Meet the Press NOW — October 2

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1:02Welcome to Meet the Press Now. I'm Kristen Welker in Washington. As President Trump hits the campaign trail for the second day in a row, this time heading to Deep Red, Alabama, after stumping in Texas and Oklahoma. Yesterday, the president there just answering a range of different questions, including, is he getting tired because he's been on the campaign trail so much? He says, I never get tired. He also said Iran is not doing well. He was asked about reports of a diesel ban. He said a diesel ban was never on the table. What Europe is doing is a good thing. Talking about his announcement earlier today that Europe will be making what he calls a major contribution of oil.

1:44He says the United States will as well. And then President Trump again insisting the war with Iran will come to an end soon and gas prices will get lower. He was also asked about a special prosecutor being appointed in that investigation in New York. Those seven students accused of gang raping another student, Letitia James, is a special prosecutor who was appointed. He said, I feel bad for whosoever she's looking at because they won't get a fair shake. All of this comes amid an intensifying effort by the president to defend his record and his handling of economic issues, despite consistently poor polling numbers on his handling of the issue.

2:27And as new data out today shows a sluggish job market and wages being outpaced by inflation, the president will be delivering remarks tonight at Mobile, in a state where Republicans are expected to easily win the races for governor and Senate. But right next door is Florida's panhandle, and that state's governor's race has become increasingly competitive in large part because of the economy. Yesterday, while in Texas, President Trump doubled down on his handling of the issue. We have the greatest numbers of any president in the history of our country, and I can't get the word out. I can't get the word out.

3:03And the stock market is through the roof. And why that's good is your 401ks are higher than they've ever been before, and it's never been close. So we're doing great, but I can't get the word out. The president yesterday once again urging voters to pretend he's on the ballot while warning that Republicans are vulnerable in multiple states. We do great when I'm on the ballot. When I'm not on the ballot, people don't go and vote so much. Pretend I'm running, please, just pretend, because I am on the ballot. And if we don't win, they'll end up impeaching me. So you have to pretend I'm on the ticket and turn out for a midterm victory that's really too big to rig.

3:42We remember the term we use, too big to rig, because they rig elections in this country, and we can't let that happen. We're worried about Michigan. We're worried about Texas. We're worried about a few states. But it's all about 35 different contests, not states, contests. And I'm going to just about all of them. Now, according to the White House, President Trump is planning to visit some 17 states in the final stretch of this midterm cycle, with an itinerary that stretches from Alabama to Alaska. Joining me now is our team of reporters. NBC News senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez is in Alabama, where President Trump is set to speak tonight.

4:23NBC News chief White House correspondent Garrett Haake was at the president's rally in Oklahoma last night, and he joins me now on set. Also with us is NBC News business and data correspondent Brian Chung. Thanks to all of you for starting us off, Garrett. I want to go to you first and what we just heard from President Trump before departing for Alabama fired up. He says he doesn't get tired. He was also asked about Michael Watley, that race in North Carolina. He can see that he is worried. I think it's notable that we continue to hear the president, including in those remarks when he was on the trail yesterday, acknowledge, yeah, he has some concerns about these races.

5:00Yeah, the president seems to have just the last few days kind of woken up to the reality of the midterms, which is that his party is in deep trouble, and it's going to take a lot to dig them out of the hole they're in. Now, he believes he is the solution to digging them out of that hole, and I'm not sure that that's true. But his acknowledgment of Michael Watley's struggles and his attempt to pivot to talking about Governor Cooper's record on crime, I thought was noteworthy, and his continued insistence that Republican voters treat this election like he's on the ballot is consistent with their strategy overall.

5:29But his bigger problem here, and it was consistent in Oklahoma Homa last night and from what you heard there is this economic wish casting. He says it's because the message of his economy isn't getting out. But the reality is it's because he's describing an economy that doesn't exist. His reliance on this twenty one trillion dollar investment number, which is largely fabricated. Nobody at the White House can explain where that number even came from. He talks about prices going down. CPI data shows that, in fact, they're going up and American wages are not keeping up. So people are being more squeezed.

5:58And even when he points to things like 401k is going up. Yes, that's true. But only about half of Americans have that kind of retirement investment. So he's talking about an economy that voters are not experiencing. And that disconnect, I think, is at the heart of the Republican Party's problems right now. Well, and by the way, Garrett, that disconnect is exactly what former President Joe Biden did when he was running for reelection. And it didn't work. You've been covering Texas as well as we watch the Senate race there. And do you get the sense that voters are willing to go so far as to vote for Democrats in those races?

6:34I mean, this is a reliably red state. Yeah, it has been historically, at least for the last 30 years or so. Look, I mean, I think the challenge right now in these midterms is I think one half of the argument seems to be all but decided. Voters are very upset with the Republican record on the economy. We see it in poll after poll, in focus groups. They are fed up with Republicans. But have Democrats sufficiently made the case to win them over? It varies a lot on where you are. And in Texas, one of the people I spoke to recently was the editor-in-chief of the Texas Tribune, the great nonprofit news organization out of Austin, talked about this challenge that Democrats are going to have in winning over some of these voters who may have never cast a ballot for a Democrat in their lives.

7:13Listen to what he told me in Austin. I think there's a lot of rural voters who are ready to vote for somebody else, but they're not yet sold on the Democrats who are available to them. Yeah. And then the question is, do you are you mad enough to vote for a Democrat? I think my gut tells me a lot of these folks. The answer to that question is no. But are you so mad that you're not going to get up and drive 20 minutes to the poll on Election Day or before Election Day? That is the bigger question. And I think there's a lot of worry. Like, I mean, really, if you go to town halls with state legislators, if you go to these campaigns, there is a lot of anger there.

7:52And the Republicans in the state are really, really scrambling to sort of respond to that and show that they're listening and will hear that anger the next time they meet in the legislature. So this is the unanswered question of October. Do those angry voters cross the line and vote for Democrats? Do they stay home or can they be convinced to get back into the tent? In Texas specifically, we're going to see what like$200 million worth of negative advertising can do to at least keep those people off the sidelines in that Senate race. But it's going to be fascinating to watch down the stretch. It sure is.

8:25And it's such a great interview, Garrett. And if you want more, you can catch more of Garrett's great reporting on Here's the Scoop Election Edition every Saturday until Election Day. Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcast. Garrett, congratulations. Great conversations. Really enjoying it. All right, Gabe, let me head out to you in Alabama. President Trump heading there as we speak. And he continues on this midterm tour. And again, as I was just discussing with Garrett, Alabama is a deep red state. Why is the president choosing to appear there today? What's his strategy and what are you going to be watching for?

9:01well christen he will be basking in the warm glow of his supporters we've been speaking with some of them already today and i put the question directly to them do you blame president trump for rising gas prices and each of them says no absolutely not they recite the familiar talking points of oh he had to go into iran to make sure that iran did not have a nuclear weapon these are his main supporters his base and the people he will need really across the country to come out to get Republicans in a good place for these midterm elections. The voters I did speak with here, they acknowledge that there is some concern about turnout, that they might have friends that might be unwilling to vote for the president this time around.

9:41But Kristen, you hit the nail in the head with Garrett. I thought it was so striking last night to hear President Trump make that acknowledgement that he's worried about a place like Texas. That is so unusual, something you could not have imagined him saying just even a few months ago, Kristen. So certainly this is, you know, his main base of support here. And the White House feels that this will ramp up his base before he heads into some of those more competitive states down the line. This is a two for one as well. You mentioned the governor's race here. Yes, Republicans are expected to win. But you mentioned that tighter race across the state line over in Florida.

10:16He hopes to get some media coverage in the Florida panhandle for his appearance here, Kristen. Yeah, big media market there, Gabe, for sure. Look, the backdrop to all of this is the economy, the growing frustrations over high energy prices and inflation. The president has acknowledged and he says it's a messaging failure. But based on your conversations with your sources, is there a sense that the president needs to do more to meet people where they are right now as it relates to the economy, Gabe? Well, look, I look at the White House. White House officials say that there is an acknowledgement that the president is his own best messenger.

10:52At least that is their view. And that is why they are trying to get him out there. As you mentioned, 17 states over the next couple of weeks, the president saying it really all comes down to 35 or 40 races. Yes. When it was first announced, his stops in Oklahoma and Texas and Alabama today, also Nebraska early next week, there was some questioning about why start with those races. Why not go to some place, the places that are even more competitive. But they really are trying to, the White House officials that I've spoken with say that he will, that he is his own best messenger. And they really do think that once he makes his case in these last couple of weeks, that his supporters will buy what he's selling.

11:36Essentially, that he had to go into Iran, that this is a short-term issue with the gas prices. And even though many of his critics argue and public polling suggest, that many Americans are just not buying his handling of the economy. They feel that if he gets out there strongly, strong enough in these last couple of weeks that he can get enough Republican voters to the polls to make a difference here, Kristen. All right. We'll watch and see how it all plays out. Gabe Gutierrez, thank you so very much. Brian Chung, I want to turn to you now and dig into this jobs report that we all saw today came in softer than expected.

12:10What do you think it tells everyone about the labor market right now as we head into the midterms? Well, Kristen, to the point that you were just discussing with both Gabe and with Garrett, this is an economy that is slowing on the jobs market front as inflation remains an issue. Let's kind of rehash some of the numbers that we got this morning. 29 ,000 jobs is how many were added in the month of September. That was well below what economists were expecting. They were expecting about 84 ,000. And also consider that the government data as is part of the normal practice, they took a look at the two months prior to that and said, whoa, actually, we had 60 ,000 fewer jobs created in both of those months than originally looked at.

12:49That means that for the month of July, where we originally thought we had gained jobs, we contracted jobs to the tune of about 10 ,000. And when we take a look at the picture on the industries, healthcare and leisure and hospitality, that is where we did see job gains. Government jobs did decline by 17 ,000 And employment services, this would be headhunter jobs, also contracting by over 14 ,000. Could that be a leading indicator for slower job growth in the months to come? We're also watching that as well. But I think the big story here is, of course, inflation. As you were just talking about, this is the big issue for most Americans at the dinner table.

13:233.4%, that's how much prices are increasing. Wages are not keeping up with that at 3%, according to this report. This number has been higher than this number since April of this year. that means families are really feeling that pain on affordability, Kristen. And on unemployment, we're also seeing data that shows it's actually been harder for people without a job to find a new job. What are you seeing there, Brian? Yeah, well, this report, interestingly, despite all that I just told you about, again, this is, by the way, the wage picture, the green line is inflation, wage is the blue line. So again, outpacing there.

13:56But the unemployment rate at 4.2%, historically pretty good. We've actually been closer to 5 % over time. But the problem here, is when you take a look at long-term unemployment, this is the percentage of unemployed people that say they've been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer. That is at 27%. That is the highest number that we've seen if you exclude the pandemic, which is a very extraneous circumstance, since 2015. And the average amount of time that people say they're out of the jobs market is more than six months. So they're sidelined for quite a while. This is an alarming trend that shows this low-hire, low-fire environment is really coming at the expense of people that are looking for a job.

14:35I should also point out the black unemployment rate has risen quite sharply from six to seven percent. So not all corners of this economy are feeling what is still a low unemployment rate, at least at the headline number, Kristen. All right, Brian Chung, as always, thank you so very much. We really appreciate it. Joining me now is Republican Congressman Tom Barrett of Michigan. He's locked in a reelection race against progressive candidate William Lawrence. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate it. Yeah, thank you for having me on. I want to start off by playing for you something that President Trump said about Michigan and the midterm landscape at a rally last night.

15:14Take a look. We're worried about Michigan. We're worried about Texas. We're worried about a few states, but it's all about 35 different contests, not states, contests. and I'm going to just about all. Is President Trump right? Should Republicans be worried about Michigan? How do you see it? Well, sure. I mean, Michigan is a very competitive state. It's no secret that we're a very competitive swing state. We were two years ago. We were four years ago. We were six years ago, and we will be next year as well. And it kind of brings forth the effort that all of us have as candidates in these competitive races to really go out and make the case to the voters in this district where I'm running, the 7th Congressional District.

16:02Certainly, we have the contrast between my record, going to work every day for my constituents, raising a family in my district. I have four kids of my own that my wife and I are raising here versus my opponent who says the nuclear family is a violent way to organize society. So yes, we do have to take it seriously. And that's what I'm doing every day from now until the election is making that case to the voters in my district of that contrast. Let me ask you, Congressman, about this new poll in Michigan. It actually shows Democrats up nine points in the generic ballot. Do you think that your opponent has the momentum right now in this race?

16:40Well, my opponent is very far from being any sort of generic Democrat. If you look at his rhetoric, actually, Democrats have come out to really criticize him. Hillary Skolten, who represents the district next to mine, is a Democrat running for re-election and has said that William Lawrence is not fit to serve in Congress. The Congressional Black Caucus said that anybody supporting my opponent should reverse their decision because he's not qualified to serve in Congress either. This is somebody who has routinely called for defunding and abolishing the police. When Lansing had risen in crime to the ninth most violent city in America, this is the central city of the district that I represent, my opponent said that we ought to abolish the police altogether.

17:23He said he wants to grant amnesty to every illegal immigrant, throw open our borders, and it would absolutely reverse the progress we've made on bringing fentanyl overdose down. These are really big differences between him and I. So I would say my opponent is far from being any kind of generic Democrat, especially in a year like this where every vote is going to matter. Let me ask you about President Trump. As you know, he is out on the campaign trail. This final sprint from now until Election Day, he's making a number of stops planning to campaign in Michigan as well. His approval rating sits at 41 percent in the state.

17:57Do you think that he's an asset to you on the campaign trail, Congressman? Well, President Trump actually already came out to my district just about a month ago, and I campaigned with him when he was in my district. And look, I supported President Trump, voted for him three different times. And I want the president to be successful. And certainly I've supported much of what the president has done to secure our border, for example. One of our biggest achievements, bringing down fentanyl overdose deaths. We have near zero illegal immigration into our country now versus where we were at just a few years ago.

18:33And I want the president to succeed. And I've had a few differences with the president, one being the war in Iran, where I was one of the only Republican votes against the continuation of the war in Iran. I take that responsibility very, very seriously. I spent 22 years of my life in the United States Army. My career spanned the entire duration of the war on terror. And I think war is one of the most serious things that a country can get involved in. And I think it deserves the debate in Congress to make that decision. And certainly I've had a difference of opinion with the president about that.

19:06And I haven't been shy about acknowledging that. But that doesn't mean I don't want this president to succeed. I want any president to succeed. President Trump is the president of the United States for the next two and a half years. And I want him to succeed for our country. And I want to help him in that effort. And just to be very clear, you've campaigned with him before. You welcome him coming back out on the campaign trail with you again in these closing weeks? You plan to campaign with him? If President Trump if President Trump comes back to my district, of course, we would we would be there to see him.

19:34I don't know if he's going to come back having just been here or not. But but that's a decision that obviously the White House will make. But like I said, you know, I have been somebody who has followed my conscience, voted the way that I believe we ought to, especially on the issue of the war in Iran. But there's been a few other things as well. I was one of the very first Republicans to sign on to the bill to release the Epstein files. And I've also had, you know, some differences of opinion with the president relative to data center developments, artificial intelligence regulations, Chinese cars bringing them into our country, which I've opposed because of the the nature of how the Chinese would manipulate the marketplace and take over the jobs that the UAW has here in my district.

20:17We have two different General Motors plants where we make cars that American families rely on every single day. Let me ask you about the economy. President Trump has been making some notable comments about the economy. This is what he said. I'm going to get your reaction on the other side. Everyone thinks that the prices are high because of me, but they're not. We're the ones bringing down the prices. Congressman, a new poll says 65 percent of Americans blame the president's policies for higher prices. Do you believe Republicans should be held responsible for those higher prices? Well, if you look historically at where we were at just a few years ago, of course, inflation was running at nearly 10 % across America.

20:57It was a major reason why I ran for Congress. My wife and I are raising four kids in this district. Prices are still too high for health care, for housing, for a whole host of different things, a gallon of gas, a gallon of diesel, groceries. Those are all things that are interconnected, of course, and are largely related to the ongoing conflict that we have in Iran, which I've already given you my position on that a couple of different times on this interview, as well as in various other interviews and statements I've made over the last five or six months. But, you know, we are working hard every single day to bring down costs for every single American family.

21:31We pass broad tax relief so that working families will save more money and expanded child tax credit, no taxes on tips or overtime or social security wages for almost 90 percent of seniors across my district receiving that benefit. but I don't think the job is done. That's why I'm running for reelection. I want to continue to go back and work on behalf of families like mine that are struggling with high health insurance costs. I've introduced legislation that would hold the health insurance companies accountable to spend more of the money we send them in premium on actual healthcare and less on these exorbitant corporate bonuses that they're giving their executives while all of us get sicker and spend more money.

22:11I spent almost twenty thousand dollars last year covering my family for health insurance just last year alone. And I'm not the only one paying that kind of cost in my district. And I want to go back and continue to work on those challenges that we're all facing. To your point about the fact that inflation has been historically high, it was at three percent when President Biden left office. It's now above three percent. It's been there for six consecutive months. Do Do you? President Trump says he gets an A plus on the economy. What grade would you give him? Well, I it may surprise you to learn that I was an army grunt, not a school teacher.

22:48So I don't give out grades. I would be unqualified to do that. So I appreciate the question, but I'm not qualified to answer. That was an artful dodge. Would you give him an A plus? That's not you. You know, that's the highest grade you can get. I know what you're trying to do, but no, I think the job, I think the job remains unfinished in Washington again, which is why I'm going back to represent my district, my constituents and families like mine to continue the work that we've done and continue to advocate for them every single day. And that's the job that I'm focused on, not giving grades to any person or any entity.

23:26All right. Congressman Tom Barrett, we have a number of weeks between now until Election Day. I hope you'll come back and join us again. Thanks so very much for your time this afternoon. Yeah. Thank you for having me. And speaking of the midterm elections, tune in Tuesday for an NBC News special decision, 2026 battle for control of Congress. I'll be joined by my colleagues, Hallie Jackson, Steve Kornacki and our team of NBC News reporters laying out the stakes with just four weeks until election day. And it all kicks off at 8 p.m. Eastern right here on NBC News. And coming up, breaking news. New York Governor Kathy Hochul taps the state's attorney general to act as a special prosecutor to investigate those disturbing allegations of rape at Cornell University amid growing backlash over the district attorney's handling of the case.

24:17You're watching Meet the Press now.

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25:57Welcome back. We are following breaking news and new developments in the investigation into an alleged gang rape on the Cornell University campus in 2024. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announcing today she's appointed State Attorney General Letitia James to oversee that investigation as a special prosecutor. The governor telling reporters the alleged victim was failed by the people and institutions meant to protect her. Listen, no institution gets to protect its reputation at the expense of a young person seeking justice. No public official gets to look the other way when the system breaks down and fails our young people.

26:38And as governor, I will not allow anyone to sweep this case under the rug. We are ensuring that all the facts of this case are brought into the light. In a statement today, the Tompkins County District Attorney said, quote, I support the appointment of Attorney General James, and I trust that she will examine the facts and apply the law. It has become clear that we were not provided the full picture by the university. The focus has been and should continue to be on the victims. My office will cooperate fully with the Attorney General. The alleged assault and the district attorney's initial decision not to prosecute have been put in the spotlight after the accuser identified in a court document as Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit last month.

27:22She alleges seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity sexually assaulted her inside the fraternity house while she was intoxicated. She reported the incident to university police three weeks later, who sent a sworn statement from Jane Doe to the local DA. The DA's office determined that the allegations did not constitute a crime. Three of the men accused by Jane Doe have publicly denied the allegations against them, and the others have not responded publicly. NBC News has not been able to reach them for comment. Cornell has also faced intense scrutiny for its handling of the allegations. The university said it supports the appointment of a special prosecutor and an independent external review.

28:04Students lashed out at the Ivy League school's administration during a public meeting late yesterday. The Cornell student body is facing a mental health crisis. Students should not have to choose between grieving and keeping up with their academic responsibilities as if nothing can happen. NBC News correspondent Valerie Castro joins me now, along with NBC News senior legal analyst Danny Savalos. Thanks to both of you for being here. Valerie, this is just such a disturbing case. Why do you think Governor Hochul wanted to appoint the Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor at this point?

28:43Well, Kristen, Governor Hochul really had scathing remarks this morning talking about why she made that decision to appoint the new special prosecutor in this case. Earlier this week, the Tompkins County District Attorney announced he was reopening an investigation into this after that civil suit was filed. But of course, this morning, Kathy Hochul announcing that Attorney General James will now take over that investigation. The governor pointing to the fact that the district attorney did not interview Jane Doe, the alleged victim, for himself at the time that these allegations were made. But instead, he relied on information provided to him by campus police and the university.

29:19So the governor really condemning his actions early on in this case when he did not move to pursue criminal charges. As you mentioned, he did issue a statement today saying, in part, it has become clear that we were not provided the full picture by the university. He has said his office will fully cooperate with the attorney general. And Valerie, what new authority does the attorney general have now? Attorney General James is now launching a criminal investigation into all of what happened in this case. She says they will be gathering facts. Her office will be reinterviewing witnesses, gathering new evidence.

29:58And if warranted, she could potentially pursue prosecutions in this case. Kristen. Danny, with that, let me turn to you. I mean, how unusual is this decision by the governor to appoint a special prosecutor? It's very unusual. It's authorized by New York law, but it's unusual for several reasons. First of all, it's been several years. The case was essentially nonexistent. It was only resurrected by a civil complaint filed by a plaintiff's attorney seeking monetary damages, not by any push to reopen a criminal case. and no appointment of the attorney general is going to change the underlying facts that right or wrong are what they are and are going to make any prosecution very difficult.

30:45Well, Danny, you know, this assault allegation is prompting calls for legislation to change New York's laws regarding intoxication and consent. Walk us through what those laws say and what the calls are for them to change. Right. A victim's mental incapacity can negate consent to have sex. But as the statute reads, it's really only when they're involuntarily intoxicated. In other words, voluntary intoxication takes it outside of the statute scope. So someone who makes themselves voluntarily intoxicated, whether it be ketamine, alcohol, whatever, is not is not within the mental incapacity part of that statute.

31:27That doesn't mean there might not be other ways to prove the lack of consent. But that, for example, is something that many have called for a change. Valerie, let me turn back to you because Cornell is responding. What is Cornell saying in the wake of this appointment of a special prosecutor? Kristen did issue a statement earlier today saying we fully support the appointment of a special prosecutor in efforts to change New York state's rape law and are committed to an independent external review of all aspects of how Cornell has handled this case. Of course, that statement making reference to the rape law that Danny just spoke about.

32:07Kristen. And Danny, as you watch this unfold, what specifically are you going to be watching for in the coming weeks? There's not going to be a lot to watch for because I imagine the AG is going to conduct their investigation in secret. I don't expect they'll update us on the moves they'll make. In fact, we don't know everything, but a lot of the evidence we've already seen, presumably we won't be hearing anything new from the AG's office as they investigate. But the big thing I'm watching for is, will they go to a grand jury? And what will happen if they do at that grand jury? All right. Well, Danny, Valerie, we really appreciate your joining us.

32:44Thank you so very much. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you are not alone. Call the national sexual assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit RAINN.org. The hotline run by the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network can put you in contact with your local rape crisis center. Help is just a moment away. Coming up next, we are going to look at the escalating blowback from A horrific story, a botched execution after Tennessee officials failed twice to execute convicted murderer Krista Pike by lethal injection. The state's current governor and candidates for governor now weighing in.

33:30We'll take a look at all of it. Stay with us on Meet the Press Now.

33:39This message comes from Wise Business, the only account your business needs to scale globally. You're building a business with global ambitions, but hidden fees are eating into your margins. With Wise Business, you can pay overseas suppliers without exchange rate markups. Have customers worldwide get payment details in 22 currencies, so you get more of each hard-earned payment without hidden conversion fees. Be smart. Get Wise Business. Download the app. T's and C's apply. This holiday, all plans, even unlimited, are just$15 a month. A holiday deal this good obviously deserves an enormously expensive holiday song, like All I Want.

34:19Right. Okay, we can afford that. You know what? Forget the music budget. We're going to stick with whatever's in the public domain. Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of$45 for three months,$90 for six months, or$180 for a 12-month plan required,$15 per month equivalent, taxes and fees extra. New customer offer for initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes may slow when network is busy. See terms. Shipping, billing, admin, payroll, marketing. You're managing all the things, so why waste time sending important documents the old-fashioned way? Mail and ship when you want, how you want with Stamps.com.

34:51Print postage on demand 24-7 and schedule pickups from your office or home. Save up to 90 % with automated rate shopping. That's why over 1 million small businesses trust Stamps.com. Go to Stamps.com and use code PODCAST to try Stamps.com risk-free for 60 days. welcome back we have new details about the condition of krista pike the tennessee death row inmate still alive after a botched execution attempt her attorneys say she is on a ventilator and unconscious two days after she was given two doses of a lethal drug the attorneys also now say they believe the ivy lines were not properly placed allowing the drug to flow into her body and not her bloodstream.

35:37Krista has endured punishment greater than any other person in the history of the American death penalty. The governor must commute Krista's sentence now. Tennessee's Republican Governor Bill Lee has halted all executions scheduled for the remainder of the year and ordered an independent review of what went wrong. While the candidates vying to succeed him in office have taken very different approaches, Republican Governor nominee Marsha Blackburn is now calling for the state to begin using the electric chair again for executions. While Democrat Jerry Green is vowing to replace a moratorium on all future executions if she's elected.

36:17NBC News' Jessie Kirsch joins me now with the very latest. Jessie, I have to ask you about the condition of Krista Pike. What do we know about it? She's hooked up to a ventilator? That's the latest information we have, Kristen. And to be frank, that may be outdated at this point. This is from a filing that came through today from her attorneys. But as of what we've been told by them yesterday, they were not able to see her themselves in person in the hospital. And they were describing her condition as of Thursday night and that that filing. So this may be on a delayed timeline. But the latest information we have, according to her attorneys, quote, she is intubated on a ventilator and remains unconscious.

36:56And I want to read more from their filing today. This, by the way, was her attorneys requesting that the Tennessee Department of correction be ordered to save all evidence related to this botched execution, this failed execution from earlier this week. Some more details from this court filing. Quote, one needle was bent in at a 90 degree angle when it was removed. Another quote, she could be heard crying, whimpering, and breathing loudly throughout the procedure. And another, yet another quote, both of her arms were swollen, burned, and blistered, describing the ordeal from their perspective of what she was going through.

37:33And I spoke with our medical contributor, Dr. Natalie Azar, earlier today, and she and I were discussing this. And as she described it to me, when you have something like pentobarbital, the lethal drug used in this kind of execution, anything being inserted improperly into the body would create some kind of pain. But then this specific drug has its own added element of pain associated with it potentially because of what it is made up of. So those are the kinds of things that this death row inmate would be going through potentially. And her attorney is pointing to this as torturous, cruel. And of course, the whole point of the execution procedure is supposed to be to carry out a death sentence in a not cruel or unusual way.

38:19Kristen. It's just really tough to hear those details. Jesse, Governor Bill Lee has ordered an independent review of exactly what went wrong. Who's leading that investigation? What's that status? We don't have many details on that. When the governor had spoken in the aftermath of this failed execution, it was it was not clear who would be leading this third party review. That's how he's phrased it. But it's unclear what that third party would be. And the other thing to keep in mind, generally speaking, there's a lot of secrecy around how executions are carried out across the country. And there are any number of reasons that could be pointed to as to why that is the case.

39:01For example, when we were reviewing Tennessee's procedure for how they carry out executions in their state, there are multiple redactions, including around equipment even. So it's not fully clear that the public would ever know the full extent of any revisions if and when they are made to this procedure. So, in other words, even if they go through a third party review and is completed and the governor or some leader at the state level tells us publicly that there have been changes made, we may not get to see the full details of those changes when it all is finished. Fascinating. All right, Jesse Kirsch, great reporting as always.

39:38Thank you for joining us. We really appreciate it. Coming up after the break, it's the climb. Vice President J.D. Vance gets candid with NBC News about Republicans' midterm prospects and how the results could impact his decision to run for president in 2028. We have the takeaways from that exclusive interview. Stay with us on Meet the Press Now.

40:08Welcome back. As we mentioned, Republicans and the Trump administration are going all out, making their case to voters with just 31 days until the midterms. That includes Vice President J.D. Vance, who sat down with our NBC's Henry Gomez for an exclusive interview. The vice president acknowledging Republicans face a, quote, uphill climb in next month's elections. And joining me now is NBC News senior national politics reporter Henry Gomez. Congratulations on a great interview, Henry. So what were your other key takeaways? What more did the vice president tell you about how he views this midterm landscape?

40:45Well, thanks, Kristen. The vice president described himself to me as cautiously optimistic about what Republicans are headed toward in November. He also said that numbers he's seen lead him to believe that, quote, maybe, unquote, things are trending back in Republicans' direction. But I do have to say he was setting some lower expectations, talking about how the midterm cycle traditionally, when a party holds the White House and holds both branches of Congress, it's traditionally a brutal year for that party. And, you know, that's also not considering the fact that President Trump's approval ratings are quite low.

41:22People are unhappy with the war in Iran, with gas prices. They're concerned about AI. They're concerned about data centers. So these are all things that the vice president is bearing in mind as he's out there trying to whip up support for Republicans up and down the ballot this fall. Well, you take me to my next question. I mean, how does the vice president view his role in these midterms? Well, it's twofold. He's the he's the chair of the Republican National Committee's Finance Committee, which is it's unheard of. This is unprecedented that a sitting vice president would essentially be the chief fundraiser for the national party.

41:57So he's been traveling the country to raise money for the party, and he's also been headlining rallies. He has been going to key districts for House races, key states with Senate races. He's probably going to places where Trump isn't welcome or wouldn't perform as well and trying to make that case. Yesterday, actually, was a little bit more unusual for Vance. We traveled to Florida, which has been trending redder and redder over the last few cycles. But he was there to campaign for Byron Donalds, the candidate for governor, and for Senator Ashley Moody. So he definitely sees himself as somebody that can sell a more forward-looking vision of the Republican Party.

42:33He's 42 years old. The president is term limited. And of course, everybody is wondering whether J.D. Vance himself will run to succeed Trump in 2028. Well, and you take me to my next question, Henry. You asked him about 2028. What were your big takeaways from that? You think he's in? Well, you know, as well as I do, Kristen, every time you ask J.D. Vance about 2028, He finds some sort of dodge, doesn't like to answer the question directly. He's been talking about how his job is to serve as a loyal vice president and to get the party through the midterms. Well, the midterms are coming up. So I asked, if this midterm election is as brutal as people think it could be for Republicans, might that cause him to say, no, this is not the right time for me to run for president?

43:20And he declined to offer a definitive statement there. But he did say, and I found this interesting, that he's collecting all the data, all this information, as he will decide whether or not to run for president. And the midterm results, of course, he acknowledged, will be new information and something that he has to consider before he decides whether or not to go forward. Also thought it was interesting, I did ask him about Senator Ted Cruz, who has been making some noise about possibly running for president again. And Ted Cruz has talked about this battle for the Republican Party with, you know, small government free market conservatives on one side and a big government nanny seat on the other.

44:00And what he's doing is trying to engineer this rivalry with J.D. Vance. So I asked the vice president about that. And I tell you, he did seem more eager to talk about Ted Cruz and his presidential ambitions than he did about his own. He made this comment that obvious it's obvious to him that Ted Cruz is already at this moment running for president. and the vice president said, I'm out there campaigning for Republican candidates. Well, it's a really great interview, Henry. Thank you so very much. And congratulations on getting it. We really appreciate it. And joining me now is the panel, Scott Wong, NBC News senior congressional reporter, Adrian Elrod, former senior advisor to the Harris presidential campaign, and Ashley Davis, former White House official in the Bush administration.

44:44Thanks to all of you for being here on this Friday. Scott, let me start with you. President Trump out on the campaign trail barnstorming. The White House says he's going to hit 17 different states before it's all said and done. How are candidates, particularly those in vulnerable races, navigating President Trump being on the trail? Yeah, it's tough. It's absolutely a high wire balancing act for many of these Republicans. Case in point, Ken Paxson yesterday in Texas, the Senate candidate, he was there with Trump as he was campaigning just outside of Dallas. But he was not on stage with President Trump.

45:22He was sitting in the audience. Trump at one point says, is Ken Paxson even here? That was a perfect example of the struggle that a lot of these candidates have with keeping their distance but also staying a little bit close to Trump. Ashley, weigh in on the struggle, how you see this unfolding. And do you think that President Trump is an asset? Because a lot of Republicans are saying, look, he's still the best person to drive turnout. Is that how you see it? In some states, he's definitely the best person to drive turnout. I mean, you see examples like he's not probably going to go to New Hampshire.

45:57He's probably not going to go to Alaska and places like that. But you will see him last weekend. He was in Tennessee with Marsha Blackburn and Senator Hagerty, and they were sitting right beside him. So it makes sense for certain states, and it makes sense for him not to go to certain states. I mean, I think this happens every time. I mean, I remember back in my days, like, no one wanted Dick Cheney in everywhere for a while, you know. And so it just it is how it is. And it just depends on how popular is in those states. Adrienne, it is something that we've seen historically that the party in power, the president, not all that popular in a midterm election cycle.

46:31How do you think Democrats are viewing President Trump being out on the campaign trail? Because, of course, from Democrats perspective, he drives the Democratic base out as well. Well, yeah, and I absolutely agree with what Ashley said. But he's also going to places like Oklahoma, like deep red Trump territory, places like Alabama. he's going to those places sure of course driving turnout among the MAGA base for some of these senate candidates is important but he's also going to these places because those candidates are lagging so much among the republican base because republican and independent voters of course because they're so frustrated with trump's policies so yes this is the challenge that republicans have this cycle in particular because you can't completely uh let trump go because there are still there's still a very devoted base but that base has been shrinking and if you're going to try to attract and get back some of those independent voters, which Republicans have lost substantially the cycle.

47:24You have to figure out how to sort of, you know, have a balancing act. And it's hard to do that, embracing the MAGA base and embracing independent voters. Yeah. You know, Scott, it's interesting. Something that President Trump said on the trail really caught our attention. We hadn't really heard him lean into this idea before, acknowledging his concerns that he has about various states. Take a look at this. We're worried about Michigan. We're worried about Texas. We're worried about a few states. But it's all about 35 different contests, not states, contests. And I'm going to just about all of it.

48:04What did you make of that? I mean, sort of acknowledging to everyone, yep, we got all these states that are up for grabs. Yeah, he's saying, you know, know, the quiet part out loud. This is going to be a slog for the Republican Party and, you know, everyone down ballot. Trump's obviously not on the ballot, but he was sending a message, I think, to the party, to donors, to strategists, to pundits, to voters themselves. Hey, wake up. We're going to have really tough contests in places like Michigan, Texas and elsewhere. God, no, I was just going to say, I always feel there's something underneath what he says and why he does something very intentionally.

48:42And so I do think I do agree with you. I think a lot of it is, OK, I feel like we're in trouble here. So make sure that people give more money and come out to vote. And so we are in trouble in those states. I'm glad you raised the money issue, because, Adrian, in a lot of these close states and close races, Democrats are being outspent. Yeah. By Republicans, you know, and how much of a difference money doesn't always make the difference, but particularly in close races, it can make the difference. It can make the difference, but like the difference this cycle, Kristen, is that yes, Democrats are being outspent by Republicans in some of these key Senate races, but they're winning or they are at least within two to three points, especially in states.

49:22I mean, right now we're competitive in South Carolina. We're competitive in Texas. We are competitive in Kansas and places, even Mississippi and places that Democrats at the statewide level have not been competitive in a long time. Ashley, do Do Republicans fear that those states are in play? I mean, when you look at a state like Texas, you think about the Beto O 'Rourke race, different indicators this time around. But Republicans say, look, at the end of the day, it's a red state. But is it different this time, do you think? Well, Texas in particular, first of all, I think the president owns Texas because he went big in for Paxton.

49:57And he there's going to be so much money spent there because Paxton is not a great candidate. And but other places like Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina. I mean, one of the reasons I'm so glad we finally started or SLF for the Senate Leadership Fund fundraising arm started pulling out of North Carolina is because we don't need to be spending money there. I mean, I think the last six, eight months we've been talking about that race is kind of gone. So why don't we spend time in New Hampshire or Michigan, Kansas? This is where I think money does matter. There's a big ad by that just went up today that pretty much that puts the Democrat candidate in a really bad light and about some of the things with his church.

50:37And so I think that's where money does matter in Kansas. This is the Roger Marshall, Adam Hamilton race. Yes. And they've had some feisty debates. They got another one coming up. But Kansas, is that something that Democrats think is is a possibility? Yeah, and I understand that Ashley's referencing, but the candidate the Democrats have put up, Hamilton, is a very strong candidate. He's a minister. He's a man of faith. And let's also not forget, Kansas has a Democratic governor. She's outgoing, but this is a state that has elected Democrats statewide just as recently as a couple years ago. Yeah, Scott, all of this comes as our colleague Henry Gomez did have that interview with the vice president, which was revealing in a whole host of ways.

51:22Do you think the vice president can be an asset out on the campaign trail? Because he's out there, too, choosing his places that he travels to very carefully. Yeah, I do. I mean, the vice president is a little bit more on message than President Trump is. The vice president is certainly younger. He appeals to a different set of voters. And so I do think that in certain states, in certain swing districts, some of those vulnerable candidates would prefer to have a vice president who's a little bit more on message than the president of the United States. Actually, I thought it was so interesting that J.D.

51:56Vance said he's going to assess what happens in the midterms and make his decision based on that. I think a lot of people think it's full steam ahead for Vice President J.D. Vance. And he's really had his eye on having the baton when the time is right. Do you think if Republicans don't do well in these midterms that that could impact his chances? A hundred percent. I think it opens up the ability for other people to run. I mean, obviously, Ted Cruz, we see Chris Christie's running again. So I think others will jump in. You can see someone like Senator Kennedy who's like floating out there. And you see someone like the governor of Arkansas.

52:38She's starting to float out there. So I think if we have a bad midterm in regards to if we lose the House, fine. I think a lot of people are expecting that. If we lose the Senate, I think that brings out a lot of people. All right. Which I think competition is good. Yeah, it's going to be fascinating. That's for sure. We're out of time. But thanks for a great conversation. Scott, Adrian and Ashley really appreciate it. We will be back Monday with more Meet the Press now. And if it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press on your local NBC news stations. I'll have exclusive interviews with former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Senator John Kennedy, who was just mentioned.

53:12Plus, Steve Kornacki will be here with the brand new NBC News poll in the final month of Latino voters. There's much more ahead on NBC News Now.

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