DHS Plans to Launch Voter Fraud Investigation Surge

24:27In the middle of a conflict, probably. But are Republicans concerned about this? I think they are concerned about it. I also, I'm sat here patiently, very quietly listening to this. I'm not teeing off, but I think I have a little bit more optimism of where we are in this conflict today than I did maybe even a month ago. And it has more to do with the movement through the Strait of Hormuz. I mean, that was, it was a double whammy that the president kind of found himself with Iran in this active warfare and the strait being shut. And we are, with the blockade and the removal of the mines, we have now seen some transport through there.

25:12So I don't want to not talk about that. I think that is something that's really important to point out. And we're moving strategically in the right direction. So I'm a little bit more optimistic. But the problem is, Mike, that the Straits of Hormuz would not even have been an issue if Trump had not attacked Iran in the first place. And as you notice, I went back a month. I didn't go back to February. So my point being is, I do have some optimism to this. And to your point about the midterm elections, I do think there are going to be partially a referendum on this. So when we talk about the price of oil, when we talk about the price of gasoline, which is actually more important, I think, to everyday Americans, That is going to be what we're talking about.

26:00And whether or not Driscoll, you know, he really, we probably in a normal administration wouldn't be talking about the Secretary of Army. But this was a direct threat to Hegseth. And that direct threat has been removed. And I think from that perspective, you can have folks on Capitol Hill talking about that because there seems to be unease in the Pentagon. Can I just ask real quick, though, because I actually agree with what you're saying about in terms of where everything had been for the course of the last six months, this was as good a position strategically as the Trump administration had been.

26:30Seemed to be moving in the right direction. In terms of, and I cover energy and economic stuff very, very closely, like it was in a better spot. There was no question about that, which raises the question going back into striking back and forth. And I understand the rationale for the U.S. side strikes were they saw things cropping up in the Strait of Four movies that could have threatened that. But it seems like they're back in a place now that is the opposite of where they were. Well, I think that's a tipping point. If this is just to remove the threat from the strait-of-war moves that is now partially opened, then that's one thing.

26:58If we are full on, and when you listen to the president's words, I think he was pretty clear on this. This is not the full fury of the United States. This is just a part of this operation. But you know that's not how voters are looking at this. Oh, yeah. They're not going to delve into a month ago, six months ago. No, they're going to look at gas prices. the difference between what I'm paying at the pump today, what I was paying a year ago. Why the hell did we go to war? They still don't understand why. Everyone keeps saying a different reason. And that's not good for Republicans. It's what complicates the entire dynamic.

27:29All right, you guys stick around. We're going to do this again because I enjoy your company. Up next, we're talking about next week's Republican Midterm Convention, or Trumpapalooza, as some call it. Why some GOP lawmakers say they're making other plans. We're going to talk about it next.

28:15We'll be right back. Way fair, every style, every home. In the politics lead, with the House back in session, Republicans are now being pressed on how they'll defend their razor-thin majority this November. Some lawmakers from key districts told CNN's Monty Raju they're not all in on the GOP's midterm convention next week in Dallas. Are you planning to go to the Republican convention next week? I'm planning to be in my district. Are you going to the Republican convention next week? Thinking about it. I have to be in the district because I have events. I would love to go. I was thinking about it.

28:49I'm going to I'm going to miss out on something important, but I cannot be in two places at the same time yet. Honestly, this time of year is like Manu goes back to work and it makes me happy to see him in baseman chasing Republicans. But where do you put him when they're on recess? Does he go? He has a show, which he's a big time anchor and we all love him for that. But no, otherwise, I think he just walks around in a circle with a camera. Mike, for lawmakers right now, this is a tough question both to answer publicly, as you kind of saw there, but like Republicans I'm talking to, lawmakers, political officials, like people that are involved in the campaign right now don't want anything to do with this, not because of Trump, but because they have their own race.

29:30Yeah, it really is less to do about Trump and more to do with it's post-Labor Day. We have 60-odd days until the election. People need to be in their districts. They need to be meeting with their constituents. There is a reason why we're doing this, you know, almost sprint in the House and the Senate of being in session so that in October they can be home. So to sandwich between Labor Day recess, this sprint, and then your final electioneering, it's very difficult to be in Dallas for that. Are you skeptical that this isn't about Trump? Yes, very. I guarantee you that in all of the swing districts, and frankly in any district that Trump won by 10 or less, it is about Trump because those are all of the districts that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is now targeting.

30:19They've amplified their map because Trump's approval rating numbers are so horrific. So I guarantee you, they will never say it publicly, I have heard some people that have heard them say it privately. They don't want anything to do with Donald Trump at this moment. I, as a Democrat, am hoping that Donald Trump is front and center in all of these elections and all of these districts and that he speaks as long as he can about every issue on the planet at this convention. I am going to push back a little bit on that. And this is really just to be intellectually consistent. One thing that we've seen as Republicans is that when Donald Trump is on the ballot in 16 and 20 and 24, his base turns out.

30:59When he's not, in 18 and 22, Republicans suffered because those low propensity voters did not show up. One of the theories in 2026 is that putting Trump out there, having Mega Inc. spend their$400 million, putting more Donald Trump out there is going to bring some of those low propensity voters out. It is one thing, one hook that the RNC is hoping to hang their hat on. Can I just ask you, because you were in one of the most important states for house races, but also just in general, when it comes to electoral politics. In Pennsylvania a couple weeks ago, you were talking to actual people. God bless.

31:36What is your sense of the things that are motivating and moving? Is it the guy on the top of the, not, I guess, on the ticket? The guy at the top of it? Is it about issues, like daily issues they're dealing with? What are you hearing? Well, midterms are typically a referendum on the incumbent, and that's not usually a plus for whoever is in the White House and which party is in control of Washington. I mean, what we have seen time and again in polling, including our own at The Wall Street Journal, is that inflation and cost of living is at the top of mind for voters in poll after poll after poll.

32:07So when I was out in Pennsylvania hanging out at gas stations or outside of grocery stores and talking to voters firsthand, many of them were very frustrated, and that included some of the president's own supporters. Now, does that mean the president's supporters are going to go cast a ballot for Democrats? That's no, but it comes back to the point of, are they going to turn out? And they don't feel as motivated. And so I think one of the concerns I'm hearing from Republicans about this convention is, which version of President Trump are we going to also get? And is he able to stay focused on the issues that matter to voters?

32:37Or is he going to continue and downplay issues like affordability and inflation, which he has done in some of his public comments? One more thing real quick that was really interesting to me is that, you know, voters themselves are making some of the connections. when they were trying to put gas in their car, when they're filling up gas, they were talking about the impact of the Iran war unprompted. When they were coming out of the grocery store, some voters brought up tariffs to me on their own without any prodding. They were kind of making a connection between some of the higher prices that they're seeing and some of the president's own policy.

33:06So while presidents don't typically have much control over inflation, I do think that one of the liabilities that Republicans see is that some of the administration's policies have actually compounded some of the problems. I was so struck by what Congresswoman Salazar told Manu. I almost wanted to cheer her on. She said, point blank, I can't be in two places at one time. How many parents at this table, how many spouses at this table? Especially this time of year. After Labor Day, they're going to have a convention in Dallas. You know how bonkers this idea is? First of all, the vice president speaks Wednesday against the debut of the NFL football season.

33:42The president speaks Thursday against game two of the NFL football season. And who is going to be watching that? Perhaps a very narrow subset of Americans, perhaps. Maybe they'll defy expectations and beat the football game. Also, this arena in Dallas hosts 20 ,000 people. They're going to get 20 ,000 people to fill that arena? That could be a heavy lift. They're still trying to push out tickets. And the RNC says it's going to be a Trumpapalooza. I'm not sure if that moves tickets or not. I hope it is. It is a Trumpapalooza. Sabrina, can I ask you, because you bring up a really good point about affordability.

34:15It's been interesting to listen to the president and watch some of his actions the last couple of days, because this has been something that obviously he kind of tends to reject. The beef quota tariff related issues, which I would love to talk about at length and no one will let me, was a sign. Like they see it. They get it. They understand hamburger is too expensive right now, up nine percent year over year. But he was also talking about this at a health care event. Listen. We all talk about affordability. Today is fundamentally about affordability. Great job you're doing, too. By the way, affordability is so prices are coming down.

34:49Today is first and foremost about affordability. Seems like they know the message. Well, they know. It's just hard to keep the president on message, right? I mean, on the one hand, Republicans love it if he kept talking about plans to lower prescription drugs or some of the other efforts that they're taking to rein in costs. But there are any number of days where he suggests that affordability is a hoax and that inflation is not a real problem. and that's just an attack ad that's running across the country. And then you have today, and I get very excited because they're talking about no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

35:23Today is a good day. Enjoy that fleeting moment, Mike Dupke. Thank you guys very much. Appreciate you all. Well, some chilling new video next. A woman in Nepal grabbed two young children and escaped last week's floods by just seconds. See more of this moment, plus the aftermath of the disaster six days later. That's coming up.

35:46Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Now, I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited premium wireless for$15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made$15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of$45 for three months,$90 for six months, or$180 for 12 month plan required. $15 per month equivalent. Taxes and fees extra. Initial plan term only. Greater than 50 gigabytes. May slow when network is busy. See terms. Dramatic new video as that violent wall of water rushed a town in Nepal last week.

36:22You can see a woman grab two young children. You can see flooding inundate the area just as they made it to higher ground. Six days later, officials say more than 1 ,000 people are dead. Thousands more still unaccounted for. Meanwhile, in one hard-hit town, displaced families living in a makeshift shelter say they worry about more flooding. CNN's Will Ripley spoke with a girl who lost 17 members of her family and a 13-year-old whose school bus was almost swept away by the floods. On this unfinished rooftop of a small municipal building in Vidur, Nepal, 50 men left homeless by the flood try to sleep.

37:00But the nights are long and cold, and Suba Tumang says, full of tears and fear. This place is not also safe. So you're afraid the floods could even come up to this roof? Yeah. How do you sleep at night? Are you able to sleep? No, we couldn't. Because many people cry because they lost their family members too. So many people cry here at night, remembering their members. And every day is good like that. You've got the helicopters always flying over. Every day, the choppers fly out searching for survivors. Every night, they fly back, and those he lost are still gone. And I lost my eight family members there.

37:47You lost eight family members? Yeah. I lost my uncle, aunt, and my siblings. I'm so sorry. This one also. This is your brother? Yeah. How old is he? He's two years old. What's his name? His name is Sagar. Anjana. How old is Anjana? She's two years old. Her name is Dolma Tamang. So she's your aunt? Yeah. Camera phone pictures are precious commodities for Subha and his cousin, Kopila Tumang. They have little else left. When he was born, I took his home. You took this one? Yeah. How old? One month. She is first daughter, second daughter. My mom is third one. This also lost. My mom and my two siblings also.

38:35Two cousins, auntie and her daughter. Both were lost? Yeah, both lost. This is my sister. She also lost. This is my grandma. She was also lost? Yeah, she also lost. She's so innocent. She used to love me so much. Everyone in this picture is gone? These all are gone. They are like my children. When I came home, they always come back with me and call me Fupu. So I miss them. 17 family members. Yeah. That's really hard to even wrap your head around. Yeah. The 2015 earthquake destroyed her old family home. Back then, everyone survived. This time, the wall of water consumed her family's new home in Lusibah, leaving nothing and no one behind.

39:32So you were trying to call your dad, your mom, nobody picked up? My relatives, there is no answer. Because all of them were gone? Yeah. What's keeping you strong? I have one small brother, I have to take care of him. Now I'm the mother for him, so I have to be strong. When I cry, you will also cry. Hello. He's my brother. What's your name? Gogantaman. Gogantaman. Nice to meet you. Time passes slowly here. Most people are still in a state of shock, with only the clothes on their backs.

40:15about 100 women and children sleep in this yoga center they tell me every time there's a rumor of another flood everyone runs up this nearby hill and hides the rumors often come late at night they say there are no showers and everyone shares a bathroom they get their drinking water from a truck or fill their bottles at nearby waterfalls Children like Regina and Rosita Buta can't go to school because it was also destroyed. So what happened when you're on the bus going to school? We could see the water chasing us from our window, she says. Everyone started crying and shouting. The driver drove very fast and took us to a safer place.

41:04I was extremely scared. We thought the flood would not be this big. But when we saw how huge it was, we were terrified. Her dad, Rajendra Bhutta, says the bus driver saved his children's lives. He saw dozens of houses being washed away, along with a bridge and a road. The raging water dragged this bus hundreds of feet. Did you ever think you'd see a flood like this? No, I've never seen this type of flood, he says. Not just me, but my father and grandfather also never witnessed such a devastating flood in their lifetimes. I think a large number of school children may have died. Since some of their parents may also have died, there's no one to ask about their whereabouts.

41:44You really got to watch your step. This is quicksand, probably about 20 feet deep. Some of these guys out here said they've stepped in it, and it went right up to their neck. That makes recovering bodies very difficult and dangerous. Nobody knows how many bodies are buried beneath, or when or where it'll be safe to rebuild all the homes, all the lives swept away. Will Ripley, CNN, Vidur, Nepal. And our thanks to Will Ripley for that report. Well, ahead, the Trump administration rolling out a new hunt for voter fraud, 63 days out from the November midterms. Why does Homeland Security need to be involved?

42:28We'll ask a Republican and a Democrat who both helped run the agency. Stay with us.

42:37Welcome to The Lead. I'm Phil Mattingly. In for Jake Tapper. This hour, a new effort is underway to investigate what President Trump claims is widespread voter fraud, despite no proof it's actually happening. We're breaking down exactly what the Department of Homeland Security is doing in the nine states they are focusing on as we gear up for the midterms. Plus, we're in the final hours of voting in Massachusetts, where age is on the ballot in three key races. Will voters decide, choose decades of experience or under a generation of leaders? We're live on the campaign trail in moments. Also, a U.S.

43:09Army veteran whose self-deportation was at the center of a fiery hearing, now he's hoping he can return to the United States. Sejun Park was just pardoned for the crimes that led to him moving back to his native South Korea. He joins us live ahead to share the next steps in his immigration fight. And Tropical Storm Edward is lashing Texas and Louisiana after making landfall this afternoon. Flash flooding, tornadoes and winds over 50 miles per hour still are possible with this storm. An update on that forecast ahead.

43:42The lead tonight, a massive new investigative undertaking kicked off today in President Trump's hunt for purported widespread election fraud. CNN exclusive reporting shows the Department of Homeland Security's investigative arm is launching a voter fraud, quote, surge initiative to look into leads, conduct field interviews, and quickly review any new evidence. Experts worry it could chill legitimate voting ahead of the midterm elections, particularly after President Trump tried to overturn the 2020 elections based on lies. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is here. And Priscilla, you and her team broke this story.

44:15Homeland Security Investigations looking at specific states here. Tell us more about what you learned. Well, let's review what Homeland Security Investigations is. They are a branch of immigration and customs enforcement. when typically they are working on human trafficking, drug smuggling, and other types of crimes. And in this case, and I should say over many months now, they have put an unprecedented number of resources toward this voter fraud crusade that the president has endeavored on. And as the Department of Homeland Security has more often become the central part of that under Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen.

44:50Now, starting today, there is a new effort underway. And it is described, according to the guidance that we reviewed, as a coordinated criminal voter fraud surge initiative, which does some of what you described there, like conducting field interviews and researching new investigative leads and supporting timely prosecutorial review. Because remember, while they will do the investigation, they would have to refer these cases to U.S. attorneys to move forward. This surge is happening in nine states. They include, for example, Wisconsin, Missouri, Georgia, California, among others. And it's going to happen from now until mid-October.

45:26And that timing is, of course, just shy of midterm elections, which raises questions about why now. Generally, federal governments have avoided overt investigations into elections as they come closer because of concern of influencing the election or the chilling effect. Now, that is under the Justice Department manual. That is not the Department of Homeland Security is not obligated to follow that policy. but as a sense as to how this has generally been conducted. Now, again, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that, quote, while ICE Homeland Security Investigations is not able to comment on any active investigations, HSI is actively rooting out and investigating election fraud wherever it can be found.

46:10Now, Phil, experts say there is no widespread voter fraud that has occurred in recent elections, but it is clear that the administration is continuing to tout this and double down on this. Just last week, the Justice Department announced charges against an Adoran national that they say falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen and registered to vote. This administration, or rather, this department is continuing these investigations with full force. In my experience covering past law enforcement searches of all kinds, there's always a justification, a numbers basis for why you're deciding to deploy.

46:40Because you're taking these agents or this personnel away from other jobs or other priorities. Do they have one here? Well, all the sources that I've spoken with say that this is the priority for the Department of Homeland Security and for the administration. Therefore, they are shifting resources to comply with that. Now, what's interesting, Phil, is that even as they're conducting this work, we've seen some of the correspondence with county election officials and HSI agents. And in that correspondence, HSI also says we typically don't do voter fraud work. And yet they're having to add this to their work.

47:16And that includes also looking at naturalized citizens and whether before they became U.S. citizens, they registered to vote or voted. And so a lot of their time is being dedicated to this. And the reason they're being given is simply that this is a priority. How many of those investigative leads lead to the referrals and then to prosecutions? Well, that's something that we just don't know yet. Yeah, hasn't been widespread up to this point. We will obviously continue to cover it. You will continue to cover it. Great piece. Priscilla Alvarez, great reporter. Well, joining us now, two people with a lot of experience in the Department of Homeland Security, Ken Cuccinelli, who served during President Trump's first term, and John Sandwick, who served under President Obama.

47:51Ken, just to start with you, the timing aspect here that Priscilla mentioned. Obviously, this is a DOJ thing. It doesn't necessarily apply explicitly to DHS. But the question of doing something this close to the elections and what effect that may have, what's your read on it? So Priscilla noted that this has been going on for months. So this isn't kicking off now. This is just, you know, there's a lot of public reporting about it now. And we are headed into an election. Um, the DOJ guidance is typically related to candidates and people involved in an election, not discovering illegal activity by individual voters, which is what the HSI effort would be directed to.

48:39It's not directed at candidates or parties. It's investigating illegal activity by non-citizens, which is entirely within the jurisdiction of HSI. And this has been going on for months. So we'll see how it ends. As Priscilla noted, this is an investigative funnel into the DOJ prosecutorial decision. That's where ultimate prosecution decisions will be made. And I can tell you as a former attorney general, that's a painfully slow process. You know, John, earlier this summer, DHS announced an audit of public voter rolls that identified more than 250 ,000 registered non-citizens in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Nevada.

49:20DHS hasn't really shown the methodology behind that. Some of those numbers have very much been called into question. What is your sense from your time and your experience of how widespread voter fraud is at this time? You know, Phil, it's not that widespread, right? The number of cases that you find are exceedingly low. I think the other problem with it, Phil, is you've got to remember, what is this costing HSI, right, in terms of the diversion of resources? As Priscilla mentioned, and as Ken knows, HSI does a lot of critical work for the United States. They are tip of the spear in terms of export control laws, preventing Iran from getting microchips that lead to these drone strikes, or preventing sensitive military technologies to end up in North Korea.

49:59Big money laundering cases like Chapo Guzman, right, drug cartels. That is the responsibility of HSI. So we're pulling agents off that to say we're going to focus on these voting cases. Now, there are cases typically, though, Phil, what it involves is someone who's been a green card, not some part of nefarious plot to influence the election, but lived here a long time, got confused, made a mistake, tried to vote. And I think the thing people need to understand is I'm not saying that's not serious. There are other ways in the immigration system you can deal with those, you know, short of a criminal prosecution.

50:27But it just, again, the big concern here is what is the cost in terms of what cases are not being made while we mess around with these cases? Ken, that's actually, I want to ask you about that balance. I mean, resources are finite. You've been in the game. You understand the reality of being in the arena at a leadership position, trying to figure out what you dedicate and what you prioritize for your personnel and for the resources that you do have. There was an IG report a couple weeks ago that said related to immigration enforcement and the push on immigration enforcement. Other cases have not gotten the attention perhaps that they would have in the past, particularly talking about certain drug cases.

51:01What's your sense of if the balance is right right now for HSI, which can do so many different things? So certainly I have always felt that HSI was, and it sounds like an odd thing to say, not skewed enough toward targeting of illegal immigration and illegal immigrant activity. That they, in many ways, use their jurisdiction to be a secondary FBI. And that is, we have an FBI. They ought to be focused on this population. And to your point that you keep making, Phil, about you'd like to say it's not widespread, but we just watched New Jersey accidentally in only one year put over 6 ,000 noncitizens on their voter rolls and over 400 of them voted.

51:53And that's in a state that was doing it themselves. You did mention that people can become confused. People can get on these voter rolls a wide variety of ways. But some of those ways are inappropriate, illegal, and so forth. And given the tens of thousands that have been discovered on the voter rolls, this doesn't seem illegitimate. And last, I would say that my understanding of the distribution of work for this is that existing leads are parsed out to the appropriate geographic offices and are put on their sort of work list, if you will. And it is undeniable, the point you made, that human resources are always finite.

52:36John made this point as well. That is always true. And while you may say there are other immigration entities that can deal with this subject, the fact of the matter is most of them don't have significant investigative resources, and some of them don't have investigative authority. So that's what HSI was for. Part of what it was for was to perform all manner of investigative undertakings that involve this population. So I think this is very appropriate and a productive use of manpower. John, last week, Maine's Republican nominee for governor said he would ask DHS to provide ICE agents and U.S.

53:16marshals at polling places for the midterms. That's according to the Associated Press. Here's what DHS Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen said today. Listen. ICE isn't there to patrol the polling places. We're there to enforce specific threats. The only reason why we would be at polling places if there is a threat to that polling place or we're serving. Yes. Or we're or we're serving a warrant on someone that we have been actively tracking down. You were the acting director of ICE. Your reaction to how the secretary responded to that? I mean, Phil, I want to keep ICE as far away from polling places as possible.

53:53Look, let's be clear. We'll see what happens. Right. Let's see what happens. And certainly I would have no objections if there's a specific threat and you're calling out HSI to deal with a specific threat. But if you're talking about the widespread deployment of ICE, look, no one knows the difference between HSI and ICE. They see on the back of that, you know, ERO, the immigration side of ICE. They see on the back of that, you know, jacket ICE. That means one thing. Right. It's going to have a massive chilling effect on large segments of the population. And certainly you worry that any idea of mass deployments of ICE to polling sites would be designed just to do that, right, to reduce voter participation and to send a message that this is a part of a larger immigration enforcement effort.

54:32John Sanway, Ken Cuccinelli, always appreciate your guys' time and expertise. Thank you both. Good to be with you. Yeah, thanks, Bill.

54:47You know that music. In our politics lead, we are less than two hours away from the polls closing in Massachusetts, where today's primary election pitted the parties established against younger candidates banking on a generational revolt. Senator Ed Markey, 80 years old, 50 of those years in Congress, is trying to fend off a primary challenge from 47-year-old Congressman Seth Moulton. And it isn't just Markey. Two of the state's 70-something congressmen are also facing challengers nearly half their age. It's a campaign trail event, so that's where CNN's Arlette Sines obviously is. On the trail, on the ground for us at Senator Markey's headquarters.

55:19Arlette, what do you hear in there? Well, fellow voters will soon make their voices heard in this Senate primary here in Massachusetts. has really shown the dividing lines within the Democratic Party surrounding the generational and ideological fights that have been playing out. But there has been a bit of a twist here in Massachusetts. There is Congressman Seth Moulton, a 47-year-old Marine Corps veteran, who is trying to wage this generational change argument against Senator Ed Markey, the 80-year-old incumbent Democrat. but it's Markey who has campaigned as the more progressive candidate in this contest.

55:59And that's how this varies a bit from some of the debates playing out on the national level within the Democratic Party. But we spent time speaking with voters earlier today who told us that they were supporting Markey because they believed that his support of progressive policies mattered more than his age. Take a listen. He has a much stronger progressive record, I think. And that's what personally, from my perspectives, I think matters the most on Massachusetts. I know a lot of people are concerned that he's older. Hopefully this is his last term and he can throw support behind somebody else who's really progressive and great.

56:32Now, Markey did survive a generational challenge back in 2020 when he ran against Congressman Joseph Kennedy III. Ultimately, Markey was successful in that bid. He's hoping to repeat that here today. But voters will soon weigh in on whether they have any concerns about older candidates, something that's come up in Democratic politics, or if they will side with a more progressive candidate in this race in Markey. Phil? I find this to be low-key one of the most fascinating primary nights, and not just because Whitney Houston is playing behind the one and only Arlette's signs on the campaign trail in Boston.

57:06Thank you, my friend, as always. Well, a new report says there were warning signs in the days before devastating flash floods killed more than a thousand people in Nepal and China. Up next, CNN's Anderson Cooper is on the ground in Nepal, where the search continues for the missing.

57:28Our world lead takes us to Nepal nearly a week after the devastating flash floods. More than 1 ,000 people are dead. The Nepali army says it rescued 119 today and harrowing stories of narrow escapes are still surfacing. Like this, Nepali mother seen sprinting to higher ground with her two young children. The road behind them swallowed by the floods just seconds later. Still, more than 4 ,400 people are missing, including around 75 Americans, according to the U.S. State Department. Rescue workers are focused on the hundreds of people who are working on four different hydropower projects when the floods hit, using excavators to dig tunnel entrances completely blocked by mud and rock.

58:08CNN's Anderson Cooper is in Kathmandu. Anderson, walk us through what you've been witnessing there. Yeah, I actually visited two of those tunnel sites just yesterday, one where Nepali forces are working with Indian army forces, and the other site is being run by Nepali forces. It is very difficult work. They have not gotten any signs of life at these two tunnel locations. Nevertheless, they are still holding on to hope and they are still working around the clock to try to do whatever they can. They've had a really hard time at this tunnel complex 3A, it's called. A, just finding the tunnel was a big issue because it was completely covered by debris from the river.

59:01They were able to get into the other tunnel a little bit more easily, but they have not had any signs of life. They have not made the kind of progress they really want to. And the government here is starting to come under criticism for not bringing in, you know, tunnel experts earlier in the process. They're pushing back on that a little bit. They said they asked for help as soon as they realized what they needed. But that is very much the focus of this government right now, trying to rescue anybody who may still be alive, or at the very least bring out their bodies so they can return them to their families.

59:35Anderson, you spoke to an Indian Army colonel who told you it's particularly difficult to survive in tunnels because people tend to panic and get disoriented. How optimistic at this point was he about finding people a week later? You know, I mean, he's holding on to hope, but he's also realistic. By the way, he's a remarkable Indian Army officer. He has two doctorates in tunnels. He is an expert on this, and he is the one overseeing this operation, his team's operation, at this very remote site, very far upriver. But it's difficult. I mean, it is really hard. He's consulting with other people as well.

1:00:18They are working very, very hard. But there's a lot of sediment. There's a lot of debris. You know, these tunnels were completely covered in water. the entrances to them, the amount of mud, and it's like liquid cement. It's not just water and mud. I've never seen anything like this. When you're trying to walk through it, you literally sink into it. So getting through this stuff is very, very difficult. Anderson Cooper, you and your team have been doing remarkable tireless work in Nepal. Thank you very much. And of course, Anderson will have much more of his reporting from on the ground in Nepal during AC360 tonight at 8 Eastern.

1:00:56Well, the breaking news from Capitol Hill. The House of Representatives just voted to censure Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards. We will explain why next.

1:01:12The breaking news in our politics lead moments ago. The House of Representatives voted to censure Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards of North Carolina. Now, this comes weeks after the bipartisan House Ethics Committee found Edwards violated House rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces, saying he, quote, engaged in persistent, unprofessional, and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers. Ahead of the vote today, Edwards spoke on the House floor trying to sway his colleagues not to censure him. I am imperfect. I have made mistakes, but I do not believe I committed sexual harassment.

1:01:50CNN's Manu Raju is live for us on Capitol Hill. Manu, can you walk through more of the allegations and then what happens next here? Yeah, this was a rebuke, an overwhelming rebuke by the United States House. Pretty much everybody in the House voted to censure the Congressman Chuck Edwards on a vote of 413 to 2. The two who voted against this, Chuck Edwards and also Congressman Ralph Norman of South Carolina. Everybody else falling in line because of what the House Ethics Committee found in this investigation about how he treated two young female staffers. According to this report, it said the committee found that Representative Edwards engaged in persistent, unprofessional, and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers staffers and says that while Edwards denied that any of his conduct was intended as sexual or romantic advance, his pattern of behavior would lead a reasonable observer to interpret it as such.

1:02:46And this includes, Phil, providing the young women with lavish and recurrent gifts, making comments regarding their appearance and dress, inviting them to intimate dinners and vacations, sending notes regarding his effusive affection, and inviting them to other activities as a way to spend time together. It went on to say the committee found no evidence that Edwards engage in sexual activity with them or explicitly proposition them with any way, but he said he put them in an untenable position. Now, Edwards denied that he intentionally tried to sexually harass these staffers, and he sent a 22-page letter to his colleagues a few days ago trying to sway them to vote against censoring him, and he went to the House floor and made an appeal to his colleagues just moments before the vote.

1:03:31I want to say something directly and publicly to the two women who have been at the center of all of this I am sorry I'm sorry that my actions my judgment or the way that I expressed a friendship ever put either of you in an uncomfortable position my intentions were only grounded in what I understood our friendship to be and in genuine admiration and respect that I had for each of you, not only as professionals, but as people. I recognize now that my understanding of those relationships may not have always matched yours. Censure is a pretty rare thing, Phil, as you know. Fewer than 30 members in the history of the United States House have been censured.

1:04:21And as a result of these findings, Edwards decided not to run for reelection, but he will continue to serve as a member of the House until January, Phil. Manu, separate question. I want to ask you about an exchange you had with House Speaker Mike Johnson. You asked him what I thought was a pretty fair, normal question about Iran. Things kind of took a turn. What happened? Yeah, you know, the Speaker has been in line with the president over how the Iran war has been prosecuted, and oftentimes making very rosy projections about things. Initially saying that this would be a short war, or be done in short order, and that it was simply just a skirmish, it was not an actual war, and said that any pain that people would feel at the gasoline pump would be a, quote, temporary blip.

1:05:05And I asked him if voters should hold him to account for his comments. On Iran, you said repeatedly that this war was going to be over soon. You said that this would be a temporary blip on gas prices. It is more than six months. People are getting hurt still at the pump. Should the American people not also judge you on your projections here that were clearly off base? Manu, that is one of the stupidest questions you've ever asked. Why is that stupid? I have nothing to do with the prosecution of the war across the globe. You are responsible. You are selling this to the American public, are you not?

1:05:41So should the House Speaker be held responsible for the duration of a military conflict around the globe? You answer that question. And, of course, Congress has the authority, constitutional authority, to declare war. And there's been a raging debate, Phil, here on Capitol Hill about checking the president's war powers when it comes to Iran. The Speaker himself has opposed that time and time again. And he has advanced an effort to pass legislation through the House and the Senate to provide tens of billions of dollars more for the war in Iran. So Congress undoubtedly has a role here. And the speaker's role in this moment has been to align itself with the president as the president carries on with this conflict.

1:06:20There's like an Article 1 and then there's like an Article 2 and they check. Yeah, no, everything you asked and then said afterwards was accurate. Manu Raju, as always, my friend on Capitol Hill, I appreciate you. Well, joining me now, former Trump White House Communications Director Mike Dubke and Democratic Strategist Maria Cardona. Mike, I will give him a pass for not caring about the Army Secretary that we talked about last hour. This, and I will preface with I love the Hill, I love Congress as an institution, I grew up in it, it is my favorite place in the world. There is authority. You are the Speaker of the House.

1:06:56Yes. Are we going to the question that was asked here? Because the question was really about should you be held accountable for making a statement, a guess or whatever on the prosecution of the war. I kind of, well, I did not like how the speaker said, I'm not qualified. I thought that was a terrible way to address it on the earlier thing. I think his answer here is fine. I don't like the use of the word stupid, but I think he's fine pushing back and saying, look, I'm not the person that is in control of the prosecution of this war. And that's what he was referring to when he was giving his comment back to Manu.

1:07:40But he does have responsibility for the budget of the war, for controlling what kind of money goes into the war. So a big part of that is the prosecution of the war. And so I think by him saying that he has absolutely no responsibility for the prosecution of the war, is similar to him saying that he has no opinion or qualification to talk about the defense secretary and his role. And so to me, it continues to underscore this notion, Mike, that I think voters are aware of and are going to hold Republicans accountable for, which is they have completely given up any control whatsoever that they ever had about anything that President Trump does.

1:08:26And what voters want more than anything in this election is to hold this president accountable, to have some kind of guardrails on what he is doing or not doing, because they believe, and we have seen this in poll after poll after poll, that he has betrayed the American people on so many issues, including the Iran war. I fundamentally have touched on something because I do believe that Democrats think that this election is only about Donald Trump's actions. And I would say when we were talking earlier and you were talking about cost of living and all of those, I think that's what the American people are going to vote on in the midterm elections.

1:09:04And that's why I'm concerned yet thrilled today that the White House did a press conference and brought all these folks together to talk about cost of living. Because I think that's what this administration and these congressional members are going to be judged on, not necessarily this anti-Trump movement, which is fueling and giving, you know, a big momentum to Democrats right now. And you're seeing that in the primaries. I completely agree with you that this election is. There you go. It is going to be. This is fun. It is going to be about cost of living. But you know what else, Mike? You know what voters are able to do.

1:09:41they can thread the needle between the cost of living and the gas prices that they are now paying at the pump and the completely irresponsible way that Donald Trump has prosecuted this war. And in doing so, they can also put responsibility on Congress because they have done absolutely nothing to rein him in or to go up against him or even ask difficult questions about what are we doing in Iran? They have done everything to just genuflect at the altar of Donald Trump no matter what he says. Manu's question was related to gas prices. You promised people this was going to be short. Exactly. Cost of living is the issue.

1:10:17My personal furor is tied to Congress's general abdication of its responsibilities. That's right. Which I clearly am biased on entirely, regardless of party. OK, I want to move to, and by the way, Manu's been called much worse, Mike. You don't need to worry about him being called stupid. It's a very rare Mike Johnson show. I don't think it was my race. But Manu, I have called Manu worse many times. It was a stupid question. Stupid question. Stupidest question. It was a ranking high up on the ranking. Okay, I want to ask about Massachusetts primary because Maria, this was like the defining post 2024, the age issue.

1:10:53Everybody who was kind of in the latter tiers of their career were getting knocked out. It doesn't seem like it's going to happen here. What am I missing? I think there's two things that we can gauge from this. The first one is we can no longer make sweeping judgments about anything and apply them. You're agreeing and we can't make sweeping judgments. This is a cable. I know we love to do that, Phil, but we cannot do that anymore. But it's related to my second point, which is the following. what voters care about this election is not so much labels, is not what you call yourself. Frankly, in this specific race, not even age.

1:11:36They care about how you are fighting for them. They care about what you represent vis-a-vis the issues that they are passionate about. And clearly in this race, what they care more about than the age issue is the fact that they see Senator Markey as the one who was fighting for them, as the one who is representing those progressive issues that they care so passionately about. And so, and I have talked about this ad nauseum when we get asked about, oh, you know, the Democratic Socialists of America, are they taking over versus the moderates and who's going to win? They are not. But what voters care most about is not labels.

1:12:17Voters could give an F about labels. They want to know, what are you going to do for me today? What have you done for me? And what are you going to do for me tomorrow? And I should be clear, we're not calling the race. We have no idea how this is going to end. It's Massachusetts polling, but it's just a very interesting kind of counterintuitive dynamic. Because I do think that there's a civil war going on in the Democratic Party between the progressives and the moderates or whatever you want to call them. And maybe you look at this rates and you look at Moulton and you look at Mark and you say, well, if the polls are right and the progressive is leading, regardless of the fact that he's 78, that tells you something.

1:12:53But then you see other places where just one state over in Connecticut, where you've got, where you had John Larson lose to a much younger candidate. And then you look at Florida and the Democratic primary there, and you have a woman who is vastly outspent by an incumbent member of Congress losing in that race. So I think there's a little bit of a twist here, which is in Massachusetts, you have two federal office holders running against each other. But what we've seen in other races, and maybe this is an agreement with you, is when you have someone outside the federal system, whether they be a state rep or whatever, running against the federal government, that seems to be the difference maker here.

1:13:37I think it's the difference in they see that candidate in that specific race in that specific district with those specific voters they see that person as the one who is fighting for them and this is another thing you can't overlay what's happening in one district with which is what is happening in the other when candidates win is when they speak to the specific issues in their district when they know what their voters want when they know what their voters are worried about and when they see that their voters are looking for the fight and you show your voters that you're the one who's going to be fighting for them.

1:14:12But if there's a trend line either with Democrats or Republicans, it's they want something new. They hate everyone. Maybe. People hate everyone. I think my simplified reason. Because then that wouldn't be the case. I really have issues with the level of nuance here. We should not be doing this. Thank you guys both. I really appreciate it. Thanks, Phil. Well, a U.S. Army veteran who's self-deported now is hoping for a chance to return to the United States. He joins us live to explain his story next.

1:14:43A veteran and Purple Heart recipient who spent nearly 50 years in the U.S. may be one step closer to coming back. Sejun Park came to the United States from South Korea at age 7, served in the U.S. Army, and was wounded in combat. But old criminal convictions tied to undiagnosed PTSD and drug addiction threatened his immigration status. He self-deported last year, leaving behind his children. Now, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has pardoned him, and it could be a critical step forward in his pursuit to return to the United States. Joining me now is Sejun Park and Congressman Seth Magaziner. Sejun, you said you were shocked by the news.

1:15:21What did it mean to you? I was shocked. I didn't expect a pardon. But when I got the news, I was overwhelmed. I was so grateful, and I was ecstatic. to tell you the truth. I believe it. Congressman, you've advocated for Seijoon Park's case for months. He's now been pardoned by Governor Hochul. What was your reaction when you heard? Well, very grateful to the governor and very hopeful for what this means for Seijoon, hopefully being able to come back to the United States. I want to acknowledge that what Seijoon is doing is just incredibly courageous. He served our country in uniform courageously, took a bullet for our country.

1:16:03But by sharing his story, he has helped illuminate and educate people about what is really happening with immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, where they are deporting veterans, they are deporting children, they are deporting people who have no criminal record, people who have every reason to believe that they should be in the United States. And so that takes courage. It takes courage to open up about your struggles with PTSD and addiction, but also to just taint a picture for people about what is happening. You said that Sejun is self-deported. That's technically true, but he did so essentially under threat from the Trump administration that he was going to be deported regardless, despite the fact that he gave so much to our country.

1:16:50And by sharing his story, I think he's helping to shift public opinion and help us push back against just the reckless nature of what the Trump administration has been doing. Sejun, can you, sharing your story is so important. Can you take people back to the day in June 2025 when you boarded that one-way flight to South Korea, leaving your children, your elderly mother? What was going through your mind? To tell you the truth, I was still in disbelief. I knew it could have been a one-way trip and never return. I was very hopeful, but it was tough. It was really tough. And my first week in Korea, I was still in disbelief.

1:17:32Pretty much, I guess my PTSD was kicking in. I was crying every day, very emotional, and just missing my family and not sure what my future is going to be. I understand even now, this doesn't guarantee me coming back home, but I'm so grateful that it's in the right direction. Congressman, to that point, the pardon doesn't automatically bring Seijoon Park home. What needs to happen next? And do you believe that will happen? Well, first of all, there are any number of ways that Secretary Mullen and the Trump administration could bring Seijoon back if they chose to do so. They could do humanitarian parole.

1:18:06There's a number of different legal avenues. But, you know, again, the fundamental fact here is that President Trump lied to the American people when he said that they were only going to be going after quote the worst of the worst by their own data that's not what they've been doing the vast majority of people who they have been going after and deporting have no violent record at all including sejun they are deporting veterans they're deporting you know people who should not be deported and i'm very hopeful that this is a big step forward and i i think this is a big step forward in sejun's case but um this is also about educating the public uh heading into the November election so that people understand what's really happening here and that the indiscriminate way in which they have been detaining and deporting people is just catching so many people who should be here in the United States, particularly veterans like Sejun, who have sacrificed for our country, put on the uniform of our country and deserve at the very least to be able to continue to live in this country that they've called home.

1:19:13Sejun, to that point, after everything you've been through, combat, addiction, prison, rebuilding your life, then being forced to leave, what does coming home mean to you now? It means everything. That's where I'm from. That's where I grew up. That's my home. That's where my family, my children are. So it means a great deal for me to make it back home. Just one last thing. What is your message right now to your family as you go through this?

1:19:45Asking them to hang tight on where I owe a lot to my attorney, Danico. He's worked so hard for me. And once again, this is unbelievable that I've got the pardon so far. And I understand once again that this doesn't guarantee my return home, but I'm really hopeful and I pray every day to try to make it back home to my family. We will certainly keep reporting on your case and what happens going forward. Seju Park, thank you for your service. Congressman Seth Magaziner, appreciate your time, sir. Thank you both very much. Thank you. Well, a tropical storm is lashing parts of Texas and Louisiana tonight.

1:20:23Those details next.

1:20:32Our last lead start in our national lead. Heavy rain and gusty winds are lashing Texas and Louisiana tonight as tropical storm Edward pushes inland. The storm made landfall around 3 p.m. Eastern. It did strengthen before coming ashore, but fortunately avoided the worst-case scenario of becoming a hurricane. In just minutes, a Utah judge is set to announce whether Tyler Robinson's case will go to trial. The 23-year-old is accused of murdering activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University almost a year ago. Today, the judge heard hours of closing arguments from each side. The prosecution argued Robinson killed Kirk, quote, because he disagreed with him, while the defense insisted there's no way to know for sure what Robinson was thinking.

1:21:13Kirk's widow, Erica, left the courtroom when prosecutors shared details of how Charlie Kirk died. In our national lead, Tiger Woods is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow for a change of plea hearing in his DUI case. Woods was charged with driving under the influence in March after a rollover crash. Days later, he said he was stepping away from public life to seek treatment. It's not clear if Woods has reached a plea deal in the case. Well, I hope you'll join me for my video series, CNN Breaks It Down. We tackle some of the most pressing questions in business and politics. You can find new episodes on CNN.com slash watch.

1:21:46You, of course, can follow this show on X and Instagram at The Lead CNN. If you ever miss an episode of The Lead, you can watch the show on the CNN app. Aaron Burnett out front starts now.

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