Rep. Max Miller Under Pressure to Resign Amid Abuse Allegations

25:02I mean, it's been a free runway of just me being a punching bag without articulating my points and presenting the evidence that we have here today. They're not accused of physically abusing you. I mean, it's pretty simple. Well, Jake, I got to tell you, in this country, due process is a thing and everyone is entitled to it. And once again, I have been absolved of these claims that you continuously are bringing back up, especially the most recent one with Ms. Moreno. Once again, the Department of Child and Family Services and Bay Village Police Department took her report. They investigated everything that she said, both the Bay Village Police Department and both Child and Family Services.

25:45And you can see right now, I'm not getting any special treatment, Jake. So if I really did those things, why wouldn't I be in prison? It's because it's an extreme fabrication of the truth. And you look at the end of the day, I'm going to continue to push. I am going to win this race. And my daughter will see that her father is going to be back in there. And then when we come back next term, my hope is you and I can have other conversations that will be a lot better than this about how we can move our country forward. Republican Congressman Max Miller, thank you so much for your time. Appreciate it.

26:16Thank you. All right. Let's bring in two reporters who have covered Congressman Miller in depth, as well as the physical abuse allegations against him. We have with a CNN correspondent, Lauren Fox, and we have Abby Vassoulis, national politics reporter for Mother Jones Magazine, both of whom's reporting was cited in the interview just then, either by him or by me. What did you make of that? I mean, I think he's going to stay in this race. He is clearly defiant. He clearly doesn't believe that he needs to exit, despite the fact that it's very clear, And he he documented this, that President Trump did lay out that potentially he may not win his race for reelection.

26:55And I thought it was really interesting that he basically turned the conversation back to the president and said, you know, nobody thought you were going to win, Mr. President. And look what happened in 20. That's the template these days. Exactly. I mean, but there you just saw it playing out in real time. What has changed about politics in this country? Graham Plattner tried that, too. Abby, what was your reaction? You know, I kept hearing him talk about how this is. some media narrative that journalists are bringing forward. And it's not. It's documented court records, court filings from multiple court cases, multiple dockets.

27:30And there's instances of Emily Marino telling the police that she was assaulted multiple times in different ways. And that's a serious crime in and of itself, lying to the police. I also was surprised that he discounted the alleged staircase incident, because not only did that woman address how traumatizing that night was for her. Politico in 2021 reported that there were three witnesses who saw that. So is she lying in addition to three witnesses in addition to Emily Marino and Stephanie Grisham? Well, you heard his argument is everybody's lying except for him. I mean, he said that multiple times, that everybody's lying except for him.

28:10And I guess ultimately that will be decided by the voters of Ohio's 7th Congressional District. Lauren, and the House Ethics Committee launched this investigation today into allegations against him. Rumors of physical abuse, of course, were no secret before today. I want to play this exchange on the House floor. This is from three years ago. Congressman Miller and now former Congressman George Santos. Take a listen. I myself have been a victim of George Santos and as well as other members of Congress in terms of defrauding through public donations. I had received an ethics complaint from the FEC, which I had to spend tens of thousands to defend myself.

28:46You, sir, are a crook. I know I should direct my comments to the chair. I yield back. Mr. Speaker, hypocrisy, as I mentioned. My colleague wants to come up here, call me a crook. Same colleague who's accused of being a woman beater. We should know, by the way, that I think Congressman Max Miller's either mother or grandmother was a victim of George Santos's fraud, just FYI. How long, I mean, I guess the political story came out in 2021. So people have known about this for a while. It's really interesting because the speaker often will cite the Ethics Committee as a reason why he doesn't want to weigh in.

29:26On this case specifically, he always was saying this was a personal family matter. Obviously, Max Miller just earlier this morning said that he wanted the Ethics Committee to investigate. He wanted them to prove that he was not lying in some of these allegations against him. But yet, this Ethics Committee investigation, it's going to take months. That's the earliest. Some of these cases can go on for years. And certainly, it isn't probably going to be finished by November. I'm sure that Congressman Miller is aware of these extended timelines. And it is something that Democratic and Republican women are trying to work together to find a way to put some timelines on these investigations because you can see how politically they can be used as a way to stay in office.

30:08Well, let's remember the Matt Gaetz investigation did not, was not released by the time he had been nominated to be attorney general. Mother Jones, you reported on instances of his past illegal drug use, including toxicology reports that showed he had MDMA, but commonly known as ecstasy and Klonopin, Klonopin in his system during this 2011 car crash. It's a long time ago. But what do you expect to hear from the drug use element of this ethics investigation? He wasn't very specific when I asked him when the last time he had used illegal drugs. Right. Yeah. So years, he said. So it's interesting that when Politico in 2021 reported on that 2011 crash, he was very adamant in the media that they cleared him of driving under the influence.

30:59And then I uncovered this toxicology report that says otherwise. And on multiple occasions, he refused to comment on that. And now you've seen in recent days, there was today Daily Mail published a photo of some very potent marijuana edibles, I believe, and also a needle that is alleged to be Congressman Miller's, or sorry, yeah, Congressman Miller's needle. Although he kind of admitted it and said it was for testosterone. I mean, who knows? Right. But that suggests that he released audio also saying that he's never had needles in his bedside. But there is now a photo showing, allegedly, a needle by a bedside.

31:47I mean, incredible reporting by both of you. What a thing. Lauren Fox and Abby Vassoulis, thanks so much for you and your reporting. Thanks for being here. And of course, if you or anyone you know is impacted by domestic violence, there is help 24-7. It's at the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The website is thehotline.org. Thehotline.org. You can call 1-800-799-SAFE. 1-800-799-SAFE. Also today, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is one step closer to removing the acting from his title. How today's Senate committee vote also sets the stage for a new phase of Trump-motivated investigations at the Justice Department.

32:24How exciting. Plus, the brand new reporting inside Trump's explosive meeting with D.C. U.S. Attorney Janine Pirro. Still has that job, at least as of now. This was yesterday at the White House. Stay with us.

32:39I'm CNN tech reporter Claire Duffy. This week on the podcast Terms of Service. Schools across the country are considering a big shift to their tech policies. No student cell phones in classrooms. I visited Philippa Schuyler Middle School in Brooklyn during one of the final weeks of the school year. There, students placed their phones in a locked box in their homeroom classroom at the start of the day and retrieved them at the end of the day. I sat down with Principal Janice Bruce, as well as a group of 6th through 8th grade students to get their reactions to the phone ban. Once you get used to the ban for a while, you're actually going to realize how connected you were with your phone and how addictive it was.

33:19What was your first reaction when you heard that this phone ban policy would be going into place this year? I was kind of expecting it. Yes. Listen to CNN's Terms of Service wherever you get your podcasts. In our law and justice lead, a full Senate vote to confirm Todd Blanche as permanent U.S. Attorney General could happen within the next few days after the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier today voted to advance his nomination onto the Senate floor. To convince the two Republican holdouts, Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Tom Tillis of North Carolina, Blanche formally rescinded the controversial anti-weaponization fund,$1.8 billion.

34:01But legally, nothing really changed. But politically, it did. Given this agreement with Mr. Blanche, I expect the department to live up to this in future litigation, and I will vote to advance him out of the committee today. The first one I called the payout pot for punks. I've never liked this 1776 fund. It made no sense to me, and I thought it was an insult to the police officers and the people that defended us on January the 6th. It's done. It's been rescinded. and I am satisfied. Blanche has said there is no fund. But is the fund truly dead, like forever? Or is this fund gonna be like Jason from Friday the 13th, springing back up when we're least expecting it?

34:54That question was actually asked to Senator Cornyn himself, given that President Trump keeps saying he wants this fund. Well, there's nothing we could do to to to rein in the president when he said he likes the fund and he wishes still exists. But the fact of the matter, it's dead. And that's all we could do under these circumstances. There's nothing we can do to rein in the president is quite a remarkable quote from a U.S. senator. If only there were a co-equal branch of the government. Anyway, in the full Senate confirmation vote, Blanche is still not a lock. Some Republicans have not committed to backing Blanche, including Alaska's Lisa Murkowski and Maine's Susan Collins and Louisiana's Bill Cassidy.

35:39Blanche can only lose two Republican votes, given the fact that Senator Mitch McConnell is who knows where. Let's discuss with CNN's Caitlin Polance and Ellie Honig, the former assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. And Caitlin, Blanche eventually won over these two skeptics, Cornyn and Tillis. So in the full Senate vote, what specific parts of Blanche's record could be trouble spots with the undecided three senators we just mentioned? Well, there's one issue that had hung over Blanche for months and months and months until he had to deal with this anti-weaponization fund that he created with the president.

36:14That's the handling of the case against Jeffrey Epstein, the investigation, and then also the redactions. Whenever the Department of Justice was going through millions of filings and putting those filings out in the public domain, there were failures across the board there where survivors' names were doxed. Their images were put out there in the public domain before the department fixed it. And those victims, survivors, are still very, very angry with Todd Blanche. a meeting that he had with them when Tillis was still on the fence there, when Senator Tillis wanted Blanche to meet with the Epstein survivors.

36:52They came out of that very dissatisfied, and they still do not want him to be confirmed. This anti-weaponization fund is only one issue. It was the focus of much of the committee hearing this morning. There are still questions about whether what Blanche has done to close the book on that, does that even do anything? Could there be more. But the Epstein survivors, that is only one of the issues he's facing, but it is still a very big one. Yeah, we're going to talk to one of those survivors later in the show. Ellie, let's take a listen to what Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey said earlier today about Todd Blanche.

37:30He is about Trump and not truth. He is about corruption and not the Constitution. He's about being Donald Trump's lawyer and not the people's lawyer. This is so deeply wrong. we will rue the day that we let this man have this much power under such a corrupt president. When you look at Blanche's record so far as deputy attorney general and acting attorney general, what do you glean from the kind of U.S. attorney general he's going to be if he actually wins confirmation? Well, Jake, under Todd Blanche's leadership over the last year and a half, DOJ's objective outcomes have been historically abysmal.

38:10They've lost huge case after huge case. They indicted Letitia James. Federal judge dismissed it. They tried to indict her twice more. Two grand juries rejected it. They indicted Jim Comey. Federal judge threw that one out. They have a second indictment that is in very troubling shape. They indict, they tried to indict Senator Mark Kelly, Alyssa Slotkin, and others. Grand juries rejected that. They investigated and subpoenaed the Fed and Jerome Powell, a federal judge, quashed that subpoena. That investigation has been closed. They tried to subpoena New York Times reporters. Those subpoenas were basically forced to be withdrawn by another federal judge.

38:46And then just a few days ago, of course, the entire reflecting pool case collapsed in a humiliating mess. And I'm not saying prosecutors can or should win every case, but they're losing their biggest cases. And the reason is DOJ is putting politics first and prosecution second. And actually, we do have some breaking news right now because Senator Susan Collins, who is one of the three undecided Republicans, and remember, President Trump's nominee can only afford to lose two. Susan Collins has come out against Todd Blanch. She is no longer undecided. In a statement that her office shared with News Center Maine, Collins called Blanch a capable lawyer but said the Department of Justice is becoming increasingly political.

39:26It's basically everything you just said, Ellie. He's taken several actions that have further eroded the department's independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation. She listed three reasons, his approval in order to shield Trump, his sons and his family business from IRS audits, Blanche's approval of the anti-weaponization fund, and his promise to an anti-abortion organization to prohibit the mailing of abortion medication. Caitlin, you also have some brand new reporting about President Trump's meeting with Janine Pirro, the current U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.

39:59What happened? Well, this was yesterday. She went to the White House. She took the documents that her team had put together on this reflecting pool case where they had alleged the ex-Olympian, Davey Hearn, had ripped open the lining of the reflecting pool. He was charged with essentially an equivalent of vandalism, and Trump has really wanted to see that prosecuted. They unraveled that case, and Trump was furious with her. Whenever she went to the White House, though, she was standing up what her prosecutors said in court. It was that the Interior Department had misled the U.S. Attorney's Office.

40:38Right. They hadn't given them all the documents, and that they knew that the reflecting pool renovations that Donald Trump had wanted were problematic. We've been learning a lot about what's going on inside of Piro's U.S. attorney's office as well. She was the one to make the call to drop the case. She also has gained support among the Superior Court branch, the people that are prosecuting that case and others like it in the local court. But what she is facing is something very similar to what Blanche is facing writ large at the Department of Justice. a massive amount of turnover across prosecutors, a very weakened Justice Department, and also one that is bringing cases that are heavily political and just aren't standing up in court.

41:25Yeah, they're duds. You can bring it before a judge, but the judge will laugh you out at court. That's happened a number of times. I forget the name of the woman who was the acting U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. Lindsay Halligan. There you go. Trivia question. Caitlin Polantz and Ellie Honig, thanks so much. In a court filing, Capital One is revealing that a money laundering investigation led it to shut down hundreds of bank accounts belonging to the Trump organization. So what was behind the suspicious activity? A reporter digging into that question coming up next.

41:59breaking news tops our world lead multiple sources telling cnn that the u.s has exhausted nearly 80 percent of its terminal high altitude area defense or thad missile inventory compared to the pre-iran war numbers and roughly half of its patriot interceptors several gulf countries rely on u.s air defense systems and Gulf officials have raised concerns about the dwindling weapons supply, particularly if President Trump decides to escalate this conflict. Joining us now is retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan. Admiral, if you were a military leader deployed in the Middle East right now, how concerned would you be about this depleted stockpile?

42:42Well, it's certainly something, Jake, that the military commanders are thinking about and putting into their calculus. Being in this position in a conflict like this also is not unprecedented. You probably recall in Desert Storm, in just 43 days, we shot over 33 % of the harm missiles in our entire inventory. So we've been in these positions before, and it is figured in the calculus of how you go forward. But I think that the president's probably getting the best military advice here that considers not just the conflict in Iran, but more broadly, how we want to be prepared globally at the same time.

43:21But correct me if I'm wrong, Desert Storm, which was shorter than the current war we're in with Iran, there was a clear definable mission, which was get Saddam Hussein and the Iraqis out of Kuwait. And I'm not really sure what the mission is here. It's reopening the Strait of Hormuz. It's making sure that Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapons program. It's maybe decapitating the current leadership after the previous leadership has already been decapitated. I mean, like, this just seems potentially like it could end who knows when. Well, the ending is going to be hard to predict. But I think we're clear, you know, not just from the United States side, but globally, that we want it to end with the Straits of Hormuz open and not in the control of the Iranians, right?

44:09We want a free flow of commerce in accordance with the United Nations law of the sea, right? Unimpeded access, no tolls. That's number one. And the second thing I think we want in the world also wants is that you want to, and Iran that doesn't have a nuclear capability. The question is, can we get there given the situation we're in? Time's gonna tell as we move through and on both those issues. On the Strait of Hormuz, Oman is currently working with Iran to try to establish some safe shipping routes. A senior Iranian military leader, however, says Iran will decide which ships get through on their stipulated route, adding that U.S.

44:47warships traveling elsewhere in the strait will be not just not let through, but targeted. As a reminder, at least 15 ships have been attacked since June 17th. It doesn't sound as though the U.S. has the Strait of Hormuz under any sort of reliable control. Well, what we don't want it to be is in the situation you're in right now where commercial shipping isn't using it unimpeded. And I mentioned before UNCLOS, one of the key articles of UNCLOS is that no coastal nation should impede, hinder, or prohibit any nation from the flow of commerce through international waterways like this. So one of the objectives is we've got to get to that state at the end, no matter how this turns out, or we won't have achieved the objectives that not only the United States want, But as I mentioned, globally, we don't want that either.

45:36As you've heard NATO say that say the similar thing, you've even heard China say this needs to return to the way it was before. Retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, thank you so much. Thanks, Jake. In our Money Lead now, for the very first time in five years, Capital One Bank is revealing why they closed hundreds of Trump organization accounts, citing that they did so, quote, for anti-money laundering reasons, unquote. Now, President Trump is suing. He's arguing that the accounts were shut down for political reasons after the January 6th Capitol attack. But Capital One wants this case dismissed, and they say the move came after months of careful review.

46:19So what did Capital One find? Bloomberg reporter Eric Larson has been digging into that very question since Capital One's court filing on Friday. Eric, thanks for joining us. So did Capital One explain more about why the bank closed all those accounts? You know, they did not give any specific explanations about what caused these red flags, but they referred to transactions that were suspicious under anti-money laundering rules. And all of these big banks have anti-money laundering teams. They're looking for these types of things all the time in order to comply with federal regulations and rules.

46:53And we don't know exactly when these transactions occurred or how much they were for. We might get more details on that later as the case progresses. but they said that they had a whole team of anti-money laundering individuals with years of experience as law enforcement, as they described it, who came to the conclusion that the accounts needed to be closed. And like you said, they did not make this public for years until just now as a result of this litigation. Did they explain in any way what some of those red flags might have been or the kinds of things that usually sets off alarms? You know, they didn't, other than to describe a pattern of transactions or patterns of transactions is how they described it.

47:33So we don't know yet. We know that in a few weeks or so, the Trump organization will respond to the motion to dismiss. They might give us more detail about what was found. And in fact, the complaint in this case is actually heavily redacted. And those redactions are going to come off in the near future, at least most of them. And they might also that might also give us some insight into what these transactions are. Is there not a compelling reason for Capital One to reveal this information? A, they're being sued by President Trump. So in a way, I mean, the president, as the one who brought the suit forward, asked for information to come forward.

48:12And B, he's the president of the United States. It's surely there's a public interest when an organization owned and run by the president of the United States, at least in part, like that there are red red flags that go off having to do with anti money laundering laws. Yes, that's true. And it is fairly explosive. As you say, this is the president's company and it's a serious concern for any bank or customer when something like this comes up. And I think that they did try to keep it under the radar. They said that, you know, the rules under the rules, they don't need to reveal to a customer why they did something or why they closed accounts like this.

48:49Their statements or their contracts, rather, allow them to close accounts for any reason. So if this case proceeds to trial, I think that would be the way that we would get the most information about these transactions. And ultimately, it might be up to a federal judge down in Florida to decide whether the transactions truly did trigger this anti-money laundering review at the bank or if it was pretextual, as the Trump organization is arguing that after January 6th, they they looked for a way to close the accounts. And this was a way that they found to do it. That is what Trump org is claiming.

49:24All right, Eric Larson of Bloomberg. Thanks so much for joining us. Thank you. the big story tonight congressman max miller right here on the lead moments ago he was forcefully pushing back on allegations that he physically abused his ex-wife and possibly his little girl we're going to have more reaction and how this all impacts his re-election campaign and the balance of power and the house of representatives that's next i'm dr sanjay gupta host of the Chasing Life podcast. My guest is Dr. Dhruv Kular. He has seen firsthand the effects GOP-1s can have on addictive behaviors. Today, we're going to talk about how GOP-1s are changing us, changing us as humans.

50:10And when the cravings go away, sort of trying to figure out, is there something else that we're losing as well? People who had cravings for opioids said that those were being diminished. And so, you know, we thought about these as kind of digestive medications, maybe diabetes medications, but they're actually psychoactive medications, or so it seemed. What was so interesting about that is if you're playing with the reward system, that can have real implications for people's maladaptive behaviors, all sorts of addictions, but also a potential downside. Listen to Chasing Life, streaming now wherever you get your podcasts.

50:46This is CNN Breaking News. Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. Breaking tonight, our exclusive interview with Republican Congressman Max Miller, who is facing increasing pressure to resign, to drop out of his bid for re-election amid allegations that he abused his ex-wife and possibly his two-year-old daughter, Emily Marino, who is the daughter of Senator Marino. She accused Miller of multiple instances of domestic abuse, including an incident in which she said he held a gun to her. Miller vehemently denies all of the accusations. He says they're fabricated. He's vowing to stay in the race. He also says he's going to cooperate with a House ethics investigation, which was announced earlier today.

51:25Here is part of our extensive conversation with the congressman from just a few minutes ago. These matters have already been looked into. Ms. Moreno has already gone to the police. The police are not investigating it. Ask yourself, why aren't they investigating these things. You see yourself. I am not getting any special treatment. I have never done these things. These things have already been investigated. I have no police reports looked into me. And we actually have evidence unlike the other side. And so, you know, it's an honor for me to have a platform like this to continue to fight and to continue to show the American people that I've already been looked into.

52:06I'm happy to be looked into again. There are now three women, three women who have accused you of violent behavior. Politico published a report in 2021 that says when you were in high school, you, quote, pushed a girl out of the dorm of his room and she fell down some stairs after he became enraged when she resisted his attempts to touch her, according to three people who were there and many more who heard about the incident and the aftermath. Now, you deny that, but the woman in question told Mother Jones reporter Abby Vassoulis just days ago that it happened and was, quote, one of the more traumatic nights of her life.

52:35I would love for that individual to go on the record because that... Okay, hold on, because I'm not done with the list of women that have accused you of violence. Then there is former White House Press Secretary. Okay, you were young. Then there's former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, who was your ex-girlfriend. She accused you of being abusive and having a violent streak. She wrote in her book, quote, I could do nothing right by him. I would wake up every morning shaking with anxiety about his mood that day. I had seen his temper before and it had scared me, unquote. She has recently filed a temporary restraining order against you in a defamation case.

53:07And now there are these claims from your ex-wife, Emily Marino. And I guess the question is, are all three of these women who don't know each other, are all three of them lying? Yes, it's very easy, and I can tell you why. Every single time, and people have asked me, you know, what are you going to do? Are you going to drop out of this race? Are you going to resign? You know, are you going to get out before the deadline? And my answer to you, Jake, is no. And I can tell you why. In 2016, when President Donald J. Trump faced the most extreme allegations in the world that hit him day after day after day, and people in the media, very much like yourself and others, said that he would have no shot at winning, that he should not be the President of the United States.

53:47But guess what? He stayed in and he was resilient. And what the American people can see is that they can see that somebody is fighting who is resilient, and that is a quality that the American people cherish. And so for no second am I going to sit here and continue to be debased by false and baseless allegations and be pushed out of the seat I have worked so hard to represent and done a terrific job for our community. You know, my record in Congress on the ways and means and House Foreign Affairs and bringing back money for our district and standing up for the Ukrainian people and also voting to protect Obamacare during this entire time.

54:23This is why no one's attacking me on my policy, Jake, because they can't. I've been a good legislator. All they're trying to do is create rumor mills without evidence. It's all hearsay. All hearsay. Do you realize what it's not hearsay if it is firsthand testimony from women? And I just named three people that are providing firsthand testimony. That's not hearsay. If I really did those things, why wouldn't I be in prison? It's because it's an extreme fabrication of the truth. And you look at the end of the day, I'm going to continue to push. I am going to win this race and my daughter will see that her father is going to be back in there.

55:01Now, sources say that Emily's father, Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Marino, wanted to speak out against Miller months ago, but his daughter asked him not to, not wanting her young child to someday read about her grandfather attacking her dad when she grows up. But after Congressman Miller posted a lengthy social media video on Sunday, a live stream, Senator Marino finally spoke to reporters about the situation today. I hope that you guys understand, and maybe I hope you never have to understand, what my daughter's been through, what my daughter's going through, what my wife is going through, my two boys and my other daughter are going through.

55:44This is truly the seventh level of hell. My daughter lives in constant fear of this man. not like something that's existential but deeply in her heart she fears what this guy is capable of you can't even you can't fathom what that makes me feel like when the dad's number one job is to protect your kids and to have this whole thing out in the public like this is not what i wanted to do it's not what my daughter wanted to do do you have any idea that what it's like to go through physical abuse and then mental abuse and then to relive it over and over and over again. That's what my daughter has tried to avoid.

56:29She hasn't made a single solitary public statement. Max feels like he needs to go on a publicity tour, which I just don't understand. Here to discuss CNN's David Chalian and Amanu Raju and at the White House, Kristen Holmes. David, what did you make of Congressman Miller's comments tonight? Well, obviously, total defiance when it comes to the question about whether or not he's going to find an exit ramp out of this reelection race. But also perplexing to me just as a strategy. I mean, he spent part of the interview with you urging his accusers to be investigated, that people should go after the accusers.

57:09This was not somebody that seemed at all living in the reality. I understand he's denying the allegations, but it just seemed like an odd strategy to me of him coming on to do what? To what accomplishment here other than to show total defiance as it comes to his reelection effort? Which, by the way, there are a lot of Republicans, Donald Trump among them, who are concerned about what it means for this seat if he does stay in the race. And Manu, the House Ethics Committee now investigating him. He says he's going to cooperate. What are you hearing from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill? Congressman Miller seemed to suggest that nobody was telling him, none of his colleagues, including the Speaker, were telling him that he should think about dropping out.

57:49You know, one thing that he's lucky about is that the House is not in session right now because the Speaker would be facing a relentless amount of questions about Max Miller. He didn't see the tweet. Oh, right. What he probably will say is that there's an ethics investigation ongoing. Let's see how the ethics investigation plays out. He's said that before in other situations. The Speaker is having a press conference tomorrow in Arizona. We'll see if he's addressed that question there. I've asked a lot of Republican senators about this. Some of them have called on him to resign. Others have stopped short, including the Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

58:25I asked him about whether he agrees with Bernie Marino on this question. He said this is a family matter. It's sad. It's very disturbing, but he would not go nearly as far as that. And then John Huston, he is a Republican up for reelection in Ohio facing a difficult race. He wouldn't he ignored reporters questions all day long about this. And when he was on Newsmax earlier today, he did not go as far as his senior senator, Bernie Marino, in calling for him to resign. So you're seeing difficult how Republicans are dealing with this in different ways. But the ethics committee thing is something to watch because that could drag on past the election.

59:00Likely. Very likely past the election. So Mike Johnson could say, all right, there's an ethics probe and stop short of calling him to resign. And Kristen, sources say that Trump's allies are pushing President Trump to call on Congressman Miller to drop out. Congressman Miller told us a little bit of their conversation from yesterday morning, saying that the president said something along the lines of Maxie. This is going to be tough. It's interesting that he calls him Maxie. What do we know about Trump's thinking right now? Well, President Trump has been convinced by the people around him that Max Miller is going to lose that race.

59:31That's why he picked up the phone and called Miller. Now, depending on who you talk to who was briefed on this call, that's how far you get on how much he was pushing Max Miller. Now, it doesn't seem as though he full-on said at any point that you should drop out of this race, but sources said that he made it clear to Miller on the phone that he believed he was going to lose, and that's certainly what he's saying behind closed doors. He's telling his allies that he doesn't think Miller is going to pull this out, that he doesn't think he's going to keep the seat, that he thinks it could cost Republicans the seat in Ohio.

1:00:02And I do want to be very clear. He is looking at that polling data. You hear Max Miller talking about how Trump defied the odds in 2016. What these allies are showing Trump is actual real data that they are getting from polling in Ohio that shows that Miller is dropping in the polls and that they could very much lose that seat. Now, he hasn't wanted to get publicly involved, President Trump, because he does have a relationship with Miller. Instead, he's just said in front of the cameras that these two families should work it out privately. That's what they should do. But we do know that he got on the phone, and that's about as far as Republicans can go, sending in Donald Trump to call and say, I don't think you're going to win.

1:00:42It doesn't seem now that there's any chance Miller is going to drop out. So it's interesting because we have seen people in recent months say they're not going to drop out, and they did. There was Congressman Eric Swalwell, most notably, Congressman Tony Gonzalez. Texas, that's a Democrat and Republican. But there are others that... Graham Plattner in Maine. Graham Plattner in Maine. And there are others who have done the Trump route of, no, I'm staying. Corey Mills out of Florida. Edwards out of North Carolina. Miller. Is that what you anticipate is going to happen? I mean, I think that is one playbook to pursue.

1:01:18And Miller clearly seems to be indicating he wants to pursue it. Today was one deadline. If he had gotten out, it would have triggered a special election. But there is another process. He's not getting out. But he clearly doesn't want to avail himself of that in any way. I do want to say this was a district that Donald Trump won by 11 points, Jake. It is Republican turf. You mentioned Houston, though. Right now in Ohio, look at what's happening at the top of the ticket. The governor's race and the Senate race is extraordinarily competitive. The reason Kristen is her sources are seeing poll numbers like this is because in all of Ohio, which Donald Trump won by like 11 points, kind of like in this district, It's an extraordinarily competitive cycle right now because of the overall political environment and Donald Trump's poor standing.

1:02:00That complicates things for Miller in this district, who, by the way, last time around only won with 51 percent of the vote. And we should note, Manu, that the people at the top of the ticket this year in Ohio, the Republicans, are not Donald Trump. Yeah. Whose supporters come out in droves in a place like Ohio and vote red, red, red. Right. You have Vivek Ramaswamy running for governor against the health official for Ohio, former health official Amy Acton. Tight race. You have former Senator Sherrod Brown, who, you know, defied odds time and time again as a very progressive Democrat winning in Ohio.

1:02:36Although it didn't work out for him last time against Don Husted, who's who was appointed to the job. So people don't necessarily know him. That's not helpful for a guy like Max Miller. Yeah, and the House majority could run through some of these key districts in Ohio, like Marcy Kaptur, for instance. She's a Democrat running for re-election, trying to hang on to her seat. But the environment, the top of the ticket will impact the bottom of the ticket. And to David's point, Maxwell already had 51 percent of the vote. That's what he won by. Now, he won by a comfortable margin in 2024. But it was because there were two candidates he was running against, a Democrat and the Independent, who was Dennis Kucinich at the time.

1:03:13And they split the opposition vote. So you can just imagine Donald Trump not at the top of the ticket facing one Democrat, this terrible political environment, and all this money being poured into Ohio because the Senate could flip over Sherrod Brown versus John Husted. All of a sudden, those down ticket Republicans, things are getting a lot harder, which is why there's so much concern about Max Miller at this moment. And what is what's the margin that Republicans have? Two votes, three votes in the House? In the House. Yeah. It's 220 to 215. Everybody is there. Right. So if everybody's there, they can only afford to lose two Republicans on any one vote.

1:03:49And, Kristen, there are more than three House Republicans right now who are facing serious allegations of inappropriate behavior. Besides Miller, you have Edwards in North Carolina. The Ethics Committee just is recommending a censure of him for alleged sexual harassment and such. And then you have Corey Mills. We've done stories about him and all the wild charges and testimonies against him. And I got to believe that that's one of the things that Trump thinks about when he decides whether or not to call Miller to drop out of the race to publicly enforce that, is that if he does that, what about Corey Mills?

1:04:22What about Edwards? I do think he also has a different kind of relationship with Max Miller. I mean, he endorsed him early. He was an aide in his White House. He dated Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham at the time. They were spotted everywhere with President Trump. They traveled with him regularly. He has, I'm fairly certain, Max Miller and his wife, Emily Marino, when they were married, got married at a Trump property. They have a very deep relationship now. And so I do think that is slightly different here as well. He's still going to have pushback from people who are close to Miller, who are still in Trump's orbit, encouraging him not to get involved publicly.

1:04:59But again, what speaks to Donald Trump is poll numbers. And that is what got him on the phone. It's not as though it was just the accusations. It's the fact that this is a seat that should have been easily won, as you noted, by a Republican. And instead, now it looks as though he's dropping in the polls and they want him out of the race for that reason. All right, Kristen Holmes, David Chelyan, Manu Rauchu, thanks so much. Much more of our breaking news coverage ahead. Our interview with Republican Congressman Max Miller. Will President Trump ultimately join the calls for Miller to drop his re-election bid just to save that seat for Republicans?

1:05:30Plus, it's also election night in America. Polls close in just a few hours and a handful of crucial primaries. We're keeping a really close eye on what's going on in Michigan. And we're live on the campaign trail right after this.

1:05:46Back in our politics lead, it is election night in America. We've got the CNN election jam going here for you. Five states holding several major primaries, setting up critical races that will help determine the balance of power in Congress. In just one hour, polls are first going to close in the Commonwealth of Virginia, followed by Missouri at 8 Eastern time. Most polls in Michigan and Kansas also close at that time, with the last polls in those states closing an hour later at 9 Eastern. The last polls close at 11 Eastern. That's in Washington. But right now, Washington State, I should be clear.

1:06:24Right now, most eyes are on the battleground state of Michigan, where the future of the Democratic Party, That battle is taking center stage. Progressive former public health official Dr. Abdul El-Sayed versus the more moderate candidate, Congresswoman Hailey Stevens. CNN's Jeff Zeleny is at a polling location in Detroit. Jeff, what are you seeing? Well, Jake, throughout the day, voters here have been casting ballots on a variety of measures, as you can see from the signs here at this polling place. But as we've been talking to voters all day long, it's clear that Senate primary race is really exposing the deep divisions inside the Democratic Party.

1:06:58Abdul El-Sayed, no doubt about it, has progressive energy behind him. But Haley Stevens also has some of that establishment support behind her. African-American voters are her key to winning here. There's no doubt about that. Young voters are Abdul Sayed's key to victory as well. But as we talked to voters throughout the day, they were giving their indications of who they were voting for and, more importantly, why. I think electability is huge and Democrats have fallen on the wrong side of electability. I think Dr. Al-Sayed has made a great point that if Michigan has voted for Donald Trump several times, clearly they want something different.

1:07:35They want change. He is a type of change. I like Kelly Stevens. I like she's a female. I like the work that she's done. The other gentleman might have gotten my vote, but when he did uncommitted, that's a deterrence because that helps the Republican Party.

1:07:53So there's no question that this primary will determine the direction of the Democratic Party, the establishment versus progressive fight that we have seen throughout the day. But Jake, we also spent some time in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Western Michigan earlier today, a different electorate there as well. So this is the first statewide test of this fight between progressives and the establishment. But it's also turning on Michigan issues. But overall, after spending a few days here talking to so many voters, Jake, there is a deep, urgent call for change. And even among Democrats here, so the status quo, which Congresswoman Haley Stevens is because she's in the House, many voters are clearly looking for something and someone new.

1:08:34Jeff Zeleny, Jay-Z in Detroit. Thank you, sir. Joining us now, Democratic Congresswoman Hillary Scolton of Michigan, who has endorsed Congresswoman Haley Stevens in the Michigan Senate race. So, Congresswoman, take a listen to what Congresswoman Stevens said earlier today about her opponent, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. Should he get the nomination? Whatever, you know, I'm a sitting Democratic Congresswoman, you know, till January 2nd of next year. You know, whatever he wants me to do, should he get the nomination? But I'm also going to be working with everyone who has voted in the Democratic primary and everyone who is going to go to the polls in November.

1:09:14Dr. El-Sayed has said over the weekend that he too would support Stevens if she gets the nomination. But you seem to suggest last time we spoke that you're going to be reluctant to back El-Sayed if he wins. Well, Jake, let's be clear first. You know, the polls are still open here. We've got, you know, less than two hours, but folks are just getting off of work and they're going to the polls now. So this race is anything but from over. You know, we clearly see, you know, Mr. Al-Sayed leading in the polls right now. But I can tell you there was a lot of energy out for Haley Stevens as well. We heard from a voter earlier who felt that, you know, Abdul's participation in the uncommitted movement, which handed Michigan to Donald Trump, has actually led to worse health care outcomes, higher prices for individuals.

1:10:02And this sort of all or nothing politics really matters to a lot of people. And, you know, I think it's really important to remember, you know, this race is anything from over. And, you know, we'll see what happens later tonight. You are a stronger arguer against El Sayed than Haley Stevens has been, in my view. You have been more forceful. You're not doing so right now, and I understand why. But, like, I don't hear her making that point as aggressively as you have about the uncommitted movement. Do you think she's pulled her punches for some reason? You know, I've seen that. I have seen her. I've seen and heard her say that many times on the campaign trail.

1:10:45And, you know, I have I have there were ads running constantly, you know, with with featuring Governor Gretchen Whitmer after her endorsement talking about his participation in the uncommitted movement. And I think this is a really important point. You know, health care is one of the number one issues right now. You know, it's a big talking point for Abdul. He, you know, he relies on his medical degree and, you know, his past work as an epidemiologist, talks about Medicare for all, which sounds enticing when people are struggling, right? Here's this option. Haley Stevens also supports universal health care, right, with a public option.

1:11:23But the difference is Haley Stevens has worked towards it. She has the results. She's got the receipts. Abdul participated in a movement that ultimately ushered in a Republican trifecta and Trump, who oversaw one big, beautiful bill, and millions of Americans are going to lose their health care as a result and will be paying more for their health insurance now that the Affordable Care Act subsidies have gone away. And let me be clear, I'm just simply not willing to start writing the obituary on these campaigns just yet. But, you know, if we come to the other side of this, you know, votes have to be earned.

1:12:00Endorsements have to be earned. And I have some serious concerns, which I stand by, you know, and whoever emerges from this primary is going to have to answer for those concerns. And those are numerous. And, you know, in fact, Abdul is doubling down on some of the concerns that I've raised in the closing days of this of this primary. There have been a lot of people in the Jewish community who have criticized Dr. El-Sayed for campaigning with Hassan Piker, for constantly talking about AIPAC. And I just want to get your sense of something, because during a recent roundtable on anti-Semitism, your fellow Democrat, the attorney general of Michigan, Dana Nessel, who's Jewish and progressive, she said she's going to skip the Michigan Democratic Party's nominating convention.

1:12:49She said, quote, I don't feel safe going. I feel like my presence isn't going to be welcome. I don't want to get chased around. I don't want to get harassed. I don't want to get yelled and screamed at. I don't want to get booed off the stage, irrespective of what I'm saying. And I believe that if I go, this is what will happen because it's been happening to me. And Lon Johnson, the former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, has also raised concerns about some alarming behavior against Jews in the state that seems to be tolerated by the Michigan Democratic Party. What's your reaction? Yeah, I see those concerns.

1:13:21I share those concerns. We've seen it break out on college campuses across Michigan. And that's why I have also raised a lot of concerns about the fact that, you know, Abdul has brought in Hassan Piker to these college campuses, a place that has already been rife with this conflict where, you know, we have heard, you know, Jewish students, but not just Jewish students, other students feel safe, feel unsafe. because of this really violent rhetoric. And here you have a candidate for one of the highest offices in the United States of America, bringing in this very controversial individual to campaign for him.

1:14:02Not only did he bring him in earlier in the campaign, Jake, he brought him in as his closer here in Michigan. You think about this, right? Elections are about choices. What is the message that you want to send to your voters, right? And Abdul Al-Sayed chose to bring in Hassan Piker, not a Michigander, an outside podcast influencer who once said America deserved September 11, just last week. He added a framed picture of the September 12 New York Times front page with the World Trade Towers burning in the background to show off on his Twitch stream. Yeah, this is who Abdul Al-Sayed chose to bring in for his close.

1:14:44Right. Those are those aren't my words. That was his choice. That's the message that he was choosing to send to voters. Haley Stevens spent yesterday with me at a roundtable in Muskegon Heights with some incredible entrepreneurs, black women-owned small businesses, listening to them and learning how she could hit the ground running and serve them better. I guess we'll see. Close out the night with two Michigan public servants, Debbie Stabenow and me, talking about the ways that we're going to serve Michigan. And we'll see which one of those visions Democratic voters in Michigan go for. Congresswoman Hillary Scolton of Michigan, thanks so much.

1:15:18Todd Blanche is now one step closer to being confirmed as U.S. Attorney General. Can President Trump's former personal lawyer clear this final hurdle? That's next.

1:15:30And our politics lead survivors of dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his twisted network of abusers are grappling with today's news that Todd Blanche is now one step closer to becoming Attorney General after his nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and is advancing to a full Senate vote. While he was deputy attorney general, Blanche completely oversaw the rollout of the Epstein files that exposed victims' information and photos while redacting information on potentially not-so-innocent people in Epstein's circle. It was a rollout that even Vice President Vance has acknowledged was mishandled.

1:16:04Let's discuss all of this with Epstein survivor Danny Bensky, who testified during Blanche's confirmation hearing, urging senators to consider what she and other Epstein survivors went through. So, Dani, first of all, as always, this is probably a lot. And, like, you're here to talk about the worst experience of your life. Yeah. To get people to care. And too many of them don't. Yeah. How are you? I mean, what a disheartening day, right? It was just, like, it's hard to not feel like the wind was knocked out of democracy in a big way, right? Like we're watching somebody who like Todd Blanch has never he doesn't he's not doing his job.

1:16:46His job is to find investigative leads and pursue them. He's not doing his job. He's broken the law. He's exposed survivors. Broken the law by not honoring the EFTA. Epstein Survivors Law. Right. Exparency Act. Right. So that I mean, right now he was arguing with us when we were in that meeting over if the number was six million documents or three million documents. We know that there's a lot still out there. Recently, there was a report that came out about these training videos that the FBI was using, and we can't find those anywhere. We see proffer agreements being talked about within the files, but then you can't find the proffer agreement.

1:17:24Maria Farmer's 1996 report, like the list goes on and on. And so even in our meeting, you know, and we were talking about, as we said, when six million files come out. And he's like, nope, three million. And we're like, okay, we're not even going to go there because that's a waste of our time to talk about. So let's redirect. Did he display any sympathy or humanity? I mean, this is a guy who has a daughter. Yeah. I mean, I get that he's a political operative and a naparachic in his way. But, like, was there any, like, hey, I'm really sorry what you went through? There wasn't really an I'm sorry moment.

1:17:56It was more of, you know, this is your space to air your grievances, but then would spin everything. And so it was very that's why it's gaslighting Palooza. It was very much like tell me how you're feeling and then spin it. Oh, I never said that. That wasn't the wording that I used. So it just did not go well. Cheyenne Hunt, who is a lawyer and an activist on behalf of women who have been sexually abused or raped. And she's been on the show several times. I'll just mention her because people know her. She posted a video of an interaction in the Capitol between you and Senator Tom Tillis, who was one of the two Republican holdouts.

1:18:33His issue was the anti-weaponization fund. He's gotten reassurances on that. Here's a little bit of the video. What I'm hoping to do is I want to meet not with the attorneys, but with the survivors and have a discussion about next steps. because the only thing I didn't hear in there, I want to see specific action items. Yes. And some of that can even have to do with the investigation. Exactly. So that's why we have this. My office is right around the corner. Okay. If you go right in this first door here, I got to rush. I'm trying to meet Senator Grassley. He's on the floor. Okay. But I want to have that meeting.

1:19:09I would love that. But I don't want suits in the room. Yeah. I want victims. No, we just want to talk to you. That would be totally fine. Okay. So she posted that Wednesday. Is that when the interview was? So this, I'm not interviewed. That's when it was. So six days ago. If I know you, Danny, you went right to his office as soon as he said that. And what, did you ever get to meet with him? Well, 10 of us went, you know, with the full survivor sister crew. You know, we went and we were waiting for him. And they said that we could potentially meet with him on Wednesday. And then we waited for 45 minutes and his schedule shifted.

1:19:42We couldn't meet with him. We then sent, I sent three follow-up emails, World Without Exploitation, who we work with very, very closely also sent emails and we did not get the meeting. And I think it was so incredibly shameful that he cast his vote today without meeting us. So there are Donald Trump cannot afford to lose more than he can't afford to lose two Republican votes, I think, because the Senate's in the balance and Mitch McConnell's not there. So Susan Collins has said she's a no. We don't know the positions of Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Yeah. I was just told that Utah Senator John, the Utah Senator John Curtis has told Politico that he's going to vote yes.

1:20:25Oh, interesting. Yeah, I'm sorry to break that news. Yeah, because I think Sullivan and Curtis were both people that we were looking at speaking with this week. And I hope that we can set up a meeting still because I do think they need to hear all the information. Murkowski is somebody who has talked in the past about how she was a survivor of rape. Yes. And she's going to meet with you. You have your office has been incredible. So I actually popped in today to see one of her staffers and I know she'll be meeting with a couple of survivors tomorrow. And so we just we want to make sure that we're we're really meeting with her and not her staffers.

1:20:58Right. We want to make sure that we're getting that face time in and talking about the investigative leads, the redactions and how poor and, you know, just the real issues at hand. Because right now it feels like all we're talking about is the slush fund, which, of course, like money is important, but isn't victims rights important, too? Like, I feel like this is, you know, Todd Blanche is a career prosecutor. He says that he's tough on crime. And yet we don't like we're not getting any justice for victims in this country. So I think it's the two should be hand in hand at the least. Danny Bensky, thank you so much.

1:21:29Come back anytime. Thank you. It's been nearly 100 years since Kansas elected a Democrat to the Senate. But one man thinks he can possibly change that is going to join us to explain why next.

1:21:45In our politics lead, it is election night in America. Voters in five states are casting ballots in primaries that will shape the fight for control of the House and the Senate. In Kansas, where polls will close in just a little over an hour, 11 Democrats are competing to take on the Republican incumbent Senator Roger Marshall. Among those 11 is Adam Hamilton. He's the pastor of the nation's largest United Methodist Church and the field's top fundraiser. And Pastor Adam Hamilton joins us now. Thank you so much for joining us, sir. So recent polls show you leading this primary, but Kansas has not elected a Democratic U.S.

1:22:24Senator since 1932. Why do you think you're the Democratic Party's best chance to flip this seat? Well, thank you for asking. First of all, I have name recognition across the state. And so there's a lot of people who know me. People know that I care. I've been a pastor for 38 years. I care about people. I listen to people, which is something our current sitting senator does not do. And we solve problems. Our congregation has been engaged in solving problems in Kansas City related to poverty, children in poverty, making sure that people had access to food, caring for vulnerable people. And folks know that.

1:23:00We actually get things done. And our current senator is getting things done, just the wrong things. He's doing things that are harming people in Kansas, and they're fed up. The rise of progressive and Democratic socialist candidates has exposed divisions within your party, the Democratic Party. You have pitched yourself as a bridge builder. How would you help unify the party, and what do you make of all these very progressive, very left-wing DSA candidates with the momentum in the Democratic Party right now? Yeah, I don't know that that's a momentum across the country. I really am not focused on those DSA candidates.

1:23:40I'm focused on Kansas and what Kansans need and who we are in Kansas. We're the heart of America. We are in the heartland and we're centrist people. We're people who are both Republicans and Democrats. We want somebody who's gonna bring us together and that's what I can do. It's what I've done at the church I serve, 24 ,000 members, 35 % of Republicans, 35 % are Democrats, 30 % are Independents. And right now in our country, we need bridge builders. We need people who are going to bring us together. I'd say this, Jake. I was in Holton, Kansas, and I had a guy come up to me and he said, you know what?

1:24:10I'm a single issue voter. And I was wondering what a single issue was going to be. I was expecting, you know, I mean, I had some ideas. And he said, here's my single issue. And I'm not going to vote for anybody who doesn't believe that we should love our neighbors we love ourselves. That's what I'm looking for in a candidate. And I heard that again and again from people across Kansas. They're frustrated with Washington. They're also tired of people who are dividing them. And they want people who can bring us together to solve really big problems. And it's going to take Republicans and Democrats working together to solve those really big problems.

1:24:38Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters say that the party, your party, needs major changes, if not complete reform. What do you think Democrats are getting wrong on a national level that you could help fix as a senator? Well, I'll tell you again, I'm focused on Kansas, not on national Democrats. And what I can say is that we've got to. So Congress has to speak up to executive power. Right now, we've got people who are cowardly lions in the Senate who are not speaking up for their people in their own home states. We've got to solve the issue. So right now in Kansas, since January 2025, more than 30 ,000 people have come off of health care.

1:25:17They don't have health care anymore since January 2025. 10 ,000 kids not receiving SNAP benefits anymore. These are kids going to bed hungry. That shouldn't happen in America. That is just not who we are. And I think we have to focus on the needs of the people in our own states. We need to care about them, listen carefully to them, and look to see, you know, how are we making sure that government is not harming people in our states, but instead doing what government is meant to do. And that is ensuring that we are helping people to prosper and thrive. And so I think to the degree that Democrats nationally are focused on the people in their own state and asking, how can we do what government's supposed to do to work for the people, then I think the Democratic Party is going to be OK.

1:25:53Pastor Adam Hamilton, thank you so much. Good luck. Thank you so much. Have a good night. Coming up next, our panel reacts to our interview with Republican Congressman Max Miller amid growing pressure for him to drop his reelection bid. Stick around.

1:26:14We're back with the politics lead in our panel. More reaction to the lead exclusive. We talked earlier with Republican Congressman Max Miller strongly pushing back on allegations that he physically abused his ex-wife and his young daughter and his ex-girlfriend and a girl in high school. Karen, your reaction to the interview and what it might mean for his re-election. You know, it was intense. I got to say that, Jake. And I thought you did an excellent, I'm sure this is going to only be bad for you for me to say. I think you did a good job holding his feet to the fire. Sorry. Please don't say that.

1:26:42Sorry. It was terrible. You let him off the hook. But, you know, here's the second piece that that just followed a conversation you just had with one of the Epstein survivors. It's really powerful in the fact that we're having these conversations. And look, the Republican Party is going to have to decide, are you going to tolerate that in your party? Clearly, this is someone who needs to go and fight these battles. That may not mean he's this is the right time for him to also try to be a member of Congress because he keeps saying he's innocent. Well, then go deal with that instead of trying to have it both ways.

1:27:14I found it very, very disturbing. He said in our interview, and also according to him, he said to President Trump, hey man, I remember in 2016, all these allegations about you, but you stayed in fight and you became the president. And I think there are a lot of Republicans who see that as the new, not just Republicans, a lot of politicians who see that as the new template. That dog ain't go hunt because he's not Trump. People try to say, well, Trump did this. No, we've seen over and over again that this whole idea of a Trump 2.0 or even Trump one and a half simply doesn't exist. The interview.

1:27:49Yeah, I agree with you on the interview. But this guy, I mean, you heard from a Republican senator. You're hearing from not just his ex-wife. Apparently there are other people who have been involved. And the thing that Trump did here, and I think people need to realize this, Trump didn't call for him to get out, much like he didn't call for Pastor Mark Robinson out of North Carolina. He didn't call for him to get out. He tried to push him out. Mark Robinson then withdrew from the race. I think the assumption was is that because Trump is so influential, he's been able to turn elections that the phone call enough would have been enough for this guy to say, OK, well, I'm out of here.

1:28:27But there's a hypocrisy to say that if you can look at what we're talking about with Max Miller and say that's wrong. How can Republicans then defend voting in support of Todd Blanche, who is essentially protecting pedophiles who are in the Epstein files? Well, I think that the Todd Blanche thing is a little different. And even in my case with the Epstein, I think that these victims or survivors or alleged victim needs to be heard. But I'm at the point now that we've heard so much about the Epstein files that we need to just release more information. I'm now at the point that the victims themselves need to release who the names of the people.

1:29:04They know who they are. They're afraid. I understand them being afraid. But the fact that this is now captured the nation and we're still talking about this, about what the Department of Justice needs to release. The victims themselves know the name. And they said even on that, when they were on the steps of the house, that they had the names that they were going to read them from the floor. At this point, the victims did if they feel as if DOJ or members on the Hill are not cooperating with them, they need to release. Well, you know what needs to happen? Here's here's my Solomonic compromise.

1:29:37OK, they should meet with Congressman Thomas Massey and Thomas Massey should read everything on the floor of the house where you are protected. He suggested he might. It was suggested before she left. I think he did a few. He did a few, but he didn't, like, this is my proposal. All the victims should talk to Thomas Massey. Thomas Massey should read all the names when he will not be sued. He cannot be sued for what he says on the floor. So I feel like I've solved the problem. Okay, all right. The midterms are approaching. Big election night in Michigan. What are you looking for, and then what are you looking for?

1:30:10In Michigan, whether or not the Democratic Socialists actually wins. He's not a Democratic Socialist. He's DSA adjacent. He said, I'm a capitalist. Yes, correct. The DSA. Dr. Abdul Al-Sayed is who you're referring to. You're looking to see if he, there are two House guys who are, House candidates who are DSA. Okay, but that's not it. Anyway, go ahead. Whether or not he wins, but I'm also looking next door, I think it's in Missouri, what happens in the governor race there, because it seems as if that may be a race that may be tilting now. I think you mean Wisconsin? Wisconsin, I'm sorry. Yeah, yeah.

1:30:38Wisconsin, that race is actually going to be, they are saying that it may switch now to Republicans. from the Democratic. I think the outgoing Democratic governor, Evers, has said that if the woman who's in the lead right now in Wisconsin wins, that the Republican has a better chance. I have heard that. Look, for Michigan, I think the most important thing is to pay attention to what voters are telling us. And actually, it came earlier today in a clip from one of our correspondents who's there. And a woman said, I want the Democrats to fight for the things they say they're for the way I see Republicans fighting for Trump.

1:31:11And so I think that tells you a lot about what is really going on on the ground. That is, who do they trust to fight for them? Haley Stephenson's done a great job being on the ground, fighting hard, not ceding the ground, but so has Apple. El-Sayed is, I think it's impossible to conclude that anyone other than El-Sayed is the change candidate in that race, right? He's the insertion candidate, he's the change candidate, and I think he has made, we'll see what happens, but I think he has made that case very well. And he's a fresh face. And look, he also, he has a number of accomplishments from his time at the health department, like dropping medical debt for 300 ,000 Michiganders.

1:31:49Thanks to both of you. We'll be right back. Our national lead, a photo capturing the moment authorities arrested the man, they say, set one of the three wildfires in Washington state near Spokane. The man was in court today, formerly charged with first degree arson. Since Saturday, the fires have scorched more than 10 ,000 acres and destroyed upwards of 700 homes. Court records show the same man arrested on arson charges served time in prison for the 2010 killing of his father, shot during an argument over washing dishes. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, threads, X, Blue Sky, and on the TikTok at Jake Tapper.

1:32:26You can follow the 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.

1:32:41Go inside the sports moments that brought us together and made history. From the underdogs to the rivalries and the miracles. It sends chills down your spine. It's what sport was all about. The new CNN original series, Decades in Sports. Now streaming on the CNN app.