:05] getting into new wars. Just objectively speaking, the opposite has happened so far. So this is a [38:10] situation where Republicans want results on the economy. They know that voters here care more [38:15] about that. But the president seems to be, at least in the words of Lindsey Graham, who I talked [38:19] to a few hours ago, a staunch Trump ally. He said Trump is just trying to show the enemy that he's [38:23] determined to prevail regardless of the domestic circumstances. That does indicate that he's willing [38:28] to sacrifice some domestic circumstances for this, which, of course, is a political problem [38:32] for Republicans, especially when you look at a recent poll by CNN found that his disapproval, [38:37] President Trump's disapproval on the economy, is up to 70 percent. It never even reached 50 percent [38:41] in the entirety of his first term. This was his ace in the hole, not MAGA culture wars. The economy, [38:47] trust in the economy was always President Trump's biggest asset. Now it's gone. [38:50] Ashley, he did promise to bring down prices on day one. Gas prices are up. Inflation is up. How big [38:59] of a political problem do you see these comments being? Obviously, the Democrats are doing exactly [39:04] what they should be doing, which is capitalizing on those comments. I do, from my national security hat, [39:10] I would say that his comments are probably more directed to Iran than they were everybody else, [39:17] which is not, does not help us in the election, by the way. However, I do think I'm a very staunch, [39:24] I think that we should have taken on Iran. I do think that they're really bad actors. And so I think [39:29] he's not willing to sacrifice. If we lose the midterms because of it, I think he's okay with it, [39:33] if he thinks the country's going to be safer. You think he's okay with it? I don't, I don't think [39:37] I don't think he's going to negotiate something based on gas prices at home. I really don't. And I think [39:45] that that's probably what the commander in chief probably should do in regards to safety to the [39:49] country, in regards to national security, in regards to everyday Americans and their gas prices [39:54] and their daily living. I think it's a big problem. It's a big problem. If I were, you know, [39:58] Leader Thune, or if I were the speaker right now, I'm sure they're cringing, as you just said on the Hill. [40:03] Joel, how do Democrats play this? Because is there a risk in over-indexing on some of these [40:11] measures when President Trump believes once the war ends, gas prices are going to start to come [40:16] down? Of course, economists say it's not going to happen overnight. But how do you think Democrats [40:21] should be messaging this moment? Yeah, well, Kirsten, I think he's down to the studs on his [40:25] core mega base anyway. I mean, when you're at negative, you know, what, 50 percent, or when you're [40:32] at, you know, 70 percent disapproval on the economy, and you're in the 30s, you know, you're in the [40:37] Bush term two zone. You don't actually have the type of coalition that he actually rode to electoral [40:45] victory. So I don't think Donald Trump's in the coalition building business right now. He seems [40:51] to be in the base maintenance business right now. I think the other observation I have is, [40:56] and I get a chance to sit next to a lot of, you know, smart Republicans like Ashley, and the fact [41:02] that she and that other Republicans, the first thing they have to address, the first thing they [41:07] have to answer is Donald Trump, his priorities, his hubris, his prioritization of the economy, [41:13] that itself, that's the whole problem in a nutshell for Republicans there. [41:16] What about the fact that he is in China right now? This allows him to pivot to some extent from [41:23] Iran and lean into this geopolitical diplomacy that he is trying to have with China. [41:31] I think that largely depends on what, if any, deliverables he brings home from China. If there's [41:36] a deal cut that can materially improve the lives of Americans, voters are going to be far more [41:40] concerned about their own domestic issues than any kind of foreign policy concern, unless they can [41:44] connect the latter to the former. But look, broadly speaking, there is a political storm of headwinds [41:49] brewing for, I think, Republicans in the midterms of presidential approval and a state of the economy. [41:55] Those are not looking good for the party in power. These tend to be the most important things. [41:58] Then there's a structural disadvantage that Republicans have in this new coalition where [42:03] the MAGA voters don't really turn out when Trump isn't on the ballot. Now, [42:06] the things counteracting that, that are helping Republicans somewhat, are the money factor. [42:10] They're doing better this time than 2018. And redistricting in the House, that fight has [42:15] broken clearly in favor of Republicans. Will it be enough? I don't know. [42:19] Ashley, what are you watching for this week while the president's in China? [42:22] So I think success is two different things. One, I think that he, him showing up with all these CEOs [42:27] showing that he's trying to make some sort of business deal with China. But the two things I'm [42:31] watching is, I think our farmers could get some relief and that's a success. And if China is willing [42:38] to buy some sort of oil gas from the United States, I think that's the success, that defines success for [42:44] him. Obviously, I don't think we'll know truly what the negotiations are in Iran, because I think [42:51] that it will be quietly talked about. And maybe there'll be subtle, you know, things that are said [42:57] to Iran to say, like, let's open up the strait. But I think the two, like, economic things are the [43:03] farmers and definitely them buying oil from us. [43:07] Joel, how do you see this week? And do you think there could be a pivot to some extent? [43:14] I think, obviously, the president's in China, and that's going to drive a lot of, you know, [43:18] interest and whatnot. But I think the story of this week is Republicans escalating this fight over [43:23] redistricting. And I guess I would just say this. Look, this is personal. And this feels provocative [43:29] to millions of people, millions of people, frankly, who look like me and who come from communities and [43:35] come from backgrounds like mine, like the names, my namesake, my great grandfather, who was a [43:39] sharecropper in the South, who fought and sweat and bled for these rights that Republicans on a [43:45] Republican Supreme Court that's jet fueled by MAGA, and a Republican Supreme Court that's swayed by a [43:49] seat that was stolen. They seem to be playing games with precedent. They seem to be playing games with [43:55] the public faith and public confidence. And I don't think that Republicans actually realize how [44:02] dangerous the steps they're taking to undermine public confidence in the court, undermine public [44:07] confidence in democracy are at this moment. This country's a powder keg right now. And where I come [44:14] from, there's a thing that we say is you don't want to play in people's faces. Republicans are doing a [44:18] lot of playing in people's faces right now. Ashley, how do you respond? Well, I think, first of all, [44:21] I appreciate 100% what you're saying. And I also think that there is a big question is this, [44:27] does anyone win out of this? I've been saying from the beginning that I think the whole redistricting [44:33] issue that started in Texas, but we can even say it started back in 2017 in Illinois. But I think that [44:38] it's just really bad for the country. I think it's not going to be beneficial to anybody one way or the [44:44] other at the end of the day, because we're isolating a whole population, as you just referenced [44:48] in some cases. But also, you know, we have the people in the North, too, that we don't have any [44:53] Republican seats. So there are two sides of the story. But this is more of an issue that is [44:59] something that hits home. I appreciate where that comes from. But people in the North, [45:03] there's not a history. No, that's what I'm saying. [45:06] A history of organized, you know, obstruction of the vote in the North like there is in the South. [45:12] No, I get it. So I'll give us the final takeaway here. What's the math look like right now? Because [45:18] Republicans are feeling emboldened about their chances to potentially hold on to the House. But [45:22] Democrats are saying the backdrop still gives them a big opening. Overall, I still think Democrats are [45:28] favored in the House, given how given what the landscape is, given all the structural advantages [45:33] they have. I think it looks like right now, at least my Democratic sources think that somewhere [45:37] between five and 10 seats just in redistricting could flip to the GOP on net. Democrats will gain [45:43] some in California, but Republicans, Texas, Florida, now you have Virginia essentially counteracted. [45:48] So Republicans will cushion it somewhat. I still think Democrats are pretty clearly [45:52] favored overall because they only need a net gain of single somewhere in the single digit numbers of [45:57] seats to win the House. The Senate's obviously a different story. Needle's moving a little bit [46:01] in the Dems direction. But right now, Democrats have a still have plenty of reasons, I should say, [46:06] to be optimistic about winning the House. Well, there's no doubt that this fight over [46:09] redistricting has changed the shape of not just the map, but American politics and the debate that's [46:14] unfolding right now. Thank you so very much, Sahil, Joel and Ashley. Great conversation still to [46:20] come. We are on the ground in Omaha, where 16 Americans are being quarantined, covering new [46:26] developments related to the ongoing outbreak of the Hantavirus. Keep it right here on Meet the Press [46:32] Now. Welcome back. We are tracking the latest developments in the deadly Hantavirus outbreak that [46:43] started on a cruise ship. We are learning a French woman who tested positive for Hantavirus after being [46:50] evacuated from the ship is now critically ill and being treated with an artificial lung. The World [46:56] Health Organization says so far 11 cases of the disease have been reported, and that number will [47:01] likely grow, but maintain the risk to the general public remains low. The outbreak comes at a precarious [47:08] time for public health in the United States, which is operating without a permanent director at the CDC. [47:13] Without a surgeon general and now without an FDA commissioner after this week's ouster of Dr. [47:18] Marty McCary. There are currently 16 U.S. states monitoring residents who are considered to have [47:24] been exposed to the Andes strain of the Hantavirus that was spread aboard that cruise. People who either [47:31] left the cruise early or came into close contact with cruise passengers during travel. Joining me now is [47:37] NBC News correspondent Camila Bernal, who is outside the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska, [47:42] where 16 of the evacuated cruise passengers are. Camila, thank you so much for being here. You've actually [47:48] spoken to some of the medical staff at that Nebraska facility where 16 passengers from that cruise are [47:55] staying. What have you learned? Yeah, and important news today from the CDC, Kristen, and that is that they are [48:02] encouraging every single person here in Nebraska to remain here at this facility for the duration of the [48:09] monitoring period. That is 42 days, and they say that period started on May 11th when they got off [48:16] that plane from the cruise ship. And medical professionals here telling me that they're [48:20] monitoring everyone, doing it case by case, making sure that they essentially have a next step for each [48:28] person individually. Here's what one of the nurses told me. I know from the outside looking in, it probably [48:34] feels like, well, why don't we have any answers? But it really is a conversation with each person in [48:38] multiple jurisdictions, and we want to make sure that we can answer all of the questions we're [48:43] getting, right? Is it safe for people to leave? Is it safe for people to stay? And so I think right [48:47] now what we're really encouraging is we have the ability to provide quarantine and monitoring support [48:53] services for 42 days, and we would be happy to have people stay. And the CDC also announced today that [49:01] they have retested that passenger in the biocontainment unit that tested mildly positive. [49:06] They're expecting fresh results from that test in the next day or two, Kristen. [49:10] And Camilla, with the final minute that we have left, more than a dozen states, as we said, [49:15] say they have residents who are being monitored for exposure to the virus. What do we know about these [49:21] folks? Yeah, so none of the states so far have said that they've asked anyone to quarantine. They're [49:27] only asking to self-monitor. So what that looks like, according to some of the states, [49:32] is each person at home is taking their temperature, is looking out for symptoms, [49:37] and then reporting any changes or anything they see back to the states. So all of these states [49:42] essentially saying that they're keeping track of all of those passengers that got off the boat early [49:46] and returned to the United States, and also the people that were believed to have been exposed at [49:51] some point, maybe even during air travel. So they are keeping track of them to make sure that if [49:56] anything changes, this is obviously something that gets reported back to the states and then [50:02] obviously to the federal government as well, guys. All right, Camilla Bernal, you have been all over [50:07] this story. We really appreciate your great reporting from Omaha, Nebraska. We will continue [50:12] to track the developments around the Hantavirus. Camilla, thank you so very much. [50:17] We are back tomorrow with more Meet the Press Now. There's much more ahead on NBC News Now. [50:22] We thank you for watching. And remember, stay updated on breaking news and top stories on the NBC News [50:31] app or watch live on our YouTube channel.