Meet the Press NOW — May 22

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making their frustrations with the White House and the fund clear. I still am supportive of a focused bill funds ICE and CBP, and that's it. Yeah. Why we do anything else is beyond me? You really think that the American people like the president suing himself,

basically, they're making a deal that benefits himself, with a broad immunity for not just IRS dealings but anything else, and along the way sitting at this fund, which without appropriated dollars, how does that appear to the American people, frankly, by self-dealing? Well, I'm going to go listen with an open mind,

but I'm just telling you I have some serious concerns. What are you going to get rid of it, Pat? What are my concerns? Yeah. An executive branch, being able to, at their will, send money to people without the proper judicial rule. Those are my concerns. The president today doubling down, posting on social media, quote,

I gave up a lot of money in allowing the just-announced anti-weaponization fund to go forward while claiming he is helping others who were so badly abused by an evil corrupt and weaponized Biden administration receive at long last justice, the words of the president. Republican anxiety over the fund comes amid intensifying voter backlash. against the president with his approval rating falling to new lows, according to recent polling. His handling of inflation and the cost of living both more than 50 points underwater. And right now, President Trump is looking to tout his economic agenda in a key swing district, speaking in Rockland County, New York, in Republican Congressman Mike Lawler's district.

NBC News, Chief White House correspondent Garrett Hake kicks things off for us today. Also with me is NBC News Chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles. NBC News senior national political reporter Sahel Kapoor in Suffra, New York, where the president just spoke. And NBC News Business and Economy reporter, Ali Canal. Thanks to all of you for starting us off. Garrett, let me start with you. And I want to begin with today's cabinet news. Was this departure of Tulsi Gabbard unexpected?

And what are the implications giving the war in Iran and all of these fresh tensions with Cuba? Yeah, I would say not entirely unexpected, although the immediate cause of it, her husband. husband's illness was news to me, and I think to most people who cover this administration. But the idea that Tulsi Gabbard, who was never fully embraced as a member of the president's inner circle, would be among the earlier cabinet secretaries to depart, isn't terribly shocking. And in hindsight, the Friday of a holiday weekend is as good of a time as any to do it. As to what effect it might have inside the administration, my initial read on this is not much. And I think that speaks to at least perhaps part of the reason why she's leaving.

She was not seen as a pivotal, you know, someone who was sort of a, her advice was pivotal to the president, critical to his decision making. She was not present, whether by, you know, intentionally or not, for a number of the big decision points around Iran and Venezuela. And, you know, her past as an outspoken critic of wars in the Middle East made her a less than ideal public defender of the president's ongoing, on again, off again, war with Iran. So I think this is a situation where the job was bigger on paper than her role in filling it was in this White House. And, you know, the president's sending her off nicely with the truth social today, in keeping with the way that he's handled many of these recent resignations or departures from his cabinet. Yeah, it'll be interesting to see who her ultimate replacement will be, Garrett. Let me turn to this broader theme that we've been reporting on this pressure that the president has been facing from, all sides, quite frankly. What are your sources telling you about how that's being felt inside

the administration? Is President Trump looking to change course at all? Because today he was pretty defiant when it came to that anti-weaponization fund. Yeah, and I have to answer it this way, which I don't love, because I think a lot of the sources that I was talking to within the administration, who were people who had either counseled against or understood the reasons why not to go after, like a Bill Cassidy or a John Cornyn so as not to antagonize them, are now people who I'm having a harder time getting on the phone. These decisions from the president were decisions that the president himself made, sometimes against the advice of the political team that has been with him, at least through this last election. And so he's now in a situation where

getting through this mess is going to have to be something that he muddles through on instinct and on the backs of his team, which now is sort of starting to spread out across the country, or at least sort of in the way that they think about it as they focus on the midterms. The president has broken this relationship to a certain extent, particularly with Senate Republicans, how he fixes it may fall to him personally. Yeah, well, it's a really interesting data point there, Garrett. Before I let you go, I do have to ask you about this. Donald Trump Jr., getting married this weekend.

The president says he will not attend. Why is that and could that give us any tea leaves into what might happen with Iran or Cuba, potentially? Well, look, well, we know what the president has said publicly, and that is really in the form of an answer to a question. from our colleague Gabe Gutierrez yesterday and in a truth social post this morning suggesting that, you know, that he's got big, big job to do, essentially, and that, you know, he needs to remain in Washington, D.C. during what he called an important period of time. Yesterday, he suggested that,

you know, the war with Iran is a factor. It's a tough one to parse, Kristen, because he's ordered plenty of strikes and made other big decisions from Mar-a-Lago, for example, perhaps he didn't want to be out of the country if there's something going on. Perhaps it was just something where the presidential retinue is too big of a footprint at what has been described as a relatively small wedding. We don't know the answer yet. I suspect by Monday we'll have a better view and hopefully he sends a gift. Donald Trump Jr. undoubtedly hoping that is well. All right. Garrett Hake, thanks for starting us off. Really appreciate it. Ryan, let me turn to you because you and I were on the air yesterday, really just moments after Republicans had broken for recess without voting on this

reconciliation bill, which would have included funding. not just for the ballroom, but also this so-called anti-weaponization fund, which so many Republicans have referred to as a slush fund. You said something really important. You said you thought it could potentially be a turning point, a sign that things were shifting on Capitol Hill. How are you viewing it today? Do you think this could last when they get back from recess?

If anything, I think that that meeting was even worse than what we thought yesterday in the moments after. You'll remember, Kristen, what I told you yesterday, was that nobody wanted to talk about it, uncharacteristically. So almost everyone saying, comment. Well, now some of these senators are either talking to us off the record or on background or some were just volunteering the information on their own. Ted Cruz on his own podcast described it as fireworks at an epic level. He said he's never been in a meeting that was as fiery as this

one. He says fiery didn't even cut it. He said that they were screaming at the acting attorney general over it. And Ted Cruz also said that if Democrats had put amendments up around this weaponization bill, if it had gone to a voterama in the reconciliation. that many as many as 26 Republicans were voted for it. So that gives you an indication of how many Republicans were willing to break with the president as a result of it. Among them, Mitch McConnell, who put out this statement afterwards, we don't really hear that much for Mitch McConnell anymore.

He said, so the nation's top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops, utterly stupid, morally wrong, take your pick. So, yeah, this very much appears to be a turning point. The question is, how much of a turn are we going to make and will it last? Well, and to your point, Mitch McConnell chooses his words very carefully. So those words carry an immense amount of weight. Ryan, what do you anticipate happening when lawmakers come back from recess? Are we still going to see these tensions around?

Well, this is the worst possible place for Donald Trump to be. As Garrett rightfully points out, this is his mess to clean up. And what he never does is ask for an apology or say that he made a mistake. stake or try and fix it. So he's going to have to find some sort of graceful exit ramp that is something that Senate Republicans are willing to go along with that at the same time doesn't make it look like he's giving something up. And his posture today seemed to be doubling down on this weaponization fund, claiming that it was necessary. It's to the point now where Senate Republicans are not going to budge on this. And I can't imagine even a seven-day recess

away from Washington is going to change that at all. So they're at a major impasse here. it's really the president's decision as to whether or not this is going to move forward. Because the thing to keep in mind, what's at issue right now is this DHS and CBP funding? Most of that has been taken care of in the big, beautiful bill. This is to extend the funding through the balance of the Trump administration. That's not an urgent need for Senate Republicans. It's an urgent need for Donald Trump. So if he wants to fix this, he needs to fix the weaponization fund first.

It's going to be fascinating to see how it plays out, not to mention what they hear from their constituents when they're back at home. We know Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. Democrat, Tom Suozzi, co-authoring a bill that would effectively ban any funds from going to this anti-weaponization fund. Do you see that going anywhere, Ryan? So this is the wild card, right? Because I'm sure that House Republican leadership has no interest in bringing a bill like this to the floor. But what we have seen is that the discharge petition, which was kind of a West Wing TV show fantasy procedural move that never really existed in Washington up until this year, has been a a pretty effective procedural step that Rankinfell members of Congress have used.

That's how the Epstein Files Transparency Act came to be. So is there the possibility that Brian Fitzpatrick, who's already a Republican, can get a couple more Republicans on board with a discharge petition, and there's real momentum behind this? I think that's something to watch for when they come back. All right. Well, we will indeed. Ryan Noble. Thank you so much.

Great to have you here. All right, Sahel, let me turn to you. You were at the event with Mike Lawler. You spoke with Congressman Mike Lawler a short time ago. What did he tell you? were his key takeaway so far from the president's visit. Yeah, that's right, Kristen. President Trump is still speaking right behind me, so bear with me if it's a little bit loud.

But yes, I did speak with Congressman Mike Lawler, who's facing quite a high-wire act, a difficult challenge to win re-election here in this very hotly competitive swing district. He will be dragged down by President Trump's declining approval ratings like every other Republican, but he recognizes that there's no path to victory without winning. over solid Trump voters without winning over MAGA voters like those in this room who are still very supportive of Trump. He needs to turn them out. I asked him what he makes for the president's support rallying here with him. Take a listen to what Congressman Mike Lawler said. I think, as I was just saying, having the President of the United States come to your district

is a wonderful opportunity for the community, no matter who the president. Just like when Joe Biden showed up three years ago, I was there. And when Donald Trump's coming, I don't here because that is the job. You are expected to engage on these issues and talk to the president and your colleagues in government. If you can't do that, if you can't engage constructively, then how do you expect to get anything done on behalf in your constituents? Now, on stage behind me when Mike Lawler spoke just a little bit ago, he joked that he got, he gets called Maga Mike by Democrats and he gets called a traitorous rhino by some Republicans trying to position himself as a Trump supporter who's occasionally willing to break with Trump.

The national environment, Kristen, a New York Times-Cienna poll found that Trump's approval rating nationally is 37%. But among Republicans, it's 82%. So he still needs to turn them out or there's no reelection path for him. Now, lastly, I'm here in Rockland County. This is the red part of the district that Mike Lawler won by double digits. It's the reason he's a congressman across the Hudson River from me is Westchester County, the blue part of the district that he lost by double digits. So that's the balance he's got to strike if he is to win re-election here. All right. Sahel, thank you so much for bringing us those statements from Mike Lawler and that great reporting.

We really appreciate it. Allie, let me turn to you now. Let's talk about the big news in the world of the economy today. President Trump swore in his new Fed chair, Kevin Warsh, and encouraged him to be independent. Take a look. I want Kevin to be totally independent. I want him to be independent and just do a. a great job. Don't look at me. Don't look at anybody. Just do your own thing and do a great job.

What was the reaction to the president's remarks, given his previous attacks, quite frankly, on Fed chair, Jerome Powell? Yeah, there's clearly a lot of tension there, considering President Trump's relationship to the Fed and Jerome Powell, like you said, over the fact that he did not cut interest rates fast enough, at least to the president's liking here. But the timing here is important because Kevin Warsh is entering a a very different economy than many expected even a few months ago. Inflation has re-accelerated due to a lot of these energy shocks tied to the Iran war. And even some Trump-appointed Fed officials are now saying that rate cuts might not come anytime soon. So this felt like Trump trying to thread the needle a little bit, publicly acknowledging the need for Fed independence,

which we know is important to the general public, while also distancing himself a little bit when it comes to any potential changes we could see down the line, whether it's interest rate hikes or interest rates staying higher for longer, which we know from an affordability standpoint, would be an issue for many Americans out there, Kristen. So let me ask you and follow up with you on that exact point because Fed Governor Christopher Waller, who President Trump did nominate to the Board of Governors during his first term, actually hinted at a rate hike in the near future. This is what he said, Allie. He said, quote, I can no longer rule out rate hikes further down the road if inflation does not abate soon. should people be bracing for a potential hike? Well, it's too soon to say whether rate hikes are coming in the imminent future. However, the fact that Christopher Waller even brought this up really sticks out to me

because inflation right now is hovering at 3.8%. Remember, the Fed's target is closer to 2%. So if we don't see the Strait of Hormuz re-open, if we don't see inflation come down over the next few months, there will be a real need to keep interest rates higher for longer or perhaps see some of those rate hikes. And we're starting to see those energy shocks ripple through the entire economy. You look at gas prices, for example, they're up over 50%. And of course, it's not just contained to gas prices.

Also, airline costs, fuel, fertilizer. Really across the board here, you're seeing a lot of these pricing pressures. And, Ali, before I let you go, we know consumer sentiment has actually fallen to a new low. That's according to a University of Michigan study. What exactly is fueling Americans concerned? and what does that new low mean, broadly speaking? It's all about that cost of living, particularly around gas prices. And what stood out to me is that lower income Americans and those without a college degree,

they're seeing sentiment levels plunge and they're more susceptible to higher gas prices and higher grocery prices. Another thing that stood out, inflation expectations are moving higher. That's important because if Americans think prices are going to keep going up and up, They're going to pull back spending. They're going to delay those big purchases, and they're going to feel more anxiety around their current financial situation. And that could eventually hit economic growth.

So just a lot of things for the consumers to look out for here. All right, All right, Allie Canal, thank you so much for all the great information. We really appreciate. I hope you have a really wonderful holiday weekend. Thank you for being here. Still ahead. Meet the candidate. We'll speak with the Democrat running in a key swing district in Nebraska, as her party

looks to flip the seat in its quest to retake. the house. But first, the latest on the impasse between the U.S. and Iran and where talks currently stand as the conflict approaches the three-month mark. Stay with us. You're watching Meet the Press now.

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Welcome back. There are new signs today that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to end the war may be making some progress. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO foreign minister meeting in Sweden, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said some progress on peace talks has been made while also trying to temper expectations. We await word on those conversations that are ongoing. There's been some slight progress. I don't want to exaggerate it, but there's been a little bit of movement and that's good. the fundamentals remain the same. Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. It just cannot. It comes after Iran's foreign minister said the U.S. and Iran continue to exchange messages through their Pakistani meteorators based on Tehran's 14-point peace proposal. The foreign

minister also saying Iran is ready to fight or negotiate depending on what is required. Joining me now is NBC News Senior National Security correspondent Courtney Kubi and NBC News international correspondent Raf Sanchez, who's in Doha for us. Courtney, let me be me start with you here at the table. I have to start with this news that the director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, is departing this very sad news. She says because her husband was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. Broadly speaking, though, what are the implications of her departure given the current status in Iran? And obviously, we keep our eyes on Cuba as well. Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest thing is the DNI is who produces the President's daily

intelligence briefing. So that right there is something that could potentially touch the president's world every single day here. And not just that. The PDB is something that ultimately the information from that can be disseminated out and there can be decisions that are made from it. So that's a real direct impact. Now, as far as what's happening with the potential for some kind of a conflict in Cuba, U.S. military action Cuba, whatever it is, it's the same issue. The information, the intelligence about what's happening in Cuba, turmoil on the ground among the civilian population, how the leadership is doing, how the civilians see them. All of that information would be aggregated and put together by the DNI provided to the White House.

So it could have a very direct daily impact on the president. The one caveat is, you know, reports have been that Tulsi Gabbard has been somewhat sidelined for months now. So that might be the caveat to how this might not have as big of an impact on the day to day. She just, her messaging has been so disparate on Iran as compared to the other administration officials as well. Court, let me ask you about what you and I have been tracking now for weeks. Is the president going to resume military action? You heard Secretary of State Marco Rubio there try to signal that some progress had been made,

but we know that he has not taken military action off the table. Where does that stand? Has any decision been made? So we don't believe there's been a decision. but everyone has to remember how quickly this can be, this can turn. Because even, you know, we talked about this even before the war started back in February, the possibility that the president could make a decision. The military would call it a go-no-go meeting where they would say yes, go.

And it's a matter of hours. The U.S. is in a better spot right now militarily than they were back in February, in that they now have two carrier strike groups. They're there in the region. They have a fresh carrier air wing that's there. They've been enforcing this blockade. They have more than 200 fighter aircraft that are, a float right now, plus everything they have ashore, they've restocked, they've rearmed. So

if President Trump were to make a decision, it could be a matter of hours before we could see something happened. But again, at this point, we don't have any indication that he's made that decision. Well, it's really important context. Court, you mentioned the blockade. Is the U.S. blockade actually working? What's the status right now in the Strait of Hormuz? The military says that it is. They continue to turn a handful of ships around every single day that are either going to or going to or coming from Iran. ports that they say are in violation of the blockade. But we also get these sort of anecdotal reports of other ships that are getting through because of Iran. So according to the U.S. military,

yes, the blockade is working. According to Iran, no, it's not working. They control the strait. The reality is traffic remains so far down from where it was before this war started, just a tiny fraction of where it was then. And the U.S. still has a military presence there that is stopping some ships from going through. So the strait is. far, the traffic there and the commerce that's going through there remains far down from where it should be. All right. Courtney Cudy, thank you so much for being here. Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Really appreciate it. Good to see you as always. Ralph, let me turn to you. You're obviously in the region there. What is the mood like there? Is the region bracing for the possibility that the U.S. could resume strikes? So, Kristen, I can tell you there is a feeling here in the Middle East that we are at a make or break moment. We've been in a ceasefire for now for six weeks.

The shooting is stopped, but the Stratopormuz remains closed. Oil prices are going up for major energy exporters like Qatar. They cannot get their oil out. They cannot get their gas out. And there is a feeling that this status quo is not sustainable, that either there's going to be a deal or there is going to be a resumption of fighting. And there is a lot of concern, especially here in the Gulf, about a return to fighting. It's bad enough. The strait is blocked that they can't get their exports out. They can't get their exports in. But these are countries that were hit very, very hard by the Iranians during those weeks of fighting.

A lot of concern about energy infrastructure being targeted, oil facilities, liquefied natural gas facilities. But, Kristen, especially desalination plants, which are those plants that turn salt water into drinking water. Qatar reliance on those for about 99% of its drinking water. And there is real, real concern that if the U.S. were to, to hit Iran again, start hitting Iranian power plants. The Iranians could retaliate by striking desalination plants here in the Gulf. Well, I have to ask you about what we heard from Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. He seemed to signal there had been some slight progress.

He said, I don't want to oversell it, but there has been some reason to think they're moving forward. Does that match what your sources are telling you in the region, Ralph? Yeah, so, Kristen, it's actually, it's nearly midnight here. but there is still shuttle diplomacy underway, as far as we can tell. There is a Pakistani team of mediators who are in Tehran right now, speaking to senior Iranian officials. That's not a surprise. They have been playing that role throughout this.

But what is interesting is there is now a team from here in Qatar, also in Tehran. The Qataris, of course, have played a major role in mediation efforts in the past, going back and forth between Israel and Hamas, trying to end the Gaza war, get the hostages out, they have largely stayed out of these negotiations between the United States and Iran until now, which may possibly be an indication that the Qataris feel that they are the ones who could potentially bridge the gap here, could try to get an agreement in place. What that agreement would look like remains very unclear. This has been kind of a zero-sum situation between Iran and the U.S. for a long time now. Just to give you one example on the

nuclear issue, the U.S. saying that Iran, would need to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The Iranians are saying we're not going to let it out of the country. It is just not clear how you reach a deal that accommodates both sides. One possibility, something the Iranians have talked about, Kristen, is that there could be some sort of narrow agreement that ends the war, reopens the Strait of Hormuz, and leaves the nuclear issue for another day. Kristen.

All right. Well, we will continue to track it closely as I know you are. Raf Sanchez, please stay safe. Thank you for being with us. We appreciate it. Coming up next, under pressure. The White House faces new resistance from Republicans as the party braces for a potentially rough November at the ballot box.

The panel's next. You're watching Meet the Press now. Honey, did you invite the minions over? Well, you know how we talked about getting Wi-Fi from Xfinity? Yeah. I ordered it this morning. It was online in minutes. Then they showed up.

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Let's just take a step back. It's more context and clarity from the reporters you trust. Download the NBC News app now and subscribe for more. How does a banana trigger a CIA-backed coup? Do AirPods herald the arrival of a new global order? What do LED lights say about the future of humanity? I'm Ed Conway, and in each episode, of my new podcast, Stuff Matters, I take an object, crack it open and reveal the world-shaping

forces hidden inside. This is economics told through the things we think we understand. Search Stuff Matters on your podcast app to listen and follow. Welcome back on this busy Friday before Memorial Day here in Washington. Joining me now is our panel, NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Melanie Zanona, Amisha Cross, Democratic strategist, and former Obama-Kamma. campaign advisor and Republican strategist and former communications director to Senator Cory Gardner and Elise Keller. Thank you so much to all of you for being here. Mel, I have to start with you. Let's start with what is really kind of a remarkable moment on Capitol Hill. We saw Republicans push back

against President Trump in a firmer way than we have in the past, refusing to vote on a measure that would have funded this fund to anti-weaponization fund, as he calls it, to help allies who feel as though they were mistreated under the Biden administration. That's how he's describing it. Talk about this moment of public pushback. Do you think it's a turning point or do you think they're going to get back from recess and go back to falling in line? That remains to be seen, but it is fascinating to watch. And I think there are a few reasons that are really fueling this dynamic, this newfound rebellion on Capitol Hill. First of all, some of the stuff is just really beyond the pale for Republicans. There's also a lot of resentment right now that Donald Trump

moved to end Bill Cassidy's career, trying to end John Cornyn's career. I was in the Senate the day after the endorsement of Ken Paxton and just Republicans were furious. But, Kristen, I think the biggest reason is that we are now moving from primary season to general election season. During primary season, there was this constant threat hanging over Republicans about potentially drawing a Trump back to Challenger. Now they're looking to November and they're being asked to do things, defend things that are just really, really unpopular. So I think at the end of the day, it's political survival. How do you see it, Annalisa?

Just what Mel is talking about, the reaction, the gut reaction to the fact that President Trump endorsed Ken Paxton, despite the fact that Republicans on Capitol Hill in the Senate were begging him to do exactly the opposite. I think Mel's spot on. I mean, majority leader soon. This is a real low point, in my view,

for Senate Republicans right now, in terms of how they're engaged. engaging with the administration. I really saw President Trump's endorsement of Ken Paxton as a direct rebuke on Majority Leader John Thune's decision not to rebuke the parliamentarian first for the ballroom funding. And then secondarily for not moving forward with getting rid of the filibuster, for example. I mean, this is really coming to a head, I think, in a way that we haven't seen. So I'm really curious to see if cooler heads prevail when they come back or if this continues

to ramp up. How are Democrats watching all of this unfold? And is it a moment where Democrats feel like they can capitalize on it? Obviously, in Texas, it has given Democrats new momentum. Yeah, I think Democrats are enjoying the cluster that happens to be Senate Republicans right now and the fact that, you know, Donald Trump's approval ratings are in the tank that, you know, we're out of primary season. General election season is an entirely different electorate. It's a lot more diverse from various different backgrounds. And this is a president who, not only only continues to refuse to acknowledge that the affordability crisis is real. This is also a president who's doing everything to showcase where he wants to put taxpayer

dollars in ways that the American public doesn't want to see, whether it's the war in Iran, whether it is the ballroom, you name it, the slush fund that he recently created. All of these things are things that Americans don't want to see. And I think that for Texas in general, which has always been seen as kind of fool's goal for the Democratic Party, right now it seems that it could be extremely competitive, especially looking at the fact that John Cornyn's not going to be the guy. Do you think, Annalise, Texas is going to be competitive if Ken Paxton wins, by the way. Some folks in Texas are saying, hey, wait a minute.

Let's let this runoff play out. Maybe Corning can close strong. He is a closer. But if Ken Paxton wins, do you think Texas is in play? I mean, the polling right now suggests that Ken Paxton and John Thune perform very similarly. And that's one of the reasons that President Trump has said it doesn't matter who runs against Tolarigo. And he hasn't really been feeling super strongly of buying this art.

that a lot of folks in D.C. are making that John Cornyn is that candidate who can is the only one who can win in Texas. Now, I think there will be down-ballot challenges that can back. Paxson will have that John Cornyn wouldn't. But the polling right now suggests that they both have about the same opportunity to win. All right. Let's talk about the big headline for Democrats this week, Mel, and I'll let you set the stage. This after-action report, the autopsy report that was released this week continues to make waves for a number of reasons, in part because it was incomplete and in part because it was riddled with errors. Now, Ken Martin, the chairman of the DNC, said, look, that's exactly why he didn't want to release it. In the first place, he's

urging Democrats to, as he has said, move forward with him. But this is the reaction from some lawmakers. Seth Moulton saying of Ken Martin, he should resign. Mark Pocan saying, having what we have right now is not doing it. Mark, Mark, VC of Texas told Semaphore, quote, I believe it's time for him to move on, Mel. Do you think that this pressure campaign is going to work against Ken Martin? Or do you think he's going to be able to stick it out? I mean, we'll see. Part of the reason why he ultimately decided to release this report was because he was facing that

pressure to do so, trying to save his job. We also reported at NBC News that there was a call with Governor Josh Shapiro last week, where he expressed his disappointment that the report hadn't been released yet. But look, in talking to Democrats on Capitol Hill, not only are they unhappy with how little the report addresses, but they're also really disappointed with how late it came. And they say, it's too late. We're already thinking about November. We could have used this six months ago, a year ago. A lot of these campaigns have already moved on and are already making plans currently. So if there was anything to be gleaned from this report, it may have been too late. Amisha, how are Democrats viewing this moment? Does this feel like a crisis inside the Democratic Party?

and does it feel like a moment where Ken Martin's going to have to step down? Democrats want to move on with the assumption that, you know, initially this report was something that a lot of Democrats did want to see the first, you know, four or five months out of the 2024 election when it was actually created. But now to hear that it was a draft and that, you know, then they saw it. They thought that it was horrible then. So they kind of wanted to keep it on the back burner. I think that Kim Martin made a bad decision.

It was initially we're going to release it. Then it was we're not going to release it. Then it was the worst rollout I've ever seen of basically denying everything that was Senate and saying how crappy it was, but still dropping it anyway. Democrats want to move on because right now it looks like a lot of weird infighting. The DNC is having a fundraising issue. They were having that issue long before this got released and they'll probably have it a few years afterwards, unfortunately, for them.

But the bigger issue right now is where Americans are. Democratic voters do not care about this report. Democratic voters honestly don't care about the 2024 election. When more and more people are losing voting rights or losing access to people who represent them who look like them in their districts, we're seeing these, you know, redistricting maps all over the place. When we're watching time and time again, Americans say that they can't afford rent, that they can't afford food, that they can't afford child care, that they can't afford health care. That's where they are. And because Donald Trump's approval ratings are in the tank,

we'd be better served by focusing on the American public than on this report that looks like really bad Chad GPT that was commissioned by the DNC, but clearly they got the wrong consultant didn't actually interview anyone of substance in the Democratic Party or in either the Biden or the Harris campaigns. And Elise, how were Republicans responding? to this moment. Are there any lessons here for Republicans, either in terms of what is in the report or what's not in the report, maybe more aptly? I think Republicans are similarly enjoying the way that, you know, Democrats are struggling with how to move past this. But I think you're right. You know, Republicans are looking at this

and saying, if Democrats want to move past this, they actually have to have a plan to reach voters. And there wasn't a whole lot of how do we turn the page on reaching these, you know, working class voters and how do we, you know, navigate some of these challenges like crime, immigration, things like that that a lot of Americans voted for Donald Trump for that really weren't litigated. Amisha, before we go, there's an interesting little data point in there, which says that Kamala Harris probably did better for down-ballot races than Joe Biden would have. Does that give her, do you think when she looks at this momentum to say, hey, maybe I should run again? How's that playing? I think that may be the only bright spot for her in that

entire report. But we also saw the down-ballot races for Democrats have been consequentially successful since that election debacle. So I don't necessarily think that that is a go button for her. I think Kamala Harris is going to run regardless. She's just going to have a much more competitive go round. All right, guys. Great Friday conversation. I'm wishing you all a wonderful and relaxing holiday weekend. Thank you so much for being here on this very busy Friday. Coming up after the break, the major change coming to the U.S. immigration system that could force half a million immigrants living in the U.S. to return to their home countries

will explain. You're watching meet the press now. Welcome back. Turning now to a major policy shift today from the Department of Homeland Security regarding green card applicants. In a new memo, DHS says immigrants seeking permanent residency

or a green card will be required to return to their home country in order to apply. The agency says the memo reiterates longstanding immigration law and immigration court decisions. An estimated 1 million people apply for green card status every year. Roughly half of them apply from within the United States. Joining me now is NBC News, senior Homeland Security correspondent Julia Ainsley, Julia, thanks for being here. So what's the latest on this announcement? Well, it's set off a firestorm throughout the immigration and legal community because this is going to affect at least half a million people a year who were in the country.

and are applying for a green card. These are people who legally enter the United States, and they're adjusting their status so they can take one more step towards citizenship. They might be getting married. They might be coming off a work authorization, and they want to make their status more secure here in the United States, often while they're still working. But now they're going to have to go back to their home countries unless it's under an extraordinary circumstance, maybe if their country isn't safe enough to go to. But there are also over 30 countries that are on a list that Trump won't allow people to come into the United States from. So if they're from those countries,

countries or others where it's hard to get in, they could find themselves leaving the country and then having a hard time getting back. So we will probably see some kind of challenge, if not legally, then certainly rhetorically on this. Yeah, it would be a significant shift. Julia, let me ask you about your exclusive reporting on a rise in suicides inside ICE detention facilities. Yeah, this is shocking. You know, we have known that the rate of deaths inside ice detention facilities was climbing for some time, but we hadn't quite quantified to see if it was just because they had more people inside. Now we're also learning about suicides.

And a lot of this came from listening to over 1,000 911 calls that our producers here were able to obtain and go through those. Take a listen to what we learned. The call came from an ICE detention center just south of San Antonio, Texas, four days before Christmas.

Two months earlier, this call from the same facility. We need an ambulance over here. We have a 28-year-old that tried to hang himself. And another late last year. Yes, ma'am. I'm calling to South Texas Vice President President Center in regards to a 20-year-old with a neck operation.

He said neck? Yes. Okay. It's bleeding pretty bad, do you know? It's self-harm. We've been on this all day. These, just a few of more than 1,000 911 calls from six ICE immigration centers across the country over the past year obtained by NBC News through open records request.

28 of those calls involved serious incidents of self-harm. One man swallowed a razor blade, another drank cleaning chemicals. At least three cut their wrist. Self-harm and suicide in ICE detention appear to be on the rise. Five presumed suicides so far this year. The highest in at least two decades, according to ICE data, and it's only May. There were only two reported suicides over four years of President Biden's term. Experts say it's all part of a larger rise in deaths at ICE detention facilities.

We saw the highest mortality rates in two decades. A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association by Dr. Sanjay Basu looks at how the death rate is increasing. Is it just a matter of there are more people in detention, so therefore you're going to have more deaths? or is there something different going on here? There's something different going on here because it's not just the overall number of deaths, but also the rate of deaths per person or per number of people. And he says suicides have spiked.

Suicides are the tip of the iceberg and usually indicates that there are much greater mental health issues going on. Immigration attorneys say a new policy causes extra distress. ICE data shows they're being held longer under this administration, and detainees don't get much information about whether they'll be released or deported. ICE pushing back. Outgoing director Todd Lyons responded to questions

about the rise and deaths in a congressional hearing last month. It is the highest because we do have the highest amount in detention that ICE has ever had since its inception in 2003. And in a statement, a DHS spokesperson telling NBC News, consistent with data over the last decade, death rates in custody under the Trump administration are 0.009% of the detained population.

As bed space has rapidly expanded, we have maintained a higher standard of care than most prisons that hold U.S. citizens, including providing access to proper medical care. DHS said they could not respond to the 911 calls without knowing the names of each individual, which were redacted from the calls we obtained. ICE told us that there's no spike in deaths, at least from a rate perspective. What would you say to that? We need to check our ability to multiply and divide. Okay. So it's pretty obvious to you.

A slow a razor? Yeah. Okay. I'll go ahead and I'll send you a message. Whatever.

As experts say emergencies like these are preventable, the government says they're tragic and rare, and the problem isn't new. So, Julia, have you spoken to ICE about, this spike in suicides at ICE detention facilities? What's being done about it? Well, you know, on the record, they said that there's no rate increase in deaths. Of course, the Journal of American Medicine does contradict that. But when I spoke to my sources at ICE, they said they are aware that there's been an increase in deaths and incidents of self-harm and that they have protocols in place to try to prevent this, but nothing nationally has gone out

in light of this new data. Now, I will say, though, there is some good news and that DHS Inspector General has been given $20 million in order to increase their unannounced inspections so that they can be sure people are giving proper access to medical care and that they're following the proper procedures when it comes to preventing self-harm. Well, it's just an extraordinary report, Julia. Let me shift gears here a little bit because apparently there's also a development with the case of Kilmar-Abrego-Garcia. What can you tell me about that? Yeah, big news today. As you know, when Kilmar-Abrigo-Garcia was brought back from that prison in El Salvador, they were doing so because the Justice Department said, that he would be tried for criminal charges in Tennessee based on a traffic stop that happened in 2019. Now the judge in that case has dismissed those charges and said that the government was acting in a punitive way, retaliatory way against him, that they would have never brought that case if he hadn't become the subject of that media blitz when he was sent to El Salvador. So she's dismissed the case.

And now the next thing to watch is will the government now move even more quickly to try to deport him to a third country, like an African country as they've been trying to do in a Maryland suit that will be on. going. All right. Well, I know you'll continue to track it. Thanks for all of your great reporting. Really appreciate it, Julia. And if someone you or you know or you someone you know needs help, you can call or text the suicide and crisis lifeline at 988 or go to 988 lifeline.org. Coming up next, it's the latest in our Meet the Candidates series. We'll talk to Denise Jerome Powell, the Democratic candidate in one of the most hotly contested house races this cycle. You're watching Meet the Press now.

Welcome back with less than six months to go to the midterms today. We've got a new installment in our Meet the Candidates series. We want to zoom into what will be one of the most closely watched races this November. It's in Nebraska's second congressional district, and it could be key to deciding which party controls the House next year. The district, which has become known as Nebraska's blue dot, voted for both Kamala Harris and Joe Biden for president, but is represented in Congress by a Republican retiring Congressman Don Bacon. It's one of only three districts in the country where a Republican won re-election in 2024 while also going for Harris, and Democrats are eyeing it as one of their top pickup opportunities. Political organizer and business owner, Denise Jerome Powell, won a crowded Democratic primary earlier this month. narrowly beating out state Senator John Brett Kavanaugh, who was backed by the Congressional

Progressive Caucus. And joining me now is Denise Jerome Powell, the Democratic candidate in Nebraska, too. Thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate it. Oh, I'm so excited to be here. Thanks for having me. Well, we are excited to have you here, and I want to talk to you about how you view this path to victory in November.

You have said your focus on affordability and, quote, pissed off mom ads, helped you win the Democratic primary. What is your strategy for winning in November? You know, we have such an incredible opportunity here in Nebraska, too. This is a district that we know can be won. It is now a lean Democrat seat. Don Bacon is retiring. It's an open seat. And the key to a district like ours is that we don't win with just Democrats. We need all of our Democrats, but we need all of our independence. We need those Republicans who are not happy with what is happening right now. And I hear that. from them every day, hearing from people all across this district, whether it's veterans or families

or farmers or seniors who are really struggling. And they don't see any help coming down from D.C. They don't think politicians are showing up for them in this moment. And that's why I'm excited to be in this race. I tell people I'm not a politician. I am a fired up mom. I hear it every day. And I want to serve this community. I love Nebraska. We have such a great opportunity to do big things in this state this cycle, and I think this is our year. Well, I want to follow up with you on something that you said, because the district has been represented by Don Bacon. He's, of course, shown a real willingness at times to disagree with or break with President Trump. How do you win over his voters in order to flip this seat if you think that's what's necessary? Yeah, people in this

district appreciate common sense. I mean, Nebraska's are pragmatic people. And I think that's one of the things that Congressman Bacon got right. He, we don't agree on many things, but he was willing to push back on Trump when he needed to be pushed back on. And I hear from House Democrats that he was somebody who often was willing to come to the table and meet. And that's the same kind of approach that I want to take. Not just as I'm out campaigning and talking to people, you know, of all stars and stripes about what matters to them. But that's how I want to show up in D.C. This state and this district in particular are really diverse. We have the most urban population in the state here.

We have rural communities. We have suburban communities. And it takes being really intentional and making sure that we're singing from the same song sheet here. Nebraska's need us to address this affordability crisis. They need us to address this health care crisis. They need to know that someone in D.C. is showing up for them and not playing political party games. Let me ask you, broadly speaking about the

number one issue for voters, which is the economy, as you've been referencing, polling suggests the president and Republicans are losing ground with voters on the economy. But if you take a look at this poll, you can see that Democrats aren't doing much better. What do you think Democrats need to do to convince voters that they have the better plan on the economy? I think we need to get some wins on the board. And I think this is absolutely right. I mean, I've spent the last 10 years, you know, going all over the state and knocking on doors, thousands and thousands of doors all over.

And I've been talking to people for a long time who've been struggling. And again, they don't necessarily believe that the government is doing anything to make their lives easier. So I think there really has to be a focus on serving the community right now. We know that some of these issues like solving this healthcare crisis, they're going to take time. time and a lot of bipartisan support and a willingness to understand that the system hasn't always worked for everybody. But we need to serve people in the immediate because right now I'm talking to families who don't know that they're going to make it to the end of the month. I'm talking to farmers who don't know if they're going to make it to the end of the season. Veterans who

don't have a place to go right now for health care, seniors who are bagging groceries to pay for their prescription drugs, and they don't have time to wait. So I think we really need to put our money where our mouth is. We need to win these seats and then we need to get in there and we need to start making some good change for people really quickly. And you have said that you would be the first Latina to serve in the federal delegation in Nebraska. We saw Latino voters shift toward President Trump in the last election. Do you think that Democrats across the country are doing enough to win back Latino voters?

And what is your message there about that? Yeah, I can speak to Nebraska. I think that we're doing a lot here in Nebraska. I'm also really proud to be endorsed by the congressional. Caucus and Bolt Pack, the Latino Victory Fund. These are organizations that are investing a lot of time and resources in getting Latinos to come out to vote. I'm endorsed by the Nebraska Latino Caucus, and boy, those guys are working so, so hard to make sure that everybody in our community knows how critical this election is. You just talked in your earlier segment about immigration, and I think

that's an issue that's really important to a lot of our families here, and one that's really going to be driving people to the polls come November. You know, you won your primary over a more progressive candidate who was backed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. And I wonder if you think a more moderate message is going to be the key to winning back the House and the Senate in 2026 and the White House in 2028 for Democrats. You know, I don't know if it's a more moderate message or just this idea that, you know, some of the ideas that we have that some might label progressive are really just common sense ideas. I mean, the idea that you should be able to go see a doctor when you're sick and that shouldn't put you into bankruptcy is not a crazy idea.

And I think most people will agree with that. I think the idea that you should be able to afford your groceries that if you're working a full-time job, you should be able to make ends meet. These are not wild ideas. And I think the key is just listening, listening to folks and showing them that we are invested in the right things, the things that really, really matter. All right. Denise Jerome Powell, thank you so much for being here. Best of luck to you. We will be back Monday with more Meet the Press now. And if it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press on your local NBC news stations. I'll be joined exclusively by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna and the founder of Girls Who Code, Rushma, Sujani. Don't miss it. There's more ahead on NBC News Now. I'm Craig Melvin. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. I've always been a glass, half-vote kind of guy. And now I'm talking to some people who look at the world.

that way too. Some really fascinating folks who shared their defining moments, their triumphs, their challenges. Their stories are funny and quite candid. So I hope you'll join me each week, and who knows, you might just come away with your own glass at full. Search Glass Halfold with Craig Nelson from today on YouTube and wherever you get your podcast.