Meet the Press NOW — November 3

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1:13Jon Tester: We're going to be the Michigan that we grew up in, the Michigan that is great as it's ever been. Detroit is our democracy and we intend to use it. We're going to deliver Ohio as Red State again. We're going to protect your values and your freedom. We are going to shock the nation, shock the world when we beat the billionaires and take back Texas. This race is about defending our country. This is when the pendulum swings back our direction and we are going to take this state back.

1:45Debbie Dingell: This race is not about me. This race is about Alaskans and who's going to fight the hardest for Alaska.

1:51Jon Tester: We are the firewall for freedom for America right now.

2:04Nikki Haley: And welcome to a very special edition Election Day of Meet the Press Now. I'm Kristen Welker in New York. If it's Tuesday, it all comes down to this. Voters are voting. Polls are open in all 50 states. The first polls in some key bellwether districts close in less than two hours. And the first statewide polls close at 7 p.m. And so we are just moments away from starting to get answers to the biggest questions heading into the night. Who will control Congress? Democrats need to net just three seats in the House and four seats in the Senate to flip both chambers. Can Republicans overcome the headwinds as they play defense in red states?

2:47Nikki Haley: What does it mean for the president with his approval rating deeply underwater? This morning, President Trump projecting optimism, touting his whirlwind efforts to help boost Republicans all around the country.

2:59Jon Tester: I think the results are going to be better than you think. We did the tour. I did a tour for 30 days. I want to tell you, the stadiums were packed. We had we had people nobody's ever seen. I think they had a big effect. I think they will have a big effect on tonight. The spirit and the love of our country is tremendous.

3:20Nikki Haley: As voters head to the polls today, gas prices are the highest they have ever been on an election day ever. $4.14 a gallon. It's a reminder that inflation remains persistent. And the cost of living and those issues are top of mind for voters.

3:38Jon Tester: Gas is extremely high. To go to the grocery store is extremely high. I think the price of gasoline will drop, and I don't think we need a big change for several items.

3:50Chuck Todd: I should not be choosing between food and housing every single month.

3:54Debbie Dingell: I don't want to get wrapped around the actual about today's economy. I'm worried about the economy 5, 10, 15 years from now.

4:01Jon Tester: I'm impacted by the gas prices. I'm impacted by the grocery prices. I'm impacted by the housing market. it.

4:09Nikki Haley: Our team of NBC reporters on the ground fanned out across the country at polling places with the candidates talking to voters. But let's kick things off with a man we're all going to be glued to throughout the night. Of course, NBC News chief data analyst Steve Kornacki. Steve, happy Election Day. Thank you for kicking us off. So what are you going to be watching for when polls close here in just about two hours?

4:35Jon Tester: Yeah, we've got some early tests. I think maybe will start on the House side, fire up the map. It's going to look awfully blank now, but a few hours from now, this thing is going to be filling in with all sorts of red and blue here. I think one place to look early on, there are some polls in Kentucky, Indiana that close at six. There are a couple of districts there, but seven o 'clock, I think we get our most complete early look. It's in Florida. Why? Because Florida is the most efficient state, big state when it comes to counting up the vote. And the story in Florida is there are a number of districts like this.

5:05Jon Tester: These are Democratic-held districts where Republicans redrew the lines in advance of the midterm this year, trying, you know, to get extra seats. We saw Democrats try that in California, Republicans in Texas. Florida is a state where Republicans are trying this. And there are a number of districts. This might be the most competitive of all of them where that's the case. So it's currently a Democratic-held seat. The incumbent is actually running elsewhere because of the redistricting, but it counts as a Democratic seat. And under the new lines, Trump would have won this district by 11 points. And the way it works in Florida is we can get most of the vote in the first 10, 20, 30 minutes for some of these districts.

5:43Jon Tester: So we may get a very clear picture early if a place like this, if Republicans are getting what they want, they're getting an easy flip. Are Democrats making it a close race? Are Democrats maybe with that might set the stage a little bit for what we could expect more broadly as the night goes on? And again, this is a story we're going to see across Florida tonight, a number of districts like this. You could zoom in here. This district here, Jared Moskowitz, Democratic incumbent. The lines again were redrawn here. He's running for reelection now in a district under the new lines that Trump would have carried by nine points.

6:13Jon Tester: So Florida is going to give us a number of tests early. There are some other districts there. Another early poll close is going to come up in Virginia and just quickly take you through this. I meant to go here to the second district, Virginia Beach. This one, look at Virginia as a three tier test, maybe for how the night might go. This district right here is held by a Republican, Jen Kiggins. It's a district that Trump barely, barely won about eleven hundred votes his margin in 2024. For Democrats, this is threshold for Democrats. This is threshold here to win this district at the very least in Virginia.

6:46Jon Tester: But to have a really good night, Democrats have to start winning districts like this. Rob Whitman, longtime incumbent. Trump won here by five points. And I'll tell you, the real test in Virginia is here. It's the fifth district. Trump won here by double digits. Democrats think they could flip this. If they're flipping a district like this, that could portend much bigger things for them as the night goes on.

7:05Nikki Haley: Yeah, well, we are going to be watching all of those districts so closely, Steve. So you're talking about some of those congressional districts. Obviously, the Senate race is incredibly close. Steve, what are you going to be watching for there? I know it's going to be a little bit later on in the night before we can make some of those big calls. But what are some early signs you're going to be watching for in the Senate?

7:25Jon Tester: Yeah, I think two things maybe to keep in mind. South Carolina, right? We think this is a battleground tonight. The polling has been close. Darlene Graham, Annie Andrews, the polls close here at seven o 'clock. South Carolina is not as fast at reporting its vote as Florida, but it's fairly similar in that you're going to get all of the early vote. And a lot of these counties reported out quickly. And some of them get that election day vote also reported out fairly fast. So we may get a good sense in the seven to eight o 'clock hour if the polls have been real. You know, if this really is a neck and neck race here, which, again, could have broader implications if we're looking at a race where Graham is doing actually much better than the polls again, that might say something potentially about the polls.

8:02Jon Tester: That's been one of the questions going into tonight, you know, whether they might be off again, as we've seen before. One other thing to keep in mind is that Texas is going to close at eight o 'clock, except in El Paso. But the rest of the state closes at eight. And some of these counties, it's a bit like Florida. They report out that early vote, which is like three quarters, 80 percent of the vote. Some of them can report that out in minutes, even seconds after polls close. And I want to just put your attention to this one. Denton County, the last two elections in Texas, Denton County, which has like a million people.

8:32Jon Tester: And by the way, is like the perfect bellwether county in this state. Its vote in the last election mirrored the statewide almost perfectly. Last two elections, less than one minute after polls closed, Denton released the vast majority of its vote. So we could have seconds after polls close in Texas, a readout from what I think is the Bellwether County in the entire state.

8:53Nikki Haley: The fact that we're talking about Texas, Steve Kornacki, gives you an indication of just how exciting this night is going to be. Steve Kornacki, we're going to be together all night long. Really looking forward to it. Thank you for kicking us off here. We appreciate it. Now for the very latest from the White House on this election night, joining me is NBC's Yamiche Alcindor. Yamiche, I know you have been working your sources there. How's the White House feeling about tonight? The president coming off of that 28 campaign stop swing that he has made in the weeks leading up to this night.

9:26Chuck Todd: Well, Kristen, I just had a White House source tell me that the president left it all on the field. He's cautiously optimistic, though he understands that Republicans are facing real headwinds here. And they're all, of course, connected to his own approval ratings. At one point, the president yesterday, as he was giving that closing message at the reflecting pool, said a lot of good presidents. They lose in the midterms himself. So in some ways trying to lower expectations there. He also told a podcaster that he will become, quote, Mr. Veto if Republicans lose control of the Senate and of the House here.

9:57Chuck Todd: So the president here telegraphing that he's a little worried that he might lose power here when it comes to Republicans over on Capitol Hill. But the president also saying that he's feeling good. That's what a source is telling our team that the president is feeling as though he may be able to pull one out. Of course, as you know, he went all across the country, hit so many different states, something like 20 states, had something like more than 30 events over the last month. So the president really feeling like he did all that he could do. And if Republicans lose or lose big, he's done at least all that he could do.

10:26Nikki Haley: Yeah, certainly feeling bullish about the fact that he's been on the campaign trail. You know, it was notable, Yamiche, because we got this surprise announcement by the president today that the U.S. is going to potentially halt billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. I want to play the sound bite. Let's do some analysis on the other side.

10:46Jon Tester: Bibi Netanyahu and I have made a deal that we give Israel four billion dollars a year and we made a deal months ago that we're stopping. And at the air, they're fine with it because, you know, they become a very successful country that are needed and we won't be paying any more Israel. So it's just a wasted thing because we've already agreed that by the end of this year, we won't be paying Israel.

11:10Nikki Haley: The timing is so fascinating. What more can you tell us about the president making this announcement today? What what is in the timing?

11:19Chuck Todd: Well, Kristen, as you know, if it wasn't Election Day, this would be likely our top story, because the president made this significant announcement, the president saying that this aid is going to end at the end of the year. The president indicated that there's some politics here, saying that Republicans are a little worried about the fact that Democrats see this aid going to Israel and are able to say that it, quote, signals unfairness, and as a result, that he wants to pull this back so that this won't be used against him. I think it is fascinating, the timing of all this, that he's doing this on election day.

11:49Chuck Todd: He's saying that Israel is a thriving country, that they don't need the money. But he's also saying that if Israel in the future needs help, needs aid, that the United States will be there. So even though he's ending this aid, he's also saying that it's not going to end it totally and definitely. So I think that that's also an important point to make there, Kristen.

12:04Nikki Haley: All right. Great reporting, as always, from the White House, Yamiche Alcindor. Thank you so much on this election day. Joining me now are team of reporters at polling locations in some of those key battlegrounds. NBC News, Stephanie Goss is in Detroit. Gotti Schwartz is in Arlington, Texas, and Monica Alba is in Bangor, Maine. Stephanie, I want to start with you. We know both candidates were out and about today. What are we hearing from them?

12:31Joe Gruters: Yeah, that's right. I mean, after all the drama over the weekend where Haley Stevens endorsed Mike Rogers, you had the candidates back out trying to strike familiar notes. You had Abdul Al-Sayed trying to get back on message with the economy. And then you have Mike Rogers painting his opponent as too extreme. Take a listen.

12:54Chuck Todd: What young people see and hear from our campaign is a campaign that's earnestly trying to build an America that's befitting of them, too. But they don't have to worry about whether or not they're going to be able to afford health care or afford housing or have a job because big AI is coming for their job. And I think that's what's created this kind of environment excitement.

13:10Jon Tester: We've had such great conversations, such great relations about how we go together forward for our great state of Michigan. I think that's what's going to make the difference. And our base is fired up. They understand the risk of having the Democrat Socialists of America have their first statewide candidate going into the United States Senate.

13:30Joe Gruters: This has been a bitter campaign, as you know, Kristen, between the Republican candidate and the Democratic candidate, but also within the Democratic Party. And one of the things that we've been hearing from people as we talk to them today is not just I'm going to go with this candidate or the other. It's dissatisfaction with everybody. Listen to what one of the voters told me today.

13:50Jon Tester: I don't like either candidate. I don't. So I'll just say that I struggle with both candidates. I don't like Trump. I think he's done tremendous damage. And I think the Republican Party has kind of sold their soul to him. And yet the policies of the Democratic Party, I can't follow either. So it's really kind of caught between a rock and a hard place.

14:13Joe Gruters: I mean, what you're really hearing, and you hear this really all across the country, people have lost faith in both of these parties. A lot of people feeling like neither one represents their needs or is fighting for them in Washington. And you heard it right there, Kristen.

14:27Nikki Haley: I mean, so revealing to hear from that voter, Stephanie. Let me ask you, based on your conversations that you're having there with voters on the ground, Do you get the sense that the Haley Stevens endorsement of Mike Rogers is making a difference or did it come too late in the cycle?

14:47Joe Gruters: It's a really good question. It certainly shocks people. I think I think that is definitely fair to say. But we haven't spoken to anyone today who has said they've actually changed their vote as a result of this. And the other thing that you're right to mention is that in the early voting here in Michigan, already you have 2.4 million people who have voted before Haley Stevens even said she was going to vote for Mike Rogers. And that's about a quarter of the registered voters in Michigan. And then what I would say is that, you know, that those divisions within the Democratic Party were already a part of this campaign.

15:23Joe Gruters: And there were plenty of people we spoke to in a suburb just outside of Detroit where there is a large Jewish community who identify as Democrats, but said they had already made up their minds that they could not vote for al-Sayed. So that was already going on here in Michigan. And I'm not sure what you did made that much of a difference, Kristen.

15:43Nikki Haley: Yeah, I'm not either. We'll have to see how it all turns out. It is a purple of all purple states. Stephanie Goss, thank you so much. We'll be talking to you throughout the night. Gotti Schwartz, let me turn to you. In Texas, of course, this is extraordinarily a top target for Democrats, despite the fact that it hasn't gone for a Democrat in more than three decades in the Senate. What are voters there today telling you?

16:10Chuck Todd: yeah we're in texas and not only are we in texas we're in tarrant county uh coming here i realize why they call this the iowa uh of of texas it's because of the people that we're talking to today it's either or i mean it really is uh seeming like a bellwether at least at this polling site we're hearing from people that are supporting tala rico very enthusiastically and then and there's a little bit of nuance here. And then we're hearing from a lot of people that are saying things like, I'm here supporting biblical values. I'm here supporting Republicans, right? I'm voting red. It takes a little bit of time for Paxton's name to come up.

16:50Chuck Todd: They're not volunteering it as the Tallarico supporters do, but it is there and it's there a lot. So for a lot of people that are looking out and thinking that there's this massive support for Tallarico. It is very, very true that people are enthusiastically supporting Tallarico, but there is still a very quiet populace here in Texas that is just voting red. Some of them may not like it. We just talked to a woman that came out a little bit ago and she said, look, I didn't want to vote the way that I did, but I voted red all the way through because those are the only candidates that I had here.

17:29Chuck Todd: And those conversations have been continuing throughout the day. Here's some of the people that we've talked to earlier. I vote a red. I vote a red. All the way down the ticket? So when it comes to the big Senate, the big Senate seat, you voted Paxton. Yes, I read. What brought you, what motivated you to vote red? Ken Paxton specifically? I believe he holds biblical values. Who are you voting for?

17:55Debbie Dingell: I'm voting for James Calarico and Gina Anahosa. I think there's a lot of hope, And I think they bring so much hope into Texas.

18:02Nikki Haley: And I truly believe we can make Texas blue.

18:10Chuck Todd: And Kristen, I mean, turnout, it has been massive here. The question is, is a lot of the turnout that we're seeing at this particular polling site because there were a bunch of polling sites that were closed down controversially here in Tarrant County? Or is it because people are just coming to the polls because this midterm is very important? That is still yet to be seen. But right now it's about an hour and a half wait inside of this courthouse. Kristen.

18:33Nikki Haley: Well, it speaks to the excitement there in Texas. That's for sure. Let's talk about the other big race in Texas, the gubernatorial race. Governor Greg Abbott facing a challenge from Gina Hinojosa. Is that competitive? And how might the Senate race impact what happens in the governor's race?

18:50Chuck Todd: This one is really, really interesting. And again, you know how it is. It's like you talk to some voters and you're like, wait, is that just that one voter or does this represent something? I've heard it from two different people out here. They came to vote for Tallarico. They were Latinos. They voted for Tallarico. And then I asked him, but what about everybody else? They were like, no, just Tallarico. I said, the governor, Governor Hinojosa or Abbott. And they're like, didn't even just just filled out Tallarico and left. So I don't know about split tickets, but I do know that there are going to be some bubbles that are left blank, at least here in Tarrant County.

19:26Chuck Todd: Whether or not that's a big trend or just the people that we talk to, that is still yet to be seen. But again, enthusiasm for Tallarico is high. And yet this is has been a reliably red state. So we'll see what happens.

19:39Nikki Haley: It's been Democrats white whale for years. All right. Thank you so very much, Gotti. Really appreciate it. Monica Alba, let's turn to you. You are in Maine. And just to remind folks, this has the only Republican held seat in a state that President Trump lost. I know you've been out talking to voters about the Senate race there. What are they telling you, Ma 'am?

20:01Debbie Dingell: Well, Kristen, this race has been marked by chaos and turmoil, certainly in the bruising primary and in the months since. But it's interesting in the voters that I have talked to here today. Many of them told me they made up their minds about this months ago. This is really a race that is defined by whether you want to see Susan Collins continue what she has done in the Senate for 30 years here in Maine, or if you want to see some change. And the candidate happens to be Troy Jackson, of course, after Graham Plattner dropped out of the race months ago. But it seems in our conversations today, voters are really saying they either support what she's been doing or they want to see someone else.

20:41Debbie Dingell: And that is sort of what determined and drove them to vote here in a very steady stream today. Here's a little bit more of our conversations with voters. I voted for Susan Collins. And why? I feel like she's been an important bipartisan voice. Definitely not Susan Collins. So it would, yeah, for sure, it was Troy Jackson. And why?

21:06Joe Gruters: I'm very disappointed in Susan Collins. She always would say one thing, but do something else.

21:13Debbie Dingell: So it was always just to make people happy, but never to follow through. She's a turncoat. And I hated that.

21:21Jon Tester: I wasn't voting for anyone who is complicit in what's happening in politics right now, meaning the MAGA world.

21:27Debbie Dingell: So I take it you voted for Troy Jackson. I did. Tell us a little bit about that. Why?

21:32Jon Tester: For that reason. Susan Collins has done a great job. It's time for a change. And again, I can't support anyone that's been complicit in what's been happening in our government.

21:42Debbie Dingell: And Senator Collins, Kristen, as you know, has really been a political survivor. She has defied political gravity over and over again. So her campaign is feeling that that could happen again here tonight. But the environment and what we have talked with voters about, the cost of living, affordability, certainly the tariffs have had a huge impact in this state. That seems to be a through line that could certainly change the representation here tonight, depending on what happens.

22:09Nikki Haley: Great interviews with those voters, Monica. And of course, it is all about the voters. So to hear from them is so revealing. I do have to ask you, Monica, because we got that news that an office for Senator Collins was vandalized today. What can you tell us about that?

22:25Debbie Dingell: Yeah, and this is on the official side of things. It's the second time that this office in Biddeford, Maine, has been vandalized, according to her campaign, there was red paint, what appeared to be the words blood on her hands. This is something that has since been cleaned up. And according to the senator herself, she was very disturbed by it. But she said that her team has continued to work through it and that they didn't have concerns beyond trying to clean it up, even though, of course, they condemned it. They spoke out against it. But they said that they remain undeterred. It just speaks, though to the political environment that we're in and the very, very strong feeling.

23:06Debbie Dingell: Senator Collins has said that in the last couple of months as well, her home has been egged and she has received these additional kinds of threats that we have seen against her and her offices.

23:18Nikki Haley: Kristen. A horrible backdrop to this election day. We are glad no one was hurt. Monica Alba, we really appreciate that. Thank you so much. Well, in addition to watching all of those races tonight will also be monitoring any potential voting disruptions. The Department of Justice says they are sending election monitors to all 50 states for the first time. We're also monitoring a situation in New York's Westchester County and that key race in New York's 17th Congressional District. Election officials there say they are actively working to resolve an issue with the paper ballots not going through ballot scanners.

23:54Nikki Haley: NBC News 4 New York's Chris Glorioso joins me. So, Chris, walk us through the voting machine difficulties we're hearing about in the New York suburbs. What are officials telling you? Could it potentially delay poll closing times?

24:08Jon Tester: And, Kristen, that is what we just heard from the Republican commissioner here at the Westchester County Board of Elections. He just told us, and this is pretty late breaking, that he now believes these ballot problems are going to delay the counting of ballots in this intensely watched 17th congressional district race between the incumbent Republican Mike Lawler and the Democratic challenger Kate Conley. What has been happening all day is evolving descriptions of this problem. But what we know is that from very early this morning here in Westchester County, New York, voters were going to the polls and unable to put their ballots into the scanner machines.

24:48Jon Tester: According to the New York State Board of Elections, the problem had to do with a programming update that was completed after early voting, but before Election Day. And for some reason, we still don't know why, that programming update ended up applying to every voting machine in Westchester County. It was only supposed to apply to one district. And that is why we're seeing these widespread problems. What voters here are being told to do is simply put their ballot in an emergency bag. Those emergency bags are going to be taken under under police guidance to another location where they do have scanner machines that are now repaired and properly programmed to count.

25:32Jon Tester: But the takeaway of all this means we may not know tonight who the winner is between Mike Lawler and Kate Conley. Back to you.

25:39Nikki Haley: Well, and that is a significant update because certainly it is one of the critical battleground districts that we are watching that district that Kamala Harris won. Mike Lawler, of course, holds that seat. Can he hold on to it? Thank you so much. We really appreciate it. Chris Glorioso. And we'll come to you if there are any other updates. Appreciate it. Coming up, we'll dive deeper into what Democrats are watching tonight in Michigan and beyond with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. You're watching a very special Election Day edition of Meet the Press Now. Do stay with us.

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28:04Nikki Haley: Welcome back. As voters continue to cast their ballots across the country, I'm joined now by Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan Congresswoman. Thank you so much for joining me. I know you have not slept very much in the past several weeks and maybe months. Happy Election Day.

28:20Joe Gruters: I'm so glad it's Election Day and hopefully we'll know most of the results by tomorrow.

28:26Nikki Haley: Well, let me ask you this about the House. Let's start there, because the chair of the House Democrats main campaign committee, Susan Del Bene, is predicting Democrats are going to, quote, resoundingly win control of the House. Congresswoman, give me your take. Do you think there's going to be a blue wave tonight for Democrats?

28:45Joe Gruters: So, you know, I'm always cautious. I think they're decidedly. I think it's very clear House are going to Democrats are going to win the House by how much. You know, I've seen the ground to even shift in Michigan in the last couple of days. So by how many it's going to be, not sure. But it will be significant enough that we are going to know we've won the House tonight.

29:12Nikki Haley: OK, well, you heard it here. Let me ask you about the Senate race. You're saying you've seen the ground shift. And I wonder if you're referring to the Senate race. Obviously, you tried to play a unifying role between Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens, who is his challenger in the primary. She went on to endorse Mike Rogers just to remind our viewers. Do you think that could cost Democrats that critical Senate seat? How do you see it?

29:40Joe Gruters: So on Saturday, I felt like it was going to be close. And I think that Jocelyn Benson will win the governor's seat probably by a larger number than Abdul was. But many people that were hedging their bets or were asking questions. It has really unified a number of communities. I think I've heard a number of black pastors say, have been upset by what they have seen played out. I've talked to some of my township supervisors, one from one of the more conservative areas in my district, And she says that they haven't had this kind of turnout in decades and that people are coming in and saying that they are angry, that they don't like what they're seeing that's happening and that they're voting.

30:33Joe Gruters: So I do believe I can strongly say to you, whereas that might have been a little I think a dual win that Abdul El-Sead will win this election. And I think we'll know tonight.

30:47Nikki Haley: you think we'll call it tonight even though it's going to be close definition of tonight maybe in the morning you know well we'll be up all night so we'll include that in tonight

30:57Joe Gruters: congressman i think we i think we will not be going into tomorrow which i might have thought we were you know we've had this is good news if you're um in michigan it's boring when i check with uh most people about what's happening in the polls in terms of observers or incidences is there was one incident in Dearborn earlier today, but we've got very long lines on the University of Michigan's campus. The kids are in like it's a two hour wait. But I think that it's been a calm day. I don't want to jinx it as I'm talking to you. And we'll see where the numbers are tonight. We have some competitive congressional seats here and we'll have to see where those come out, too.

31:42Nikki Haley: Yeah, we're certainly watching those congressional seats very closely. Let me ask you, because Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said this week Democrats will consider, quote, next steps for Haley Stevens in the party after the election. And I have to ask you, Congresswoman, is that an indication that some Democrats are, in fact, having informal discussions about potentially expelling her from the caucus?

32:07Joe Gruters: I have talked to all of my colleagues and I've tell them that what we need to be focused is on winning today, delivering those votes, telling voters what's at stake. And then when we win the House, we need to focus on what that means, how we're going to deliver to the constituents we all have, telling them we were going to address the issues. So I think it just continues the distraction that I've been dealing with for 10 days. And I want to focus on when we win the House, what that means and how we're going to deliver.

32:42Nikki Haley: Very quickly, Congresswoman, I want to get your reaction to Stephen's post. She posted online a lengthy explanation of her decision to endorse Rogers. And she said, quote, we cannot preach inclusion while punishing dissent. How do you respond to that?

32:59Joe Gruters: Well, I just said to people, let's focus on when we win the House tonight. I think she's hearing from a lot of people. I think it's the way that she handled this that has people concerned. But look, I'm very focused on, I hear the Jewish community here in Michigan, they're scared. We have got to make sure that they are safe, that we don't see a rise in anti-Semitism. I'm worried about hate. We've seen in other communities. I can't you can't even talk about it with offending somebody. What's we got to stand up to hate wherever and wherever we see it. And I want to make sure that every single person in this country and in this state can feel that they can live safely, be respected, live in dignity.

33:46Joe Gruters: And nobody is attacked for their faith or their cultural background.

33:50Nikki Haley: All right. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, thank you so very much for your perspective on this election day. Stay in close touch. We really appreciate it. Good to see you. Thank you. Coming up next, the head of the Republican Party, RNC Chairman Joe Greuters responds. You're watching a special edition of Meet the Press Now.

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36:01Nikki Haley: Welcome back. As Republicans look to defend their House and Senate majorities, I am joined by the chair of the Republican National Committee, Joe Gruters. Thank you so much for joining me. Really appreciate it.

36:12Jon Tester: Hey, glad to be on here.

36:14Nikki Haley: Chairman, let's talk about the state of play on this election day and happy election day to you. The Cook Political Report is projecting Democrats will gain anywhere from 15 to 25 seats in the House. Do you still see a path to Republicans holding the House?

36:32Jon Tester: Absolutely. But it all comes down to turnout. So if you're watching this program right now and you have not voted, make sure you get out there and vote. We have a couple of hours left. We can still turn the tide. You know, we have to fight. There's no second chances, no do overs. And if you want to protect freedom and you want to protect the country, we've got to keep on moving forward.

36:49Nikki Haley: President Trump has been out on the campaign trail, 28 stops in the past four weeks alone. His big message is pretend I'm on the ballot. Is this a referendum of President Trump?

37:04Jon Tester: Listen, it's the right message to give because three times he's proven he could deliver low propensity voters. We think he could do it again. He actually did more values this time than 2024.

37:26Nikki Haley: And I think we are just going to give Chairman Gruders a moment. His microphone fell off. Chairman, please continue.

37:35Jon Tester: Yes, I think I was talking about our path to victory. Listen, this president has been going across the country fighting every single day because he's proven they delivered low propensity voters. He's done it three times. And him and the vice president have been crisscrossing the country. He did more rallies this cycle than he did in 2024. I think we're well positioned to defy history. But it all comes down to turnout. So if people are watching at home, make sure you turn out. We could deliver for the American people. We could protect freedom. We can't let the Democrats win because they have a bunch of extremist leftist lunatics that will literally drive the country off the cliff.

38:12Jon Tester: We've got to protect freedom. We've got to protect America and we've got to give this president a full four years.

38:17Nikki Haley: Let me ask you about some of the races specifically. I was just talking to Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. You heard my conversation with her. She projected confidence. She thinks Abdul El-Sayed is going to win, despite the fact that Haley Stevens endorsed the Republican candidate Mike Rogers. Now, I have spoken to some Republicans, Chairman, who say they're concerned that that endorsement may have been too little too late because about a quarter of the registered voters in Michigan had already voted. How do you see it? Are Republicans going to win back this blue seat?

38:48Jon Tester: Well, I think Mike Rogers is probably one of our best candidates across this country. He's done a phenomenal job campaigning. He's dedicated his life to public service, first as an FBI officer, then in Congress. But an absolutely stellar guy. But he's common sense and mainstream versus El Saeed, who's reckless and dangerous. And that's why not only Haley Stevens, but the former Democrat chairman of Michigan came out and supported Mike Rogers and a lot of other Democrats. They know what's at stake. The future is at stake. Listen, Mike Rogers is a guy who doesn't like freedom. He doesn't like fireworks.

39:22Jon Tester: He doesn't like football. He doesn't like Mackinac Island. How can the world can Michiganders possibly vote for this guy? I don't think it's going to happen. I think what's happening on the left, I think you have a all the candidates look at Tala Frico, look at Troy Jackson, look at El Saeed. It's like a Star Wars bar full of misfits. I think people will reject the extremism and they'll go for the better candidates. That's clearly the conservatives in this case, in this cycle.

39:51Nikki Haley: Let me ask you about Texas. You mentioned James Tallarico. Look, polls have shown Latino voters are actually those who supported Trump now moving away from Republicans. Does that concern you that that could cost Republicans for the first time in more than three decades?

40:09Jon Tester: I think the only poll that matters is the one on Election Day, which is today. So we'll find out how that how that's going to happen today at seven o 'clock starting in Eastern time. But listen, I'm optimistic because what all doesn't matter what background you are, if you're for freedom, if you still believe in the American dream that it's available to you or your kids, you will vote for the Republican ticket. This communism utopia that's being offered on the left, the road to Beijing and Moscow and Havana, that's not the road to prosperity. That's a road to pain and misery. We already saw what happened under Joe Biden in the four years of economic disasters.

40:46Jon Tester: Nine and a half percent inflation. Gas prices higher than they are today without a conflict. We don't want to go back. We want to keep on moving forward. This president's gone to bat for the American worker. We've got to continue to allow him to fight so everybody could have that chance of the American dream.

41:01Nikki Haley: Well, we should just say inflation was at three percent when President Biden left office. It's now at three point seven percent. But thank you, Joe Gruters. We really appreciate it. Thanks for joining us. We will watch the results all very closely. You're right. Today is the only poll that really matters. Appreciate your being here. Coming up after the break, we will head out to our team of reporters in a trio of crucial red state Senate races. Stay with us. You're watching a very special Election Day edition of Meet the Press Now.

41:46Nikki Haley: Welcome back. As we mentioned earlier, Democrats are hoping for an historic night tonight with potential Senate victories in three states. Donald Trump won by double digits just two years ago. We have reporters in all three of those states. Maggie Vespa is in Robbins, Iowa, near Cedar Rapids. Priscilla Thompson is in Columbus, Ohio. And Liz Kreutz is in Wichita, Kansas. Thanks to all of you for being here. Maggie, I want to start with you. You're talking to voters. What

42:16Debbie Dingell: Kristen, that they're very aware of how crucial Iowa is, especially that Senate race between sitting GOP Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, Democratic State Representative Josh Turek. It's a big driver out to the polls here. This is the polling place in Robbins, Iowa. People checking in over here, filling their ballots out over to the right. We have the machine over to our right as well, where they're casting their ballots. More than 100 ballots cast today, which election officials say outpaces the 2024 presidential election at this location. We talked to voters earlier. Here's some of what they said about today.

42:50Jon Tester: We're on the verge of going good or going worse. So, you know, we're hoping that they do what they're supposed to do. I think we've got a lot of good candidates and we've got to keep Trump in power. We've got to have the help. That's what I think. Not everybody feels that way, but that's the way we feel.

43:08Debbie Dingell: Do you think it's likely that Iowa will send a Democrat to the Senate?

43:13Chuck Todd: The polls say it's a toss up. I think they will. I think there's enough motivation and emphasis this year on some of the issues and the economy that I think it will probably go blue.

43:28Debbie Dingell: And, Kristen, again, turnout has been huge. Early voting, well outpacing the 2022 midterm elections, and they expect another wave after the workday wraps up. Polls here close at nine Eastern, Kristen.

43:39Nikki Haley: All right. Great interviews there, Maggie. Really appreciate it. Thank you so much. Priscilla, let me turn to you in Ohio. You've been talking to voters as well about this race, obviously, between Sherrod Brown, John Husted. What can you tell us about what voters are saying there?

43:56Debbie Dingell: Yeah, Kristen, voters have a lot to say, and they are making that known at the polls. We're already getting a bit of that after work line forming here at this polling site with folks waiting for a chance to get at those voting booths where they are going to be able to make their choices known. And the thing that I'm hearing from every voter that I've talked to, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, is about the economy and about affordability. I'm also hearing from Democrats about things like immigration and data centers. I'm talking a little low because we want to make sure we're not disrupting the process here.

44:26Debbie Dingell: But I'll also tell you that I asked John Husted, the Republican Senate candidate here, what is it going to take? What does he want to see when these returns come in to know that he's having a good night? And he said it's about the absentee ballots. Take a listen.

44:43Jon Tester: We're going to be behind when the absentee ballots come in.

44:46Chuck Todd: I'll look for how far we're behind. And I will likely know pretty early whether we're going to win or not, unless it's super close. And then you're going to have to let the rest of the night

45:00Jon Tester: play out. But we have a number in mind. And based on the early voting turnout, we feel comfortable about where we're at and optimistic.

45:09Debbie Dingell: And Kristen, I will tell you, one of the most interesting conversations I had is with a Republican voter who told me that he supported John Husted in the Senate race. And I said, well, who did you vote for for governor? And he laughed and he said, I would prefer not to say. So I'm not sure what that means. But one thing we'll be watching tonight is there are any ticket splitters who voted for Husted but perhaps did not back the Republican gubernatorial candidate,

45:31Nikki Haley: Vivek Ramaswamy. Kristen? Yeah, we are going to be watching for ticket splitters all across the country tonight, certainly there in Ohio as well. Thank you so much, Priscilla, for that. Really appreciate it. Liz, let me turn to you. So Kansas, first of all, fascinating that we're talking about Kansas. A Republican hasn't won a Senate seat there since 1932. Adam Hamilton's a pastor. He's got potential crossover appeal. That may be one of the reasons why he's in this game. Do you think this is competitive based on your conversation with voters?

46:05Joe Gruters: Hey, Kristen, you know what? I think a lot of voters are just as surprised as all of us that this race has gotten this competitive. But being on the ground here the past several days talking to folks, everyone you ask, Republican, Democrat, they all think it is going to be a very tight race. And that Adam Hamilton has a really decent shot at winning this Senate seat. I'm going to show you we're here inside one of the most busy polling centers in Wichita right now. Now, these folks have been waiting about an hour and a half in line. And folks here, like Maggie was saying, in Iowa are also keenly aware of the balance of Congress is sort of in their hands as they make this decision.

46:40Joe Gruters: And, Kristen, earlier we talked to a couple that had just voted here, an older couple. They are lifelong Republicans. The economy was the number one issue for them. And they said for the first time in their lives they were voting for a Democrat for the Senate. And they did choose to cast their ballot for Adam Hamilton because they feel like his message of leading from the middle, the fact that he is a pastor who's going to bring, he says, decency back to Washington. It really resonated with them. But I think the fact that people are kind of leaning towards Adam Hamilton says a lot about him as a candidate, but also something about the Republican incumbent, Roger Marshall, who's faced some really bruising headlines here.

47:16Joe Gruters: And, Kristen, just one last thing I'll say. You know, we talk about Ruby Red Kansas. It is a state that has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly 100 years. But interestingly, they do often vote for Democrats for governor. So we will certainly be watching for split ticketing in this state. So they do vote for Democrats in statewide races, just really not in these federal races, Kristen.

47:37Nikki Haley: All right. Well, it's going to be an interesting night. Liz Kreutz, as always, thank you so much. Joining me now is our incredible Election Day panel. former U.N. ambassador and Republican governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, and former Democratic senator from Montana, John Tester. Thanks to both of you for being here. Happy Election Day.

47:55Joe Gruters: Oh, it's always great to see Election Day. When people use the power of their voice to get the ballot box, there's something amazing about that.

48:02Nikki Haley: I think that is one point on which we can all agree to see all of those people lined up to vote is really something. Ambassador Haley, let me start with you. What are you going to be watching for tonight?

48:13Joe Gruters: I think there's a lot of things we watch for. I mean, one, obviously, I want to watch Maine. Susan Collins has run a great race. You know, in the last election, they had her down by nine points, and then she came back and she won. And so watching Maine is going to be really important. I'm going to be watching my home state of South Carolina. Obviously, that Senate race is a lot closer than any of us want to see. And then obviously, I'm going to be watching Michigan. And that is just to see how far left are Democrats going to go. So a lot to watch tonight, for sure.

48:43Nikki Haley: Senator Tester, what are you going to be watching for tonight?

48:46Jon Tester: There's too many to name. I'll tell you that Ohio with my friend Sherrod Brown, who I served with. I'll be watching that one. I'll be watching all the ones that Haley talked about, too, by the way. But look, Texas, Texas, Texas, Texas. You know, what's going to happen in Texas? You've got a Republican state where I think Tallarico is a really good candidate running against a seriously flawed candidate. It's going to be interesting to see what the voters in Texas do.

49:12Nikki Haley: OK, let's drill down on Texas since you bring it up, Senator Tester. Ambassador, this is to some extent a question of the quality of the candidate. President Trump's been casting James Tallarico. The Democratic candidate is James Tallarico, saying he's too far left. The early vote suggests Latino voters came out in force. There was a very strong early vote. What do you make of what we've seen so far?

49:37Joe Gruters: Well, I think, first of all, there's two issues that have been really important. I think people care about the economy. They care about gas, groceries, health care, utilities. All of those things have been weighing them down. And so you're going to see them voice about that. The second thing is, I think, especially with Hispanic and Latino voters across the country, they feel like the administration went too far with ICE. You know, no one's talking about illegal immigration, which is a blessing. It's a testament to how well Trump did in curbing the border and getting that under control. The problem was, did they go too far?

50:09Joe Gruters: So I think that's going to be a major issue. But then also, when you look at Texas, we wouldn't be having this conversation if John Cornyn was the candidate. I mean, let's just be clear. We have Paxton is a is a flawed candidate. John Cornyn voted with Trump. Ninety nine percent of the time Trump chose someone different. And I think the state of Texas could pay for that. I hope not. But I think they could.

50:34Nikki Haley: How do you see it? I mean, Texas has been Democrats white whale for years. Senator, do you think this is the year they could actually turn it or is it still going to be like Lucy in the football?

50:45Jon Tester: Yeah, well, a couple things. I just want to say this because you brought up the fact that people were saying, hey, he's way too far. He's too liberal, too liberal. I remember back in 2006 when the same accusations were made against me and I won. And, of course, it was a hot race in Montana in 2006. And I got on national TV. And the first question that the host asked me was, how are you going to work with the folks on the left being a moderate? And I thought to myself, oh, I'm too far to the left. I've been hearing it for the last six months. I would just say this. I think Texas is a state where if Democrats don't win at this time, a Democrat ain't never going to win it in my kids' lifetime.

51:23Jon Tester: This is a situation where the economy is in tough shape for working folks. It's a situation where the war in Iran, very unpopular. He's pushed away our best friends in the world, and you've got a flawed candidate. You know, I mean, I just don't know that the social attacks are going to work this time, because when I fill my pickup up with diesel fuel and it costs me 150 bucks and it's only half a tank or you go to the grocery store and you can't afford to buy meat, all this stuff has an impact and it hits you every single day.

51:56Joe Gruters: But Kristen, I do want to say, I think it's really important, is that Republicans don't poll. I mean, this is really, really important. As much as Democrats are all excited and how the polls are going, Republicans don't trust polling. So these numbers are not going to be as great as Democrats are hoping they're going to be. There will be a movement to the right. But in these toss ups, is it enough to the right to get Republicans in a good place? And that's what I think we all have to watch. But we have to keep the polls in mind. They're not golden. We've seen this before and it hasn't gone the Democrats.

52:29Joe Gruters: It's an important wild card.

52:30Nikki Haley: No, it is such an important wild card to keep in mind because MAGA voters are typically not counted in the polls. And so there is going to be probably a larger conservative turnout.

52:41Joe Gruters: And nothing brings Republicans out more than the idea of a blue wave.

52:46Nikki Haley: Well, so let's talk about Michigan now. I mean, Michigan is as purple as it gets. I was on the ground in Michigan. I could feel that tension, all of the undecided voters there. Senator Tester, let me start with you. I mean, this extraordinary feud that we're seeing erupt into public view just days before Election Day. The fact that you have Haley Stevens endorsing Mike Rogers. Do you think it's going to have an impact? This is a tight race.

53:12Jon Tester: I'm going to tell you what my reaction was when I was driving down the road to come out here yesterday. And I don't know either one of those folks at all. OK, but when the person that lost the primary endorses the other person, I immediately said, I got to go to Michigan, go knock doors for El Saeed. I think it's going to have exactly the opposite effect. I really do think it's going to have the opposite effect because it's a purple state. If it was a red state, it may be a different situation. But in the purple state where, you know, Gary Peters and, you know, just go down the list. They've had they've had Democratic senators for a long, long time.

53:48Jon Tester: I think it's going to make Democrats come out and vote a lot more.

53:52Nikki Haley: Ambassador, what about that?

53:53Joe Gruters: Could it backfire and actually unify Democrats? Michigan is a purple state. El-Sayed is not a purple candidate. He is a far-left, socialist, progressive, Iranian regime sympathizer. I think the fact that she came out and supported Mike Rogers, you're going to have a lot of Democrats. You're going to have a lot of the Jewish community, the African-American community. It's going to say, wait a minute, I don't feel good about El Syed. I think that this is they're wanting to blame her for this. But I really think he is if this is the direction Michigan goes. Then we have bigger problems than just what happened in Michigan.

54:34Joe Gruters: That means the Democrat Party is moving so far left that we really need to start paying attention to what's happening.

54:40Jon Tester: Look, look, primaries are tough. I had a primary in 06. It was tough. It was toughest race I ever ran. Why? Because we're running against somebody that's supposed to be a friend and we turn into bitter enemies. But there's just an unwritten rule that if you lose a primary, you endorse. You don't have to go out and campaign, but you endorse and you go home. Or you endorse and you get on board. This is not what happened. And I just don't think it makes Haley Stevens look very good.

55:05Joe Gruters: So, you know, the Democrats loved Liz Cheney when she separated from Trump. So the idea that Democrats are mad with Haley Stevens for doing this, like, come on. I mean, I think at the end of the day, she didn't feel comfortable. Maybe there were some personal issues there. But I think if you go to voters, there's a lot of voters that don't feel comfortable with Al Syed.

55:26Nikki Haley: I want to ask you very quickly about Ohio. We're almost out of time. But you heard our reporter talk about the possibility of ticket splitters in Ohio, where the gubernatorial candidate there, Vivek Ramaswamy, you did run against him during that talking about primaries. presidential primary in 2024. Things got personal. I just want to remind our viewers of that. He ran that very controversial ad that seemed to have backfired against him. Do you think it's going to impact the Senate race there?

55:53Joe Gruters: I do. I think that's what was so selfish about it. I think he was getting desperate. I think he did this ad, which was just immoral. But what he didn't think about was what he did to the entire ticket when he did that. I think Husted's going to suffer because Ramaswamy was so narcissistic and selfish in doing this. And I think it's a shame for the people of Ohio because, look, this shouldn't have happened. And I just think it's unfortunate. Very quick, last one.

56:23Jon Tester: I just look at it from a different perspective. Sherrod Brown, who got elected when I got elected in 2006. I served with him for 18 years. Tremendous senator from Ohio. He knows Ohio very, very well. And I think Sherrod will get elected on his good record and good representation for Ohio.

56:38Nikki Haley: We're going to have to watch and see how it all unfolds. And we'll watch together tonight. Thank you both so much for being here. Such a great Election Day conversation. Really appreciate it. And thank you for watching this very special edition of Meet the Press Now. We will be back, of course, tomorrow. But right now, election night coverage officially begins on NBC and NBC News Now.

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