Meet the Press NOW — October 21

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1:10welcome to meet the press now i'm kristen welker with less than two weeks to go until the midterms president trump is now offering even more financial promises to voters if they vote republican at the same time as new polling points to a worsening midterm environment for his party The president notably now also seeming to be managing expectations as he blitzes the campaign trail yesterday, repeatedly acknowledging the political reality that midterms are rarely kind to the party in power. The president always loses for whatever reason, the midterms, whoever it is, Republican, Democrat, great president, lousy president for some reason.

1:52I don't understand how it's possible. A good president tends not to win. I don't. There's no reason for it. So we're going to try and change it. Now I'm doing something different. I'm working like a dog.

2:08It comes amid a slate of new polling showing a sizable majority of voters disapprove of Mr. Trump's job as president, driven in large part by frustration over his handling of the economy. Tonight, the president will continue his seven-day, seven-state midterm travel blitz in South Carolina as our friends at the Cook Political Report move the state's Senate race into battleground territory, changing its rating from likely Republican to lean Republican as Dr. Annie Andrews looks to defeat Senator Darlene Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who addressed the move from Cook earlier today.

2:45There are pockets in South Carolina where people are moving primarily along the coast and Charleston especially where people are moving from other states so that's what I attribute the shift to. I'm feeling optimistic that we're still solid red. The thing with the polling numbers is she is outspending us. She's spending like a million dollars a week on these deceiving ads deceiving the people of South Carolina. It's very concerning. We're walking into standing room only crowds everywhere we go because people are ready for change. People see that my opponent is just more of the same, that she will be a puppet.

3:20She won't fight for South Carolina. We can't afford to hand the Senate seat for six years to someone who won't put South Carolina first. Meanwhile, the president is doubling down on financial incentives to turn out voters. He is repeatedly promising every adult$5 ,000, but only if Republicans win both chambers of Congress. If Republicans win the House of Representatives and the Senate, I am going to give all adult citizens in the United States of America$5 ,000. Only I can make this promise to you. You know what I'm going to promise? $5 ,000. If the Republicans win, you will each receive$5 ,000 in your pocket.

4:06And in his latest campaign swing, the president is rolling out state-specific promises of investments and regulatory breaks, including last night in North Carolina, promising financial settlements to veterans who were victims of contaminated water at the Camp Lejeune military facility. But only if Democrats are defeated at the ballot box, he says. In addition to$3.3 billion, we've provided for the VA in less than two years. and if we win the House and the Senate, I am directing the Department of Justice to settle all remaining legitimate claims as soon as possible and get it off the books and get it finished.

4:45With Roger Marshall in the Senate, we will make year-round E15 permanent. But if Adam Hamilton is in, I'm not doing it. That's it. I'm only doing it for him. If the Republicans win the Department of War, will be investing$100 million in the pharmaceutical company Anthea to revitalize a gigantic drug manufacturing facility in Winchester, Kentucky. We will be establishing a brand new United States National Space Academy and every other state wants it. If we win the midterms, Ohio will be very, very strongly considered for this Joining me now from South Carolina ahead of the president's visit is NBC News chief White House correspondent Garrett Haake.

5:38With me on set, senior national political reporter Sahil Kapoor. Garrett, let me start with you. You are there in South Carolina. A lot of fascinating dynamics, the backdrop of this trip. But talk about the fact that President Trump is going to South Carolina with just days until Election Day. What does it say about the broader political environment or what are you watching for tonight? Well, it says that for Republicans, the broader environment stinks, Kristen. I mean, the president is engaged right now in essentially Senate seat triage. I mean, his only limited resource at this stage of the campaign is his time.

6:13He has more money than he could probably spend with 400 million dollars in the MAGA Inc. war chest at the start of this campaign. Republicans have a massive spending advantage. Really, the president's only serious decision making and where he is over these next two weeks is where he goes and how he spends his time. And the fact that he's spending it in a state that hasn't had a Democratic senator in my adult lifetime and hasn't in a district that went by like 40 points to the Republican House member last last cycle in 2024 tells me that this is all about playing defense, particularly for a candidate that he's sort of responsible for being on the ballot in the first place.

6:51Now, I don't know that I think South Carolina will ultimately be all that competitive on Election Day. But a day spent here, hours and time spent here is hours and time not spent in any of the other battlegrounds that will determine control of the House and the Senate. And the president just doesn't even appear to be really trying to aggressively defend some of these battleground House seats with his presence. He's jacking up turnout in these very red areas of mostly pretty red states. Yeah, defending those Republican strongholds. It's just extraordinary with days to go. Garrett, it's also so notable, his messaging.

7:27He's, of course, saying pretend I'm on the ballot. But he's also offering up all of these potential goodies if Republicans hold on to Congress at the top of that list, that five thousand dollars that he says will go to every single American if Republicans do hold on to Congress. Chris, what's the word are you hearing when you talk to lawmakers, to your sources, that that's realistic? Well, look, the five thousand dollars, I haven't found a single person in Washington who thinks that they are. That is a realistic promise that the president can make. Nor are many of these, even if Republicans somehow maintain control of both chambers, because there's no path for them to get the 60 Senate votes, which is what it would take to do many of the things that the president is promising.

8:12Voters acknowledge that, at least on the$5 ,000 front, even at some of these rallies, you hear from folks saying, you know, it's a goal or it's a promise, it's an incentive, not something that they think he's particularly going to do. Kristen, I find the Camp Lejeune example to be particularly egregious because, unlike some of the others, that's something that the president could direct the Justice Department to do right now. There's no bearing who controls Congress if he's essentially making a pronouncement that the Justice Department should take a specific tactic going forward. So that one seems just particularly troublesome and bothersome, I think, to voters and the people who watch how elections are run.

8:49Yeah, just a lot of eyebrows raised in the wake of that promise. Garrett, I have to ask you about another line that we seem to be hearing more frequently from President Trump. I'm going to play it for you. We're going to hear from the vice president as well. And I'll get your reaction on the other side.

9:08I'm studying his body. I've never studied the body of a man before. It's not my thing. Nothing wrong with it, of course. Nothing. I always proceeded by saying nothing wrong, but it's never been my thing, to be honest with you. But I looked at his ass. and then i looked at his legs and it might i said his ass is like it's like a pile of muscle what could i possibly say about john houston that donald j trump has not already said garrett what do you make of this line that we keep hearing more frequently from president Trump. That's getting a lot of attention, too. Maybe more than the five thousand dollar pledge.

9:56It's hard to give it a serious response. I suppose you could say it shows a certain degree of discipline that John Husted apparently never skips leg day. But I think this is just one of these things that gets in the president's mind that he's unwilling to let go. He's surely aware of the coverage and of the memeification of those comments by now. Look, I haven't talked to voters about that specifically, but I will say generally speaking, and I've covered hundreds of Trump rallies. This is part of what his supporters like about him, the idea that he could be sort of off the cuff, funny in their view, weird in the view of others, but how it serves as a closing message to help John Husted across the finish line in Ohio.

10:34I'll leave that to future generations of political scientists to debate. Fair enough, Garrett. We will have to see how it plays out. Garrett, thanks so much from the campaign trail. We'll be watching your coverage. Really appreciate it. Good to see you, Sahil. Let me turn to you. I want to follow up with you on this promise of goodies that President Trump seems very focused on. How are voters in places like North Carolina, South Carolina, responding, Kansas, when he says, look, I'm going to give you a$5 ,000 payout if Republicans hold on to Congress? This has become a fixture for President Trump on the campaign trail, as you just showed there on that montage.

11:10Just about every one of these speeches, he promises is something only if Republicans win the midterms. It's always conditional. The$5 ,000 checks pledge is one of them. A DOD manufacturing investment in Kentucky, only if Republicans win. Building the space, Force Academy in Ohio, only if Republicans win. In Kansas, he talked about the E15 fuel sale waivers, making them permanent only if Roger Marshall, the Republican senator, wins. I talked to the Adam Hamilton campaign about this. Trump uses the term goodies. They use the term blackmail. They said this is something within his power to do that he's simply refusing to do and conditioning it on an electoral outcome, saying elect my ally and enhance my power, or I'm not going to do something for you that's fully within my power to do.

11:46The$5 ,000 pledge, Garrett is right. No one in Washington that I've talked to either thinks it's actually going to happen, including Republican leaders in charge of it. We did poll this in our NBC survey nationally. Only 14 percent think he's going to make good on it. 71 percent don't. Even among Republicans on a two-to-one margin, they don't think he's going to do it. So it's far from clear to me that this is going to make inroads with voters who Trump needs. Let's talk about one of the big races that we're watching. South Carolina Garrett's there. Obviously, the president's going to be going there.

12:14Garrett kind of gave the reality check that, yes, Cook Political Report moved it toward Democrats' direction, but it's still very uphill for Annie Andrews, is it not? Yeah, absolutely. This is one of those races that Democrats are very unlikely to win. This is on the outer reaches of plausibility. It would have to be a blue tsunami, the sort that we haven't seen in a very, very, very long time in order for Democrats to win. But the fact that Republicans even have to worry about it, put five million dollars in, which the group calls an insurance policy. It's quite an expensive insurance policy, if you ask me.

12:46Democrats have their hands full in the other states like Ohio, Texas, Iowa, Alaska. They're not really spending a lot of money in there. But Annie Andrews is raising enough money to make Republicans worry about it just a little bit. Well, and there's also the candidacy of Senator Darlene Graham. She initially was appointed in the wake of her brother, the late Senator Lindsey Graham's sudden and extremely unexpected death. The idea was that she was going to be there until they could hold an election, but then said, no, she wants to run for this seat. She stumbled in an early debate, but has obviously had some debate performances since then.

13:21Talk a little bit about what makes her candidacy so unique in this cycle. It's a challenge for her because she's a political novice. She's not been in the arena up until a few months ago since the unexpected death of her brother. The Graham name is a mixed bag in South Carolina. Lindsey Graham held that seat for a long time, but he was not exactly an electoral juggernaut. He underperformed Trump in 2020. The last time he was on the ballot, he would repeatedly get challenge and primaries and lose a bunch of votes, even though he did ultimately prevail. So at the end of the day, Darlene Graham, not the perfect candidate, but she still might win because it's a red state.

13:52Right. And just finally, there was this notable moment when she did distance herself from President Trump when he waived the legislation effectively named after her brother on Russian sanctions. Right. Which is a bill that she championed. She took credit for. She said it meant a lot to her honoring the legacy of her brother. Then President Trump goes kind of does the opposite, waives those sanctions when he's supposed to intensify them. Darlene Graham did say that she disagreed with the president and would talk to him. Annie Andrews, her opponent, has this statement saying that when she speaks to the president, she should also ask him to end the war in Iran.

14:23And she said, quote, if Senator Graham doesn't have the backbone to stand up for the one law she championed, then she will never stand up for South Carolina. All right. Sahil, thank you so much. Really appreciate it. Well, a key question for Republicans with less than two weeks to go. Can they turn out President Trump's 2024 coalition? That coalition saw major gains among key groups like Latino voters who swung heavily toward the president in 2024. But in 2026, our latest NBC News Telemundo poll shows Latino voters souring on the president with just 27 percent approving of the job he's doing. NBC's Liz Kreutz traveled to a battleground district in California where the shift among Latino voters could have major consequences for who wins that race and which party controls the house.

15:09In the heart of California's Central Valley and one of the tightest house races in the country. Some voters are looking for change. Right after I voted and started seeing everything that was happening, I felt so guilty. I just had to officially change bodies. Two years ago, Efrain Bobadia voted for President Trump, a decades-long registered Republican. He says he joined the party after former President Ronald Reagan granted him and nearly three million undocumented immigrants' amnesty in 1986. I kind of promised that I was going to be a Republican. But earlier this year, after feeling dismay over the ice raids and the economy, the 61-year-old real estate agent in Bakersfield, California, says he changed his party registration to Democrat.

15:58What did you see in those early days of the Trump administration that made you feel so guilty? Broken promises. He said He was going to deport people with records or criminal records, and it was just the opposite. Bobadia lives in California's 22nd congressional district. When we work together, there's a lot more we can accomplish. Where Republican incumbent David Valadeo, a former dairy farmer, currently serving his sixth term in Congress, is facing a challenge from a political newcomer. I'm Randy Villegas, and I approve this message. The 31-year-old progressive Democrat is leaning into his story as a son of Mexican immigrants as he campaigns to flip the district blue.

16:40Central Valley families deserve better. People in this district will drive seven to eight hours to Tijuana to go get cheaper dental work done, cheaper prescription drugs. And that shouldn't be happening in the richest country in the history of the world. This race has become a test for both parties. For Republicans, whether they can hold on to this majority Latino district, as polling shows Latino voters souring on President Trump, and for Democrats, whose successful redistricting efforts should give them an advantage here. Is that going to help you? Potentially, but this is a district that should have been Democratic on paper over a decade ago.

17:13Republicans have long overperformed here. GOP political analyst Kathy Abernathy explains why. We produce here. We produce food. We produce fuel. That makes a lot of these Democrats, small d maybe, appreciate what the Republican agenda has been. People fought and died to defend democracy. She says a recent campaign stop by Bernie Sanders could even backfire on Villegas and the Democrats. That's showing that he's pretty far off the mainstream of what most people consider the Democrat party. But Valadeo is still battling the headwinds all Republicans are facing right now. I don't know how your conscience tells you to rip away health care from 70 ,000 of your constituents.

17:56At a recent debate, Valadeo was pressed to defend his vote for President Trump's big, beautiful bill, legislation that reduces federal Medicaid spending in a district with the second highest rate of Medicaid enrollment in the country. There are no actual cuts. If those people that have the ability to do that and have no disabilities, they should be able to put in a fair day's work. And that's all that we ask. NBC News has reached out to Valadeo's team repeatedly. His campaign has not responded. You're planning to vote for the Democrat? Absolutely. For Bobadilla, he says voting for Villegas is his way of sending a message to President Trump.

18:29Do you feel like you were duped? Absolutely. Absolutely.

18:35I mean, when you see your own people being treated the way he's treated, it's painful. And Liz Kreutz joins me now. Now, Liz, what an absolutely fantastic piece, interviews there that you did. Thank you for bringing that to us. And I want to delve a little deeper with you. You talked about the fact that that district was one of those that was the subject of redistricting. But would Valadeo's seat have been in jeopardy regardless, do you think, given this climate, given the shift particularly that we're seeing amongst Latinos? Yeah. Yeah. Good question, Kristen. I think a lot of the sort of political watchers here in California would say yes.

19:21I mean, even back in 2018, during the midterms, then during President Trump's first term, Congressman Valadeo lost his seat then. He did win it back and he's been able to overcome many of the headwinds since. He is somebody who is often seen now by people in the community as someone who doesn't always vote down party line. He's actually the only House Republican running for reelection right now that voted to impeach President Trump over the January 6th Capitol riots. So many people support him, even if they maybe don't support the president. It's still very close there. And that is why both parties are pouring money into this district.

19:57AOC is expected to campaign there on Friday in support of the Democratic candidate, Kristen. All right. Well, we'll continue to track it very closely, as I know you will as well. Liz, thanks again. Really great piece. Appreciate it. Coming up, President Trump responds to questions about his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, calling Vladimir Putin a humanitarian. after Russia agrees to the release of a retired American teacher from prison, plus the growing fallout from that nasty attack out in the Ohio governor's race, as the Ramaswamy campaign spends millions to blast it over the airwaves. We'll have the reaction and the backlash.

20:32You're watching Meet the Press Now. Stay with us.

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22:11Welcome back. Russia released an American prisoner who had been jailed for more than four years and to the State Department designated as wrongfully detained. These are the images out of St. Petersburg, Russia, as U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Stephen Hubbard, a retired teacher who had been detained for more than four years on charges he was fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine, which he denies. During a meeting with President Putin, Witkoff thanked the Russian leader for releasing Hubbard and praised him as a humanitarian. First of all, I want to thank you very much. The president sends his thanks.

22:49Our whole nation sends their thanks because of Stephen Hubbard. Because of you, he's going home to his family. And you talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian. You are a humanitarian also, sir. And I salute that. I commend you. And I thank you again. Of course, Putin started the war in Russia, in Ukraine, rather. Multiple Republicans today have pushed back against characterizing Putin as a humanitarian. The president brushed aside the comments when he was asked about it earlier at a White House event. Look. You mean Steve Woodcoff said he was a humanitarian? Yes.

23:28Well, I guess you could say for that particular purpose, for the purpose of allowing a man who was thinking he was going to be in prison for life out, but, you know, I wouldn't say anything one way or the other. It comes as the president has announced a series of actions that appear to benefit Putin and suggesting today's release would not have happened if he hadn't recently waived sanctions on Russia. Joining me now is NBC News Chief Washington Correspondent and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell. Andrea, thank you so much for being here. Let's start right there. It's great to have you here.

24:07Steve Witkoff facing a lot of backlash for those comments, calling Vladimir Putin a humanitarian. Vice President J.D. Vance was asked about it today. I want to play a little bit and get your reaction on the other side. Look. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff called Russian President Vladimir Putin a humanitarian for agreeing to release Stephen Hubbard. Do you agree with that? I agree with Steve Witkoff saying something nice to a person who just released an American hostage. Whether you agree with the underlying sentiment or not, Steve Whitcoff is a diplomat. His job is to go over there and get a job done.

24:39I care much less about what Steve said and about the fact that he is bringing an American hostage home to his family. We should all be celebrating that, not be complaining about what Steve Whitcoff said in order to get it done. Andrea, what do you make of this moment and how the administration's responding? Well, first of all, I think the fact that Stephen Hubbard is back with his family is wonderful and another hostage has been released. We now do not have any. known Americans still being held. And there was a kangaroo court trial, of course. But the fact that this comes after this notable benefit for Putin, first the diesel deal, then the waiver of the Lindsey Graham sanctions that the president just, he has pivoted so much towards Vladimir Putin just in the last couple of weeks, more so even than that infamous Oval Office meeting February a year ago, more than a year ago, you know, at the beginning of the administration.

25:32So it's just really notable and it's upsetting to allies. And as Zelensky said to you on Meet the Press, without U.S. intelligence, which had been interrupted and without Elon Musk's military version of Starlink, which, according to the Wall Street Journal, at least, Musk was responsible for cutting off temporarily and leaving Zelensky and Ukraine defenseless against the barrage of Russian missiles and drones, they would lose the war. That was quite a moment on Meet the Press last Sunday. Well, and I appreciate that. But it is remarkable, Andrea. Let me ask you, because I know we're getting some new reporting out of the State Department about personnel in the Middle East.

26:16What can you tell us there? This is a very big deal. This is Saudi Arabia, which has always been the defender of Mecca and the most important country in the region, the leader of the Arab world. They have been so relentlessly and specifically targeted by the Houthis. The Houthis are not some random militia group. The Houthis have missiles who have struck the airport in Riyadh. MBS, the leader of the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, had to just cancel what is referred to as the Davos of the Gulf, which is next week's big international financial meeting where he had tried to pivot from an oil economy to a financial services and tourist economy.

26:59This is his 30-year plan. So they've had to postpone it by a year. So they are canceling so many things in Saudi Arabia. And this is an ordered departure of non-essential employees from the embassy and the consulates in Saudi Arabia. It's a very big deal indeed. It is a big deal. I know you will continue to track it, bring us any updates you get. Andrea Mitchell, thank you so much. Great to have you here as always. Coming up, wishful thinking or within reach? I'll be joined by the Democrat running in a deep red Arizona House district that voted for Trump by nearly 15 points in 2024. You don't want to miss this conversation.

27:37You're watching Meet the Press now.

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29:14Welcome back. Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for Ohio governor, is now confirming his campaign is responsible for that controversial campaign ad attacking his opponent, Amy Acton. The ad, which the Ramaswamy campaign is spending millions of dollars to air statewide, features Acton's estranged mother calling her a liar and urging voters not to support her. Acton says she and her mother haven't spoken in decades following accusations that her mother's husband at the time sexually abused her when she was a child. He was arrested and Acton was later removed from her mother's custody. Ramaswamy defended the controversial ad by criticizing Acton for not participating in any debates.

29:55Yesterday, Acton responded with her own ad. Take a look at that one. I received a lot of abuse, but Amy always got the worst of it. she continued to receive that abuse because she knew she had to protect me from from that and that if she hadn't done that who knows where i would have ended up and she's 11 and 12 years old and to think that that's somehow a talking point shame on vivek it's the contempt he has for amy is the contempt he has for ohio he's not fit to lead the acting campaign is also out with a new statement today saying, quote, Ramaswamy is showing Ohio exactly who he is, a self-serving billionaire who will do or say anything for his own gain, no matter who he harms along the way.

30:45Joining me now is the panel, Mariana Sotomayor, Capitol Hill correspondent for Puck, Joe Cunningham, former Democratic congressman from South Carolina, and Mike Dubke, former White House communications director to President Trump. Thank you all for being here. Congressman, and welcome. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it. Excited to have you here. Mariana, let me start with you, though. Just set the stage. What are the implications? What's the fallout so far from this controversial Ramaswamy ad? Well, you've had a number of Republicans and obviously Democrats just condemning this ad.

31:17And it really is one of those moments where, yes, politics can be dirty and messy, just like J.D. Vance said. However, when you think that there are red lines left, suddenly campaigns tend to cross them. And look, there are some Republican strategists who say maybe this is just really sloppy campaign work from Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign. But truly, it is just what I have generally heard is just this disgust to even bring this to light, have to litigate it. And it is not a good closing message for Ramaswamy's campaign. And frankly, look, when I've talked to a number of Republicans, even way before this all happened, this is before when members of Congress were still in session.

32:02So many Republicans privately pointed to the fact that he has run such a bad campaign that is going to drag down a number of House Republican lawmakers. And obviously we could talk about the Senate. Well, Mike, keep weighing in on this point. And his campaign is saying the ad is going to run as a part of a $4 million campaign push. I mean, we're already seeing the backlash. John Husted apparently just told the Associated Press he wouldn't have run such an ad. No, I mean, look, I think red line was maybe the right word to use here. At some point, there is an ad that goes too far. And I think if you're calling into question somebody's honesty, that's fair game.

32:39But you really have to call into question somebody's thought process on this in running this ad. I mean, if I put on just my political hat, you know, you really shouldn't have run this until the last five days of the campaign. So the backlash wouldn't wash back up on over you. You wouldn't put it out and and then and not claim it right away because you're going to have that backlash. There are so many outside groups out there that could have run this ad. There are so many things that are wrong with this. But let's get back to the heart of the matter. The ad itself is going to cause him damage.

33:13And it was a step too far. And his campaign should have known that. Congressman Cunningham, way in here. And to the response that we're seeing from the acting campaign. Well, I appreciate that it's a bipartisan blowback because, you know, this is what people hate about politics, this style of politics. And it will have a ripple effect. I mean, you're looking at three seats, I think, that can flip from red to blue, you know, including Ohio 10, Christian Knickerbocker, who's a Democrat, running an incredible race. So it's going to have a ripple effect. It's not just Vivek's campaign. It looks like he's got some bad internal numbers, right?

33:49Otherwise, he would not be pulling this out with this much runway left. But he's got some bad numbers back, and he's obviously becoming very desperate, and he's lashing out and trying to do everything he can. I think that point's very well taken. You're taking a fairly red state. It used to be Ohio was a toss-up state. No longer. It's now a toss-up state again, and he's dragging people down with him. We'll find out November 3rd, but I think that's the back. And he's expending his political capital, what little he has left, because look, if Ohio tends to shift more blue, I mean, his political future is in dire jeopardy, too.

34:19The vice president weighed in on this and was pressed on it because he's in Ohio campaigning for Vivek Ramaswamy. He loved that. Yeah, he was thrilled to have to answer questions about it. Let's play a little bit and get everyone's reaction. Do you think that that ad was appropriate? Well, I'll be honest with you, whether the ad was appropriate or not is not really my concern. What is my concern is who's going to govern the next generation of American government. But I have to admit that I'm a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are whining more about that advertisement than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America.

35:00So I would say to Ohio Republicans, do you actually think that Amy Acton is unfit to serve as governor of the state of Ohio? I do. Politics is a tough business. And my message to my fellow elected Republicans is if you actually believe in the things you say you believe in, stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race in 13 days. You can't do it. All right. So let's go quick around the table. Mariana, first to you. What do you make of the vice president? Yeah, I mean, the takeaway from his remarks and him saying Republicans should stop whining, the ones who are criticizing this ad, is just not a good look.

35:33It is not good. Congressman. Very underwhelming response. Mike. I think I've already said what I was going to say. He was boxed in. The vice president was boxed in. But yeah, he had to say that. But yeah. All right. Well, my colleague Tom Yamas is actually in Iowa, another battleground state. And he had the opportunity to interview Ashley Hinson, of course, candidate for Senate there. I'm going to play a little bit of that exchange and get your reaction on the other side. Take a look. I just saw a report that said you were asking your supporters for gas money for your bus. So I want you to channel that into action in getting your friends out to vote.

36:08Help give us a little gas money for our bus. Make sure we're showing up at the polls because there is more to do. Is that how bad things are? No, I'm out there campaigning through the state on my bus, meeting with everyone where they are. And what I'm hearing from Iowans is that they want a leader, a common sense mom, who's going to focus on their priorities because there are a lot of Iowans who are being priced out of the American dream. I understand that. I am focused on that. But you even feel that in your campaign. I mean, you notice that the gas prices are high. I'm focused on these solutions, driving down energy prices.

36:38That's what we all want to do. We want to see these energy prices come down. We want to see all prices come down. And so my focus is on affordability. That's what I'm fighting for. I think you're going to see the president soon, right? Yep. He's coming to Iowa. What are you going to tell them about Russia and Iran? I think that's a bad idea. I don't think we should be making deals with Russia. I do want to see the war come to an end as soon as possible. I want it to be successful. Mariana, she's one of the Republicans who's distancing herself from President Trump on certain policy issues. But is that going to be too little too late, do you think?

37:11Too little too late is exactly how I've been describing it. Because she, for example, if she's going to go and talk to the president about the Iran war, Well, she voted six times against more powers resolutions. She's always stuck with the president and the Republican Party for a number of years in the House. And this sudden distancing, maybe some voters will not notice that it's a complete pivot, but it really feels like it. Yeah. What do you make of her messaging? And do you think that asking voters for money is going to be problematic? I think that's I don't think that's problematic. I think that was kind of a you know, you're damned if you do, damned if you don't talk about affordability.

37:45And I'm sure she's not pumping the gas into the bus. Asking for gas money, that was not good in this economy. Look, I think, you know, whether or not we've got this blue wave coming or red undertow, I've heard it called, I think a lot of this boils down to what color is your incumbency. And by that, I have seen the electorate, both on the Democrat and Republican side, be anti-Washington, anti-incumbent. And so her votes on the Iran war remind people that she's the incumbent here. She's in a neck and neck race. She's also bringing the president in because we need that base. That base has to turn out.

38:20Congressman Cunningham, let me ask you about South Carolina. Let's talk about Trump. They're stumping, of course, for Senator Darlene Grimm. How do you see this race playing out? Do you think that Andy Andrews actually has a shot? I know it's leaning. Absolutely. This is a I think a once in a lifetime cycle here. You know, 2018 was a blue wave. I think this could be a 40 year flood. President Trump doesn't come back in the general election in South Carolina. And the fact that Republicans have poured five million dollars into this race to prop up Senator Darlene Graham says something very telling about the type of race that Dr.

38:58Andrews is running in the environment right now, because they are neck and neck, like within a couple of points. And so she's I know Dr. Andrews is going to run through the tape, but it's the issues about the economy, affordability, the Iran war. which Senator Graham has supported. And the fact that she can't even stand out of President Trump on the issue of Ukraine and an issue that her late brother really, really fought for is, I think, telling as well. Mike Dupke, do you think this could be a 40-year flood? And do you think that South Carolina is really in place? This is going to be a terrible answer to your question.

39:32I don't, but the reason I don't is kind of weak, which is polling is terrible right now. Polling is very, very bad. I'm involved in one race, and they have to call 1 ,000 homes to get one responded. It is outrageously bad. And the vibes feel like this is a wave. But I don't know how big of a wave it is because the Democratic brand is also broken. And so it's not like one party is running away with this. So I think we're going to have a lot of surprises on November 3rd. I don't argue with that. However, I think the affordability, the war in Iran, gas prices, the cost of living, the cost of staying alive.

40:09is really draw on this, though. All right. Well, it's a great conversation. We'll all be watching with great anticipation. Thank you so much, Mariana, Joe and Mike. Really appreciate it. And you can see much more of Tom Yamas's interviews from Iowa on a special edition of Nightly News and Top Story live from Des Moines tonight. And you can dive deeper into the 2026 midterms with access to polling, early vote data, expert analysis and much more exclusive content, all with an NBC News subscription. Just scan the QR code on your screen now or visit NBCNews.com slash subscribe. We'll be back with more Meet the Press now.

40:44That was great, guys.

40:52Welcome back. Let's go out west now, where Democrats are looking to flip a deep red district in Arizona in a race that will be a key test of just how far Democrats' momentum can carry them on election night. The former president of the Navajo Nation, Jonathan Nez, a Democrat, is challenging incumbent Republican Congressman Eli Crane in Arizona's second congressional district. President Trump won the district by 15 points last election, but House Democrats have heavily invested in the race as part of their Red to Blue program. And joining me now is former Navajo Nation president and Democratic candidate running in Arizona's second congressional district, Jonathan Nez.

41:31President Nez, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it. Thank you, Kristen. Well, let's talk about the state of play here. This is a district your opponent won by nine points last election. President Trump won it by nearly 15 points. Why do you think you can flip this seat that has been reliably read? Well, Kristen, we heard in the last election, America first. You know, there's a big campaign of making sure that the efforts and the focus would be on the American people. And let me ask your viewers today, do you feel like America's first right now? As I go throughout this district, people don't feel like they're first.

42:14And right now we have a war on the other side of the world in Iran that's making the costs of everything go up from fuel to groceries. And, you know, even with the disastrous terrorists that are in place, you know, our farmers and our ranchers are feeling the hardship. What we truly need to do in this next Congress is put leaders, common sense leaders in office that will make sure America is the focus. You know, with the passage of the big, beautiful bill, we saw four trillion dollars added to the national debt, where now it's over 40 trillion dollars. And we can't afford that. And because the American people want us to focus on corruption, all the corruption that's happening in Washington, D.C., we need to hold folks accountable.

43:08And that means Democrats and Republicans all. And, you know, our focus in this campaign is to make sure that hardworking people throughout this country get the support they need and to be able to pass that on to their children, grandchildren. And as we say in Native American communities, seven generations and beyond. Well, you raised President Trump. He recently campaigned in Arizona with your opponent. It's a district with 40 percent more Republicans than Democrats. How do you reach those Republican voters and those undecided voters who are still trying to make up their mind right now? You know, Kristen, my opponent, Eli Crane, rode on Air Force One or, you know, the plane that was gifted to Donald Trump by the Qataris.

44:01And a lot of that discussion was probably not on the importance of the American people. It was probably mostly about getting more money into this district to help my opponent win this election. And right now, over$3 million have come in into this race to support my opponent. And we are a grassroots campaign. If those of your listeners want to get a little bit more information, go to JonathanNez.com. And there's a grassroots movement that we're being outspent. But you know what? The American people are smart. They know what's going on. They want something different. They want change in this country.

44:43And they're going to vote for people that are going to speak on their behalf. You know, this is a very good example of a David versus Goliath. You know, I'm a sheep herder. I grew up on the Navajo Nation without running water or electricity. Now the funders, the elite, those that are supporting my opponent are scared because once he gets defeated, we're going to reveal all the corruption that's happening with this country. And, you know, that's why they're scared. Let's look at the Epstein files. Those names have yet to be revealed. And we need to bring accountability back to the forefront. It is 250 years since the birth of this country, the start of the government.

45:27And I am running to be the first Native American to be elected from Arizona to the U.S. House of Representatives. And, you know, Congress should look like America in diversity. President, as your opponent, let's talk about one of the big issues here, has made border security a central part of his campaign. He's attacked you. He says you are for open borders. How do you respond? And what's your message to voters who might have concerns about that? Well, Kristen, that's a slap in the face of every Native American in this country talking about open borders. You know, we are wanting to make sure that our border is secured and that means we get the resources needed to the men and women that are protecting this country at the border and making sure that folks that want to come in this country do it legally and the process is a lot quicker.

46:20You know, today, diversity is a bad term utilized by Republicans and making it sound like it's a negative connotation of this country. But you know what? Diversity is the strength. And that is the reason why America is the most powerful country in the world. Let me ask you, because border encounters have fallen nearly 90 percent in Arizona since President Trump took office. I know you have a lot of criticisms of the president, but do you give him credit for that? Well, there's a lot more that we can do. You know, once we get into Congress, we should be able to talk about true border security. You know, we had a comprehensive border bill that was shot down by the Republicans.

47:06Do you just on that point, though, do you give the president any credit for the 90 percent drop? You know, the credit can go around as much as we want. But the focus right now is on the hardworking people of this country that are struggling. You know, the prices of goods and services are going up. People are feeling it at their wallets and their purses. We should be focusing on the hardworking people of this country. And, yeah, you know, he did a good job with the border and protecting our borders. But we've got to do more. And we should be able to make sure that folks in the federal officials who are protecting this border are held accountable for, you know, how they're treating citizens of this country or even they're even putting Native Americans in these detention centers.

48:08and we see that it's really a focus on race these days or the color of their skin. President Nez, one of the big questions Democrats are grappling with if they retake the House, will they impeach President Trump? Would you support Democrats impeaching President Trump for a third time? Do you think that should be top of the agenda? Well, the top of the agenda would be to stop the war in Iran. That is what's bringing the cost of goods and services. is so high in this country. You know, our farmers are struggling. Our ranchers are struggling. Look at what the tariffs are doing to the prices only increasing even more in this country.

48:48We need to stop the war and make sure that the people of this country, you know, get the relief they need. You know, just recently with the big, beautiful bill passage, you know, people were kicked off a snap. We also put gave they also gave tax breaks to the ultra wealthy in this country. We need to get tax breaks to the hardworking people of this country. That should be a focus in this upcoming Congress. And that's why they want a fighter from Arizona to to speak on behalf of Arizona, too, in the U.S. House of Representatives. All right, Jonathan Ness, thank you so very much for your time. We really appreciate it.

49:27All right. Thank you, Chris. And still to come, we'll dive into a batch of crucial races flying under the radar, but that will still decide who's in control of elections in key states during the 2028 presidential race. You're watching Meet the Press Now.

49:49Welcome back. It's not just the battle for control of Congress at stake in less than two weeks. We're also tracking some crucial races for secretary of state. In most states, the secretary of state serves as the chief elections officer. In recent years, that position has become a much more high profile following President Trump's attempt to overturn the 2020 election results and his repeated baseless claims of election fraud. Several potentially crucial presidential battlegrounds where Trump supporters challenged past results like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada will all be selecting their next secretary of state on November 3rd.

50:25Joining me now is NBC News senior reporter covering elections, Jane Tim. Jane, thanks so much for being here. So what more can you tell us about these races, the candidates running and the 2028 implications? Yeah, Kristen, we have some fascinating races. These are the people who are going to be running the most important presidential elections in just a couple of years. In Arizona and Nevada, we have two incumbents, Cisco Aguilar, Adrian Fontes. And they have they've become sort of democracy defenders, as they're often called. People who have really made a career for themselves pushing back against false claims of election fraud in American elections, particularly in their own.

51:02And they're running against two politicians who have made careers for themselves advancing those very conspiracy theories about elections. Alex Colliden in Arizona, Jim Marchant in Nevada. These are people who came up with the 2020 election and those false claims, saying that the elections were stolen then and then, you know, advocating for policy changes because of it. In Georgia and Michigan, we have some more mainstream Republicans in these competitive races who are trying to sort of play the balance between appealing to Trump supporters, casting doubt on the 2020 election, but really talking about election integrity and election security primarily in their races as they try and take on Democrats who say they're going to make it harder to vote and they're going to be not as they're going to bow down to the president and maybe some of his demands on election security.

51:52Yeah, we certainly saw how important that position was in 2020. That's for sure. I'm curious, Jane, just how much are Democrats and Republicans actually spending on these races, given that there's been so much focus on the gubernatorial races, the Senate races, all of those down ballot races? Yeah, there's only so much money to go around. Back in 2022, we saw something like$70 million being spent on the Democratic side. This year, it's down to about$15,$16 million. Republicans are spending about$5 million. But still, quite a lot of money. People are definitely still keyed into these races, which, you know, 10 years ago used to be pretty sleepy contests.

52:30Yeah, for sure. I want to ask you one more quickly. the ongoing back and forth between the DOJ and California over its voter rolls. What can you tell us about that? Yeah, the DOJ has charged 28 people with being on the voter rolls. Some of these people have never voted. And I think it's really important to note that there's 22 million registered voters in California. I looked at the math. That's point zero, zero, zero, zero, zero one percent of the voter rolls. So very small numbers. It's a lot of zeros there, Jane. Well, you always track all of it and we appreciate it. Appreciate your being here today with all that reporting.

53:08Thanks so much. We are back tomorrow with more Meet the Press Now. There's much more ahead on NBC News Now.

53:48We'll see you next time.

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