Meet the Press NOW — September 10

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1:11Welcome to Meet the Press Now. I'm Kristen Welker. Right now, Republicans are kicking off day two of their midterm convention in Dallas, with both President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance set to speak tonight as they try to re-energize the party's base by putting the president center stage with an unusual offer of a cash incentive if things go his party's way in November. I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot. I'm on the ballot. Please pretend that I'm running. If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get$5 ,000. It will be called the Trump dividend. We'll call it the Trump dividend.

1:54Only I can make this promise to you. And here is my promise. If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them, because of our tremendous strength and success economically, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for$5 ,000.

2:21Paying$5 ,000 to every American citizen would work out to more than$1.3 trillion. The White House has not said where that money would come from. Republicans reacted to the president's announcement and the many questions surrounding it. What the president is just saying is, if you keep it going to the American people, if you keep us in power and allow us to continue to do these things, then you're going to share in some of the benefit of this incredible wealth that we're creating in the United States of America. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I think that the focus, the emphasis that he was making there, and I think this is a real, this is a clear one between us and the Democrats, is he wants more money in the pockets of the American people.

3:02He wants the American public to share in the great success that this country's having. So his proposal was a dividend. And last night he put a number on it. So now we're going to have to wait and see. Now, we should note the president has previously made similar promises of cash payments to Americans, most of which have gone unfulfilled, including promising payments after the Affordable Care Act subsidies expired, as well as tariff rebates and pledging to pass on savings from the now defunct Doge budget cuts. The pledge of a massive government giveaway came as the president and Republicans on stage spent significant time slamming their Democratic rivals as socialists and communists.

3:44They call themselves Democrat Socialists, but actually they're communists. Democrats today are radical, extreme, dangerous, and scary. Democrat Party has been completely taken over by crazy communists. We face the most dangerous, radical, and frankly, weird Democrat candidates in American history. This is an election between common sense and communism. They're communists and they're anarchists and they hate our country. Joining me now from Texas is NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Garrett Haake, NBC News Chief Data Analyst Steve Kronacki is standing by at the big board. And also with us is Carrie Dan, Managing Editor of the Cook Political Report.

4:41Thanks to all of you for starting us off after a big night. Garrett, I have to start with you in Texas. And let's talk about these promised dividends that President Trump rolled out last night. He said$5 ,000 to every American if Republicans get reelected. And it comes, we should note, as U.S. oil prices again topping$100 a barrel today, diesel hitting a new high. So does the party see this proposal as something that's realistic? What are people saying? well the white house insists that this is not meant to be a linked to the iran war to the rise in prices in any way but it's hard not to see it as such this is right out of the trump playbook as you pointed out offering these kinds of payments directly to the american people is something he's floated time and time again going back to the first term but it's provided an opportunity for an interesting political rorschach test for small c conservatives to try to defend why this kind of cash handout is good fiscal policy.

5:40I mean, a company only if it issues a dividend, if they're profitable. The U.S. runs a massive deficit. That's the kind of thing you see someone like Chip Roy, who was very critical of this on X, pointing out with his tweet. But Roy's a good person to look at this because he's retiring. He's out of Congress. He can be critical of the president in a way that certainly in this environment, no elected Republicans have been willing to do so far. Well, Garrett, you are there at this two-day convention. I know you've been talking to a lot of the key players. What are they telling you? The fight for the House control of the Senate is a fierce one.

6:18How are they feeling about their chances going into November? Probably the most interesting conversation I've had on this topic, Kristen, I had with James Blair, who's a senior advisor to President Trump. He essentially runs MAGA, the president's super PAC. I sat down with him for our Here's the Scoop election edition podcast, which will premiere on Saturday. The thing to understand about James Blair is he is probably one of the most confident operatives. Certainly I've ever covered in his predictions and his feelings about how the Republican Party can succeed. Listen to see what you make of his level of confidence when I asked him about this midterm here.

6:57What's your level of confidence for this Republican majority staying the majority in this election? You know, swing voters, the people that decide elections, they don't stay in a place for too long sort of generally. And obviously we know this history of the midterms that the American people historically don't leave anybody completely in power for a long period of time. That said, I feel optimistic about where we are. We pay attention to our internal numbers, and our internal numbers tell us that we stand a very good chance of keeping the majority in both chambers. There's a path to expanding it, potentially.

7:34But it's very race by race.

7:39Kristen, a good chance and a path doesn't sound to me like someone who feels especially confident about this coming into this convention. Part of the goal here is to first do no harm, not make things worse. raise money for these candidates so that they can be telling their messages on television in what is going to be, as Blair said time and time again in our interview, an extremely challenging environment for Republicans in these next 50 some odd days. Yeah, and remarkable to hear him acknowledging that. Garrett, congratulations on your podcast. We're excited about it. I have to ask you about the mood in the arena last night when the president was speaking.

8:17He was obviously fired up. He talked for nearly two hours, talked about a range of different issues, including those promises to$5 ,000 payments, talked about how packed the audience was, talked about his vision for these next two years. What was the mood? What were your key takeaways? Yeah, I mean, look, this is a rally dressed up as a convention, right? There's no actual convention business being done here. Donald Trump is still the biggest draw of the Republican Party. Last night, he essentially played the hits for anyone who'd seen one of his rallies before. It was energetic in the room, even up until the point of that$5 ,000 dividend, which came, I think, an hour into the remarks.

8:59I will say that energy kind of dissipated out into the city of Dallas afterwards in a way that you wouldn't see at a traditional convention. But for the folks they're trying to reach, the Republicans feel like they're giving people a reminder of what they like about this president. And if you were already predisposed to like him and that is, I think, to them, at least a small victory. Yeah. As he continues to say, I think one of the big takeaways from the evening was his line. Pretend he's on the ballot. I have to ask you about what you're expecting tonight. Of course, we're going to hear from the vice president who's getting a lot of buzz as being the standard bearer.

9:37Once, of course, the next presidential election cycle rolls around, what are we expecting to hear from him? And we're going to hear from President Trump again, although he said his speech was going to be a lot shorter tonight. Well, a lot shorter is relative to me. That's actually the most interesting dynamic. I mean, the way this is scripted, this is supposed to be J.D. Vance's night. He's got something like 35 minutes on the program to give the keynote speak. But President Trump speaks after him. Will the president let J.D. Vance have the spotlight and have this moment? Or is this a dynamic we could see all the way through 2028, where J.D.

10:12Vance tries to put one foot forward and the president sort of steps on him? That dynamic alone, I think, is probably the most fascinating element coming out of tonight as we look ahead to this next election and beyond. Well, it is a fascinating one. We'll be listening closely to what the vice president, what the president has to say. Garrett Haig, maybe you'll even get a few hours sleep. Thank you so much. Congratulations again, Garrett, on your podcast. Really excited about it. Don't miss. Here's the scoop. Election edition starting this Saturday, September 12th. Garrett will be joined by a roster of political heavyweights to discuss the themes, issues and key player shaping the 2026 midterms with new releases every weekend until Election Day.

10:54Just scan the QR code on your screen now for a direct link. And we now want to turn to Steve Kornacki at the big board with some new polling out of the key battleground state of Texas. Steve, so let's talk to you because Republicans there in Texas, there's some new polling from our friends at the Cook Political Report on an all-important voting demographic in the state Hispanic voters. Walk us through the numbers. What are your key takeaways? Yeah, Christian, really interesting numbers here with that Senate race, that Tallarico-Paxton Senate race. And the backdrop for this, of course, you get a poll here from the Cook Report about Hispanic voters, more than a quarter of the electorate in Texas.

11:30And Texas sort of ground zero of that national storyline in 24. and even to some extent 20 of shifts of Hispanic voters away from the Democrats and toward Trump and the Republican Party. Well, among Hispanic voters in this poll now, two years after that 24 election, here's Trump's approval rating. 64 disapprove, only 33 percent approve. So seeing significant slippage for him among a voting bloc that he actually carried in Texas in 2024. This This will should pop up if I maybe I press it the fourth time it'll pop up. Oh, it did work. There it is. OK, there's like the old Boston Garden floor. There's dead spots everywhere.

12:13Well, in 2024, Trump carried the Hispanic vote in Texas by double digits over over Kamala Harris. And look at the reversal now when you ask about this Senate race. Now it's more than two to one for the Democrat James Tallarico, 63 to 30 over Ken Paxton, the Republican. Now, keep in mind, when Trump carried Texas in 2024, it was a landslide. He won the state by 13 points. So there is room for the Republicans to have slippage, considerable slippage with Hispanic voters and still have a good chance to win Texas. So I think for some perspective, the other number to put up here is 2018. Remember that year?

12:48Trump's first midterm. Beto O 'Rourke, the Democratic nominee for Senate, running against Ted Cruz. Cruz. This is what the Hispanic vote looked like in 2018. 64 for O 'Rourke, the Democrat, 35 for Cruz. Somewhat similar to what you're looking at right now, Tallarico, Paxton. This race, Cruz did win. He won it by three points over O 'Rourke. So it was a Republican win, but it was right on the edge. This is as close as Democrats have come in Texas. So this is about as bad as Republicans can ever let it get with Hispanic voters in Texas. And this is what it's looking like right now in this high-stakes Senate race.

13:23Yeah, notable that that still wasn't quite enough to get Beto O 'Rourke over the finish line, Steve. So what do you think this potentially means for the national midterm landscape as Democrats? Of course, i-Texas is this possible pickup opportunity, something the Democrats haven't won since the 1980s, Steve, in the Senate seat. Yeah, I mean, ultimately, this is going to be settled control of the Senate in states like Texas. When you look at it this way, put the map up here, Democrats needing a net gain of four seats. Again, getting a little finicky here, but I think the map is coming. We'll try this again.

13:55I'm going to pray. There we go. Here's the map. Sorry about this. Got to do it four times. And we know the Democrats need a net gain of four seats. Now, look, they think, this is arguable, they think they got a real good chance in Maine and North Carolina. For the moment, let's say they do, sake of argument, that leaves them too short. And the places they then have to look are four states, Ohio, Iowa, Texas, and Alaska. These are Republican-held seats where Democrats think they have a real chance. All of them are just like I said about Texas. They were Trump landslides, double digit Trump wins in 2024.

14:27So even if the Democrats get the two they think they're going to get, they got to get two in Trump landslide states. And by the way, Kristen, that assumes that nothing goes wrong for them in any blue seats. And the one everybody's eyes are on in that category is Michigan right here. El-Sayed versus Rogers in that Senate race. If the Democrats lose that, then they would need three, at least three Trump landslide states. Yeah, it's still very uphill for the Democrats. Just remarkable how close the races are in states like Michigan and Texas. Steve Kornacki, thank you so very much. We really appreciate it.

15:02We want to turn now to the Cook Political Reports. Kerry, Dan, to dive even deeper into this poll. So, Kerry, these numbers are so fascinating. And what we're seeing there, what Steve laid out really was a collapse among a key part of the president's 2024 coalition. I wonder what you make of that. And again, we saw the comparison with Beto O 'Rourke. He also bested Ted Cruz when it came to Hispanic voters, but he still didn't win. Right, Kristen. And Steve absolutely nailed it. But the president, sort of the White House's theory of the case nationally is that they have to juice Republican turnout as much as possible and try to put together the very unique coalition that Donald Trump was able to put together in 2024.

15:43There was no group where there was more of a dramatic swing towards Republicans than these Hispanic voters. And there was no state where it was as dramatic as we saw in Texas, as Steve laid out. Donald Trump won these Hispanic voters by 10 points in 2024. For the fact that he now just has a 33 percent approval rating with those Hispanic voters is pretty grim news for the White House. We actually did as a part of this poll also an oversample, a focus on three key congressional districts in the Rio Grande Valley. These are places that the Republicans absolutely need to win if they want to keep control of the House.

16:19And the president is still underwater there, about 20 points underwater. And on the generic ballot, they asked voters to choose just a generic Democrat or a generic Republican. Democrats are up by 14 points. So this is a picture of really a big erosion of part of the reason that Donald Trump was able to put together a big national coalition in 2024. And I think it will raise alarm bells in Dallas and elsewhere in Texas as we're looking through this data. No doubt about that. Carrie, I want to zero in a little bit more on one of the puzzle pieces you just mentioned. So among the Hispanic voters who voted for President Trump in 2024, 18 percent say they disapprove of the job that he is doing.

16:59What could that mean ultimately? Well, Kristen, not only are you seeing that they're disapproving of Donald Trump, this is translating to the other races. James Tallarico is picking up about one in five Trump voters who are now expressing disappointment with him. James Tallarico is actually picking up about one in 10 people who approve of Donald Trump. I think that's more of a reflection of Ken Paxton, who was a very flawed nominee that Republicans have nominated there. But this Trump is an anchor on the party. And you're seeing that translate to these other statewide races. Trump is underwater by a two to one margin statewide with these Hispanic voters.

17:37That's almost exactly the same number that you're seeing in the head to head between James Tallarico and Ken Paxton and in the governor's race, which is also a competitive race. Yeah. And Carrie, there are a couple of warning signs for Democrats you're watching, too. What are those? That's right. We tested some messaging around the issue of trans athletes in sports. We tested one message that was a little bit more like what some progressive candidates have been saying and one that was more like what Republicans have been saying, which is that there should be no transgender athletes in women's sports.

18:07And that message actually tested about 20 points better than the more progressive message. There is a reason that you're seeing this pop up in ads in both the governors and Senate races. And I think Republicans believe that this motivates both their base voters to come out and that they're on the right side of the politics of it. So, Democrats, you saw James Tallarico very recently sort of changing his position on trans athletes a little bit or at least modifying it. And I suspect that you will probably see that messaging through November. Yeah, well, just fascinating new numbers as we get closer to November.

18:38Carrie Dam, we plan to talk to you quite a bit between now and the midterms. Thanks so much for being here to break it all down. We really appreciate it. Coming up, we have breaking news in the dispute over maps in Missouri. State Republicans agreed to give up their redistricting fight after the Supreme Court again rejects their push to use a Trump-backed congressional map this November. The fallout next. Plus, this is endgame. That's what an anthropic researcher told NBC News about the massive threat AI poses to humanity as the technology rapidly evolves. We'll hear much more of that stunning interview straight ahead.

19:14Stay with us. You're watching Meet the Press now.

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20:55Welcome back. We are following breaking news out of Missouri and a major defeat for Republicans redistricting effort. The state's Republican secretary of state has now ordered local election officials to use the state's old 2022 congressional map instead of one redrawn by Republicans last year and backed by President Trump. The decision comes hours after the Supreme Court blocked the use of the new map for the second time this week. This now means Missouri voters will use a map that included six Republican seats and two Democratic seats, as opposed to the map Republicans wanted to use, which would have eliminated one of those Democratic districts.

21:35NBC News senior Supreme Court reporter Lawrence Hurley joins me now. Lawrence, you and I were together yesterday. There were a lot of twists and turns. So does this development settle which map will be used in November? I mean, as we've discussed that so many twists and turns in this kind of saga, I'm kind of reluctant to say it's totally over. But to the extent that we can say it is the fact that the secretary of state in Missouri, Denny Hoskins, did say today that the 2022 maps should be used in the election. And to be honest, he did this under duress from the Missouri Supreme Court, which this afternoon held him in contempt for defying its previous ruling that said the newly drawn map couldn't be used.

22:19But he's now complied with that. He said he's going to comply. He's told election officials across the state that the 2022 map has to be used. So for right now, that is what's going to happen in Missouri. And the confusion for voters, Lawrence, is the fact that they will be voting on a different map in November than the one they voted on in the primaries. Right. How does that get worked out? And could Republicans cry foul at the final result because of that? Well, I think election officials, obviously, they have used the 2022 maps in previous election. So they can they are able to quickly figure out which voters are in which district.

23:02But, you know, as you well know, Kristen, where there's an election, there's a lawsuit. We always know that there's a possibility of that kind of thing happening, whether or not that would succeed or have any legs after what the Supreme Court of the U.S. Supreme Court has already said remains to be seen. But, you know, you can never rule out something like that happening. Can you explain exactly what the Supreme Court decided today, how it differs from Tuesday's court decision, Lawrence? Yeah. So, well, two things that the two orders from the Supreme Court have in common is that they really didn't want anything to do with this case in terms of the Missouri Secretary of State's attempt to use this new map, even though the Missouri Supreme Court in a previous ruling had said that he couldn't use it.

23:47And so on Tuesday, the Supreme Court just rejected Hoskins's appeal. It was trying to use the new map. And then today it kind of did the other way around where they blocked a lower court ruling that said the new map could be used. So both of those decisions, the court is being consistent in saying, first of all, they sort of defer to what the Missouri Supreme Court found. And second of all, they don't really want to be involved in this state issue. Now, Lawrence, I have to ask you about the other matter before the court. It's poised to rule on the Trump administration's plan to allow the Postal Service to regulate mail ballots.

24:24Very controversial. Gavin Newsom has accused the president of trying to disenfranchise voters. What are you watching for there? What kind of a timeline are you expecting? So right now, that decision is ripe. It could drop at any minute, even as we're speaking. The court has all the briefing that it needs. It's going to decide whether this regulation can go into effect. It was blocked by a lower court. But obviously, as you know, we're getting very close to the election now. There are big questions about whether the Postal Service could even implement this, even if it was allowed. And also, lots of state election officials are saying they can't, even if it was in effect.

25:02So the longer this goes on, the more it seems like it's probably not going to happen. But obviously, we'll wait and see what the Supreme Court says. All right. Well, stay close, Lawrence Hurley. We rely on your guidance and your reporting for all things Supreme Court. Thank you so very much for being here. We really appreciate it. Coming up next, Democratic Senator John Fetterman makes a surprise cameo at the Republican midterm convention, vowing to find common ground with Republicans while slamming socialism. The panel digs into the fallout and much more next on Meet the Press Now.

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27:12Welcome back. Day one of the Republican midterm convention featured a surprise appearance from Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who appeared in a video introducing fellow Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick. Take a look. Yes, I'm a Democrat. Why am I here talking to you today? Because, well, I'm a common sense Democrat. I'm always going to stand with America. I'm always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life. It comes as there's growing speculation about whether Senator Fetterman is considering switching parties. But in a statement yesterday, the senator said, quote, I'm a lifelong Democrat who votes overwhelmingly with my party.

27:55And should the Senate flip in November, I will still be the 51st vote that I ran on. Joining me now is the panel, Matt Gorman, Republican strategist and an NBC News contributor. And in a moment, we'll be joined by former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Matt, we're going to talk about Senator Fetterman, his surprise appearance in just a moment. But let's talk about the big headline from last night. President Trump promising a$5 ,000 dividend if, he says, if Republicans win the House and the Senate, that would cost an estimated$1.3 trillion with a T. Matt, what's the reaction been from Republicans today?

28:33You know, mixed, I would say at best. Also, you hear this every year, six months or so from the president. I would put it this way. You got the dessert for the Republican base last night from the president. Tonight from J.D. Vance will be more meat and potatoes. And I think, again, the big focus of this convention, more than any other, the big objective is to get the base engaged and energized. And I think that with everything is done with that in mind, including this proposal to the president. You know, and I'm curious, Matt, is there any discussion? And I want to get to J.D. Vance's speech in just a moment.

29:13But I'm wondering if there's any discussion about why the president didn't just offer up these$5 ,000 dividends now. Yeah, I think. And again, I've even heard that on conservative media as well. I mean, look, this can be done through reconciliation, but especially what you're hearing in the last, I would say, three, two to three months of a little bit more of a focus on the deficit and debt than you've heard throughout the last year from my party. I think this is probably not going to happen on Capitol Hill at the latest, whether it's now lame duck session or certainly next year, when there's likely to be smaller margins among Republicans, even if we hold the House and Senate than there are right now.

29:52We're going to talk about night two of the Republican convention. Mayor de Blasio joining us. Mayor, thank you for being here, Mayor. And Matt, I want to talk about night one and the big surprise last night. Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat, appearing at this Republican convention, talking about the importance of bipartisanship. I want to play a little bit of what Congresswoman Madeline Dean, a fellow Pennsylvanian, had to say about his surprise appearance and then get your reaction. Take a look. I am gravely disappointed with John and that stunt. What I wish he was doing was back home in Pennsylvania, making sure like I am, that Pennsylvania will see more Democratic members of the House who uphold the values that he originally ran on.

30:36I will tell you from the ground, from suburban Philadelphia, my constituents are livid. Those who went out and knocked doors for him, they are absolutely livid. That's some strong language, Mayor de Blasio. What are you hearing? What was your reaction? I think the point the Congress member is making is if someone tells people, this is what I stand for, this is what I'm going to do for you, and then they literally go 180. That's pretty rare, honestly, in American politics. And you can see why it's painful. I think a lot of folks saw something very special in John Fetterman, a true voice of everyday people.

31:09And, look, he's been through a lot. I want to be fair. He's been through a whole lot physically, emotionally. But to suddenly seem to switch sides, I think he is losing the ground. He's losing the connection to the people who sent him there. I also think Trump and his team thought this would be a big splash. But the real big splash yesterday was saying, consider me at the top of the ticket, which is like the last thing a lot of Republicans want who are running in those swing districts and then trying to essentially bribe the American people with a five thousand dollar offer, which they'll never see.

31:41And I think luckily the voters will figure that out. Matt, I want to turn to you a lot for you to respond to. Let me get your reaction first to Senator Fetterman. What was the reaction that you're hearing from Republicans? I'm hearing a lot of people were actually surprised in the hall last night. Well, absolutely a big surprise. And it's also, you know, again, you can't really underscore the good personal relationship that Dave McCormick and others like Katie Britt have taken with Senator Fetterman in the last year or two, especially as his own party casts him out. And I guess I just kind of I'm perplexed by the kind of stance among many mainstream Democrats.

32:17Vetterman votes with the Democrats, I think, at probably worst, 75 percent of the time, 80 percent of the time. Right. So contrast how Democrats treat Vetterman with someone how our party treats like a Susan Collins. I'd rather have Susan Collins to be my friend two thirds or three fourths of the time. And on certain issues, just like Vetterman does in the left, say Israel, for instance, with Vetterman on the left. Yes, he does break. But he's a pretty reliable Democrat, Democratic vote. And they're driving him from the party just like they did Sinema. They're repeating the same mistakes on this.

32:48And, you know, I think they'll be ill served in 28 when he's up again for re-election. Mayor de Blasio, do you think he could win re-election in Pennsylvania right now? I don't. I understand Matt's point. I would say this was not the age of Donald Trump. What Matt is saying would make a lot more sense. I think a lot of people feel the fundamental future of this whole country is at stake. This is not normal political times. This feels like profound decisions on what's going to happen with this country, if it's going to be the same Democrat country it's been historically or not. In that context, when someone you believe was not just a Democrat, but a progressive, a Bernie Sanders Democrat, is suddenly hanging out with Trump, you can understand the level of disappointment there.

33:30I think Matt makes a good practical point, and I do hope Fetterman keeps his word. He said he's going to stay in the Democratic Party no matter what. I hope he keeps his word. But do I think he's going to get reelected? No, because people don't like shapeshifters. They really don't. They like people who are consistent. Matt, I want you to respond to something else that Mayor de Blasio raised, which is this idea that President Trump's main message last night was pretend I'm on the ballot. Does that, in fact, put some Republicans in battleground districts and battleground states in very tight races in a tough spot.

34:03Well, look, here's how I would think of it, honestly. And you saw the same thing in, you know, it comes to mind as Bush in 2006, Obama in 10. Whether, if you're a Mike Lawler, you're a Brian Fitzpatrick, and these are the classic suburban swing Republicans, and a lot of them in the ones Harris won, right? You are going to be tarred with being a, you know, quote, MAGA Republican, a Trump Republican, regardless. But as I said earlier on, right? Right now, what we need is our base to come out. Like, you can fight over the last six, five, maybe even eight percent of those swing voters. And again, that's where campaigns matter and candidates matter.

34:40Fitzpatrick and Lawler are two really good ones. But if your base doesn't come out, you're losing by 15. Like, it's not even close. And that's, I mean, I talk about Susan Collins. That's why she won in 20. Was that Trump base? He was on the ballot, granted. it. But she needs some of that base, that reliable MAGA, that Republican base to come out this time again. So I get it. It's a tough bargain. But right now, as I said, the whole point of this convention is getting the base out. Let's talk about night two of this GOP convention. Mayor de Blasio, what are you going to be watching for? Obviously, you seized on the fact that Trump is promising five thousand dollars if Republicans are reelected last night.

35:17What are you watching for tonight when the vice president speaks. Obviously, he is seen as being the potential standard bearer of the Republican ticket. Well, it picks up exactly on what Matt said. I understand they're trying to motivate their base. Where I differ with Matt is you are not winning these elections in these key states and these key districts with just your base, period. I hear you have to have your base. But then if you give up on the moderates and the independents, ball game over. So, so far, this convention has done nothing, essentially, to speak to the angst, the feeling that people have.

35:49All those moderates and independents who want to see less extremism from Trump, less personal, fewer personal attacks, more focus on the economy and making ends meet, they're not hearing it. Can Vance set a different tone tonight? Maybe. But I think it's a little too late after the boss has already spoken. Matt, what are you going to be watching for? And do you anticipate he's going to set a different tone tonight? You know, he tends to. And as I understand, the speech is coming together just today. And, you know, again, if Trump was the dessert for the base last night, what Vance has been consistently is the meat and potatoes.

36:25And essentially what he is is a playbook for Republicans, whether you're running in a reliably red seat or a Mike Lawler or a Fitzpatrick can go and talk about you hear Vance constantly talk about the, quote, working families tax cut. Right. And not the big, beautiful bill, how he talks about it. So I would look for tonight a playbook that Republicans can take in a variety of districts. And I would expect that to be the takeaway. And also, I would say this, too, right? Let's be honest. Normal people, regular folks, unless you're paid, are not watching this. They're probably watching football like they were watching NBC last night, most likely.

36:58Well, it is football season. It is football season, after all. What a great conversation. Mayor de Blasio, Matt Gorman, thank you both so much. I know that we'll be watching closely tonight. I really appreciate it. Coming up after the break, the AI resignation that went viral. A former researcher who worked for both Anthropic and OpenAI speaks out after warning in no uncertain terms. AI agents could soon be capable of killing all of humanity. Stay with us on Meet the Press now.

37:35Welcome back now to new developments after a group of AI researchers went public with fears the technology could pose an existential threat to humanity if it's not reigned in. Jacob Coxon, who worked for OpenAI and then quit his job at Anthropic, posted on social media Tuesday, the people building AI earnestly believe it could kill us all by the end of this decade. This is not a marketing stunt. That post now has more than 24 million views. Coxon shared some of his experiences working in the industry with our own NBC's Tom Yamas last night, warning that the development of potentially dangerous models could be mere months away.

38:17So the current models don't pose significant risk. This is all extrapolating potentially one year away from now. The models start getting very dangerous. We have to be very careful. One year. One year away. Some people think even six months. Like, it's plausible within six months the models pose risk of taking over the world. The AIs. It could be longer. It could be two, three years. But definitely in the Slack, they're not panicking about current AIs. But we are discussing, you know, what is the world going to look like in two years? This is endgame. These are like crucial high stakes decisions being made by people in a private company.

38:55And, you know, people are people are scared because they should be when they're talking about the possibility of human extinction. This is endgame. Anthropic defended its practices in a statement writing, quote, We have always been transparent that AI will bring both enormous benefits and unprecedented risks, and that we believe the world would benefit from the industry adopting a lawful, verifiable way to work together to pace how we release powerful models. Jared Perlow covers AI for NBC News. He joins me now. Jared, it's great to see you in person. Great to see you. Really appreciate your being here.

39:31Thank you. So what has the reaction been? We've now heard from Mr. Coxon. He says this is endgame. I mean, this is a terrifying warning. He says it may be a matter of months before there's a model that is created that could actually lead to the end of humanity. How are people reacting? I think a lot of people are saying this struck a nerve. So his original post, his tweet, which I think is just over 36 hours old, now has, I just checked over 155 million views on X. I think a lot of people, even within AI companies, they're now posting their agreement with Cox's statement. I just saw somebody who works very high up in open AI just said, yeah, I completely agree with this.

40:13I think there's a decent chance human goes extinct maybe in the next couple of years. So again, I think we should all take these statements with a grain of salt because they're talking about what might happen in a couple of years. But I think there's been a broad outpouring of support and also public awareness. People are saying, if the researchers who are developing this honestly think this, maybe we should all start to pay attention. Right. You know, what is your biggest takeaway in terms of what we may see happen next based on this dire warning? Well, I think I'm going to be looking for policy action and then also action from the companies.

40:46So a lot of these companies acknowledge that it would be great if they could slow down, but they say they're handcuffed. There are all these race dynamics between different AI companies, between different countries, primarily the U.S. and China. to accelerate and go as fast as possible. But you go back to Davos, some AI CEOs took the stage there, I think back, you know, several months ago, and they said, let's get together and let's slow down, but we don't have the tools to do that. So yesterday, OpenAI came out with a new statement saying, well, we should really slow down this time. So I'm going to be watching for action from the companies.

41:14And there are lots of Congress people, both, you know, in the Senate and in the House, who say maybe this is the time we should really act. So I'm going to be watching what happens probably over the next couple of weeks. There has been so much discussion in Congress that this is the time to act. When you hear that, it could be a matter of months, maybe a year before a model is created that's actually deadly for humanity. Does that square with what your reporting shows, that it could be a matter of months away? I think it's complicated. The quick answer is yes. There are these people working at the very cutting edge of AI who do think this.

41:48That's their honest, truly held belief. Now, I should say that's a subset of the wider AI community. Many other people say, no, don't worry about it. You know, I still, when I use my chatbot, it gets recipes wrong. And of course, there are people selling the hardware who say, ignore those concerns. Let's go as fast as possible. Let's sell as many chips. But from the people that I talk to at these leading labs, I think, I mean, it's certainly a possibility. They're dealing with probabilities here. So they don't say this is a certainty, but they're saying we have to take action now in order to avert, you know, those bad outcomes.

42:16Jared Perlow, thank you so much for being here. I have a feeling we're going to be talking a lot over the next several months. Great to see you in person. We do have a programming note. Jacob Coxon will join me on Meet the Press this Sunday. You don't want to miss that interview. Still to come, America remembers the importance of teaching and preserving the memory of the 9-11 terror attacks as the nation prepares to mark the 25th anniversary. Stay with us. You're watching the press now.

42:54Welcome back. Tomorrow will mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The shock, the fear, the haunting images are seared into the memory of millions of Americans. From the moment the first plane was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center to the scenes of New Yorkers fleeing in confusion and horror. The first responders and ordinary heroes rushing toward an unknown danger to help. Hijacked planes also crashed into the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3 ,000 people were killed in the attacks. That day, as you all know, changed the course of American history.

43:34And the mantra became never forget. But there is a growing recognition that to fulfill that promise, more education is needed, more needs to be done. One in 10 adults in the U.S. today was born after 2001, meaning they have no personal memory of that day, relying on others to teach them about it. Fewer than half of states have requirements that require schools to teach students about 9-11. It spurred a new national push from the 9-11 Legacy Foundation to increase awareness and preserve the memory of the attacks. Joining me now are two people who have vowed not to let America forget and who played a critical role in this country's national security.

44:17They are both former cabinet secretaries and former White House chiefs of staff. We are so honored to have Andy Card, who was chief of staff to President George W. Bush, and Leon Panetta, who was President Clinton's chief of staff and served as CIA director and secretary of defense under President Obama. And they both sit on the board of the 9-11 Legacy Foundation. Thank you to both of you for being here on this somber eve of the anniversary. Secretary Card, I want to start with you. You and I were just noting that this 25th anniversary is hitting so incredibly hard. And part of the reason is because we vowed never forget.

44:58And yet, as you have said, not enough people remember and understand. Almost 60 % of America knows that we talk about never forgetting, but they say, I don't know what to remember to never to forget. And so we have to remind them. And this was a call to, I'm going to say, to compassion. 9-11 changed America, changed the world. And it was terrible that people got killed the way they got killed. It was terrible the way the personalities tend to drive things. But once we recognized the magnitude of the attack and so many people responded by running to the burning towers to rescue people and the policemen and firemen of New York City and Washington, D.C.

45:54with regard to the Pentagon, those things made a huge difference. And there's also firemen, policemen and first responders that responded from all of the New England states, from Maryland and Washington, D.C. So the initial reaction was a positive reaction of people saying, I'm here to help. But we don't have enough talk about really what happened that day, why it happened, why it was so terrible, and the love that ended up being contagious afterwards. America responded and came together. We flew American freaks in our yard, welcomed our neighbors. The president went to a mosque and said, you're not the problem.

46:43We're all Americans together. The unity was extraordinary. And Secretary Panetta, I want to just read a little bit of an opinion piece that you and Secretary Card wrote earlier this year about this new generation of adults. You write their understanding of that fateful day, what caused it, what it cost, and what it meant will come not from personal experience, but from what they're taught. And right now, what they're being taught is not enough. It is devastating to hear that, Secretary Panetta, what needs to be done? Well, that was our concern in establishing Legacy Foundation was to stress that we should never forget what happened on 9-11.

47:32Never forget the tragedy of almost 3 ,000 people being killed, innocent men, women, and children who were killed that day, but also recognize the heroism that was involved, not only by the first responders, but also by the victims and their families and the hope that was reflected in those families as they struggled to come back. And many of those families now have moved on. And we need to remember that. And I have to say from my own experience, I hope that people will also remember the sacrifices of the special forces teams that ultimately went after bin Laden and brought him to justice. Because all of that plays a very important role in our lives.

48:289-11 was a wake up call. It was a wake up call to foreign terrorism. But it was also a wake up call to America that we are at our best when we are unified, when we're together and when we're working towards the same goals of trying to protect our democracy. I want to talk to you both about that day. Secretary Card, you had the extraordinary and the somber task of telling President Bush, then President Bush, who was in the middle of reading to an elementary school class, that America was under attack. We will all remember this image etched in history. What are your reflections today of that moment?

49:17That moment, we had gone to Sarasota the evening before. And I woke up early in the morning. I was chief of staff to the president. They have an early day every day, getting ready for the day. And the president got up. He was excited. It was a perfect day in America. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. And he had invited a reporter, Stretch Kyle, to go for a run with him on the golf course at the Sarasota Country Club. And I remember, go for the run. It'll be a great day. And he was all worried that Stretch Kyle had been an all-American cross-country runner, and he wanted to beat him. But anyway, but it was one of those, it was just a wonderful day that dawned.

50:01And he came back from the run. He beat Stretch Kyle. So he felt good about that. We had a security briefing from the national security folks and the CIA. and there was no reference to this attack or anything like that. And then I told the president, it's going to be an easy day. You're going to be talking about your favorite topic, which is leaving no child behind in education, getting rid of the bigotry of low expectation. And you're going to be doing it in a classroom, in an elementary, in their second graders. And they're eager to learn and read with you. So it became something I knew was going to happen.

50:40And I do say it's going to be a great day as we're getting ready to load into the vehicles to go over to the M.A. Booker School. I do remember two people asking the question, Dan Bartlett and Karl Rove, who said, anybody hear about a plane crash in New York City? And we arrived at the school and I know the president got on the phone and called Condoleezza Rice, his national security advisor. I didn't hear that conversation, but I was told that a plane looks like it was a small, not a commercial jetliner, had crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. And then I went over and looked in the classroom and made sure it was all set.

51:20I saw the students lined up in the best behavior. The teacher, Sandra Kay Daniels, was just so well-groomed and very disciplined over her students. She seemed so positive and confident. And then I walked back to the door of the holding room. And Deb Lauer from the national security team came up and told the president, it appears a small twin-engine prop plane crashed into one of the towers at the World Trade Center in New York City. The principal, the teacher, and I and the president all had the same reaction. What a horrible accident. Must have had a heart attack or something. And then you had to tell the president that the country was actually under attack.

52:02The president went into the classroom. It was having a dialogue with the students. They were getting ready to read a book. I then found out that the plane had crashed into the second tower. I knew it was an attack. It wasn't an accident. And I carefully selected the words that I wanted to use with them. Secretary Panetta, what are your reflections from that day that would change our country forever with the final minute that we have here? Well, I was in Washington actually briefing members of Congress on an ocean issue because I was chair of an ocean commission. And it was a commission member that told me that a plane had gone into the trade tower.

52:47We thought, like Andy, that it was a terrible accident, but then found out that a second plane had gone in. And I remember turning to the members of Congress and saying, this is what's happened. We're under a terrorist attack. I recommend all of you get off Capitol Hill because Capitol Hill could very well be a target for you. And as I was driving away from Capitol Hill, I was made aware of the plane that went into the Pentagon. and recognized that, as Andy has said, our lives had changed. We were the subject of an attack, and America had to unite in order to respond. And that unity was extraordinary, and I think something that we all cherish that came from the ashes and the horror of that day.

53:39We are so grateful for both of you and the work that you are doing. Andy Card, Leon Panetta, thank you for bringing us your perspective. We will have special coverage of the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks tomorrow. There's more ahead on NBC News Now.

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