The Briefing With Jen Psaki 11/2/26 — 🅼🆂🅽🅱️🅲 Breaking News Today November 2, 2026

[0:00] You can read while you're talking. You probably have not seen this story, but you are going to [0:04] love this headline. Trump erupted after learning of Alina Habba's $50 million deal. And just one [0:10] more part for you. Angered at the size of Mrs. Milden's deal, Trump has told aides and allies [0:17] that she should donate a portion of that money to his future presidential library or another [0:21] Trump-related entity. Do we love it? I love it, but also that's exactly what he did with [0:27] Lasavita and what's his name, who got caught with the Republic of Spursko, which I didn't know existed [0:33] until I first saw the written story. We're learning how to say the word. Yes, all of it. Yes. He's like, [0:40] you're making money. I want the money. It's mob. I mean, it is literally the mob. Like, you kick [0:45] upstairs, and if you're getting your beak whacked without telling the boss, they're not going to be [0:49] happy. They did not have an update on whether she has donated. We will be seeing more reporting. [0:55] Can't make it up. I'm going to ask John Ossoff about that in a minute, but there we are, Chris. [0:59] It's going to be a hell of a library, I tell you that much. It will be. Gold. Very gold. Anyway, [1:06] I'll see you tomorrow. See you tomorrow. Okay, the breaking news tonight, and there's a fair amount [1:12] of it. I just gave you some of it. But another piece of breaking news tonight is that Donald Trump [1:16] has canceled not one, but two rallies scheduled for this weekend, one in Kansas and one in Iowa. [1:22] Both have been canceled as of tonight. And you have to wonder, if these rallies are so effective, [1:29] why is he canceling two of them in two very competitive states just days before the midterms? [1:34] In just a moment, as I mentioned, I'm going to put that question to Senator John Ossoff, [1:38] who held a raucous rally of his own last night with former President Barack Obama, [1:42] and spent today at another raucous rally with former Vice President Kamal Harris. [1:48] And listen, I think it is fair to say, by most accounts, that Senator Ossoff has been one of the [1:53] Democratic Party's most effective messengers in the homestretch of this campaign over the last [1:57] several months, with his absolutely blistering rebukes of Donald Trump's corruption and his [2:04] incompetence. I mean, he has had a number of memorable moments lately. But given some incredible [2:09] new reporting about what Donald Trump is up to right now, and you won't believe it, maybe you've [2:14] read about it, there's one John Ossoff riff about Trump from over the summer that has been [2:18] just ringing around in my head all afternoon. [2:24] See, he doesn't want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on [2:31] their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar. [2:37] That was John Ossoff back in August. And of course, the Natalie the senator was referring to was [2:43] Trump's still inseparable White House assistant, Natalie Harp, who's best known for supplying Trump [2:49] with hard copies of flattering press to soothe his fragile ego. That's why she's often been [2:55] referred to as Trump's human binky. What a name. Now, here we are. We're five days out from the [3:00] midterms. We're very close. And late last night, we got reporting from The New York Times revealing [3:05] that Natalie Harp abandoned her usual desk outside of the Oval Office in recent weeks and has taken up [3:11] a spot inside Trump's private dining room, a room, I should note, connected to the Oval Office by a private [3:18] hallway. You can see it on the map there, which I should say is usually reserved for, at least in [3:23] my day, things like the president's lunch with the vice president, private high-level briefings for [3:29] the president. It isn't usually turned into a propaganda printing office for White House [3:35] assistants. Not usually, but here we are. Of course, Natalie Harp is among the inner circle of [3:40] Trump loyalists who have been increasingly cloistered with the president as his party faces what could be [3:46] catastrophic losses come Tuesday. As the Times reports, as the election approaches, as the [3:52] elections approach, Trump is feasting on a media diet of fawning press coverage. That must be hard [3:57] to find, honestly, right now. Disparaging clips about his perceived enemies and helpings of flattering [4:02] photos and AI slop, as one official put it. The inner circle also includes none other than Bill [4:09] Pulte, the top federal housing official and the chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who is now, [4:16] this is so, this might be my favorite part of the story, spending his precious time making, [4:21] wait for it, everyone, posters for the president. Posters! Nothing, I guess, like a little sycophantic [4:29] crafting five days before an election, right? For somebody who wants a bigger job, clearly. And no surprise, [4:35] one of the special posters by one of Trump's special boys, made by him, features Republican [4:41] Senator John Husted of Ohio, the guy whose ass Trump has been obsessed with completely. We don't know [4:48] at this point, at this moment, the angle of John Husted that Bill Pulte picked for that particular [4:55] poster. Maybe there's more than one, everyone, but I think we can guess. Now, additionally, Trump is [5:00] reportedly talking up the sizes of the crowds of his rallies, while also noting that Vice President [5:05] J.D. Vance has not drawn large numbers to his events. I'll let you all do psychoanalysis of that [5:12] one, but ouch. But it's not just the fact that he's in serious denial about his crowd sizes getting [5:18] smaller. It's also about some of the people at those rallies, like this guy in South Carolina, [5:23] who, through some sort of divine act of news gods out there, Fox News just happened to interview in [5:30] the crowd. This morning. I was going to get involved and go to South America for the Jonestown [5:42] Massacre, but this is as close as I'll ever get, so that's why I'm here. Wait, the Jonestown Massacre? [5:46] That's right. See, there's nothing like seeing a cult right up front, man. [5:51] I mean, I just, everything about that is just perfect. There's nothing like seeing a cult right [5:58] up front, right? I mean, what a line. But the thing is, the mega cult is getting smaller and [6:04] smaller, and it's not limited to Donald Trump. I mean, Trump's hand-picked Republican nominee for [6:09] Senate in Texas, Ken Paxton, the guy that Trump and his buddy Elon Musk are trying to buy an election [6:16] for, turned out this crowd I am showing you in San Angelo, Texas. I think there's, I don't know, [6:24] we, at least a dozen people there by my count, maybe. I'm not seeing a whole lot of energy in [6:30] that room. Some people seem even perplexed as to why they're there. Who knows? Random pacing? [6:35] I don't know. And in Odessa, Paxton's reception was so underwhelming that, well, this happened. [6:41] We sued him. We recovered billions of dollars, three billion, almost three billion between the two. [6:47] Thank you. Thank you for that one clap. Got some audience participation here. I appreciate that. [6:52] You're awake. You're awake. That's what he said at the end. Folks, the bar is apparently that low. [7:01] And things really can't be going well for Texas Republicans when the longtime Texas controller, [7:06] Joe Huffines, starts fear-mongering like this. On the early vote, we're getting beat by the leftists. [7:18] We're getting beat bad. You need to know that. You need to be scared. You need to be concerned [7:27] because it's a fact. All right. We're getting beat bad. You need to be scared because it's a fact. [7:35] I mean, I guess it's one of the more truthful things I've heard a Republican say on the trail [7:40] this cycle. So there is that. And that's because, you know, they can't really run from the data. [7:45] Today, CNN released a new poll showing Democrats in the lead in four key Senate races from Texas to [7:51] Michigan, as well as Kansas and Maine. We have them all on the screen up there. [7:54] And none of that can feel good for the insecure man-child who is currently sequestered in his [7:59] personal dining room with Natalie Harp and some of Bill Pulte's crafting projects, I guess. [8:05] Perhaps that's why Trump decided to cancel both of his rallies in Kansas and Iowa, [8:10] opting to go to Mar-a-Lago. It sounds like a heck of a lot better, doesn't it? [8:14] And honestly, I'm sure some Republicans in those states are breathing a sigh of relief. [8:18] I guess it's entirely maybe possible he listened to some of his advisers. I don't know. [8:24] But have no fear. Trump plans on still making some half-assed appearances doing tele-rallies [8:29] in at least 20 states, everyone, because nothing says, I'm fighting for you, America, [8:34] like an unhinged man giving a speech over Zoom from the confines of his country club. [8:39] And that is what we are talking about here. [8:42] So Donald Trump is canceling rallies in key states. He's holed up with his human binky and [8:46] some homemade posters. And all the while, Democrats are going for broke. [8:52] Here with Senator John Ossoff today at that rally I mentioned earlier with Kamala Harris. [8:58] If we do everything we need to do for these next five days, for these next five days, [9:08] we will change the course of American history. Not only will we be able to contain this man's [9:22] wickedness, but we will be able to do the work of healing the brokenness that gave rise to him. [9:33] We will defend civil rights and voting rights in the state of Georgia and across the country. [9:38] We will take action to get secret money and corporate money out of politics. [9:46] We will restore American leadership for peace and human rights around the world. [9:53] And we will act to guarantee great health care for every single American. [10:01] Are you all ready to do that? [10:03] I hope Ken Paxton didn't see that clip. It might make him feel kind of bad about himself [10:10] because that's that's the energy the Democrats are riding into this final weekend before Election [10:15] Day. And joining us now is the senator you saw in that video, Senator John Ossoff of Georgia. [10:21] He is, of course, the only Democrat running for reelection in a state Donald Trump won in 2024. [10:26] And we are finally in the homestretch. It's great to see you. Thank you for taking the time tonight. [10:32] Thanks, Jen. [10:32] I just shared a couple of the details of an absolutely banana story about the state of mind of the [10:40] president of the United States, not just because it's five days before the election, but because [10:44] we are in the middle of a war. People's costs are skyrocketing. All of the challenges that you [10:49] talk to people, the people in the state of Georgia about all the time. And I remember well, and I played [10:53] this, too, when you shined a light on this relationship this past summer that Trump had with [10:58] Natalie Hart by saying he just wants to travel with Natalie. It's kind of like reoccurring now. [11:03] for all of us, I guess, in this story. Here we are. He's sequestered away with Natalie in his [11:08] private dining room. There are some posters of Bill Pulte made. A lot is going on. I just wonder [11:13] when you read that and you're thinking about everything going on, what's happening in the [11:17] campaign, what went through your head? Well, it sounds like the West Wing staff right now is [11:25] mostly doing child care. I mean, they're having to coddle the toddler president who is staring at [11:33] imminent rebuke of historic magnitude. And it is deeply dangerous to have a president [11:41] president so delusional and so surrounded by sycophants and, yes, people who just tell him what he wants to [11:49] hear and indulge his every delusion. That's most of the Trump administration. He has selected [11:55] for people who make him feel good about himself and who help him to construct this palace of lies [12:06] that blind everybody in the White House to the scope of their failure. [12:11] It's why it's so urgent that we win these elections decisively. [12:16] We have to win decisively because there has never been a time in American history where checks and [12:22] balances are more essential. And we have to win decisively because cornered and desperate as he is [12:28] and amoral and narcissistic as he is, we would be naive not to expect this man to try to cheat. He tried [12:37] to seize the presidency the last time he lost it. And so many of his designs against voting rights [12:44] and against the Constitution have been focused on Georgia from his call to Brad Raffensperger to the FBI [12:51] raid overseen by Tulsi Gabbard in Fulton County. And that's why my team and I are doing everything [12:57] that we can to get out the vote and to defend voting rights and prepare for whatever dirty tricks [13:04] they may hatch in the Oval Office. And I am asking folks across the country to take action right now. [13:09] You may not be able to join us knocking on doors or manning the voter protection hotline in Georgia, [13:13] but you can sure empower my team who are doing those things with just five days to go. If you [13:18] want to take action to help save our republic, go to electjohn.com right now and chip in $15 to help [13:25] us see this through. You mentioned what has happened in Georgia. You've been on the front lines of so [13:32] much election interference and meddling our efforts to do exactly that. Emma Snow's reported that some [13:38] FBI agents are concerned that they may be ordered to seize voting machines or take other actions to [13:44] disrupt the elections. I don't think that sort of reporting probably surprises you. We've talked [13:48] about this before, but what should people understand about the preparations that are underway? What are [13:53] you telling people who are fearful that if they vote, if they participate in the process, that this [13:58] sort of thing could happen? Well, Jen, on the one hand, they made a huge mistake coming to the cradle of [14:08] the civil rights movement to launch their attacks on voting rights. And the people's response is one of [14:16] galvanized defiance and determination. Right now, we are shattering all time turnout records for a [14:24] midterm election in Georgia. And young voters are turning out to vote at a scale and a pace unprecedented [14:32] for a midterm in Georgia. This is the heart of the civil rights movement. And coming here and trying to [14:38] intimidate voters has backfired badly. On the other hand, Jen, we have to put all of these [14:43] resources aside that we would otherwise be using to get out the vote and to communicate our message [14:48] for litigation, for the defense of voting rights. We have to expect here in Georgia as candidates and [14:54] campaigns across the country must, that the White House will try to discredit or attack the results, [15:01] try to throw out people's votes. He tried to do it before. We have to prepare for him to try to do [15:07] it again. That takes resources. And again, folks can help contribute those resources at electjohn.com. [15:14] We've seen this pattern many times before. We've talked about it when he feels like he is losing [15:20] political power. He lashes out and does things like this, right, or tries to threaten or tries to [15:26] mess with the system. It's interesting to me that he, and I mentioned this earlier, he canceled, [15:31] they canceled rallies in Kansas and Iowa this weekend. He's instead going to do tele-rallies, [15:36] including one in Deep Red, Louisiana, which is a state he won by 22 points. It's a very strange [15:42] thing. I wonder, as you're traveling across the state of Georgia and as you're talking to voters, [15:46] you're trying to earn voters who voted for Trump too. What does it say, the canceling of those rallies [15:52] and all of this, about his diminishing power, Trump's diminishing power in the Republican Party [15:56] and even among Republican voters? Well, he is a weak, failed, disgraced president [16:06] who's probably canceling these rallies, not out of concern for the candidates his presence harms. [16:13] These Republican candidates, most of them, if they have any sense, don't want him to come [16:16] to their states. Although my opponent, the bigot congressman Mike Collins, wants Trump here as [16:21] much as possible, and Trump's been here twice in just the last 10 days. So I imagine that they're [16:26] canceling these to avoid the humiliation of empty seats and small crowds. But on the [16:32] other hand, we should expect that he will try to abuse his power to attack results that put him [16:41] at risk. Remember, we're not just talking about a president who stands to lose the ability to get a [16:46] legislative agenda through Congress. We're talking about a president and an administration corrupt [16:51] in ways literally unprecedented in the history of our republic, who are staring at the possibility [16:56] of congressional oversight with teeth and accountability for their misdeeds. And so [17:02] that adds desperation to the air in the White House right now. And it makes this president [17:08] especially dangerous. You were one of the first people who was really tying corruption together [17:14] to the cost of living and the impact on people in this country in your riffs when you were out on the [17:19] campaign trail. And when we were all watching your rally last night and you gave that powerful rip [17:24] about corruption and about how people around Donald Trump should be preparing to testify, [17:29] there were these loud chants you could hear audibly of lock him up, lock him up. You weren't, [17:35] and anybody who wasn't watching, you weren't encouraging them or chanting back or anything like [17:38] that. This was just happening organically in the crowd. But what was going through your mind as the [17:44] crowd was chanting that? What do you think that tells us? Well, you can feel the visceral [17:51] disgust and contempt that the American people, and not just Democrats, but the American people [17:59] united, Democrats, independents, and Republicans are outraged that while the president through his [18:06] corrupt and incompetent policy agenda makes Americans pay more than ever for everything, [18:12] for health care, to stock the fridge, to fill up your truck, to power your home. It's never cost more. [18:17] They lied us into a war. They don't know how to win and don't know how to end. They doubled health [18:21] insurance premiums. The tariffs have been a disaster. And against that backdrop, [18:27] the president and the first family are raking in billions of dollars from all over the world. [18:31] Billions of dollars of our tax money are going to back Prince Don and Prince Eric's investments. [18:38] You saw the news today or in the last few days about Alina Haba and $50 million contract timed around [18:45] the granting of a pardon. You see all this secret money that was pumped into the ballroom by people [18:50] with business before the federal government. And there has to be real accountability for [18:55] corruption of this magnitude. It is. It feels like every day, and you just covered a number of them, [19:01] there's a new story. It's like, it's not like we're just talking about one corruption story from [19:06] a month ago. There's new stories every day. There was one that just broke in the last hour with the [19:11] headline, Trump erupted after learning of Alina Haba's $50 million deal. Now, he doesn't appear to [19:17] be angry, at least from the reporting, about the quid pro quo over a pardon here, right? That doesn't [19:22] seem to be what he's angry about. It seems to be, according to the reporting, he's angered at the size of [19:27] Mrs. Milden's deal. I'm reading directly from the reporting. Mr. Trump has told AIDS and allies that [19:31] she should donate a portion of that money to his future presidential library or other Trump-related [19:37] entities. It is almost, it is so in your face. It is unbelievable. But what did you make of that [19:43] story? Yeah, I saw it. He's saying he wants his cut. Yeah, basically. Don wants his cut. I mean, [19:52] it's a racket. And listen, I need folks to lock in here because as outraged as we are, outrage alone [20:02] will not contain this out-of-control president. What will contain this out-of-control president [20:09] are majorities in the United States Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. There are many [20:16] paths back to the Senate majority, and they all have one thing in common, defending this seat in Georgia. [20:22] You said it at the top of the interview. I am the only Democratic senator running for re-election [20:26] in a state that Donald Trump won. The president's been here twice in the last couple of weeks. We [20:32] have a lot of momentum. Turnout is strong in early vote, but we are preparing for the worst [20:37] when it comes to attacks on voting rights or attacks on the outcome. And this remains a state [20:42] the president has won twice. So to everybody out there watching this on your TV, your laptop, [20:46] or your phone. Maybe you're not in a state with a battleground race. Maybe you're not in a U.S. House [20:53] district that's a front-line house district. But here's something you can do right now with five [20:58] days to go that makes a difference. Go to electjohn.com, help us win this race decisively, [21:04] defeat the bigot Trump puppet congressman Mike Collins, defend voting rights in Georgia, [21:10] and help steer this country back on a path that will make us all proud. [21:15] Senator John Ossoff, we'll all be watching your race, the governor's race in your state, [21:19] and everything that happens after next week. Thanks so much for joining me. [21:24] Thank you. [21:25] Okay, coming up, you know that whole Iran war thing that voters absolutely hate its president [21:31] races all across the country? Well, new reporting tonight suggests Donald Trump is about to restart it. [21:36] And one senator who was just briefed on the plans called them insane. Senator Mark Kelly is standing [21:42] by, and he joins me next. We are five days out from an election that will be in part a referendum [21:54] on Donald Trump's disastrous war with Iran. And guess what we just learned? The Pentagon is [21:59] reportedly planning to start it up again after the midterms. Once, it can't do any more damage to [22:04] the Republicans' chances of controlling Congress, or that seems to be the plan. The Wall Street Journal [22:09] is reporting that the top U.S. commander in the Middle East briefed Trump on his military [22:13] options today. Also today, we learned from Democratic Senator Chris Murphy that what Trump's Defense [22:18] Department is planning to do is alarming. Here's what he posted on social media. [22:22] Trump is reportedly planning to restart war with Iran after the election. Some of us have [22:27] been briefed on the war plan. And while I cannot disclose any details, I can say this. The plan is [22:32] insane. It will not achieve objectives and will set off a new cycle of escalation. Very alarming. [22:39] So of course, this seems like a great time for Trump's Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth [22:43] to fire the Pentagon's most senior war planner at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Lieutenant General [22:48] Brett Sylvia. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell referenced the firing on social media today, [22:53] accusing Sylvia of leaking classified information and saying the Pentagon is referring him to the [22:58] Justice Department for potential further legal action. What and to whom Lieutenant General Sylvia [23:04] allegedly leaked is completely unclear. And listen, I suppose it's possible that the ouster of a [23:10] three-star general who served for 32 years, received a bronze star with valor in Afghanistan [23:14] and commanded the 101st Airborne was deserved. But it is also hard to give Hegseth and Trump the [23:21] benefit of the doubt given so many things, including the profound and seriousness of the Pentagon under [23:27] their leadership right now. And it doesn't help that earlier today, Trump himself seemed pretty [23:32] confused by General Sylvia's female sounding last name. In case it was not clear, this particular Sylvia [24:03] does not use she, her pronouns. There you go. Joining me now, Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat of Arizona. He's a member of the Senate, [24:08] of Arizona. He's a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intel Committees. He's also been traveling around the [24:13] country campaigning for Democrats as well. We're going to cover all of it. Senator Kelly, thank you so much for being here [24:18] with me. I know you've been busy. Let me start with this. As I mentioned, Pete Hegseth fired Lieutenant General Sylvia, [24:26] a very highly regarded officer and military planner with no clear replacement as of now. Tell us about the importance of this [24:32] role and, of course, your reaction to the firing. Well, he's the J-5 on the Joint Chiefs. It's, you know, [24:42] these generals have incredibly important positions in regard to our national security of keeping us safe. [24:50] And Pete Hegseth and, you know, Donald Trump are just firing people because they don't see them as [24:56] sufficiently loyal or in many cases because they're women or they're African-Americans and they're purging [25:02] a good portion of a generation of leadership. Worse than that is there are folks, you know, behind them [25:09] that are coming up, maybe mid-grade officers that look at the U.S. military now as maybe it's not a place [25:15] for them where they're not valued in their experience, their professionalism. So this is, has a [25:23] multi-generational impact. It's going to be, take some hard work to recover from it. And by the way, [25:29] the president doesn't even know, you know, who this person is and he's just trying to make it up and, [25:35] you know, claims that he's saying that she, when Brett Sylvia is a man who has served decades in the [25:44] armed services, it's almost comical that when Donald Trump doesn't know something, he just starts [25:53] to make things up. That's the president of the United States. He should know better. [25:58] It jumped out to me that Sean Pernell said that they were referring to Soviet or the civilian [26:03] Justice Department instead of pursuing things through the military justice system. Did that [26:09] stand out for you? And what do you think that means? Well, maybe it's harder for them to do it [26:15] through the military justice system. I don't know. I mean, this president has come after me. He sent the [26:20] Justice Department after me and some of my colleagues tried to indict us for something [26:25] we said when we told members of the military that said they should follow the law. They've weaponized [26:31] this Justice Department against people that they perceive as their enemies or adversaries or people [26:39] they just don't like. You know, in this case, this general, from what I know about him, I don't know him [26:44] personally, but he's accomplished. He's professional. He has served our country honorably. And now, [26:53] for whatever reason, they want to, you know, put him through this by sending DOJ after him. [27:01] You're on the armed services committee. You served yourself. You've also been traveling around the [27:04] country and talking to a lot of voters. I wonder what you think of this reporting, what you make of [27:09] the reporting that the Trump administration seems to be actively preparing to restart this war [27:14] to be timed after the midterms, especially they've just fired the Pentagon's top war planner. [27:21] But what do you what do you make of that reporting? Well, first of all, it's a rather unusual thing [27:27] to time national security decisions about a war that this president got our country into without a goal [27:36] or a plan and now he's stuck. But timing this to an election. I mean, if it's about our safety and [27:41] our national security, an election shouldn't matter. But obviously with this president and the [27:48] people around him, you know, the politics on anything comes first, not what is in the best [27:55] interest of the American people. And what that is, is this guy, Donald Trump, needs to find a way out [28:01] of this conflict that has killed U.S. service members that are just trying to do their jobs, [28:07] injured over 800 more and then cost us tens of billions of dollars. You have you have been again, [28:15] as I said a couple of times and you have been traveling a lot, I should emphasize to people, [28:19] you've been all over the country. You've given to a lot of candidates as well. You've prioritized [28:23] as part of this effort, supporting military veterans and national security professionals [28:28] who are running for office. And it's kind of obvious why their expertise would be so essential [28:35] in a moment like this when we're in the middle of a war, nobody knows how to end. I also think [28:40] these candidacies are some of the most interesting out there. But you're somebody who lives this [28:44] every day. Tell me about why you've prioritized them and what kind of expert, why their expertise [28:49] is so important to be in our Congress right now? Well, a couple of things. I've been to 24 states [28:56] in the last four months, campaigning and just doing my job. I haven't had a day off since August [29:03] because this is really important, so important for the future of our country. And I think people [29:08] who served, especially right now with all the challenges across the globe, national security [29:14] challenges for us, war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East, rising China. It is, it's incredibly [29:22] complex. And people like Rebecca Bennett running for the house in New Jersey, Nancy LaCour in South [29:29] Carolina, who's a three-star admiral fired by Hegseth, Kate Conley in New York, you know, who was a [29:36] special forces army officer, graduate of West Point. These are the kind of people we need in [29:41] Congress right now. The number of veterans we have has gone down significantly post-World War II. [29:48] I don't know if it's an all-time low, but there's fewer and fewer of us in a world that's more [29:53] complex. So we need candidates, you know, like this, and they're gonna, you know, help make this [30:01] country better and safer for all of us. Senator Mark Kelly, those are races I'm so looking forward [30:07] to watching. I've talked to a number of those candidates as well myself, but thank you so much [30:12] for what you're doing out there and for taking the time tonight. Thank you for having me on, as always. [30:18] Okay. Coming up, a shock poll shows the Senate race in South Carolina is tied. Our MSNOW elections [30:25] team just changed our characterization of that race today. And we are seeing crazy early voting [30:30] numbers all over the country. Ali Velshi is all vested up, standing by at the big board. And then [30:36] I'm going to talk to the Democratic nominee for Senate in South Carolina, Annie Andrews. We'll be [30:40] right back. [30:40] And we're already seeing some pretty stunning after effects. Today, MSNOW shifted that Senate race [30:51] in Democrats' direction from likely Republican to lean Republican. And new tonight, the Senate [30:55] Democrats' top super PAC says it is pouring $750,000 into a digital ad campaign to boost [31:02] Andrews as a fighter against corruption. All just five days out from election night. Here [31:07] to tell us more is MSNOW chief data reporter Ali Velshi, who's at the big board, hardest working [31:12] man in the business. Ali, great to see you. Can you walk us through what we're seeing out of [31:18] South Carolina and the significance of this rating shift? Yeah, it is wild. Tell us about it. [31:22] It's a remarkable conversation. We made two shifts today. One of them was Mississippi, [31:25] which went from safe Republican to likely Republican. The other one was South Carolina, [31:28] which went from likely Republican to lean Republican. These are, now, again, [31:33] neither of those mean that that is likely to be a flip. It doesn't mean that. But you combine what I [31:39] just told you with what that poll you just showed, that the New York Times Sienna poll that shows them [31:43] both neck and neck at 48-48. You add that together and that tells you something. Here's the thing [31:48] about South Carolina. This is the poll you showed, 48-48 in the New York Times Sienna poll. But here's [31:54] the other thing to put into the mix. This is voter turnout, advanced early voter turnout in South [31:59] Carolina. In 2022 midterms, we like to compare midterm elections to other midterm elections. 561,000 [32:06] people came out to vote. 561 in the entire election cycle. As of now, so far, with five days left in [32:13] South Carolina, 753,000 people have come out to vote. Now, we don't know what the breakdown is [32:20] of these voters. But we do know, for instance, you and I talked about it in Louisiana, where there is, [32:25] you can tell what that breakdown is. It's all voters and then a subset of Democratic voters and then a [32:30] highly disproportionate subset of black voters. We've seen that in other places. So there's something, [32:35] if you're looking at the race in South Carolina and you're looking at Annie Andrews and Darlene [32:40] Graham, we know that Darlene Graham has had a lackluster performance since her being named to the [32:46] Senate to replace her brother, Lindsey Graham, and then in her debates. So it wouldn't seem like [32:51] that's driving turnout in the vote, which leads you to believe that it might be voting for Annie [32:57] Andrews. Again, this is postulation at this point. But I will say, and you're going to talk to her, [33:00] but Annie Andrews has just been hammering away at this for a long time, long before anyone thought [33:05] this race was in play at all under any circumstances, while Lindsey Graham was still [33:10] the candidate for this thing after he won his primary, which he got 57 percent of the vote in. [33:16] That was unusual. Remember, we talked about this. Unusual that a sitting senator who's actually [33:20] tight with Trump would have gotten 57 percent in his primary. That's usually, you know, usually [33:25] that senators like that clean up in their primary. So this has been, Annie Andrews has just been at it [33:29] the whole time. This is the second candidate she's now facing in this particular race. And the [33:34] numbers are bearing something out. Again, we don't know until Tuesday what that actually means, [33:38] but something's happening in South Carolina. The board you are going to be tracking just keeps [33:43] expanding, Ali Velshi. Thank you, as always. Thank you, as always. I'll bring you some snacks on [33:49] Tuesday, of course. But all of that is a perfect tee-up for what's coming up. Dr. Annie Andrews is the [33:55] Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in South Carolina. She's just trying to pull off what [33:59] would be the most stunning upset of this entire election cycle. She's been building over time, [34:03] I should say. She joins me next. Okay, here's the kind of thing a candidate says when they've got [34:14] absolutely nothing. I am a proud conservative Christian who will fight every single day for [34:25] your family. Democrat Annie Andrews, the most radical liberal candidate ever to run for office [34:38] in the history of South Carolina. Like they say out in the country, she's just plain old bat shit crazy. [34:49] That was, of course, one of the least qualified candidates for the United States Senate in [34:55] recent history. Republican Darlene Graham speaking today in South Carolina about the person she is tied [35:01] within the polls, who is a doctor. And here was her Democratic opponent's response. [35:07] Is it bad shit to want cheaper gas and groceries? Touche. No, Annie Andrews. No, it is not. I think [35:13] most people agree with you. Joining me now is Dr. Annie Andrews, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate [35:18] in South Carolina, who is running neck and neck with Darlene Graham in deep red South Carolina. [35:24] There is so much excitement about your race. I'm sure you're feeling it. It's five days until [35:29] election night. You're tied in this new poll with Darlene Graham. This certainly didn't come [35:35] overnight, I should note. I mean, you have been building. We've talked before. You've been building [35:39] over the course of time. But it's still pretty remarkable. For those out there who are watching, [35:45] who are skeptical and they're thinking this is South Carolina. There's no way. What's going on in [35:49] South Carolina right now? I mean, thanks for having me, Jen. The energy on the ground is incredible. [35:55] I was in Columbia just a couple hours ago. We had about 600 people show up at an outdoor rally. [36:01] And these are young families, excited people who are just so happy to have something to feel hopeful [36:07] about, to feel optimistic about. And the reality is, as you said, my opponent is historically weak. [36:13] She has nothing to offer South Carolinians. So people are responding to this people-powered movement [36:18] we've been building for 18 months now, a movement that's really focused on putting South Carolina first [36:23] and working to lower grocery prices and gas prices and fix our broken health care system. [36:28] And this coalition we've been building for this period of time is not just Democrats who are [36:32] daring to feel hopeful, but it's also for independents who are ready for change and Republicans [36:36] like my own dad who care more about South Carolina than the party politics in Washington, D.C. [36:43] I mentioned this New York Times-Siena poll, which has you tied, which is so exciting and I think [36:48] has people just wanting to know more about the race immediately. I can't imagine the calls or campaign. [36:53] Another interesting part of that New York Times-Siena poll is that only 80 percent of Republicans [37:00] said they were backing Graham, while 97 percent of Democrats said they support you. [37:05] I'd also note Graham's Republican primary challenger has refused to campaign with her. [37:09] A former Republican governor of South Carolina even endorsed you. [37:14] You obviously have to win Republicans in order to win in this state, but it seems to me like you're not [37:19] just winning over Democrats and independents, you're winning over Republicans, too. [37:24] Why do you think that is? [37:28] Because our message is really about returning the Senate seat to the people of South Carolina. [37:32] I think the difference between me and Darlene is Darlene thinks her job as a South Carolina [37:37] senator is to be a Washington ambassador to South Carolina. [37:40] She will be a rubber stamp. [37:42] You know, her campaign is being funded by data center companies and insurance companies [37:46] and pharmaceutical companies. [37:47] She was handpicked by her party bosses and people are so tired of the broken Washington [37:52] political machine. [37:53] They're tired of this hyper-partisan era of politics we've been in. [37:56] So I'm peeling off a lot of Republican support and I'm really proud to have the support [38:00] of former Republican governor David Beasley, as well as the more than 100 Republicans [38:05] who supported my campaign and Ralph Norman's son, Warren Norman, is my new friend and he's [38:10] fully on board Team Annie because he knows we need someone in the seat who will put South [38:14] Carolina first and will be held accountable to the voters and that's, you know, we've been [38:18] out hustling Darlene for a long time, but we need help down here. [38:22] I know people are really interested in this race right now, but I need folks' help to get [38:26] across the finish line. [38:27] If people want to help see me win on November 3rd, they can chip in at drannieandrews.com. [38:32] You're talking to a lot of people out there, as I mentioned, Democrats, independents, Republicans, [38:38] people from across the state. [38:39] I can't even imagine how tired you are right now, so I'm so grateful you're here with us. [38:43] You know, we've been talking a lot about the issues that are resonating nationally and [38:47] in certain races. [38:48] Corruption seems to be an issue that is coming up in a lot of states. [38:52] Are you hearing from voters about that? [38:54] And if so, kind of how does it come to you, that issue? [38:58] Yes, I definitely am. [39:00] And I'm also very tired, as you said. [39:01] I'm fueled mostly by coffee, protein bars, and giant Diet Cokes from gas stations right [39:06] now. [39:06] Fair. [39:06] I'm hearing a lot about corruption. [39:09] One of my biggest applause lines in these rally speeches I've been giving is when I talk [39:13] about, you know, ending partisan gerrymandering, banning members of Congress from trading stock, [39:18] passing term limits, and getting dark money out of politics once and for all by ending Citizens United. [39:23] And I think those anti-corruption pieces of my platform have a lot of broad bipartisan support [39:29] because whether you're a Republican or a Democrat or independent, you understand that [39:33] Washington isn't working for you anymore. [39:35] And we're sick and tired of these career politicians who use what should be a public [39:39] service position to fulfill some self-enrichment cycle. [39:43] And that's why my candidacy is appealing to people, I think, because, as you said, [39:46] I'm a mom and a pediatrician. [39:48] I'm about as normal as it comes. [39:50] I'm so connected to my community. [39:52] I never planned to run for office. [39:53] But I'm in this fight for my patients and their families and all the hard-working South [39:58] Carolinians all across the state. [39:59] One of the things that I don't know if I'm shocked about anymore, but Darlene Graham, [40:05] like, I don't even know what she stands for half the time. [40:08] She doesn't even seem to be able to defend her own brother's record, which is very odd to me. [40:13] I mean, there's briefing books. [40:14] He was in the Senate for decades. [40:16] And earlier this month, Donald Trump exempted Russia from sanctions outlined in a bill named [40:20] after Lindsey Graham. [40:21] Darlene Graham said she hasn't spoken to the president about that decision, even if it has amassed [40:26] bipartisan pushback. [40:28] I wonder what that tells you about where, I don't even know, where her loyalties lie, [40:34] like, what's going through her soul? [40:37] Yeah, I'm glad you brought that up, because I think this whole issue with Trump undermining [40:41] the Lindsey Graham Russia sanctions bill highlights how weak Darlene Graham is, because this is, [40:46] you know, a really important piece of legislation there was to her brother, [40:49] and she's not even willing to stand up to the president on this issue. [40:53] So if she's not willing to fight for this thing that she claimed was so important to her, [40:57] that we know was so important to her brother, [40:59] how could we ever expect to stand up and fight for South Carolina? [41:03] And people have been asking me a lot about the president coming to South Carolina two times [41:07] in eight days. [41:08] And I think it's amazing if the president wants to pay attention to the state of South Carolina. [41:11] He's welcome here anytime. [41:13] But I wish Darlene Graham would use her access to the president to actually ask him to do something [41:17] about our record high gas and diesel prices and grocery prices and closing rural hospitals [41:22] or finding a way out of this war with Iran. [41:24] But she's only using her access to the president to help her, you know, her campaign that needs [41:28] a lot of resuscitation right now. [41:30] And that's deeply disappointing to me and so many South Carolidians. [41:34] Dr. Annie Andrews, magical things. [41:36] I've done a lot of campaigns. [41:37] Magical things happen in the final stretch here. [41:40] Your race is such an interesting one to watch. [41:43] You've been working like hell for months now. [41:45] But thank you so much for taking the time as you're fueled by Diet Coke and coffee and [41:49] protein bars. [41:50] Appreciate it. [41:51] Thank you, Jen. [41:53] Okay, we'll be right back.