‘Trump’s Henchmen’

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1:00The Beauty Rest. Good evening and welcome to the weeknight. I'm Smollin Sanders Townsend with Luke Russert and Eugene Daniels in for Michael. Breaking tonight, Donald Trump's attorney general and FBI director on defense, trying to justify the president's increasingly unhinged rants and their increasingly dubious actions taken at Trump's direction. Also had Todd Blanch and Casper-Tell vow to move ahead with the administration's election subversion efforts despite that massive setback from the Supreme Court that broke during the show yesterday. And also breaking Donald Trump through is a massive temper tantrum pledging to withhold Kennedy Center of Renovation funds unless his name goes on the building's exterior. The person fighting to save the center, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty is back with us for an update. But we start tonight with breaking news. Two of Donald Trump's least qualified appointees were on defense today, attorney general Todd Blanch and FBI director Casper-Tell both publicly defending the president

2:01and the many dubious actions they've taken on behalf of dear leader. And Blanch making clear what we've known all along. They work for Trump, not for you. One of the things that director Patel has been doing and that I've been doing and other cabinet secretaries have been doing is making sure that everybody that works in this administration, whether you're a career or a political, are doing work that's consistent with the president's agenda. Here is a brief, not at all, comprehensive overview of what Todd Blanch told White House reporters today. He said the administration's voter fraud lies will continue. Despite zero evidence such fraud exists. He said the president's desperate so-called grand conspiracy investigation will continue. Despite the fact that the lead investigator in that case resigned due to a lack of evidence. Investigates that alleges a multi-agency multi-year conspiracy to undermine the president.

3:02And Blanch basically said that Trump's angry outbursts will also continue. Zoukin control that. After he defended the president's crash remarks today, slamming his own Supreme Court appointees for rejecting his push to restrict mail-in voting. Listen to this. He has every right. And indeed, he should communicate his concerns with the Supreme Court whenever he has them. The idea that President Trump shouldn't be allowed to communicate to the American people, his frustration, I don't share that. Well, not to be outdone, Kashfertel. During a very fiery-centered judiciary hearing, defended the president's election interference efforts. The department's bungled, mishandling of the EBSC files, oh, and his own firing of FBI agents over basis accusations of weaponization. You barged into the celebration of our winning Olympic team. What were you doing doing that? What you'll never understand is the players who are my friends invited me into the locker room. Your agent is whatever you want.

4:02Elizabeth Williamson's name through federal databases to gather information about her, yes or no. Stop false. Yes, it's attacking me and my loved ones. Were those agents, as Han Blanch indicated, also purged from the FBI under your watch because they had worked on the January 6th investigation? The FBI has one specific and simple standard. If you don't meet those standards, you don't get to work at the FBI. Take a look. I would appreciate it if you concluded this hearing because this guy has no interest in oversight. Oh, I didn't know that's how it worked. Okay. Well, Kashfertel was very hostile. But the hostility was not just to impress a president who likes to see his people fight with Democrats on national television. I think it's also meant to distract from the fact that he spent four and a half hours dodging very important questions from lawmakers, conducting critical oversight. And frankly, the president likes to see that even more. Tonight, Mary McCord and Maya Wiley are with us.

5:03But first, I do think, and I think people have seen some of Kashfertel's clips today. And I do think his hostility was a distraction because he does not want to answer the questions, because answering the questions exposes you. And exposes you means maybe your plan could be foiled wherever your little sinister plan is. And then we have to redirect. I put on the table the January 6th fund. The more people knew about it, the more it became radioactive. And then everybody had to back away from it within the administration. And so that's just one example. But like between Todd Blanch and Kashfertel today, it's like, don't be foiled folks. Don't be foiled. Being defensive is always the tell. We're all mayor around here. We've had relationships. When my husband, now he asked me a question, I started being defensive. Why are you asking me that? How dare you ask me that? It's a tale. Somebody wants it. Okay. Exactly. Just answer the question. Just answer the question. Why are you fussing? Like that is what you see over and over. The defensiveness with this administration is always the tell.

6:05And it goes beyond the audience of one thing that has been true for a long time. It is also they do not believe that Congress is a legitimate co-equipment of government. That is very clear. If they thought it was, they were, they would answer the questions as they would put them there. I watched this today and there were two things that stuck out to me. And I'm only 41 years old, but call me an old phoge. I missed the days of Robert Mueller and Louis Free and Comey and these serious sober-minded guys who were in charge of FBI who would talk about the threats that were facing our country, both inside and out and took the job seriously and did not view it as a time to tweet or come across as a WWE wrestler. That is what this guy does. He's completely unqualified. And to your points, Simone, the buffoonery is part of the act because it's to cover up that he's not only unqualified, but that he has no control over what's happening. In any semblance of way, he answers only to Donald Trump and nobody else. But number two, to send the attorney general out there and to come back to press conference, that is something that is something that is,

7:08we should not lose sight that that is not normal in any capacity. And what it shows is that Todd Blanche is simply just Donald Trump's henchman. As Michael Steele says, he's could see Glior from the Godfather. That's what his role is. So it takes us to a very perilous time where we're at right now. Maya, what the hell? Yeah, what the hell? You want me to explain this? Look, let me just say, full disclosure, the leadership conference on civil and human rights actively opposed both of the nominations of Cash Betel and Todd Blanche. And we are nonpartisan. We did it because of what you saw on display today. I mean, let's just take Todd Blanche, who has made clear, including in his confirmation hearing that he was Donald Trump's personal defense attorney and he is still behaving in that way. And when you have a sitting U.S. attorney general granted, I wouldn't expect him to come out

8:12and denounce his own president for attacking Supreme Court justices. But he didn't just do that, right? He actually said he should critique his own appointees and he's critiquing them for following the law. He's not making a legal argument. He's not making a statement that says the Department of Justice is going to continue to ensure that we're advancing our arguments about how we interpret the laws and how we argue to the courts that we think they should be interpreted. That would actually be a legitimate thing to do. That's not what he did. He literally said Donald Trump can behave in any old way and I will back him. But I also wanted you didn't play the artificial intelligence clip. And in a way that is even more disturbing because instead the Department of Justice has legal responsibilities to enforce federal laws that cover artificial intelligence and civil rights in consumer protection and in competition. It has a legal obligation to play that role as a federal agency.

9:15And instead of even addressing whether or not they should take seriously and determine whether there was a role for the Department of Justice. When we literally have tech billionaires themselves saying, yeah, we got a problem. We got a problem that and we to the point where they even say this could this is an existential problem and we should slow down. Instead of saying we need to take a look at this. He then goes and does something political and partisan, which is says this is just a stunt for the midterms. That is reprehensible from any public, public facing senior, even political appointee in a context of simple public safety and protection of the American public. Well, I mean, what did we learn yesterday? The president said he's smart enough to handle the AI issue and Speaker Johnson says there's no need for congressional oversight. The AI folks will just figure out themselves. So what do we know here? Right?

10:15Who needs, who needs this thing to kill humanity? It needs oversight of something that can kill humanity who knows. Mary, I think that Cory Booker did a great job of laying out the degree to which cash fatel is not qualified for this job. I'd like to play what he said, please. I think that's not any objective oversight or transparency or accountability. I thought that point was so important because Trump has a lot of lackeys. The issue is they are all incompetent for the most part.

11:16And secondly, to have the head of the FBI, likely not even pass this traditional background check to be an agent, speaks volumes of where we are. So I think it's unfortunate that Senator Booker even had to say those things. He was driven to say them because this came at the end of a totally combative exchange where in cash fatel was not answering any of the senator's questions. He was evading, obstructing, doing everything that you all have already talked about, changing things into being defensive or going frankly on the offense. Well, so and so this or in the Obama administration that he never could just answer the question. And the reason I say I hate to see the senator Booker had to go there is this whole hearing and I did not see all of it. I saw a snips of it. I mean, there's just no decorum left. Trump's appointees are pulling down every other branch of government. They're pulling down the Senate in the House because at some point I think the frustration boils over.

12:20And even the senators and the House members can't help but get combative and I'm not faulting Koy Booker. I'm just saying it'd been nice if they could have just actually asked questions and had answers. They're dragging down the judicial branch. You know, it's one thing to say the president has a right to criticize opinions he disagrees with. But he's like what Todd Blanche was doing here was failing to condemn that we, that this was an attack on separation of powers. The president, yes, has the power under the Constitution to nominate justices for the Supreme Court. Judges for all of the federal courts. But that does not mean that then they work for him and that they are obligated to fulfill some sort of promises made to them if any were. And I doubt and of course that any were just because he's the president. So when you don't stand up for the independence of the judiciary and suggest that it's okay that that justices be criticized for not being independent. Or be criticized for being independent and not being beholden to the president. That is just completely basakwards.

13:20I think I don't know. That was great. No, no, no. That's good. What you did is the appropriate for the truth. Correct. Correct. Correct. And just, you know, again, dragging down the judiciary, dragging down the Congress, you know, and already the executive branch and public opinion is already in the table. Can I just say Eugene? I think frankly, I was happy to see Senator Booker get fed up today because the American people are fed the F.R. And I think the senators and the members of Congress need to join us. Because they're hearing from, they should be hearing from their constituents. Because the constituents are saying we deserve a federal government that is working for us as they, we are paid their salaries. We deserve a Congress that is doing insane the kinds of things that they're hearing from their constituents. They're supposed to be the avatars for the folks that they represent. I think the thing that's so fascinating between Blanche and Patel for me, Maya, is that Patel, this was always going to be the way he operated, right? Like it was like, we've all seen him on podcasts for years. Yeah, that's a free show. This is always how he was going to operate.

14:20Todd Blanche was seen for, and there's lots of reporting about this, while he was Donald Trump's personal lawyer, so you making a face. While he was Donald Trump's personal lawyer, within the Trump folks, they saw him as a person who could tell Donald Trump the truth. But while Donald Trump was paying him money in order to go to court for him, what he would do is tell Donald Trump the hard truth. That was his reputation within the Trump world. That is obviously something completely different. And there are, there are reasons that they should be concerned with Democrats' sake office because they're going to have a lot of questions about why that changed. I'm going to play Senator Adam Schiff about the future of investigations here that he said today. Listen to this. I will remind you, director, because you probably need reminding that while this Congress is not going to investigate the wrongful termination of potentially hundreds of agents for working on properly predicated investigations, the next Congress will. And you have an obligation as FBI director to ensure that none of the personnel files, none of the emails, none of the voice mails, none of the text messages are destroyed.

15:30There are going to be those investigations and there are going to be those into Todd Branch and every other member of the administration who Congress feels hasn't done their constitutional duty. How do you think as someone who's going to be watching a lot of this and paying a lot of attention, how do you think those investigations are going to shake out with an administration that clearly has shown they're not going to engage in good faith with Congress on it? Well, I think one of the things is it's going to show the extent to which there have been some public servants within government who had been able to protect some of that evidence and information. We forget that there still are public servants. People were just doing the job to do the job, not to serve a particular person in the person of President Donald Trump. And that does matter, but it's also critically important that we're hearing said to say, because a sitting senator should not have to say, don't go to that shredder. Ben, I see some smoke coming out of a chimney at midnight from your agency. You shouldn't have to say this.

16:33But what he is also signaling and saying publicly to the American public is we all have to now pay attention. And one of the things we will uncover is whether or not there are people who are serving in government who are doing wrong that we have to find and make sure they're not they're not able to continue to do wrong. But one other thing though about this point about FBI agents being purged and why there has to be oversight investigation is we have to reestablish the boundaries for our government and our public servants. And that can only happen if Congress and Senate after this next set of elections, whoever wins, is continuing to do exactly what they're doing, including to communicate to the American public, and then, no matter what they tell you, this is not normal. Nor should we tolerate it. And that I think is to some own your point about senator Brooker having a kind of loses mind. Nothing normal about what's happening. But boundaries and standards were at the forefront of another conversation today. And that is believe it or not, the FBI's policy regarding beastiality.

17:40And I'm tempted possible agents. It was out there. I want to play the tape, Mary, and get your response to a distant happen today, Lee's gentlemen. Why would you even get in the beastiality? We are not in to becealty, but a lot of these individuals. I know you're not, but you change, you change. But I'm trying to explain it. Hang on. You change the qualifications and mention beastiality. If Joe, if Joe participated in beastiality, not as the animal, but as the human. Don't you think he ought to be qualified disqualified? If he voluntarily did it, sure, but if he was trafficked into it, how do you involuntarily do it? I mean, what timeline is this? Like what world are we in? I just know. I know. And you see, it's like we laugh, but you're like, this guy is very disturbing.

18:41This is why whistleblowers are important. All of this today. All of this. This is our live defense. From the beastiality to like the not answering the substantive questions or the distraction. This is why I think the whistleblowers matter. You're right. And what is the evidence there that this is such a huge problem of people being trafficked into beastiality? Like that is such a big thing we need to make a policy about it to protect those people who got trafficked into beastiality. I think they could handle that on a one-off if it happens, probably, and not necessarily have a policy about it. But we know that the standards for hiring at FBI and all across the federal government have just gone down, down, down. I mean, at the Department of Justice, you can basically barely be out of law school and become the director of something at the DOJ, even bare minimum requirements have been eliminated. And we're talking about particularly on the criminal side, people who have the capability to take away other people's liberty. Like it's a big, huge thing. And yet people without the record of this experience are hired and the same at the FBI.

19:45Mary McCorn, my Wily, thank you so much for joining us today. We appreciate it. Stay with us folks. There's more. We're going to continue this conversation in a moment. Both Todd Blanche and Cashbitell also made it clear. The administration's election subversion efforts, use me, will continue. Even if the Supreme Court blocked one of their paths forwards. Deny Nelson and the Legal Defense Fund is here and later, Congressman Joyce Bady, who led the legal fight to keep Donald Trump's name off the Kennedy Center joins us to react to the president's temper tantrum. Refusing to dull out renovation funds to the complex, if he doesn't get his name on the building's exterior, you're watching the weeknight. Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start, thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between Matt Paint Finish and Satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is.

20:45With thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro. You just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see price estimates and read reviews all on the app. Download today. Today is National Motor Registration Day and Todd Blanche just made it clear that Trump administration's efforts to undermine the midterms and potentially the will of those voters is moving full steam ahead. Despite the Supreme Court blocking the administration's latest attempt to restrict mail-in ballots. The Supreme Court's decision today or yesterday doesn't affect ongoing criminal investigations into illegal voting. There should be nothing surprising about what we're trying to do when it comes to mail-in voting. Joining us now is today Nelson, president and director and council of the legal defense fund. Thank you so much for being on the show. We appreciate it. Thank you for being here today. Clearly everyone who watches this show knows I was very skeptical that the Supreme Court was going to air on the side of what we all know to be just true and adhering to the court.

21:46Because they have failed to do so before. But you know what? At least a couple of them got it right. There's two very concerning, the sense of very also concerning, concurring opinion. But they got it right. Here's my concern. I'm so concerned. They close one path, but the others are so open. I do think it's really important that you all fought in one at the Supreme Court. Because this is an example of like you can't, you don't have that opportunity to win if you don't at least fight. That's right. That's right. And y'all have, the NAACP legal defense fund has consistently been there fighting. What about some of these other avenues? What else are y'all fighting? Oh, we're fighting on multiple fronts. We in fact are about to announce a very important coalition advocacy effort tomorrow with a lot of leading Latino organizations. Because we are concerned about potential intimidation at the polls. But we also know that there are plenty of ways that state and local officials can push back against any potential intimidation at the polls.

22:48That it's unlawful. First of all, we need to remind them that they have the authority and the responsibility to make sure that people are comfortable at the polls. That they don't feel that they are scared in any way and that they have the right to exercise their vote and use their voice without any feelings that they might run as a trouble with federal law enforcement. So that's one of the things that we're working on. Do you have a press release you want to share with us right now? You want to tell us anything else about this effort? Please send them. I have a press release. I have three letters to governors, mayors, state election officials. And we are serious. We are unified as a community around these issues. We are going into this eyes wide open because the legal defenseman has been studying all of the issues that have come up in prior elections. We released a report called Democracy Defended, which looked at all of the concerns from the 2024 elections. And we're reminding elected officials of what happened. So we are not walking into this as if we don't know what the challenges might be. We're walking in there with information armed with potential solutions and ready to go to war if we need to. There continues to be the question about federal aid and set the polls, as you said, but also cast hotel, the FBI director refused to say whether or not the FBI would or won't interfere in the election.

23:58This is Richard Blumenthal and Peter Waltz. He's talking to listen to this. So you would agree with me that deploying FBI agents to the polls on election day would be contrary to law. I don't know that we can't legally do it. I'm telling you we're going to house our agents and intel analysts in our field offices for election security. I thought you weren't going to be sending people to the polls. When did you hear that? It's just another lie. I mean, you answered Mr. Blumenthal. Nope. I thought you weren't going to be sending people to the polls. When did you hear that? I am having a hard time reconciling in my head the idea and the promise of what the FBI is supposed to be doing. If the FBI was in field offices for election security on another administration, I would feel much more comfortable. I would say, yeah, that kind of makes sense. They should be looking into the kinds of things that could be happening, especially with the rise of certain types of terrorism in this country and what could happen on election day.

25:00But then the idea that he won't make very clear that the FBI will not engage in ways in which the American people do not expect them to. On election day is very, very concerning. How are you guys? How close are you guys watching this? Well, we're watching it very closely. It's really shocking that our FBI director would say that he doesn't know that it's not legal to send FBI agents or any federal agents to the polls. This has been the law since the Civil War, right? Because we knew back then that there would potentially be federal interference and intimidation at the polls and that voters would be vulnerable to this excess use of authority. And for him to sit there and act as if he doesn't understand the law way, I mean, it's possible that he actually doesn't. I mean, we know what we're dealing with here, but that is unacceptable. That is unacceptable. So let it be clear. It is unlawful to send federal agents to the polls. Period full stop. And we are looking at every opportunity to push back initially through our advocacy and then eventually if we need to through litigation.

26:01And as I've only talked about on this show a lot is what we're very worried about is this period from November 2nd on the election to when Congress has to be seated on January 3rd. Simone made a great point yesterday essentially is that they are building the machine. They're putting everything in place to if the results don't go their way, which by the way, all the polling is showing it is not likely to go their ways, but at least in the house. That one seems to be pretty pretty baked into this point. Still time to go. But that's where we are. How concerned are you about the chaos? How concerned are you about these this oddball legal challenges? They'll try and move forward to try and stop Congress from being being seated on January 3rd? And are you guys prepared to go against that? Absolutely. Listen, we're a nonpartisan organization. What we care most about what we care about first and foremost is the ability for every voter to be able to cast a ballot that will be counted. We know that every step of the way there is going to be resistance. We know that they are going to try to so chaos. They've already done that and they lost with the mail-in ballot initiative. That was clear.

27:09But what we're trying to do is make voters feel empowered and to recognize that all of the assaults against the right to vote and against the electoral system is a reflection of the power of our elections and how incredibly potent they are, which is why they want to suppress them and why they want to suppress our vote. And we're prepared to defend that all the way. Just real quickly. You're still confident in mail-in ballots for everybody after that decision. Yes, we're confident, but I will tell you this. I still believe that early in-person voting is the best and safest way to vote. That makes it so much harder to tamper with. If you go in early, you clear out the lines for Election Day and you get your ballot cast in-person and it's done. That's what everyone should be doing right now, making their plan to prepare to vote. No shenanigans. Early in-person. Bring your lawn chair if you do too. That's right. Make it a party. Make it a party. Thank you so much for your time. When we come back folks, Donald Trump's hand-picked board just voted to immediately shut down the Kennedy Center. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty and ex-official member of the Kennedy Center Board will join us at the table to react. This is the week now.

28:15Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start, thumbtack knows homes so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between Matt Paint Finish and Satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro. You just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see price estimates and read reviews all on the app. Download today. Breaking tonight, Donald Trump's hand-picked Kennedy Center Board has voted to immediately and indefinitely shutter the performing arts center. Siding safety concerns and claiming that the complex would be a danger to employees and the public if it stayed open. Today's decision came just minutes after a federal judge blocked once again the board's latest proposal to put Trump's name on the exterior of the building. Now shortly after, the president delivered an ultimatum online and he said let him put his name on the building or he'll block millions and funds to renovate the center.

29:21Joining us now is Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty of Ohio. She's an ex-official member of the Kennedy Center Board and has led the legal fight against Trump's takeover. You've been the mayor of the Congresswoman. You've been front and center at this fight. Give us the latest update. I know you were in a very important meeting today that the president attended this meeting about the Kennedy Center. Where do we stand? Is it going to shutter soon? Well, we were in court right before we went into the board meeting. So they opened up the board meeting by informing the board that we hit again, Betty V. Trump, Betty Head, Ben Victoria. And he went into a tantrum. I mean, let me just make it simple. It was the most unprofessional thing that I've ever witnessed or been a part of it. He went into name calling from everything, from trying to say that I was an obstructionist. I was dumb. He said, I think you're incompetent. And I said, I know you're incompetent. Wow. Oh, it was. And I looked to the chair who was chairing, and I said, are we really going to do this? This is unprofessional.

30:28But I was not going to let him call me awful things. And he said he was going to hold me responsible if something fell out of the ceiling and killed someone. And I told him, I said, you're already killing people. We're at war. We also have people who are starving. You're doing this. And then he wanted to talk about how great he was with developing. And he didn't know anything about me, but I had never done anything. This was the biggest thing I had done. So I reminded him that he had more bankruptcies than anybody in the room. I mean, it really went there because I was not going to let him. He was there in his role as chairman of the board. I was not going to let him bully me, intimidate me, and the facts stand for himself. Now he threw a tantrum after the board meeting was over as you just put up on the screen. That is not what we voted on. Now I did not vote for it, but the board members voted to go with the plan that we had to close the Kennedy Center. It was nothing about immediately closing it.

31:35There was nothing about his $17 million that he was going to give or holding back the $257 million that he is claiming he got last time I checked. It was the taxpayers' money that we voted on out of our congressional budget. So he didn't win. He didn't get his vanity project. He didn't get his name on it for the second time. So now he's attacking folks. I think we're all shocked by the back and forth. It was unbelievable. To me, at that point, if he's chairman of the board, you guys are essentially colleagues, not president and congresswoman. You are colleagues on the board together. She's in the Coal Equal Branch of government. So whether they like it or not, you don't work for him. One of the things I think that I've heard from a lot of people about what's going on at the Kennedy Center is there's no question of Donald Trump and his name on the actual facade of the building. But then there is the question that is underlying that about what's going on in the Kennedy Center. There was this video that's been circulating where there was something that dropped in and there was also already a caution sign there.

32:48So it seemed like there was a leak happening. So there is a lot of talk about it being as Donald Trump has put it derelict. I want to be from the Washington Post. Well, it's funny if it's derelict and he's been over it for a little bit forward and with him. But man, he's a great builder. I wonder if he does some of the Washington Posts from Sunday. Kennedy Center could close his earliest Tuesday once a bankruptcy document show. Senator Fisher say they are unable to make payroll or pay routine maintenance contracts, quote within a matter of weeks and argue that publicly recognizing Trump could secure his help raising enough money to keep the institutional fault. One that sounds like a ransom to me, but two. What's holding your hostage if you don't do this and he has the responsibility. But is it true that the Kennedy Center doesn't have money, where do money go? Well, first of all, the Congress gave them $257 million that is still sitting there for renovation. Now, certainly after he put his name unlawfully up on the building, we had performers which everybody knows.

33:49They all pulled out because they didn't want to be a part of this. And where the board should have then started talking about a plan, the judge said, put together a program plan. It never happened because Donald Trump wanted to close it all along and especially after BDV Trump was victorious in court. I like saying that. BD Trump. So then he went to his next step. So now I'm going to give you money for an endowment, a trust. And I wanted to say renovated by Donald Trump. That's still putting your name on the memorial that's unlawful. So the judge ruled against him. And he just decided he was going to do what he wants to do. We are in a very dangerous place with this president because he's in contempt of the law in contempt of court right now. And he's continuing to issue statements that he's going to shut it down. Now we've heard two versions that there was a false fire alarm.

34:50And that's why they told people to leave the building immediately. The other is that he had people say it's closed and you have to leave the building affecting today. That's his tantrum. I want to point out to our viewers. They're looking at a live where they were looking at a live look at the Kennedy Center where that part is still up because I don't know if they want to see people to see that his name is removed. But that his name is removing that as a live look at the Kennedy Center right now. I think it is always important to remind people and why you're fighting is so important because I do think it is bigger than I build in. This is the cultural. He is the president is trying to arrest the culture because the Kennedy Center is a symbol in our nation, a living memorial. But it also is performing at the center denotes what is appropriate, what is cool. Like the culture he is trying to arrest the culture. And this is a cultural capture of the Kennedy Center and he's throwing a temper tantrum to do it. Absolutely. You're absolutely right. And we have witnessed this after each board meeting. If he doesn't get what he wants, he literally comes on and he's hollering and screaming.

35:57And it doesn't matter if it's the judge or his family. He's the body that does not side with him. He attacks now. He just picked the wrong person today. I want to get back to this meeting you had with the president today because it seems like what you're talking about is someone who is on the hinge. Can you talk a little bit about what his disposition was in this meeting? I mean, here we are. Gas prices are through the roof. Americans are hurting with their grocery bills. We're fighting a war in which American young men and women are dying. The president has time to chair a Kennedy Center board meeting and then berate a steam is distinguished member of Congress who happens to be a woman. He does not like strong women. We know that very much. Exactly. Strong black. What was what was what was he like in this meeting? How did you find his mental temperament? He was unhinged. He was hollering and screaming. And he was saying things like you're holding up everything. You're an obstructionist. And I told him I said, you're holding up the country. So you know, the meeting.

37:01Oh, the meeting itself was probably about an hour, but this went on for a good eight or nine minutes. This was back and forth. And at one time I did look to where I said, are we really going to do this? I told him I said, this is unprofessional. I think you had his facilities together. It's so hard to determine. I mean, think about what you just said. This is so man that has us at war. People are dying. This is a man that wants to rename countries and so many other things that he has no regard for what's at stake. Is there a recording of this meeting of these video recorded? We are asking for the transcript. We are not allowed to videotape them. And so we don't do that. But we've asked for a transcript. But certainly, it's not illegal for me as I was taking notes of what he would say. So I would get my correct response to him. And so I did write down several of them. You know, I told him that I was bigger and better than he was and that he had us in war and he had us in debt.

38:08And that he had more bankruptcies than anyone else in the room. It's on the paper. I'm going to use that paper. I'm going to drop the like. I was been joy, Spani, thank you so much for coming on this program and sharing that news about your meeting with President Trump today. That is incredibly fascinating. We have so much to digest on that. In just a moment, diesel prices just hit an all-time high and the Trump White House has almost no options to bring prices down ahead of the midterms. Keep it here on the weeknight. Tonight marks the final primary night of the 2026 midterms. Yes, it's been a long road. We know. At the top of the hour polls are set to close in Delaware, the only state voting tonight. There are just 49 days now until election day. And today, diesel prices hit an all-time average high of $6.27. That's according to AAA.

39:08Political reports to Trump White House is increasingly frustrated that little can be done to stop the surge in prices while the president's war with Iran rages on. The Atlantic puts an even finer point on the issue, saying, quote, gas prices could cost Republicans the midterms. I mean, that is the concern that every Republican I talk to, no matter where they are on the spectrum of Republican, is worried about. At the end of the day, the high prices are going to hit them at the ballot box the way that is hitting the American people out there while they're. Higher diesel prices. I think when we say diesel, people are like, okay, I put on regular gas. I don't get diesel. But higher diesel prices raise the cost of moving goods, farmers pay more to operate machinery, and transport crops, construction companies, pay more to run equipment. Yes, airlines and shipping companies. I used to work in Union Pacific Railroad back in the days. I used to say we ship America's goods, and most of the things in our country are transported across country via truck or via rail.

40:09That needs diesel. Some of it. Americans, I think, are increasingly becoming a people that want affordability and accountability. And the affordability more so than anything else. I think everything that we've seen now, a generic poll, Democrats, 51, Republican 43, leading by eight points. I mean, that's a direct result of these prices. But it's also a direct result of saying, you know what? We went with Trump because we thought that he was going to make our lives more affordable. The inflation that we had to deal with coming out of COVID, a lot of people didn't understand it, but Trump had a plan. Trump has no plan. But his plan is done, has increased your cost to living. Anyone who goes to the grocery store knows that. So you're starting to see separation in these races. I think the house, from where we are today, it's very hard to see the Democrats not picking that up. Luke, I think that they could, they could still fumble the balls. They can always know the bar. I know my people because it's raised by race, and it's still just tight and tight. But they only need a handful. Just numerically, they only need a handful.

41:09But the Senate now being in play, I really think demonstrates the fact that people are saying, you know what? We do not trust this Republican party as it stands right now because they are not people who care about us. If I were advising a campaign right now, if I were an advisor for like the DSCC or the D-Trip, I would be telling them to tell the candidates, they need to continue to say that they are the underdog. When I interviewed Talleriko last week, the thing that he made sure to say, I didn't ask him about this. He himself said, we are the underdog in this campaign, and I think that the money that he is raising and some of these other candidates are raising astronomical amounts of money. They see the polls, but polls don't vote. I don't vote. People do. And I think that that is how Democrats have to take the posture that like, no, no, no, we could lose it. And Republicans are finally starting to spend money in a real way, right? They have taken seriously the kind of old added that post labor days when the election starts. They have started to spend massive amounts of money from massive coffers. And frankly, there's going to be more. And so for Democrats who have been spending a lot of money up until this point, many of them spending money, solo dolo in their campaigns, right?

42:11Doing it on their own. Now those answers are coming. So to Simone's point, making sure that you are on message for whatever that message is for you, from where you live. And more importantly, still bringing in the kinds of money and the question about making sure that you are seen as an underdog, even if you aren't. And frankly, you are because the polls have been all over the places. So at the end of the day, you are an underdog until the day. That's the one that we should say the polls now, they're hard to trust. So that over till it's over. Right. And over till the people vote and the ballots are certified certified. Come on now. She's very third coming up on all in Chris. It's down with Senator Cory Booker. I will be set. Okay, because Senator Booker just grilled FBI director, Cash Patel and that judiciary committee meeting hearing today. That is at eight o'clock Eastern right here on MS now. We will be right back. One football. That does it for the weeknight. We will see you back here tomorrow at seven p.m. Eastern Abdul El Sayed, Michigan's Democratic Senate nominee will join the conversation at the Senate nominee.

43:13Join the conversation at the table and be sure to follow us on social media at weeknight MS now. Thanks so much for watching. Three o'clock kids are home. You're to do list isn't done. New craft mac and cheese power Mac was made for days like this. Craft Mac and cheese power Mac packs the same irresistible creamy cheesy flavor you love now with 17 grams of protein and six grams of fiber. Fuel's you up. Keeps you going because your day doesn't stop. Craft Mac and cheese power Mac find it at your favorite retailer. The best thing ever keeps getting better.