Meet the Press NOW — November 4

Hey everyone, it's me, Morgan Stewart, and I have a new podcast called The Morgan Stewart Show. Join me each week as I talk about pop culture, fashion, my personal life, and just a warning, I'm going to be giving my opinion on everything. I'll also have some really fun guests to join in on the fun. The Morgan Stewart Show is out now. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcast or watch full video on YouTube. I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule, and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard-Hytrullo pre-filled syringe, which contains F-Gartigamodalpha and highloronidase QVC. It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space on my time. It's my treatment, my way. Visit Vivgard Myway.com. That's V-Y-V-V-G-A-R-T-My-Way.com and talk to your doctor about Vivgard-Hitrullo. Brought to you by Argenics.

Welcome to a special election day, special of Meet the Press Now. Voters nationwide are casting their ballots. It's the first major election day since President Trump's return to the White House with the government shutdown about to become the longest in American history. So the big question, with the first polls closing in just a few hours, what message are voters about to send and what will it mean heading into next year's midterms? In New York City, we are going to get results tonight at a mayor's race that has already echoed through the American political system thanks to the rise of 34-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani. In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill seeking to head off a fierce challenge from Republican Jack Ciattarelli in a major test of whether Republicans can solidify President Trump's gains from last November in a typically blue state. In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger is looking to flip Virginia's governor's mansion facing off against Republican Winsome Earle-Sears. The candidates making their closing arguments in the closing hours of the campaign. Time now for a new day in our politics. And it is an honor and a privilege to be a part of a movement that has fought every single day to bring that day forward. I'm feeling very good. I feel the momentum is on our side. If you watch the polls, they've all been moving to us. I've been on the street. I feel it from people. We're out fundraising my opponent. We're out energizing my opponent. And today I picked up the 15th endorsement from another prominent Democrat.

And when Democrats are endorsing the Republican nominee, it tells you how badly people want change all across this state. I've told people in my state, look, if it's keeping you up at night as your governor, it's going to keep me up at night. Congress will, you have to make a prediction. How's it going to turn out? I think I'm going to do quite well today. President Trump, meanwhile, ramping up his involvement in these races, holding teller rallies late yesterday for Republicans in Virginia and urging New Jersey voters to cast their ballots for Jack Ciattarelli. Jack Ciattarelli is a businessman and a public servant who has devoted his life to the people of New Jersey. He really has to. He loves the state. The president also weighing in on New York City's mayor will race. endorsing former Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo, rather than backing the Republican in the race, arguing New Yorkers have to do whatever they can to stop Zohran Mamdani. The president also baselessly showing doubt about the integrity of the vote in California where a measure to proceed with redistricting is on the ballot. The president claiming that all mail-in ballots are under, quote, legal and criminal review. We have reporters on the ground talking with voters in key locations and all the key races. Steve Kornacki is at the big board here at 30 Rock. Julie Serkin in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Gary Grumbach in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Valerie Castro is in New York City. But Steve, I have to start with you. Let's talk about the big gubernatorial race in Virginia. Historically speaking, the party that is out. of power has typically flipped that governor's seat 11 out of the past 12 races. Right now, Abigail Spanberger does have a lead. What are you watching for? What are the key counties you'll be looking at tonight? Yeah, Christian. Well, it'll be the first results we get. You could see right here, polls close in Virginia. First of all these venues we're talking about. So, yes, it would be a massive upset if Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican won this race. It would be a very big surprise if this ends up being suspenseful and goes deep into the night. But a couple places that I'm going to be looking at here. First of all, you always talk about northern Virginia here. This is where population dense, large giant counties here, a lot of suburbs, ex-served, bedroom communities of Washington, D.C. One that I want to key in on right here is Stafford. Oh, that is a dot, not a click. Here we go. This is Stafford County. And let me show you why I'm keying in this. You're sort of the fringes here of the D.C. metro area. Last year, Kamala Harris, beat Donald Trump here, close, but she beat him by a point. Here's what happened when Glenn Youngkin, the current Republican governor ran in 2021. He won it by double digits. So this is the kind of county. These are the types of voters. Again, you're kind of into suburbs, excerpts here, professional class. a lot of commuters. You're talking about the types of voters who were willing to back Glenn Youngkin in 21 who do not like Donald Trump.

with black voters in the Bronx in particular, see what turnout is there as well. Jewish voters. He thinks he could do very well with Jewish voters. And the other group he needs, and this gets to what you just said about Donald Trump. He needs Republicans. There are some Republicans in New York, and a lot of them are backing Curtis Sliwa. If Andrew Cuomo's going to have any chance, he needs consolidation. He needs those Republicans to show up at the polls today. Look at Curtis Sliwa's name. Look at Andrew Cuomo's. Hold their nose and check off Andrew Cuomo's name. All right. Steve Kornacki, you and I are going to be together all night long, and we are really looking forward to it because there's so much to watch. Thank you so much for that fantastic breakdown. Let's head out to the field. Now, Julie, who is live for us in Bridgewater, New Jersey. So, Julie, I know you've been talking to voters on the ground there. What are they telling you in these final hours of the campaign? Well, those two counties that C pointed out are the exact counties that I spend most of my time. And I'll start with Passaic County yesterday. We were talking to Latino voters that Jack Ciattarelli spent much of his campaign focused on. A number of them voted for President Trump in November. Some of them soured on their support because of immigration, those deportations, ice rates, but are still considering voting for Jack Ciattarelli today. And again, he's going to need especially that in-person turnout because when I checked in with Cheryl's team, they were feeling pretty confident about the margin. that she had in vote by mail and early voting. Now let's head to Somerset County where I am right now. This is definitely an area that Jack Chirley is hoping to thank his supporters in tonight when he hold his election party literally up the street from here. And every single voter that I've talked to, one voted for Cheryl, the other for Jack Ciattarelli, and so on. This is really a mixed bag for him here. And he's hoping again that he can continue that momentum that he built in 2021. Take it into this election day this time around. Take a listen to what one of the voters we spoke to, said were her top issues. She voted for Jack Ciattarelli. And I'll give you a hint. It's affordability. Watch this. And how do you feel about New Jersey kind of leaning more to the right? I pray it happens because so far all the years of being on the left have not done me any good at all. I'm a small business owner and it has, I've really been struggling through this because I see all my clients and they're struggling, so it's hard for me to raise my prices. It's like a big catch-22 circle and we're just chasing our tails and not getting anywhere. Yeah, and voters like Heather, look, small business owners, property taxes. That's a really important issue in the state. Electricity prices, affordability. That's what both campaigns have been focused on. We'll see which one has the winning message, Kristen. All right. Well, great interview there. Great analysis. Julie Serkin, thank you so much for that. Let's head to Gary Grumbach, who's live for us in Virginia, Virginia Beach. This has become a hotbed of focus for both of the gubernatorial campaigns. You've got a lot of military families, a lot of wealthier families who have settled there. What are you hearing from the folks there today, Gary?

Voters we've talked to today here, Kristen, are frustrated. The government shutdown now on day 35 is really impacting this community in the Hampton Roads area. 60,000 federal workers live in this area. Thousands of members of the military live in this area. Voters we talked to today said they called it stupid, the government shutdown. Say they want President Trump to do something, to do anything to get this shutdown done. And they would like some, some of them say they would like some change in the state of Virginia in order to help make that happen. Here is what some of the folks we talked to today had to say. What do you make as a government shutdown? It's impacting so many people here in Virginia Beach and around the state. It's stupid. I need to fix it. So I voted to fix it. It shouldn't be shut down. I think the president should take charge and... make the changes that need to be made in order to put the government back to work. Well, I think there's a lot of government in fighting, and the government doesn't tell the truth, and there is a lot of lying going on. Now, there will be history made no matter what tonight. The first woman will be elected, governor of Virginia. Kristen? An important point there, Gary. I have to ask you about this race for the Attorney General. It's been in focus ever since Democrat Jay Jones was embroiled in that controversy over past. text messages he sent making violent comments about one of his political rivals. Jason Miara is the incumbent saying that he should drop out of the race. He has not, but it certainly has put Democrats in a tough spot. What are you watching for there, Gary? It has, and the response from voters to that issue today has been fascinating. Some of them look at me with a blank stare because they have no idea what I'm talking about, even though TV ads are blanketing the state talking about this very issue, or they're very kind of plain coy, kind of cagey, not going to tell me exactly what they did. It had the returning general line, whether they voted for Miaris or Jay Jones. But if you look at this as a larger issue, Democratic Party writ large has been all about bringing down the temperature when it comes to political rhetoric. If the state of Virginia, if Virginia Democrats, do elect somebody who said these kinds of things about a political opponent. It does make you a question where exactly this looks like when we go into 2026, when we go into 2028, where that line actually ends up being. This is going to be a very big night for Democrats. It certainly will be. We'll be watching closely. Gary Grumbach, thank you so much. Valerie, let me turn to you in New York City. This is coming down to the wire. I just heard from Andrew Cuomo, who is saying that he does think the Trump endorsement may help cut Curtis Sliwa's lead with some Republicans. What are you hearing? What is the state of play in the wake of President Trump endorsing Andrew Cuomo in this race where Zohran Mamdani has a double-digit lead?

Right, and Kristen, that endorsement from the president also saying in part that whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. Voters we spoke to here today say that despite that endorsement, it really didn't change their minds as to who they were going to vote for today. In fact, some of them say it further cemented who their choice was going to be. Those voting for Zohran Mamdani say they are ready for a change. They like his focus on affordability here in the city, including his focus on making housing more affordable and child care more affordable, say they're voting for Andrew Cuomo. They believe he is the candidate that can stand up to President Trump and they say he has the experience to actually make change happen here in the city. Take a listen to what they had to say. I think that in a city that overwhelmingly voted against Mr. Trump, Mr. Mann, he must have been applauding that one. I understand that Mr. Trump is a New Yorker. He has interest here. He has property here. I think a lot of people would have preferred that he keep his mouth shut, but he didn't. That's Donald Trump. Were you a fan of Andrew Cuomo's in the past when he was governor? Yes, but that's also when I was younger. I think my parents also were a big fan of him, too. But I think with Trump being president, there's been a lot of political shift and divide, and it's made us kind of realize we can't support someone who's been backed by a billionaire. And President Trump endorsed Andrew Cuomo last night, so that solidified your... That solidified my vote, even more.

And Kristen, we should say voter turnout is expected to shatter records here in the city. Early voter turnout already beating records for a non-presidential election year. More than 700,000 people turned out to the polls before election day today. And as of 3 o'clock this afternoon, 1.4 million people had voted. Kristen. A lot of enthusiasm there. Valerie Castro, great interviews, really insightful. We appreciate your work. We'll be checking in with you throughout the night. And we are just getting started on this election day. Tune in tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern right here on NBC News Now for special election night coverage. As the results start coming in, we will have live analysis, breaking news, interviews, and more. You do not want to miss it. Coming up, remembering Dick Cheney, the life and legacy of one of the most influential figures in Republican politics and American politics. Cheney joined Meet the Press in the midst of the Florida recount back in 2000 as it was becoming clear that he and George W. Bush were heading to the White House after an historically divisive election. Take a listen. We are united as a people. We are the most powerful nation on earth. We've got phenomenal success for the last 200 years, and we can build on that and move forward. But it's going to be hard, difficult to do. But I think the notion that somehow it's doomed to difficulty or that the next administration is bound to be only a one-term administration, I don't think that's a valid judgment. I don't think anybody can make that forecast. Hey, weirdos, I'm Elena. And I'm Ash, and we are the host of Morbid Podcast. Each week we dive into the dark and fascinating world of true crime, spooky history, and the unexplained. From infamous killers and unsolved mysteries to haunted places and strange legends, we cover it all with research, empathy, humor, and a few creative expletives. It's smart, it's spooky, and it's just the right amount of weird. Two new episodes drop every week, and there's even a bonus once a month. Find us wherever you listen to podcasts. Yay! Woo! Aye, aye, aye, aye. Ha! Ha! Ha!

I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule, and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard-Hytrullo-pre-filled syringe, which contains F-Gar-Tegamide, Alpha, and Hylaronidase QVC. It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space on my time. It's my treatment, My Way. Visit Vivgardmyway.com. That's V-Y-V-G-A-R-T-M-Way.com. And talk to your doctor about Vivgard Hatrullo, brought to you by Argenics. Hi, I'm Jake Grez, also known as Nurse Jake. As a travel nurse, I've worked in all kinds of places, different settings, cities, and climates. Every assignment brings on a new challenge, which is why I always bring my figs. These scrubs are built for whatever the job throws at you. They're breathable, flexible, and comfortable in any environment. No matter where I land, I know they're going to keep me looking and feeling my best. And don't sleep on the details. The pockets, the features, the finishing touches, everything has a purpose and it makes a real difference when you're moving nonstop. The fit is clean, tailored, and super polished, and they come in a huge range of colors. In other words, they feel great throughout a 12-hour shift, and they always look good. See every healthcare professional on Instagram. If you work in healthcare or know someone who does, check out figs and get 15% off your first order at wherefigs.com with code figs rx. That's wherefigs.com, code figs rx. Welcome back. Former Vice President Dick Cheney, one of the country's most powerful figures and a key architect of the U.S. War on Terror died last night at the age of 84. The Cheney family said the former vice president died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, adding that he was with his wife and two daughters when he passed. Former President George W. Bush paid tribute to his late vice president calling him a calm and steady presence in the White House amid great national challenges. This morning, the White House lowered its flags to hap staff, but it has not yet issued any proclamation or official statement on Cheney's death. During her press briefing today, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and said President Trump was aware of Cheney's passing. NBC News, Kelly O'Donnell has more on former Vice President Cheney's life. life and legacy. Remembering the life and consequential career of former vice president Dick Cheney, who passed away surrounded by family last night. He was 84. So help me God. His political career spanned decades and diverse roles that shaped his path to becoming one of the most influential vice presidents in history. Cheney served as the youngest White House chief of staff under Gerald Ford. elected himself as a conservative congressman from Wyoming, later Secretary of Defense, under the first President Bush. George W. Bush asked him to lead the search for his running mate in 2000, but then became the choice himself. He needs people around him who care only about his success, who are prepared to give him honest advice and never sugar-coded. Shaping the cabinet and the War on Terror.

Cheney was the prime mover behind the theory, later proven wrong, that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. We believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons. There were political setbacks, a stunningly embarrassing quail hunting accident when he shot and wounded a companion. More seriously, the conviction of his closest aide, Scooter Libby, for lying to a grand jury about the outing of a CIA operative. Cheney and wife Lynn had two daughters, Mary, whose same-sex marriage was strongly supported by her parents. And Liz elected to Congress from Wyoming like her father, but taking a stand against Donald Trump after January 6th, the former vice president backing her. And breaking with his party in 2024, publicly announcing he was voting for Kamala Harris in the presidential election. Throughout his public life, Cheney battled heart disease with a number of heart attacks and procedures, including a successful heart transplant once out of office. In 2013, speaking with Savannah about the transplant and reflecting on his life. You said that you had reconciled with death. As I say, I was at peace with myself. It was not frightening. It was not painful. Joining me now is NBC's Kelly O'Donnell, who covered former Vice President Dick Cheney. And also with us is our former NBC news colleague Pete Williams, who served as Dick Cheney's press secretary at the Pentagon and in Congress. Thanks so much to both of you for being here. Pete, thank you for coming back on this monumental day. Kelly, let me start with you since you just provided that look back at Dick Cheney's life. What do you think his political legacy will be, Kelly? Well, so much of what stands out is how he was willing to stand against the forces of the moment and understood that there was a certain calm in being sure about what he believed in, sticking with his convictions. Remember, he was a chief of staff to Gerald Ford in a period... after Watergate and the resignation of Richard Nixon. Not an easy time to be in the White House. When he was serving President Bush as vice president, obviously 9-11 happened, and then the war on terror where the stakes were enormously high. And not everything went as planned, but he had a conviction about protecting the U.S. and took what somewhat argue were extreme measures to do it. And then more recently, a conservative... throughout his life was willing to go against Donald Trump because he argued that he was a danger to the republic and said publicly he would vote for Kamala Harris. He stood by his daughter, both of them, in very public ways. So what I think stands out about Dick Cheney is he knew what his views and principles were and stuck with them. And he was willing to stand up and go against the moment, whether it was for family, for belief in country, or the events where he just felt his voice needed.

to be clear. Pete Kelly talks about former Vice President Cheney's convictions. You knew him so well. I know that today has been filled with grief for you and also a lot of memories. What is it that you are remembering most about him today, Pete? Well, I remember that he was exceedingly loyal to the people who worked for him. I experienced that firsthand just a few months after I came to the Pentagon when a senior official and I cooked up a backgrounder for the New York Times about a forthcoming nuclear arms strategic move. that the president had planned to announce himself. And the president was very upset, called Dick Cheney and said, you know, I'm very unhappy with these guys. And Cheney said, well, Mr. President, that was my idea. Now, I've got to tell you that that sort of thing where the boss takes the bullet for you, Bill's loyalty. And that is the kind of thing. That's the way he treated people throughout his 40 years in public life. As he moved through the circles of power. Instead of just abandoning the people who had helped him, you know, below and climbing ever higher, he kept acquiring friends and supporters. And that's what stands out in my mind. He also had a great sense of humor. I know this is going to surprise people, but he had a wonderful self-deprecating sense of humor. But he was very serious about what he thought was right for the country. I think the searing experience of being in the White House when the president was out of town, when the 9-11 attacks were happening, nobody knew what was going on. He had to contemplate having to shoot down civilian airliners. I think that really steeled his resolve to make sure that the country was never again attacked. And he was willing to consider virtually any means to prevent it. Well, you're recounting of that story about his loyalty to you when you were young and working for him just extraordinary to think about Pete. Pete, how do you think he viewed his role as vice president? Well, he, nobody, you know, he was free to give advice. Nobody ever thought he himself had plans to run for president. He actually did think about it after he finished his time as Secretary of Defense. He seriously looked at it and then decided it wasn't for him. And I think he had thought that his career in public service, his time in public service was over. And then when George W. Bush asked him to help vet vice presidential candidates, and finally the president said, well, why don't you do it? He always viewed his role as giving the best advice that he thought he could. They didn't always agree, as the president himself has said. But he viewed his mission as supporting the president, giving solid advice.

And Kelly, we've talked about and you touched on the idea that former Vice President Cheney really represented the... conservative old guard of the Republican Party, very different than the MAGA movement. And at the end of his life, endorsing and saying he was voting for Vice President Kamala Harris, it was an extraordinary shift. Talk about that representation, everything that he stands for within the Republican Party. Well, he didn't move politically. He made a judgment about the choice, and he felt the choice was clear that although he was a conservative and believed in the principles of the party that he served for all those years, he felt very strongly that he had seen the actions of Donald Trump that he talked about. He said that he believed that Donald Trump had tried to overturn the election and that he had brought violence to the Capitol on January 6th. We also saw how his daughter, Liz Cheney, was involved in... in the reviews of that in Congress. And she paid a political price. So he moved toward Kamala Harris after he evaluated all of those things. I was always struck to when we were covering him as vice president. We were always mindful of his health. And there were times where we would race to George Washington Hospital because he was frequently a patient there. heart attack at 37, heart transplant operation after he left office. I think he always had a sense of the fragility of life, even though his persona was to be a tough and serious person. Well, Kelly and Pete, we are deeply grateful to both of you for helping us to remember and to pay tribute to this towering figure. Thank you both so much. Thank you. Coming up next, Congress is set to break the record for the longest ever government shutdown in U.S. history, but senators are expressing new optimism that a deal could be reached as soon as this week. My one-on-one interview with a member of the House Republican leadership on where negotiations stand next. Keep it right here. I'll meet the press now on this election day.

Hey podcast listeners, Mr. Ballin here to let you know we are now publishing four times a week on my podcast, Mr. Ballin Podcast, Strange, Dark, and Mysterious Stories. That's right, you'll be getting four new episodes a week covering unbelievable mysteries, chilling through crime, and stories so strange, they sound made up. But they aren't. They're all true. Don't miss an episode. Listen to and follow Mr. Ballin podcast, Strange, Dark, and Mysterious Stories, wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube. I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule, and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard-Hytrullo pre-filled syringe, which contains Fgartegamon alpha and highlaronidase QVC. It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space on my time. It's my treatment, My Way. Visit Vivgardmyway.com. That's V-Y-V-G-A-R-T-M-Way.com. And talk to your doctor about Vivgard Hytrullo, brought to you by Argenics. Hi, I'm Jake Grez, also known as Nurse Jake. As a travel nurse, I've worked in all kinds of places, different settings, cities, and climates. Every assignment brings on a new challenge, which is why I always bring my figs. These scrubs are built for whatever the job throws at you. They're breathable, flexible, and comfortable in any environment. No matter where I land, I know they're going to keep me looking and feeling my best. And don't sleep on the details. The pockets, the features, the finishing touches, everything has a purpose and it makes a real difference when you're moving non-stop. The fit is clean, tailored, and super polished, and they come in a huge range of colors. In other words, they feel great throughout a 12-hour shift, and they always look good. See every healthcare professional on Instagram. If you work in healthcare or know someone who does, check out figs and get 15% off your first order at wherefigs.com with code figs rx. That's wherefigs.com, code figs rx.

Welcome back. It is day 35 of the government shutdown officially tying the record for the longest shutdown in U.S. history. But for the first time, there is a sense of cautious optimism on Capitol Hill about an off-ramp as the consequences for Americans grow more acute each day. I do believe that we are finally making progress. Yeah, I'd say there is progress being made. I'll leave it at that. I've talked to a couple of my colleagues on the Democratic side who were in conversation. They tried before and it didn't work, and now they're trying again, and they seem more optimistic. I sense that people are tired of this shutdown and all that flows from it, but we're still stuck with this premise of what we're going to do about health care costs. We made it clear in the past kind of what some of the things we would. intend to do on appropriations and funding the government, et cetera, and then, you know, the vote that they would get on their Obamacare changes. So it's a universe, I think, is pretty well defined and established. Joining me now is the House Republican Conference Chair, Congresswoman Lisa McLean of Michigan. Congresswoman, thank you so much for joining me. I really appreciate it. Thank you for having me, Kristen. I appreciate your. Well, it's great to have you back. So you heard there your colleagues in the Senate talking about progress, optimism. Can you give us the reality check from your perspective, Congresswoman? Do you think that there is actual progress being made toward a deal? Yeah. I think what you said at the beginning is so true. I am cautiously optimistic of where we stand right now. It feels like things are beginning to loosen up. People are talking more. The lines of communication are open. We're talking about off-ramps. So I am cautiously optimistic that in the near future, we will open the government. I do. So let me, well, first of all, near future, you think it could happen this week, Congresswoman? Well, I'm optimistic. I think it can happen this week. A lot depends on Wednesday because we're on a 48-hour notice return, especially with all the air travel right now. So, you know, if it happens on Wednesday, you know, we'll be back here 48 hours. Thursday. We'll be back here. Whatever it takes, we just got to get the government open. So you're saying whatever it takes, let me ask you. Let's say. The Senate reaches an agreement on a bill that includes guarantees for Democrats on health care. I don't know what the details are that are coming together. But let's say an agreement to vote on Obamacare subsidies. Is that something that you would support? In other words, if there are strings attached. Yeah, I think the House Republicans, we did our job, right? We voted to keep the government open. It's in the hands of the Senate now. We hope that they pass the clean CR and we can get back to regular order because our frustration from the Republican side is we didn't put any partisan pet.

projects in there. We passed a clean funding bill, no gimmicks. So our hope would be that they bring us back the exact same clean funding bill. Obviously, they'll have to change the date, I think, because they're getting so close to the 20, you know, the 21st of December. But the more strings that they attach to it, the more difficult it will be to pass in the house. So just to be very clear, let's say it comes back. It does have strings attached. Are you closing the door to that or would you consider it leaving the door open to potentially support it and thereby reopen the government even though it's not your first preference? Yeah, I don't, I don't want to speak for all of my colleagues. I'm a betting woman, let's say. Our odds of passing the CR if it comes back with strings attached go down dramatically. So I don't want to say I'm going to completely shut the door on everything because I would never say that. But I would share with everybody that if it doesn't come back clean. We got another fight and here we go again. The best thing to do, the best case scenario, is to pass the clean CR like everybody voted for in March. And let's get back to regular order where we go through committee, right? Where we have the debates on the floor. That would be the best case scenario. Let me ask you because, of course, the House has been out of session at the direction of House Speaker Mike. Johnson. Some of your Republican colleagues, Congressman Kylie, has argued, look, there's plenty of other work to be done, appropriations bills, for example. Do you think the House should get back to Washington and start working on other things, including trying to move these negotiations forward? Yeah, well, what I can share with you is the appropriations committees have been meeting. Members have been meeting. Committees have been meeting. There has been work that's been getting done, not to mention the benefit of us being back in our districts because we haven't been back in our districts much. So we've been able to serve constituents in our districts. Our offices are still open and whatnot. So I don't agree with that premise of that nothing's getting done in Washington. votes, but I can assure you, just talk to the appropriators, there's been a lot of work that's being done as we speak in D.C. And just to be clear about the substance of what Democrats are arguing for, they want to increase the Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year. As you know, open enrollment has already started. And premiums could potentially more than double, including in a lot of states that voted for President Trump. Do you support any extension of the ACA subsidies?

Listen, the Affordable Care Act was absolutely anything but affordable. Obamacare doesn't work. We've proven that, unfortunately, you've seen premiums increase. You've seen we need PBM reform, right? What I want is, as it pertains to health care, is I want affordable health care. health care. So when we give these COVID-era subsidies, what I don't think people understand is those subsidies don't go to the individual. Those subsidies go to the insurance companies. So the insurance companies have no incentive to lower their rates because Congress just keeps paying more. We need to make health care affordable. The other thing we need to do with health care is we need PBM reform as well as we got to stop. the waste fraud abuse with the subsidies. If you're making $600,000, Kristen, I don't think that you should be able to get those subsidies. Congressman, let me ask you, though. Dr. Oz was on this program. He said that the president does have a plan to replace Obamacare. He's obviously been talking for a decade now about repealing and replacing Obamacare. Have you seen the plan? Is there actually a plan because the public hasn't seen it? What I've seen is bits and pieces. So I'm not privy to every meeting that the president is in, but I can share with you that health care is on the top of Republicans and our conversations. We have to make it affordable because Obamacare isn't working and we need to fix it. We need to clean it up. So I know that, as you said, we've been working on bits and pieces over the past decade. But I haven't seen one full plan all put together in a package wrapped up in a nice bow. I think there's still going to have to be a lot of conversations as it pertains to what exactly that looks like. And I'm sure there will be a lot of discussions on both sides of the aisle to make sure that what we do actually is benefiting. the American people and not the PBMs and the big insurance companies. Okay, we are, I have more questions, no surprise, but we're out of time, so you have to come back and join me again. Congresswoman Lisa McLean, thank you so much for your time today on a busy election day. We really appreciate it. Fingers crossed. Joining me now is our great panel to discuss all of this Leanne Caldwell, Chief Washington correspondent for Puck, Ashley Etienne, former director of communications for Vice President Kamala Harris, and Hogan Gidley, former White House Deputy Press Secretary in the first Trump administration. Thanks to all of you for being here. So, Leanne, fascinating to hear from the Congresswoman. because she said she's cautiously optimistic, doesn't seem like there's a plan that has actually come together, but it seems like maybe they're circling around the plan. What are you hearing? Yeah, my sources on the Hill are saying the exact same thing. You have these bipartisan rank and file Senate negotiators that are talking about how to get out of this shutdown. Now, those conversations have evolved over the past several weeks, but people seem quite ready to move forward. Now, the question now is,

is can they get the 60 votes in order to agree to any sort of plan? You're not just going to need the centrist Democrats, but you're going to need pretty much all of the Republicans to agree to this too. And so we'll see where this goes, but there is optimism that as early as the end of this week that the Senate could at least vote to advance to reopen the government. And Hogan yet, she said if it comes to the House and there are strings attached, it gets a lot more complicated. So do we go back to square one if, in fact, there's something that says, hey, we're going to guarantee a vote on Obamacare subsidies by this date, certain. Well, I mean, look, this is all very confusing because as we've been discussing here on this panel and with your guest just now, a clean CR was sent to the Senate. They voted 14 times now to keep the government closed. So what they do on their side is anybody's guests. The fact they're having conversations is great. But the American people have been suffering in the meantime. We were told early on by John Fetterman, for example, back channeling to John Thune that they needed to get through the hate America rally. They did all that. Then we were told, wait until we get done with the election. And then we'll come to the table then. So I would expect after today, you're going to see some significant moves on the Senate side. So, Ashley, to speak to that point. What is your level of optimism? Do these elections actually push both sides to the negotiating table, as Hogan is indicating may happen? Two really great questions. First is I think the one thing we're not talking about right now is the biggest outlier, which is Donald Trump, whether or not he actually wants a deal. He continues to weaponize the shutdown. To this very day, he's not, he's defying a court order to pay snap benefits to 42 million Americans to ensure that our children are being fed. So for me, the question is, when is he going to demonstrate some level of leadership here? And whether or not the Senate and Republicans on both sides are spinning their wills, because it seems to me, it demonstrates that he wants to continue to use this, use this shutdown to, to harm Democrats. Now, to your question about whether or not. What comes out of today's elections makes any impact. I think Democrats are hoping they're betting very big on an affordability message. They understand that the economy is bad. The NBC poll most recently show that Republicans have dropped 21 points in terms of they're standing on the economy. So they're seeing a great vulnerability for the president that they're hoping to exploit. I think the question is whether or not they're going to mix some gains with independent voters and disaffected Republicans. Hogan, let me let you respond. And also. The other finding in our poll showed that more Americans actually blame Republicans for the shutdown. Is this starting to backfire? Well, first and foremost, typically Republicans lose shutdown fights in a court of public opinion. That's always been the case. This is a little bit different because Republicans are the ones who voted to keep the government open now. And they used Biden-era-level spending, COVID-era-level spending. to do it. That's why Rand Paul is opposed to it. Of course. And the Freedom Caucus people on the House Republicans side didn't like that either. But they did it because they wanted to keep things open because we're about to do something that no Republican speaker has done probably since the 90s, which is get back to regular order where we're going through committees and we're passing appropriations bills. But the fact is Democrats have had opportunities now on 14 occasions to keep the government open and they've chosen not to. Donald Trump brought everybody to the table in the Oval Office with Hakeem Jeffries, with Chuck Schumer.

with Speaker Johnson and with John Thune. And of course, they came to no conclusion there, except for Democrats wanting to keep this government shut down for whatever reason. I can't understand because they voted to keep it open. countless times before. In fact, they voted for this exact level of spending just six months ago. But Hogan, you know, the president could call both sides back to the table and say, enough already. Let's all agree that we want health care prices to go down. We don't want Americans. We do agree with that. But we do agree with that, but that's not what this bill is about. This bill is about keeping the government open so we can have the conversation on how we fix health care. And by the way, the border's been wide open. We fixed it. Crime's been rampant. We fixed it. We'll fix health care problems, too, I promise. Okay. All right. On that note, all of this comes against the backdrop of these dramatic races that we are all watching. You all are going to be with me all night long, so get comfortable. I'm really excited that you all can be here. But, Leanne, what are you going to be watching for because you've got gubernatorial races in New Jersey, in Virginia? You've got the big mayor's race here and then the fight over redistricting in California. Yeah, so I, you know, California and New York, I think, are two separate things and not necessarily indicative of what's happening in the rest of the country. And that's why they're important for different reasons. But I'm going to be focusing really on Virginia and New Jersey. Every single Republican and Democrat I talked to expect Democrats to prevail in both of those races tonight. But the question is, is by how much President Donald Trump did much better in both states in 2024 than he did in 2020 and 2016. And so can Republicans maintain that margin? Or do Democrats just kind of blow it out of the water? And it's just going to perhaps tell us about the mood of the country this moment. Republicans' best chance tonight may be in New Jersey, Jack Ciattarelli. But one of the key questions that Leanne points to, can he energize what was really a new coalition for President Trump? He energized Latino voters, voters of color. We saw that in a county like Passaic County, other suburban counties in New Jersey. What are you going to be watching for? And do you think that New Jersey could go red tonight? Maybe the AG race in Virginia as well. But I will tell you. These two states, to me, always seem like fools gold, much like Minnesota. Every presidential, we say, we're going to take Minnesota this year and we always lose it by two. The fact Donald Trump made strides in these states where he only lost them by five points or six points, respectively in Virginia and then New Jersey says they're gaining ground. But this is an off year. He's not on the ballot. You're going to have these weird timings for these races. I don't know how Republicans win. And there really is no news here. You got Democrat-controlled states. are going to elect a Democrat in both governor's seats, so I'm not really too surprised by that. Actually, how much weight are you placing on the results of tonight? I was out in California talking to Governor Gavin Newsom there. He is predicting kind of what Hogan just said, which is that this could be a very big night for Democrats, and he's feeling quite confident about Prop 50. Yeah, I mean, I think we all expect to win tonight big. But the question is whether or not we're making inroads in some of these in Southern Virginia.

That's where I'm going to be watching. What does it turn out going to be in Southern Virginia? To your point, there's these counties in New Jersey where Trump made in rows with Latino voters. Will they come out for him in big numbers? To your question, whether or not that coalition that he built, is it sustained? Is it being sustained? Is it strong enough to make it through? And I think that's going to be telling for the Democrats. And also, I think we'll be watching the exit polls. What are the issues that people are saying that have driven them to the polls? Is it the economy? Is it the shutdown? Is it? tariffs, is it costs. All of those things are going to matter. And if Democrats are smart, they're going to weaponize it against the president. Okay. And obviously we're watching the big... race for mayor right here. Oh, yes. City, which has a very unique electorate and yet it's a fascinating race. All right, guys. Thank you so much. Leanne, Ashley and Hogan. You guys are going to, as I said, be with us throughout the night on NBC's special election coverage. Coming up right after the break, California voters head to the polls to vote on a key ballot measure that could have sweeping impacts on next year's midterms. Plus, why a trio of Supreme Court races in a presidential battleground state are drawing national attention. Stay with us. You're watching a very special edition of Meet the Press Now on Election Day.

Welcome back. As we just mentioned, one of the big races we're watching tonight is out in California, where voters will decide on Proposition 50, a ballot measure that would redraw the state's congressional map in favor of Democrats. It's in response to the Republican effort in Texas where Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a new map targeting five Democratic held seats. When I spoke to Governor Gavin Newsom last week, he told me he's confident the measure will pass today. Look. It sounds like you're predicting a big night for Democrats. Yeah, I am. And for obvious reasons. I mean, this is an historically unpopular president. His policies are even more unpopular than the president himself. All the things he promised to solve day one, he hasn't solved. So his recklessness aside, his style aside, the substance he hasn't delivered. And that's why, again, we're here, Prop 50, because he knows he's going to lose the midterms. And he's trying to rig the election before one vote is cast. Do you think that Prop 50 is going to pass on Tuesday again? I'm deeply confident, as long as we do everything that we've set out to do over the next few days. And just today, Maryland Democratic Governor Wes Moore announced he is launching a redistricting commission. Joining me now is NBC News correspondent Liz Kreutz in California. And with me on set is NBC News senior reporter Jane Tim. Thanks to both of you for being here. Liz, let me start with you and Gavin Newsom telling me he's confident. Prop 50 is going to pass. What are you hearing from voters out there? Yeah, Kristen, it's not surprising how confident Gavin Newsom is. For one, the polls show that this is likely to pass by a wide margin. It's showing that a majority of California voters are ready to vote yes on this proposition. And then beyond that, there is the sense, talking to voters, that there is enthusiasm and excitement around this proposition. The numbers alone in terms of how much money has been raised tells that story. The yes on Proposition 50 Group has raised $120 million. over the past two months. That's a lot of money. It's more than double with the group against it raised. And it's so much so that around the time you interviewed the governor, his team put out a message to folks saying you can stop donating. We have reached our fundraising goals. That is almost unheard of. So there is this enthusiasm. And I think it stems from how the governor and top Democrats have marketed this proposition to Democrats as a way for them to be able to push back against the Trump administration. That said, of course, you are seeing folks. Still against it. Some tussling with how to vote for it for different reasons. Take a listen to some voters. They appealed to the nation's institutions, and those institutions failed voters. So I think that in my conscience, I supported Prop 50 with that in mind. So I realized the game that's being played nationally, and I supported it. It really starts to undermine the very fabric of what our democracy is based, built upon. And so I'm just concerned what's going to happen the next election when they're not happy with the results. Oh, let's just gerrymander again. And so that last voter there, it seems Kristen, is less about necessarily wanting to see more Republicans in the House, but more so this moral issue. Right now, California has an independent bipartisan committee that does the redistricting lines. It's quite popular here. And so I think some of the people against it are just having a hard time grasping that that would go away, at least for a few elections, Kristen. And let's just give folks a little bit of a background. What exactly would change if it does?

pass and what would it mean heading into the midterms? Yeah, so what this would do is it would really target five Republican held seats in California. That number is key because as you mentioned, Kristen, there were five Democratic held seats that were targeted by Texas. And this has been called the Election Ringing Response Act. So it's in direct response to that. These are the maps here. The first map shows that right now Democrats have 43 seats in California. Republicans have nine seats. If these new maps pass, Democrats would pick up at least four seats. giving them a solid 47 seats. Republicans would be down to five. But there's even another district that would be more competitive now for Democrats. And you would see some pretty prominent House Republicans be at risk of losing their seats. We're talking about Doug Lamalfa in Northern California, Daryl Issa and San Diego. And the up-and-coming Republican Kevin Kiley in Sacramento would have a hard time keeping his seat, Kristen. All right, Liz Coitz, thank you so much. We'll check in with you throughout the night as we continue to watch what happens with Prop 50. Jane, let me turn to you because, as I just said, Maryland's governor, Wes Moore, said that he's looking into a redistricting commission. Yeah, now he put out a press release today saying he's forming this commission. It doesn't really have the same power as the kind of redistricting commission we hear about in California. Of course, these are people who are going to. talk about changing the maps. So the idea is these conversations are designed, I think, to encourage the people in his state. More status split on redistricting. Democrats in the state Senate say the votes aren't there. They don't want to pass new maps. They say it's too risky. They also say it's bad for democracy. But their big worry is that if the courts get involved, they could actually make it worse for Democrats in that state. And we should say it's not just the few states that we've mentioned, the Texas, the California, the Maryland. They're about 13 states that are looking at the possibility of redistricting. Yeah, my list is long and it feels like it changes every day. I mean, Democrats are also looking at Illinois. There's a sort of a complicated legislative maneuver happening in Virginia. But Nebraska's talked about it. Florida has talked about it. Indiana has called a special session, though they don't haven't actually come back to Indianapolis to start doing that process. And we don't know if the votes are there either. But there's... States across the country are talking about this. And we can't forget that the Supreme Court could rule on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, something that's been used to curb partisan gerrymandering across the country. If that gets thrown out, expect a complete sea change more than the one word I see. And Jane, tonight we are also watching, speaking of the Supreme Court, some state Supreme Court races out in Pennsylvania, three Democrats fighting to hold on to their seats there. Why are those races so important tonight? Yeah, this is a back-of-the-ballot, sleepy judicial retention race, but it's anything but sleepy this year. Democrats have spent...

outspent Republicans by $10 million in the last few weeks, simply because if these three justices lose their job tonight, this court could be hamstrung for two full years. Putting, if you. Retention races are a little bit quirky. But if they lose their seats, Democratic, sorry, Democratic governor and the state Senate Republicans would have to agree on temporary appointments. A tall order in this day and age, if they don't agree on appointments, those seats stay empty. And the court would have two Republicans and two Democrats and would have a really hard time deciding really big cases in the state. And this is a court that's ruled on everything from redistricting to mail voting to abortion. It's a big deal. All right, Jane Tim, watching a lot of different angles for us. Thank you so much. We really appreciate it. And thank you for watching. We're back tomorrow with more Meet the Press now. And as we mentioned, we'll have special election night coverage all night long. It kicks off at 7 p.m. Eastern tonight right here on NBC News Now. There's more ahead on NBC News Now. Pilots know that weather factors, like storms, turbulence, and icing can turn routine flight into a challenge. But what if you had satellite-delivered weather data giving you the full picture of what's around you? With SiriusXM Aviation, get coast-to-coast high-resolution weather info, all without altitude limitations or line-of-sight restrictions. Fly confidently knowing you have the best information available to make decisions in flight. Visit SiriusXM.com slash aviation to learn. more.